The roots of the Burbank Philharmonic began over a hundred years ago, in
the 1920’s, when a community orchestra was formed with local amateur musicians.

After World War II, musical director Leo G. Damiani added professional musicians from the Warner Bros. and Disney studios and the Burbank Symphony Orchestra was born. The first free concert was performed in July of 1944 on a simple wooden platform stage in Stough Park, with telephone poles for audience seating, and lanterns for lighting.

The city wanted a more permanent venue for the orchestra and in 1951 constructed the Starlight Bowl.

It was at a Burbank Symphony performance that Walt Disney saw Annette Funicello perform in Swan Lake and cast her in “The Mickey Mouse Club". And the Burbank Youth Symphony featured a young Debbie Reynolds on French Horn.

In the 1990s, the symphony re-organized as the Burbank Chamber Orchestra,

and with the help of funding from the city, brought world-renowned soloists like violinist Robert Cani and bass-baritone Richard Bernstein to the Burbank stage. By 1998, the orchestra was hosting four concerts a year and collaborating with industry giants like Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Special Events, featuring music from Disney classics such as "Beauty and the Beast", "The Lion King", and "The Little Mermaid." In 2002, reflecting its growing reputation and diverse repertoire, the Burbank Chamber Orchestra expanded to become the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition to the Starlight Bowl, the orchestra has performed at iconic local venues like the Ambassador Auditorium in
Pasadena, the Alex Theater in Glendale, and the Colony Theater in Burbank. The Burbank Philharmonic has performed at the City of Burbank’s Fourth of July celebrations at the Starlight Bowl, and has hosted family concerts, including memorable performances like "Peter and the Wolf," narrated by local favorite Fritz Coleman.

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The Burbank Philharmonic is committed to music education and sponsors many educational programs, including the Hennings-Fischer Young Artist Competition for talented young soloists and the Discovery Conductor Project for advanced high school conductors. The Burbank Phil also strongly believes in supporting the work of living composers, as exemplified by its recent participation in the California Festival: A Celebration of New Music, an event jointly sponsored by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco and San Diego Symphonies. The orchestra has recently
performed works by a diverse group of contemporary American composers such as Peter Boyer and Quinn Mason.

As the only professional orchestra in the San Fernando Valley, we are proud to continue a hundred-year-old legacy of performing free orchestra concerts for Burbank and the surrounding communities. The Burbank Philharmonic is a 501(c)(3) arts non-profit organization.