The Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra began its inaugural season in the fall of 1967—for FIFTY-SIX YEARS, it has been bringing orchestral music to the communities of Prince Edward Island and providing performance experiences for both professionals and non-professionals alike.The PEISO goals are as follows: 

1. To provide live symphonic music of high quality for the people of Prince Edward Island, and to contribute to the artistic life of the community through the presentation of a series of live concerts; 

2. To provide experience and practical training in orchestral music for Island students and community musicians; to provide the members of the orchestra with the opportunity to learn orchestral music representative of all styles and periods, and to perform it in concert to the very best of their individual and collective technical and musical abilities; 

3. To provide gifted PEI performers with the opportunity to perform with a large orchestra.

Every season the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra presents four concerts, held in Charlottetown on the main stage of the Confederation Centre of the Arts. Three of our four concerts concentrate on classical and modern orchestral music. The other concert, the “Pops” concert, also maintains a percentage of classical content. Each year, the orchestra includes music by Canadian composers and tries to feature music composed by contemporary Maritime composers. When selecting soloists, we also try to feature local or regional performers.

The PEISO brings together players from different walks of life and experiences: professionals from the Island and other areas in the Maritimes including university music professors, school teachers and business people, amateurs, and university music students. This blend is most rewarding and the music programming is selected to engender growth in the performers as well as to satisfy the audience’s need for satisfying and appealing live music.