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Pacific Lutheran University

PLU Symphony Orchestra

Music on the Mountain Top

Instrumental Music began at PLU in 1898 with a trip up nearby Mt. Rainier, instruments in hand. The climbers played a chorale from the summit to celebrate the opening of the new Lutheran academy.

Music has continued to be at the center of campus life since that time. The University Symphony Orchestra has long been one of the most important centerpieces of a stunningly rich musical calendar. With the addition of some community members for major concerts, the USO has effectively become the symphony orchestra of Tacoma's south suburbs.

Celebration on Mt. Rainier

Celebration on Mt. Ranier
PLU Archive

USO Onstage 2007-2008
Photo by Jordan Hartman

Today's USO

The USO today provides a valuable training ground for orchestral musicians, preparing students for all aspects of orchestral performance. Through more than a dozen performances each season, it helps celebrate important campus events, preserves and perpetuates the rich cultural tradition of our university and region, and enlivens the campuswide pursuit of the larger questions that face our students and members of our community.