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.
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 campus-wide pursuit of the larger questions that face
our students and members of our community.
