Southwest Symphony Orchestra

Three people started the Southwest Symphony in 1980 because Southern Utah had no full orchestra and they thought it should. Dr. Norman H. Fawson, a physician and violist, Irene Everett, who ran the Dixie String Ensemble, and Dr. Ronald Garner, then chair of the music department at Dixie College, pooled a volunteer 23-piece ensemble, held rehearsals in a basement, and gave five concerts at the St. George Tabernacle. Forty-five years later the orchestra runs eleven concerts per season with more than seventy volunteer musicians and is the only full symphony orchestra serving the SW Utah corridor.

All Volunteer, Every Seat

The Southwest Symphony has never converted to a professional paid-musician model. The director, the board, and all players donate their time. Some members drive eighty miles from Kanab for rehearsals. Norman Fawson, who co-founded the orchestra in 1980, did not miss a single performance for over three decades. The Symphonic Chorale — added in 1981 — performs alongside the orchestra on major choral works and has held together on the same volunteer basis. Maestro Lucas Darger now leads the ensemble from the podium; the organization earned Best of State recognition in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

The Civic Case

The Southwest Symphony's ProPublica entry shows revenue of roughly $407,000 in fiscal year 2024 against expenses of $346,000 — a lean balance sheet for a performing-arts organization of this scope, which is partly a function of the volunteer model and partly a function of where it operates. The orchestra is primarily funded by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums, Dixie State University, and the City of St. George, with additional support from businesses and families throughout the region. Concert revenue covers the rest.

Southwest Symphony in the 435

For a register of Southern Utah organizations, the Southwest Symphony is what happens when a small group of musicians decides that regional scale doesn't have to mean cultural absence — and proves it over forty-five years. The orchestra was started in St. George by St. George people and has stayed volunteer, community-funded, and place-rooted ever since.