The Long Bay Symphonic Society was founded in 1987 by Dr. Diana Swanner-Scroggins, a local music storeowner.
She determined the need for a local symphony orchestra after many customers, both music lovers and musicians, related their interests in such an organization.
The first auditions for the Long Bay Symphony produced a core of 36 musicians who performed together for the first time in April of 1988 in Wheelwright Auditorium on the campus of Coastal Carolina College.
Dr. Won-Mo Kim was engaged as the first Music Director/Conductor of the Long Bay Symphony and served in that post through the 1994-95 season.
After his seven-year tenure, the orchestra underwent an extensive conductor search, awarding Dr. Charles Jones Evans the position of Music Director/Conductor starting in the 1996-97 season. Evans has been the creative force behind the Symphony for the past 25 years, achieving a high standard of performing excellence and growing the organization’s education and artistic programs.
The dedicated members of the Long Bay Symphony Board of Directors and administrative staff continually work to secure the orchestra a strong administrative and financial base. Additionally, the Long Bay Symphony strives to provide the highest quality educational programs for both young people and adults.
Education initiatives include the Long Bay Youth Symphony, the Musicians in the Schools program, annual Young People’s Concerts, Master Classes, and Pre-Concert lectures. The Long Bay Symphony continually seeks to engage with the local community increasing awareness of the arts and garnering support for its programming.
The moniker “Long Bay” was chosen as the name of the symphony based on the geographical region it covers which is roughly a 60 mile coastal area of North and South Carolina, including Brunswick County in North Carolina and Horry and Georgetown counties in South Carolina.