Jacksonville Symphony Chorus

With more than 100 singers representing some of the region’s finest voices, the Jacksonville Symphony Chorus brings together singers from all walks of life who share a passion for performing great works from the choral-orchestral canon. Founded in 1984 during the tenure of Jacksonville Symphony Music Director Roger Nierenberg, the Chorus made its debut performing Handel’s Messiah at the Florida Theatre. Since then, it has taken part in many of the Symphony’s landmark performances, including the inaugural concert in Robert E. Jacoby Symphony Hall in 1997, featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The Chorus celebrated its 40^th anniversary in 2024.

The ensemble participated in the Jacksonville Symphony’s first commercial recording, a Grammy-submitted recording of Orff’s Carmina Burana. Beyond Jacksonville, the Chorus has performed for audiences throughout Northeast Florida, as well as in Savannah, Georgia, and at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

The Jacksonville Symphony Chorus has flourished under a succession of respected artistic leaders, beginning with Roger Nierenberg and followed by Jim Morrow, Jon Carlson and Donald McCullough. In May 2026, another chapter began with McCullough’s retirement and the appointment of Dr. Tony Thornton as Chorus Director. Today, the Chorus continues to serve as an integral part of the Symphony’s performances. It carries forward a proud legacy of musical achievement, community engagement and choral artistry, sustained by an enduring commitment to the power and beauty of choral music.

Learn more at jaxsymphony.org/symphony-chorus/