[2] In 1930, Stella Weitzel asked for monetary founding in sustaining a small group of talented musicians at the University of Chattanooga.
A small monetary donation was given to the group by the CMC which was eventually used in the founding of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra.
[3] The Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was established because of an "enterprising group of young people",[4] who were all looking for opportunities to play music with one another.
[4] Because the Chattanooga Symphony featured the young players of the local High School, the music lovers and important community members fell in love with the talent and tenacity of the group.
Due to the success of the symphony orchestra, Dr. Arthur Plettner, was hired to provide professional leadership in 1937.
[5] In the same year, Dr. Arthur Plettner was recognized and appointed the Juilliard Professor of Music at the University of Chattanooga.
Julius Hegyi remained the conductor of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra until 1956, when he resigned and relocated to Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The CSOA, were the host of many famous guest artist including Itzhak Perlman, Gidon Kremer, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Gary Karr.
Under the guidance of Maestro Bernhardt, the CSOA also hosted famous guest including Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Ricky Scaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Stella Zambalis, and Edgar Meyer.
Kayoko Dan made history when she became the first female conductor at the Chattanooga Symphony, along with the title of youngest.
After receiving her bachelor, master and doctorate, she worked as the assistant conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and music director of Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras.
[1] Ms. Dan also works as a strong advocate for music education and as a clinician at universities, high schools, youth orchestra and regional orchestras throughout the United States of America[1] Around the same time as the Chattanooga Symphony became established, a remarkable pair of musicians was escaping from Nazi Germany and bringing their expertise to the state of Tennessee.
Madame Wolff was the stage director and taught the company singers how to walk, minuet, bow, use the actors appendages, and how to properly deal with props.
The cast consisted primarily of local singers, but the Wolffs were well-connected in the opera world and attracted a number of renowned performers to Chattanooga as guest artists.