The mission of the LASO is to promote and facilitate the interchange of ideas, advocate for the support of orchestras in the State, and coordinate collaborative projects in music education and other areas of mutual interest.

Presenting more than 200 concerts each season, over half of which are free educational events, the orchestra performs music of various genres, including classical and popular.

The SSO was formed by a handful of interested local citizens with founding Music Director, John Shenaut[5][6] and it experienced tremendous growth until his retirement in 1981.

Under the stewardship of Leonard, and then Simons, the orchestra continued to grow as a cohesive unit, in relative stability, despite the effect of the oil bust during the 1980s on Shreveport's economy.

However, into the new millennium, the orchestra's solvency was in a precarious state, as the core musicians risked being placed in a "per service" status, instead of receiving an annual guaranteed wage.

[7] An international search for the orchestra’s fourth Music Director began in the summer of 2003 and culminated with five finalists conducting the SSO during the 2004–2005 season.

[12] One such submission in the form of a press release was entitled Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Invites Musicians and Community To Embrace Board's Commitment to Fiscal Responsibility.

[13] Trying to promote one side of any labor dispute on the one page that is the face of the orchestra to the public is foolish and self-destructive, since it provides no reassurance to concertgoers that the organization stands a chance of surviving.

As the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra embarked on the new season starting January 30, 2010, this group of talented, classically trained musicians, along with their devoted management team, would have to encourage the participation of a broader subscriber base, including the younger population of the Shreveport-Bossier City metro area.

[25][26] This bodes well for the future of this arts organization, as long as the momentum is carried on to attract new audience members to upcoming SSO programs.

The program included works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Richard Wagner and Gustav Holst, as well as music from "Fiddler on the Roof," and "The King and I: A Symphonic Portrait.

[32] This decision was postponed, to allow the remaining issues to be discussed at a meeting between the orchestra musicians and the board, scheduled for Mon., July 12, 2010.

"I am so impressed by the energy and commitment I have seen to make the SSO the best it can possibly be, and am convinced that there will be many opportunities for the organization to serve the community better than ever," Robinson said in a news release.

[40] September 24, 2011, was the beginning of a new era for this orchestra, and the variety of the programming included a guest appearance by one of America's most accomplished cellists, Zuill Bailey, in Elgar's famous Cello Concerto in E minor.

More recently, in June 2014, the SSO musicians and management reached a collective bargaining agreement, which ensured the continuing growth and prosperity of this orchestra.

[43] Poling has kept his post as Associate Conductor for the SSO, in addition to being the Music Director of both the South Arkansas Symphony and the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet.