Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (CUSO) is a professional orchestra located in the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area in central Illinois. The Orchestra is the Professional Orchestra in Residence at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The CUSO is led by Music Director and Conductor Stephen Alltop.

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1959 by two music teachers in the Unit 4 School District, Mrs. Martha Wendt, a violinist, and Gilbert Papp, a clarinetist, with the help of W. J. Roberts, a well-known personality on local television.

The three founders believed that a local symphony orchestra would have to be truly professional to prosper and grow. That meant that members would have to attend every rehearsal as well as concerts and to be paid for their services. (This was an important stipulation because previous local orchestras had failed when good players bypassed rehearsals and were insufficiently prepared to play the public performances.)

Both Wendt and Papp were members of the local chapter of the American Federation of Musicians, which was very interested in the venture, and with whom a wage scale for players was determined. The local union also agreed to pay each player a small concert fee from the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Fund.

The founders realized that the success of an orchestra depended to a large extent on the conductor. They felt that one of the biggest hurdles had been passed when Bernard Goodman approved the founders’ plans and agreed to assemble a local orchestra. Goodman, in his role as conductor of the University of Illinois student orchestra and as a member of the Walden String Quartet, had received critical acclaim as a musician and a conductor. Due to his knowledge of the available area music talent, he would be able to pick his players from the music school faculty, the Graduate College and also include many talented townspeople.

The founders, with the help of Professor Duane Brannigan, Director of the University of Illinois School of Music, and Verrollton C. Shaul, Music Director of Champaign Unit 4 Schools, the founders secured the use of Smith Memorial Hall for the Orchestra's performances. Rehearsals were held in the high school band room.

Having disposed of the main physical problems, it was now time to attend to legal matters. Attorney Donald D. Richmond handled the founders’ application for non-profit corporation status, and on February 13, 1960, the Illinois Secretary of State signed the registration papers. The Champaign-Urbana Civic Symphony Orchestra, as it was first named, was registered under the “General Not-for-profit Corporate Act.” Under the articles of incorporation, it stated that the purpose of the Corporation was to “provide cultural and educational musical concerts for the general public in and around the area of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois.” It also allowed the corporation to solicit funds for carrying out this purpose. This was the next and greatest hurdle.

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