The Kennett Symphony is changing its name
The new name reflects the orchestra's reach, which goes further than Kennett Square.
The Kennett Symphony has a new name: the Brandywine Valley Symphony.
Leaders of Chester County’s professional orchestra said the change had been long considered and was made to signal that the orchestra’s reach goes beyond Kennett Square.
“We serve, in terms of a cultural footprint, an area much larger — to northern Delaware and the surrounding counties,” said Timothy Blair, the orchestra’s board president. The new name also promises to resonate more widely, he said.
“If you mention the Brandywine Valley anywhere in the nation, people immediately know it. The Brandywine Valley is known for its arts, the Wyeths. Obviously people think of all the great history here and all of the culture.”
The name change is effective immediately.
Founded in 1940 as a community orchestra, the ensemble is now fully professional. It performs four orchestral concerts and three chamber music concerts per season, Blair said, and recently expanded its roster by 21 musicians to 52.
Its first performance under the new name will be next season, on Oct. 12 at the Duffy Arts Center at Malvern Preparatory School, with pianist Anna Shelest in the Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor.
The orchestra, which is led by artistic director Michael Hall, is planning to perform at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall in October 2026 with a concert featuring Shelest in the Schumann Piano Concerto in A Minor.
It will mark the orchestra’s debut performance at the venue, which brings a certain amount of prestige.
“The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick play there all the time,” said Blair, “but for us it’s the first in 85 years.”