The Kirkland Civic Orchestra is an all-volunteer classical symphony orchestra offering free concerts in the Seattle area. We perform at locations in the Eastside community and in the Seattle Area approximately four times a year.
The mission of our orchestra is to offer amateur musicians a great opportunity to play interesting repertoire for our supportive audience, primarily on the eastside of Lake Washington. Our concerts are affordable and casual. We are non-profit group that exists because of the support of our audience and our members.
Our primary home is at the Northwest University Butterfield Chapel, where we enjoy a great relationship with the members of the music program. Our concerts in the chapel offer great sound, great sight, and are an affordable cultural event.
Occasionally, we play in other great settings too, including The Ballard Locks.
No matter where we are, we invite you to check the performance calendar and come out to hear some great music!
Conductor and Music Director, James Truher
James has been a professional musician since 1982. He has degrees in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting as well as study toward a Masters of Arts in Musicology from California State University at Los Angeles. James made his conducting debut in 1983 with the Pasadena Chorale and Orchestra with his orchestration of ‘Rejoice in the Lamb’ by Benjamin Britten.
James has studied conducting with Christophe Chagnard, Roger Wagner, and Sergio Siminovich and specializes in music from the Medieval to Baroque periods. Locally, he conducted the Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 in E-flat Major and Vaughan Williams 3rd symphony in the Northwest Mahler Festival reading sessions in 2004 and 2014. James served as the Assistant Conductor for the Lake Union Civic Orchestra from 2009 to 2011.
James’ leadership of the Kirkland Civic Orchestra started in 2004, during the time when the orchestra was then called the Microsoft Orchestra. He has recently retired as a Senior Software Engineer from Microsoft after 25 years.