The mission of the Kirkland Civic Orchestra is to enrich the lives of all members of our community through unique and high quality musical experiences by developing the musical abilities, interests and music appreciation of members of the Greater Bellevue/Kirkland/Eastside in Washington State, and by enhancing the total music experience available to these musicians by outreach to and cooperation with other educational, music and artistic/performance institutions in the area.
Our concerts are free and casual. We are non-profit group that exists because of the support of our audience and our members.
KCO offers free tickets to all attendees all the time. This policy is intended to remove a financial barrier in hopes of attracting audiences who might otherwise not have an opportunity to experience classical music. We have also elected to hold concerts in Kirkland high school performing arts centers, as they are a familiar location to students and their families. These facilities also benefit from good transit service (which is free to under 18s), reducing barriers for those without personal vehicles, and ample free parking for those who drive. One of these high schools, Juanita High School, serves the Community of Opportunity in North Kirkland.
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, Dr. James Welsch
Dr. James Welsch is Music Director of the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association and Associate Conductor of The El Paso Symphony Orchestra. Most recently he has served as Music Director & Symphonic Orchestra Conductor of Florida Symphony Youth Orchestras, Visiting Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at The University of Central Florida and held the dual positions of Associate Conductor of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and Music Director and General Manager of the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras. In El Paso, he conducts the professional musicians in a variety of Live to Film, Pops and educational concerts, including Carnegie Hall’s Link Up program.
Dr. Welsch is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, master class teacher, and festival conductor. He has considerable experience composing and arranging music. Delighting in the collaborative experiences that his art affords, Dr. Welsch welcomes opportunities to work with others, whether for a session of score study, an impromptu ensemble where he plays French Horn, his principal instrument, or a public performance. He especially values the creative experience of working with and hosting guest artists and working with talented young musicians.
Conductor and Music Director Emeritus, 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.