Monthly Archives: July 2025

We are looking for individuals interested in becoming part of a growing community of fun, talented, musicians from around the CSRA. If you have been looking for a place to find a family of musicians to share your love for music with, have orchestral experience, then you should consider joining us! We are building our roster of musicians to provide us flexibility in programming.

Get Involved

Other than Almighty God and the various people (orchestra members and volunteer board members)
who serve in the Columbia County Orchestra, and have been serving ever since the orchestra began in 2008, two orchestra patrons stand out. Those patrons were Clarence and Jo Ann Nordan. Clarence and Jo Ann were the parents of Dr. Rob Nordan, founder and music/executive director of the Columbia County Orchestra (CCO). Over the span of three decades, Clarence and Jo Ann served the orchestra in various capacities including: volunteer orchestra board members (both), playing in the orchestra (Clarence), promoting the orchestra and selling ads in the CSRA (both), photographer (Jo Ann), as moral supporters, and financial contributors. Without their support in so many ways, the orchestra would not exist or be where it is today in 2025. The support of Jo Ann and Clarence undergirded the work of the orchestra from 2008 (founding), to early 2022 (when Clarence passed away), through March of 2025 (when Jo Ann passed away). They are both missed in so many ways, including their various levels of support for the orchestra.

For the 2025-2026 season, the orchestra is at a new crossroad. It continues to take musicians
(volunteer and professional), board members (volunteer), hours of rehearsal, much support time, a
music/executive director (volunteer), website updates (volunteer), and financial support to keep an orchestra in operation. A normal orchestra year for the CCO costs about $10,000 annually (2025), between administrative costs, buying music, and paying a few professional musicians to help with the orchestra’s challenging concert repertoire. The CCO presents six concerts in each orchestral season. The CCO is made up of over 75 musicians, with over half of the orchestra having either undergraduate or graduate degrees in music. Of the six concerts offered in the community annually, three of the concerts are almost exclusively staffed by volunteers. The other three concerts require hiring about 10-12 additional professional players. (Over one half of the CCO players are professional-level players who volunteer their time to play in the orchestra).

For the MasterWorks and two Beethoven concerts (during the 2024-2025 season), consider the people
hours invested in bringing ONE concert to fruition:
40 players x 5 hours of ensemble rehearsal = 200 hrs.
40 players x 1.5 hours (approx.) per concert= 60 hrs.
25 players x 5 additional rehearsal time = 125 hrs.
40 players x 3 hours of individual preactice = 120 hrs.
THIS EQUALS>>>505 people (man) hrs. per concert
505 people hrs. per concert x (approx.) $30 per hour = $15,150 of player investment per concert.
The CCO offers concerts for FREE. Many of the venues that we play in are offered at no cost to the
orchestra, to serve the community.

PLEASE consider joining the legacy of Jo Ann and Clarence Nordan through continuing to offer music to
our community, by financially supporting the CCO. Others have joined in financial support of the orchestra throughout its existence. ALL of the financial support received has helped the orchestra support its purpose “to promote the musical arts and foster music appreciation while also providing an outlet for amateur and professional musicians to express their musical talents in and around the CSRA” (Central Savannah River Area).

Financial gifts are tax-deductible. ALL voluntary financial gifts are needed. Please consider how you can help the orchestra continue with its mission. The CCO does not sell tickets. It relies on generous contributors to continue our music journey to provide music to our community.