1n 1977, a group of interested citizens formally organized the Fallbrook Music Society and filed Articles of Incorporation with the State of California on September 28, 1978. The First President of the Society was Orville Evans who led the organization into maturity along with many volunteers. Subsequent presidents were Wilma Fellows, John Campbell, Milton Francis, Bob Underwood, Roy Ansell, Mary Boehlert, Juanita Mykkanen, and Dr. Brenda Montiel.

Since 1977, Fallbrook Music Society has brought to Fallbrook a series of symphony concerts each season. At the time of its incorporation, Fallbrook Music Society was (and perhaps still is) the only small community of its kind in this country to succeed in such a venture – a major task for a small rural community which needed to fund the $21,000 it cost (25 years ago) to pay for three symphony concerts. The San Diego Symphony, under the direction of Charles Ketcham and David Atherton, agreed to provide a series of three concerts for the 1979-80 Season for a total cost of $21,000. A stockbroker’s office and a real estate broker’s office were used after working hours to make telephone calls to residents of Fallbrook. Directors and friends of the Society called every household in the Directory during a period of two months and raised the needed funds. And the rest is history. Today, Fallbrook Music Society brings eight live music concerts to Fallbrook. Funds are generated by individual contributions, sponsorships from local businesses and organizations, foundation grants, endowment distributions and ticket sales.

In addition to the concert series, Fallbrook Music Society is deeply dedicated to providing classical music to students as part of a broad and expansive youth education and outreach program. In 1993, Music by Volunteers (MBV) was formed as a standing committee of Fallbrook Music Society. In 2004, this committee changed its name to Music for Youth (M4Y) to better identify its purpose. Toward this end, Fallbrook Music Society has helped, over the years, to sponsor schools assemblies, fix and purchase music instruments for band programs, and sponsor the Kodaly music program in two of our local schools.

To help support and sustain these cultural activities, now and in the future, Fallbrook Music Society inaugurated an Endowment Fund Campaign in 2000. To date, we have received cash, pledges and bequests amounting to over a million dollars for the future of classical music in our community. And so our history lives on …