This orchestra, which performs from the Johns Creek United Methodist Church, was founded by the bass singer and conductor J. Wayne Baughman, who had previously sung as a member of Robert Shaw’s Chamber Singers and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. He had worked in the Johns Creek community since 1988, holding the post of music director for the Johns Creek United Methodist Church for 12 years and the St. Benedict’s Catholic Church for seven.
He had seen the growth of the Johns Creek area in Fulton County, Georgia and he felt there was a need for a performing arts organisation and with the assistance of his wife, the late violist and violinist Lynn Marie Baughman, designed a symphony orchestra that would comprise highly qualified musicians. After putting together 42 musicians they held their First Annual St. Benedict Christmas Gala and Holiday Pops Concert in December 2006, which was the same time Johns Creek was made a city. Due to it’s success it was decided to plan a concert season and the professional orchestra was founded and incorporated on 28th April 2007.
From that time the orchestra has met with regular critical success and in the 2009-10 season they collaborated with the Archdiocesan Festival Choir of Atlanta which was their first time working with a major choral ensemble. Also in 2010 they hosted a soloist who was the internationally recognised pianist Piotr Folkert.
In the 2023-24 season J. Wayne Baughman stepped down from being the orchestra’s music director after having held the position from it’s inception.
Sources:
- https://www.johnscreeksymphony.org/about/
- https://www.earrelevant.net/2023/07/johns-creek-symphony-orchestra-announces-2023-24-season-j-wayne-baughmans-final-as-music-director/
- https://www.exploregeorgia.org/johns-creek/arts-culture/music/johns-creek-symphony-orchestra
- https://www.musicalchairs.info/company-profile/5518
- https://www.johnscreekumc.org/event/johns-creek-symphony/