Our Crowdfunding Groups
You can help make a real difference in a student's future.
Your gift makes a difference, and here's how:
And beyond! Please feel free to reach out directly to Nadia Liu, Development Associate at ucbso@berkeley.edu, to discuss a gift that is meaningful to you.
Malena Rice, Flute (UCBSO seasons 2013-2015) "The UCBSO was a supportive, kind, and warm community at a really transformative point of my life. As an undergraduate, I was figuring out who I wanted to be, and how — it was a time of incredible growth, and a time when I needed a support system more than ever. Creating music as part of the UCBSO provided a beautiful outlet and a tremendous sense of purpose: we were coming together to build something that was truly more than the sum of its parts. My time in the UCBSO is one of my fondest memories from college."- Malena Rice is an Assistant Professor in the Yale Department of Astronomy. She earned her Bachelor's degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from UC Berkeley in 2017 as a Regents' and Chancellor's Scholar, and she was recently named to the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Who we are:
With our 100 year history, the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra (UCBSO) is the longest standing orchestra in the UC system. It is co
mprised of about 120 UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and members of the community. Our purpose is to provide unique and innovative programming to the campus and the Bay Area, performed with astonishing intensity by students in all disciplines, including science, technology, and medicine. The Orchestra will share this purpose with local and global audiences. The work of the UCBSO exemplifies the outstanding depth of musical achievement from the students of an already internationally renowned university.
The diverse range of experiences of our members is what makes this group a special and vital part of our community. The ensemble provides the community with excellent performances of difficult repertoire despite most of the musicians focusing on academic fields outside of music. The orchestra is full of accomplished undergraduate and graduate students working in all fields. Even so, every member attends bi-weekly rehearsals prepared to work diligently on our repertoire, driven by a shared sense of community and love for music. While our members are improving the world with their personal research, our orchestra is improving our community by making it a more inclusive and united space through music.
Help UCBSO thrive for the next 100 years! Your contribution goes directly to support the educational needs of our students.
As a fan of UCBSO, your contribution here is like bringing a party (you and four other students) to cheer on your favorite musicians!
Your support here can help cover one month's instrument rental for a student who needs it.
Support UCBSO in honor of their 100th Anniversary! Your contribution at this level can help support one student's participation in retreat/intensive rehearsals.
As a supporter in the Musician's Circle, you know what it takes and how much your contribution goes directly into producing every note of our performances! Your contribution at this level supports music lessons for one student per semester
With your deep knowledge of the inner workings of the orchestra, your contribution at this level supports instrument rental, repairs, and maintenance, for students who need an instrument to play.
Your contribution at this level support one student's full tour scholarship, and their lifetime experience of being able to play in some of the world's finest concert halls and work with amazing international musicians.
