About the Orchestra
The Burlington Civic Symphony (BCSO) is Burlington, Vermont's premier auditioned community orchestra. Founded in 2011 by conductor Daniel Bruce and horn players Helen Read and Martha Walker, the orchestra's membership has grown to more than 60 talented musicians from Burlington and surrounding areas.
The BCSO's mission is to present high quality performances of great orchestral masterworks and newer works by living composers, and to bring symphonic music to diverse audiences through special programs such as pops and children's concerts.
Musicians interested in auditioning to join the orchestra should contact us and tell us about your musical background and experience. The BCSO has openings in percussion and would welcome additional strings. The orchestra's woodwind and brass sections are currently filled, but we are happy to add qualified players to our alternate/sub list.
The Burlington Civic Symphony is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Contributions are gratefully accepted.
Music Director
Trained in the United States and Europe, Kim Diehnelt established her craft as conductor in both Finland and Switzerland, leading Baltic, Russian, and European ensembles. In Helsinki, Kim founded the Helsinki Camerata, a group dedicated to a chamber music approach to orchestral performance. Her pacing and style reflect an inherent understanding of rhetoric and dramatic flow, receiving praise for her "unusual talent to communicate through the orchestra to her audience."
Kim has been composing works for solo instruments, chamber, orchestral and choral ensembles since 2011 when, after decades on the conductor's podium, she "suddenly had something to say." Her style is best described as a "Nordic Palestrina" as her works possess a lyrical, vocal quality with an attention to beauty and the sense of an unfolding story. Kim was named the KISMET Foundation's 2018 Artist-in-Residence and created the nature-inspired work Yarmouth Time for Violin and Cello which appears on the Trio Casals album "Moto Finale" released in December 2021. The Filharmonie Brno performance of Striadica: A Symphonic Passage was released on the album "Legends and Light, Vol. 2" in January 2022.
Kim joined the BCSO as music director in the fall of 2025. We are delighted to be working with Kim!
Board of Directors
Helen Read, Co-President & Orchestra Manager
Martha Walker, Co-President & Treasurer
Bill Karstens, Secretary
