FOA History

1928 the first Florida High School Music Festival was held in the city of Tampa. It was sponsored and conducted annually by M.L. Price of the Price Music Company of Tampa, and later sponsored by the University of Tampa and Mr. Price.

1936 the festival came under the supervision of the Convention and Tourist Bureau of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. These early festivals were for band, orchestra and chorus. According to records there were 1,500 students in attendance that year.

1939 the FBA (Florida Band Association) separated from orchestra and chorus to hold festivals in other parts of the State.

1940 the Vocal and Orchestra festival had seventy groups participate with 2,695 students in attendance.

1946 the Vocal and Orchestra Association ties were severed, and the Florida Orchestra Association (FOA) was formed. They held their concert festivals with FBA at that time.

1954 the Florida Orchestra Association was awarded its own operating budget by the FHSAA of $2,500.00 (Florida High School Activities Association).

1959 FOA began its association with the Florida Music Educators’ Association.

1964 FOA was given approval from the FHSAA to hold their own state festival which was on February 28-29, 1964 at the University of Florida.

1989 FOA adopted new by-laws and became a corporation recognized by the State of Florida.

1997 the three High School music components (FOA, FBA, and FVA) formed the Florida School Music Association which is the governing body for all secondary music activities across the state.

2003 the Florida Orchestra Association, Inc. was recognized by the Federal Government as a not-for-profit Association.

2003 FOA also employed an Executive Director to oversee all record keeping, District Chair training and all finances for the Association.

2004 State Solo & Ensemble MPA and State Concert MPA were separated into two standalone events.

2005 the Executive Board was reorganized adding a separate board position for the 9/10 All State Orchestra Coordinator, and a Florida American String Teachers Association (FLASTA) representative as a non-voting member of the Board.

2006 FOA implemented the uniformity of District Sight Reading across the entire State.

2007 FOA added a new committee to their committee structure - the Mentoring committee now joins the other working committees of the Florida Orchestra Association, which include Finance, MPA, Clinics/Conference, Benevolence, Music, Awards, Adjudication, Advocacy, All State, Handbook, and Ethics Committees.

2008 for the first time in the history of the Florida Orchestra Association’s total gross receipts exceeded two hundred-fifty thousand dollars. ($250,000.00) for a fiscal year.

2009 the Florida Orchestra Association added a final 9 – 12 All State Honors Orchestra to the FMEA January Clinic.

2019 for the first time in the history of the Florida Orchestra Association’s total gross receipts exceeded half a million dollars. ($500,000.00) for a fiscal year.

2021 - 2022 school year marks the 75th Anniversary of the Florida Orchestra Association’s existence