The mission of the PSO is to bring the rewards of great music to a growing and diverse regional audience. As the orchestra-in-residence at the Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, the PSO encompasses a wide range of ensembles, including a professional orchestra, an auditioned adult chorus, a youth and children’s chorus, as well as other music education programs and services. The orchestra members, all paid professionals, are drawn from over 30 communities in Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Alabama. The audience is even more diverse, representing over 60 communities in a five state area. As the scope and quality of the organization’s programs have grown, so has its operating budget. From a $45,000 budget in 1981-82, the Paducah Symphony budget has grown to nearly a million dollars. For over almost 40 years, the PSO has served as the premier musical organization in Paducah and the surrounding region, expanding its appearances through collaborations with community partners and enhancing the area’s cultural reputation.