The Capitol Hill Symphony Society was established on January 30, 1964 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. The Society was created “for the purpose of providing ‘support for musical activities in the city of Washington, particularly…Capitol Hill’” and served as the non-profit organization behind the newly founded Capitol Hill Symphony Orchestra. Musical Director Victor King led the racially-integrated Orchestra, which was initially made up of approximately 90 volunteers. The concept for the Society was born out of the Gault String Ensemble, which was incorporated into the Capitol Hill Symphony Society. The Orchestra’s debut concert was held on March 8, 1964 at St. Mark’s (3rd and A Street, SE).

It is unclear exactly how long the organization existed, though the latest mention of the Capitol Hill Symphony Orchestra in the Washington Star was from 1967. The Capitol Hill Symphony Orchestra should not be confused with the Capitol City Symphony Orchestra (formerly the Georgetown Symphony Orchestra).