The Havana Symphony Orchestra was created at the beginning of the 20th century, specifically at the end of 1910, as a result of the efforts of master conductors Guillermo Tomás and Agustín Martín.
The inaugural concert of the Havana Symphony Orchestra took place on December 17, 1910, at the Vaudeville Theater in the Politeama, located on the upper floors of Manzana de Gómez, and was a huge success and displayed true brilliance. The presidency and secretary positions of the group were held by two prestigious musicians: Agustín Martín and Miguel González Gómez.
This group was the precursor to the Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1922 at the initiative of Ernesto Lecuona, Gonzalo Roig, and other collaborators. This institution featured a string quartet, led by Joaquín Molina, a renowned talent of the time.
The repertoire they performed in their concerts included works by diverse composers such as Rubinstein, Bizet, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, Grieg, Gilson, Oberon, Weber, Mozart, Boccherini’s Minuetto, and others. They also featured pieces by contemporary composers such as Danzas by Ignacio Cervantes.
The Havana Symphony Orchestra performed the concert that inaugurated the Amadeo Roldán Auditorium Theater (Calzada y D, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución, Havana) on December 2, 1928. It was conducted on that occasion by maestro Gonzalo Roig.