In addition to concerts at Benaroya Hall—where the Illsey Nordstrom Recital Hall was designed for the group— and the Seattle Museum of History and Industry, NCO was scheduled to travel to festivals in Michigan and Finland this spring.

Founded by Louis Richmond, the NCO was most recently directed by Ralf Gothoni. Guest artists have included Richard Goode, Edgar Meyers, and the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.

According to the Post-Intelligencer, the group has flirted with bankruptcy several times before, only to be bailed out by a last-minute donation.