Our Mission
Kendall Square Orchestra creates exhilarating concert experiences, bringing together exceptional musicians from science, technology, and related professions who are deeply committed to artistic excellence, sharing their love of music, and being catalysts for good.
Our Core Values
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We choose to be K2O, we give it everything, and we hold ourselves to the highest standard of excellence.
This choice carries weight. We honor it by preparing with rigor and performing with purpose and passion. Excellence at K²O is earned together, concert by concert, season by season.
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We have reimagined what an orchestra can be and we continually expand how music is experienced, shared, and brought to life
K²O is a new model for what a civic orchestra can look like, who fills its chairs and how it meets its community. This spirit shapes our performances and how we involve our audiences. We program boldly, we expand how music is experienced and understood, and we trust our audiences to meet us there.
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What we build together is meant to be shared.
The music we make belongs to more than the people on stage. Our concert experiences are built on warmth and welcome, with an orchestra profoundly enthusiastic about sharing their love of performance and a conductor who captivates audiences with storytelling, joy, and humility.
We direct our work towards real human challenges. Through initiatives like Symphony for Science, we use our music to inspire and elevate; to deepen understanding and connection; and to generate awareness, support, and resources for people and critical social issues impacting our society.
Our Purpose
Founded in 2018, Kendall Square Orchestra (K²O) brings together nearly one hundred musicians from more than 70 institutions across Greater Boston, including scientists, engineers, physicians, educators, entrepreneurs, and other professionals united by a commitment to artistic excellence and community. What began as an experiment in connection has grown into an orchestra defined by ambitious programming, vibrant performances, and a concert experience as welcoming as it is inspiring.
We believe something extraordinary happens when people whose daily work is shaping the future come together to create art. Across disciplines and professions, music asks us to listen closely, imagine together, and contribute to something no one could create alone. Our musicians make room for music alongside demanding careers because beauty, wonder, and collaboration are essential to a full life. K²O gives that conviction a shared home.
Our purpose extends beyond the stage. Through Symphony for Science and other community initiatives, we turn the collective energy of music into support for organizations advancing healthcare, addressing homelessness, expanding STEM education, and strengthening our region. These partnerships connect audiences with urgent needs and meaningful ways to help, bringing artistic expression and public service together.
K²O exists to create extraordinary musical experiences that bring people together and strengthen the communities we share. By uniting artistic ambition with a commitment to the common good, we are building an orchestra whose impact is felt both in the concert hall and in the lives beyond it.
Our Story
Kendall Square Orchestra was founded in 2018 on a simple but powerful belief: that people accomplish extraordinary things when they create together.
For founders and scientists Kelly Clark and Elena Spencer, that belief grew from experience. Both had seen how making music together could bring colleagues closer and create connections beyond their daily work. When they reconnected while leading teams at separate biopharmaceutical companies in Kendall Square, they imagined an orchestra that would unite Boston’s scientific, technological, and professional communities through a shared pursuit of artistic excellence.
To bring their vision to life, they hired conductor Kristo Kondakçi as Music Director. His energy and inclusive vision helped shape the orchestra from the ground up. Kristo led the work of building the ensemble, working with Kelly and Elena to assemble a dedicated leadership team, opening auditions across the region, and establishing its artistic direction. Together, they built a community where musicians could pursue their passion with renewed purpose, inspire one another, and share the joy of making music at a high level.
What brought these musicians together was a part of their lives they were determined to keep growing. Alongside demanding careers, they made time to rehearse, listen, and build something together. The orchestra became a place where a scientist could learn from an educator, a physician could follow an engineer’s lead, and every musician had something essential to contribute. Music gave them a common language and a reason to return, week after week.
Today, K²O brings together nearly one hundred musicians from more than seventy institutions across Greater Boston. Our performances have welcomed thousands of audience members and inspired a growing community of supporters. Through Symphony for Science and other community initiatives, we connect music with causes that strengthen our region, supporting organizations working in healthcare, homelessness, STEM education, and beyond. The commitment to listening and collaboration that shapes our rehearsals also shapes how we serve our community.
Our story continues with every musician who joins, every listener who discovers us, and every partnership that turns a concert into an opportunity to help. At its heart is a conviction that has only deepened since our first rehearsal: making room for music in our lives creates more room for one another.
