The Fairbanks Symphony Association is the producing and presenting organization for the Fairbanks Symphony and Arctic Chamber Orchestra. It is also the service organization for the administration of its educational programs, which include: Fairbanks Youth Orchestras, North Star Strings, the Suzuki Institute workshop, the Concerto Competition and the UAF Summer Music Academy. The Association was founded in 1958, and was reorganized and became a non-profit organization in 1969, under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Gordon Wright. The Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra (FSO), based in Fairbanks, regularly performs over an 8-month season and makes outreach concerts to other communities. Its 70+ musicians are all volunteers, giving over 150 hours of their time each season to providing quality live classical concerts to the greater Fairbanks area. Every year outstanding national and international artists perform as soloists with the FSO, in addition to giving master classes, school programs (where possible) and recitals while in Fairbanks. The FSO has won several ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome Programming of Contemporary Music and has commissioned works to be performed by the orchestra.

The Arctic Chamber Orchestra (ACO), the touring arm of the FSO, was founded by Mr. Wright in 1970 and has toured annually to remote communities in Alaska every year since that time. Its 36 musicians volunteer their time for these tours, giving performances, private lessons and workshops to schools and communities in Alaska. It has also represented the state of Alaska at a Pacific Rim Conference in Long Beach, and on tour in the People's Republic of China (1987). In addition, the ACO has toured Spain (1989), Switzerland and the Scandinavian (1985) countries on private tours. The ACO has received a Governor's Award for the Arts and was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Grant in 1992, specifically for the purpose of building an endowment to ensure future touring within Alaska. In 1989 Music Director Gordon Wright retired and was succeeded by Dr. Madeline F. Schatz, who continued to provide inspirational leadership to the organization. Under her guidance the Association inaugurated a very successful young musicians Concerto Competition, and also regularly programmed two Special Children's Concerts during each season. Dr. Schatz continued the practice of commissioning new works to be performed by the orchestras and to program 20th century works as part of the regular season programming. Dr. Eduard Zilberkant was named Interim Music Director in 2001. In 2004, he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of both the Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and the Arctic Chamber Orchestra. See pictures of the 2006 Tour!

The Association receives limited funding from state and federal agencies. It also receives about 13% of its support from corporations who sponsor concert programs. Association memberships, subscription ticket sales and symphony fund-raisers are responsible for the basis of season support funding. The Association's annual fund-raisers are the Symphony Silent Auction, and the "Beat Beethoven" 5K Run, which effectively begins the Fairbanks Running Club North's season every April.