ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti, pɹˈaɪɚ tə ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi sˈɪks fˈaʊndɪŋ ʌvðə nˈæʃvɪl sˈɪmfəni, ɐ ɡɹˈuːp ʌv ˈæmətʃɚ ænd pɹəfˈɛʃənəl mjuːzˈɪʃənz ɪstˈæblɪʃt ɐn ˈɔːɹkᵻstɹəl ɑːnsˈɑːmbəl ɪn nˈæʃvɪl, ᵻlˈɛktɪŋ nˈæʃvɪl bˈænɚ mjˈuːzɪk kɹˈɪɾɪk ænd vˈændɚbˌɪlt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi pɹəfˈɛsɚ dʒˈɔːɹdʒ pˈʊlən dʒˈæksən tə sˈɜːv æz ðɛɹ pɹˈɛzɪdənt ænd mˈænɪdʒɚ.
In 1920, prior to the 1946 founding of the Nashville Symphony, a group of amateur and professional musicians established an orchestral ensemble in Nashville, electing Nashville Banner music critic and Vanderbilt University professor George Pullen Jackson to serve as their president and manager.