The Augustana Orchestra is a major ensemble at Augustana. The Orchestra's goal is to provide a comprehensive and valuable training ground for orchestral musicians while producing high quality and exciting musical performances. Auditions for the Augustana Orchestra take place during the first week of classes.

The history of the Orchestra is filled with experimentation and challenge. Founded in 1922 as a collaborative organization with the growing city of Sioux Falls, the orchestra became the original South Dakota Symphony. For many years, the focus of Augustana’s orchestral program was within that model until the enrollment at the college grew as well. This growth led to a second opportunity for string players and the study of orchestral performance on campus.

In 2007, yet another groundbreaking collaboration took place when Augustana College and the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) partnered to support the Augustana String Quartet, the only professional string quartet in residence at a college in the region. The members of the quartet serve as associate principals in their respective sections in the symphony and as adjunct teaching faculty for Augustana College, with special emphasis on recruiting student musicians for Augustana’s string program.

The January 2012 concert tour of the Midwest was the first time in many years that the Orchestra performed in concert “on the road,” bringing beautiful music to many people throughout the region.