Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
As the professional orchestra of Alberta’s creative capital city, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents over 80 concerts a year of symphonic music in all genres, from classical to country. The ESO is comprised of 56 full-time professional musicians who perform 40 weeks per season, and play an active role in the musical life of Edmonton and elsewhere as performers, teachers and recording artists. Currently in its 55th season, the ESO also performs as the orchestra for Edmonton Opera and Alberta Ballet productions, and its concerts and recordings are regularly heard across Canada on CBC Radio Two.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was initially formed as Edmonton’s community orchestra and gave its first concert on November 14, 1920. The orchestra suspended operations in 1932, but was revived in 1952, when it was incorporated as a registered not-for-profit organization (the Edmonton Symphony Society), and gave its first performance on November 30, 1952. It made the transition to a fully professional orchestra during the early 1970s. Today the ESO’s budget is fast approaching $8 million. It is deficit-free, and its players are the highest paid Canadian orchestral musicians west of Toronto.
[edit] Music Directors and Current Artistic Leadership
Music Directors and Conductors
- William Eddins 2005 to date
- Kazuyoshi Akiyama 2004-2005 (Principal Guest Conductor)
- Franz-Paul Decker 2003-2004 (Principal Guest Conductor)
- Grzegorz Nowak 1994-2002
- David Hoyt 1985-2002 (Resident Conductor), 2002-2003 (Artistic Director)
- Uri Mayer 1981-1994
- Yuval Zaliouk 1980-1981 (Interim Principal Conductor)
- Peter McCoppin 1978-1979 (Assistant Conductor), 1979-1980 (Resident Conductor)
- Pierre Hétu 1973-1979 (Artistic Director), 1979-1980 (Principal Guest Conductor)
- Lawrence Leonard 1968-1973
- Brian Priestman 1964-1968
- Tom Rolston 1960-1964 (Associate Conductor)
- Lee Hepner 1952-1960
Current Artistic Leadership
- William Eddins was appointed Music Director in January 2005 and made his debut as Music Director in June of that year. Prior to his appointment in Edmonton he spent ten years working with Daniel Barenboim, most recently as Resident Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
- Martin Riseley has been the orchestra's concertmaster since August 1994.
- Petar Dundjerski was appointed Assistant Conductor in Residence in September 2006.
[edit] Performing Venue
In September 1997, the ESO and the Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation successfully completed a two-decade, $45 million capital campaign and moved from the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (the orchestra’s principal performing venue since 1957) into its new concert hall, the acoustically superb, 1716 seat Francis Winspear Centre for Music. The inaugural gala, at which the ESO performed Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, took place on September 13, 1997.
[edit] Community Commitment, Programming & Tours, Special Concerts
Community Commitment
The ESO is committed to serving its entire community, through eclectic programming choices and innovative education and outreach activities. Each season, over 25,000 students experience the orchestra’s music at the Winspear Centre. The Young Composers Project, with local composers as mentors, allows select high school students to compose orchestral works and hear them in performance. The orchestra's annual outdoor Symphony Under the Sky Festival is a popular destination for Edmontonians on Labour Day weekend.
Programming & Tours
The ESO’s history and the varied nature of its programming reflect its imaginative commitment to its community.
- In 1972, the Procol Harum album Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (right) and its hit single Conquistador became the first orchestral recording to achieve international platinum sales. The recording has recently been reissued as a compact disc.
- In 1985, the ESO premiered Malcolm Forsyth's Atayoskewin at the opening of Shell Canada's Scotford Refinery.
- In 1980, to celebrate Alberta's 75th anniversary, the orchestra toured the province.
- In 1986, the ESO performed at Vancouver’s Expo 86.
- In 1992, a televised ESO performance with k.d. lang conducted by Tommy Banks received a Gemini Award for Best Television Variety Performance.
- In 1994, the orchestra undertook a five-city tour (the “Northern Lights Tour”) of northern Alberta, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
- In 1996, the ESO became the first Canadian orchestra to play on a First Nations Reserve.
Special Concerts
Special concerts drawing sold-out houses have featured, among others, k.d. lang in 1985, Tom Cochrane and Red Rider in 1989, The Arrogant Worms in 2002, Corb Lund in 2005, Paul Brandt in 2006, and Ian Tyson on the 100th anniversary of the Province of Alberta on September 1, 2005. In December 2005, the orchestra returned to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium to present two sold-out Christmas concerts with Christian singer/pianist Michael W. Smith. The orchestra continues this tradition of working with musicians from different musical genres.
[edit] Composers in Residence
John Estacio was the ESO's first Composer in Residence (1992-1999). He produced nine major works for the orchestra during his residency:
- The Twins and the Monster (2001)
- The Brass Ring (1999)
- Frenergy (1998)
- Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello (1997)
- Wondrous Light (1997)
- Borealis (1997)
- Victims of Us All (1996)
- A Farmer’s Symphony (1994)
- Alegria (1994)
Allan Gilliland, the ESO’s second Composer in Residence (2000-2004) also composed nine major works for the orchestra, as well as a colorful new orchestration of Canada’s national anthem. Prior to his residency, Gilliland had been commissioned to write two works for the ESO:
- Above the Fold (2004)
- Calixa Lavallée O Canada (new orchestration) (2004)
- Dreaming of the Masters I (2003)
- Gaol’s Ruadh Ròs – A Celtic Concerto for Two Harps (2003)
- Always Be True (2002)
- Violin Concerto (2002)
- A Wild Symphonic Ride (2002)
- Loch na Beiste (2001)
- On the Shoulders of Giants (2001)
- Shadows and Light (2000)
- Winspear Fanfare (1997)
- Trumpet Concerto (1994)
[edit] Canadian Commissions
The ESO has a long tradition of commissioning and performing works by Canadian – and particularly Albertan – composers. In April 2005 the ESO presented a highly acclaimed concert of music by five contemporary Alberta composers – Alan Gordon Bell, John Estacio, Malcolm Forsyth, Allan Gilliland and Jeffrey McCune – in Southam Hall at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre as part of the Alberta Scene festival.
Other works recently commissioned by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra include:
- Louis Applebaum Concertante / Prelude / Incantation / Sinfonia / Evocations for Two Pianos and Orchestra
- Alan Gordon Bell Symphonies of Hidden Fire
- Patrick Cardy Trobadores
- George Fiala Overtura Buffa
- Malcolm Forsyth Symphony No. 2 '... A Host of Nomads...' / Requiem for the Victims in a Wartorn World / Siyajabula! We Rejoice!
- Stewart Grant Symphony (“Et in Terra…”)
- Jacques Hétu Concerto for Organ
- Gary Kulesha Dreams
- Yuri Laniuk Palimpsesty
- Raymond Luedeke Tales of the Netsilik (joint commission jointly with 5 other Canadian orchestras)
- Rod McKuen Ballad of Distances / A Suite for Orchestra
- François Morel Neumes d'espace et reliefs
- Jeffrey McCune Aquamarine / Dance Suite / Overture Sauvage
- John McPherson Walk in Beauty
- Cha Ka Nin Memento Mori
- Laurie Radford a tangle in the throat
- Manus Sasonkin Musica post prandia
- Robert Turner Shades of Autumn
[edit] Discography
Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (Procol Harum, Da Camera Singers, Lawrence Leonard conductor, 1972)
- Conquistador / Whaling Stories / A Salty Dog / All This and More / In Held 'Twas In I / Luskus Delph
Music by Haydn, Debussy, Wirén (Boris Brott and John Avison conductors, 1973)
McKuen Opus 40 The Ballad of Distances (Tommy Banks conductor, 1973)
Scarlet and Gold (Tommy Banks conductor, 1974)
- Dere Overture / Rebellion / Tribute to the R.C.M.P.
Music by Wolf, Purcell, Adaskin, Warlock (Pierre Hétu conductor, 1975)
- Wolf Italian Serenade / Purcell The Married Beau Suite (Arr. Holst) / Murray Adaskin Diversion for orchestra (an entertainment) / Warlock Six Italian Dances
Music by Ibert, Françaix, Rameau (Pierre Hétu conductor, 1976)
Orchestral Suites of the British Isles (Uri Mayer conductor, 1983)
- Vaughan Williams English Folk Song Suite / Warlock Capriol Suite / Harty A John Field Suite
Great Tenor Arias (Ermanno Mauro tenor, Uri Mayer conductor, 1984)
- Bizet “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” (Carmen) / Massenet “O Souverain, ô juge, ô père!” (Le Cid) / Puccini “Che gelida manina” (La bohème) / Leoncavallo “Recitar!...Vesti la giubba” (Pagliacci) / Verdi "Niun mi tema" (Otello) / Gounod “Ah! lêve-toi, soleil” (Roméo et Juliette) / Massenet “Pourquoi me réveiller?” (Werther) / Puccini “E lucevan le stele” (Tosca) / Puccini “Nessun Dorma” (Turandot) / Giordano "Improvviso" (Andrea Chenier) / Verdi “Ma se m'è forza perderti” (Un ballo in maschera) / Verdi “Ah si, ben mio...Di quella pira” (Il trovatore)
Great Verdi Arias (Louis Quilico baritone, Uri Mayer conductor, 1984)
- Falstaff: “E sogno o realtà?” / La forza del destino: “Morir! tremenda cosa – Urna fatale de mio destino” / Rigoletto: “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata” / Otello: “Vanne! la tua meta già vedo – Credo in un Dio crude!” / Macbeth: “Perfidi! – Pietà, rispetto, amore” / Il trovatore: “Tutto è deserto – Il Balen del suo soriso” / La traviata: “Di Provenza” / Un ballo in maschera: “Alzati! là tuo figlio – Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima”
Music by Forsyth and Freedman (Uri Mayer conductor, 1985)
- Harry Freedman Oiseaux exotiques / Malcolm Forsyth Atayoskewin (JUNO Award: Best Classical Composition)
Canadian and Russian Overtures (Uri Mayer conductor, 1986)
- Malcolm Forsyth Jubilee Overture / Godfrey Ridout Fall Fair / Oskar Morawetz Overture to a Fairy Tale / Shostakovich Festive Overture, Opus 96 / Borodin Prince Igor: Overture / Kabalevsky Colas Breugnon: Overture / Glinka Russlan and Ludmilla: Overture
Harp Concertos (Gianetta Baril harp, Uri Mayer conductor, 1987)
- Ginastera Harp Concerto, Opus 25 / Oskar Morawetz Concerto for Harp and Chamber Orchestra (JUNO Award: Best Classical Composition)
George Fiala: The Kurelek Suite (Uri Mayer conductor, 1987)
Great Orchestral Marches (Uri Mayer conductor, 1988)
- Fučík Entrance of the Gladiators / Alford Colonel Bogey / Sousa The Stars and Stripes Forever / Elgar Pomp & Circumstance No. 4 / Farnon State Occasion / Papineau-Couture Marche de Guillaument / Beethoven Turkish March (from The Ruins of Athens) / Schubert Marche Militaire / Strauss Radetzky March / Healey Willan Centennial March / Delibes Cortège de Bacchus / Tchaikovsky Jurisprudence March / Michael Conway-Baker March (Evocations, Movement II) / Adaskin March No. 2 / Halvorsen Triumphal Entry of the Boyars / Grieg March of the Dwarfs (from Lyric Suite, Opus 54) / Herbert March of the Toys (from Babes in Toyland) / Rodgers March of the Siamese Children (from The King & I) / Williams The Imperial March (from The Empire Strikes Back)
Works for Cello and Orchestra (Shauna Rolston cello, Uri Mayer conductor, 1989)
- Oskar Morawetz Memorial to Martin Luther King / Bruch Kol Nidrei, Opus 47 / Fauré Élégie for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 24 / Dvořák Silent Woods, Opus 68 No. 5 / Bliss Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
The Symphony Sessions (Tom Cochrane, Red Rider, George Blondheim conductor, 1989)
- Light in the Tunnel / Human Race / Can’t Turn Back / Napoleon Sheds His Skin / White Hot / Big League / Calling America / Avenue “A” / Bird on a Wire / Boy Inside the Man / Lunatic Fringe / Good Times / The Next Life
Music by Britten and Willan (Uri Mayer conductor, 1993)
- Britten Canadian Carnival, Opus 19 / Britten Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes, Opus 33a / Willan Symphony No. 2 in C minor
Russian Sketches (Uri Mayer conductor, 1997)
- Ippolitov-Ivanov Caucasian Sketches, Opus 10 / Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin, Opus 24: Polonaise / Tchaikovsky The Sleeping Beauty, Opus 66: Waltz / Shostakovich The Age of Gold: Suite, Opus 22a: Polka / Borodin In the Steppes of Central Asia / Rimsky-Korsakov The Golden Cockerel: Suite
Electra Rising: Music of Malcolm Forsyth (William Street saxophone, Amanda Forsyth cello, Grzegorz Nowak conductor, 1998)
- Valley of a Thousand Hills / Tre Vie / Electra Rising (JUNO Award: Best Classical Composition)
Music by Smetana and Janáček (Grzegorz Nowak conductor, 1999)
PJ Perry and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (P.J. Perry, saxophone, David Hoyt conductor, 1999)
- Django / Charlie Parker Medley / Bossa Nova Medley / They Kept Bach's Head Alive / Ballad Medley / Hand In Hand / Harlem Nocturne / The Old Castle / Strike Up The Band
Semi-Conducted (CD) / Three Worms and an Orchestra (DVD) (The Arrogant Worms, David Hoyt conductor, 2003)
- Overture / Big Fat Road Manager / Canada's Really Big / Rocks and Trees / Log In to You / I am Cow / Last Saskachewan Pirate / Gaelic Song / Me Like Hockey / Carrot Juice is Murder / Dangerous / Billy the Theme Park Shark / Celine Dion / We are the Beaver
Frenergy: The Music of John Estacio (Mario Bernardi conductor, 2004)
- Frenergy / A Farmer’s Symphony / Bootlegger’s Tarantella / Such Sweet Sorrow / Solaris / Borealis / Wondrous Light
[edit] References
- Henighan, Tom (2000). The Maclean's Companion to Canadian Arts and Culture. Raincoast Books. ISBN 1-55192-298-3.
