Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
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The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The orchestra's music director is Edvard Tchivzhel (born 1944), a native of Russia. The assistant conductor is Bradley Thachuk, a native of Canada. The orchestra performs mainly in the historic Embassy Centre and the Arts United Center.
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[edit] History
The orchestra was founded in 1944. It has been part of the city's musical heritage continuously since its debut in October 1944, and dramatically expanded its concert programming in the 1945-1946 season, presenting 14 programs with pianist William Kapell, violinist Yehudi Menuhin and tenor Mario Lanza among the guest artists. Over the years, the Philharmonic has performed with many renowned pop artists, including Benny Goodman, Skitch Henderson, Burt Bacharach, Aretha Franklin, Doc Severinsen, The Smothers Brothers, Henry Mancini, Pete Fountain, and Air Supply.
[edit] The Orchestra Today
Today, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic carries on its musical tradition under the direction of Edvard Tchivzhel. Its 480 orchestra and chamber ensemble performances are attended by more than 220,000 people. Since 1980 the orchestra has won five awards for adventuresome programming" from ASCAP, the American Society of composers, Authors and Publishers. In addition, its Education Programs are created to inspire the love of classical music in people of all ages. The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Chorus, directed by Robert Nance, participates in several concerts each year.
The current season runs from September through May. Concerts are divided into several categories:
- Masterworks or Grand Series - devoted to major orchestral works, sometimes with instrumental and/or vocal soloists, usually at the Embassy Centre.
- Spectrum Series - devoted to works for chamber orchestra, sometimes with soloists drawn from orchestra principals, usually held at the Arts United Center, featuring narration by the conductor.
- Pops Concerts - devoted to light works, often featuring guest soloists and/or conductors, usually held at the Embassy Centre.
- "Unplugged" Concerts - very informal, "bargain" concerts with the musicians informally dressed, usually held at the Arts United Center, with narration by the conductor.
- Freimann Series - chamber music concerts featuring principal players of the Philharmonic, held in various venues.
[edit] Broadcasts and Recordings
The Masterworks/Grand and Spectrum concerts are usually taped for broadcast on Fort Wayne's WBNI.
Edvard Tchivzhel and the Philharmonic recorded a commercial CD at the Honeywell Center in Wabash, which includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 and Richard Strauss' symphonic poem Don Juan.
[edit] Sources
- Fort Wayne Philharmonic website
- Fort Wayne Philharmonic brochures
- Eyewitness accounts by Robert E. Nylund
- WBNI broadcasts
