Nashville Symphony Orchestra
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The Nashville Symphony Orchestra is one of the up and coming symphony orchestras in the United States. In September 2006, the Symphony opened Schermerhorn Symphony Center, a $123 million dollar project. It includes Laura Turner Concert Hall, which is designed to be one of the most acoustically advanced concert halls in the world.
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[edit] History
Until his death in early 2005, the Nashville Symphony flourished under the dynamic leadership of Music Director and Principal Conductor Kenneth Schermerhorn for more than 20 years. A noted conductor, composer and music educator, Maestro Schermerhorn led the ensemble to new levels of artistic achievement, while nurturing the tradition of excellence that has characterized the symphony since its inception.
The Nashville Symphony’s story began in 1920 when a group of amateur and professional musicians formed their own orchestra and organized The Symphony Society, electing Nashville Banner music critic and Vanderbilt University professor George Pullen Jackson their president and manager. Despite steady growth over the next decade, the organization fell victim to The Depression.
In 1945, World War II veteran and Nashville native Walter Sharp returned home intent on establishing a new symphony orchestra for Middle Tennessee. With the assistance of a small number of fellow music lovers, he convinced community leaders of this need and the Nashville Symphony was founded.
Sharp retained William Strickland, a young conductor from New York, to serve as the first music director and conductor. Strickland was responsible for setting the high performance standards that the orchestra and its conductors have maintained to this day. Guy Taylor (1951-1959), Willis Page (1959-1967), Thor Johnson (1967-1975) and Michael Charry (1976-1982) followed Strickland in the role of music director, preceding Maestro Schermerhorn’s arrival. Under Charry’s direction, the symphony moved its subscription series from War Memorial Auditorium to Jackson Hall in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center TPAC.
On September 9, 2006, the orchestra performed its first concert in the new Schermerhorn Symphony Center, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin and included works by Shostakovich, Barber, Mahler, and a world premiere Triple Concerto by Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer. As the Nashville Symphony continues in Schermerhorn Symphony Center, its search for a new music director to succeed Maestro Schermerhorn continues under the direction of Blair School of Music Dean Mark Wait and music advisor, [[Leonard Slatkin].
[edit] Conductors
- 1946-1951 William Strickland
- 1951-1959 Guy Taylor
- 1959-1967 Willis Page
- 1967-1975 Thor Johnson
- 1976-1982 Michael Charry
- 1983-2005 Kenneth Schermerhorn
- 2006-current Leonard Slatkin, music advisor
The symphony is continuing to search for a new director to succeed Schermerhorn. The search is being led by Vanderbilt University Music Dean Mark Wait. Recently, Albert-George Schram was appointed Resident Condutor and Kelly Corcoran as Assistant Conductor.
On August 23, 2006, Leonard Slatkin was appointed to a three-year contract as the Music Advisor for the NSO.
[edit] Sources
- Young, Stephen E.: 'Nashville', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed [May 31, 2006]), Grove Music.
- 'The Story of our Past', Nashville Symphony (Accessed [May 31, 2006]), Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
- Nashville Symphony website (Accessed [February 11,2007]), Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
[edit] External links
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