City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Background information
Origin Flag of the United Kingdom Birmingham, England, UK
Genre(s) Classical
Occupation(s) Symphony orchestra
Years active 1920-present
Associated acts CBSC
CBSYC
CBYV
CBSO Youth Orchestra
Website www.cbso.co.uk
Members
Music Director
Sakari Oramo
Assistant Conductor
Mike Seal
Chorus Director
Simon Halsey
Former members
Founder
Neville Chamberlain

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is a British orchestra based in Birmingham, England.

The orchestra first performed as the City of Birmingham Orchestra in September 1920, with Appleby Matthews conducting its first concert. The programme included Overture: Saul by Granville Bantock, a strong supporter of the orchestra's foundation. However, its official foundation is generally reckoned to have been the "First Symphony Concert" in November 1920, when Edward Elgar conducted a programme of his own music in Birmingham Town Hall. The orchestra's founder was Neville Chamberlain, who later became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and declared war on Germany in 1939.

Appleby Matthews was the orchestra's first chief conductor. Adrian Boult was chief conductor from 1924 to 1930.

Contents

[edit] History

The CBO became a full time organisation in 1944, changing its name to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1948. Chief conductors since then included Rudolf Schwarz, the composer Andrzej Panufnik, Boult in an emergency return for a season after Panufnik's sudden resignation, Hugo Rignold and Louis Frémaux. During this time, the orchestra made recordings and gave regular concerts.

The CBSO began to gain greater international renown after Simon Rattle became chief conductor in 1980. Under him, the orchestra increased its recording profile and became one of the leading ensembles in Europe, and gained a name for its interpretations of late romantic and 20th century works, especially those of Sibelius and Gustav Mahler. During this period, the orchestra moved from Birmingham Town Hall to a new home venue, Symphony Hall, inside Birmingham's International Convention Centre. The nearby CBSO Centre, a converted factory, houses management offices, rehearsal facilities, and is a concert venue in its own right, for more intimate performances.

Rattle was named music director of the CBSO in 1990. That same year, the post of Radcliffe Composer in Association was created, with Mark-Anthony Turnage filling the role. In 1995 Judith Weir became Fairbairn Composer in Association, followed in 2001 by Julian Anderson.

After Rattle relinquished his posts with the CBSO, the Finnish conductor Sakari Oramo became chief conductor in 1998, and music director in 1999. His CBSO work has included the Floof! festival of contemporary music.[1] He has also championed the music of John Foulds in concerts and recordings.[2] [3] In 2006, the orchestra announced that Oramo is scheduled to step down in 2008 and take the title of principal guest conductor.[4][5]

In October 2007, the orchestra named the Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons as the CBSO's 12th music director, effective with the 2008-2009 season.[6] Nelsons' initial contract is for 3 years. The appointment is unusual in that Nelsons had not conducted the CBSO publicly prior to his appointment, but only in a private concert and in a recording session.[7]

In 2001, the players rejected a contract that would have stopped extra payments for broadcasts and recordings, in the context of financial crisis at the CBSO.[8] In addition, other controversy arose from the CBSO's demands from the Arts Council for a greater share of the Council's stabilisation fund, because of its reputation compared to other British orchestras.[9]

The CBSO has recorded substantially for EMI Classics and Warner Classics, as well as smaller labels. The Orchestra's chief executive, appointed in 1999, is Stephen Maddock.

[edit] Leadership

[edit] Other notable employees

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tom Service. "Floof!", The Guardian, 31 May 2003. Retrieved on 2007-08-18. 
  2. ^ Peter Culshaw. "Visionary genius of the spirit world", The Telegraph, 26 April 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-18. 
  3. ^ Sakari Oramo. "The forgotten man", The Guardian, 28 April 2006. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. 
  4. ^ Martin Cullingford. "Oramo to step down as CBSO music director", Gramophone, 22 Feb 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. 
  5. ^ Terry Grimley. "Who will pick up Oramo's baton?", The Birmingham Post, 23 February 2006. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. 
  6. ^ Press Release. "New direction at CBSO", Birmingham Music, 08 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. 
  7. ^ Charlotte Higgins. "Young Latvian steps up to lead City of Birmingham orchestra", The Guardian, 9 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-10. 
  8. ^ David Ward. "Top orchestra's cash crisis", The Guardian, 30 May 2001. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. 
  9. ^ David Ward. "Orchestral discord over money with strings", The Guardian, 2 June 2001. Retrieved on 2007-08-17. 

[edit] External links

v • d • e
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Music Directors

Appleby Matthews (1920) · Adrian Boult (1924) · Leslie Heward (1930) · George Weldon (1944) · Rudolf Schwarz (1951) · Andrzej Panufnik (1957) · Adrian Boult (1959) · Hugo Rignold (1960) · Louis Frémaux (1969) · Simon Rattle (1980) · Sakari Oramo (1998)