Oxford Philomusica

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The Oxford Philomusica, based in Oxford, England, was launched with a concert at London's Barbican Centre in November 1998 and made its Oxford debut the following February at the Sheldonian Theatre. Since then the Orchestra has become, in the words of the local Oxford Times newspaper, ‘a musical resource for the city and beyond’, attracting critical praise and securing a loyal and growing audience.

The Oxford Philomusica presents a comprehensive season of concerts in Oxford throughout the year, performing mostly at Christopher Wren’s Sheldonian Theatre, part of Oxford University. In October 2002, the Oxford Philomusica became the first-ever Orchestra in Residence at the University of Oxford. As part of the University Residency, the orchestra collaborates with the University of Oxford Faculty of Music in educational programmes for the benefit of the student community.

The Oxford Philomusica has been acknowledged by the Association of British Orchestras as ‘the country’s fastest growing professional symphony orchestra’ and recognised in an Arts Council report as ‘filling an identifiable regional need’.

Since its inception the orchestra has gained endorsement of its mission from a number of important supporters. Vladimir Ashkenazy, Patron of the Oxford Philomusica, first appeared with the orchestra in February 2001 as soloist and conductor and has been a regular visitor ever since. Other international artists who have appeared with the orchestra include Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt, Cristina Ortiz, Maurice Hasson, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Igor Oistrakh, Charles Rosen, John Lill, Chloë Hanslip, Simon Preston, Peter Donohoe, Nikolai Demidenko, John Rutter, and Rosalind Plowright. The Oxford Philomusica has frequently appeared in the presence of the British royal family, including HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and has also established an annual fund-raising event in the Palace of Westminster with a concert in the House of Commons and a dinner in the House of Lords. In April 2002, the orchestra was honoured at a reception at 10 Downing Street.

Beyond Oxford, the Orchestra has extended its touring programme to other parts of the UK, including the Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, and to Switzerland, France, and Greece. Last year, the Oxford Philomusica made its debut at the Cadogan Hall in London. Future plans include further appearances in the Cadogan Hall and a major tour of the United States in the autumn of 2009.

In August 1999, the orchestra inaugurated the first major International Piano Festival to be held in Oxford. It was described by the Oxford Times as ‘the most significant annual musical event in the city’. The Oxford Philomusica International Piano Festival has become an annual feature in the orchestra’s calendar, earning an international reputation for the quality of the teaching and masterclass opportunities it offers the young musicians. The 2005 Festival was the subject of an article in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune (‘Oxford's masterclasses turn piano lessons into performance art’).

Education and community work is a central part of the orchestra's mission. The Oxford Philomusica has recently won the Oxford Times Charity and Community Award in the Oxfordshire Business Awards 2007 in recognition of its far-reaching work in the community, including its artistic leadership of the celebrated Blackbird Leys Choir.

The Oxford Philomusica has recently formed a partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to provide performance opportunities and tuition to the hundreds of talented young musicians in the area.

In 2006 ,the Orchestra marked the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with a Mainly Mozart Festival, with twenty seven celebratory concerts. Amongst the Festival's highlights was performance of The Magic Flute, Music Director Marios Papadopoulos' third circumnavigation of the complete cycle of Piano Concertos, and a performance of the Requiem.

[edit] External links

• Oxford Philomusica website

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