The Windsor Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra located in Windsor, Ontario. It was founded in 1941, originally as the Windsor Concert Orchestra. The name was changed to The Windsor Symphony in 1948.
The current music director is John Morris Russell who is under contract until at least 2012. During his tenure the orchestra has received several awards including two Ontario Lieutenant Governor's awards for the arts. Russell also spent eleven years as associate conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and has also guest conducted many leading North American orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The Windsor Symphony Orchestra performs at several venues in the Windsor-Essex County area but is based at the Chrysler Theater in downtown Windsor. Several concerts, mainly for smaller ensembles, are performed annually at the University of Windsor's Assumption University Chapel.
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The Mission of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra is to engage, entertain, educate and inspire people in South Western Ontario through performances of classical and popular music.
| 1947–1977 | Maestro Holli |
| 1979–1985 | Maestro Laszlo Gati |
| 1986–1990 | Maestro Dwight Bennett |
| 1991–2000 | Maestra Susan Haig |
| 2001 – Present | Maestro John Morris Russell |
Maestro John Morris Russell has been the Music Director of the WSO since 2001. Mr. Russell conducts a variety of WSO programmes each season including Masterworks and Pops, Intimate Classics, the prestigious Windsor Canadian Music Festival, and Education Concerts. Maestro Russell has taken an active role in creating and revitalizing musical programs and programming to develop young listeners and musicians in the region.[1]
Assistant Conductor Peter Wiebe was named Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra (WSYO) Conductor and Assistant Conductor in January 2005. Mr. Wiebe has played cello in the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s core since 1987. He has also served the WSO at different times as principal and assistant principal cellist, education co-coordinator, concert host, operations manager, arranger and composer.[2]
Annually, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra stages 4 to 5 programmes with full orchestra in its Masterworks series and 4 to 5 Pops programmes, each performed at the Chrysler Theatre in Windsor. The WSO also has 4 to 5 chamber orchestra programmes in its Intimate Classics Series performed in Windsor, Leamington and Tecumseh, Ontario.
The Windsor Canadian Music Festival is an annual celebration of new orchestral music with a focus on Canadian composers and performers. The WSO collaborates with the University of Windsor, School of Music to showcase up and coming composers and explore the newest trends in musical expression.
Community Outreach concerts feature the WSO chamber orchestra and regional soloists in programmes designed for small venues, to help hosting organizations raise funds for a special cause. Gift of Music concerts are performed by string or woodwind ensembles for social service agencies, nursing/retirement homes and non-profit organizations throughout Windsor/Essex County.
The Music Alive concert series involves small percussion, woodwind, brass, and string ensembles, which perform at schools in Windsor/Essex County. Programming is age-specific and designed to correspond with the Ontario school curriculum with the intent of enhancing learning through the arts.
The Education Concert Series consists of three concert programmes designed kindergarten to grade three; grades four to six, and grades seven to twelve. The concerts are developed to be interactive and often feature young performers as soloists. Tied specifically to The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: The Arts, 1998, concert themes are: language, social studies, geography, science, and math.
The One-Community – One Symphony Project began in 2008, as a season long exploration of a single major symphonic work with high school bands and choirs from Windsor/Essex. The biennial project includes the participation of 10-12 high school bands and choruses representing French, Catholic and Public School Boards. Students rehearse and perform arrangements of the work as part of their regular school music program, with additional master-classes and rehearsals with Maestro Russell. The project culminates with a shared performance with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
The WSO’s Peanut Butter n’ Jam concert series is an interactive and engaging introduction to music for young children ages 2–6 and their families. Music hosts guide children in exploration of classic melodies, orchestral families, traditional songs, art, story telling and magic. PB n’ J concerts are offered at three different locations in Windsor at a variety of times.
Created in 2004, the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra (WSYO) rehearses and performs orchestral music by the great masters under professional direction. Students (ages 12–20) audition for membership and develop their talent to realize their full potential through the experience of making music at a high level. It also involves learning about striving for excellence and working cooperatively in a professional environment. The WSYO performs 3-5 concerts annually including Side-by-Side performance with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.
The Music Therapy program is a partnership between the WSO, University of Windsor Music Therapy program, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Transition to Betterness. University of Windsor Music Therapy students perform alongside WSO musicians at Windsor Regional Hospital, visiting patients and utilizing music therapy practices to promote wellness and enhance the quality of life while providing an opportunity for students to learn.
The Windsor Symphony Orchestra has presented over 40 World Premieres since 2001. This includes 29 works commissioned by the WSO (made possible through a grant by Canada Council for the Arts).[5]
| Year | Composer | Piece | Premiere | Commissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Grossi, Jason | Gestures | Canadian Premier | |
| 2000-01 | Kovarik, Christopher | Morning Commute | World Premier | |
| 2000-01 | Kuzmenko, Larysa | Concerto for Piano & Percussion | World Premier | |
| 2001-02 | Kovarik, Christopher | Sinfonietta | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2001-02 | Malcom, Trevor | One Hundred Thirty Something Point 5 | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2001-02 | McIntrye, Paul | Requiescantin Pace | World Premier | |
| 2003-04 | Currie, Neil | Sentiment Number 3 | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Hatch, Peter | Crystal Fragments | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Lee, Brent | Voca me cum benedictus | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Lee, Brent | Like Breath | World Premier | |
| 2003-04 | Lee, Brent | Last Minute Lulu | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Lee, Brent | Gatineau River | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Palmer, Juliet | Swerve | World Premier | |
| 2003-04 | Rosen, Robert | Art of Aqueducts | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Wiebe, Peter | Movimento for Strings | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Yzeiri, Besnik | Potpuri | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Currie, Niel | Sentiment Number 3 | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Hatch, Peter | Crystal Fragmanets | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2003-04 | Rosen, Robert | Art of Aqueducts | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2004-05 | Frehner, Paul | Tightrope: For 3 Accordions and Orchestra | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2004-05 | Lee, Brent | Selvage for Orchestra and Midi | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2004-05 | Lee, Brent | Iron Horses | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2004-05 | Lee, Brent | Stone and Star | World Premier | |
| 2004-05 | Lee, Brent | Equinox Below | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2004-05 | Roi, Micheline | Tengo Que Decir | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2005-06 | Korndorf, Nikolai | Let the Earth Bring Forth | North American Premier | |
| 2005-06 | Lee, Brent | Symphony No. 1 (Chorea) | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2005-06 | Lee, Brent | Trance Phatty Acid | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2005-06 | Lee, Brent | Arcadia | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2005-06 | Lee, Brent | Luminous Night | World Premier | |
| 2005-06 | Morlock, Jocelyn | Music of the Romantic Era | World Premier | |
| 2005-06 | Yusupova, Iraida | On My Way to Damascus | World Premier | |
| 2006-07 | Abram, John | Kitchenette | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2006-07 | Godin, Scott | O Sweet Spontaneous | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2006-07 | Oesterle, Michael | Perennials | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2006-07 | Oliver, John | Face in the Abstract | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2006-07 | Smith, Linda | Burnt Umber | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2008-09 | Kuster, Kristin | Beneath this Stone | Canadian Premier | |
| 2008-09 | Lee, Brent | Ruck N' Roll for Electric Viola and Orchestra | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2008-09 | Marwood, Shelley | Of Such Ecstatic Sound | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2008-09 | Plowman, Michael Richard | Journey to the Center | World Premier | WSO Commissioned |
| 2008-09 | Santos, Erik | Symphony No. 1 "Shards" | Canadian Premier |