Symphony New Brunswick
Symphony New Brunswick is the largest classical music organization in New Brunswick, Canada. The orchestra was founded in 1983 following the demise of the Halifax-based Atlantic Symphony Orchestra ("ASO") which performed in several New Brunswick cities from 1969 to 1982. From 1950 to 1962, the Saint John Symphony Orchestra played in Saint John and from 1953-1962, the Fredericton Civic Orchestra served the Province's capital city. The two New Brunswick orchestras merged in 1962 to form the New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra which was itself replaced in 1969 by the ASO.
Symphony New Brunswick presents concerts in Saint John at the Imperial Theatre, in Moncton at the Capitol Theatre and in Fredericton at several venues including the Playhouse. The Music Director is Michael Newnham.
The principals of the orchestra's string sections constitute the Saint John String Quartet which was formed in 1987 and is a winner of an East Coast Music Award for one of its recordings. The Symphony also sponsors a woodwind quintet, Ventus Machina, founded in 2013 which is based in Dieppe, New Brunswick. Both the Quartet and the Quintet perform in the Symphony's chamber music series and, under the Symphony's auspices, perform numerous school concerts in many parts of New Brunswick. In May 2013, Symphony New Brunswick launched a new chamber orchestra composed of members of the full symphony. The fifteen member orchestra, named Camerata New Brunswick in December 2013, gave its inaugural series of concerts in three smaller New Brunswick communities, St. Andrews, Bouctouche, and the City of Dieppe. Its second provincial tour will occur in June 2014 to Grand Falls, Woodstock, Saint Andrews and Rothesay.
Symphony New Brunswick announced in May 2013 a new long-term partnership with the Moncton-based choral group, the Louisbourg Choir which is under the direction of Monique Richard at the Université de Moncton.
In addition to the Symphony's many government and private sector supporters, it is financed in part by its own endowment fund hosted by an independent charity, Symphony New Brunswick Foundation Inc. based in Saint John, New Brunswick.