Peter Oundjian

Peter Oundjian conducts Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, June 2014

Peter Oundjian (born 21 December 1955, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian violinist and conductor. The youngest of five children from an Armenian father and English mother, Oundjian also claims Scottish ancestry through his maternal grandfather, a Sanderson, and the MacDonell of Glengarry clan. Oundjian is the current music director of Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Oundjian was educated in England, where he began studying the violin at age seven with Manoug Parikian. He attended Charterhouse School in Godalming. He continued studies later with Béla Katona. He then attended the Royal College of Music. He further studied at the Juilliard School with Ivan Galamian, Itzhak Perlman, and Dorothy DeLay. While at Juilliard, he minored in conducting, and later received encouragement in his endeavors when he attended a master class from the eminent Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan.[1]

In 1980, Oundjian won First Prize at the International Violin Competition in Viña del Mar, Chile. Oundjian became the first violinist of the Tokyo String Quartet and held the post for 14 years. A repetitive stress injury forced Oundjian to curtail his instrumental career.[2] He then shifted his full-time musical focus to conducting.

Oundjian was the Artistic Director of the Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam (now the Amsterdam Sinfonietta) from 1998 to 2003. He is also the Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Caramoor International Music Festival. He was also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for 3 years. For four summers, he led The Philadelphia Orchestra's "Absolutely Mozart" Festival. Oundjian became principal guest conductor and artistic advisor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in September 2006.[3]

Oundjian was appointed to the position of Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in January 2003, and assumed the post in 2004. The orchestra had financial problems before the time of Oundjian's appointment, but he has contributed to an improvement in the orchestra's situation since the start of his tenure.[4] The 2005 documentary film Five Days in September: The Rebirth of an Orchestra records the first days of Oundjian's first season as the TSO's music director.[1] In February 2007, Oundjian extended his contract with the TSO to 2012.[5][6] Following a subsequent contract extension through the 2013-2014 season.,[7] in April 2013, the TSO further extended his contract through the 2016-2017 season.[8]

Since 1981, Oundjian has taught as an adjunct professor of violin at the Yale University School of Music.[9] In January 2011, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra announced the appointment of Oundjian as its next music director, as of the 2012-2013 season, with an initial contract of 4 years.[10][11]

Oundjian and his wife Nadine have two children. British comedian Eric Idle is his cousin, as their mothers are sisters. In June 2007, Oundjian conducted the world premiere of an oratorio by Idle and John DuPrez based on the Monty Python movie Life of Brian, titled Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy), at the first Luminato Festival in Toronto, Canada.[12][13]

References

  1. 1 2 Andrew Druckenbrod (2005-12-08). "Symphony Preview: How Peter Oundjian went from violinist's chair to conductor's podium". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  2. ↑ Colin Eatock, "Oundjian on Board". Opus, fall 2004.
  3. ↑ Vivien Schweitzer (2006-06-20). "Detroit Symphony Appoints Peter Oundjian Principal Guest Conductor". Playbill Arts. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  4. ↑ John Terauds (2007-02-03). "TSO's new season". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
  5. ↑ John Terauds (2007-02-08). "Conductor puts mark on TSO through '12". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-02-09.
  6. ↑ Mark Kanny (2007-02-16). "Conductor believes symphony alludes to events in composer's childhood". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2007-03-01.
  7. ↑ John Terauds (2011-01-31). "Toronto Symphony’s Peter Oundjian named music director of Royal Scottish National Orchestra". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  8. ↑ Trish Crawford (2013-04-19). "Toronto Symphony Orchestra extends music director Peter Oundjian’s contract until 2016/17". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  9. ↑ Yale Bulletin and Calendar, Vol. 26 (No. 19), 2-9 February 1998.
  10. ↑ "Peter Oundjian to be RSNO’s new Music Director" (Press release). Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  11. ↑ Phil Miller (2011-02-01). "Leading violinist gets top role at RSNO". The Herald. Retrieved 2011-02-01.
  12. ↑ John Terauds (2007-06-02). "Not the Messiah captures best '70s British humour". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  13. ↑ John Terauds (2007-05-27). "The afterlife of Brian". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2007-07-13.

External links

Cultural offices
Preceded by
Lev Markiz		 Artistic Director, Nieuw Sinfonietta Amsterdam
1998–2003 		Succeeded by
Candida Thompson
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