Orchestra Victoria is a full-time salaried orchestra based in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia, and wholly owned subsidiary of

the Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur and direct ...

. Founded in 1969, the orchestra is now a principal performance partner for the Australian Ballet,

Opera Australia Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of ...

and larger productions of

Victorian Opera Victorian Opera is an opera company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company was founded in 2005 by the Victorian Government as a replacement for the Victoria State Opera. It commenced operations in January 2006 with Richard Gill as ...

History

The orchestra was established in 1969 as the Elizabethan Melbourne Orchestra, initially with just 32 players. Over the next decade, the orchestra expanded both its numbers and repertoire as it accompanied some of the world's leading performers, including

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...

and Dame

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s. She possessed ...

, and worked with renowned conductors such as

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

Stuart Challender Stuart David Challender (19 February 194713 December 1991) was an Australian conductor, known particularly for his work with Opera Australia, The Australian Opera, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra and the Sydn ...

Carlo Felice Cillario Carlo Felice Cillario (7 February 191513 December 2007) was an Argentinian-born Italian conductor of international renown.See Obituary, Elizabeth Forbes. Biography Born Carlos Felix Cillario in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina, he went to Italy in 1 ...

and

John Lanchbery John Arthur Lanchbery OBE (15 May 1923 – 27 February 2003) was an English-Australian composer and conductor, famous for his ballet arrangements. He served as the Principal Conductor of the Royal Ballet from 1959 to 1972, Principal Conductor ...

. In 1986, ownership of the orchestra was transferred to the

Victorian Arts Centre Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

and its name was changed to the State Orchestra of Victoria. Its initial management and artistic team: Concertmaster: Anthony Conolan, Administrator: Peter Narroway, Orchestra Manager: Kevin Morgan. In 2001, the orchestra left the Victorian Arts Centre to become an independent and self-governing organisation. The newly named Orchestra Victoria moved to the former Army Band Barracks in Albert Park. On 1 July 2014, Orchestra Victoria became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian Ballet. Since then it has expanded activities, continued to perform with leading artists from around the world, revitalised its philanthropic program, appearing in broadcasts, recordings and open-air events and toured interstate for the first time in many years. At the end of 2016, the orchestra was forced to move out of its home in Albert Park to make way for a new primary school. The orchestra currently operates out of the Joan Hammond Hall in Southbank, Melbourne.

Activities

Performances: * State Theatre,

Arts Centre Melbourne Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

for opera and ballet. * The

Melbourne Recital Centre Melbourne Recital Centre is a venue for live music in Melbourne and welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year. The organisation programs and presents more than 500 concerts and events a year across diverse range of musical genres including classi ...

in Melbourne, Australia. * In concert venues across regional Victoria. * Playing alongside students as part of its mOVe! education program. * On recordings for ABC Classics and Melba Recordings

Leading staff

* Artistic director:

Nicolette Fraillon Nicolette Ella Fraillon (born 29 July 1960) is an Australian conductor, who was chief conductor of The Australian Ballet from 2003 until 2022. Career Fraillon grew up in Melbourne, a child of immigrant parents of Huguenot-Sicilian and Austrian J ...

* Executive director: Sara Pheasant * Concertmaster: Sulki Yu

Discography

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''Live at Hamer Hall'' (with

The Teskey Brothers The Teskey Brothers are an Australian blues rock band from Melbourne, named after the two brothers who formed the group in 2008: Josh Teskey (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Sam Teskey (lead guitar). In 2019 they signed with Glassnote Records and Ivy ...

) , Best Independent Blues and Roots Album or EP , ,

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

, ''Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote'' , rowspan="2" , Best Original Cast or Show Album , , rowspan="2" , ARIA Award previous winners. , - ,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

, ''The Merry Widow'' (with John Lanchbery) , , - ,

, ''Live At Hamer Hall'' (with The Teskey Brothers) , ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots Album , , , -

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control APRA Award winners Australian orchestras Musical groups established in 1969 Performing arts in Melbourne 1969 establishments in Australia