![VSO-Logo-Primary-2C-Red P711+Black-RGB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/VSO-Logo-Primary-2C-Red_P711%2BBlack-RGB.png)
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
based in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. The VSO performs at the
Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is the third largest
symphony orchestra in Canada and the largest performing arts organization in Western Canada. It performs 140 concerts per season. The VSO broadcasts annually on the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
. The orchestra is affiliated with the VSO School of Music, which was established in September 2011. Chamber music concerts by VSO musicians take place at
Pyatt Hall on the VSO School of Music campus.
History
The current VSO was founded by the Vancouver Symphony Society in 1919, largely through the efforts of arts patron Elisabeth (Mrs. B.T.) Rogers. There was an earlier but unrelated orchestra using the same name was formed in 1897 by Adolf Gregory, but lasted for only one season; it was briefly revived in 1907 by Charles Ward. The VSO's first conductor was Henry Green; F.L. Beecher was the first president and Rogers the first vice-president. After two seasons, the orchestra disbanded in 1921 for financial reasons and after Green left. Performances resumed in 1930, again largely because of Rogers, with
Allard de Ridder as music director. From the 1940s until 1959, the orchestra performed at the
Georgia Auditorium; it then moved to the new
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Queen Elizabeth Theatre is a performing arts venue in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Along with the Orpheum, Vancouver Playhouse, and thAnnex it is one of four facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres on behalf o ...
.
The VSO also served as the
Vancouver Opera
Vancouver Opera is the second largest performing arts organization in British Columbia and the largest opera company in western Canada. Its mainstage performances occur in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, other venues in Vancouver and occasionally els ...
company's orchestra during the 1960s and 1970s, until the creation of the separate Vancouver Opera Orchestra in 1977. During the late 1960s and 1970s, the orchestra often appeared in joint concerts with the
Vancouver Woodwind Quintet
The Vancouver Woodwind Quintet (VWQ) was a Canadians, Canadian wind quintet based in Vancouver, British Columbia that was active during the late 1960s and 1970s. The quintet performed roughly 40 concerts a year, both in Vancouver and on tour throu ...
.
Kazuyoshi Akiyama
is a Japanese conductor.
Biography
Born into a musical family, he studied piano at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, but was fascinated by the conducting activities of a fellow student, Seiji Ozawa. He decided to study conducting with Hideo S ...
was music director from 1972 to 1985, and is now the orchestra's conductor laureate.
In 1979–1980, the VSO had the largest subscription list of any symphony in North America. However, in spite of a CBC recording contract, a quarterly magazine and an ambitious touring schedule, the VSO began to encounter financial difficulties. In 1988, it was forced to shut down for five months to regroup and deal with a $2.3 million deficit. With creditors forgiving the debt, the VSO began to rebuild. The orchestra began an annual series of outdoor summer concerts and in 1996 appointed their first composer in residence.
[
From 2000 to 2018, the VSO's Music Director was ]Bramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer.
Life and career
Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...
. His initial contract was extended in December 2004 through the 2009–2010 season, and further extended in January 2010 through the 2014–2015 season. They played during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
. In November 2013, the VSO announced the further extension of Tovey's contract through the 2017–2018 season, and the scheduled conclusion of his music directorship of the VSO at that time. Tovey took the title of VSO Music Director Emeritus with the 2018–2019 season, the VSO's 100th season,. and held the title until his death in July 2022. The VSO and Tovey won the 2008 Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (with Orchestra), for their recording of the Korngold, Barber, and Walton violin concerti, featuring Canadian violinist James Ehnes
James Ehnes, (born January 27, 1976) is a Canadian concert violinist and violist.
Life and career
Ehnes was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of Alan Ehnes, long time trumpet professor at Brandon University (Canada), and Barbara Withey Ehnes, fo ...
. The recording won a 2008 Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year (large ensemble).
In January 2016, Otto Tausk first guest-conducted the VSO. He returned for a second guest-conducting appearance in January 2017. In February 2017, the VSO named Otto Tausk its next music director, starting on July 1, 2018. He held the title of Music Director-Designate for the 2017–2018 season. In September 2020, the VSO announced the extension of Tausk's contract as music director through the 2025–2026 season.
Music directors
* Allard de Ridder (1930–1941)
* Jacques Singer
Jacques Singer (May 9, 1910 – August 11, 1980) was an American virtuoso violinist, symphony orchestra conductor, and music educator who flourished from about 1925 until a few months before his death in 1980.
Career Education
Jakob Singer was ...
(1947–1950)
* Irwin Hoffman
Irwin Hoffman (November 26, 1924 – March 19, 2018) was an American conductor active in North America and Latin America.
Hoffman studied at the Juilliard School and was a protégé of Serge Koussevitsky, and he made his conducting debut at the ...
(1952–1963)
* Meredith Davies
(Albert) Meredith Davies CBE (30 July 1922 – 9 March 2005) was a British conductor, renowned for his advocacy of English music by composers such as Benjamin Britten, Frederick Delius and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
His co-conducting, with the com ...
(1964–1970)
* Kazuyoshi Akiyama
is a Japanese conductor.
Biography
Born into a musical family, he studied piano at the Toho Gakuen School of Music, but was fascinated by the conducting activities of a fellow student, Seiji Ozawa. He decided to study conducting with Hideo S ...
(1972–1985)
* Rudolf Barshai
Rudolf Borisovich Barshai (russian: Рудольф Борисович Баршай, link=no, September 28, 1924November 2, 2010) was a Soviet and Russian conductor and violist.
Life
Barshai was born on September 28, 1924, in Stanitsa Labinskay ...
(1985–1988)
* Sergiu Comissiona
Sergiu Comissiona (June 16, 1928 – March 5, 2005) was a Romanian-Israeli-American conductor and violinist.
Biography
Early life
Born in Bucharest, Romania in a Jewish family, he began violin studies at the age of five, was hired as a violin ...
(1991–2000)
* Bramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer.
Life and career
Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...
(2000–2018)
* Otto Tausk (2018–present)
Composers in residence
* Rodney Sharman (1997–2000)
* Jeffrey Ryan
Jeffrey Ryan (born 1962) is a Canadian composer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. His compositional style ranges from opera, art song, and choral music to chamber ensemble and orchestral works. Ryan has been commissioned by the Cleveland Orche ...
(2000–2007)
* Scott Good (2008–2011)
* Edward Top (2011–2014)
* Jocelyn Morlock
Jocelyn Morlock (born 1969) is a Canadian composer and music educator based in Vancouver. Her piece ''My Name is Amanda Todd'' won the 2018 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year.
Early life and education
Morlock was born in Saint B ...
(2014–present)
Presidents and managers
* Victor White (1963–1972)
* Michael Allerton (1972–1985) (Orchestra Manager)
* John Smith (1985–1986) (Interim General Manager)
* Ed Oscapella (1986–1989)
* Diane Hoar (1989–1992)
* Graeme Page (1992–1993)
* Howard Jang (1993–1995)
* Ron Dumouchelle (1995–2000)
* Jeff Alexander (2000–2014)
* Kelly Tweeddale (2015–2019)
* Angela Elster (2020–present)
Recordings
*''Open Heart Symphony
''Open Heart Symphony'' is a 1996 album by Spirit of the West, in collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The band recorded two shows with the orchestra on May 12 and May 13, 1995, at the Orpheum Theatre. The shows included several ...
'', a live album recorded by the VSO in collaboration with the folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
band Spirit of the West
Spirit of the West were a Canadian folk rock band from North Vancouver, active from 1983 to 2016. They were popular on the Canadian folk music scene in the 1980s before evolving a blend of hard rock, Britpop, and Celtic folk influences which ...
.
*'' Jann Arden Live with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra'' a live album recorded in collaboration with pop singer Jann Arden
Jann Arden (born Jann Arden Anne Richards; March 27, 1962) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is famous for her signature ballads, "Could I Be Your Girl" and " Insensitive", which is her biggest hit to date.
Early life and educat ...
.
*''Barber
A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...
'', '' Korngold'', ''Walton Walton may refer to:
People
* Walton (given name)
* Walton (surname)
* Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer
Places
Canada
* Walton, Nova Scotia, a community
** Walton River (Nova Scotia)
*Walton, Ontario, a hamlet
United Kingdo ...
'', Violin Concertos, Soloist ''James Ehnes
James Ehnes, (born January 27, 1976) is a Canadian concert violinist and violist.
Life and career
Ehnes was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of Alan Ehnes, long time trumpet professor at Brandon University (Canada), and Barbara Withey Ehnes, fo ...
'', Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, ''Bramwell Tovey
Bramwell Tovey (11 July 1953 – 12 July 2022) was a British conductor and composer.
Life and career
Tovey was educated at Ilford County High School, the Royal Academy of Music and the University of London. His formal music education was as ...
'', '' Grammy Awards'' winner 2008, ''Juno Awards
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
'' winner 2008.
See also
* Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra
* List of symphony orchestras
This is a list of symphony orchestras that includes orchestras with established notability. A list of youth orchestras can be found at List of youth orchestras.
Africa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
*Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste
Egypt
* ...
* Canadian classical music
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 1919
Canadian orchestras
Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year – Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) with Large Ensemble Accompaniment winners
Musical groups from Vancouver
1919 establishments in British Columbia