Latest news with #orchestra
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Acclaimed conductor Roger Norrington dead at age 91
Roger Norrington, a conductor acclaimed for historically informed performances during more than a half-century leading orchestras in Europe and the United States, has died. He was 91. Norrington died Friday at his home, his son Tom said Saturday. Norrington lived outside Exeter, England. Norrington conducted both period-instruments and modern orchestras, asking both types to play without vibrato and usually at faster tempi than modern practice. 'He was an extraordinary dramatist. He made things happen emotionally,' Myron Lutzke, an Orchestra of St. Luke's cellist who helped persuade Norrington to become music director, said Saturday. 'He had his detractors, certainly, and some of them were some of my best friends. But for me, he got the music off the page. He made the concert experience transformative.' Born on March 16, 1934, Norrington was the son of Arthur, president of Trinity College, Oxford, and the former Edith Carver. A violinist and boy soprano in his youth, Roger attended The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Dragon School, Westminster School, Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where he studied under conductor Adrian Boult. In 1962, Norrington founded the Schütz Choir, originally dedicated to the works of Heinrich Schütz. He became music director of Kent Opera from 1969-84, the Bournemouth Sinfonietta from 1985-89 and New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's from 1990-94. He was principal conductor of Camerata Salzburg from 1997 to 2006, the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1998 to 2011 and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra from 2011-16. 'Orchestras didn't generally use vibrato until the 1930s,' Norrington told The Guardian in 2007. 'It is a fashion, like smoking, which came in at about the same time. Smoking is now going, so maybe vibrato will too. ... I have discovered, all the way from Monteverdi to Mahler, is that when music is played as it should be, the sound is wonderful, the expression is wonderful and the instruments match together.' Norrington was nominated for four Grammy Awards and won in 2001 for a recording of Nicholas Maw's Violin Concerto with Joshua Bell and the London Philharmonic. Norrington retired after conducting the Royal Northern Sinfonia in an all-Hadyn concert on Nov. 18, 2021. 'I have enjoyed every minute of over 50 years of making music with some of the most wonderful and talented musicians in the world,' he said in a statement. 'The time has come to step off the podium.' His first marriage, to Susan McLean May, ended in a divorce in 1982. He married the choreographer Kay Lawrence in the mid-1980s; she died last year. Norrington was made a Knight Bachelor in 1997. He is survived by Tom and two children from his first marriage, Ben and Amy.
CBC
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
P.E.I. Symphony Orchestra's music director wins national award — the last of its kind
Jaelem Bhate remembers the moment he realized music wouldn't be an easy path. A number of years ago, he switched from pursuing a science degree to studying music academically, transferring to the University of British Columbia's School of Music. That same year, he failed his first pop quiz in music theory. "My path to music up to that point had been unexpected, and that pop quiz promised that my future music and the arts would be equally as surprising," he told CBC's Mainstreet P.E.I. Bhate, who is now the conductor and music director of the Prince Edward Island Symphony Orchestra, recently received another surprise. He was awarded the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestra Conducting from the Canada Council for the Arts, an honour he didn't even know existed until he won. "I guess in many ways, my professional and personal background and heritage embody the spirit of the Canadian mosaic," he said. "To receive this award brings a sense of belonging to the Canadian arts community, and is an affirmation, in my view, that diversity is a strength." The award, created through a private bequest to honour the late Canadian conductor Jean-Marie Beaudet, has been given to promising young orchestra conductors since the late 1980s. Bhate is the last recipient as the fund has now been fully dispersed. The award comes with a $20,000 financial prize, and for Bhate, he said it's a reminder of the need for more funding in Canada's arts community in order to continue showcasing Canadian culture, stories and history. High demand for arts grants Michelle Chawla, director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts, said a peer jury chose Bhate for the award. "He reflects, you know, what Canadians are excited about. He's an incredibly talented, visionary professional in the field," she said. Chawla echoed Bhate's concerns about growing pressure on the arts sector, noting that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the council has seen a sharp increase in funding applications. That demand has made grants harder to obtain for the people and groups applying. She said the surge speaks to two key realities. "One is that Canada is full of incredible talent. We have artists from coast to coast to coast and communities big and small, who are just brilliant and they deserve support," she said. "But we also see… a lot of precarity. It's very difficult for artists to make a living. It's very difficult, you know, generally these days, in terms of our economy, so we're seeing this rise in demand." Chawla added that the council is currently working with provincial arts councils in all four Atlantic provinces to better understand regional challenges and funding needs, so that artists can be properly supported. Investment that pays off Especially now, with so much global economic uncertainty, Chawla said investing in the arts has both cultural and economic significance. "The arts and culture sector contributes $63 billion to our GDP, which I don't think too many people are aware of," she said. "850,000 people [are] working in cultural occupations across this country. We know that arts and cultural tourists spend three times more when they're in communities." But beyond the numbers, Chawla said the value of the arts runs much deeper. "The arts contribute to our cultural, social well-being, our sense of community, our sense of belonging, our unity as Canadians, our sense of identity. So we're really seized with this moment of demonstrating why investing in the arts will bring tremendous returns on so many levels." As music director of the P.E.I. Symphony Orchestra, Bhate said he is always mindful of the importance of using public funding wisely and creating programming to serve the Island community. A major part of that work is ensuring the symphony's programs are inclusive and accessible. "That is really the work that's going to continue over the next few years, and justifies our funding from the council," he said. Looking ahead Bhate said he plans to use the $20,000 award to fund new artistic projects, whether that means conducting-related initiatives, composing new works, or supporting recording projects. He said winning the prize has been a long journey, one he couldn't have completed without the support of friends and family. Through all the ups and downs, he said, his passion for music has kept him going. "Whenever you start to second-guess yourself and say, 'Is this really worth all the blood, sweat and tears?' I put on whatever music is on my mind," he said. "And when you really remind yourself of why you're doing this — for the art, for the music — then that has a tendency of pushing some of the doubt out of my mind and allows me to keep going the way that I have been."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra acknowledged by Portsmouth
A city's authority has reflected on its near-100-year relationship with an orchestra ahead of two City Council acknowledged the contribution of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) both within and beyond Portsmouth Guildhall, including performances for local schoolchildren and accessible concerts for people with in 1893, the BSO shares a long-standing connection with Portsmouth, such as in 1959 when it was invited to perform at the reopening of the Guildhall by Queen Elizabeth Guildhall has remained a key venue for the orchestra, hosting regular concert seasons from the 1960s to the present day. BSO chief executive Dougie Scarfe addressed the council's cabinet decision meeting, and said the orchestra existed to "bring music into peoples lives" and to foster "cultural engagement, creativity, opportunity and well-being in our communities".He said the BSO brought world class musicians from the UK and across the world to Portsmouth each year with "probably the most accessible UK pricing for this quality of music". Scarfe highlighted the Sea Change concert, which gave 1,326 children the opportunity to experience the "awesome sounds of a symphony orchestra".He also noted the orchestra's investment in live streaming, which he said had helped address barriers to cultural access, pointing out that live stream audiences were about 50% more likely to identify as disabled compared to in-hall thanked the council for its continued support, which totals £22,500 this financial added that while the grant had "reduced in real terms by 65% since 2010 it remains vital to our work as your support helps us secure investment from Arts Council England and enables BSO to leverage significant funds through fundraising". Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said he planned to attend one of the two concerts in Guildhall Square in August and encouraged residents to buy BSO will perform a John Williams concert on 1 August, followed by an ABBA Symphonic Spectacular on 2 August. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Local paralyzed concert pianist returns to the stage with new tool
Edmonton Watch Riccardo Baldini played three performances with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear last month with help from a tool he co-developed, Resonate.
CBC
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra wants public to participate in 2-year search for new artistic director
Social Sharing The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) is embarking on a two-year journey in search of a new artistic director, and wants members of the public to "sound off" in the process. Executive director and general manager Ryleigh Dupuis says TBSO has already completed a number of steps in the process, including the selection of nine are: Evan Mitchell. Geneviève Leclair. Alexander Prior. Benoit Gauthier. Martin MacDonald. William Rowson. Francisco Hernández Bolaños. Trevor Wilson. Jaelem Bhate. Mitchell has been serving as music director since 2024. The TBSO says artistic director is a new position reflecting a broader, community-focused vision for the orchestra's next chapter. Beginning in October, each finalist will conduct a "masterworks performance" with the TBSO, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience their artistry first hand and participate in the selection as part of a community-engaged audition process. "We really think that it's important that our community sounds off on what we're doing and that they're engaged in this process with us," Dupuis said on Superior Morning. Before each concert, the symphony will host a question and answer session for people to ask potential candidates questions directly. "There'll be some surveys involved and a little bit of social media questions, and just really trying to get as much feedback as we can about the person that we want to come and be our artistic leader," added Dupuis. In addition to the concerts, Dupuis said, the next two years will include public events and educational opportunities so members of the public can participate fully in the journey and help shape the future of the orchestra. "We are a performing arts organization, but we're the only professional orchestra between Toronto and Winnipeg, and we have 30 musicians here that are performing a service in our community and we want our community to feel like that means something, and that they're part of that experience." 'A really incredible group of people' While acknowledging that two years is a long time, Dupuis is not worried about the finalists losing interest. "I think they will remain interested. We have a really incredible group of people … and this is a group of people who, individually, are excellent," she said. "They're really committed to orchestral music in Canada and the community of that, and I think that's why I'm confident they will remain interested." Orchestras Canada — the national association for Canadian orchestras — has welcomed the process TBSO is using in hiring a new artistic director. "Canadian orchestras are often named after the communities in which they work and play, serving as anchors of a vibrant cultural life," Lauren Drew, director of operations and member services, wrote in an email to CBC News. "It's exciting to see Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra welcome its community into their search for artistic leadership — they're building reciprocity and exchange into the process, identifying it as a priority." The TBSO says more details about the masterworks series and the appearance schedule of each candidate will be announced in the coming weeks on social media as part of its season programming.
