Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Chamber Orchestras
A standard bearer of innovation and artistic excellence, Orpheus is renowned as one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras. For nearly four decades, the orchestra has been making music on a global stage, with tours from Brunei to Vienna. Orpheus Chamber Orchestra presents an annual series at Carnegie Hall, and appears regularly at major New York venues with esteemed soloists and rising stars. Dedicated to the integration of innovation and tradition, Orpheus has expanded the chamber orchestra repertoire with 34 original commissions, and prides itself on collaborations with dynamic artists across multiple genres. Orpheus' legendary discography comprises over 70 albums, including the Grammy® Award-winning Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures. Each Carnegie Hall performance is broadcast live on WQXR-New York Public Radio and rebroadcast on American Public Media's “Performance Today” and “SymphonyCast,” for a total of 1.6 million weekly listeners nationwide.
Orpheus continues its rich tradition with leading soloists during the 2011-2012 season. Opening night features violinist Gil Shaham, an old friend and close collaborator. The year continues with oboist Albrecht Mayer and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Grammy® Award winner Chris Thile will perform the New York premiere of his Mandolin Concerto in March, and violinist Viviane Hagner will make her Orpheus debut with Beethoven and Vieuxtemps in April. Throughout the season, Orpheus will debut new pieces by the four winners of Project 440. Composers Alex Mincek, Clint Needham, Andrew Norman, and Cynthia Wong were selected through an interactive process in which fellow musicians and fans worldwide shared their perspectives on new music and emerging composers online. Continuing this commitment to young composers, over the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons, Orpheus will host its first ever composer-in-residence, Gabriel Kahane. By integrating Kahane as writer, curator, performer, and ambassador in piloting a new Brooklyn series at Galapagos Art Space, Orpheus aims to introduce its distinctive approach to repertoire to a new generation of omnivorous music lovers.
In 2010-2011, Orpheus continued its Carnegie Hall series and opened the inaugural Spring for Music festival with a performance of the New Brandenburgs, six original commissions inspired by Bach. Acclaimed pianist Garrick Ohlsson returned to Orpheus for a program of works by Schubert, Berg, and Beethoven. Additional guest soloists last season, all debuting with Orpheus, were rising star soprano Kate Royal, violinists Vadim Gluzman and Arabella Steinbacher, and renowned Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder. Highlights included works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn, and the revival of an Orpheus commission by Fred Lerdahl.
Orpheus is committed to changing the way the world thinks about orchestras, organizational dynamics, and creative leadership. By performing without a conductor and integrating musicians into virtually every facet of the organization, Orpheus empowers its members and infuses performances with unparalleled energy. The Orpheus ProcessTM, an original method that places democracy at the center of artistic execution, has been the focus of studies at Harvard and Stanford, and of leadership seminars at Morgan Stanley and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, among others. On and off the stage, Orpheus provides learning opportunities for over 1,500 New York City public school students each year. The Orpheus Institute offers musicians, university students, and business leaders experiential training in collective leadership through the Orpheus ProcessTM. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the program is expanding nationwide; the 2011-2012 season will feature the launch of a year-long residency at the University of Maryland and ongoing activities at Manhattan School of Music, the Juilliard School, and the University of Connecticut.
For more information, please visit orpheusnyc.org or visit the orchestra’s blog at blog.orpheusnyc.org
Season 2011/2012
