DOCSLIB.ORG

Ulster Orchestra

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Ulster Orchestra ULSTER ORCHESTRA & BBC CHARTER RENEWAL – The Trust Consultation Background 1. The BBC has significantly promoted orchestral provision in the province since it was created in 1924. In that year it established the Belfast Wireless Orchestra (BWO), the first fully professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. With the outbreak of war in 1939, BBC regional broadcasting was reduced and the BWO was disbanded. BBCNI then formed David Curry’s BBC Irish Rhythms Orchestra, a smaller ensemble dedicated to performing light, particularly Irish, repertoire. In 1949 the BBC established its Northern Ireland Light Orchestra (NILO). It was wound up in 1980, and the following year its players were recruited into the Ulster Orchestra (UO), increasing its complement from 37 to 55 players. And since that time, the BBC has paid the UO a fee in return for it delivering a defined amount of musical output each year that BBCNI and Radio 3 can relay to their listeners. 2. The relationship between the UO and the BBC has been mutually beneficial: it has allowed the UO to achieve more than it otherwise would; it has offered the BBC the potential to access a large and varied range of musical programming for significantly less than it would cost to maintain its own orchestra in Northern Ireland. But useful as the relationship has been, it has not achieved its full potential, for example, in promoting touring outside Belfast and in education and community engagement. It is a transactional arrangement: a fee-based, service-level agreement. It has not evolved into an enduring partnership as was originally intended when the BBC began its association with the UO in 1980, and as it has when the BBC has developed relationships with orchestras in other regions of the UK. 3. Regional differences in the BBC’s orchestral relationships have resulted in regional differences in funding support. In Scotland the BBC has its own Scottish Symphony Orchestra (over 80 players), which is in addition to the following orchestras that are funded by the Scottish government: the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (about 89 players), the Orchestra of Scottish Opera (over 50 players), the Scottish Ballet Orchestra (50-70 players), and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra (over 30 players). In Wales, where the BBC has a Public Value Partnership (PVP) with the Arts Council of Wales, in 2014/15 the BBC provided the BBC National Orchestra of Wales (over 80 players), with 80% (£4.7m) of the Orchestra’s total income and the ACW provided 14% (£844.5k). In contrast, although the artistic merit of the UO (63 players) compares favourably nationally and internationally, it is the only fully professional orchestra in Northern Ireland, and inadequate funding is threatening its survival, the BBC provided it with only 16% (£639k) of its total income while the ACNI provided 47% (£1.88m). 4. This funding disparity has recently prompted the Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Nelson McCausland MLA, to write to Lord Hall, the Director-General of the BBC, as follows: Members [of the Committee] are aware that the BBC has provided much more significant financial support to the “BBC” orchestras located in other regions of the UK. The Committee particularly reflected on the financial support provided by the Corporation to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. While the Committee appreciates the funding provided to the Ulster Orchestra by BBC Northern Ireland, Members believe that it is time for the BBC at the centre to support the Ulster Orchestra on a per capita basis that is commensurate with the funding provided to the Orchestra’s equivalents in Wales and Scotland.1 1 Letter, 25 November 2014 attached. Also attached is Lord Hall’s reply of 8 December 2014. The population of Scotland is 5.3m, Wales 3.1m, and Northern Ireland 1.8m. 5. A key principle of the BBC’s Charter renewal document, Building Public Value, published in 2004 in the run up to last Charter Review in 2007, is that “the BBC would deliver the greatest possible public value through working in partnership with others”, and good examples of this principle are “the public value partnerships formed by BBC Orchestras in Scotland, Wales, London and the North of England to support and help finance a range of activities including concerts, tours and education and audience development projects which stimulate interest in classical music in the community and are often featured in or used to support the creation of BBC output.”2 Northern Ireland is noticeable by its absence from this statement. Its omission should be remedied, as should the regional disparity in BBC orchestral funding noted above by the CAL Committee. The Ulster Orchestra is already de facto the “BBC’s Orchestra in Northern Ireland”. It should obtain this status de jure by forming a Public Value Partnership with the BBC. The BBC would then be fairly fulfilling one of the obligations in its present Charter: “representing the UK, its nations, regions and communities”. 6. The Charter Review is an opportune moment to raise with the BBC the desirability of a Public Value Partnership for the UO, and of BBC per capita orchestral funding for Northern Ireland being comparable to that for Scotland and Wales. Alan Davey (Controller, BBC Radio 3) is currently reviewing BBC orchestral provision. Lord Hall, in a speech given on 25 March 2014 shortly after becoming Director General, promised the strongest commitment to the arts that the BBC has made for a generation: “We want to build more creative links with you and your organisations – with you we want to put the arts at the very heart of the BBC”;3 and on 7 September 2015 he pledged the BBC to work more closely with the UK’s arts and science institutions to “make Britain the greatest cultural force in the world”.4 Moreover, as indicated above, the proposal has the support of the Assembly’s Culture, Arts & Leisure Committee. And discussions we have had over the past year with more than seventy politicians – local councillors, MLAs, Ministers, MPs, and MEPs in Northern Ireland – also indicate that there is widespread, cross-party support to advance this issue. 7. The closer the relationship between the UO and the BBC, the more it will work to the benefit of both organisations and of Northern Ireland. Hence we urge the BBC to transform this relationship into what it was originally intended to be: a Public Value Partnership. 8. Responses to the proposals outlined in each of the Chapters are attached. I do hope you find them useful. Professor Sir George Bain Chairman, Ulster Orchestra 21 September 2015 2 BBC Editorial Guidelines, Appendix 3: “Statement of Policy on Alternative Finance, Public Value Partnerships”, paras. 15 and 16. 3 http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/speeches/2014/dg-bbc-arts.html; accessed 24 March 2014. 4 See hhtp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34168310; accessed 15 September 2015. Comment on British Bold Creative Chapter 1 – is the BBC successful today? Does it work in Practice? The BBC does work in practice, as much of the work of the Ulster Orchestra would not be known if concerts were not broadcast on the BBC; these average over 30 per year. In addition to recording our own Ulster Orchestra concerts for subsequent broadcast - up to 10 per year for Radio 3, and up to 10 per year for Radio Ulster - the BBC hold their own invitation concerts each year. They can hold up to 12 of these invitation concerts per year for Radio 3. They can hold up to 5 of these invitation concerts per year for Radio Ulster. The BBC also have up to 180 minutes of TV which they can take (Proms in the Park and other events such as this year’s Sports Personality of the Year). Chapter 1 describes how the BBC makes the UK a more creative Nation. The Ulster Orchestra would concur that the BBC has created a media system based on: An astonishing strength and depth of creative talents including composers and musicians A creative network with strong connections and talent that flows between all of the constituent parts including radio and music, broadcasting and the performing arts The best shop window to the world for British talent Chapter 2 – is the BBC distinctive and of high quality? In terms of the work of the Orchestra, Radio 3 is its main platform. Radio 3 is one of the world’s most important music and arts broadcasters. Radio 3 is the most significant commissioner of new music in the world with nearly 200 original commissions in the past five years. Its music offer is unique with 57% of music broadcast live or specifically recorded. Compared to Classic FM it repeats far less music in a week. The Ulster Orchestra would be supportive of this work continuing and the uniqueness of the music broadcast maintained. This gives new and aspiring composers and musicians a platform for their work and allows for investment in talent. In terms of Radio Ulster, the Orchestra would want to see the emphasis on local culture maintained with a showcase of the arts which is important to that local audience. The recognition in the document that innovation for the BBC has been delivered through the way it distributes content rather than the programme content itself is welcomed. The Orchestra for its own particular genre of music is aware that facilities such as online and “i player” would work particularly well for local audiences who can listen back to concerts held in Northern Ireland. Chapter 3 – What do audiences want from the BBC ? The BBC helps to connect the UK.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Belfast Waterfront / Ulster Hall
    Appendix B Ulster Hall - Programming Policy 1. Introduction The Ulster Hall will reopen in March 2009 following a major refurbishment. This is the second phase of the refurbishment work (Phase I 2005-06) and will see major changes to the venue including: Ulster Orchestra taking residency in the venue Addition of interpretive displays Launch of an education and community outreach programme Opportunity for the venue to actively programme and promote a range of events. Since 2004 the venue has been managed alongside Belfast Waterfront and it is envisaged that existing expertise within the Waterfront staff structure will inform and direct the relaunch of the Ulster Hall. This document addressed the programming policy for the ‘new’ Ulster Hall, identifying the changes in the venue’s operation and management and taking into account the overall marketplace in which the venue operates. 2. Context This policy is based on the following assumptions about how the Ulster Hall will operate in the future: A receiving house and programming venue Programming will have a mix of commercial and developmental objectives Opportunity for business use of the venue will be exploited In-house PA and lighting facilities will be available Premises will be licensed – alcohol consumption permitted in the main space for standing concerts An improved environment – front of house facilities, seating, dressing rooms Hire charges will need to be set appropriately to reflect these changes in order to compete within the market, whilst acknowledging a previously loyal client base 90683 - 1 - 3. Historical and Current Position Historical Position Typically the Ulster Hall has hosted around 150 events each year.
    [Show full text]
  • Ulster Orchestra / Musicians' Union Freelance Orchestral Agreement
    Ulster Orchestra / Musicians’ Union Freelance Orchestral Agreement 2019-2020 1. PREAMBLE This Agreement is made between the Ulster Orchestra Society Limited (‘the Society’) and the Musicians’ Union (‘the MU’) governing the minimum terms and conditions agreed collectively between the Society and the MU for the engagement of self-employed Musicians (‘a/the musician’) working as Extras and Deputies with the Ulster Orchestra. The terms and conditions set out in the Agreement shall be effective from 1st August 2019 The Society and the MU each recognise the other to be the appropriate body to negotiate on behalf of its members. For the avoidance of doubt this agreement is not intended to confer employee status on any Musician and the intention and understanding of all parties is that Musicians engaged under these terms and conditions are self-employed workers. 2. FREELANCE RATES The following shall be the minimum rates to be paid to a musician engaged to play for concerts, rehearsals and media work to be effective from 1st August 2019: 2.1 Concert Fee: For up to six hours playing on one day, including either two or more rehearsal sessions, a single rehearsal session and concert, or a single concert session only: Tutti £106.41 Sub-Principals £112.80 Principals £118.12 Section Leader £127.70 2.2 Single Rehearsals: For up to three hours playing where no other work is offered on the same day and the work does not include a concert (calculated as 60% of the full day rate): Tutti £63.85 Sub-Principals £67.68 Principals £70.87 Section Leader £76.62 Musicians based in the UK: where the musician is scheduled for a single rehearsal session (excluding the first day of a work period), they will be paid the concert fee.
    [Show full text]
  • BBC Music Booklet Celebrating 80 Years of Music.Pdf
    Celebrating Years of Music A Serenade to Music “We are the music-makers And we are the dreamers of dreams…” (Arthur William Edgar O’Shaughnessy, Ode) The story of BBC Northern Ireland’s involvement in nurturing and broadcasting local musical talent is still in the making. This exhibition provides a revealing glimpse of work in progress at the BBC’s Community Archive in documenting the programmes and personalities who have brought music in all its different forms to life, and looks at how today’s broadcasters are responding to the musical styles and opportunities of a new century. It celebrates BBC NI’s role in supporting musical diversity and creative excellence and reflects changes in fashion, technology and society across 80 years of local broadcasting. “ Let us celebrate the way we were and the way we live now. Much has been achieved since 2BE’s first faltering (and scarcely heard) musical broadcast in 1924. Innovation has Let us celebrate the ways we will be... been a defining feature of every decade from early radio concerts in regional towns and country halls to the pioneering work of Sean O’Boyle in recording traditional music and Sam Hanna Bell’s 1950s programmes of Belfast’s Let us count the ways to celebrate. street songs.The broadcasts of the BBC Wireless Orchestra and its successors find their contemporary echo in the world-class performances of the Ulster Orchestra and BBC NI’s radio and television schedules continue to Let us celebrate.” reverberate to the diverse sounds of local jazz, traditional and country music, religious services, brass bands, choirs, (Roger McGough - Poems of Celebration) contemporary rock, pop and dance music.
    [Show full text]
  • BBC Management Review 2010/11
    Northern Ireland Management review 2010/11 a 01 Introduction 12 Looking ahead 19 Contacts 02 Two minute summary 18 Key priorities for next year 20 Northern Ireland 04 Service performance management “ Broadcasting makes an important contribution to the wealth and well-being of local society.” Peter Johnston, Director, BBC Northern Ireland Cover image Cover shows BBC Radio Ulster presenters at the launch of Open House in Broadcasting House, Belfast. Introduction The BBC’s mission may be constant and enduring, but the business of broadcasting, like society itself, is always changing. We can report on a year in which our services enjoyed broad and popular appeal, and much critical success. Network production increased and has now begun to achieve the critical mass on which its long-term sustainability depends; we enhanced our newsgathering with the appointment of new area-based reporters; and our local television portfolio was refreshed with additional landmark programmes and commissions that were intended to reflect community life in all its different aspects and diversity. We introduced schedule changes at BBC Radio Foyle; extended the availability of the BBC’s national DAB network in Northern Ireland; secured some necessary capital investment to facilitate local television outside broadcasts into the future; and delivered a range of BBC recordings and events – showcasing talent and providing moments of celebration for the whole community. All of this activity has been taken forward in the midst of real financial constraints. Further savings are in prospect and will require difficult choices about priorities and a clear focus on how we can maximise the impact and value of our service offering.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Booklet
    559747 bk Paine US_559747 bk Paine US 25/06/2013 13:48 Page 4 Ulster Orchestra AMERICAN CLASSICS Photo: Harrison Photography The Ulster Orchestra is one of Northern Ireland’s cultural cornerstones and since its foundation in 1966 has become one of the major symphony orchestras in the United Kingdom and Ireland. JoAnn Falletta was appointed John Knowles Principal Conductor in May 2011, the orchestra’s twelfth but first female and first American to be appointed to the post. The Hungarian-born violinist, Tamás Kocsis, leads PAINE the Orchestra. Northern Ireland’s only professional (1839-1906) symphony orchestra performs in front of over 100,000 people across Northern Ireland each year averaging eighty to ninety performances, including its more than forty main Symphony No. 1 season concerts, lunch-time concerts, BBC invitation concerts and concerts at many regional and national venues like the National Concert Hall in Dublin and Royal Albert Hall in London. The Ulster Orchestra gratefully The Tempest • As You Like It Overture acknowledges the significant support it receives from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, its Principal Funder, the BBC, Belfast City Council and many of Northern Ireland’s leading businesses. Ulster Orchestra • JoAnn Falletta JoAnn Falletta JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony in the United States and Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra in Northern Ireland. She has guest conducted over a hundred orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa and is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony and Brevard Music Center of North Carolina.
    [Show full text]
  • “By Learning a New Language, a Person Acquires a New Way of Knowing Reality” Augusto Boal
    Appendix 2 FUNDING OF THE ARTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND 1.1 Introduction: Belfast City Council is a local government council and invests approx £7,700,000 annually in arts and heritage, in addition, through enhanced capital investment in cultural venues in 2008/2009 this has increased to £12,469,437. Our shared vision for cultural development in Belfast is to create a vibrant, cultural capital where arts and culture and placed firmly at the centre of economic, social and environmental regeneration in a way which inspires, empowers and elevates those who live, work in and visit the city. Culture and Arts Unit in Belfast City Council is part of Economic Initiatives section which has a remit for city regeneration. However, a number of different units and sections within Belfast City Council invest in and support the arts: - Belfast Waterfront and the Ulster Hall (both managed by Belfast City Council) provide a venue for cultural events and activities - Good Relations Unit fund a number of projects and those with a Artistic/Cultural elements amount to £121,083 - Creative Industries programme has invested £249,000 in 08/09 on a project to help small companies in the music industry - Events Unit organise civic events which frequently have a cultural element such as ‘Opera in the Gardens’, Lord Mayor’s carnival parade and Titanic festival - Tourism Unit has a Cultural Tourism Officer who has spearheaded initiatives like ‘Late Night Art’, Cultural tours and Music coordination. - Planning and Transport manage the Re-Imaging Communities project and
    [Show full text]
  • 2019-20 Our Vision
    Arts Council of Northern Ireland - 2019-20 www.artscouncil-ni.org Our Vision Our vision is to ‘place the arts at the heart of our social, economic and creative life’. In Inspire, Connect, Lead, our five-year strategic framework for the development of the arts in Northern Ireland, 2019-24, we identify the main themes covering what we believe needs to be done to achieve this vision. In this Annual Review 2019-20 you will see the progress that has been made in these areas, including the new ‘Embrace the Place’ partnership with Tourism NI, profiling opportunities at international arts festivals, and bringing ‘the greatest literary show on earth’ to Northern Ireland. www.artscouncil-ni.org Cover Image: Distinguished granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee, opened the two-day literature festival, JLF Belfast 2019, and spoke at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace. Photo: Brian Morrison c21 theatre company presented Rosemary Jenkinson’s ‘May the Road Rise Up’, featuring Christine Clare, at the Brussels Platform, promoting the culture and creativity of Northern Ireland. Contents Overview 6 A Year in the Arts 10 The Board of the Arts Council 35 The Executive of the Arts Council 37 Financial summary 39 Frequently asked questions 43 www.darraghneely.com arts council of northern ireland annual review 2019-20 Welcome What we do Welcome to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Annual Review 2019-2020. The Arts Council is the development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland, providing the main support for artists and This calendar-style review of our combined Exchequer and National Lottery-funded activities covers arts organisations throughout the region through a range many of the artistic highlights of the last (financial) year, expanding in greater detail on several of the of funding opportunities.
    [Show full text]
  • APPENDIX 1 September to December 2017: Arts & Culture Report
    APPENDIX 1 September to December 2017: Arts & Culture Report Seamus Heaney HomePlace Awards Best Local Authority Tourism Initiative- Northern Ireland Local Government Awards (NILGA) Best Visitor and Interpretation Centre by the Association of Heritage Interpretation (AHI) Best NI Visitor Attraction 2017 - Northern Ireland Travel and Tourism Awards In the 12 months since opening, Seamus Heaney HomePlace welcomed 42,532 paying visitors. The positive feedback from visitors has been overwhelming and the comments received from visitors exceptionally positive towards the facility and the staff team. Links with tour operators continuing with a number of FAM trips hosted including sales calls with Abbey, CIE, Adams and Butler and Odyssey International. Meeting held with Glenn Patterson, Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen’s regarding future possibilities for programming between HomePlace and Queen’s, and linking with the soon to be announced Fellows at QUB. Two meetings held with the Seamus Heaney Estate, attended by Anthony Tohill, CEO- Adrian McCreesh, Director of Business and Communities, and Brian McCormick, Manager- Seamus Heaney HomePlace. Submission made to Invest NI under the Collaborative Growth Programme in conjunction with the Seamus Heaney Cluster Group to further develop scope for the Cluster to target and maximise opportunities through a clear roadmap with recommendations for action including required investment and resources. EDUCATION PROGRAMME Appointment made of Julie Thompson who replaces Sheila Fullerton in the role of Education Officer. Key Stage 1 In September and October the KS1 Blackberry Picking programme was attended by 3 schools and 81 pupils. Pupils created a word hoard of sensory language describing their response to the picnic which was included in this programme, and this was added to the display in the creative zone.
    [Show full text]
  • Ulster Orchestra Proposal to Belfast City Council
    ULSTER ORCHESTRA PROPOSAL TO BELFAST CITY COUNCIL UO’s Financial Position • The UO’s grant from the ACNI has been cut by 14.4% (£317K) since March 2013. It has been told to expect a further in-year cut of 4% in 2014/15 and a cut of 10-12% in 2015/16. All these cuts will amount to a 28% (£609K) reduction in ACNI funding since March 2013. • The UO’s payment from Radio 3 has been cut by 23.5% (£126K) since March 2011. Radio 3 is proposing a further reduction (£82K) in its payment in 2016/17. If this cut is implemented, it will amount to a 27% (£208K) reduction in BBC funding since March 2011. • Taking the ACNI and BBC cuts together, they amount to 28% (£817K) since March 2011. The total increase in the RPI since 2011 is 13.2%. To maintain our 2011 position in real terms, therefore, would require not £817K but £925K. • 2013/14 yielded an operating deficit of approximately £562K, leaving cash reserves of about £513K. Even without the in-year cut in the ACNI grant, it will be most difficult to produce a break-even budget for 2014/15. We are currently forecasting a deficit of about £400K, which will reduce our reserves to an estimated £100K by 31 March 2015; taking into account the 4% in-year cut in the ACNI grant, the reserves will be wiped out. • Cuts of the above magnitude – to an orchestra that is already underfunded and understaffed – are unsustainable; we would be bankrupt and have to go into administration.
    [Show full text]
  • Radio Ulster at Music Live
    BBC Radio Ulster BBC Radio Ulster at Music Live BBC Radio Ulster plans to capture the spirit of Music Now on Radio Ulster will be featuring the Music Live in as many programmes as possible over Ulster Orchestra performances on Saturday 23 and the 11 days of the festival. Friday 30 April from Belfast’s Waterfront Hall and right across the festival period the station’s Stephen Nolan, Arts Extra and Irish language magazine programme Blas, will be reflecting all the Music Live 2004 events. Sunday presenters Brian D’Arcy, the Rev Noel Battye and Steve Stockman will also be heading out of their studios to present live music specials from locations in Belfast and Fermanagh. Gerry Anderson Local favourite Gerry Anderson launches Radio Ulster’s coverage on Friday 23 April in the pub! He’s in McBride’s Pub in Cushendun, Co Antrim, to be precise, where a whole weekend of celebrations is planned to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the town’s association with the National Trust, as well as the bi-centenary of their parish church. Hugo Duncan Northern Ireland’s King of Country Hugo Duncan takes his Country Afternoon radio show (1.30-3pm) So from country, rock and pop to folk, jazz and on the road every day from Monday 26-Friday 30 classical, there will be something for every musical April. He will be bringing the very best of Northern taste with Music Live on BBC Radio Ulster – Sony Ireland’s country music to towns and cities such as Station of the Year 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • Draft Network Radio Submission
    BBC Audience Council Northern Ireland Submission to the BBC Trust Review of BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7 A. Executive Summary The BBC Audience Council Northern Ireland has engaged directly with diverse audiences in Northern Ireland, including listeners of Radio 3, Radio 4 and Radio 7. It also draws on its wider understanding of the needs of different audiences and the broadcasting landscape in Northern Ireland. Its key findings for the Trust are: § Appreciation for the three network radio stations is strong among its listeners, and each make significant contributions to the BBC’s Public Purposes. BBC Radio 3 § To provide value for licence fee payers BBC Radio 3 needs to reach out to a wider audience among those with an interest in music and culture, including younger people and people with a less in depth knowledge of music. There should be more access points for new listeners and an enhanced promotions strategy. § Radio 3 listeners believe the station provides a high-quality and distinctive service. There is particular appreciation for the range of music including live performances, less well-known pieces and pieces played in their entirety. Listeners also appreciate well-informed presenters and the lack of advertisements. § Jazz and world music are appreciated by some listeners but there is a general lack of awareness that the station offers more than classical music. § Speech content on BBC Radio 3 is less valued than music content and the Audience Council asks that the Trust to review this aspect of the station’s offering. § The BBC’s support for the Ulster Orchestra is highly valued by listeners as well as making a contribution to the creative industries and to wider society.
    [Show full text]
  • DPO U.S. Tour Souvenir Brochure
    Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra Dublin Philharmonic Music Director & Conductor Derek Gleeson Principal Guest Conductor Colman Pearce Orchestra Inaugural U.S. Tour, January 10th—March 17th 2009 Presented by Columbia Artists Management, Inc Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra www.dublinphilharmonic.com The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra brings together the finest of Irish and European orchestral musicians, with Irish and International soloists, conductors and composers...celebrating our shared musical heritage, pursuing performance excellence in the tradition of classical and contemporary symphonic music. Founded in the mid 1800’s, The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra gave regular concerts throughout the capital city until the late 1930’s, at which point there was a cessation of activities with the advent of World War Two. In 1997 The Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra was reconstituted under the direction of Music Director Derek Gleeson, drawing its members from Irish and other European orchestral musicians. The new Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra gave its premier concert during the 1997 Kilkenny Arts Festival at the great 13th century Norman cathedral, ‘St. Canices,’ in the ancient city of Kilkenny. In addition to performing the repertoire of standard classical masterworks, the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra is committed to giving a voice to Ireland’s contemporary composers. Under Maestro Gleeson, the orchestra has recorded classical and contemporary repertoire for commercial record companies, including Albany Records (U.S.A.), BMG/Windham Hill Records,
    [Show full text]