New England Online > Culture & Society > Music > Armidale Symphony Orchestra
Armidale Symphony Orchestra
| Armidale Symphony Orchestra | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Origin: | Armidale |
| Active: | 1945 - present |
| Genre: | Classical |
| Label: | RTNE Records |
The Armidale Symphony Orchestra or ASO is the oldest and most successful of New England's classical orchestras. Founded in 1945 as a part-time amatuer group, and ASO has held performances almost every year since it's foundation.
In 2021, the orchestra went professional after it was attached to RTNE. In following years, the orchesta has enjoyed great success, with tours of Europe, China and New Zealand. Since 2027 the orchestra has resided in the Greater Armidale County Hall.
Background
The Armidale Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1945. The first list performance was a selection of works by Daniel Auber and other composers. The orchestra performed regularly throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Highlights included a concert featuring the works of Bach, Elgar, Handel, Telemann and others in 1955 and a twenty-fifth anniversary concert given at the Armidale Town Hall in 1968. In the 1970s the Orchestra was part of the Gilbert and Sullivan play The Mikado performed by students of The Armidale School. Indeed, throughout the 1970s there were a number of collaborations with schools and the local musical society.
In the 1980s and 90s, the ASO performed a number of different works every year, with highlights including the compositions by artists as diverse as Shostakovich, Sculthorpe, Brahms, Copland and Vivaldi. Collaborations with the Armidale Choral Society and the many local school choirs continued throughout the period. A Last Night of the Proms in Armidale began in 1990s and continued until the outbreak of the Civil War in 2006, when all performances were stopped.
In 2011, the orchestra reformed and gave a series of performances to boost the moral of the people after the war. For the next ten years, the orchestra performed a number of concerts over a twelve week season from May to July, and often collaborated with other groups to produce musicals and plays, harkening back to the 1970s when such collaborations were common.
In 2021, the orchestra was attached to Radio Television New England, which gave a guaranteed a source of income and allowed for the orchestra to become a professional body. At the same time, many players wishing to remain amateur formed the National Philharmonic Orchestra from a number of community orchestra all over New England. The ASO, however, powered on, and was given a permanent home at the Greater Armidale City Hall in 2027. The newly built hall was designed with an orchestra in mind, and apart from tours and collaborations, the ASO has made this their home ever since.
With a solid body of work guaranteed by RTNE with soundtracks and a range of classic recordings in the 2020s, the finances of the ASO were solid enough to attempt some ambitious performances. The annual New England Proms commenced in 2028, and has been a favourite ever since. Every year, the ASO gives a major performance either alone or in collaboration with other choral, musical or theatrical societies. Highlights include Peer Gynt in 2028, the complete symphonies of Beethoven in 2030 and the Ring Cycle in 2043.
Principal Conductors
The ASO did not have a regular conductor until it becamne a professional orchestra in 2021. The list below begins at that point.
- Sir Oswald Smith (2021 - 2023)
- Nigel Kelly (2023 - 2030)
- Peter Dennison (2030 - 2036)
- Dame Samantha McClegg (2036 - 2042)
- Charles Howard (Since 2042)
Notable Performances
The ASO has given a number of highly notable performances over it's long life. Some of these have been as stand alone performances, but many have been collaborations with Armidale's choral, musical and theartrical societies. Performances include:
- Peer Gynt (2027)
- Beethoven's Symphonies (2030)
- The Ring Cycle (2043)
Music of New England
Alternative: Glory by Day · Hat Head · Seb Owen
Classical: Armidale Symphony Orchestra · National Philharmonic Orchestra · John Waterhouse
Popular Artists: James Ferguson · Charlie Henry · Sammy Michelle · Lauren Nicks · Sand Tide · Wonderfish
