Oxford Philomusica
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Philomusica, based in Oxford
, England
, is an orchestra
. It was launched with a concert at London
's Barbican Centre
in November 1998 and made its Oxford debut the following February at the Sheldonian Theatre
. Since then the it has become, in the words of the local Oxford Times newspaper, ‘a musical resource for the city and beyond’, attracting critical praise and securing a loyal and growing audience.
The Oxford Philomusica presents a comprehensive season of concerts in Oxford throughout the year, performing mostly at Christopher Wren
’s Sheldonian Theatre, part of Oxford University. In October 2002, it became the first-ever Orchestra in Residence at the University of Oxford. As part of the University Residency, the orchestra collaborates with the University of Oxford Faculty of Music in educational programmes for the benefit of the student community.
The Oxford Philomusica has been acknowledged by the Association of British Orchestras
as ‘the country’s fastest growing professional symphony orchestra’ and recognised in an Arts Council
report as ‘filling an identifiable regional need’.
Since its inception, the orchestra has attracted number of important supporters. Vladimir Ashkenazy
, Patron of Oxford Philomusica, first appeared with the orchestra in February 2001 as soloist and conductor and has been a regular visitor ever since. Other international artists who have appeared with the orchestra include Steven Isserlis
, Angela Hewitt
, Cristina Ortiz
, Maurice Hasson
, Jean-Bernard Pommier
, Igor Oistrakh
, Charles Rosen
, John Lill
, Chloë Hanslip
, Simon Preston
, Peter Donohoe, Nikolai Demidenko
, John Rutter
, Rosalind Plowright
, Nicola Benedetti
, and Julian Lloyd Webber
. Oxford Philomusica has frequently appeared in the presence of the British royal family
, including HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and has also established an annual fund-raising event in the Palace of Westminster
with a concert in the House of Commons and a dinner in the House of Lords. In April 2002, the orchestra was honoured at a reception at 10 Downing Street.
The Orchestra has extended its touring programme to other parts of the United Kingdom
, including the Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall
in London
. In 2006 Oxford Philomusica made its debut at the Cadogan Hall
in London and in 2008 this was the venue for a performance of Haydn's Creation. The orchestra's 2008 recording of The Creation
with the Choir of New College, Oxford, was CD of the Month in BBC Music Magazine.
In August 1999, the orchestra inaugurated the first major Oxford International Piano Festival
to be held in the City. It was described by the Oxford Times as ‘the most significant annual musical event in the city’. The Piano Festival has become an annual feature in the orchestra’s calendar, earning an international reputation for the quality of the teaching and masterclass opportunities it offers the young musicians. The 2005 Festival was the subject of an article in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune
(‘Oxford's masterclasses turn piano lessons into performance art’).The 2011 Piano Festival Faculty includes: Christopher Elton
, Stephen Hough
, Leslie Howard
, Niel Immelman
, Julian Jacobson, Stephen Kovacevich
, Marios Papadopoulos, Menahem Pressler
, Dame Fanny Waterman and Shai Wosner
as well as Tessa Nicholson, Malcolm Troup, and Elisabeth Eschwé.
In 2006, the Orchestra marked the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with a Mainly Mozart Festival, with twenty seven celebratory concerts. Amongst the Festival's highlights was performance of The Magic Flute
, Music Director Marios Papadopoulos' third circumnavigation of the complete cycle of Piano Concertos, and a performance of the Requiem.
Education and community work is a central part of the orchestra's mission. The Oxford Philomusica won the Oxford Times Charity and Community Award in the Oxfordshire
Business Awards 2007 in recognition of its work in the community, including its artistic leadership of the celebrated Blackbird Leys Choir
. It works in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to provide performance opportunities and tuition to the hundreds of talented young musicians in the area.
In the last two years Oxford Philomusica has also launched a number of initiatives to encourage diverse audiences of all ages and
demographics, and enable young people and families to discover and enjoy classical music. Particular schemes include 'children for £1' tickets at chosen child-friendly concerts, and a FUNomusica family concert series presented by Alasdair Malloy.
Beyond Oxford, the orchestra is rapidly developing a national and international profile with regular appearances in London and a regional and international touring programme. Countries visited to date include France, Switzerland, Greece, Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus and Sweden. The orchestra is rapidly developing a national and international profile with regular appearances in London and a regional and international touring programme. In addition to their comprehensive season of concerts in Oxford, the orchestra is increasingly reaching farther, with residencies at the new Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
, and extending into Maidenhead, Reading, Bath, Cheltenham and Bristol.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. It was launched with a concert at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Barbican Centre
Barbican Centre
The Barbican Centre is the largest performing arts centre in Europe. Located in the City of London, England, the Centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhibitions. It also houses a library, three restaurants, and a conservatory...
in November 1998 and made its Oxford debut the following February at the Sheldonian Theatre
Sheldonian Theatre
The Sheldonian Theatre, located in Oxford, England, was built from 1664 to 1668 after a design by Christopher Wren for the University of Oxford. The building is named after Gilbert Sheldon, chancellor of the university at the time and the project's main financial backer...
. Since then the it has become, in the words of the local Oxford Times newspaper, ‘a musical resource for the city and beyond’, attracting critical praise and securing a loyal and growing audience.
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
’s Sheldonian Theatre, part of Oxford University. In October 2002, it became the first-ever Orchestra in Residence at the University of Oxford. As part of the University Residency, the orchestra collaborates with the University of Oxford Faculty of Music in educational programmes for the benefit of the student community.
The Oxford Philomusica has been acknowledged by the Association of British Orchestras
Association of British Orchestras
The Association of British Orchestras exists to support, promote and advance the interests and activities of professional orchestras in the UK...
as ‘the country’s fastest growing professional symphony orchestra’ and recognised in an Arts Council
Arts Council England
Arts Council England was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bodies for England, Scotland and Wales. It is a non-departmental public body of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport...
report as ‘filling an identifiable regional need’.
Since its inception, the orchestra has attracted number of important supporters. Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy is a Russian-Icelandic conductor and pianist. Since 1972 he has been a citizen of Iceland, his wife Þórunn's country of birth. Since 1978, because of his many obligations in Europe, he and his family have resided in Meggen, near Lucerne in Switzerland...
, Patron of Oxford Philomusica, first appeared with the orchestra in February 2001 as soloist and conductor and has been a regular visitor ever since. Other international artists who have appeared with the orchestra include Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis
Steven Isserlis CBE is a British cellist. He is distinguished for his diverse repertoire, distinctive sound and total command of phrasing. He studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and was much influenced by the great iconoclast of Russian cello playing, Daniil Shafran...
, Angela Hewitt
Angela Hewitt
Angela Hewitt, OC, OBE is a Canadian classical pianist. She holds British nationality through her father, Godfrey, who was the organist and choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa, Ontario for almost fifty years.-Career:...
, Cristina Ortiz
Cristina Ortiz
-Biography:Born in Bahia, Brazil, Cristina Ortiz began her studies in her home country before moving to France with Magda Tagliaferro. Soon after finishing her studies in Paris, she won the first prize of the third edition of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition...
, Maurice Hasson
Maurice Hasson
Maurice Hasson , is a French-Venezuelan violinist and a professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music.-Biography:Born in France in 1934, and studied violin at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a First Prize for Violin and a "Grand Prix" for chamber music...
, Jean-Bernard Pommier
Jean-Bernard Pommier
Jean-Bernard Pommier , is a French pianist and conductor.- Biography :Pommier studied conducting at the Conservatoire de Paris with Yves Nat, Pierre Sancan and Eugene Bigot....
, Igor Oistrakh
Igor Oistrakh
Igor Oistrakh is a Russian violinist.He was born in Odessa, Ukraine and is the son of violinist David Oistrakh. He attended the Central Music School in Moscow and made his concert debut in 1948. From 1949 to 1955 he studied at the Moscow Conservatory, winning first prizes and international...
, Charles Rosen
Charles Rosen
Charles Rosen is an American pianist and author on music.-Life and career:In his youth he studied piano with Moriz Rosenthal. Rosenthal, born in 1862, had been a student of Franz Liszt...
, John Lill
John Lill
John Lill CBE is an English classical pianist.-Biography:Lill studied at the Royal College of Music and with Wilhelm Kempff. His talent emerged at an early age, as he gave his first piano recital at the age of nine. At age 18, he performed Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto under Sir Adrian Boult...
, Chloë Hanslip
Chloe Hanslip
Chloë Elise Hanslip is a British violinist.Chloë was born in Guildford, Surrey and has been playing the violin since she was two. At the age of four she performed solo at the Purcell Room. When she was five she performed for Yehudi Menuhin and subsequently, at his invitation, studied with Natasha...
, Simon Preston
Simon Preston
Simon John Preston CBE is an English organist, conductor, and composer.- Early life :He attended the Canford School in Wimborne in Dorset. Originally a chorister at King's College, Cambridge, he studied the organ with C. H...
, Peter Donohoe, Nikolai Demidenko
Nikolai Demidenko
Nikolai Demidenko is a Russian pianist.Demidenko studied at the Moscow Gnessin School with Anna Kantor and at the Moscow Conservatoire under Dmitri Bashkirov. Demidenko was a medallist at the 1976 Montreal International Piano Competition and the 1978 Tchaikovsky International Competition...
, John Rutter
John Rutter
John Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
, Rosalind Plowright
Rosalind Plowright
Rosalind Anne Plowright OBE is an English opera singer who spent much of her career as a soprano but in 1999 changed to the mezzo-soprano range.- Life and career :...
, Nicola Benedetti
Nicola Benedetti
- Early life and the Yehudi Menuhin School :Benedetti was born in West Kilbride, North Ayrshire to an Italian father and a Scottish mother. She started to learn the violin at the age of four...
, and Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
. Oxford Philomusica has frequently appeared in the presence of the British royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
, including HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and has also established an annual fund-raising event in the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
with a concert in the House of Commons and a dinner in the House of Lords. In April 2002, the orchestra was honoured at a reception at 10 Downing Street.
The Orchestra has extended its touring programme to other parts of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including the Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 2006 Oxford Philomusica made its debut at the Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall
Cadogan Hall is a 900-seat capacity concert hall on Sloane Terrace in Chelsea / Belgravia in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, United Kingdom...
in London and in 2008 this was the venue for a performance of Haydn's Creation. The orchestra's 2008 recording of The Creation
The Creation
The Creation is an oratorio written between 1796 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn , and considered by many to be his masterpiece. The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as described in the biblical Book of Genesis and in Paradise Lost...
with the Choir of New College, Oxford, was CD of the Month in BBC Music Magazine.
In August 1999, the orchestra inaugurated the first major Oxford International Piano Festival
Oxford International Piano Festival
The Oxford International Piano Festival has taken place annually in Oxford, England since 1998, and is now established as one of the world's foremost summer music academies....
to be held in the City. It was described by the Oxford Times as ‘the most significant annual musical event in the city’. The Piano Festival has become an annual feature in the orchestra’s calendar, earning an international reputation for the quality of the teaching and masterclass opportunities it offers the young musicians. The 2005 Festival was the subject of an article in the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
(‘Oxford's masterclasses turn piano lessons into performance art’).The 2011 Piano Festival Faculty includes: Christopher Elton
Christopher Elton
Christopher Elton is an English pianist, Head of the Keyboard department of the Royal Academy of Music in London and a professor emeritus of the University of London.-Biography:...
, Stephen Hough
Stephen Hough
Stephen Andrew Gill Hough is a British-born classical pianist, composer and writer. He became an Australian citizen in 2005 and thus has dual nationality .-Biography:...
, Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard may refer to:*Leslie Howard , English stage performer who became star of Hollywood films during 1930s*Leslie Howard , Australian-born British pianist and composer...
, Niel Immelman
Niel Immelman
Niel Immelman is a South African classical pianist.He studied with Cyril Smith, Ilona Kabos and Maria Curcio. He was still a student at the Royal College of Music when Bernard Haitink invited him to play Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the London Philharmonic Orchestra...
, Julian Jacobson, Stephen Kovacevich
Stephen Kovacevich
Stephen Kovacevich , who has also been known as Stephen Bishop and Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich is an American classical pianist and conductor.-Biography:...
, Marios Papadopoulos, Menahem Pressler
Menahem Pressler
Menahem Pressler is a German-born American pianist, founding member of the Beaux Arts Trio.-Professional career:...
, Dame Fanny Waterman and Shai Wosner
Shai Wosner
Shai Wosner is a pianist. He was born in Israel in 1976 and is now living in the United States. He studied piano with Emanuel Krasovsky in Tel-Aviv...
as well as Tessa Nicholson, Malcolm Troup, and Elisabeth Eschwé.
In 2006, the Orchestra marked the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth with a Mainly Mozart Festival, with twenty seven celebratory concerts. Amongst the Festival's highlights was performance of The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
, Music Director Marios Papadopoulos' third circumnavigation of the complete cycle of Piano Concertos, and a performance of the Requiem.
Education and community work is a central part of the orchestra's mission. The Oxford Philomusica won the Oxford Times Charity and Community Award in the Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
Business Awards 2007 in recognition of its work in the community, including its artistic leadership of the celebrated Blackbird Leys Choir
Blackbird Leys Choir
The Blackbird Leys Choir formed in January 2006 as 'Ivor's Choir' for a constructed documentary series, The Singing Estate under Ivor Setterfield...
. It works in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council to provide performance opportunities and tuition to the hundreds of talented young musicians in the area.
In the last two years Oxford Philomusica has also launched a number of initiatives to encourage diverse audiences of all ages and
demographics, and enable young people and families to discover and enjoy classical music. Particular schemes include 'children for £1' tickets at chosen child-friendly concerts, and a FUNomusica family concert series presented by Alasdair Malloy.
Beyond Oxford, the orchestra is rapidly developing a national and international profile with regular appearances in London and a regional and international touring programme. Countries visited to date include France, Switzerland, Greece, Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus and Sweden. The orchestra is rapidly developing a national and international profile with regular appearances in London and a regional and international touring programme. In addition to their comprehensive season of concerts in Oxford, the orchestra is increasingly reaching farther, with residencies at the new Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is a £42million theatre in Aylesbury, England, United Kingdom presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime.-History:...
, and extending into Maidenhead, Reading, Bath, Cheltenham and Bristol.