Victoria Symphony
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Symphony is a Canadian orchestra
based in Victoria, British Columbia
. It is considered by some to be Vancouver Island
's premiere active performing arts organization. Currently directed by Tania Miller - one of North America's first female musical directors - the staff consist of both paid workers and many volunteers. The musicians are 34 full-contract and 15 part-contract musicians. Each season the orchestra gives more than 50 main series performances, as well as a 2-week-long summer festival. A highlight of the year for many is the annual Symphony Splash
fund-raising concert, held on the Sunday of the August long weekend. Each year the symphony orchestra performs on a barge in Victoria's Inner Harbour for an estimated crowd of forty thousand enraptured listeners - many attending in kayaks, canoes or dragonboats immediately in front of the barge.
The Victoria Symphony was founded in 1941 by members of the Royal Canadian Navy
as an amateur ensemble. Melvin Knudsen served as the group's first conductor, leaving after seven years in 1948 when he was succeeded by Hans Gruber
. Otto-Werner Mueller was appointed principal conductor in 1963, followed by Laszlo Gati in 1967. The orchestra became a professional ensemble during Gati's years in the mid 1970s.
In 1979 Paul Freeman
left the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
to assume the position of principal conductor of the Victoria Symphony. Glen Fast served as his associate conductor beginning in 1983 and eventually replaced him for a short time as principal conductor in 1988 when Freeman retired. Peter McCoppin
was appointed as conductor in 1989, a position he held until 1999 when Kees Bakels
succeeded him. Bakels left in 2002 at which time Timothy Vernon was appointed interim music director. Tania Miller has been music director since the 2003-2004 season. Brian Jackson
has been the Principal Pops Conductor since 1994.
The dynamic young Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Seguin, who currently holds the position of music director designate with the Philadelphia Orchestra - and has held positions with the London and Rotterdam Philharmonic - previously held the position of Principal Guest Conductor (2003-2007) with the Victoria Symphony. The acclaimed Quebecois musician and conductor Alain Trudel followed Yannick in 2009, a position he continues to hold.
Music Director Tania Miller and the orchestra have recently released two CDs of music by the Dutch composer Wim Zwaag, including a violin concerto performed by the orchestra's brilliant concert master Terence Tam.
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...
based in Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
. It is considered by some to be Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
's premiere active performing arts organization. Currently directed by Tania Miller - one of North America's first female musical directors - the staff consist of both paid workers and many volunteers. The musicians are 34 full-contract and 15 part-contract musicians. Each season the orchestra gives more than 50 main series performances, as well as a 2-week-long summer festival. A highlight of the year for many is the annual Symphony Splash
Symphony Splash
The Symphony Splash is an annual event held in Victoria, British Columbia on the first Sunday in August . The event consists of the Victoria Symphony playing, live on a barge, in the middle of Victoria's Inner Harbour. Also included in the event is a very large fireworks display, as well as live...
fund-raising concert, held on the Sunday of the August long weekend. Each year the symphony orchestra performs on a barge in Victoria's Inner Harbour for an estimated crowd of forty thousand enraptured listeners - many attending in kayaks, canoes or dragonboats immediately in front of the barge.
The Victoria Symphony was founded in 1941 by members of the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
as an amateur ensemble. Melvin Knudsen served as the group's first conductor, leaving after seven years in 1948 when he was succeeded by Hans Gruber
Hans Gruber
Hans Gruber was a Canadian conductor of Austrian birth.Born in Vienna, Gruber became a naturalised Canadian citizen in 1944. He entered The Royal Conservatory of Music in 1939 where he was a conducting student of Allard de Ridder...
. Otto-Werner Mueller was appointed principal conductor in 1963, followed by Laszlo Gati in 1967. The orchestra became a professional ensemble during Gati's years in the mid 1970s.
In 1979 Paul Freeman
Paul Freeman (conductor)
Paul Freeman is an African American conductor.Born in Richmond, Virginia, Freeman earned bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees from the Eastman School of Music. A Fulbright Scholarship enabled him to study for two years at the Berlin University of the Arts...
left the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
to assume the position of principal conductor of the Victoria Symphony. Glen Fast served as his associate conductor beginning in 1983 and eventually replaced him for a short time as principal conductor in 1988 when Freeman retired. Peter McCoppin
Peter McCoppin
Peter McCoppin is a Canadian conductor and organist.He studied conducting with Erich Leinsdorf, Lovro von Matičič, and Hans Swarowsky, and taught conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music ....
was appointed as conductor in 1989, a position he held until 1999 when Kees Bakels
Kees Bakels
Kees Bakels is a Dutch conductor.Bakels began his musical career as a violinist, and later studied conducting at the Amsterdam Conservatory and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy...
succeeded him. Bakels left in 2002 at which time Timothy Vernon was appointed interim music director. Tania Miller has been music director since the 2003-2004 season. Brian Jackson
Brian Jackson (conductor)
Brian Jackson is a Canadian conductor, organist, and pianist of English birth. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1974...
has been the Principal Pops Conductor since 1994.
The dynamic young Canadian conductor Yannick Nézet-Seguin, who currently holds the position of music director designate with the Philadelphia Orchestra - and has held positions with the London and Rotterdam Philharmonic - previously held the position of Principal Guest Conductor (2003-2007) with the Victoria Symphony. The acclaimed Quebecois musician and conductor Alain Trudel followed Yannick in 2009, a position he continues to hold.
Music Director Tania Miller and the orchestra have recently released two CDs of music by the Dutch composer Wim Zwaag, including a violin concerto performed by the orchestra's brilliant concert master Terence Tam.