Orchestra Spotlight: Page 2

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has had a difficult history – formed in 1991 as a musician-owned collaborative orchestra after the bankruptcy and demise of the New Orleans Symphony. Their governance structure is unique among American symphony orchestras, and the hard work and dedication of the musicians finally resulted in a very successful organization. Then hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005 and nearly destroyed their city and their orchestra. Read about the amazing triumph of the LPO 3 ½ years after the storm.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is noted for its magnificent Orchestra Hall, its extensive discography of recordings, its wonderful relationship with so many outstanding music directors, and its first-in-the-country radio broadcasts.

The Philadelphia Orchestra – the name says it all. Three equal words. And those words have come to mean “a product of the highest quality.” The Philadelphia Orchestra.

The Toledo Symphony has grown from a core group of twenty-two part-time musicians to a regional orchestra that employs nearly eighty professional musicians. The TSO employs nine musicians on staff, participated in the Mellon Foundations’ Orchestra Forum, and has a healthy endowment.

The Toronto Symphony is in the middle of what may turn out to be one of the great comebacks in orchestra history. Although it had a long history, a distinguished list of former music directors, a large discography, and a home city that is to Canada what New York is to the US, it came very close to folding in 2001. Its return from the brink is a story with lessons for many orchestras.

When you think of South Carolina do you think of Hilton Head? Beaufort? Charleston? Myrtle Beach? Those are the scenic attractions, the top tourist spots in the state. If you are one of “the few, the proud”, (or know one), then perhaps Parris Island comes to mind when someone says they are going to South […]

The New World Symphony, a post-graduate orchestral academy located in Miami FL, is celebrating its 20th anniversary season. According to the NWS website, the mission of the New World Symphony is to prepare highly-gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles around the world.
Currently celebrating their 20th anniversary, the NWS has come a long way in 20 years.

Take a look at postcards sent to Polyphonic from a variety of summer festivals. Keep checking in over the summer, as we’ll be adding more postcards and more festivals!

The Elgin Symphony is a suburban orchestra 40 miles NW of Chicago with a budget of $3 million. Yet they just made a Copland recording for Naxos, the city of Elgin is planning to build them a new hall, and they operate in the black. Read about their success and listen to an excerpt of their new recording.

There are several things that make the NSO unique among American orchestras. You might have seen us on TV for our annual Memorial Day concert at the Capitol, or our annual 4th of July concert, our most visible national presence. You might not have heard about our yearly American Residency, sponsored in part by the US Department of Education.