Aurora Orchestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Aurora Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Chamber orchestra | |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Principal conductor | Nicholas Collon |
| Website | auroraorchestra.com |
Aurora Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra, co-founded in 2004 by conductors Nicholas Collon and Robin Ticciati. The orchestra is based in London, where it is Resident Orchestra at Southbank Centre and Resident Ensemble at Kings Place.[1] The orchestra was also previously Associate Orchestra at LSO St Luke's, and performs regularly at other venues including St George's, Bristol, the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in Canterbury, and The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. It has developed a particular reputation for creative programming and concert presentation,[2] including pioneering memorised performance as a regular feature of its artistic output.[3] Since its launch in 2005, it has worked with artists ranging from Ian Bostridge, Brett Dean, Anthony Marwood and Sarah Connolly to Edmund de Waal, Wayne McGregor and Björk.[4]
In 2004, Nicholas Collon, Robin Ticciati and fellow members of the National Youth Orchestra established Aurora, which gave its first public performance in 2005.[5] In March 2011, the Arts Council of England included Aurora Orchestra in its new "national portfolio" scheme.[6] Aurora, which had not been a "regularly funded organisation" under the council's previous funding scheme, was awarded this support as one of the "smaller adventurous music ensembles".
Aurora Orchestra first appeared at The Proms in family-themed concerts in 2011 and 2012. The orchestra subsequently returned for late-night Proms in 2013[7] and in 2014,[8] the latter of which featured the premiere of Meld by Benedict Mason. In this and subsequent appearances at The Proms, the orchestra featured major classical works performed entirely from memory:
- 2014: Symphony No 40 by Mozart
- 2015: Symphony No 6 by Beethoven[9]
- 2016: Symphony No 41 by Mozart[10]
- 2017: Symphony No 3 by Beethoven
- 2018: Symphony No 9 by Shostakovich[11]
- 2019: Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz[12]
- 2020: Symphony No 7 by Beethoven[13]
- 2021: The Firebird by Stravinsky[14]
- 2022: Symphony No 5 by Beethoven[15]
- 2023: The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky[16]
- 2024: Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven[17]
- 2025: Symphony No. 5 by Shostakovich
John Harte has been chief executive of Aurora Orchestra since 2009. Harte is scheduled to stand down from the post in July 2026.[18]
Recordings
In June 2011, the Aurora Orchestra's debut album of Nico Muhly's Seeing Is Believing was released.[19] The orchestra has also made commercial albums for Warner Classics,[20][21] and other albums including:
- This Is the Day (2012), conducted by John Rutter, produced by Thomas Hewitt Jones and released on Collegium Records (COLCD 136)[22]
- Introit: The Music of Gerald Finzi (2016), conducted by Nicholas Collon, produced by Alexander Van Ingen and released on Decca Classics (DECCA 4789357)[23]
