The Esprit Orchestra is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 dedicated to the performance of new classical works. It was established in 1983 by director Alex Pauk and is Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

's only full-sized orchestra devoted exclusively to new music. Currently, there are 45 full time members. A season typically features five concerts featuring 20th century music as well as newly commissioned works. Notable composers who have written for Esprit include John Burke

John Burke (composer)

John Joseph Burke is a Canadian composer and music educator. As a composer he has written mainly works for chamber ensembles, and his music displays an acute sensitivity to instrumental balance and timbre...

, Alexina Louie

Alexina Louie

Alexina Louie, OC, FRSC is a Canadian composer of Chinese descent who has written many pieces for orchestra, as well as pieces for solo piano.-Biography:Alexina Louie was born in Vancouver and received an...

, John Rea

John Rea

John Rea may refer to:* John Rea , 19th century United States politician* John Rea , Scottish snooker player*Jackie Rea, Northern Iish snooker player* John Rea , Irish hammered dulcimer player...

, Chan Ka-Nin, Murray Schafer, Owen Underhill

Owen Underhill

Owen Underhill is a Canadian composer, flutist and conductor based in Vancouver. He is currently a professor of music at Simon Fraser University...

, and John Beckwith

John Beckwith

John Beckwith may refer to:*John Christmas Beckwith English organist and composer.*John Charles Beckwith , English organist*John Charles Beckwith...

.

The orchestra has also participated in film recordings for directors such as Larry Weinstein, Don McKellar

Don McKellar

-Personal life:McKellar was born in Toronto, Ontario to a lawyer father and teacher mother. He attended Glenview Senior Public School, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute and later studied English at the University of Toronto's Victoria College...

, Jeremy Podeswa

Jeremy Podeswa

Jeremy Podeswa is a Canadian/American film and television director. He is best known for directing the films The Five Senses and Fugitive Pieces . He has also worked as Director on the television shows Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, The Tudors, Queer as Folk, and the HBO World War II miniseries The...

, Don McBrearty

Don McBrearty

-Filmography:*American Nightmare, 1983*Coming Out Alive, 1984*Strange Tales/Ray Bradbury Theatre, 1986 *A Child's Christmas in Wales, 1987...

 and Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta

Deepa Mehta, LLD is a Genie Award-winning Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, most known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire , Earth , and Water , among which Earth was submitted by Indian government for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...

.

In October 2009, Esprit began to perform in the Koerner Hall and has since called it home. Its concerts are also recorded and broadcasted by CBC Radio Two

CBC Radio Two

CBC Radio 2 is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Previously concentrating on classical music and jazz, during 2007 and 2008 the network transitioned towards a new "adult music" format with a variety of genres, with the previously dominant classical genre...

. Three of the orchestra's commercial recordings have been nominated for the Juno Award

Juno Award

The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...

.