Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Greenville Symphony (full name: Greenville Symphony Orchestra) is an American symphony orchestra
based in Greenville, South Carolina
. Its home is located in the heart of downtown greenville next to the Peace Center
.
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra is devoted to providing a support of the Arts for the many communities of Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville Symphony Association (GSA) "provides educational and cultural opportunities for Upstate residents through the presentation of live orchestral music." During each season the Greenville Symphony Orchestra offers a selection of concert programs: six Masterworks concerts, four Chamber Orchestra concerts, a Holiday at the Peace, and three Spotlight Series concerts. The Masterworks Series, providing great classical masterpieces, is presented at the Peace Center each year. The Chamber Orchestra Series, featuring a different side of classical repertoire, is held at the Gunter Theatre. The GSO Spotlight Series, offering a casual hour of chamber music with friends, takes place at the Centre Stage Theater.
campus in 1948. For more than sixty years these musicians have been practicing and performing classical music within the Upstate. The Symphony
performed its first 50 years mainly in Furman’s McAlister Auditorium. During the GSO’s first three years furman professor Robert Cantrick conducted the Symphony; the following five years were directed by Pedro Sanjuan. In 1956, Peter Rickett, a bass instructor at Furman, became the orchestra’s first resident conductor. He resided with the Greenville Symphony for a total of 34 years. With the opening of The Peace Center
for the Performing Arts in 1990, David Pollitt was appointed as the orchestra’s fourth music director. Nine years later Edvard Tchivzhel
took the positions of both music director and conductor of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
The GSO has grown significantly over the years with two concerts being offered during its first season in 1948 to thirty-three concerts in their 60th year. In 2009 one reviewer for The Greenville News wrote about the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, "it's always a packed house." As a feature of the orchestra's classical repertoire, renowned guest artists are invited to perform each concert season.
Edvard Tchivzhel, GSO's fifth music director and conductor, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia
(formerly known as Leningrad, USSR). Being born into a musical family, Tchivzhel has traveled far and has performed with many well-known musicians.
Tchivzhel has performed with many great artists including Yo-Yo Ma
, Emanuel Ax
, Vladimir Spivakov
, Gidon Kremer
, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
, André Watts
, János Starker
, Gil Shaham
, Olga Kern
, Nicolai Demidenko, Joshua Bell
, Bella Davidovich
, Yuri Bashmet
, Evelyn Glennie
, Pete Fountain
, Sharon Isbin
, and Doc Severinsen
. He has also made numerous recordings with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio
, the State Russian Orchestra, the Atlantic Sinfonietta, with several orchestras in Sweden, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
, and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Aside from conducting with many great guest artists, Tchivzhel has won international status with appearances on five continents.
Since Maestro Tchivzhel has took the podium, many concerts have been sold out. As one reviewer for The Greenville News wrote, “Tchivzhel… proves to be a conductor who digs deeply, carefully observing the score’s dynamic and expressive markings, and inspiring the orchestra to excellence with his detailed commands.” "During his tenure, season subscriptions, ticket revenues, and concert attendance have all steadily climbed to match the improving quality of the orchestra’s musicianship."
.
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 Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
. Its home is located in the heart of downtown greenville next to the Peace Center
Peace Center
The Peace Center is located adjacent to Falls Park in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. It is an arts center that contains the 2100 seat Peace Concert Hall, 400 seat Dorothy Hipp Gunter Theater, and the Dow Brands Amphitheater located beside the Reedy River...
.
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra is devoted to providing a support of the Arts for the many communities of Greenville, South Carolina. The Greenville Symphony Association (GSA) "provides educational and cultural opportunities for Upstate residents through the presentation of live orchestral music." During each season the Greenville Symphony Orchestra offers a selection of concert programs: six Masterworks concerts, four Chamber Orchestra concerts, a Holiday at the Peace, and three Spotlight Series concerts. The Masterworks Series, providing great classical masterpieces, is presented at the Peace Center each year. The Chamber Orchestra Series, featuring a different side of classical repertoire, is held at the Gunter Theatre. The GSO Spotlight Series, offering a casual hour of chamber music with friends, takes place at the Centre Stage Theater.
History
The Greenville Symphony Orchestra began as a small group of volunteer musicians practicing in the Women’s college auditorium on the old Furman UniversityFurman University
Furman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
campus in 1948. For more than sixty years these musicians have been practicing and performing classical music within the Upstate. The Symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
performed its first 50 years mainly in Furman’s McAlister Auditorium. During the GSO’s first three years furman professor Robert Cantrick conducted the Symphony; the following five years were directed by Pedro Sanjuan. In 1956, Peter Rickett, a bass instructor at Furman, became the orchestra’s first resident conductor. He resided with the Greenville Symphony for a total of 34 years. With the opening of The Peace Center
Peace Center
The Peace Center is located adjacent to Falls Park in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. It is an arts center that contains the 2100 seat Peace Concert Hall, 400 seat Dorothy Hipp Gunter Theater, and the Dow Brands Amphitheater located beside the Reedy River...
for the Performing Arts in 1990, David Pollitt was appointed as the orchestra’s fourth music director. Nine years later Edvard Tchivzhel
Edvard Tchivzhel
Edvard Tchivzhel is a Russian-born conductor and music director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville, South Carolina.-Early life:...
took the positions of both music director and conductor of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra.
The GSO has grown significantly over the years with two concerts being offered during its first season in 1948 to thirty-three concerts in their 60th year. In 2009 one reviewer for The Greenville News wrote about the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, "it's always a packed house." As a feature of the orchestra's classical repertoire, renowned guest artists are invited to perform each concert season.
Music directors
- Robert Cantrick (1948–1951)
- Pedro Sanjuan (1951–1956)
- Peter Rickett (1956–1990)
- David Pollitt (1990–1999)
- Edvard TchivzhelEdvard TchivzhelEdvard Tchivzhel is a Russian-born conductor and music director of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, Greenville, South Carolina.-Early life:...
(1999–present) (musical director and conductor)
Edvard Tchivzhel, GSO's fifth music director and conductor, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(formerly known as Leningrad, USSR). Being born into a musical family, Tchivzhel has traveled far and has performed with many well-known musicians.
Tchivzhel has performed with many great artists including Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
, Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax
Emanuel Ax is a Grammy-winning American classical pianist. He is currently a teacher on the faculty of the Juilliard School. He is considered one of the best known concert pianists of the 21st century.-Early life:...
, Vladimir Spivakov
Vladimir Spivakov
Vladimir Teodorovich Spivakov is a leading Russian conductor and violinist best known for his work with the chamber orchestra....
, Gidon Kremer
Gidon Kremer
Gidon Kremer is a Latvian violinist and conductor. In 1980 he left the USSR and settled in Germany.-Biography:Kremer was born in Riga to parents of German-Jewish and Latvian-Swedish origins. He began playing the violin at the age of four, receiving instruction from his father and his grandfather,...
, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg
Nadja Rose Catherine Salerno-Sonnenberg is an Italian-born classical violinist, author, and teacher. She is a United States citizen.-Career:...
, André Watts
André Watts
André Watts is a classical pianist and professor at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University.-Life and early performances:...
, János Starker
János Starker
János Starker |Kingdom of Hungary]]) is a Hungarian-American cellist. Since 1958 he has taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he holds the title of Distinguished Professor.- Child prodigy :...
, Gil Shaham
Gil Shaham
-Biography:Gil Shaham was born in Urbana, Illinois, while his parents, Israeli scientists, were on an academic fellowship at the University of Illinois. His father Jacob was an astrophysicist, and his mother, Meira Diskin, was a cytogeneticist. His sister is the pianist Orli Shaham. He is a...
, Olga Kern
Olga Kern
Olga Kern is a Russian classical pianist. Born as Olga Pushechnikova to a family of musicians with ties to Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff, she later adopted her mother's maiden name professionally...
, Nicolai Demidenko, Joshua Bell
Joshua Bell
Joshua David Bell is an American Grammy Award-winning violinist.-Childhood:Bell was born in Bloomington, Indiana, United States, the son of a psychologist and a therapist. Bell's father is the late Alan P...
, Bella Davidovich
Bella Davidovich
Bella Mikhaylovna Davidovich is a Jewish Soviet-born American pianist.Davidovich was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, into a family of musicians and began studying piano when she was six. Three years later, she was the soloist for a performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1. In 1939, she moved to...
, Yuri Bashmet
Yuri Bashmet
Yuri Abramovich Bashmet is a Russian conductor and violist.Direct patrilineal descendant of Besht.-Biography:Yuri Bashmet was born on 24 January 1953 in Rostov-on-Don in the family of Abram Borisovich Bashmet and Maya Zinovyeva Bashmet . "Father's mother, Tsilya Efimovna, studied singing at the...
, Evelyn Glennie
Evelyn Glennie
Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, DBE is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She was the first full-time solo percussionist in 20th-century western society.-Early life:Glennie was born and raised in Aberdeenshire...
, Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain
Pete Fountain , is an American clarinetist based in New Orleans. He has played jazz, Dixieland and Creole music.-Early life and education:...
, Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin is a widely-recorded American classical guitarist, recording artist, concertizer, and the founder of the Guitar Department at the Juilliard School.-Early life and education:...
, and Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...
. He has also made numerous recordings with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra
The Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1882 and is Russia's oldest symphony orchestra.It was initially known as the "Imperial Music Choir" and performed privately for the court of Alexander III of Russia. By the 1900s it had started to give public performances at the...
, the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953...
, the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio
Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio
The Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow Radio is a Russian classical music orchestra established in 1930. Originally founded as the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, it served as the official symphony for the Soviet All-Union Radio network...
, the State Russian Orchestra, the Atlantic Sinfonietta, with several orchestras in Sweden, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The current Music Director is Andrew Constantine, whose contract began July 1, 2009. The orchestra's Artistic Advisor from 2008 to 2009 was Jaime Laredo, a native of Bolivia...
, and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra. Aside from conducting with many great guest artists, Tchivzhel has won international status with appearances on five continents.
Since Maestro Tchivzhel has took the podium, many concerts have been sold out. As one reviewer for The Greenville News wrote, “Tchivzhel… proves to be a conductor who digs deeply, carefully observing the score’s dynamic and expressive markings, and inspiring the orchestra to excellence with his detailed commands.” "During his tenure, season subscriptions, ticket revenues, and concert attendance have all steadily climbed to match the improving quality of the orchestra’s musicianship."
Education
Education and outreach have been an important part of the GSO’s mission since the first children’s concert was presented in 1951. Every year, GSO musicians present free education concerts and programs for nearly 26,000 students in the Upstate. "Lollipops" & "Timbre Tales" are two examples of concerts that the GSO provides as an age appropriate introduction for young audiences to classical music and the instruments of the orchestra. The Lollipop Concert Series, accessible to young audiences, provides an educational opportunity for children to experience a live musical performance paired with a storybook. The GSO also offers a children's concert every year sponsored by MichelinMichelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
.