Sunderland Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
Sunderland Symphony Orchestra was founded by John Lennox, Mark Greenfield and Mrs. Winifred Lundgren to mark the turn of the current millennium
. It gave its first performance in February 2000, and performed its first full symphony
– Dvořák
's 9th (The "New World Symphony
") – on April 7, 2001. Its most prestigious performance was on June 4, 2006 at The Sage, Gateshead featuring soloists Rachel Orr (soprano
), Gregory Pullen (cello
), and the East End Sing-a-long Chorus. The orchestra's current leader is violinist David McCourt. Until his death in 2009, Rupert Hanson was the orchestra's musical director and principal conductor. In September 2009, Ray Farr was appointed as the new Musical Director and Principal Conductor.
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. It gave its first performance in February 2000, and performed its first full 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...
– Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's 9th (The "New World Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Dvorák)
The Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 , popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 during his visit to the United States from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular in the modern repertoire...
") – on April 7, 2001. Its most prestigious performance was on June 4, 2006 at The Sage, Gateshead featuring soloists Rachel Orr (soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
), Gregory Pullen (cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
), and the East End Sing-a-long Chorus. The orchestra's current leader is violinist David McCourt. Until his death in 2009, Rupert Hanson was the orchestra's musical director and principal conductor. In September 2009, Ray Farr was appointed as the new Musical Director and Principal Conductor.