Atlantic Symphony Orchestra

The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (ASO) was a professional Canadian symphony orchestra in Atlantic Canada that was active during the second half the 20th century. It was unusual in that it was the only full-time regional professional orchestra in Canadian history.[1]

History

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The orchestra was formed shortly after the demise of both the Halifax Symphony Orchestra and New Brunswick Symphony Orchestra. This left Canada's Atlantic region without a full-time professional symphony orchestra. The ASO was established by joint committees in Halifax, Sydney, Saint John, Moncton, and Fredericton on 12 June 1968.[2][3] Many of the committee members had been previously associated with the two disbanded orchestras.[4]

The new orchestra's first conductor was Klaro Mizerit; he led the orchestra from 1968 until 1977. With an emphasis on Canadian compositions,[5] the orchestra made several commercial recordings in the 1970s and was featured on many broadcasts on CBC Radio.[6]

Conductor Victor Yampolsky led the orchestra from 1977 until 1983,[7] at which time it was disbanded because of financial problems. A smaller group, Symphony Nova Scotia, continued to perform with some of the same musicians.[8]

Discography

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  • Atlantic Symphony Orchestra / Orchestre Symphonique Atlantique, 1970, Independent[9]
  • The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Conducted By Klaro Mizerit and Kenneth Elloway, 1972, CBC Radio Canada[10]
  • The Picasso Suite, 1975, CBC Radio Canada[11]

References

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  1. ^ MusiCanada. Vol. Issues 30-38. Canadian Music Council; 1976. p. ?
  2. ^ Canada music book. Vol. 1. Canadian Music Council.; 1970. p. 109.
  3. ^ International Music Guide. Tantivy Press; 1981. p. 68.
  4. ^ The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation. University of Toronto Press; 1993. ISBN 978-0-8020-6817-0. p. 457–.
  5. ^ Ryan Edwardson. Canadian Content: Culture and the Quest for Nationhood. University of Toronto Press; 24 May 2008. ISBN 978-1-4426-9242-8. p. 273–.
  6. ^ Shirley A. Blakeley. "Atlantic Symphony Orchestra". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 4 December 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  7. ^ Tom Henighan. Maclean's Companion to Canadian Arts and Culture. Raincoast Books; 2000. ISBN 978-1-55192-298-0. p. 56.
  8. ^ Discover Nova Scotia Gr. 5-7. On The Mark Press; ISBN 978-1-77072-731-1. p. 59–.
  9. ^ "The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra – Atlantic Symphony Orchestra". discogs.com. Discogs. 1970. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  10. ^ "The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Conducted..." discogs.com. Discogs. 1972. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  11. ^ "The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra - The Picasso Suite". discogs.com. Discogs. 1975. Retrieved 11 January 2022.