The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian instrumental music ensemble based in Kelowna, British Columbia. As of 2006, its conductor is Rosemary Thomson.^[1][2] The orchestra performs both classical and contemporary orchestral works.^[3] The orchestra plays throughout the Okanagan valley, in Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon.^[4]

History

The orchestra was founded in 1960 by its first conductor, Willem Bertsch; in 1964 Douglas Talney became conductor, and then in 1965 Leonard Camplin took over and remained conductor for many years.^[5]

In 1970 the Okanagan Symphony Choir was established directed at first by Jocelyn Pritchard, who was succeeded in 1978 by Imant Raminsh.^[5]

In 1974 the orchestra received a Canada Council grant to hire a resident cellist.^[6] In 1991 the principal violinist was Imant Raminsh.^[7]

In 1981 OSO members organized Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra.^[5] In 1988 a youth orchestra was organized by Raminsh.^[8]

A performance of the OSO was hear nation-wide on a CBC Radio broadcast in 1989.^[5]

The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra performed a series of concerts in 2017 with guest musician Sean Bray to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.^[9]

For many years the principal horn player for the orchestra was Edmond House; he retired in 2017.^[10]

In April 2018 the orchestra performed in concert with singer/sosngwriter Sarah Slean.^[11] A 2018 concert, "Prodigy", featured 12-year-old pianist and composer Kevin Chen performing early works by Mozart.^[12]

In 2019, in the orchestra presented two Masterworks concerts titled "Themes and Innovations".^[13] In December of that year, in anticipation of its 60th anniversary, the symphony, along with the OSO CHorus, presented Handel's Messiah, the first in a series of planned special performances.^[14]

References