American Classical Orchestra

The American Classical Orchestra is an orchestra dedicated to performing music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. As a period instrument ensemble, ACO’s mission is to present the music as the composers might have heard it in their time using instruments and techniques from when the music was written. The American Classical Orchestra strives to present historically-informed performances that add to the cultural landscape of NYC.

Founded by Artistic Director Thomas Crawford in 1984 as The Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy in Fairfield Connecticut, the American Classical Orchestra moved to New York City in 2005. Since moving to New York City, ACO has established itself as the leading period instrument ensemble in the City. The American Classical Orchestra’s annual concert series, held largely at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, has garnered critical acclaim.

“The sublime original-instrument performance of J.S. Bach’s B-minor Mass by the American Classical Orchestra and Chorus last Saturday night at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall reminded me that a capacity for new revelations is one of the things that make great music great.” Jon Sobel, Classicalite November 18, 2014 ^[1]

“Mr. Crawford’s performance was quite simply splendid. “Der Tag” is populated by a variety of characters, two named (Jesus and John), the rest allegorical (Faith, the Archangel, the Blessed and the like). Mr. Crawford divided them among his 16 choristers, who were almost uniformly excellent, both individually and as a body.” James R. Oestreich,The New York Times October 14, 2015 ^[1]

“An Intimate Concert, With Original Instruments” Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times November 18, 2009 ^[1]

In 2001, the American Classical Orchestra was invited to perform at the Metropolitan Museum during an exhibition entitled Art and the Empire City: New York, 1825– 1861. The ACO presented two works premiered in New York during that time period.^[2] Additional highlights of ACO’s 31 years include appearing as part of the Lincoln Center Great Performers Series, a sold-out 25th Anniversary performance of the Beethoven 9th Symphony at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and a staged a performance of Handel’s opera Alceste as part of the American Classical Orchestra’s survey of Handel’s work during Handelfest in 2014.

The American Classical Orchestra has numerous recordings with renowned artists such as Malcolm Bilson and R.J. Kelley. Among the works recorded by the American Classical Orchestra are the complete wind concerti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (featuring ACO’s principal players as soloists), Mozart’s Symphony No. 14, K.144 and Mozart’s three Piano Concerti, K.107, with fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. In 2010, the American Classical Orchestra released a recording of Baroque oboe concerti with oboist Marc Schachman on the Centaur label.

The American Classical Orchestra is dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of classical music through educational programs. The ACO’s educational mission is to spread historically-informed performance practices to new generations and instill a love for the music of the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic periods. For this work, the American Classical Orchestra was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant and Early Music America prize. An unusual feature of ACO concerts is that Artistic Director Thomas Crawford gives the pre-concert lecture, giving the audience first-hand insights into the performance.

References

External links

The American Classical Orchestra's official website
Art and the empire city : New York, 1825-1861, a 2000 exhibition catalog from the Metropolitan Museum of Art libraries

Orchestras based in New York City

Professional	American Classical Orchestra American Composers Orchestra American Symphony Orchestra Brooklyn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra of New York The Knights Little Orchestra Society New York Philharmonic New York City Ballet Orchestra New York City Chamber Orchestra New York City Opera New York Pops Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Opera Orchestra of New York Orchestra of St. Luke's Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Riverside Symphony

Semi-Pro	Bronx Symphony Camerata New York The Chelsea Symphony Manhattan Chamber Orchestra Manhattan Symphonie Metro Chamber Orchestra New York Chamber Players New York Chamber Virtuosi Park Avenue Chamber Symphony Queens Symphony Orchestra Regina Opera Company Richmond County Orchestra Riverside Opera Company Salome Chamber Orchestra Sonos Chamber Orchestra Staten Island Philharmonic West Side Chamber Orchestra

Community/Volunteer	Albert Einstein Symphony Orchestra Amore Opera Broadway Bach Ensemble Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra Brooklyn Repertory Opera Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra Camerata Notturna Centre Symphony Orchestra Classical Fusion Chamber Ensemble Forest Hills Symphony Orchestra Greenwich Village Orchestra Jackson Heights Orchestra Musica Bella Orchestra of New York New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra New York Late-Starters String Orchestra New York Repertory Orchestra New York Session Symphony New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble NYU Community Orchestra Queer Urban Orchestra The Riverside Orchestra Rockaway-Five Towns Symphony Orchestra Seniors Orchestral Society of New York String Orchestra of Brooklyn

Youth	Children's Orchestra Society InterSchool Orchestras of New York National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America New York Youth Symphony Praxis Youth Orchestra The Youth Orchestra (Queens, NY)

Disbanded	Astoria Symphony NBC Symphony Orchestra New York Symphony Orchestra Orchestrette Classique Russian Symphony Orchestra Society Wetzler Symphony Orchestra

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.