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Aurora Orchestra | |
---|---|
Chamber orchestra | |
Founded | 2004 |
Location | London, United Kingdom |
Principal conductor | Nicholas Collon |
Website | auroraorchestra.com |
Aurora Orchestra is a British chamber orchestra, co-founded in 2004 by conductors Nicholas Collon and Robin Ticciati. The orchestra is based in London, where it is Resident Orchestra at Southbank Centre and Resident Ensemble at Kings Place.[1] The orchestra was also previously Associate Orchestra at LSO St Luke's, and performs regularly at other venues including St George's, Bristol, the Colyer-Fergusson Hall in Canterbury, and The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. It has developed a particular reputation for creative programming and concert presentation,[2] including pioneering memorised performance as a regular feature of its artistic output.[3] Since its launch in 2005, it has worked with artists ranging from Ian Bostridge, Brett Dean, Anthony Marwood and Sarah Connolly to Edmund de Waal, Wayne McGregor and Björk.[4]
In 2004, Nicholas Collon, Robin Ticciati and fellow members of the National Youth Orchestra established Aurora, which gave its first public performance in 2005.[5] In March 2011, the Arts Council of England included Aurora Orchestra in its new "national portfolio" scheme.[6] Aurora, which had not been a "regularly funded organisation" under the council's previous funding scheme, was awarded this support as one of the "smaller adventurous music ensembles".
Aurora Orchestra first appeared at The Proms in family-themed concerts in 2011 and 2012. The orchestra subsequently returned for late-night Proms in 2013[7] and in 2014,[8] the latter of which featured the premiere of Meld by Benedict Mason. In this and subsequent appearances at The Proms, the orchestra featured major classical works performed entirely from memory:
In June 2011, the Aurora Orchestra's debut album of Nico Muhly's Seeing Is Believing was released.[18] The orchestra has also made commercial albums for Warner Classics,[19][20] and other albums including:
In May 2011, Aurora won the Ensemble category of the annual Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards for calendar year 2010.