CBC Symphony Orchestra

The CBC Symphony Orchestra (French: Orchestre symphonique de la SRC; CBCSO/OSSRC) was a radio orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the 1950s and 1960s.

CBC Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
Native name	Orchestre symphonique de la SRC
Short name	CBCSO/OSSRC
Founded	1952; 72 years ago (1952)
Disbanded	1964; 60 years ago (1964)
Location	Toronto, Ontario

History

The CBCSO was founded in 1952, and gave its first broadcast on 29 September 1952 performing Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 3 and the overture to Gioachino Rossini's opera La Cenerentola. Conductor Geoffrey Waddington served as the orchestra's only music director,^[1] although other conductors, such as Jean-Marie Beaudet, had strong ties with the orchestra. The CBCSO consisted of 80 instrumentalists of which approximately half were also members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.^[2] Violinist Albert Pratz was concertmaster of the orchestra from 1953–1961.^[3]

The CBCSO played weekly broadcasts on CBC Radio and also made frequent appearances on CBC Television. The orchestra performed internationally, including a tour in London, England,^[4] and a performance at the Inter-American Music Festival in 1961.^[5] Many of its performances were recorded by Radio Canada International and distributed outside Canada.^[6] The orchestra recorded with the Mendelssohn Choir,^[7] with CBC's Festival Singers, and with pianist Glenn Gould.^[8]

The CBCSO performed and recorded many of the works of composer/conductor Igor Stravinsky,^[9] including his Symphony of Psalms,^[10][11] which featured Stravinsky as conductor and violinist Steven Staryk as concertmaster.^[12]

The orchestra disbanded in 1964.^[3][7]

References

1. Benjamin Britten (7 July 2011). Letters from a Life Volume 3 (1946-1951): The Selected Letters of Benjamin Britten. Faber & Faber. p. 518. ISBN 978-0-571-27993-7.
2. "CBC SymphontOrchestra played". Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta, September 29, 2005
3. Wardrop, Patricia. "CBC Symp.hony Orchestra". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca.
4. "Murray Ginsberg's story". Toronto Star, Nov. 6, 2009
5. "Today is October 27", Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta, October 27, 2005
6. Robin Elliott; Gordon Ernest Smith (2001). Istvan Anhalt: Pathways and Memory. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-7735-2102-5.
7. Ezra Schabas (1994). Sir Ernest MacMillan: The Importance of Being Canadian. University of Toronto Press. pp. 243, 288. ISBN 978-0-8020-2849-5.
8. Sabine Feisst (2 March 2011). Schoenberg's New World: The American Years. Oxford University Press. p. 417. ISBN 978-0-19-979263-4.
9. Gramophone Classical Good CD Guide 1998. Gramophone Publications Limited. 1997. pp. 918–919. ISBN 978-0-902470-94-1.
10. Charles M. Joseph (1 October 2008). Stravinsky Inside Out. Yale University Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-300-12936-6.
11. Eric Walter White (1984). Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works. University of California Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-520-03985-8.
12. Elaine Keillor (18 March 2008). Music in Canada: Capturing Landscape and Diversity. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-7735-3391-2.