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Orchestra of St. Luke's

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Orchestra of St. Luke's
chamber orchestra
Founded1974(1974)
LocationNew York City,US
Principal conductorBernard Labadie
Websiteoslmusic.org

TheOrchestra of St. Luke's(OSL) is an Americanchamberorchestrabased inNew York City,formed in 1974. The orchestra performs at several venues in New York City, including,Carnegie Hall,Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts,Saint Thomas Church (Manhattan),Congregation Emanu-El of New York,andMerkin Concert Hall.

OSL owns and operates theDiMenna Center for Classical Music,and is administratively located at 450 West 37th Street in Manhattan'sHell's Kitchenneighborhood.[1]OSL is the orchestra forPaul Taylor Dance Company.[2]

History

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The core of the orchestra is the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble, which was founded in 1974 as an ensemble of 21 to 22 musicians. It is named for theChurch of St. Luke in the Fields,Greenwich Village,in Manhattan, where the ensemble first performed. Michael Feldman, a music teacher in Manhattan, was the firstde factoconductor of the ensemble. The larger Orchestra of St. Luke's was formally founded in the summer of 1979 at the Caramoor International Music Festival inKatonah, New York,as the festival's resident orchestra.

In the 1984/85 season,Carnegie Hallinvited the orchestra to perform as part of a Handel Opera Festival, conducted byCharles Mackerras,Raymond Leppard,andJohn Nelson,and which featured performers includingMarilyn Horne,June Anderson,Tatiana TroyanosandKathleen Battle.[3]In the 1986/87 season Carnegie Hall began presenting the orchestra in an annual subscription series, which continues to this day.[4]

The organization of the orchestra's musicians falls into a three-tier roster, with the second tier of 20 players utilized for chamber orchestra concerts, and the third tier of 20 to 30 musicians for use in concerts that require larger ensembles.[5]The pool of musicians for the orchestra generally derives from freelance New York City musicians. The orchestra musicians themselves decide on the hiring and dismissal, and assignments, of the players, without a central music director.[6]

The orchestra's first titled conductor wasRoger Norrington,the music director from 1990 to 1994. SirCharles Mackerraswas the orchestra's second music director, from 1998 to 2001, but with limited administrative work and only for the designated 3-year period, per his request.[6]Donald Runnicleswas the orchestra's next titled conductor, with the title of principal conductor, from 2001 to 2007. In December 2011, the orchestra announced the appointment of its current principal conductor,Pablo Heras-Casado,with immediate effect, and with an initial contract through 2015 and an extension through September 2017.[7]Heras-Casado concluded his principal conductorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2018–2019 season, and subsequently took the title of conductor laureate, the first conductor ever named conductor laureate of the orchestra.

In May 2014, OSL, with theChoral Arts Society of Washingtonand the Krakow Philharmonic Choir, under the direction ofGilbert Levine,made its public television concert debut performing atDAR Constitution Hallin Washington D.C., a programme titled 'A Celebration of Peace Through Music'.

In May 2017, the orchestra announced the appointment ofBernard Labadieas its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season. The appointment was unusual in that Labadie had not conducted the orchestra prior to his appointment.[8]His conducting debut with the orchestra was in July 2017. In March 2022, the orchestra announced the extension of Labadie's contract as principal conductor through the 2024-2025 season.[9]In February 2024, OSL announced that Labadie is to stand down as its principal conductor at the close of the 2024-2025 season.[10]

The orchestra announced a Bach Festival in June 2019,[11]as well as the first edition in July 2019 of an annual Composition Institute.[12]ComposerAnna Clynehas served as the Mentor Composer for the Composition Institute since its inception in 2019.

Orchestra of St. Luke's has premiered more than 100 orchestral and chamber works by such composers asJohn Adams,Joan Tower,Gabriela Lena Frank,Valerie Coleman,Anthony Davis,Nicholas Maw,André Previn,George Tsontakis,Bryce Dessner,Ellen Taaffe ZwilichandAlma Deutscher.The orchestra has appeared on more than 100 recordings, four of which have wonGrammy Awards:John Adams'sNixon in China,Samuel Barber'sKnoxville: Summer of 1915,Listen to the StorytellerwithWynton Marsalis,andBel CantowithRenée Fleming.In 2003, the orchestra launched its own record label, St. Luke's Collection.[13]

The orchestra's current president and executive director is James Roe. Its current board chairman is Norman S. Benzaquen.

Music directors and principal conductors

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See also

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References

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  1. ^James R. Oestreich(2011-03-09)."House Warmed, the Orchestra of St. Luke's Settles In".The New York Times.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  2. ^Brian Seibert (2018-03-11)."Paul Taylor Classics Outshine New Dances".The New York Times.Retrieved2018-10-14.
  3. ^Page, Tim (1984-11-23)."Handel Series to Open at Carnegie".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-01-19.
  4. ^"Orchestra of St. Luke's".www.carnegiehall.org.Retrieved2020-01-19.
  5. ^Susan Elliott (1998-06-19)."St. Luke's: Playing Where The Action".The New York Times.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  6. ^abAllan Kozinn(2002-02-03)."A Courtship of Conductor and Orchestra".The New York Times.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  7. ^"Pablo Heras-Casado Named Principal Conductor of Orchestra of St. Luke's"(PDF)(Press release). Orchestra of St. Luke's. 6 December 2011. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 24 September 2015.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  8. ^"Bernard Labadie Named Principal Conductor of Orchestra of St. Luke's"(PDF)(Press release). Orchestra of St. Luke's. 3 May 2017.Retrieved2017-05-06.
  9. ^"Orchestra of St. Luke's Renews Bernard Labadie's Contract as Principal Conductor Through OSL's 50th Anniversary Season in 2024-25"(PDF)(Press release). Orchestra of St. Luke's. 9 March 2022.Retrieved2022-03-18.
  10. ^"Orchestra of St. Luke's Celebrates 50th Anniversary in 2024–25 with Four Carnegie Hall Mainstage Performances; Highlights Include Louis Langrée in Carnegie Debut, Raphaël Pichon in NY Debut, & Two Programs with Bernard Labadie in Final Season as Principal Conductor"(PDF)(Press release). Orchestra of St. Luke's. 7 February 2024.Retrieved2024-02-26.
  11. ^Michael Cooper (2018-09-13)."With Bach and Paul Taylor, Orchestra of St. Luke's Plans Its Future".The New York Times.Retrieved2018-10-13.
  12. ^"Orchestra of St. Luke's Announces the Creation of The Annual DeGaetano Composition Institute"(PDF)(Press release). Orchestra of St. Luke's. 25 September 2018.Retrieved2018-09-25.
  13. ^James R. Oestreich(2003-05-04)."No One Tells Them What to Record".The New York Times.Retrieved2011-12-24.
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