In 1972, a group of young artists made history by creating an orchestra without a conductor in which musicians led themselves democratically. Since then, the Grammy Award-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has recorded more than 70 albums on all major classical labels, toured to 46 countries on four continents and collaborated with hundreds of world-class soloists.
Orpheus’ 34 member musicians work together as a collective and rotate leadership roles for all works performed, giving flight to unconventional interpretations. This democratic structure also extends to organizational functions including programming and governance: the orchestra elects three members to artistic director positions and three to its board of trustees.
An essential part of New York City’s cultural landscape, Orpheus presents an annual series at Carnegie Hall. Orpheus tours to major international venues and has appeared in Japan for 30 years; recent engagements include the Prague Spring, Dresden Music Festival and a 12-concert tour of Asia. The orchestra’s extensive discography includes a June 2021 release on Nonesuch Records with pianist Brad Mehldau, and a 55-CD box set of Orpheus’ complete recordings on Deutsche Grammophon, released in August 2021. Orpheus has commissioned and premiered more than 50 new works.
Orpheus shares its collaborative model through education and community engagement initiatives that promote equity and access to the arts for listeners of all ages around the world. These include programs for K-12 students, opportunities for emerging professional musicians and a music and wellness program for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Orpheus’ 2021-22 season features collaborations with violinist Pinchas Zukerman, trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, violinist Vadim Gluzman and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii. The orchestra will also premiere new works by Hannah Kendall, Aldo López-Gavilán and Courtney Bryan. Orpheus’ 2021-22 schedule includes appearances in Japan, South Korea and across the United States.
August 2021
