Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a
Canadian orchestra performing in
Vancouver,
British Columbia. Over 240,000 people attend its live performances each year. It was founded in
1919 and plays in 12 venues. Its home is the
Orpheum theatre. With an annual operating budget of $9.5 million, it is the third largest symphony orchestra in Canada. It performs 140 concerts per season.
The VSO has a history of both success and struggles. In 1979-80 the VSO had the largest
subscription list of any symphony in North America. (Henigham, 2000) However, even with (or perhaps because of)
CBC recording contracts, a quarterly magazine, and an ambitions touring schedule, by 1988 the VSO shut-down for five months to regroup and deal with a $2.3 million deficit.
With local financial intervention, and a $500,000
federal grant, the VSO began to rebuild, focusing more attention on popular works and collaborations with contemporary artists.
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Irwin Hoffman (1952-1963)
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Meredith Davies (1964-1970)
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Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1972-1985)
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Sergiu Comissiona (1991-2000)
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Bramwell Tovey (current)
Open Heart Symphony, a live album recorded by the VSO in collaboration with the
folk rock band
Spirit of the West.
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Vancouver Symphony Orchestra*
