The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra ( SPCO ) is an American chamber orchestra based in Saint Paul, Minnesota . Its principal concert venue is the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts . In collaboration with five artistic partners, the orchestra's musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs each year in over 14 venues throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The SPCO is regularly heard on American Public Media 's nationally syndicated radio programs " Performance Today " and SymphonyCast .
14-585: Leopold Sipe was the SPCO's first music director, from 1959 to 1971. Dennis Russell Davies succeeded Sipe from 1972 to 1980. During Davies's tenure, the SPCO recorded Aaron Copland 's Appalachian Spring at Sound 80 studios, one of the earliest digital audio recordings to see commercial release. In 1995, during Hugh Wolff's tenure as music director (1992–2000), the SPCO began its CONNECT education program. It reaches 6,000 students annually in 16 Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Schools . The last music director of
28-399: A new artistic model that eliminated the position of music director and created positions for several "Artistic Partners", prominent established musicians. Under this model the SPCO musicians have a much higher degree of artistic control. In October 2012, after months of negotiations between musicians and management, the SPCO locked out its union musicians. Six months later, musicians approved
42-603: A piano duo with his wife, Maki Namekawa. Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra ( SPCO ) is an American chamber orchestra based in Saint Paul, Minnesota . Its principal concert venue is the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts . In collaboration with five artistic partners, the orchestra's musicians present more than 130 concerts and educational programs each year in over 14 venues throughout
56-420: Is also dedicated to Davies. Davies has had a long-standing association with the jazz pianist Keith Jarrett . He has conducted Jarrett in classical concerto repertoire (including Mozart, Lou Harrison and Alan Hovhaness ) and has himself performed Jarrett's music for piano and conducted Jarrett's orchestral music (featuring Jarrett as soloist as well as saxophonist Jan Garbarek). Davies also performs regularly in
70-746: The Brno Philharmonic and of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra . Davies studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard School , where he received his doctorate. He was Music Director of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra from 1972 to 1980. In 1977 he co-founded the American Composers Orchestra with composer Francis Thorne , and he was its music director until 2002. Davies was music director of
84-667: The Brooklyn Philharmonic from 1991 to 1996. In 1980, Davies moved to Stuttgart , Germany, where he was General Music Director of the Baden-Württemberg State Opera House from 1980 to 1987. There he premiered two Philip Glass operas, along with many standard operas, often in productions with innovative and unusual staging. He has worked with many directors, including Robert Altman in a collaboration on Salome in Hamburg. He has also held permanent posts with
98-843: The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra , the Orchestra of the Beethovenhalle Bonn (1987–1995), and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Davies was chief conductor of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz and the Linz Opera from 2002 to 2017. In March 2008, Davies was named the third music director of the Sinfonieorchester Basel , effective with the 2009–10 season, for an initial contract of five years. He held
112-467: The Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The SPCO is regularly heard on American Public Media 's nationally syndicated radio programs " Performance Today " and SymphonyCast . Leopold Sipe was the SPCO's first music director, from 1959 to 1971. Dennis Russell Davies succeeded Sipe from 1972 to 1980. During Davies's tenure, the SPCO recorded Aaron Copland 's Appalachian Spring at Sound 80 studios, one of
126-452: The SPCO locked out its union musicians. Six months later, musicians approved a three-year labor agreement that cut their pay by $ 15,000 per year, reduced the SPCO from 34 players to 28, and offered buyouts to musicians 55 years and older. Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944, in Toledo, Ohio ) is an American conductor and pianist. He is chief conductor of
140-426: The SPCO was Andreas Delfs, from 2001 to 2004. Beginning with the 2004–05 season, the SPCO adopted a new artistic model that eliminated the position of music director and created positions for several "Artistic Partners", prominent established musicians. Under this model the SPCO musicians have a much higher degree of artistic control. In October 2012, after months of negotiations between musicians and management,
154-782: The Salzburg Mozarteum . Davies's recordings of note include Copland's Appalachian Spring with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 1979, for which he won a Grammy Award ; Arvo Pärt 's Fratres and Miserere ; and many of Philip Glass 's operas and symphonies, including the 5th symphony, which is dedicated to Davies. He premiered Glass' Symphony No. 10 at a 2012 New Year's concert in Linz. On Glass's 80th birthday, January 31, 2017, Davies premiered Glass' Symphony No. 11 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Lou Harrison 's 3rd Symphony
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#1732847743906168-405: The earliest digital audio recordings to see commercial release. In 1995, during Hugh Wolff's tenure as music director (1992–2000), the SPCO began its CONNECT education program. It reaches 6,000 students annually in 16 Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Schools . The last music director of the SPCO was Andreas Delfs, from 2001 to 2004. Beginning with the 2004–05 season, the SPCO adopted
182-678: The orchestra announced an extension of Davies' contract through the 2026-2027 season. Davies has also led many festival orchestras, including the Aspen Music Festival , the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music , which he directed from 1974 to 1990, and the Saratoga Music Festival. He conducted Der fliegende Holländer at the Bayreuth Festival , the third American to conduct there, and taught orchestral conducting at
196-461: The post through the 2016–17 season. In September 2017, the Brno Philharmonic announced the appointment of Davies as its next principal conductor, effective with the 2018–2019 season, with an initial contract of four seasons. In November 2019, the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Dennis Russell Davies as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season, with an initial contract of 4 years. In April 2024,
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