Role

:

Ensemble

Genre

:

Orchestral

 

The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is a Canadian classical music ensemble based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1972, the MCO has become one of Canada's leading chamber orchestras, known for its innovative programming and high-quality performances. The MCO was founded by conductor and violinist Ruben Gurevich, who served as the orchestra's music director until 1989. Gurevich was born in Russia and immigrated to Canada in 1969. He was a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and had previously served as concertmaster of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra. Gurevich's vision for the MCO was to create a chamber orchestra that would be flexible and versatile, able to perform a wide range of repertoire with a small ensemble of musicians. The MCO's early years were marked by a series of successful performances and collaborations with notable soloists and conductors. In 1974, the orchestra performed with renowned pianist Glenn Gould, who praised the ensemble's "remarkable precision and clarity of sound." The MCO also worked with conductors such as Sir Neville Marriner, Andrew Davis, and Charles Dutoit. In 1989, the MCO appointed conductor and violinist Roy Goodman as its new music director. Goodman was a British conductor and early music specialist who had previously served as music director of the Hanover Band and the English Chamber Orchestra. Under Goodman's leadership, the MCO continued to expand its repertoire and explore new musical styles. One of the MCO's most notable achievements during Goodman's tenure was the creation of the annual Winnipeg New Music Festival. The festival, which began in 1992, showcases contemporary classical music and has featured performances by composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. In 2005, the MCO appointed conductor and cellist Anne Manson as its new music director. Manson was a Canadian conductor who had previously served as music director of the Kansas City Symphony and the Meiningen Court Orchestra in Germany. Manson's tenure with the MCO was marked by a focus on Canadian composers and collaborations with Indigenous artists. One of the MCO's most notable performances during Manson's tenure was a collaboration with Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2017. The concert, titled "Power of Music," featured Sainte-Marie's music arranged for chamber orchestra and included a new work by Sainte-Marie commissioned by the MCO. The MCO has also been recognized for its recordings, receiving numerous awards and nominations for its albums. In 2011, the orchestra's album "The Mozart Sessions" won a Western Canadian Music Award for Classical Recording of the Year. The album featured performances of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 and Symphony No. 29, as well as a new work by Canadian composer Sid Robinovitch. In addition to its regular concert series in Winnipeg, the MCO has toured extensively throughout Canada and internationally. The orchestra has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The MCO's current music director is conductor and violinist Anne Manson. Manson has continued the orchestra's tradition of innovative programming and collaborations with diverse artists. In 2020, the MCO launched a new digital concert series, "MCO at Home," in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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