Founded 1930 Website www.grsymphony.org | Music director Marcelo Lehninger Active from 1930 | |
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Location 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan Concert hall DeVos Place Convention Center Similar David Lockington, John Varineau, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Profiles | ||
The grand rapids symphony 1986
The Grand Rapids Symphony, a 2006 Grammy Award nominee for Best Classical Crossover Album, is a professional orchestra located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1930, the mission of the Grand Rapids Symphony has been to share great music that moves the human soul. The orchestra presents more than 400 performances each year, touching the lives of some 200,000. The organization also implements 16 educational programs that benefit over 80,000 Michigan residents. The Grand Rapids Symphony is in its 87th season in 2016-17.
Contents
- The grand rapids symphony 1986
- Hamilton grand rapids symphony youth choruses
- History
- Concert Series
- Discography
- References
Marcelo Lehninger, a Brazilian-born conductor who formerly served as music director of the New West Symphony in Los Angeles, and associate conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, in June 2016 was named the 14th music director of the Grand Rapids Symphony. The Grand Rapids Symphony has presented concerts throughout Michigan and is heard in West Michigan on broadcasts by WBLU-FM (88.9) and WBLV-FM (90.3).
Hamilton grand rapids symphony youth choruses
History
In 2000, the orchestra toured northern Lower Michigan and to Michigan's Upper Peninsula with performances at Ferris State University, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Lake Superior State University, Northern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University, where the Grand Rapids Symphony was the premier entertainment for the grand opening of Michigan Tech's $20 million Rozsa Center for Performing Arts, which opened in October 2000. In 2003, the GRS performed in Detroit’s Orchestra Hall as part of inaugural activities for the remodeled Max M. Fisher Music Center. The orchestra celebrated its 75th anniversary season by making its debut in New York City's Carnegie Hall on May 21, 2005. The Grand Rapids Symphony was nominated in 2006 for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album for its recording, "Invention & Alchemy," featuring harpist and composer Deborah Henson-Conant. "Invention & Alchemy" also was recorded for a DVD, which has aired on PBS-TV in the United States.
In 2013, the GRS joined the ranks of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), one of five player conferences within the American Federation of Musicians, representing the largest, professional orchestras in the United States.
The most recent music director, David Lockington, stepped down from the post in May 2015 to become music director laureate, the first in the Grand Rapids Symphony's history. Associate conductor is John Varineau, who is in his 31st season with the Grand Rapids Symphony as well as in his 28th season as conductor of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony during the 2015-16 season. Robert Bernhardt was named principal pops conductor in 2015.
The GRS sponsors the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, which was launched in 1997 and is held every other year in Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Symphony also collaborates with Opera Grand Rapids and with Grand Rapids Ballet in live performances.
Musical organizations that are part of the larger Grand Rapids Symphony include the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Classical Orchestra, both led by John Varineau; the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus, a 140-voice, adult, volunteer chorus directed by Pearl Shangkuan; and the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Chorus, directed by Sean Ivory.
The Grand Rapids Symphony collaborates with its local community to bridge cultures with an annual concert titled “Symphony with Soul” featuring national and local African-American guest artists. A percentage of the proceeds from this event supports the Grand Rapids Symphony's Mosaic Scholarship Fund” created in 2005 through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The scholarship fund provides musical instruments and music lessons for young African-American and Latino students in the Grand Rapids area.
Concert Series
The Grand Rapids Symphony presents eight concert series annually during the fall and winter from September through May, and one concert series in the summer in July and August.