The Esprit Orchestra is an orchestra based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada that is dedicated to the performance of new orchestral works. It was established in 1983 by music director and conductor

Alex Pauk Alexander Peter Pauk (born October 4, 1945) is a Canadian conductor and composer, most noted as the founder of the Esprit Orchestra. Awards and nominations At the Juno Awards of 1996, both Alexina Louie and Harry Freedman received Juno nominatio ...

, and is Canada's only full-sized orchestra devoted exclusively to new music. Currently, there are 45 full-time members. A season typically features five concerts featuring 20th and 21st century music as well as newly commissioned works. Notable composers who have written for Esprit include John Burke,

Alexina Louie Alexina Diane Louie, (born July 30, 1949) is a Canadian composer of contemporary art music. She has composed for various instrumental and vocal combinations in a variety of genres. She has fulfilled a number of commissions, and her works, whic ...

, John Rea,

Chan Ka-Nin Chan Ka Nin (born 3 December 1949) is a Canadian composer and music educator of Chinese descent. He became a naturalized Canadian citizen in 1971. He has been commissioned to write works for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the CBC Radio ...

Murray Schafer Raymond Murray Schafer (18 July 1933 – 14 August 2021) was a Canadian composer, writer, music educator, and environmentalist perhaps best known for his World Soundscape Project, concern for acoustic ecology, and his book ''The Tuning of the ...

, Owen Underhill,

Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese composer, pianist, singer, record producer and actor who has pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto i ...

, and John Beckwith. In the 1990s, the Esprit Orchestra recorded and released renditions of several never previously recorded compositions by McPhee. This resulted in McPhee receiving posthumous

Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...

nominations for Best Classical Composition for "Symphony No. 2" at the

Juno Awards of 1998 The Juno Awards of 1998 were presented in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The primary ceremonies at GM Place before an audience of 10 000 on 22 March 1998. Actor Jason Priestley of the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' hosted ...

and "Concerto for Wind Orchestra" at the

Juno Awards of 1999 The Juno Awards of 1999 honouring Canadian music industry achievements were held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The primary ceremonies at Copps Coliseum on 7 March 1999 were broadcast by CBC Television and hosted by Mike Bullard. Nominations we ...

. The orchestra has also participated in film recordings for directors such as

Larry Weinstein Larry Weinstein (born 1956) is a Canadian film director of theatrical and television documentaries, performance films, and dramas. The majority of his films centre on musical subjects and the depiction of the creative process, while his other sub ...

Don McKellar Don McKellar (born August 17, 1963) is a Canadian actor, writer, playwright, and filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. He is known for directing and writing th ...

, Jeremy Podeswa,

Don McBrearty Don McBrearty is a Canadian film director. Career In 2003 McBrearty directed the made for television drama film ''Sex and the Single Mom''. It tells the story of Jess Gradwell (Gail O'Grady), a single and overly concerned mother of a 15-year-old ...

and Deepa Mehta. In October 2009, Esprit began to perform in the Koerner Hall and has since called it home. Its concerts have also been recorded and broadcast by CBC Radio Two. Three of the orchestra's commercial recordings have been nominated for

References

External links

Esprit Orchestra
{{Authority control Canadian orchestras Musical groups from Toronto Musical groups established in 1983 Contemporary classical music ensembles 1983 establishments in Ontario