NYC Arts: The Complete Guide to Art and Culture

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1972 by Julian Fifer and a group of musicians who aspired to perform orchestral repertoire without a conductor. For every work, members of the orchestra select the concertmaster and the principal players for each section. These players constitute the core group, whose role is to form the initial concept of the piece and to shape the rehearsal process. In final rehearsals, all members participate in refining the interpretation and execution, with members taking turns listening from the auditorium for balance, blend, articulation, dynamic range and clarity of expression. 

For over 25 years, the centerpiece of the orchestra’s annual season has been its concert series at Carnegie Hall. The orchestra has performed with soloists including André Watts, Ute Lemper, Jonathan Biss, Barbara Bonney, Jennifer Larmore, Sarah Chang, Edgar Meyer, Garrick Ohlsson and Zhang Qiang at Carnegie Hall and on tours throughout the U.S. and Europe. Works performed have included Veress, Transylvanian Dances; Brahms, Haydn Variations; Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in e minor; Schulhoff, Suite for Chamber Orchestra; Prevert, Selected Songs; Weill/Eisler, Selected Songs; Schoenberg, Chamber Symphony No. 2; Erkki-Sven Tüür, Two Pieces for String Orchestra; Mendelssohn, Piano Concerto No. 2 in d minor and Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”); and Daniel Schnyder, New Work.

Orpheus has collaborated with many of the greatest artists of our time, including Isaac Stern, Gidon Kremer, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Emanuel Ax, Richard Goode, Alica de Larrocha, Radu Lupu, Martha Argerich, Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Peter Serkin, Mitsuko Uchida, Tatiana Troyanos, Maureen Forrester, Frederica von Stade, Peter Schreier, Anne Sophie von Otter, Dawn Upshaw and Renée Fleming.  Reflecting their commitment to expanding the chamber orchestra repertoire, Orpheus has premiered works by Elliott Carter, Jacob Druckman, Mario Davidovsky, Michael Gandolfi, William Bolcom, Osvaldo Golijov, Fred Lerdahl, Gunther Schuller, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Susan Botti, David Rakowski, Bruce Adolphe, Peter Lieberson, Elizabeth Brown and Han Yong.

Accompanying the critical acclaim for Orpheus’s live appearances are numerous distinctions and awards, including a 2001 Grammy Award for Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures; a 1998 Grammy nomination for its recording of Mozart piano concerti with Richard Goode; and the 1998 “Ensemble of the Year” award from Musical America magazine. Since that year the orchestra has also sought to reach out to New York City junior and senior high school students, instilling in them a new-found excitement for classical music. The program 3 Places brings composers together with an expanded range of diverse communities throughout New York. 

• Disability Access: Carnegie Hall and other performance venues are fully accessible.