Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Santa Barbara Symphony is a full-time professional symphony orchestra
and register 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California
.
The orchestra was founded in 1953. Music directors have included Erno Daniel (1960–1967), who also taught piano at the University of California, Santa Barbara
; Ronald Ondrejka (1967–1979), who taught conducting at UCSB; Frank Collura (1979–1984); Varujan Kojian (1985–93); Gisele Ben-Dor
(1994–2005); and Nir Kabaretti
(2006- ). Nir Kabaretti
was selected as the new director after a well publicized search.
In the 1990s the orchestra began making recordings with Music Director Gisele Ben-Dor conducting. The orchestra has released several acclaimed recordings, including CDs of works by Silvestre Revueltas, Astor Piazzolla, Luis Bacalov and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The Orchestra's recording of the Villa-Lobos earned international praise.
Typically the orchestra performs a series of about seven concerts during a season, plus additional concerts (for example, a pops concert on New Year's Eve).
In 2008, the Santa Barbara Symphony moved from its long-time venue at the Arlington Theatre to the newly renovated Granada Theatre.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and register 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.
The orchestra was founded in 1953. Music directors have included Erno Daniel (1960–1967), who also taught piano at the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
; Ronald Ondrejka (1967–1979), who taught conducting at UCSB; Frank Collura (1979–1984); Varujan Kojian (1985–93); Gisele Ben-Dor
Gisele Ben-Dor
Gisele Ben-Dor is an American Israeli orchestra conductor of Uruguayan origin.-International Orchestra Conductor:Gisele Ben-Dor was born in Uruguay and immigrated to Israel in 1973. She graduated from the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University and the Yale School of Music, also studying with...
(1994–2005); and Nir Kabaretti
Nir Kabaretti
Nir Kabaretti is an Israeli orchestra conductor.Kabaretti is Music Director of the in California since 2006 and continues to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, opera houses and soloists such as Itzhak Perlman and Lang Lang.Upon graduation from the prestigious...
(2006- ). Nir Kabaretti
Nir Kabaretti
Nir Kabaretti is an Israeli orchestra conductor.Kabaretti is Music Director of the in California since 2006 and continues to collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned orchestras, opera houses and soloists such as Itzhak Perlman and Lang Lang.Upon graduation from the prestigious...
was selected as the new director after a well publicized search.
In the 1990s the orchestra began making recordings with Music Director Gisele Ben-Dor conducting. The orchestra has released several acclaimed recordings, including CDs of works by Silvestre Revueltas, Astor Piazzolla, Luis Bacalov and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The Orchestra's recording of the Villa-Lobos earned international praise.
Typically the orchestra performs a series of about seven concerts during a season, plus additional concerts (for example, a pops concert on New Year's Eve).
In 2008, the Santa Barbara Symphony moved from its long-time venue at the Arlington Theatre to the newly renovated Granada Theatre.