Orchestra of the Swan

The Orchestra of the Swan has performed all around the United Kingdom and beyond, often performing programs that mix newly commissioned works with music of the 20th century and standard repertory. Through concerts and multiple residencies, the orchestra has woven itself into the life of central England.
Based in Stratford-upon-Avon and holding concerts in that city’s Civic Hall, the Orchestra of the Swan was founded in 1995 by conductor David Curtis. He was succeeded by David Le Page, who serves as the artistic director. There are about 30 members, with many remaining a part of the group for many years. The Orchestra of the Swan has regular residencies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the Courtyard, Hereford, and the Stratford Playhouse. Performing some 45 concerts annually, the group has regularly appeared at the Number 8 Community Arts Centre in Pershore, the Malvern Theatres, and Cheltenham Town Hall. The group often performs in such cities as London (where it has sold out the 5,272-seat Royal Albert Hall), Coventry, and Warwick, and at the Stratford Music Festival. The Orchestra of the Swan toured China in 2014, the U.S. and Mexico in 2017 and 2018, and performed at the Istanbul International Festival in 2016. A notable facet of the orchestra’s activities has been its support of dementia care; since 2014, it has given more than 600 live performance workshops in care homes and dementia cafés. The Orchestra of the Swan has a strong commitment to new music, having commissioned more than 70 works from such composers as Roxanna Panufnik, Alexander Goehr, and Joe Cutler. Its concert programs also frequently feature 20th century music for chamber orchestra.
The Orchestra of the Swan has recorded for various labels, including Somm, Signum Classics, and Avie, where the group, under the baton of Kenneth Woods, has issued a world premiere cycle of the symphonies of Hans Gál (1890-1987). In 2021, the orchestra issued the album Vivaldi Sleep on Signum Classics. ~ James Manheim