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Chamber Orchestra of Europe

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, COE for short, was founded in 1981 and has its office in London. The idea came from musicians in the European Community Youth Orchestra who had become too old for that youth orchestra but wanted to carry on playing in a chamber orchestra. Among the founders was the oboist Douglas Boyd. The orchestra has about sixty members from all over Europe. They combine orchestral work with a career as soloists, in chamber music groups and as teachers. The COE has no permanent hall and no permanent chief conductor, but has worked closely for years with conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Bernard Haitink and Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Music and breakthrough

On record the orchestra made itself widely heard from the mid-1980s. In 1984 Serenade for Strings in E appeared, followed by, among others, Symphonies 40 & 41 Jupiter in 1985, Le quattro stagioni in 1987 and, in 1989 and 1990, whole series of symphonies. The orchestra made more than two hundred and fifty recordings and won, among other awards, two Grammys. It was also the first orchestra with its own label, COE Records.

Influence

The sound is that of a flexible chamber orchestra: light, transparent and with strong soloists in the ranks. The COE plays in the great concert halls of Europe and between 2007 and 2013 was given the role of cultural ambassador of the European Union. In 2009 it also started its own academy for talented students. The orchestra shows how a group of like-minded musicians, without a permanent conductor or home, can build an interpretive style of its own.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a recording of Symphonies 40 & 41 Jupiter and notice how transparent the strings and winds sound. Try to hear how the separate voices together form one light sound, without the orchestra becoming heavy.

Discography

Studio albums

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