The New Haven Oratorio Choir and Orchestra

Description

The New Haven Oratorio Choir and Orchestra brings to the concert hall a unique combination of musical assets.

• A conductor whose remarkable sensitivity to the music is matched by his scholarly expertise in Baroque performance practice.
• Soloists who shine as the best of the rising generation.
• A choral-orchestral ensemble praised for its musical accomplishments.

Performances recapture the original, intimate sound of Baroque and eighteenth-century music, even as music director Mark Bailey's research into performance history suggests new musical interpretations. Well-known works sound new to the ear. At the same time, the ensemble introduces the public to rarely heard works of startling emotional power, in some cases never before performed in New Haven. NHOCO is about the excitement of musical discovery.

Mindful and proud of its place in New Haven culture, NHOCO is a community-minded organization dedicated to educating and inspiring the next generation. The ensemble's collaboration with New Haven's most gifted young soloists gives them performing opportunities that advance their careers, while also providing the public with an enviable chance to hear these great artists of tomorrow. NHOCO does everything possible to welcome the public to share in the common enterprise of understanding, creating, and enjoying great music. Pre-concert talks, with musical demonstrations, appeal to children as well as adults, preparing the audience to hear what is hidden and experience the music to the fullest. This exchange between musicians and the public continues after the concert, when audience and musicians mingle over wine and dessert. And in these financially difficult times, even as NHOCO itself experiences economic stress, it offers pay-as-you-can admission so that everyone may delight in this glorious music.
• Changing the musical landscape through musical discovery
• Nurturing new generations of music lovers
• A community-minded cultural resource for New Haven