Ipswich Orchestral Society changing its name

Ipswich Orchestral Society is changing its name to Ipswich Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Phil Morley

It’s out with the old and in with the new as Ipswich Orchestral Society changes its name to Ipswich Symphony Orchestra.

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Renowned pianist Imogen Cooper is performing alongside Ipswich Orchestral Society. Photo: Sussie Ahlburg Renowned pianist Imogen Cooper is performing alongside Ipswich Orchestral Society. Photo: Sussie Ahlburg

“We’ve decided it’s time to update our name. IOS has been giving concerts in the town for 113 years but we feel the new name is better suited to the size and quality of the orchestra and the prominence of our county town,” says orchestra chairman Pat Grimwade.

“We’re a large orchestra of 75 players and we’re well respected in the musical world. Our inspirational conductor, Adam Gatehouse, is hugely experienced and we’ve a long tradition of bringing world class soloists to our home at Ipswich Corn Exchange.

“The orchestra plays a wide range of music, not only symphonies and concertos; but also favourites from film, TV and from around the world. Our annual family concerts are always popular and it’s always rewarding for us to see a young audience responding to the sound of a large live orchestra.”

The news has also received the backing of the Orchestra’s patron, pianist and TV presenter Noriko Ogawa, who adds: “I’m thrilled by this news and the new name of the orchestra”.

Soloists who have performed with the orchestra in recent years have included Nicola Benedetti, Julian Lloyd Webber, Benjamin Grosvenor, Dame Felicity Lott, Jennifer Pike and Emma Johnson, as well as young winners of BBC Young Musician of the Year and some of the Aldeburgh Young Musicians.

Ipswich Symphony Orchestra is continuing its proud tradition of high quality performances in the town this Saturday.

The soloist at the Celebrity Concert is one of today’s most outstanding pianists, Imogen Cooper. Recognised worldwide as one of the finest interpreters of the classical repertoire, she regularly performs with the world’s greatest orchestras and has recently toured extensively in America and in the Far East.

She will be performing the intensely romantic piano concerto by Schumann, a work often described as a love poem to his young wife Clara who was a renowned pianist herself.

The Ipswich Corn Exchange concert opens with Tchaikovsky’s overture Romeo and Juliet. The romantic theme continues with Prokofiev’s music for the ballet of Romeo and Juliet. It’s become one of his most popular works and is more commonly known as being the theme tune to BBC1 show The Apprentice.

Professional actors Zimmy Ryan and Alex Gatehouse will bring the story to life, performing brief extracts from Shakespeare’s play in a blend of music and drama specially devised for this concert.

The newly-named Ipswich Symphony Orchestra’s special launch concerts in 2016 include Family Fiesta! on February 28 and a Festival Concert on June 25 starring young Russian pianist Pavel Kolesnikov playing Tchaikovsky’s piano concerto no.1.