To bring together a core of today’s finest soloists to create a virtuosic and versatile chamber ensemble
Since 2004, the orchestra has given permanent seats to 13 principal players, who form the core of the ensemble. The principal players are widely recognised as among the most talented instrumentalists of their generation; many also hold key positions in major symphony orchestras, and all were selected for their absolute commitment to the music and to the orchestra.
- To push the boundaries of the concert-going experience and engage new audience members through cross-arts collaborations and unusual concert-settings, as well as commissioning new works
Since 2006, the orchestra has developed relationships with emerging and exciting composers, such as Tobias Broström, Chris Willis, and Nico Muhly. It has also developed a reputation for staging traditional concert works in new ways: Debussy with a magician, Mussorgsky with a puppet theatre, Lully with a Capoeira dance company and Birtwistle with a stage director and lighting designer.
“A typically adventurous programme from the brilliant young Aurora Orchestra”
Evening Standard
- To promote unusual repertoire that we believe deserves to be better known
Since its first concert, Aurora has programmed a wide range of early 20th century works not in the repertoire of any other chamber orchestra (e.g. little-known works by Schreker, Reger and Hindemith). The orchestra has also established a unique reputation for playing revealing and intimate chamber arrangements of large symphonic works e.g. Mahler’s 4th Symphony and ‘Das Lied von der Erde’.
- To help ensure a vibrant future for classical music through an extensive and exceptional programme of participatory work with young people in schools, communities and the concert hall
Aurora’s collaboration with the Da Capo Foundation is unique and produces work of exceptional quality by bringing together experts in their respective fields.
The orchestra’s fresh approach to concert programming, new commissions and cross-arts collaborations is applied to performances for schools and families and is consistently praised for its innovation and ability to engage.
Aurora was founded with the primary aim of becoming an important new addition to the chamber orchestra scene in Britain. The following is a list of Aurora’s guiding artistic aims, with examples of how we have so far realised these ambitions in our artistic programme: