The Bardi Symphony Orchestra celebrates it's 25th birthday in the 2010 - 2011 season.
Formed in 1986 and originally conceived as a chamber orchestra by it's founder Dr Andrew Constantine, the first concerts were given in the University of Leicester. The name Bardi derives from the Italien Count Giovanni Bardi who was associated with new ideas and approaches to the performance of music in the 16th Century. Within just a year the orchestra had expanded in size to form a full symphony orchestra performing in St James the Greater Church and just four years later saw an orchestra of 132 players performing Mahler's 6th Symphony in the orchestra's current home - De Montford Hall, Leicester.
The players in the orchestra come from an intriguing range of backgrounds. Having studied music to the highest levels many have chosen to pursue careers outside music but relish the opportunity to come together and play at professional level. We are also proud to be associated with performers from The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra and the CBSO.
The commitment and achievement have drawn soloists of the highest calibre to perform with them including:
Nikolai Demidenko
Natalie Clein
Boris Berezovsky
Chloe Hanslip
Tasmin Little
Choral music has played a part in the orchestras repertoire with early performances of Beethoven's Symphony No.9 being played by a newly formed Bardi Chorus which went on to give distinguished perfomrances of other works, most notably Walton's Belshazzer's Feast, Orff's Carmina Burana and Verdi's Requiem.
In recent years the orchestra has also worked with other choral ensembles including the
London Philharmonic Choir
Leicester Philhrmonic Choir
Leicestershire Chorale
Founder Dr Andrew Constantine said goodbye to the orchestra in 2004 when he moved to work in America first with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and more recently as Music Director of both the Reading and Fort Wayne Symphony Orchestras. The orchestra's current Music Director, Danish -born Claus Efland was appointed in 2006 and has continued to develop the orchestra exploring new repertoire and acheiving levels of performance rare in an orchestra of this kind.
