Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra

Established as an amateur ensemble in 1962 and incorporated in 1979, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra contributes to the overall quality of life in Newfoundland and Labrador by fostering the live performance of orchestral music. From the early days with just a few professional musicians (Peter Gardner, John Herriott, Don Wherry) the NSO has grown into an 84-member semi-professional orchestra comprised of 7 contract musicians, fee-per-service players, university music students through the Orchestral Chairs Program, and other community players. The NSO Sinfonia is a professional ensemble consisting of 16 string players supplemented with other musicians as required. The Atlantic String Quartet (ASQ) is the resident string quartet of the NSO. All three ensembles present their own series of concerts plus special events. The Philharmonic Choir of the NSO (PCNSO), an NSO-affiliated organization, is an auditioned community choir of 86 members which was formed to support the choral activities of the NSO. Since 1987, the choir has performed in many NSO productions ranging from oratorio to opera in concert. Together with the Philharmonic Choir, the NSO family is comprised of more than 200 individuals and is by far the largest single employer of professional musicians in the province. The NSO also maintains close affiliations with Calos Youth Orchestras, the province’s finest youth orchestra with over 100 members, as well as Shallaway Youth Choir, the province’s premiere youth choir with over 400 vocalists.