MILESTONES
Since its constitution in 2011, the OSC has developed an extensive activity of meetings and concerts, being able to highlight very specially some of them for their academic, artistic, programmatic, spatial or any other singularity; moments that are exposed chronologically and that have determined a trajectory and own personality that have been widely applauded by public and critics.
BIRTH of the OSC - US-CSMS. ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA CONJUNTA. NOVEMBER 2011
PIONEER ACADEMIC-ARTISTIC PROJECT IN SPAIN
The premiere of the Joint Symphony Orchestra took place on December 15, 2011 in the auditorium of the ETS of Engineering, both the performance of the program and the response of the public and critics exceeded all expectations. The project was born with a hopeful horizon and with an important international institutional reinforcement with the participation of the Fryderyck Chopin University of Music of Warsaw through one of its singing students, the mezzo-soprano Joanna Krasuska-Motulewicz, who gave voice to the interpretation of Mahler's Kindertotenlieder.
After years of growing collaboration between the two institutions, in November 2011 the University of Seville and CSM Manuel Castillo embarked on a still uncertain and dizzying journey, tackling the ambitious project of creating a joint symphony orchestra and consequent development of a season of symphonic concerts to serve the objectives of academic excellence in musical performance and public service to society itself, being offered the possibility of expanding their musical knowledge, satisfy their aesthetic and human concerns, and even witness the achievements and academic progress of young performers.
ÓPERA COSÌ FAN TUTTE. Own production of an opera. Partnerships with international institutions: Fryderyk Chopin University of Music.
TEATRO LOPE DE VEGA
In November 2012, the University of Seville and the Conservatory of Music Manuel Castillo produced together with the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw..In this ambitious academic-artistic project, the opera Così fan tutte, by the composer W.A. Mozart, was performed for three days at the Teatro Lope de Vega.
The protagonists of this co-production were exclusively students from these institutions, including students from the scenographic creation workshop programmed for the occasion by the University of Seville, who took part in the different stages of making and assembling the sets. The stage direction was the responsibility of Ryszard Cieśla, professor at the UMFC in Warsaw, and the musical direction was by CSMS professor Juan García Rodríguez, principal conductor of the OSC.
ESTRENO MUNDIAL DE LA OBRA DE UN PREMIO NACIONAL
Auditorio ETS de Ingeniería
La temporada 2014-2015 ha sido una de las más reducidas en número de conciertos, pero este hecho no ha restado un ápice en la calidad y ambición de la programación con un repertorio exigente y comprometido igualmente con la música contemporánea. Si desde sus inicios el proyecto de orquesta había causado admiración por el rigor del trabajo desplegado y solvencia ejecutoria, también había sido capaz de despertar el interés de ciertos profesionales en el mundo de la composición como sucediera con Juan A. Pedrosa con la interpretación de su obra Hymnus. En este caso, la OSC inauguraba su cuarta temporada de conciertos, nada más y nada menos que con un regalo-dedicatoria y el estreno mundial de la obra Entreacto y luz magenta del Premio Nacional de Música César Camarero. Sin duda el mejor aval para el quehacer cotidiano de esta orquesta sinfónica que tantos hitos ha ido marcando ya desde su creación.
ENTRE SEVILLA Y TRIANA
Zarzuela at the Teatro Maestranza
En el segundo año desde su creación, en Marzo de 2013, la orquesta era invitada a participar en la programación del Teatro Maestranza in Sevilla, participando en la zarzuela Entre Sevilla y Triana, a co-production of the theatres of the Maestranza in Seville, Teatros del Canal in Madrid and Arriaga in Bilbao.
Dirigida por Juan García y durante tres esforzados días (del 13 al 15 de marzo) disfrutamos de nuestra orquesta en el escenario icónico de la música clásica en Sevilla y uno de los escenarios musicales más importantes del país.
Webpage for Entre Sevilla y Triana in the webpage of Teatro Maestranza os Seville
THE CONQUEST OF A PRIVILEGED SCENARIO: THE ROYAL ALCAZAR
Real Alcázar. Patio de la Montería
May 25, 2016. A first, for the first time the artistic director of the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, John Axelrod, conducts the Orquesta Sinfónica Conjunta de la Universidad de Sevilla - CSM Manuel Castillo (OSC), together with the students of the Master of Orchestral Performance of the Barenboim Said Foundation and UNIA, institutions also linked to this ambitious project.
Una oportunidad de tocar en un marco tan incuestionablemente bello como el del Patio de la Montería del Real Alcázar y nada menos que bajo la dirección de John Axelrod. Gran éxito de público y crítica y una enorme experiencia para los alumnos, siendo la primera vez que llegaba a tocar al aire libre y debiendo por ello salvar novedosas dificultades para ella, tales como el viento o el tañido de las campanas de la catedral.
Press conference in tv.us.es
EL RETABLO DE MAESE PEDRO DE Manuel de Falla
TEATRO DE LA MAESTRANZA
17th March 2017. Teatro de la Maestranza, Manuel García´s Room
In collaboration with the ESAD (Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático de Sevilla) and the Teatro de la Maestranza, the OSC staged El Retablo de Maese Pedro in an own production that could be enjoyed in a double session in the Sala Manuel García of the Teatro de la Maestranza. The magic of the puppets on stage was a delight for the eyes and contemplation that only amplified the beautiful music of Falla.
Program available in this link
Vengan, vengan vuesas mercedes…!
…Y, diciendo y haciendo, desenvainó la espada, y de un brinco se puso junto al
retablo, y, con acelerada y nunca vista furia, comenzó a llover cuchilladas sobre
la titerera morisma, derribando a unos, descabezando a otros, estropeando
a éste, destrozando a aquél, y, entre otros muchos, tiró un altibajo tal, que si
maese Pedro no se abaja, se encoge y agazapa, le cercenara la cabeza con
más facilidad que si fuera hecha de masa de mazapán”.
HAYDN'S NELSON MASS. An impossible number on the stage of the ETSI
THE BERNSTEIN BEAT.
TEATRO DE LA MAESTRANZA
April 28, 2018. On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein, numerous meetings and concerts were programmed in Seville, highlighting within the cycle programmed by the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville this one in which the CSO made up the bulk of the staff of the very large formation that performed and which was once again conducted by John Axelrod, who was a student of the American composer and to whom it was wished to pay a heartfelt tribute for his pedagogical work and dissemination of music, which he carried out in a very intense way through television programs, with those master sessions of his "Concerts for Young People" broadcast on American television in the 1960s.
The Joint Symphony Orchestra (OSC), together with the students of the Master of Orchestral Performance of the Barenboim Said Foundation, was conducted by John Axelrod, with the narration and presentation of the works by the daughter of the American composer Jamie Bernstein, the continuator of that legacy. The concert had a full house at the Teatro de la Maestranza and was received with very good reviews by the press.
Photos of the concert "The Bernstein Beat" Photo: ROSS
THE KING LEAR. THE VOICE OF THE EXCLUDED. Opera and Social Theatre
June 8, 9 and 10, 2018. On the occasion of the various events commemorating the Independence of Poland that Polish institutions carry out in different international scenarios, in June this ambitious project of "The voice of the excluded" of Fundación Jutropera, presented the show "Looking for the King "based on fragments of the immortal play "King Lear" by W. Shakespeare, interspersed with fragments of the play "King Spirit" by the Polish writer Juliusz Slowacki, one of the three "bards" of Polish literature, and with the support of Verdi's unfinished libretto for his opera project "King Lear".
The inescapable acting representation of senior groups from different Sevillian institutions, soloists, choirs and the Joint Symphony Orchestra conducted by Juan García were put under the direction of Michal Znaniecki for the representation of this international project.
+info: here
BEYOND THE CITY OF SEVILLE. PERFORMANCES IN CÁDIZ AND GRANADA
The characteristics of a large orchestra and its essentially academic nature, mean that the OSC does not give many performances outside the capital. However, beyond the performances of the OSC in the city of Seville –ETSI of the University of Seville, Teatro de la Maestranza, Teatro Lope de Vega, Patio de la Montería del Real Alcázar–, the orchestra has also performed in Seville Province –Carmona, Fuentes de Andalucía, Mairena del Aljarafe or San José de la Rinconada– and in other Andalusian cities, specifically in Cádiz in April 2012, in the auditorium La Bomba and framed in the different cultural activities programmed on the occasion of the bicentenary of its Constitution–, as well as in Granada in March 2018, specifically in the auditorium of the UGR, in a concert framed within the program Network of Andalusian University Orchestrasas an integral part of the broader cultural program of the Atalaya Project of the Juta de Andalucía.
UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE - OPENING OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR 1019/20. RECOVERY OF MUSICAL HERITAGE
The meteoric trajectory of an amateur symphony orchestra, so applauded by critics and audiences alike, was entrusted for the first time to be the protagonist of a symbolic act of such importance as the opening of a new academic year at the University of Seville. of the importance of the opening of a new academic year at the University of Seville. The event deserved a program to match, and in this academic setting and before the university community, the students had to showcase their progress and interpretative achievements. The OSC undertook a program of great complexity, due to its variety and multiple intentions; one of the most important works of symphonic music, Debussy's La Mer, was performed, while the orchestra's commitment to contemporary music was shown by performing and disseminating a work by the Viennese composer Gulda, a moment that gave great prominence to Gabriel Rodero, an outstanding student who, supported by his colleagues, performed for the first time as a soloist with a symphonic orchestra. To these circumstances was added a first, a turning point in the course of the program, not only that this institutional concert was held for the first time with the OSC, but also that it was inaugurated with the performance of the Overture "Reina Regente" by the Sevillian composer Fernando Palatín y Garfía, with an outstanding interpretation and in a framework of recovery of the Andalusian musical heritage; undoubtedly one more step of the orchestra in its contribution to the dissemination of music in all its aspects.
12. PROJECT "1'5M - 2M".
HEROISM IN THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORCHESTRA
A special mention merites the Academic Year 2020-2021, in which the University of Seville and CSM Manuel Castillo have had to make every effort to deal with circumstances of an exceptionally difficulty in a very delicate health context. A plus of imagination and ingenuity, as well as a strenuous effort guided by the strong conviction in this academic-artistic project, have made possible the celebration of its tenth anniversary concert season, without ever abandoning the magnificent artistic and academic excellence that since 2011 has been the guide of this project.
The project was called "1'5m - 2m "; these were the interpersonal distances that had to be observed on stage by the performers and which required an expansion of the natural extensions of an orchestra, with each student having to read scores on music stands individually, and wear masks permanently, except for the winds, which also had to be accompanied by structures to avoid possible contagion to other colleagues. Surprising in this context was the spirit of self-demand, sacrifice and solidarity among its members, in an unusual display of collective strength; an eagerness to overcome adversity that has undoubtedly led to this great collective achievement; Even in this adverse context, the OSC took on new challenges, as can be seen in concert #4 with the development of a conducting workshop and concert #5 with the creation of a symphonic formation from its wind and percussion sections, performing a program of contemporary music in such a classical and incomparable setting as the Church of the Annunciation - collaterally providing new aesthetic canons to the scenic space itself, both visually and sonically, (see video), enriching even more the aesthetics of the performance space, both visually and sonically, (see video). video), further enriching the already fabulous heritage of the University of Seville. This journey in this very special year finally culminated on June 28, 2021 in Teatro de la Maestranza with the OSC's performance at the closing concert of the academic year of the University of Seville.
Overnight, the rehearsal spaces that used to be for the orchestra to hold its meetings vanished, the auditoriums were converted into classrooms and the orchestra suddenly found itself without spaces in which to perform its work. Imagination, great effort and commitment of different actors have managed to conjugate against the existing panorama and finally, an ambitious program has been developed, with risky formulas, but always conciliatory with the prudence and the sanitary regulations applicable at each moment.
With the help of other organizations sensitive to the value of this benchmark orchestra project in Spain, it has been possible to present publicly (with very small audiences, but with an intense follow up in the various retransmissions), programs of the highest quality with outstanding performances, even at times when other organizations and institutions with more resources have hibernated their programs. In this regard, we would like to thank those responsible for spaces such as Factoría Cultural del Polígono Sur, Iglesia de la Anunciación and Facultad de BBAA de la US, Fibes in Sevilla Este, ETS de Arquitectura en Reina Mercedes and ETS de Ingeniería en la Cartuja, for having given us spaces in such compromised and delicate moments, and for having supported the vital impulse of the CSO, the academic institutions that represent it and the many young people who are part of it: a Herculean work, of true Titans, which has borne the best fruits in such a special context.
13. UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE - CLOSING OF ACADEMIC COURSE 20/21.
TEATRO DE LA MAESTRANZA
28 de junio de 2021. The Closing Concert of the University of Seville is traditionally one of the high points of the academic year due to its symbolic nature. is traditionally, due to its symbolic nature, one of the high points of the academic year, and this year it was a double celebration, celebrating at the same time the closing of the academic year and the closing of the orchestra's Season X, undoubtedly the best way to blow out the candles on its tenth anniversary. The more than 80 young musicians who made up the staff for the occasion also provided a look to the stage of the Teatro de la Maestranza that had not been seen for a long time, given the sanitary circumstances and subsequent administrative measures decreed during the previous months.
Long hours of rehearsal were necessary for the celebration of this concert, and FIBES offered its facilities, a scenario that undoubtedly, for its originality, contributed to imbued us with very particular and novel visual aesthetics. The program consisted of two parts, the capacity was almost full and both the initiative and the concert were very applauded, with a very festive end (a wake-up call after long months of restrictions due to the pandemic).
PROGRAM
-I-
WILLIAM WALTON · Concerto for viola and orchestra
-II-
ROBERT SCHUMANN · 3rd Symphony, E flat major, “Renana”, op. 97
"THE AMERICAS. MUSIC FOR TWO CONTINENTS" 22/23 - Professional Alliances
Auditorio ETS Ingeniería (Former American Pavilion at Expo'92)
Perhaps the most impressive encounter for audience and orchestra of all the concerts held by the Orquesta Sinfónica Conjunta since its foundation. It has been called by many as reckless due to the complexity of its execution and undoubtedly one of the most talked-about cultural events in Seville, with unanimous critical acclaim. On February 24, 2023 at the ETS of Engineering of the University of Seville, the OSC presented an ambitious program of contemporary music that meant, not only from the artistic point of view, but also from the patrimonial point of view, a remarkable qualitative leap. In addition to tackling a musical program committed to two of the most important trends of the 20th century -minimalism and dodecaphonism-, its performance represented the Spanish premiere of two works that were as universal as they were rarely performed: Ginastera's Cantata para América Mágica and Adams' Grand Pianola Music.It was also the first time that the stage of the ETS de Ingeniería had housed such an uncommon volume and type of instrumental with more than fifty percussion instruments, two grand pianos and a celesta, and all of this two grand pianos and a celesta, and for the first time the orchestra has been accompanied by the famous soprano Natalia Labourdette and the Zahir Ensemble, a group specialized in contemporary music.. A novelty to be added to those already mentioned has been to have initiated the process of recording the first CD of the OSC, precisely with Ginastera´s Cantata para América Mágica and whose edition and publication is expected to take place in the coming months of this year 2023.
This event was also a strong element of reinforcement to the already rich heritage of the University of Seville, in this case the contribution was of sound order and that came to complement the colossal murals of Gabarrón that houses the school in its bosom; under the title of the program «Las Américas. Music for two continents", a theme very present in these murals was approached from a musical point of view. The building of the ETS of Engineering of the University of Seville carries with it a strong symbolic load of the existing links between Seville and the Americas, and we must remember that during Expo 92 this building was erected and inaugurated as the Plaza de America Pavilion.
Iconographies and aesthetics closely linked to pre-Columbian themes were present on the day of the concert in this emblematic place, with pictorial recreations such as those of Gabarrón on the walls of the building and the musical echoes of Ginastera's Cantata para América Mágica that were displayed during the concert, sharing both, music and murals, personal recreations of their respective creators of the pre-Columbian world, with landscapes, idols and narratives intimately linked and complementary.
15. UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE - CLOSING OF ACADEMIC COURSE 22/23. MUSIC AND CINEMA
SINFONÍA FANTÁSTICA DE BERLIOZ - MÚSICA Y CINE - IDÉE FIXE
On June 26, 2023, the OSC culminated its XII Concert Season and did so with the important challenge of holding the Closing Concert of the University of Seville at the Teatro de la Maestranza.
Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique was the chosen work, the more than ninety students who made up the staff displayed all their faculties and interpretative skills in this iconic space of classical music in the city; five previous days of tutti rehearsals -thanks once again to the cession of spaces of the ETS of Engineering-, in which students and teacher had to work intensively, reconciling complicity while discipline, managing once again to reach that point of ineffable collective soul magic thanks to an incombustible Juan García Rodríguez.
The concert was also an added novelty: it was the first time that the orchestra participated in a music and film project, giving part of the visual protagonism to the projection A Symphony in Images, a video montage by Morgancrea in which stills and sequences from more than fifty silent films follow one another and are synchronized with the music, recreating the atmospheres and emotional states described by Berlioz himself throughout the five movements of his work.
With this concert several tributes were paid: to the communities of the University of Seville and CSM Manuel Castillo for some years of special demand, to the students for that final sprint before the beginning of the summer vacations and especially to Culture in capital letters, part of whose legacy was manifested in this festive act in its musical dimensions -with the interpretation of one of the masterpieces of romanticism- and cinematographic -with nods to the different avant-garde of the early twentieth century as expressionism or surrealism-.
The success of the public and critics continues to provide the necessary energy to continue with this pioneering project in Spain, which places the music studios at the highest European level.
+ infoA NEW SCENIC CONQUEST
The OSC performs for the first time at the TEATRO CENTRAL
Un nuevo espacio escénico llegaba a ser conquistado por la OSC tras trece años desde su fundación, y una constelación de circunstancias permitieron que se desenvolviera este encuentro inmerso en una atmósfera densa con fuertes tintes de contemporaneidad y actualidad, extremo este que procuraba el espacio escogido para la celebración de este concierto, ubicado en esa zona de Sevilla donde mejor se ha desplegado y desenvuelto la cultura y arte contemporáneos, la Isla de la Cartuja.
El Teatro Central, lugar durante muchos años de referencia nacional en la programación de ciclos de música contemporánea, volvía con nuestra orquesta a recobrar aquel lustre y brillo. Con una plantilla cambiante y siendo más de cien los alumnos presentes en algún momento del concierto, se desvelaban las obras del checo Husa, del cubano Brouwer y del madrileño afincado en Sevilla César Camarero, inundando gracias a la proverbial dirección de Camilo Irizo la atmósfera de este magnífico teatro que tan buena acústica alberga. Un encuentro memorable que tuvo lugar el 5 de marzo de 2024 y que contó con aplausos de crítica y público, así como elogios del propio compositor César Cámarero, presente entre el público.