Best Orchestras in the USA

The history of orchestration goes back to ancient Greece. However, the first semblance of a modern orchestra came only in the early 17th Century. It was the Italian opera composer Claudio Monteverdi who first assigned specific instruments to perform his music piece. Today, orchestra forms a greater part of colloquial music and is one of the most revered musical performances.

Rick Perdian — Event and Music Management brings you a list of best orchestras in the U.S. It was originally compiled by Gramophone (one of the world’s most respected classical music publications) in 2008.

The list contains The Big-Five along with other orchestras. The Big Five orchestras of the United States are the five symphony orchestras that are known for their “musical excellence, the caliber of musicianship, total contract weeks, weekly basic wages, recording guarantees, and paid vacations.”

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the top-ranking American orchestras. A part of “Big 5” orchestras in the US, Chicago Symphony Orchestra is a highly regarded brass section. At the time of this ranking, the group was led by Daniel Barenboim. It is now under the baton of renowned conductor Riccardo Muti.

It was established in 1891 by Theodore Thomas. The ensemble gathers at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. Originally named “Chicago Orchestra,” it was later changed to Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1913. It has seen numerous music directors including Desire Defauw, Artur Rodzinski, Rafael Kubelik, Fritz Reiner, Jean Martinon, Georg silti, and Daniel Barenboim.

The Chicago Symphony first broadcast on the radio in 1925. Till now, it has performed well over one hundred concerts each year at its downtown home, Symphony Center, and the Ravinia Festival on Chicago’s North Shore.

Riccardo Muti, the current music director of CSO, has earned sixty-two Grammy Awards from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the “Big 5” orchestras in the US. It was founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes. It has remained the primary venue to witness one of the best classical and contemporary compositions in the U.S. The orchestra plays most of its concerts at Severance Hall.

Franz Welser-Möst has led the Cleveland Orchestra since 2002. They often make extensive tours across the U.S. and abroad. Known for their artistic excellence, concert programming, and community engagement, they have a proud history of giving back to the community. They share the joy of music throughout Northeast Ohio via education and community programs that date back to its founding in 1918.

In 2012 Gramophone Magazine ranked the Cleveland Orchestra 7th on its list of the world’s greatest orchestras, and The New York Times referred to the orchestra in 2018 as “America’s most understatedly amazing orchestra.

It has seen the tenure of some of the greatest Music directors including Nikoloi Sokoloff, Artue Rodzinski, Erich Leinsdorf, George Szell, Pierre Boulez, Lorin Maazel, Christoph von Dohnanyi, and Franz Welser-Most.

Los Angeles Philharmonic

The Los Angeles Philharmonic, also known as LA Phil, was founded in 1919 by William Andrews Clark, Jr., a copper baron, arts enthusiast, and part-time violinist. It is the major orchestra based in the city of Los Ange

Each year, more than 250 concerts are either performed or presented at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s two iconic venues: the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.

It is known its ability to remold and remodel its performances at the whim of the conductor offering it a unique advantage. The group resides in the abstract Walt Disney Concert Hall, where it has been led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel since 2005.

The LA Phil’s involvement with the city of Los Angeles expands beyond the walls of its concert halls, with performances in local schools, churches, and neighborhoods. In fact, one of their education initiatives, Youth Orchestra LA (YOLA), has provided free instruments and music training to over 700 local students.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the Big-Five orchestras in the U.S, also the second oldest among the Big-Five. It was founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881.

It primarily performs in the Symphony Hall Tanglewood in Boston. Since its establishment, it has had 17 different music directors including George Henschel, Serge Koussevitzky, Henri Rabaud, Erich Leinsdorf, and William Steinberg. The current music director is Andris Nelsons.

It was also the first orchestras to perform live on the radio (NBC, 1926), along with presenting more than 250 concerts annually. Its live performances have reached masses through the internet, radio, television, and educational programs.

As claimed by BSO, its official website is one of the most-visited orchestral websites in the world, with 7 million visitors annually.

Each season, the New York Philharmonic connects with over 50 million music lovers around the world through worldwide tours, residencies, digital recordings, and live broadcasts. It is also the first American orchestra to perform in North Korea. New York Philharmonic performed in Pyongyang on February 26, 2008, upon an invitation from the North Korean Government.

Some of the renowned music directors who have worked with New York Phil include Ureli Corelli, Theodore Eisfeld, Carl Bergmann, Leopold Damrosch, Theodore Thomas, Adolf Neuendoriff, Emil Paur, Wassily Safonoff, Gustav Mahler, Leopold Stokowski, and Zubin Mehta. The current music director of New York Phil is Jaap Van Zweden active since 2018.

RickPerdian.com is the perfect music travel consultant. With years of experience in the best orchestra events in the USA, we can definitely guide you through arrays of some of the best orchestras events in the USA.