Juniper Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday 26 March, 7.30pm
The Juniper Chamber Orchestra was formed in mid-2006 by a collective of Western Australian musicians, comprised of both seasoned professionals and past and present students of the School of Music at the University of Western Australia. The catalyst for the Orchestra’s formation lay in their common love of the repertoire available to chamber-sized orchestras, and a desire to share this music with the Western Australian public. Under the inspired direction of Artistic Director and concertmaster Paul Wright, the Juniper Chamber Orchestra, the JCO presents repertoire ranging from that of the Renaissance to the present day. Some of this music is rarely heard anywhere; some is well-known, well-loved and played often by chamber orchestras the world over; newly commissioned works by local composers will be heard for the first time. Alongside Paul Wright, the JCO’s formation celebrates the coming together of musicians such as Tzvi Friedl (former Associate Principal Violist of the Israel Philharmonic), Darryl Poulsen (Principal French Horn with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Australian Brandenburg Orchestra) and Peter Moore OAM (former Principal Bassoonist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and currently that of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra).
The Juniper Chamber Orchestra is named after the esteemed Western Australian artist Robert Juniper, out of sincere respect for his work and for the way in which it celebrates the Western Australian landscape. The JCO hopes to explore this link of theirs with the visual arts in future projects collaborating with local artists, as well as film-makers and dancers, to present unique and exciting performances to their audiences.
The Juniper Chamber Orchestra held its first concert on the 11th September 2006 and received a glowing review from Neville Cohn in The West Australian. Some of his remarks included:
“With rock-solid rhythmic underpinning and a toughly assertive attacking style that sounded entirely right, the JCO powered through to a sizzingly virtuosic close.”
“At its first airing, the JCO demonstrated a prowess that was impressive. This disciplined ensemble could well become just what classical music aficionados have long been waiting for.”
Other reviews of subsequent performances in The West Australian have included comments such as:
“In a performance of extraordinary vitality and discipline, Paul Wright led his forces through a reading of Boccherini’s Symphony in D minor that made for, frankly, thrilling listening. The darkly satanic nature of the outer movements was wonderfully evoked. Here, time and time again, the orchestra, like some corporate musical Zeus, hurled richly sonorous bolts of sound into the auditorium. In the finale, the playing was informed by unflagging energy.” (17/3/07)
“Wild, sustained applause and cheers were the order of the evening at Government House Ballroom on Monday when Paul Wright led his Juniper Chamber Orchestra through one of the most exciting concerts heard there for some time.” (9/5/07)
“It’s only months since the Juniper Chamber Orchestra was formed yet its performances already leave the impression that the ensemble has been around for much longer. Certainly, the authority and confidence which informed just about everything it played gave the stamp of distinction to an all-English compilation on Monday.” (4/7/07)
More information about the Juniper Chamber Orchestra can be found at juniperchamberorchestra.com, and audio samples can be heard at myspace.com/juniperchamberorchestra.
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