History
This year The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra celebrates thirty-one years of providing symphonic music to the community. Its success is due to the talent and commitment of the early conductors and musicians who provided its foundation. In the beginning, a collection of talented men and women in Southwest Washington belonged to and performed with several musical groups who loved to play for people who appreciated music.
In 1972 several musicians came together under
the leadership of Larry Hirtzel. The first
concert they played was at Clark College in a
combined program with the college band
under the direction of Dale Beacock. After
that, Hirtzel's group became a standalone,
twenty-member ensemble which came to be
known as the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra
and later the Vancouver Community Orchestra.
Recordings made in 1977 of concerts in
tandem with the Brahms Singers (now
“Vancouver U.S.A. Singers”) have preserved the
final performances of the VCO.
To name all of the early period musicians
who first performed under the mantle of the
Vancouver Chamber Orchestra is impossible,
but Larry Hirtzel, their music director and
conductor, was instrumental in growing the
popularity of chamber music in the area. He
and the musicians in the group combined
their considerable musical abilities and their
innate skills in ways that allowed the
chamber platform to eventually become a
symphony organization called the Vancouver
Community Orchestra.
In 1978, Walt Cleland began meeting with a group of five string musicians who later combined with musicians from the Vancouver Community Orchestra and came together as the Vancouver Symphonette – later renamed The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Cleland served as conductor from 1978 to 1990.
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra first
performed at the Columbia Arts Center, then
the First Presbyterian Church and Shumway
School (now the Royal Durst Theatre). Since
1999 they have performed in the concert hall at
Skyview High School.
We applaud Cleland's passion for music, his dedication and mission to keep symphonic music alive in Southwest Washington. He was the driving force that sustained our symphony.
In 1990 Mr. Cleland retired, and after a season of several guest conductors, Maestro Salvador Brotons was chosen to lead The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He has built it into a highly regarded, professional orchestra with over 75 musicians and an ever-increasing audience.
Conductor and Music Director
Salvador Brotons
This is Maestro Salvador Brotons’ 19th Season with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Musicians and classical music enthusiasts alike delight in having Dr. Brotons as their Conductor and Music Director.
Born into a family of musicians, Brotons began studying flute at an early age with his father, and continued his studies at the Barcelona Conservatory of Music, where he obtained “superior” titles in flute, composition and orchestra conducting. In 1985, having been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, he moved to the United States and earned a Doctorate in Music from Florida State University.
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Dr. Brotons, a resident of Spain, returns each season to lead the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and inspire the audience with his enthusiasm and expertise. He is the Conductor and Music Director of his native Barcelona Valles Symphony Orchestra and the Balearic Islands Symphony Orchestra in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
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2009-2010 Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Members
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Board of Directors
- Renee Newman Chair
- Betty Sue Morris Vice Chair
- Catherine Rich-Daniels Secretary
- Chris McDaniel Treasurer
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2009-2010 Staff
- Salvador Brotons Music Director
- Scott Milam Interim President
- Shirley Gross Development Director
- Richard Brase Marketing Director
- Douglas Peebles Orchestra Manager
- Stephani Daniels Office Manager/Bookkeeper
- Carolyn Shefler Music Librarian
- Volunteers
- Colleen Dinkel Volunteer Coordinator
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