History of the Linfield Chamber Orchestra
Since its beginning in 1991, the Linfield Chamber Orchestra (LCO) has provided a unique opportunity for the community to experience the joy of music for chamber orchestra.
The Linfield Chamber Orchestra was originally established as a strings-only group called the Linfield Chamber Ensemble. The McMinnville-based orchestra now attracts world-renowned guest artists and professional musicians from across Oregon and southwest Washington for performances that rival some of the best concerts in the country. Community members, Linfield College students and interested youth are invited.
The LCO has provided aspiring Linfield College students the opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside seasoned musicians, and every year since 2004, fourth-grade children in Yamhill County schools have been introduced to classical music through a youth concert presented especially for them.
Our first concert took place in April 1991 under the direction of Sylvain Frémaux, former associate conductor for the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra who later became music director of the Newport Symphony and Western Oregon Symphony. Gwenellyn Leonard, a founding faculty member of the LCO and later board president for 11 years, was the soloist for a motet by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Exsultate, Jubilate.” The program was rounded out with Mozart’s “Divertimento in D major” and the Sinfonia no. 9 in C minor by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. The performance was praised by the McMinnville News- Register and The Oregonian.
The 1991–1992 season grew to include two concerts, one in the fall and one in the spring, and subscriptions for that first full season sold out. A third concert was added the following season, along with a music director salary, provided through generous support from Linfield College President Vivian Bull and the Linfield College Department of Music.
In 1994 our name became Linfield Chamber Orchestra to reflect the addition of a wind section. The series also grew to include a fourth concert, featuring chamber music and a smaller group of performers, often drawn from outside the college.
Music Director Sylvain Frémaux’s tenure ended in 2001 and the next two seasons saw three conductors, John Welsh, David Seamon and Huw Edwards, who was the music director for the 2002–2003 season. Michael Gesme, who also conducts the Central Oregon Symphony in Bend, joined the LCO as music director during the 2003–2004 season and is still with us today.