About The Garden City Orchestra

The Garden City Orchestra (GCO) is a friendly community orchestra based in Christchurch—the very aptly named Garden City—where it was founded in 1999. It offers an ensemble experience known for its great repertoire and supportive approach.

Our Mission and Music

The orchestra was formed in 1999 under the directorship of John Emeleus for musicians of all ages who enjoy making music together.

Our members include enthusiastic musicians ranging from young to adult and amateur to professional. We rehearse weekly and endeavor to perform two concerts every year.

The GCO strives to achieve lively and sensitive interpretations in a wide variety of music, from Beethoven to Borodin, Mozart to Mendelssohn, as well as contemporary theatre and movie music. For our concerts, we are often joined by invited local groups (choral and instrumental), and we like to feature young soloists and emerging composers where we can.

Recalling the Start of the GCO

The inspiration for the orchestra came from Daphne Russell, as recalled by founding director John Emeleus:

"The idea for the orchestra came from Daphne Russell. The idea was that an orchestra be set up to cater for the needs of younger orchestral players. In particular, to include those who were considered to be too old for the Christchurch Youth Orchestra."

Emeleus was approached as a possible conductor and accepted the role.

"Numbers were thin in the first rehearsals, although there was a very competent group of players. Fortunately, Fiona Pears, an excellent and well-known violinist, agreed to help us. In addition, some members of the Orchestral Society very kindly agreed to assist us. The Garden City Orchestra was then able to perform as a nearly complete symphony orchestra."

The first concert went very well, featuring works by Mozart, Bizet, Stravinsky, and Haydn.

Conductor Update

Stop Press: Dr. Beth Cohen, the Garden City’s current conductor, will be leaving to live in Australia at the end of the year. As one of New Zealand’s very few female conductors, she will be sadly missed, but we wish her well in new roles in Melbourne. We understand that a new conductor has already been selected to give direction to the GCO next year.

To learn more about the Garden City Orchestra, visit their website.