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The formation of the Hilliard Bach Ensemble ensemble is the latest milestone in the history of the Greater Columbus Community Orchestra, which was organized in 1965 and originally called the Northwest Civic Orchestra. From the late 1970's to the mid-2000's, the group performed in Upper Arlington under different names. In 2008, after an offer of funding from the Hilliard Arts Council, the organization moved to Hilliard, rechristening itself the Greater Columbus Community Orchestra. The Hilliard Bach Ensemble is the first group to emerge from within the ranks of the orchestra.
The Director of the ensemble, Olev Viro, envisions a strings-heavy group consisting of between 16 and 25 players - including violinists, violists, cellists and bassists - but he is flexible about the final number for a given concert. He proposed creating the ensemble after the orchestra received the gift of a harpsichord from Weldon Adams, the retired music director of Covenant Presbyterian Church (An earlier incarnation of the orchestra performed at Covenant.) The “Bach” part of the name refers to German composer J.S. Bach, whose work promises to be a fixture of the ensemble. The ensemble's concert-master is Anne Zavaglia. |
