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Nick Collon Interview
Posted on Thursday, May 01, 2008. © Copyright 2004-2008 David Bruce
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C:T talks to Nick Collon, conductor and founder member of The Aurora Orchestra. Nick was recently awarded a prestigious Arts Foundation Fellowship 2008 and regularly programs new music with his orchestra.
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Nick Collon
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Tell us something about your background.
My instruments were viola, piano organ, and I sing a bit too. I was an organ scholar at Cambridge, and have been conducting ever since. I do increasing amounts of opera, and work with various orchestras as well.
Tell us about the Aurora Orchestra , how it was formed, it's raison d'etre.
Aurora Orchestra was founded in 2004 by myself and another conductor, Robin Ticciati. It's based on a core of 15 principal players; string quintet with a wind quintet, brass soloists, percussion and keyboard. The result is a flexible ensemble; we aim to champion the wonderful and varied repertoire of the 20th century alongside intimate performances of well-known masterpieces and revealing arrangements of large-scale symphonic works.
Does the group focus on playing specific types of music?
We like to programme not just contemporary music, but also unusual or unknown repertoire from any period, such as Schreker and Hindemith from the 1920's.
How do you go about programming your concerts?
We try to come up with themes, from which we attempt to find repertoire that challenges, and repertoire that appeals to a broader public. We often collaborate with other art forms, which can be a useful starting block.
How do you respond to unsolicited work- do you give feedback? Do you ever commission new work yourself?
We do commission new work, as much as we can. I see that as a necessary avenue to musical exploration. We have done new pieces by Nico Muhly, Tobias Brostrom, Chris Willis and James Williamson.
I try to respond to unsolicited work, but we do get a lot of it, and we're a small administrative team!
What do you see as the role (intended and actual) of new music in the modern world?
To challenge aural preconceptions, to inspire, to expand the canon of 600+ years music ever wider
Interview by David Bruce © Copyright 2004-2008
 Comments by other Members
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