Company Profile
New Century Chamber Orchestra
Company Overview
New Century Chamber Orchestra (www.ncco.org) is a virtuoso string ensemble that presents classical music in fresh and exciting ways to audiences throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and through national and international touring. Founded in 1992, this 19-member conductorless ensemble has offered innovative programs and performances of extraordinary quality for more than 28 years. The internationally acclaimed British violinist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist Daniel Hope has been the ensemble’s Music Director since 2018.
The gifted musicians of New Century come not only from the Bay Area but from across the United States and Europe. New Century’s performances are the result of a dynamic and collaborative rehearsal process that yields concerts of remarkable intimacy, precision, passion, and power. During the unprecedented disruption in concerts due to the pandemic, New Century pivoted to digital media production, releasing several concert films that can be found on NCCO.org. The 2021-22 Season marks the orchestra’s return to live performances, including four programs presented in the East Bay, the Peninsula, Marin, and San Francisco, and a debut appearance on the Stanford Live series at Bing Concert Hall. In June of 2019, New Century made its first-ever European tour, performing 10 concerts in Germany and Poland, including at the Philharmonie Essen and venerable Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
The 2022-2023 concert season will mark the organization’s 30th anniversary and will include the release of its debut Deutsche Grammophon album with Daniel Hope, a second tour to Europe (Germany and Ukraine), and performances around the state of California.
New Century Chamber Orchestra is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors and has an administrative staff of five. The 2019-2020 operating budget was $1.6 million. The 2020-2021 pandemic season ended in a substantial surplus, allowing New Century to create a $200,000 endowment fund and launch a legacy giving campaign for the first time in its history.