Editing Toronto Symphony Orchestra (section)

==History==
[[File:Full orchestra small.jpg|thumb|Then-music director [[Peter Oundjian]] posing with the TSO at [[Roy Thomson Hall]] before a concert in January 2012]]
[[File:Peter Oundjian - Conductor of Toronto Symphony Orchestra 2014.jpg|thumb|Peter Oundjian conducting the TSO at Roy Thomson Hall in June 2014]]
The TSO was founded in 1922 as the New Symphony Orchestra, and gave its first concert at [[Massey Hall]] in April 1923 with 58 musicians. The first conductor was [[Luigi von Kunits]], and that season there were twenty concerts, as well as a performance at a spring festival.<ref name="vyhnak">{{Cite news |last=Vyhnak |first=Carola |date=2015-06-14 |title=Birth of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20150614/281908771772027 |access-date= |work=[[Toronto Star]] |pages=A12 |via=PressReader.com}}</ref>

In the summer of 1924, the symphony performed at the [[Canadian National Exhibition]]. Shortly thereafter, they began holding children's concerts.<ref name=vyhnak /> The orchestra changed its name to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1927. In 1929, the TSO made its radio debut with a one-hour broadcast on [[CBC Radio]] from the [[Arcadian Court]].<ref name=vyhnak />

After von Kunits' death in 1931, [[Ernest MacMillan]] served as music director for 25 years.<ref name=vyhnak /> In 1951, the orchestra made headlines when it declined to renew the contracts of musicians, thereafter known as the [[Symphony Six]], who had been denied entry to the United States on suspicion of communist activities, during the McCarthy Era.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plummer |first=Kevin |date=2012-03-24 |title=Historicist: The Symphony Six |url=http://torontoist.com/2012/03/historicist-the-symphony-six/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714220028/http://torontoist.com/2012/03/historicist-the-symphony-six/ |archive-date=2014-07-14 |website=Torontoist}}</ref>

[[Andrew Davis (conductor)|Andrew Davis]] was the TSO's music director from 1975 to 1988. The TSO subsequently granted Davis the title of conductor laureate.<ref>{{cite news |author=Littler |first=William |date=2015-05-08 |title=The TSO's Englishman in Toronto |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2015/05/08/the-tsos-englishman-in-toronto.html |access-date= |work=Toronto Star}}</ref>

The orchestra had financial and audience size problems during the 1990s, and in 1992, TSO musicians accepted a 16% pay cut because of a threat of bankruptcy to the orchestra, with a promise from management to make up the loss in subsequent contract negotiations. By 1999, this pay restoration had not happened, which led to an 11-week musicians' strike that autumn.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto-symphony-negotiations-hit-sour-note-1.173965 | title=Toronto Symphony negotiations hit sour note | work=CBC News | date=25 September 1999 | access-date=2008-11-08}}</ref> Relations between the musicians and management deteriorated, and the music director at the time, [[Jukka-Pekka Saraste]], offered to serve as mediator in the situation. In addition, there was a lack of public sympathy to the orchestra musicians' situation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Warren |first=Richard |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/9781442671232 |title=Begins with the Oboe |date=2002-01-01 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |isbn=978-1-4426-7123-2 |pages=209-211}}</ref> By 2001, the TSO had debt of $7 million CAD, and both executive director Ed Smith and music director Saraste had left the ensemble.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bernstein |first=Tamara |date=2001-10-25 |title=Toronto Symphony Teeters on the Edge of Ruin |url=http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=14591 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021117124101/http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=14591 |archive-date=2002-11-17 |access-date= |work=andante}}</ref>

[[Peter Oundjian]] was appointed as music director in January 2003 and became music director in the 2004–2005 season.<ref>{{cite news |author=Terauds |first=John |date=2007-02-08 |title=Conductor puts mark on TSO through '12 |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/conductor-puts-mark-on-tso-through-12/article_e6540300-35e7-5208-b981-5f614d083cd1.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref> The 2005 documentary film ''Five Days in September: The Rebirth of an Orchestra'' recorded the first days of the TSO's inaugural season with Oundjian as its new music director.<ref>{{cite news |author=Oestreich |first=James R. |date=2011-03-16 |title=Orchestra, Back From the Brink |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/arts/music/peter-oundjian-toronto-symphony-orchestras-music-director.html |access-date=2017-05-29 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> His contract was extended through to the 2017-2018 season.<ref>{{cite news |author=Kaptainis |first=Arthur |date=2016-02-05 |title=Two more seasons for TSO's Peter Oundjian |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/music/the-toronto-symphony-orchestra-signs-music-director-peter-oundjian-for-two-more-seasons |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=National Post}}</ref> He concluded his TSO tenure at the close of the 2017-2018 season and was given the title of conductor emeritus.<ref>{{cite news |author=Harris |first=Robert |date=2017-01-25 |title=Toronto Symphony Orchestra unveils its final Oundjian-led season |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/toronto-symphony-orchestra-unveils-its-final-oundjian-led-season/article33734525/ |access-date=2017-05-29 |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref> With Oundjian, the TSO made commercial recordings for its own TSO Live label and for other labels such as [[Chandos Records]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Kaptainis |first=Arthur |date=2018-06-14 |title=INTERVIEW {{!}} Peter Oundjian On The Eve Of Saying Goodbye |url=https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2018/06/14/interview-peter-oundjian-on-the-eve-of-saying-goodbye/ |access-date=2020-05-25 |work=Ludwig Van Toronto}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Stephi |date=2019-03-16 |title=Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works Featuring The Toronto Symphony Orchestra Receives JUNO Award |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/toronto/article/Vaughan-Williams-Orchestral-Works-Featuring-The-Toronto-Symphony-Orchestra-Receives-JUNO-Award-20190316 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=BroadwayWorld |language=en}}</ref>

By the 2006–2007 season, the subscriber base had increased to about 25,000, and the audience average capacity also increased to 84%.<ref>{{cite news |author=Terauds |first=John |date=2007-02-03 |title=TSO's new season |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/tsos-new-season/article_e14148b2-d41a-5c38-833f-bdf956733ba7.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref> In November 2008, the orchestra reported its third consecutive year of budget surpluses, with average audience attendance of 88% (excluding concerts for schoolchildren), although the orchestra still retained overall debt of $8.9 million CAD in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |author=Terauds |first=John |date=2008-11-20 |title=TSO salutes its third surplus in row |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/tso-salutes-its-third-surplus-in-row/article_2a185b09-91a0-575a-8478-a8847bdbb18c.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref> In 2022, the TSO ended the season with its first net surplus since 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wassenberg |first=Anya |last2= |last3= |first3= |date=2022-09-30 |title=THE SCOOP {{!}} Toronto Symphony Ends A Difficult Season Deficit-Free |url=https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2022/09/30/scoop-toronto-symphony-orchestra-ends-difficult-season-deficit-free/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Ludwig van Toronto |language=en-US}}</ref>

In April 2015, controversy ensued after the TSO cancelled the appearance of [[Valentina Lisitsa]], citing Twitter postings by her in relation to the [[war in Donbas]] which were seen as conducive to "public incitement of hatred" under the Criminal Code of Canada.<ref>{{cite news |date=2015-04-07 |title=Toronto symphony bans Ukrainian-born pianist over 'provocative' tweets denouncing Kyiv's 'neo-Nazis' |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto/toronto-symphony-bans-ukrainian-born-pianist-over-provocative-tweets-denouncing-kyivs-neo-nazis |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=National Post}}</ref>  

In January 2017, the TSO announced its participation in the celebrations of the [[150th anniversary of Canada]], with a cross-country celebration of Canadian music funded by the Canadian government.<ref name="Harris">{{cite news |last1=Harris |first1=Robert |date=2017-01-20 |title=Canada Mosaic: An imperfect but important cultural program |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/canada-mosaic-an-imperfect-but-important-culturalprogram/article33685049/ |access-date=2017-02-08 |work=The Globe and Mail |language=en-ca}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Littler |first1=William |date=2017-01-16 |title=Canada Mosaic puts Canadian music on the map |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2017/01/16/canada-mosaic-puts-canadian-music-on-the-map.html |access-date=2017-02-08 |work=Toronto Star}}</ref>

In May 2017, the TSO announced the return of Davis to the orchestra as its interim artistic director, beginning with the 2018-2019 season, for a period of two seasons.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Sir Andrew Davis to provide interim artistic leadership during TSO Music Director search |date=2017-05-30 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://admin2.myscena.org/newswire/sir-andrew-davis-provide-interim-artistic-leadership-tso-music-director-search/ |access-date=2018-05-08}}</ref> In April 2018, the TSO announced the appointment of Matthew Loden as its chief executive officer (CEO), effective July 2018.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Toronto Symphony Orchestra Appoints Matthew Loden As Chief Executive Officer |date=2018-04-30 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.tso.ca/news-release/toronto-symphony-orchestra-appoints-matthew-loden-chief-executive-officer |access-date=2018-05-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506035813/https://www.tso.ca/news-release/toronto-symphony-orchestra-appoints-matthew-loden-chief-executive-officer |archive-date=2018-05-06}}</ref>

In February 2018, [[Gustavo Gimeno]] guest-conducted the TSO for the first time. On the basis of this appearance, the TSO announced the appointment of Gimeno as its next music director, effective in the 2020-2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 years.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Toronto Symphony Orchestra Announces Gustavo Gimeno as Next Music Director |date=2018-09-17 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.tso.ca/news-release/gustavo-gimeno-music-director |access-date=2018-09-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918144505/https://www.tso.ca/news-release/gustavo-gimeno-music-director |archive-date=2018-09-18}}</ref>  In July 2020, the TSO announced the cancellation of its originally scheduled 2020-2021 concert season, with plans for replacement concerts on a smaller scale in various Toronto venues, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite press release |title=TSO Replaces Season with Plans to Perform Smaller Events across the GTA |date=2020-07-06 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.tso.ca/noteworthy/tso-replaces-season-with-plans-to-perform-smaller-events-across-the-gta/ |access-date=2024-10-15}}</ref> 

In July 2021, the TSO announced that Matthew Loden was to stand down as its CEO, effective 22 September 2021.<ref>{{cite press release |title=CEO Matthew Loden to Depart the TSO |date=2021-07-07 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.tso.ca/noteworthy/ceo-matthew-loden-to-depart-the-tso/ |access-date=2021-07-12}}</ref> In January 2022, the TSO announced the appointment of Mark Williams as its next chief executive officer, effective April 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Mark Williams Announced as New CEO of Toronto Symphony Orchestra |date=2022-01-12 |publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra |url=https://www.tso.ca/news-release/mark-williams-announced-new-ceo-toronto-symphony-orchestra |accessdate=2022-01-17}}</ref> In November 2022, the TSO announced the extension of Gimeno's contract as its music director through 2030.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.tso.ca/noteworthy/five-more-years-on-the-podium/ | title=Five More Years on the Podium: Music Director Gustavo Gimeno’s Contract Extended through 2030 | publisher=Toronto Symphony Orchestra | date=5 December 2022 | accessdate=2025-03-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Wheeler |first=Brad |date=2022-11-21 |title=Toronto Symphony Orchestra extends contract of music director Gustavo Gimeno through 2029-30 season |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-gustavo-gimeno-toronto-symphony-orchestra/ |access-date=2022-11-28 |work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>