Niagara Symphony & Brock University
In the 1969-1970 season, Brock Thistle Theatre became the major venue for the Symphony Orchestra although they still performed at other locales around the region. It was in 1973 that the orchestra took over the "Symphony House" at Brock. The Symphony House first had been granted to Loyalist, George Turner in 1799. During the War of 1812, Thomas Lane acquired the land. A deed from 1825 verifies that Samuel and Anne Theal lived there at that time and they built on the property. The Theals stayed in the house until 1909. Theal's great-great grandaughter was Florence Egerter of the Allanburg Women's Institute. She is the woman who proposed that a university be built in the Niagara Peninsula.
In the 1990s, Brock and the Symphony had a significant partnership. Members of the orchestra taught at the university and offered masterclasses. In 1998, Niagara Symphony Orchestra was named the Ochestra in Residence at Brock University. The orchestra remained at Brock until the closing of the Brock Centre for the Arts in 2015. In the Autumn of 2015, the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre was opened in downtown St. Catharines. The Niagara Symphony Orchestra moved from the Sean O'Sullivan Theatre to the Arts Centre.
Dr. Ronald Tremain was born in New Zealand and received his doctorate at the Royal College of Music in London, England. He came to Brock in 1970 and became the Music Head Chairman when the Music Department was established. Dr. Tremain composed many musical pieces which are available at the Brock University Library. The symphony played Seven Medieval Lyrics which was composed by Dr. Tremain
The Niagara Symphony Orchestra maintains its creative ties with Brock University. In 2015, Beethoven Lives Upstairs was performed by the Niagara Symphony Orchestra under Bradley Thachuk and the Brock Dramatic Arts Department under Virginia Reh. Other symphony members who have been on the Brock Music faculty or provided provided lessons to Brock students include: Timothy White, Doug Miller, Steve Fralick, George Cleland, Zoltan Kalman, Laura Thomas, Brent Adams, Gordon Cleland, Vera Alexeeva and Patricia Dydnansky.
The Niagara Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven Lives Upstairs. Pictured are Elizabeth Pereira, actor; Virginia Reh, director and Evan Mulrooney, actor.