About

Hard Rubber Orchestra

since circa 1990
“Godzilla of the Vancouver jazz scene, a big, goofy monster that stomps through complex charts with the swagger of a big swing band and the head of a termonuclear explosion.”

Formed by John Korsrud twenty years ago, The 18-piece Hard Rubber Orchestra has been one of Canada’s most active and unpredictable ensembles of creative music.

Over the years they have collaborated with an incredibly diverse spectrum of Vancouver artists such as Phil Dwyer, Sook-Yin Lee, Linda Bouchard, Brad Turner, Joe Keithley, Kokoro Dance, Dee Daniels, Emanuel Sandhu, Alvin Cornista, The Tomorrow Collective, Veda Hille, and filmmakers Brian Johnson and jamie griffiths. HRO has released two CDs, recorded numerous CBC broadcasts, toured to Europe in 2003 and across Canada several times, and received the 2005 Alcan Arts Award – the largest arts award in Canada for creation. They have pushed the boundaries of the concert experience, creating several large multi-media shows such as The Ice Age ice shows (2010, 2000), the arts rave Drum & Light Festival (2010, 2009, 2008), The Elvis Cantata (1996, 1994), the Alcan awarded Enter/ Exit (2005).

HRO is also one of Canada’s leading ensembles to commission new compositions, commissioning forty new works by thirty composers from jazz and classical fields such as Phil Dwyer, Hugh Fraser, Brad Turner, Michael Blake, Tony Wilson, Fred Stride, Paul Dolden, Peter Hannan, Linda Bouchard, Howard Bashaw, Keith Hamel, Rene Lussier, and Jean Derome.
Available for Shows/Gigs

Community Events

Current Lineup

Chad Makela
200 - present
David Branter
200 - present
John van Deursen
200 - present
Vince Vohradsky
200 - present
Robin Read
200 - present
Chris Gestrin
200 - present
Allen Stiles
200 - present
Jack Duncan
1990 - present
John Korsrud
1990 - present
Brad Turner
1990 - present
Dave Robbins
1990 - present
Andre Lachance
1990 - present
Ron Samworth
1990 - present
Bill Runge
1990 - present
Saul Berson
1990 - present
Brad Muirhead
1990 - present
Rod Murray
1990 - present
Dennis Esson
1990 - present

Past Members

Ross Gregory
1990 - 200
Vince Mai
trumpet
1990 - 200
Jeremy Berkman
1990 - 200
Graham Ord
saxophone/flute
1990 - 2009
Daniel Miles Kane
1990 - 200
Rebbeca Whitling
1990 - 200