The VSO’s 95th Anniversary Season is only weeks away! The Season-opening performances are Saturday & Monday, September 28th & 30th, 8pm, Orpheum. These performances feature renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie performing the World Premiere of a piece by Randolph Peters, one of Canada’s most prolific and decorated composers, commissioned for Dame Evelyn and entitled Musicophilia. This very special opening weekend also includes Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, and Ravel’s Bolero. Of course, Maestro Bramwell Tovey conducts.
The 2013/2014 season celebrates the long history of the VSO as Western Canada’s premiere cultural institution; but it is also a season of change, and introduces new and exciting programming for audiences throughout the Lower Mainland. The new season contains the usual extraordinary line-up of classical and contemporary guest artists and repertoire, Pops, matinees, and concerts for children and families – but it also features three exciting, brand new celebrations of music-making that are destined to permanently transform Vancouver’s musical landscape:
THE VSO SPRING FESTIVAL: A new addition to the festival scene in Vancouver, The VSO Spring Festival will focus on the works of a composer and/or musical era each Spring, in a set of concerts and activities that celebrate music-making at its finest. The first annual VSO Spring Festival features pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk performing all five of Rachmaninoff’s lush, beautiful works for piano and orchestra with Bramwell Tovey and the VSO, as well as other great music by this celebrated composer and his contemporaries, in four major concerts at the Orpheum. The festival includes Pre-Concert Talks each night with Maestro Bramwell Tovey, and Post-Concert “Deconstructing Rachmaninoff” discussions with Alexander Gavrylyuk and Maestro Tovey.
PACIFIC RIM CELEBRATION: Vancouver is a city that is uniquely positioned to celebrate the cultures of the Pacific Rim, and this new, annual festival will focus on different cultures each year. This season, the VSO celebrates the Year of the Horse in a very special Chinese New Year concert featuring internationally-renowned conductor Long Yu, Music Director of the Shanghai and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestras; and East meets West when the VSO welcomes superstar Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang, and local Korean musicians and choirs.
NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL: The VSO’s brand new, annual New Music Festival will feature a different visiting distinguished international composer each year, as well as the works of Canadian composers, and the VSO Composer-in-Residence. This inaugural festival will feature renowned Australian composer and violist, Brett Dean. Guest performers include the Rascher Saxophone Quartet from Germany, Vancouver’s acclaimed new music ensemble, Standing Wave, and members of the VSO will perform in chamber music in addition to their usual Symphony roles.
For concert info and tickets visit www.vancouversymphony.ca
