Victoria Symphony’s 2024/25 Season

Dear Subscribers,

Welcome to our 2024/25 Season! It is with sincere gratitude that I thank you for providing us with the confidence we needed to make this ambitious offering. From the works of Richard Strauss to the songs of ABBA, there is music here that will make you feel alive. Music that we share because we love it and think that you will too.

Join us for another season of brilliant music.

With gratitude,

Matthew White, CEO

Read the Brochure

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2024/25 Season at a Glance

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

September

SEASON OPENING: KLUXEN – STRAUSS’ FOUR LAST SONGS
Sunday, September 15, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
AVIVA FORTUNATA, soprano

R. Strauss: Four Last Songs
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10

In a time of darkness, beauty can still emerge. In the landscape of mid-century politics, war and oppression, Strauss and Shostakovich were both victims of circumstance. In the twilight of his years, Strauss reflected on our walk through life towards death, and beyond. Shostakovich’s Tenth mirrors the terror he experienced under Stalin’s rule, but ultimately his triumph at simply outliving the dictator. Humanity can prevail – a reflection as relevant today as it was 70+ years ago. 

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Commodore & Mrs. Jan Drent and Dr. Fritz & Dora Boehm
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Aviva Fortunata underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain

TANYA TAGAQ IN CONCERT
Wednesday, September 18, 7:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

GIUSEPPE PIETRAROIA, conductor
TANYA TAGAQ, vocalist

A fearless innovator with a visceral stage presence and dizzyingly complex music, Tanya Tagaq is a Canadian cultural icon. The Inuk throat singer has spent her entire life championing her people, land, and culture while calling out oppressive systems and structures. With an extraordinary musical aesthetic, Tanya mines an artistic tradition dating back tens of thousands of years with a fierce power and contemporary sensibility. Tagaq’s performance will include qiksaaqtuq, featuring the Victoria Symphony, a moderated discussion, and sivunittinni, accompanied by the Emily Carr String Quartet.

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Tickets will be available through the UVic Ticket Centre.

BEST OF BROADWAY
Saturday, September 21, 7:30 pm
Sunday, September 22, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor
MELISSA ERRICO, vocalist

Another Op’nin’, Another Show!

VS lights up the Royal Theatre with some of the best and brightest hits of Broadway from The Sound of Music, Les Misérables, My Fair Lady, Phantom of the Opera, and more! Alongside overtures and much-loved medleys from classic shows and contemporary hits, we welcome vocalist Melissa Errico. With her silken voice and dramatic, expressive intensity, the Tony nominee has been featured in My Fair Lady, Camelot, Les Misérables, Amour, etc., and she has also earned accolades as an actress, concert, cabaret, and recording artist.

Concert underwritten by Linda Pendray and Suzanne & John Stewart
Sean O’Loughlin underwritten by Lynda Farmer O.B.C & Murray Farmer O.B.C.

KLUXEN – MOZART’S PRAGUE SYMPHONY
Sunday, September 29, 2:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
DAVID BOUTIN-BOURQUE, clarinet

Ligeti: Melodien
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 in D major, “Prague”
Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto
Korngold: “Much Ado about Nothing” – Suite

From the deceptively simple to disguised genius, these works from different eras connect in intriguing ways. Ligeti’s Austro-Hungarian roots link the Vienna of old with the micro-melodic modern day. Mozart’s “Prague Symphony” features the same playful wit and melodic genius of his operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. Korngold was viewed as modern day Mozart, evolving from child prodigy in Vienna to a pioneering composer for stage and screen. And Nielsen’s neo-classical concerto, featuring VS Principal Clarinet David Boutin-Bourque, encapsulates the Danish composer’s often inscrutable personality.

Sundays at the Farquhar Series underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Concert and David Boutin-Bourque’s performance underwritten by Helen Stuart & Bob Hoogendoorn** Mozart Fund
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer

October

PARKER – BEETHOVEN’S EMPEROR CONCERTO
Sunday, October 6, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

COSETTE JUSTO VALDÉS, conductor
JON KIMURA PARKER, piano

J. Strauss Jr.: Emperor Waltz
Maria-Eduarda Mendes Martins: Vortex Cantabilis
Kodály: Dances of Galánta
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”

The “Emperor Concerto” reigns among Beethoven’s greatest works, especially in the hands of returning piano soloist Jon Kimura Parker. VS also welcomes the recently enthroned Artistic Director of the Vancouver Island Symphony to lead this regal program. Along with music of Johann Strauss, we also recruit flashy and folksy Hungarian dances by Kodály, and the concert premiere of a contemporary Canadian work based on a 13th-century song by Alfonso X of Castile.

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Alan & Jean Hollingworth
Jon Kimura Parker underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain and Jack Boomer & Stephen Hammond

CLASSICAL KIDS LIVE! – SAINT GEORGES’ SWORD & BOW
Saturday, October 19, 3:00 pm
Farquhar at UVic

MAESTRO JOEY, conductor
CLASSICAL KIDS, guest performers

Superb swordsman! Violin virtuoso! Coruscating kaleidoscopic composer! The one and only Joseph Bologne, le Chevalier de Saint-Georges! A new Classical Kids LIVE! concert that is sure to delight, excite, and inspire you to dream big. Hoping to become the next great pop sensation, a young girl discovers her music teacher was the biggest star in 18th-century France. In this time-bending musical adventure, Giselle learns about life’s triumphs and tragedies from the most accomplished man in Europe, the Chevalier Saint-Georges. A captivating story of passion, dreams, legacy, and hope.

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 9 am.

Kids at the Farquhar Series underwritten by JAYMAC

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 5
Sunday, October 27, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

DAVID DANZMAYR, conductor
NATASHA PAREMSKI, piano

Carlos Simon: Fate Now Conquers
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

A fateful quote from The Iliad inspired Beethoven, and the American composer Carlos Simon. Is it fate, “knocking at the door” that their works should be featured on the same program? Like Beethoven, Prokofiev composed five piano concertos. From its premiere in 1921 with the Chicago Symphony, Prokofiev’s Third Concerto has proven to be his most popular—a brilliant showcase of both the lyrical and the virtuosic gifts of the great pianist-composer.

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Tim McGee, KC & Mary Mullens
David Danzmayr underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Natasha Paremski underwritten by Peter & Sharon Jando

November

MURDOCH MYSTERIES IN CONCERT
Saturday, November 2, 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 3, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

LUCAS WALDIN, conductor
ROB CARLI, composer/host

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at how the music for CBC’s hit TV series Murdoch Mysteries is made! Take a musical journey through themes composed for the show and well-known symphonic works associated with its setting at the turn of the last century. Then see the entire cast on the big screen and how it all comes together in a full episode, “Murder in F Major,” as the orchestra performs the stunning soundtrack live. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to experience this popular show live in concert, hosted by composer Rob Carli and some special guests!

KLUXEN – MOZART & BARTÓK
Sunday, November 10, 2:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor

Mozart: Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita”
Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Two musical giants converge in a program that touches on music of the night. In modern parlance, Mozart’s Gran Partita could be subtitled “My Big Fat Viennese Wind Symphony.” Its rich sonority stems from a palette of woodwinds with double bass, likely written as an evening’s entertainment – music as big as all outdoors! Bartók paints a more complex canvas of mid-century Europe, with two string orchestras astride with a bevy of percussion. Here the mystic contrasts with nature, where genius and madness blur. Two colossal contrasts of orchestral colours!

Sundays at the Farquhar Series underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Concert underwritten by Helen Stuart & Bob Hoogendoorn** Mozart Fund
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer

KLUXEN & CHOOI – BARBER VIOLIN CONCERTO
Sunday, November 17, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
TIMOTHY CHOOI, violin

Rodney Sharman: Scarlattiana
Barber: Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Even as a fledgling conductor, a 16-year-old Christian Kluxen was already taken with Tchaikovsky’s music. Its mix of romantic beauty with bittersweet melancholy pairs well with Barber’s Violin Concerto, especially as interpreted by the internationally-renowned, Victoria-born violinist, Timothy Chooi. Rodney Sharman’s update of Scarlatti’s music provides a modern perspective of its easy-going virtuosity and surprising dissonances.

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Dr. Fritz & Dora Boehm
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Timothy Chooi underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer and Dr. Fritz & Dora Boehm

KLUXEN – LISZT & LIEDER
Sunday, November 24, 2:30pm
Farquhar at UVic

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
JOSH LOVELL, tenor

Liszt: Les Préludes
Finzi: Dies natalis
R. Strauss: Five Orchestral songs
Heimliche Aufforderung / Allerseelen /
Morgen! / Zueignung / Cæcilie
Hindemith: Symphony – Mathis der Maler

Poetry, mystical texts, and an angelic altarpiece tie together this program of divine inspiration. Lyric tenor Josh Lovell returns home to Victoria to sing Finzi’s rhapsodic cantata and some of Strauss’s exquisite lieder in rich orchestral settings. Alongside the inspired ecstasy of Lizst’s tone poem and Hindemith’s imaginative symphonic portrait, their spiritual connections will be unveiled.

Sundays at the Farquhar Series underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Concert underwritten by Millingtons: Trustees of The Lou Williamson Scholarship Fund
Josh Lovell underwritten by George Lovick

December

CHRISTMAS POPS WITH CANADIAN BRASS
Saturday, December 7, 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 8, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

Monday, December 9, 7:30 pm*
Qualicum Beach Civic Centre

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor
CANADIAN BRASS

Christmas Time is Here and Canadian Brass is back in Victoria with music for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! From holiday classics to jazzy renditions of favourite carols, the world famous brass quintet joins VS for this festive celebration! Ding Dong, Merrily on High!

*Qualicum Beach concert does not feature Canadian Brass and is not included in subscription purchase discount. Tickets for Qualicum Beach will go on sale late fall 2024.

Concert underwritten by JAYMAC, Suzanne & John Stewart, and Dallas & Len Chapple**
Sean O’Loughlin underwritten by Lynda Farmer O.B.C. & Murray Farmer O.B.C.
Qualicum Beach concert underwritten by Deb McKinley

MESSIAH BY CANDLELIGHT
Thursday, December 12, 7:30 pm
Friday, December 13, 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 15, 2:30 pm
Christ Church Cathedral

GIUSEPPE PIETRAROIA, conductor
JENNIFER TAVERNER, soprano
EMMA PARKINSON, alto
JAMES REESE, tenor
PHILIPPE SLY, bass-baritone
VICTORIA CHILDREN’S CHOIR
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL YOUNG CHORISTERS
VOX HUMANA CHAMBER CHOIR & FRIENDS

Handel: Messiah

“Hallelujah!” In 1741, Handel composed his great oratorio Messiah in just three weeks, and its message continues to reign forever and ever, enthralling audiences annually. Victoria’s magnificent Christ Church Cathedral will be the candlelit setting as the Victoria Symphony, local choirs, and four leading soloists share a story rich in complex emotions and human drama. Lift your spirits once again!

Concert Sponsor

Concert underwritten by Penelope & Jim Kingham
Giuseppe Pietraroia underwritten by Terry Scandrett & Angela Bassage
Jennifer Taverner underwritten by Natexa Verbrugge
James Reese underwritten by Matthew White & Catherine Webster
Philippe Sly underwritten by Dr. Wendy A. Clay

HOME ALONE IN CONCERT
Saturday, December 21, 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 22, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor

A true holiday favourite, this beloved comedy classic features renowned composer John Williams’ charming and delightful score performed live to picture by the Victoria Symphony. Macaulay Culkin stars as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who’s accidentally left behind when his family leaves for Christmas vacation, and who must defend his home against two bungling thieves. Hilarious and heart-warming, Home Alone is holiday fun for the entire family!

© 1990 Twentieth Century FoxFilm Corporation. All rights reserved.

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 9 am.

Concert underwritten by Linda Pendray
Sean O’Loughlin underwritten by Lynda Farmer O.B.C. & Murray Farmer O.B.C.

January

A NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATION
Wednesday, January 1, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

GIUSEPPE PIETRAROIA, conductor
TRACY DAHL, soprano
MEMBERS OF THE PACIFIC OPERA VICTORIA CHORUS
DANCERS FROM BALLET VICTORIA

Victoria’s favourite New Year’s tradition! Effervescent soprano Tracy Dahl hits the high notes as VS breaks out the bubbly. Revel in a musical banquet of much-loved arias, choruses, glamorous dances, and toe-tapping instrumentals from favourite operas and operettas. Treat yourself, family, and friends to this musical toast as we ring in the New Year. Cheers!

Giuseppe Pietraroia underwritten by Terry Scandrett & Angela Bassage
Tracy Dahl underwritten by Carol Bellringer & Greg Doyle
Ballet Victoria underwritten by Tom & Terri Siemens

TONY DeSARE – RHAPSODY & BLUE EYES
Saturday, January 25, 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 26, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor
TONY DeSARE, piano/vocals
AND JAZZ COMBO

From the timeless songs of Ol’ Blue Eyes, to George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, triple-threat singer/songwriter/ pianist, Tony DeSare, tackles two musical mavericks in one outstanding concert. Whether in jazz clubs, Carnegie Hall, or headlining with major orchestras, Tony delivers a fresh take on old school class. He returns to Victoria to chart some of Frank Sinatra’s greatest hits—Come Fly with Me, It Was A Very Good Year, New York, New York—and more!

Concert underwritten by John & Gabrielle Goudy
Sean O’Loughlin underwritten by Lynda Farmer O.B.C. & Murray Farmer O.B.C.

February

KLUXEN & POULIOT – TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO
Sunday, February 2, 2:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
BLAKE POULIOT, violin

Missy Mazzoli: Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major
Nielsen: Symphony No. 2 “The Four Temperaments”

“Oh, how difficult it is to make anyone see and feel in music what we see and feel ourselves.” Early, temperamental reactions to his Violin Concerto must have stung Tchaikovsky, but it’s now a firm favourite of countless violinists, including Canada’s Blake Pouliot. A set of comic portraits of personality types, or temperaments, triggered Nielsen to recreate them in musical form, from the introverted (melancholic and phlegmatic) to the extroverted (choleric and sanguine). Composer Missy Mazzoli’s mesmeric Sinfonia is music ‘in the shape of the solar system,’ weaving and coiling itself in a sequence of pulsing loops.

Sundays at the Farquhar Series underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Concert underwritten by Natexa Verbrugge
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Blake Pouliot underwritten by George Lovick

DVOŘÁK’S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
Sunday, February 9, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

EARL LEE, conductor
TERENCE TAM, violin
BRIAN YOON, cello

Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Saint-Saëns: The Muse and the Poet
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”

In advance of Valentine’s Day, we share three heart-felt musical depictions of love: the tragedy of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers from the pen of Tchaikovsky; Saint-Saëns’ romantic, poetic musings in an inspired dialogue between two soloists; and the nostalgic longing for home experienced by Dvořák. Korean-Canadian conductor Earl Lee serves as Assistant Conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Sara Neely
Terence Tam’s performance underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Brian Yoon’s performance underwritten by Helen Stuart & Bob Hoogendoorn** Mozart Fund

PLATYPUS THEATRE’S CHARLOTTE AND THE MUSIC-MAKER
Saturday, February 22, 3:00 pm
Farquhar at UVic

KELLY LIN, conductor
Appearance courtesy of the Women in Musical Leadership Program
PLATYPUS THEATRE
PETER DUSCHENES, writer/actor

Lost in a blizzard, Charlotte finds herself whisked on a journey through the Magical Monarchy of Musical Magnificence, exploring the sounds and colours of the orchestra and leading her to an unexpected discovery, not only about music, but about herself. The concert features enchanting illustrations by Graham Ross and a stunning original score by Alain Trudel, with selections from Handel, Grieg, and upbeat arrangements of well-known popular tunes.

Commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 9 am.

Kids at the Farquhar Series underwritten by JAYMAC

March

A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS
Friday, March 7, 7:30 pm*
Qualicum Beach Civic Centre

Saturday, March 8, 7:30 pm
Sunday, March 9, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

SEAN O’LOUGHLIN, conductor

“The envelope please…” VS rolls out the red carpet to welcome you to an evening of glitz, glamour, and movie music! From spine-tingling thrillers, heart-pounding action films, triumphant moments, and poignant goodbyes, we celebrate scores that earned Academy Award recognition. From The Wizard of Oz and E.T: The Extraterrestrial to Chinatown and Chariots of Fire, relive some of cinema’s most magical musical moments.

Qualicum Beach concert not included in subscription purchase discount. Tickets for Qualicum Beach will go on sale late winter 2025.

Concert underwritten by Linda Pendray
Sean O’Loughlin underwritten by Lynda Farmer O.B.C. & Murray Farmer O.B.C.

KLUXEN – HAYDN’S THE CREATION
Sunday, March 16, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
AMANDA FORSYTHE, soprano
OWEN McCAUSLAND, tenor
TYLER DUNCAN, bass
VOX HUMANA CHAMBER CHOIR & FRIENDS

Haydn: The Creation

“In the beginning…” Drawing on biblical texts from Genesis and the Psalms, as well as John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, Haydn moulded his gloriously tuneful and optimistic oratorio The Creation. Out of the chaos of darkness emerges light, heaven and earth, plants, animals, and humankind. Sung in English by a stellar cast of soloists and choristers, this milestone musical work from the Age of Enlightenment continues to enthral audiences, as joyful and life-affirming as a walk in a garden.

Sundays at the Royal Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Jade Gan
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer
Amanda Forsythe underwritten by Dr. M. Nickason
Vox Humana underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain

KLUXEN – BRAHMS SYMPHONY NO. 3
Sunday, March 23, 2:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
ALLYSON McHARDY, mezzo-soprano

Brahms: Symphony No. 3
Mahler (Arr. Britten): What the Wild Flowers Tell Me
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

The product of a summer’s holiday in 1883, Brahms’s Third Symphony has been described as being “…artistically the most perfect.” A single movement from Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 was the inspiration for Britten to present a musical posy: What the Wildflowers Tell Me. The poetry of Pablo Neruda moved Peter Lieberson to create a song cycle for his wife, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, “one of the most extraordinarily affecting artistic gifts ever created by one lover to another.”

Sundays at the Farquhar Series underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Concert and Allyson McHardy underwritten by Dr. Fritz & Dora Boehm
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer

THE PRINCESS BRIDE IN CONCERT
Saturday, March 29, 7:00 pm
Sunday, March 30, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

GIUSEPPE PIETRAROIA, conductor

Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… Experience one of the most beloved films of all time at the Royal Theatre as the Victoria Symphony performs Mark Knopfler’s unforgettable score live to picture! Missing this cinematic concert would be “Inconceivable!”

© The Princess Bride Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 9 am.

Concert underwritten by John & Gabrielle Goudy
Giuseppe Pietraroia underwritten by Terry Scandrett & Angela Bassage

April

BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY NO. 6
(A SCIENCE AND SYMPHONY CONCERT)
Sunday, April 6, 2:30 pm
Farquhar at UVic

JOSÉ FRANCISCO SALGADO, filmmaker

J. Strauss Jr.: On the Beautiful Blue Danube
Ethel Smyth: On the Cliffs of Cornwall
John Estacio: Moontides
Michael Abels: Liquify
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 “Pastorale”

We share some views of our beautiful blue planet, blending live music with Science & Symphony’s high-definition films alongside Dr. José Francisco Salgado’s explorations of oceans, tides, and water. Conductor Naomi Woo completes the scene with some equally dramatic scores of the Cornish coast and the pastoral countryside. Maestra Woo grew up in North Vancouver and is the first woman appointed as director of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Sundays at the Farquhar Series and Naomi Woo underwritten by Julie & Harry Swain
Concert underwritten by Jan & Johanna GrootWassink
José Francisco Salgado underwritten by Jim & Betty Hesser

ANGELA HEWITT PLAYS MOZART
Sunday, April 13, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

ANGELA HEWITT, soloist/director

Mozart: Concert-Rondo in D major
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21, in C major “Elvira Madigan”
Finzi: Eclogue
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24, in C minor

The return of Angela Hewitt is a not-to-be-missed event. Mozart’s Concert-Rondo was a “new and improved” ending for a much earlier concerto, designed to please the audiences in Vienna. Between 1784 and 1786, Mozart completed a remarkable twelve concertos, including the sublime C major (latterly nicknamed the Elvira Madigan) and the earthshattering C minor—one of only two that the legendary composer wrote in a minor key. Finzi’s Eclogue is a dialogue between piano and strings, a nostalgic and quintessentially British work worth discovering.

Sundays at the Royal  Series underwritten by Jill Gibson
Concert underwritten by Sheridan Scott & David Zussman
Angela Hewitt underwritten by Natexa Verbrugge, Marc & Patricia Lortie, and Millingtons: Trustees of the Lou Williamson Scholarship Fund

THE SPIRIT HORSE RETURNS
Saturday, April 26, 3:00 pm
Farquhar at UVic

MONICA CHEN, conductor
Appearance courtesy of the Women in Musical Leadership Program
JODI CONTIN, narrator/singer
KEN MACDONALD, narrator/horn
RHONDA SNOW, visual artist
AND SPECIAL GUESTS

The Spirit Horse Returns is a captivating concert for all ages that blends traditional North American Indigenous teachings, stunning visual art, and a rich orchestral score to tell powerful stories and legends of the Ojibwe Horses. A collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous co-creators, it takes audiences on a journey through time, exploring the history of the Ojibwe horses as helpers and spirit guides for First Nations and Métis people, and how they were affected by the arrival of settlers, the Gold Rush, and Pony Express. The show has an inspired and uplifting message, as groups come together to rescue the last of the Ojibwe horses, giving them new life and hope.

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 30 at 9 am.

Kids at the Farquhar Series underwritten by JAYMAC

May

YO-YO MA IN CONCERT
Sunday, May 4, 7:30 pm
Royal Theatre

CHRISTIAN KLUXEN, conductor
YO-YO MA, cello

Jennifer Butler: And Birds Do Sing
Elgar: Cello Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2

The extraordinary cellist, globe-trotting teacher, and humanitarian Yo-Yo Ma returns to the Royal Theatre to perform with your Victoria Symphony. As the peak of our 2024/25 Season, Maestro Kluxen will welcome the award-winning cellist to perform Elgar’s moving Cello Concerto, a monumental work of universal appeal. The opening work, by Jennifer Butler, was premiered by VS in 2011 and evokes a transition from darkness to a space of unity, peace and healing. Sibelius himself thought of his Symphony No. 2 as “a struggle between death and salvation” and “a confession of the soul.”

Not included in subscription purchase discount. Subscribers will receive early access to single tickets on Tuesday, July 23, one week ahead of the general public. Limit of two tickets per subscription package holder. Subject to availability. No waitlist.

Concert underwritten by Jill Gibson, Jim & Betty Hesser, Marc & Patricia Lortie, and Christine & Shane O’Leary
Christian Kluxen underwritten by Sandra Lackenbauer

DANCING QUEEN – THE MUSIC OF ABBA
Saturday, May 10, 7:30 pm
Sunday, May 11, 2:30 pm
Royal Theatre

GIUSEPPE PIETRAROIA, conductor
JEANS ‘N CLASSICS

Mamma Mia! A night of ABBA’s music may be the ultimate “guilty pleasure” for us all. Fifty years after they first formed and with millions of albums sold, the music of ABBA is still welcomed everywhere. VS rocks along with four amazing vocalists and the Jeans ’n Classics band to perform the iconic songs of ABBA in all their pop, rock, dance, and ballad glory, including Take a Chance on Me, Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, Waterloo, and more!

Concert underwritten by Sara Neely
Giuseppe Pietraroia underwritten by Terry Scandrett & Angela Bassage

POST-SEASON SPECIAL!
ECHO: MEMORIES OF THE WORLD
Thursday, May 29, 7:30 pm
McPherson Playhouse

A co-presentation of the Victoria Symphony and Pacific Opera Victoria

GRYPHON TRIO
MARION NEWMAN, mezzo-soprano (Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations)
aaron wells, actor (Nuučanuł and Ts’ymsyen nations NW coast BC)

Imagined within this multimedia project is an exploration of the many efforts around the world to bring voice to submerged histories. ECHO: Memories of the World highlights these important efforts through a unique fusion of music, video, spoken word, soundscape, and other artistic media. With a core team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous creators, this project not only tackles, but engages in the process of establishing and maintaining mutually respectful relationships between artistic genres, timeframes, spaces, histories, and peoples.

Developed with the support of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

Add-on to your subscription package at time of purchase.

Concert underwritten by Barbara Winters

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