Mission
With a mission “to inspire, educate, and captivate our community through the transformative power of music,” the Victoria Symphony (VS) is one of British Columbia’s largest performing arts organizations. At the core of VS operations is our commitment to our orchestra: 44 outstanding professional musicians who share their expertise not only on stage with our audiences, but in the community as teachers at the University of Victoria, the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and in private studios. Over 95% of our expenses go to paying local employees, artists, and businesses. The success of VS is tightly connected to our ongoing and valued collaborations with other major artistic partners in the local arts community. Our mutually beneficial relationships with groups like Pacific Opera Victoria, Ballet Victoria, Dance Victoria, Vox Humana Chamber Choir, The Victoria Children’s Choir, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, the Victoria Choral Society, and the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra put us at the very centre of Victoria’s cultural community.
Music Director
Maestro Christian Kluxen
Now in his eighth season as Music Director of the Victoria Symphony, Christian Kluxen is also in his second season as Principal Guest Conductor of the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra in Finland, following a five-year tenure as Chief Conductor of the Arctic Philharmonic in Norway.
Kluxen has been described in the press as “a dynamic, charismatic figure” who “forms the music with an impressive vertical power of emotion and a focus on the grand form,” conducting “with exemplary clarity and a heavenly warmth.” He is recognized for his sincere and transparent leadership, innovative programming and his bold, imaginative and energetic interpretations, showcased both in
his Music Director and guest work.
Alongside his many and varied commitments with the Victoria Symphony and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, recent and forthcoming guest engagements include Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Pacific Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Odense Symphony, and Norrköping Symphony. A fruitful and inspiring relationship with the Arctic Philharmonic, whom Kluxen led for five years as Chief Conductor, resulted in numerous exhilarating performances of a wide variety of repertoire, as well as several acclaimed recordings.
Associate Conductor
Maestro Giuseppe Pietraroia
Giuseppe Pietraroia is Associate Conductor of the Victoria Symphony and Principal Conductor of Pacific Opera Victoria. As a guest conductor he has been engaged by l’Orchestre Métropolitain, Orchestra London, Vancouver Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic,..
Principal Pops Conductor
Maestro Sean O’Loughlin
Sean O’Loughlin (b.1972) is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Victoria Symphony and the Principal Pops Conductor of Symphoria in Syracuse, NY. As a composer and arranger, his music is characterized by vibrant rhythms, passionate melodies, and colorful scoring. Commissions from the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Los Angeles…
Composer-Mentor in Residence
Taylor Brook
Taylor Brook writes music for the concert stage, electronic music, music for robotic instruments, generative music software, and music for video, theatre, and dance. His music is often concerned with finely tuned microtonal sonorities as well as…
Musicians of the Victoria Symphony
The Victoria Symphony is made up of a diverse group of Canadian and international musicians.