With “a voice like a beacon of hope” (Seattle Times), vocalist Jimmie Herrod earned the rare “Golden Buzzer” recognition on America’s Got Talent in 2021. With a globe-trotting career as a singer, songwriter, and entertainer, he has also toured with Pink Martini since 2017. Making his VS debut, Herrod joins Principal Pops Conductor Sean O’Loughlin...
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Ten years following the tragic death of his sister, opera star Joshua Hopkins showcases a powerful song cycle that honours her memory and comforts those who are in grief. Co-commissioned by the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Houston Grand Opera, composer Jake Heggie sets poetry by Margaret Atwood in a moving musical work that speaks...
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Triple-threat conductor/pianist/composer Dinuk Wijeratne returns with a program full of folk inspiration and musical variation. Contrasting with Mozart and Brahms, Wijeratne’s own work is described as “a melting pot of tabla-like dance rhythms, funky jazz riffs, and tonal clusters.” In Sri Lankan culture, vannamas are often danced in ritual processions, this one depicting the majesty of the...
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Canadian pianist Angela Cheng returns with a concerto that Mozart lovingly wrote with his student, Barbara Ployer, in mind. Dvořák’s love for his homeland was expressed in his Symphony No. 7. Its London premiere in 1885 brought him great international acclaim. Maestra Naomi Woo returns to share an overture by Emilie Mayer, a pioneering and...
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Some people play soccer, others play video games. For many of us, what we love to play is our musical instruments! Known for his fun and engaging kids concerts, conductor and host Vern Griffiths will lead us on an exploration of different musical instruments, including some that you don’t often find in a symphony. What...
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We welcome some returning guests as VS presents a special concert by the Nanaimo-based Vancouver Island Symphony. Cuban-born Cosette Justo Valdés has won the hearts of musicians and audiences on Vancouver Island. Now in her third season as music director of VIS, she mates the madcap musical high jinks of Rossini alongside the happy spirits...
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