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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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, Cosette Justo Valdés, to lead this regal program. Along with music of Johann Strauss, we also recruit flashy and folksy Hungarian dances by...
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