While our halls are still silent, we know that wonderful music will return!
In the meantime, please join us in thanking all those who are supporting us during this time. Our patrons and donors are our lifeline, and our sponsors are businesses that deserve everyone’s extra support right now. We appreciate them very much, and know you do, too: https://victoriasymphony.ca/our-sponsors/.
Have you ever wondered what type of violin Christi Meyers plays? How about Christian’s Kluxen’s favourite piece to conduct or how many reeds Keith MacLeod goes through in a year?
Well we asked you what you wanted to know and here are your questions, answered!
Alana Despins
Courtney Cameron
Keith MacLeod
Marcus Hissen
Mike Byrne
Müge Büyükçelen-Badel
Richard Volet
Stacey Boal
Stephanie Bell
Teodora Dimova
Our conductors and musicians want to connect with you and continue to share the experience of beautiful music… at a social distance while remaining at home and safe!
Canção Verdes Anos by Carlos Paredes arranged by O. Golijov
Current VS members Müge Büyükçelen, Cory Balzer, and Mieka Michaux, as well as VS sub Alasdair Money make up the Emily Carr String Quartet.
Richard Volet, Principal Flute
& Mary Rannie, Principal Bass
Bach, Sonata in E minor
Mieka Michaux,
Viola
In 2016 at the Sooke Philharmonic Fling, I heard a trio for three trombones by local trombonist, composer and teacher, Scott MacInnes. I asked Scott if he would arrange it for three violas. There must be a viola joke in there somewhere?!…The second movement of this trio is a tender piece filled with longing. Please enjoy.
Karl Williams,
Principal Percussion
Sarabande from Bach’s Partita #1 for solo violin, played on the Marimba.
Christopher Reiche Boucher,
Librarian
Working from Home featuring music from Leroy Anderson
Keith MacLeod,
Principal Clarinet
Sibelius, Symphony No. 1
Richard Volet, Principal Flute
& Stephanie Bell, Flute
Telemann, Sonata in D Major for 2 flutes
Teodora Dimova, Violin
& Perri Lo, Piano
Franck, Violin Sonata in A Major, sonata for violin and piano
Christi Meyers,
Assistant Concertmaster
Bach, Largo from Sonata No. 3 in C major
Ann Fraser &
Bob Fraser, Bass Trombone
Cavalleria Rusticana
Russell Bajer,
Oboe & English Horn
Franck, Symphony in D Minor – English Horn Solo
Müge Büyükçelen-Badel,
Violin
VS violinist Müge shares an excerpt from Beethoven Quartet opus 59 from Port Renfrew as well as some insight as to how she and her family are spending their time social distancing.
Ryan Cole,
Principal Trumpet
One of the most famous trumpet solos of all time… can you guess it?
It’s the solo from Penny Lane by The Beatles! Played on piccolo trumpet and inspired by Bach’s 2nd Brandenburg Concerto, it always makes me smile, so I thought it would be a good time to share with all of you.
Marcus Goddard,
VS Composer in Residence
We are not separate, we transform together. This mesmerizing multi-media work “Confluence” was a collaboration between filmmaker and writer Lindsay Dobbin and our Composer in Residence Marcus Goddard. It was commissioned by the Victoria Symphony with support from the Hugh Davidson Fund.
Mieka Michaux,
Viola
Bach, Cantata BWV 19, 7th movement
“When feeling uncertain and overwhelmed, having a visit with J.S. Bach resets my mind. I imagine a story told through every change of harmony. Please enjoy this 4 part chorale, ‘Laß dein’ Engel mit mir fahren/Let your angels travel with me’ from his Cantata BWV 19 (7th movement)”
Ryan Cole,
Principal Trumpet
These offstage calls from “Ein Heldenleben” by Strauss are very exciting. Playing offstage is interesting though… I have to play quite loud and with great energy, but the audience hears it very differently – they hear the quiet sound of trumpets far off in the distance.
To get this effect, I get to stand in the loading dock or in the lobby of the hall! To practice safe social distancing, I’m playing these from WAY offstage: in my home studio. Now you can hear them up close and personal. Hope you enjoy!
Paul Beauchesne,
Principal Tuba
Our own Principal Tuba, Paul Beauchesne digitally joins his Canadian tuba brethren to make the world a little less isolated!
Thank you all for such a lovely, patriotic video!
Canadian pride from our Principal Tubist, Jarrett McCourt! He is joined by Dave Kutz of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Tom McCaslin of the Calgary Philharmonic Musicians, Chris Lee of the National Arts Centre Orchestra | l’Orchestre du Centre national des Arts and Paul Beauchesne of the Victoria Symphony. Together, we can all get through this!!
Alex Olson,
Basses
Victoria Symphony double bassist Alex Olson dedicates this performance of “In The Green Wood” in April 2020 during the Covid 19 crisis to the heroic Victoria Symphony Society CEO Kathryn Laurin, President of the Victoria Symphony Society Board of Directors Alan Hollingworth and all of the Board of Directors who at their “discretion and after much deliberation” … “decided to move beyond it’s contractual obligations and make reasonable efforts to keep core and part contract players financially whole to the end of the season”…
“In The Green Wood” originally was composed by Alex Olson under the name of “Im Grünen Wald” after a painting of the same name by painter Martin Honisch. The melody was written for the Nai or Romanian panpipe. Though composed some thirty years ago, it has never been recorded before this. “Somehow this tune resurfaced and became a part of the soundtrack for the early days of our isolation period when no performances were possible…so I’d like to share it with our whole Victoria Symphony family” says Alex. The mandola is tuned like the viola just as the mandolin is tuned like a violin. Folk Rock Instrumental. Alex on Mandola, and wife Martina Peladeau on Flute, Recorded at Beacon Hill Park Victoria BC.
UPbeat: Our new video series where we bring back a past VS performance from our video archives and pair it with an open discussion on the piece and composer.
Bob Fraser,
Bass Trombone
UPbeat: This first edition features Bass Trombone, Bob Fraser discussing Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations
Jocelyn Morlock,
Composer
“Recently I’ve been experimenting with large-scale mosaic textures in my orchestral writing. In Earthfall, I have tried using them as both a source of momentum, and of stability. This insidiously pulsing, slightly creepy piece originates in cumulative textures built up from relatively simple, metrically stable materials. Later the textures become more gnarled, registrally extreme, and rhythmically complex, wreaking vociferous havoc on the stable structures that were first created. After some tense moments, Earthfall ultimately settles itself, and steals off to a relatively peaceful conclusion.” —Jocelyn Morlock
Christian Kluxen, Music Director
& Bob Fraser, Bass Trombone
UPbeat: This first edition features Bass Trombone, Bob Fraser and Music Director, Christian Kluxen as they discuss Danish Composer, Carl Nielsen’s and his fourth symphony.
vsNew: Celebrating new works by young composers in our community.
Angela Nguyen,
The Adventure
The Adventure
Angela Nguyen
I first started taking piano lessons when I was 6 because my first-grade teacher said it would be good for me. Seven years later, I’m composing my own pieces because it’s fun and a nice creative outlet. This piece was inspired by a very specific feeling. It’s hard to put into words, but it’s essentially the literal spirit of adventure, like the adrenaline, and the risks and such. Sort of like every other popular novel where the main character has to go on a quest to defeat the villain with friendship or something like that.
Age: 10
Danae Kong,
Medieval Sea
Medieval Sea
Danae Kong
Danae Kong began her musical journey at the age of four. From that time until now, she has been growing in piano and theory skills, as well as enjoying composing. A special thank you to Pamela Smirl for her devoted teaching and guidance, and to the Victoria Symphony for this composition opportunity. Medieval Sea tells the story of a ship sailing across a vast ocean. The sea is beautiful, but unpredictable, and the vessel travels through shimmering waters which are calm one moment, and turbulent the next. The mast creaks as this mighty ship sails across the dark waters of an endless sea. Mysteries of the deep lie beneath.
BCRMTA Winner 2012
CFMTA National Competition 2013 (1st place)
GVPAF winner 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019
Age: 15
Houtian Zhong,
Mirage on the Silk Road
Mirage on the Silk Road
Houtian Zhong
Presently working on RCM Piano Level 10, Houtian Zhong has been composing music for 4 years. In the year 2019, he won the tied first place at BC Student Composer Competition (age 12-15) and the second place at Student Composer Competition of Canadian Federal Music Teachers’ Association for the same age group. As a result of his long-held interest in world history, the current piece is based on the pentatonic scale to describe a journey on the ancient silk road. It includes five sections: the camel caravan; the vast sands; the distant horizon; the mirage; and the continuing journey.vsNew: Celebrating new works by young composers in our community.
Murray Adaskin Composition Competition 2018 (Intermediate B winner)
BC student composition competition 2019 (1st place), CFMTA student composer competition 2019 (2nd place)
Age: 13
Atticus Dachsel Kerr
I have been studying and composing with the VCM composition club for 3 semesters and have co-composed several commissions for various ensembles and instruments including Piano Tro in D minor for vln/vc/pno, premiered by Senior Collegium Students in March 2019; Origami Swallow for string orchestra, premiered by the Kelowna Community Music School senior orchestra. As-yet-unnamed piece for flute choir, to be premiered by a high school flute choir in Toronto. And a-yet-unnamed piece for clar/vla/pno to be performed by senior Collegium students.
Age: 14
Mary Byrne – Barber, Knoxville, Summer of 1915
Samuel Barber’s Knoxville, Summer of 1915: Peel apart the layers of memory, nostalgia, and searching in America’s south with Mary Byrne
Mary Byrne – Beethoven 250; the 6th Symphony
Beethoven 250: What’s the Fuss? A fresh look at the Pastorale Symphony with Mary Byrne addresses some of justified hype.
Mary Byrne – Korngold, Violin Concerto
Hollywood orchestra, daring escapades, and violin intrigue: Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto (1945) has it all. Walk-through the highpoints the VS season opener with Mary Byrne.
Mary Byrne – Rimsky Korsakov, Scheherazade
1,001 Nights: The music and fairy-tales behind, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade with Mary Byrne.
Mary Byrne – Debussy, Afternoon of a Faune
Debussy’s symbolist masterpiece Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (1894) is brought to life by its Number 1 fan, Mary Byrne.
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 – May 13 & 14, 2017
Our 75th Season Has Begun and
We’re Just Getting Warmed Up
25th Anniversary Splash
Made by Roll.Focus
Jared Miller – Surge and Swell
May 13/14, 2017
A VS Retrospective…
75th Anniversary
Building the stage for Splash
Summer 2011
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
May 13 & 14, 2017
Pavel Kolesnikov Saves the Day
Septmeber 2014
Victoria Symphony Splash
Summer 2009
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. 4) – May 13 & 14, 2017
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. 3) – May 13 & 14, 2017
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 (Mvt. 2) – May 13 & 14, 2017
620 View Street, Suite 610
Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 1J6
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250.385.6515
Administration:
250.385.9771
The Victoria Symphony performs on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen peoples and acknowledges with respect the Songhees, Esquimalt and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continues to this day. We extend our appreciation for the opportunity to live, create, and perform on this territory.