We’ve got a pair of presentations of Beethoven’s Symphony #9 to celebrate this week – and they’re each special in their own way.

On Thursday, 31 March, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra led by Music Director Arthur Post caps a season-long 50th anniversary celebration by performing the iconic work with a stellar cast of soloists and the Thunder Bay Symphony Chorus. Happy Birthday, TBSO!

And April 7-10, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir and frequent guest conductor Bruno Weill complete their tour of Beethoven’s symphonies by performing the work at Toronto’s Koerner Hall. The program opens with a cappella choral works by Mendelssohn, Brahms and Arvo Pärt, directed by Tafelmusik Chamber Choir Director Ivars Taurins. In the words of Bruno Weil, “we approach these Beethoven concerts as if they were the very first performance, as though the music had been composed yesterday. This is the real thing — there’s no sense of routine with Tafelmusik musicians and everybody’s giving their all for this music, playing with a full heart and a full soul and spirit. That is the secret to a great performance.”