The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and its busy Music Director Victor Sawa recently announced their 2011-12 season. Reflecting the SSO’s growing audiences, the program will include an additional concert added to each of the Masters and Pops series, and two additional concerts geared to children and youth Featured soloists include pianist Helen Kashap, the Beatles tribute show Classical Mystery Tour, Canada’s Platypus Theatre, children’s entertainer Sylvia Chave, and Gainer the Gopher! The keystone of the season is Gustav Mahler’s Fifth.

Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra and its artistic director Kevin Mallon have announced their 2011-2012 season, a six concert survey of baroque, classical and contemporary chamber orchestra repertoire. Highlights include an all-Bach program, an appearance by piano doyen Menahem Pressler in a Mozart piano concerto, a work by Michael C. Baker for solo double bass (featuring Joel Quarrington), and a semi-staged version of Handel’s “greatest opera”, Giulio Cesare, in conjunction with the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.

The Festival international du Domaine Forget has announced its summer season, and it prominently features an enhanced partnership with Bernard Labadie and Les Violons du Roy. The chamber orchestra will part not only in the opening and closing concerts of the festival (June 25 and September 4), but will also take part in concerts with the festival’s distinguished teaching faculty. As well, members of the orchestra will lead master classes on baroque style.