We admit it: in the transition to our summer publication schedule, we missed listing some summer concerts offered by member orchestras and others. Our apologies to the Winnipeg Symphony (which presented a series of free concerts in Winnipeg and Kenora, June 25 to July 4 – culminating in a
performance for Her Majesty the Queen, with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Juno Award-winner Chic Gamine, Sierra Noble and Chantal Kreviazuk); the Windsor Symphony (which kicked off Summerfest Uptown at the Windsor Armouries on June 26 – and will be continuing with its “Quintets and Sunsets” series July 10 and 11); and the Niagara Symphony (which gave a Canada Day performance on – you guessed it – July 1).

Here’s what we can tell you about other upcoming events!

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents the six-concert Symphony Under The Sky festival, September 3 – 6, at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park. It’s a varied program, with (as the media release says) “everything from Bach to Billy Joel.” Guest conductor Bob Bernhardt will lead the orchestra in five of the six concerts, and soloists include violinist, Karen Gomyo the Knock School of Irish Dance, pianist Jim Witter, and the guns of the Royal Canadian Artillery. For more information, please visit here.

There’s been an encouraging update from the Victoria Symphony about their annual Symphony Splash event, scheduled for August 1, 2010. Absent a major title sponsor this year, the Victoria Symphony team set about to create another kind of giving opportunity for patrons interested in ensuring that Symphony Splash went ahead. In late June, the orchestra announced that its new fundraising initiative, titled Victoria Symphony Splash Band of Heroes, has already generated $50,000 in new support for the marquee event. In response to the loss of its title sponsor, the Victoria Symphony invited numerous companies and individuals to lend their support. The Victoria Symphony Splash Band of Heroes, asks for $1,000 contributions in exchange for specific recognition benefits. According to Mitchell Krieger, executive director of the Victoria Symphony, “It’s wonderful to see these Heroes stepping up to support Victoria Symphony Splash, especially as so many are new to the Symphony family. Making more connections to the community will not only keep Splash vibrant, it will help the Symphony’s long-term sustainability. We are nearly halfway to our goal of 100 Heroes, and we hope that more will step forward between now and August 1st.” Band of Heroes has proven to be a success as 45 businesses and individuals have already joined Band of Heroes, and more are signing up every week. Band of Heroes gives companies of all sizes and individuals the opportunity to support the event in a way not previously available. See here for more information.

The Edmonton Symphony has recently learned that it’s the second Canadian orchestra ever to receive an invitation to perform at the new Spring for Music Festival at New York’s fabled Carnegie Hall. The ESO will make the trip in May 2012, as part of the festival’s 2nd annual season; the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal will be part of the festival’s inaugural season in May 2011, joining orchestras from Albany, Dallas, Oregon and Toledo, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Spring for Music is a concentrated festival of concerts by North American symphony and chamber orchestras presented annually at Carnegie Hall to broad music-loving audiences at affordable prices, sold through a unique marketing structure and with an artistic profile built around innovative and creative programs. The festival is designed to allow participating orchestras to showcase their artistic philosophies through distinctive and adventurous programming in one of the world’s most competitive musical environments. In pre-concert talks, each participating orchestra will describe how that night’s program relates to its artistic philosophy. The festival becomes a musical laboratory with lively and attentive audiences that can foster greater innovation in each orchestra’s home market.

“We’re freakin’ thrilled,” says music director Bill Eddins, who has never performed at the legendary concert hall. “It’s a cool opportunity for orchestras who wouldn’t normally be performing at Carnegie Hall,” says ESO managing director Annemarie Petrov.

The ESO will release more information next year about the New York concert, which coincides with the orchestra’s 60th anniversary.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and their venue, the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, are opening up the hall for a series of public tours this spring.  As the ESO media release says, “Ever wonder what really happens inside the Winspear Centre?  Have you joined us for an ESO concert and were amazed by the incredible acoustics?  Are you curious about the brilliant Davis Concert Organ that shines behind the stage?  If so, we invite you to join us at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music for an Overture information session this spring.”

The free, hour-long sessions feature a backstage tour, the opportunity to meet staff members, volunteers, and members of the orchestra – and there’s even a light lunch.  There are five sessions in total, running from April 20 to May 19.

For more information, please visit here.

A number of member orchestras have announced their 2010-11 seasons, and here is a round-up of recent launches

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony announced its 66th season recently, and its fourth under the leadership of Music Director Edwin Outwater.  Major works on the season include Holst’s The Planets, Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”, and Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, and world premieres include a new work by composer Brian Current featuring visual artist and second-generation Sufi mevlevi whirling dervish, Mira Hunter.  As well, the orchestra also announced a new social networking site for its fans: www.Kwsocial.ca, designed to connect the orchestra to its community in a new and dynamic way.  You can learn more here.

The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (led by Music Director James Sommerville) has announced its 2010-11 season – a season that includes Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, along with pops and chamber programs.  For more information, you can go to their website here.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2010-11 season – its 6th under the leadership of Music Director Bill Eddins, who will conduct concerts on each of the orchestras’ many series.  Among many other highlights, the season will include the return of Late Night with Bill Eddins; The ESO Presents, a new series that invites brilliant international soloists to perform with the orchestra in the first half of the program, followed by solo recitals after intermission.  The season also includes the ESO’s annual outdoor event, Symphony Under the Sky.  For more information, you can visit the ESO’s website here.

The Orchestre symphonique de Québec has released details of its 2010-11 season, its final season under the leadership of Maestro Yoav Talmi after a highly successful 12-year tenure.  The music of Beethoven is featured extensively, with performances of all of his symphonies and major concertos.  As well, the season will feature a massive performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”.  For more information, you can visit the OSQ’s website here.

Symphony Nova Scotia has announced its 2010-11 season, designed and led by Music Director Bernhard Gueller.  Features of the season include great symphonic works, a performance of Mozart’s Requiem, and a Scandinavian festival featuring the music of Grieg and Sibelius.  Pops programming includes guest appearances by Red Green and the Barra MacNeils.  www.symphonynovascotia.ca

The National Arts Centre Orchestra has announced its 2010-11 season, its 12th under the leadership of Music Director Pinchas Zukerman.  Highlights include a Mozart-Haydn Festival, a stunning array of Canadian and international soloists, the world premiere of Malcolm Forsyth’s Ballad of the Canadian Land, and works by Peter Paul Koprowski and André Mathieu.  For more information, you can visit the orchestra’s website here.

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Late last week, the Edmonton Symphony Society held its Annual General Meeting for 2009, during which Managing Director Annemarie Petrov and Chair of the Board of Directors Steven LePoole reviewed highlights of the Edmonton Symphony’s 2008/2009 fiscal year.  The bottom line?  Good news, with Ms Petrov noting that “while we were faced with many challenges posed by an uncertain economic environment, we have been able to overcome these challenges and for the sixth consecutive year, the ESO has operated within a balanced budget.  We are very pleased to announce a surplus of $23,752.”  Ingredients in the ESO’s success?  Dynamic programming, careful selection of soloists, excellent performances by the orchestra and Music Director Bill Eddins, generous donors and sponsors and a “dramatic increase” in subscription sales resulting from a new 2-for-1 campaign.

For more information about the ESS, or to view their financial statements, you can visit their website here. 

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

The TSO also held its AGM last week, and for the fourth year in a row, the report was a positive one.  Highlights of the season included a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, highest-in-TSO-history ticket sales and contributions, extensive education outreach programmes across the province, and a surplus of $29,637 on revenues exceeding $24.3 million.  Some facts noted in the orchestra’s media release:   the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performed 112 concerts for the general public in 2008-2009, selling 244,275 tickets. A further 27 curriculum-based programmes were performed at Roy Thomson Hall for 54,000 students, and musicians of the Orchestra reached 17,250 students with in-school programmes throughout the GTA. The Orchestra performed for an additional 11,600 students in North Bay, Timmins, Moose Factory, Moosonee, Iroquois Falls, and Fort Frances through touring initiatives.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) has announced a four-year extension of William Eddins’ contract as Music Director. Presently in his fifth season at the helm of the orchestra with one year remaining on his current contract, this extension will see Eddins conducting the ESO through the 2014-2015 season. This partnership, which began in September 2005, will mark a significant and stable period of artistic leadership for Eddins and the ESO. Since the professional establishment of the orchestra in 1952, only one other ESO Music Director reached the 10-year tenure, that being Uri Mayer, who held the position for 13 seasons, from 1981-1994.

Nurhan Arman, Music Director of Sinfonia Toronto, has announced the appointment of Canadian composer Heather Schmidt as the orchestra’s Composer-in-Residence for the 2009-2010 season.  In making the announcement Maestro Arman said, “I am thrilled that Heather Schmidt will be closely involved with us this year. I am looking forward to leading the world premieres of her new Piano Concerto and a Cello Concerto that she is writing for us, and working on many other projects together throughout the season. This appointment re-emphasizes Sinfonia Toronto’s commitment to Canadian composers.”
 
Earlier this week, Executive Director Katherine Carleton presented the first of this year’s Orchestras Canada Betty Webster Awards to Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, at the opening of their Toronto season of concerts.  The festivities continue in October, when award winners Kathy Humphreys (General Manager of the Kamloops Symphony) and Jeff Alexander (President and CEO of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra) will be presented with their awards.  We are proud to salute these leading citizens in the Canadian orchestral community!

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced that Jennifer MacDonald will join the TSO Music Department as Artist Liaison/Assistant to Artistic Administration.  Jennifer comes directly to the TSO from Ottawa where, for the past two seasons, she has been Artistic Administrator of the highly successful Ottawa Chamber Music Society.  She holds a Bachelors degree in Music (piano) from Mount Allison and a Masters in Musicology from McGill.

Last week, Premier Jean Charest presented Yoav Talmi, Music Director of the Orchestre symphonique de Quebec, with the province’s highest honour:  an appointment to the position of Officer of the Ordre national du Québec, the highest distinction granted by the Government of Quebec.  The presentation took place at the OSQ’s opening concert of the 2009-10 season.  
 
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has announced that three of its current first violinists will rotate in the role of Interim Concertmaster for the 2009-10 season.  The ESO’s Concertmaster, Martin Riseley, is taking a leave of absence in 2009/10, returning to his native New Zealand to take advantage of a rare teaching opportunity with the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington.  This season, Broderyck “Broddy” Olson, Eric Buchmann, and Richard Caldwell will each occupy the the Concertmaster’s chair.  “We have an enormous resource of talent in this orchestra,” says ESO Music Director William Eddins, “and in the end, we decided to take full advantage of it.  Broddy, Eric, and Richard all bring something different to the table, and each is an experienced and skilled leader.  I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to work with each of them in the hot seat.”
 
The Kingston Symphony has appointed a new Principal Horn: Austin Hitchcock.

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is presenting its annual Symphony Under the Sky festival, September 4-7 at the city’s Hawrelak Park.  The festival comprises five outdoor concerts over the course of four days, and features the ESO with conductor Robert Bernhardt.  Programs range from established orchestral classics through opera and movie highlights, the world premiere of a new work by young composer Jia Jia Yong of the ESO’s Young Composer Mentorship Project and the music of Frank Sinatra.  The festival also includes a family BBQ (with ESO musicians serving as chefs for the occasion), and a Teddy Bear picnic (with instrument petting zoo).  Featured performers include ESO music director Bill Eddins (as piano soloist), soprano Kathleen Brett, Lisa and Linda, vocalist Steve Lippia, trumpeter Jens Lindemann, and the guns of the Royal Canadian Artillery. 
 
Once again this year, the ESO is doing its part to reduce the carbon footprint of the event.  They have partnered with Edmonton Transit to provide free transportation from the University of Alberta to the park; supervised bike racks will be provided at the concert site; Bullfrog Power (an all-green energy provider) is providing the electricity needed for the event; and the program will be printed on 100% recycled paper.
 
For more information about Symphony Under the Sky, please visit their website here.