Skip to content

Symphony announces big names for 75th season

Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma will make his first appearance on Vancouver Island
58295oakbayOBvicsymphonyYo-YoMa3-c-JeremyCowart-SonyMusicEntertainmentPMar1815
Yo-Yo Ma (Dec. 7) is part of the excitement expected for the Victoria Symphony’s 75th season this year. S

Renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma makes his first appearance on Vancouver Island and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin returns as part of the Victoria Symphony’s celebratory 75th season.

Superstar Yo-Yo Ma will join the orchestra on Dec. 7 to play Dvorák’s Cello Concerto as a part of their 75th anniversary season. Since his rise to fame in the late 1970s, Yo-Yo Ma has become a household name and performed with top orchestras in the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra. Tickets for this concert range from $45 to $250 (top-tier tickets include a meet and greet).

Internationally acclaimed conductor Nézet-Séguin will lead the orchestra through Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 Romantic. In 2001, the Victoria Symphony provided Nézet-Séguin with his first big break when he was named principal guest conductor, a post he held for three seasons.

Since then, Nézet-Séguin has led every major orchestra in the world including the Philadelphia Orchestra (where he is now music director), the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna Philharmonic. Nézet-Séguin selected Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet to complement the Bruckner piece for the evening concert on Jan. 9, 2016.

This season will also see the return of Canadian violinist James Ehnes, local pianist Lorraine Min, beloved conductor Brian Jackson and former Victoria Symphony principal horn David Cooper, as well as debuts by pianist Orli Shaham, double bass Gary Karr and conductors Stilian Kirov and David Danzmayr.

The Victoria Symphony will welcome the Naden Band and the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra for collaborations representing both the past and future of the orchestra, and the return of the exciting performers from Cirque de la Symphonie.

Programming to look forward to includes Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, Bach’s A Musical Offering, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and an all-Beethoven festival in which pianist Angela Cheng will perform all five of Beethoven’s piano concerti in one weekend in March 2016.

Another spring highlight will see the symphony take its first major Canadian tour: Tania Miller, the orchestra and guest pianist Stewart Goodyear will travel to Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver to perform Stravinsky, Copland and Grieg before bringing the concert home to Victoria April 4.

Call 250-385-6515 or visit victoriasymphony.ca for event details and season subscriptions.

 

cvanreeuwyk@oakbaynews.com