And they’re off! The Arts season is starting again in Vancouver – and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestrabegins its exciting new season with cellist Lynn Harrell performing the Canadian premiere of Maestro Tovey’s new piece Urban Runway, co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic.
The VSO’s October concerts include Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn (who will also be accompanying the Vancouver Symphony Orchestraon its Asia-Pacific Tour October 10th through the 20th); a Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets matinee concert featuring host Christopher Gaze; and Armenian-Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian touring with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.
While on tour, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestrapresents two visiting orchestras and one of the world’s top Cuban Timba bands in three concert series: I Musici de Montreal in the Bach & Beyond series opener at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts; Tiempo Libre in the first London Drugs VSO Pops concert; and the National Arts Centre Orchestra with Maestro Pinchas Zukerman to kick off the PricewaterhouseCoopers Masterworks Silver series. The month is rounded out nicely with Maestro Bramwell Tovey reprising his “Inspector Tovey” persona in the first concert of the Spectra Energy Kids’ Koncerts series, and a co-presentation of Video Games Live! with Live Nation.
The Symphony Season starts with a bang!
Masterworks Gold Series:
Saturday & Monday, September 27 & 29, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Tovey - Urban Runway (Canadian Premiere)
Schumann - Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129
Prokofiev - Romeo and Juliet: Suite
The VSO’s 2008/2009 Season Opening weekend, featuring the world’s greatest cellist performing Schumann’s beautiful Cello Concerto – and a new work by VSO Music Director Bramwell Tovey.
Pacific Arbour Tea & Trumpets Series:
Verdi - La Forza del Destino: Overture
Glinka - Russlan and Ludmilla: Overture
Dvorak - Rusalka: Song to the Moon
Rimsky-Korsakov - Flight of the Bumblebee
Tchaikovsky - Sleeping Beauty
Verdi - Ernani: Ernani! Ernani, involami
Wagner - Die Walkure: Ride of the Valkyries
Puccini - Madama Butterfly: Un bel di
Puccini - Tosca: Vissi d’arte
Tchaikovsky - Capriccio Italien, Op. 45
Bizet - Carmen: March of the Toreadors
Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the VSO present an afternoon of beautiful operatic favourites, including selections by Puccini and Verdi.
Masterworks Diamond Series:
Saturday & Monday, October 4 & 6, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Ryan - The Linearity of Light
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
Hilary Hahn, superstar! This sensational violinist joins the VSO for Tchaikovsky’s exciting Violin Concerto, and the orchestra weaves some sonic magic with a musical colossus by Berlioz.
Beltone Symphony Sundays Series:
Sunday, October 5, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Ryan - The Linearity of Light
Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Berlioz - Symphonie fantastique, Op. 14
Hilary Hahn, superstar! This sensational violinist joins the VSO for Tchaikovsky’s exciting Violin Concerto, and the orchestra weaves some sonic magic with a musical colossus by Berlioz.
Specials
Tuesday, October 7, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Isabel Bayrakdarian with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Magnificent Armenian-Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian graces the Orpheum stage with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. They will perform works by Ravel, Bartok, and Gorecki, as well as the beautiful music of Armenian composer Gomidas.
Friday & Saturday, October 10 & 11, 8pm, Chan Centre
Handel - Concerti Grossi, Op.6, No. 1 in G Major
Handel - Concerti Grossi, No. 4 in A minor
Handel - Concerti Grossi, No. 12 in B minor
Bach - Goldberg Variations
I Musici de Montreal is one of Canada’s top chamber orchestras. The VSO is proud to present them, with their founding director, Yuli Turovsky, for the opening concert of the Bach & Beyond series in a perfect baroque concert: the music of Bach and Handel.
Friday & Saturday, October 17 & 18, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Tiempo Libre, entertainers
Tiempo Libre is one of the world’s top Latin bands. Their sound is fresh, fun, exciting, and rife with the glorious rhythms of their Latin heritage.
Saturday & Monday, October 25 & 27, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Alexina Louie - Infinite Sky with Birds
Mozart - Violin Concerto 3 in G Major, K. 216, Strassburg
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op. 64
The VSO presents the National Arts Centre Orchestra from Ottawa, with their Music Director, Pinchas Zukerman. Maestro Zukerman also happened to be one of the world’s greatest violinists, and performs Mozart’s beloved Violin Concerto No.3.
Spectra Energy Kids’ Koncerts Series:
Sunday, October 26, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Fresh from the VSO’s Asia-Pacific tour, Inspector Tovey returns (bearing a striking resemblance to the VSO’s Music Director…) to investigate the instruments central to the great Eastern and Western musical traditions.
Video Games Live! Video Games Live is a multimedia concert experience featuring the best music and exclusive synchronized video clips from the most popular games from the beginning of video gaming to the present. The music is performed live by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Friday, October 31, 10:00am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre
Saturday, November 1, 10:00am, 11:30am, Terry Fox Theatre
Teddy Bears Music Picnic
Let Your Music Shine with Lisa and Linda, entertainers: Bring your teddy bear for this show filled with playful songs, games and musical stories. A family favourite! -- www.vancouversymphony.ca
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