Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra will be pitch perfect as it opens Season 93 with a spectacle you must see in person. The Four Seasons of the Moon September 16 & 17, 2023 – St. John’s Cathedral will be the collision of incredible music, Max Richter’s Recomposed Four Seasons, a reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with with an out-of-this-world touring art exhibit Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon.

SSO is bringing Luke Jerram’s sculpture Museum of the Moon to Saskatoon. This picture is from the 2021 show at the Bristol Cathedral, UK. (Bob Pitchford)

The SSO led by guest conductor Judith Yan along with featured soloists Erin Brophey and Véronique Mathieu will perform under the spherical replica of the moon suspended from the cathedral’s rafters. Measuring seven metres in diameter, the sculpture is internally lit to show NASA imagery of 5km of the moon’s surface. This piece has toured the world and been displayed indoors and outside as part of science, visual art, storytelling and musical experiences.

“I think this will be the most spectacular and unique artistic experience I’ll ever have.”

“I’ve always had a fascination with the moon and the beauty of the passage of time,” says guest conductor Judith Yan. “This installation is already so awe inspiring and then combining it with live music, I think this will be the most spectacular and unique artistic experience I’ll ever have.”

Artists Monique Martin & Alexandra Hedberg (l-r) with a portion of their silkscreened piece Vicissitude. (Photo Provided)

This immersive art experience and will also include Vicissitude by celebrated Saskatoon artist Monique Martin and Swedish artist Alexandra Hedberg. The 120sq. metre silkscreened floor covering that audience is invited to walk on highlights transformation and change in our environment making it a perfect fit for this performance.

“In that moment, we are able to reflect in the art and it becomes a deeper experience.”

“We are used to seeing art hung on a wall but this whole project engages people in a different way,” says Martin. “This art stops people in their tracks. In that moment, we are able to reflect in the art and it becomes a deeper experience.”

After the concerts, the SSO will continue the Museum of the Moon showings nightly at St. John’s Cathedral (September 18 – 23) wrapping it all up as part of Nuit Blanche 2023. Each evening there will be a different experiential activity to bring our community together under the moon.

“The moon is something we all share,” says Yan. “You look up and wonder about life’s infinite possibilities. The music, the art pieces and the sheer size and scope of this installation, it’s just going to be stunning.”