The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is wrapping its 2018/2019 season with Great Baroque Choruses this Saturday night at Knox United Church.

As one season ends, anticipation for another year of incredible music is starting to build over at the SSO and in many cases, these shows are all about timing. Sometimes the planets align, you find the perfect pieces, touring schedules synch and you get exactly what you were hoping for in a program of music that will please your entire audience.

When it came to programming the 2019/2020 season, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra had a wish list but looking at the finished lineup, they can’t believe their luck.

The SSO is known for pushing the boundaries of performance and this year will continue that tradition with a celebration of female composers that runs right through the season.

“We want to be the change we want to see in the classical music scene.”

“We want to be the change we want to see in the classical music scene,” says executive director Mark Turner. “Historically, there was a very long time where women were not allowed to compose. They had to publish their work under their husband or brother’s names. There are incredible voices out there and the quality of music only gets better when we encourage those voices.

Turner and his team didn’t have to look far for some of the top female talent emerging here in Canada. The SSO will feature composers like Regina’s Laurel Swinden and Nicole Lizée, who grew up in Gravelbourg. The orchestra will also host the North American premiere of Rebecca Dale’s Materna Requiem. Dale was the first female composer signed to a major label and she will be attending the performance.

The season will also include a couple of blockbusters that are sure to sell out. Polaris Prize and Juno Award winning singer Jeremy Dutcher will join the SSO to prove why he is one of the most talked about vocalists in Canada right now. “Jeremy is creating an entirely new style and sound in his work,” says Turner. “His music is two worlds colliding as he blends classical with his Indigenous roots.”

The young and the young at heart will love the SSO’s production of The Little Mermaid as the orchestra plays along with the original Disney film.

Families will delight in the presentation of the Disney classic The Little Mermaid. The SSO will voyage under the sea as they play along to the original film. This show is an amazing way for parents to introduce their children to the power of orchestral music.

This season will toast the works of Mozart and Beethoven with each composer having a festival of their own within the program. The power of music runs through the year with performances of favourites like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Holst’s Planets which was the inspiration behind John William’s soundtrack for Star Wars.

Thomas Yu is just one of the many hometown musical heroes to be featured in the 2019/2020 season.

Local talent will also be front and center on stage when it comes to the featured performers; Carissa Klopoushak, Thomas Yu and Danika Lorén, just to name a few.

Accent is working with the SSO on developing a new symphony show that it hopes to tour around the world.

The SSO will also be teaming up with vocal jazz group Accent that boasts two Saskatoon singers Danny Fong and Andrew Kesler in a pop infused night that’s sure to have the audience singing along.

“This season is going to be epic,” says Turner. “We can’t wait for our audiences to join us for some amazing music.”

For more information and tickets click on this link.

 

Great Baroque Choruses

Saturday May 25, 2019

Knox United Church

7:30p.m.

Tickets: $38 – $45