2023.24 Season Details

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2023.24 SSO Main Series: The Search Ends!

New Season/New World

September 23, 7:30 PM

Fraser Auditorium
Guest Conductor : Michael Hall

Guest Soloist, Nadina Mackie, Bassoon

 

The Grand Opening of the Season featuring the famous Dvorak Symphony #9 “The New World”, The Intermezzo from Kodaly’s  Hary Janos Suite, and Oddbird Concerto for Bassoon, Strings and percussion

Maestro Hall has been Music Director of the Prince George Symphony Orchestra beginning with the 2017-2018 season. He continues as Music Director of the Kennett Symphony in Pennsylvania and Principal Guest Conductor of the Space Coast Symphony in Florida. Previously, Hall has held the position of Music Director of the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Pacific Symphony in California, Resident Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor of the Havant Symphony Orchestra in the UK.

“I am so excited to be a Music Director Candidate for the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. I have programmed Dvorak Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ not only because it is a perennial favorite with audiences, it is also one of my favorite symphonies. It is by turns heroic and tender and is an absolute joy to perform.

Dvorak wrote it while he was visiting and working in America and was influenced by his impressions of the young country. “I should never have written a Symphony like I have, if I hadn’t seen America.” The music contains melodies inspired by African American spirituals; to this end, and especially touching, is the melody introduced in the 2nd movement by the English Horn.  Another influence, Longfellow’s poem based on legends of the Ojibwe tribe, is reflected in the 4th movement, which opens with sounds of Native American heroism.

I am looking forward to working with the musicians of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra and bringing this great program to all of you. ”

Michael Hall

Music Director, Kennett Symphony

Music Director, Prince George Symphony Orchestra
http://www.kennettsymphony.org/

http://www.pgso.com/

 

Named Instrumentalist of the Year 2020 by Just Plain Folks, NADINA MACKIE JACKSON is the most widely recorded Canadian bassoonist in history with 13 solo albums, 8 chamber music recordings and dozens of albums with symphony, chamber, and historical instrument orchestras.

The first woman bassoonist to receive tenure in a major Canadian orchestra, Nadina spent a decade with the Montreal Symphony and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra before developing a distinguished chamber music and solo career.

Eighteen new works for solo bassoon and orchestra have been written for Nadina by Canadian and American composers including Mathieu Lussier, Paul Frehner,

Eric Funk, Constantine Caravassilis, Lucas Oickle, Adam Scime and most recently, Chicago-based composer, Augusta Read Thomas.

Her solo recordings have been recognized with awards including Best Classical Album 2020 and 2009 from Just Plain Folks for Vivaldi Concerti Volume I and for Bacchanale with Nicholas McGegan and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra. Her Canadian Concerto Project was short-listed for the Canadian Juno awards for best solo with large ensemble.

A respected teacher, Nadina is the founder and president of The Council of Canadian Bassoonists, a nationally registered educational charity dedicated to the study and appreciation of the bassoon and bassoonists in Canada. She has taught at the University of Toronto, McGill University and Wilfrid Laurier University and gives masterclasses throughout Canada and the US.

A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Nadina began the bassoon in the band programs in Prince George, B.C. and was particularly inspired and encouraged by her wonderful high school band teacher, Garry Hartley.

Nadina is the author of Solitary Refinement, Chromatics, Chords and Scales, Concepts for the Committed Bassoonist published by Friesen Press 2020 and she has just released Book of Birds, Collector’s Edition, a vivid collection of her recent paintings.

Nadina will be performing:

Oddbird Concerto for solo bassoon, string orchestra and percussion, Opus 37 by Mathieu Lussier

  1. Introduction: the Bird and the Agitation of Life
  2. Ending Worlds

III. The Tragic Bird Finds Its Way to Peace

 

Here is a link to the first movement of the world premiere done in 2013 with g27 and Eric Paetkau https://youtu.be/H2pu2KcA63k

“Nadina was a crucial figure in my life and career, always inspiring and encouraging me as a bassoonist and composer,” says the composer. “This work is heavily influenced by baroque music, and is characterized by a redemptive and joyful spirit, celebrating the idea of forging a path through hard moments and finally finding a true way.”

“The bassoon so perfectly expressed how resilient and capable this bird now understood itself to be. The strings quickened their pace to match the bird’s flight and the chimes now sounded like joy. The piece ended with such a glowing, triumphant and satisfying flourish that the entire theatre leapt to their feet in applause.” Heidi Klepsch, letter to editor, Prince George Citizen [June 2, 2022] for Mathieu Lussier’s Oddbird Concerto

Here are Mathieu’s notes about the concerto which he wrote for our Juno-shortlisted album, Canadian Concerto Project, Volume I:
 
Odd Bird Concerto for Bassoon, String Orchestra, Bass Drum and Tubular Bells, Op. 37
Mathieu Lussier: Though I had long wanted to write a bassoon concerto, many other projects intervened. Nadina had been such a crucial figure in my life and career that I felt, in 2012, that the time had come to offer her the concerto I had always wanted to write.
The nickname “Odd Bird” for this concerto comes from knowing Nadina, her paintings, her early record label, and of course, her world-famous cerulean hair. In my view, she definitely is a bird, though perhaps no more odd than any of us!
The first movement allegro section (The Bird and the Agitation of Life) is a nod to her recent Vivaldi album, with an opening figure derived from the baroque patterns used by Vivaldi. I could not resist adding a bass drum for dramatic impact. As with my trumpet concerto, I first wrote the slow movement, titling it Ending Worlds, which was written during the closing season of the beautiful Bavarian festival Klang und Raum, where I had the honour of performing for ten summers with Tafelmuisik Baroque Orchestra. The last movement (The Tragic Bird Finds Its Way to Peace) includes quotes from many other works I have written in recent years. I wanted to achieve a feeling of redemption in someone who has forged a path through hard moments and, finally, found her true way. I often feel musicians overplay the dramatic aspects of my music, but in the case of the Odd Bird Concerto, I intended all of the drama. Nadina is an inspiring artist who gave me the desire to fulfill all my artistic aspirations and also gave me the chance to become a composer. She says I gave her a repertoire but she gave me her talent and became my voice.

Beethoven And Brahms

October 14, 2023, 7:30 PM

Fraser Auditorium
Guest Conductor Bill Rowson

A strong Autumnal colour here! with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture plus a fanfare written for Canada’s sesquicentennial and some of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suites.

October 14, 2023 Program

Rowson:  Fanfare for Canada’s 150th
Brahms:  Academic Festival Overture
Greig:       Selections from Peer Gynt Suites No.1&2
Ingrid’s Lament
Bridal Procession
Arabian Dance
Solveig’s Song
Morning Mood
In the Hall of the Mountain King
INTERMISSION
Beethoven:   Symphony No. 7 in A Major

WILLIAM ROWSON – Conductor

Conductor William Rowson is hailed as one of Canada’s most compelling and versatile young artists. He has worked with orchestras across Canada and currently serves as Music Director of the Stratford Symphony Orchestra and is on faculty at the Vancouver Symphony School of Music. Recent guest conducting highlights include appearances with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, the London Classical Soloists (UK), the Regina Symphony, and the Victoria Symphony, as well as return engagements with both the Saskatoon and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras.

From 2016-2018 Bill was the Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, becoming the orchestra’s Associate Conductor in 2019. He has led the Grammy and Juno award-winning ensemble in over 160 performances. To great acclaim, he conducted and hosted the VSO’s inaugural Sunset Beach outdoor concert to a crowd of over 14,000 as well as working with such artists as Chris Botti, Pink Martini, Troupe Vertigo, Cirque de la Symphonie, Arrival from Sweden (Abba), The Hot Sardines, Enchantment Theatre Company, Fred Penner, Magic Circle Mime Company, Platypus Theatre, Chris Hadfield, Classical Kids, as well as films with live orchestra.

Bill is also an active composer, whose original works and orchestral arrangements have been performed by orchestras and ensembles throughout Canada, the US and Europe, and have been broadcast in over 20 countries. His recent work Short Variations on Waves was featured on the 2021 Juno Award winning album Mosaïque by the Ensemble Made in Canada, and his Fanfare for Canada’s 150th was premiered by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Dausgaard. This performance has been viewed 142,000 times on YouTube.  2021 saw the world premiere of a new work for the Vancouver Symphony called The Carnival of OUR Animals, written in collaboration with the VSO Indigenous Council, it showcases the music and stories of the Coast Salish peoples.  Upcoming projects include the 2023 premiere of a new children’s opera Frog Song, produced by Here for Now Theatre and the Stratford Symphony, as well as a new work for the Victoria Symphony.

A strong advocate for orchestral music, Bill is dedicated to exploring new ways of bridging the classical music experience into the 21st century through creative programming, community-oriented collaborations, socially engaged concert experiences, and utilizing social media and digital platforms to connect with new audiences. Bill is also committed to music education of the highest calibre, having produced, and written several symphonic educational programs and by working with youth ensembles throughout BC’s lower mainland as well as working at the Glenn Gould Professional School, and the National Academy Orchestra of Canada.  Bill is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of Toronto.   He lives in Vancouver with his wife Yvanna, and their two daughters.


Poems for Snow

November 25, 2023, 7:30 PM

Fraser Auditorium
Guest Conductor : François Koh

Guest Soloist : Bénédicte Lauzière, violin
François Koh will conduct the beautiful Poème for Orchestra and Solo Violin and the exciting Légends by Jacques Hétu along with some of everyone’s favourite Seasonal Favourites

 

SSO Concert, November 25, 2023,  Poem on the Snow  (Poème sur la neige)

Légendes, opus 76                                                               J. Hétu

  1. Alexis le Trotteur
  2. Le Diablea au ball / The Devil at the Ball
  3. La Chasse-Galerie / The Flying Canoe

Fantasia on “Greensleeves”                                               R. Vaughan Williams

Poème for violin and orchestra, Op. 25                           E. Chausson

Soloist: Bénédicte Lauzière

Intermission

Nutcracker Selection                                                           P.I. Tchaikovsky

March – Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – Trepak                            

Vales final et apotheosis

Five Christmas Carols -sing along                                      D. Willcocks

(God rest you merry, gentlemen;  O come all ye;  Unto us is born;  The first Nowell; Hark the Herald)

Sleigh Ride                                                                                F. Delius

Sleigh Ride                                                                                 L. Anderson

 

François Koh Bio

 

” A musician of utmost integrity and commitment and an exceptionally dedicated and inspired leader…” Ilya Poletaev, five International piano competition-winner, professor at McGill University.

 

Heinz Unger Conducting Award nominee François Koh majored in Orchestral Conducting in France and Canada, achieving a Master’s Degree from McGill University and a Doctorate Degree from the University of Toronto with a full scholarship. In 2022, Dr. Koh was one of the semi-finalists for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Resident Conductor Position. His conducting experience includes the Savaria Symphony Orchestra. and Filarmonica de Stat Târgu Mureş, Ensemble dal Niente, the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the McGill Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Dijon, and Ensemble Paramirabo. Dr. Koh has performed with distinguished soloists, including Jonathan Crow,  Ilya Poletaev, Mark Fewer, Kyoko Hashimoto, Erika Raum, Jeremy Bell and Alexander Dunn.

From 2015 to 2022, Dr. Koh was the Music Director of the Georgian Bay Symphony. Under his direction, the GBS won the 2017 Vida Peene Award from the Ontario Arts Council for its artistic excellence and strong community relationships. The Ontario Arts Council recognized Dr. Koh’s contribution to the community and invited him to the 2022 Music Organizations: Operating assessment meeting as an advisor. He assessed seventy-seven grant applications from Ontario’s orchestras, choirs, and festival organizations.

Dr. Koh is also passionate about performing contemporary music, particularly promoting young Canadian composers and Francophone and Indigenous artists. His artistic goal is to strengthen the cultural fabric of communities by providing access to top-quality classical music.

 

Bénédicte Lauzière – Biography

Described as “beautiful to watch and breathtaking to hear” by the Guelph Mercury, violinist Bénédicte Lauzière enjoys a prolific career on the Canadian stage notably as concertmaster of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, but also as a soloist, chamber musician and recitalist. She won numerous prizes and awards including the Prix d’Europe 2014, the Michael-Measures Award 2011, the Peter Mendell Prize 2010 as well as a grant for professional musicians from the Canada Council for the Arts. Ms Lauzière was a laureate of the Stulberg International String Competition in 2010 and won numerous first prizes in national competitions. As a soloist, her recent performances include Tchaikovsky’s Concerto op. 35 in d major (2023), Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending (2021), Barber’s Violin Concerto op.14 (2018), Beethoven’s Triple Concerto (2018) with pianist Stewart Goodyear and cellist John Helmers, Korngold’s Concerto op. 35 in d major (2016) and Ravel’s Tzigane (2016), all with her colleagues of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. She was also featured as guest soloist with the Kingston Symphony Orchestra, the Elora Festival, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. Bénédicte obtained her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York City in May 2014, where she studied with Masao Kawasaki with the support of the Karl H. Kraeuter, H. & E. Kivekas and Starr scholarships. She has performed both at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, studying with Jonathan Crow as recipient of the Lloyd Carr-Harris scholarship. In her younger formative years, she studied at Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal with Helmut Lipsky.

Celebrating John Williams

April 20, 2024, 7:30 PM

Fraser Auditorium
Guest Conductor TBA
The Sudbury  Orchestra celebrates with the fantastic and various music from the movies

 

 

Emerging Artist Showcase

May 4, 2024, 7:30 PM

FraserAuditorium
Guest Conductor TBA
Another  fantastic  Concert celebrating Sudbury’s future with a concert of youth and emerging artists.

 

Ticket Information

Main Series:

On sale at the Sudbury Theatre Centre Box Office https://www.showpass.com/sso-2023-2024-subscription/ or by calling 705 674 8381

Chamber Music Series

On sale at Place Des Arts billetterie@maplacedesarts.ca or at +1 705-885-1076.

Information on Free Library Concerts coming Soon!

2022.23 Chamber Concert Series

4 Chamber Music Concerts with the SSO personnel  and Guests.

All concerts take place  at the new Place des Arts.

Concert Dates and Details  coming soon!

 

Ticket Information

Single Tickets: $35+HST
All 4 Concerts: $125 + HST

Youth: $15+ HST
All 4 Concerts: $50 + HST

Family: $85+ HST (The number of children does not matter)
All 4 Concerts: $300 + HST

Tickets available at the Place des Arts Box Office online or by calling 705 885 1076

Concert program for October 16