23/24 Concerts

Program

MASTERWORKS

Join the TBSO for OPENING NIGHT featuring TBSO’s own Thomas Cosbey playing Barber’s Violin Concerto, as well as works by Alexina Louie, Jessie Montgomery, Honneger, and Poulenc!

Alexina Louie – Music for a Celebration
Jessie Montgomery – Strum
Barber – Violin Concerto — Thomas Cosbey
Honneger – Pastorale d’ete
Poulenc – Sinfonietta

Program

FAMILY

It’s the spookiest night of the year as the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra presents our Halloween Spooktacular. An event for the whole family, featuring music from Harry Potter, classic Halloween movies and other SPOOKY tunes, it will be a concert to remember! Wear your favourite costume and bring all your little ghosts and ghouls to enjoy this musical treat!

Program

POPS

Are you ready for the Time Warp? Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul… Jeans ‘n Classics is doing the music of Rocky Horror!!! 

Program

HILLDALE CHAMBER SERIES

Experience the tropics with the vibrant and bold sounds of Latin American music in the debut concert of our Chamber Music Series!

Morlock – Theft
Santos – Ykamiabas
D’Rivera – Aires Tropicales
Evangelista – Spanish Garland
Ginastera – String Quartet No. 1

Program

MASTERWORKS

Memory is one of life’s strongest and most powerful forces. Join us for an emotional evening of truly fine music inspired by the act of keeping memories close.

Skoryk – Melody
Trew – Come Closer: Songs on Texts by Elizabeth Krehm
Farrenc – Symphony 3

Program

NORTHERN LIGHTS

The divine, witty, charming, glittering, and incredibly talented Spencer Hari has performed locally for over a decade, but would you believe this is his first time collaborating on a full show with the TBSO? Well, it was worth the wait! If you think you’ve seen Spencer Hari perform, just wait till you see what he’s bringing out for this show. Join us for an evening you won’t soon forget.

Program

Join us for an intimate candlelight concert featuring the music of Taylor Swift performed by a string quartet of musicians of the TBSO. This show will feature classical arrangements of all of your favourites. From 1989 to Red, and Reputation to Folklore, we have something from every Era. Even if you’re not a die-hard Swiftie on your way in, you will be by the end of the night!

In Partnership with:

Program

POPS

Bhangra meets classical with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. Music moves us in many ways, emotionally and especially physically. Across the globe, there are musical traditions that fuse music and movement in distinct ways. Join us as we see how composers, influenced by the music of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, create new sounds and exciting pieces.

Program

SPECIAL

The man. The Legend. The Icon. Join the TBSO for a tribute to one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Gordon Lightfoot. The backdrop to so many road trips, camping trips, nights spent with friends, nights spent missing friends, experience the music that has become the soundtrack to life in Canada.

Program

Join us for an intimate candlelight concert featuring the music of Taylor Swift performed by a string quartet of musicians of the TBSO. This show will feature classical arrangements of all of your favourites. From 1989 to Red, and Reputation to Folklore, we have something from every Era. Even if you’re not a die-hard Swiftie on your way in, you will be by the end of the night!

In Partnership with:

Program

VOICES

You know it. You love it. You want to hear it again and again. From the soft beauty of the opening notes to the resounding joy of the Hallelujah Chorus, this performance promises to uplift and delight audiences during the festive season. Handel’s Messiah transcends cultural, geographic, and religious boundaries with its message of charity, peace, goodwill, and sacrifice. It also contains some of the most uplifting, touching, and magnificent music ever composed.

Program

POPS

A TBSO classic and a Thunder Bay seasonal-must, the Holiday Pops concert is one of the most popular presentations of the year. A witty, charming perennial holiday concert featuring many holiday music favourites, along with special guests the TBS Chorus, Zorya Ukrainian Dance Co, The Stringlings, and many more!

Program

HILLDALE CHAMBER SERIES

Celebrate the rich legacy of British classical music, and the enduring influence of Charles Villers Stanford on the development of these great composers.

Jacob – Five Bagatelles
I. Holst – Phantasy Quartet
Schafer – String Quartet No.12
G. Holst – Wind Quintet in Ab Major
Coleridge Taylor – Nonet in F minor

Program

POPS

The TBSO is thrilled to join forces with the amazingly effervescent Quartetto Gelato! Virtuosic showpieces and romantic ballads, blazing jazz Manouche tunes and forgotten chestnuts, all brought to life with multi-instrument mastery: this is Quartetto Gelato—a popular and highly unusual classical quartet.

Program

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Shy-Anne Hovorka is no stranger to Thunder Bay audiences. An award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, humanitarian and performer, whose first three albums have sold over 15,000 + copies worldwide, Shy-Anne brings her heartfelt music to a night of song and storytelling with the TBSO. We are thrilled to have her back with us for a truly spectacular show!

Program

HILLDALE CHAMBER SERIES

Prepare to be swept away by the playful and acrobatic nature of this concert featuring works by Ligeti, Archer, Bozza, and Prokofiev.

Ligeti – Six Bagatelles
Archer – Sonata for Flute, Clarinet, & Piano
Bozza – Three Pieces for Brass Quartet
Prokofiev – Quintet Op.39 “Trapèze”

Program

VOICES

Get swept away by one of the most popular classical pieces of all time: Bach’s Concerto in D Minor for 2 violins, played by a truly talented TBSO couple, Christopher Stork and Kimberly Durflinger. Thunder Bay Symphony Chorus takes the stage for Bach’s unforgettable cantata “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich”, which translates roughly to “For you, Lord, is my desire.” On top of that, we get to hear a Baroque-inspired contemporary jewel, “Baroque Melting” by Vivian Fung. And it doesn’t stop there! Featuring pieces by Purcell, Gluck, and Rebel, this concert promises to be a wild emotional ride – and a good time!

Purcell – Selections from The Fairy Queen
Bach – Concerto in D minor for two violins – Christopher Stork & Kimberly Durflinger
Vivaldi – La Follia Trio Sonata in D Minor
Fung – Baroque Melting
Rebel – Les Élémens

Program

FAMILY

The world famous production of Beethoven Lives Upstairs features a lively exchange of letters between young Christoph and his uncle. Their subject is the “madman” who has moved into the upstairs apartment of Christoph’s Vienna home. Through a touching correspondence dramatically underscored with the composer’s most beautiful excerpts, the young boy slowly comes to understand the genius of the man, the torment of his deafness and the beauty of his music. The audience will be captivated by more than twenty-five excerpts of the master’s music, including the Moonlight Sonata, Fur Elise, and the great Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. The music is magically woven into the drama as two actors share their anecdotes and observations based on true incidents from the composer’s life. 

Program

MASTERWORKS

Join the TBSO as we welcome the incredible pianist Kevin Chen to the stage to celebrate Beethoven!

Pierre Mercure – Kaleidoscope
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major – Kevin Chen
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5

Program

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Flamenco Caravan is a Thunder Bay favorite and the TBSO is thrilled to share the stage with them! Blending elements of flamenco, jazz, Latin, sacred and folk music with the sounds of the TBSO, this show promises to delight. The band’s sound is characterized by tight guitar flourishes and smooth vocals, with strong, melodic lyricism and driving and grooving rhythms throughout.

Program

We had so much fun with Badanai Theatre Co the last time they joined us, we’ve decided to do it again! This time, we’re going to take it up a notch with a Kennedy Centre-style production of Dolly Parton’s musical 9 to 5!! 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL tells the story of three women pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. Concocting a plan to kidnap and turn the tables on their despicable supervisor, will the ladies manage to reform their office – or will events unravel when the CEO pays an unexpected visit?

Program

VOICES

Join the TBSO for an inspiring night of music featuring TBSO Principal Bass, Martin Blanchet playing Bottesini, the Thunder Bay Symphony Chorus featured in Rutter’s Requiem, and Raum’s “Evolution”.

Raum – Evolution
Bottesini – Concerto No.2 in B minor
Rutter – Requiem

Program

MASTERWORKS

Nothing can captivate you quite like Viennese music. From Mozart to Schoenberg to Schubert, you will fall in love with the romance and passion of this timeless city. The TBSO invites you to close your eyes and let your heart go home to Vienna. Also featured is the incredible “Musica Serena” by Canadian composer Elliot Weisgarber. We are also thrilled to welcome incredible duo, Sharon Wei on viola and Scott St. John on violin, whose playing is sure to leave you wanting more!

Elliot Weisgarber – Musica Serena
Mozart – Sinfonia Concertante – Sharon Wei and Scott St John
Schoenberg – Chamber Symphony No. 2
Schubert – Symphony No. 3

Program

FAMILY

Back by popular demand! “The Spirit Horse Returns” is a powerful concert production that combines traditional teachings, original visual art, music, and an all-new orchestral score to tell the story of the Ojibwe Horses, traditional helpers and spirit guides for First Nations and Métis people. It’s a journey of hope and reconciliation as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people come together to rescue the last of these horses and give them new life. Suitable for all ages, this production is an entertaining opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultures, reconciliation, and how we all play a part in the future of the land and its inhabitants.

Program

POPS

The Piano Men is a musical celebration of the 1970’s- year by year, hit by hit- from the songbooks of Billy Joel and Elton John. Award winning Canadian recording artist Jim Witter and his incredible band lead an expertly crafted tour of an entire decade that begins with “Your Song” and winds us along on a musical time machine, saluting two of the century’s most popular contemporary songwriters. The sounds of “My Life”, “Candle in the Wind”, “Rocket Man”, “Just the Way You Are”, and many more classic hits create an evening that’s so much fun, you won’t want it to end. Witter at the grand piano unleashes his golden tenor on hit after hit to recreate landmarks in a pop culture timeline.

Program

SPECIAL

Noondaagotoon, means play it (so it makes a sound) in Ojibway. If you’ve been to a Noondaagotoon concert, you know this to be true. This annual collaboration between the TBSO and Indigenous performers has become one of the highlights of our season. It is an exciting opportunity to strengthen long-standing relationships – and establish new ones – while creating space for musical reconciliation with Fort William First Nation.