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May 08, 2016 - 12:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - Kamloops Symphony has announced the details for their 40th anniversary season.
Music Director Bruce Dunn, who announced his upcoming retirement this past fall, presented the details of the concert season. Executive Director Kathy Humphreys spoke about the four guest conductors auditioning for the position of music director to start in June 2017.
The season begins with their Celebrating 40 Years performance. Cellist Joseph Elworthy is returning to perform the same concerto he did 23 years ago with Kamloops Symphony when he won the symphony’s New Celebrity Competition. This performance also includes Mendelssohn’s Symphony #4, a favourite of the late Lore Dominik who was one of Kamloops Symphony’s founding members.
The season will feature the works of some great master composers such as Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Strauss and several others — all part of the Noran Masterworks Series that focuses on classical pieces. The 2016-2017 season is balanced out with the Kelson Group Pops series that features more popular music.
This year’s Christmas with the KSO will have some seasonal favourites plus a narrated orchestration of the popular children’s short story The Hockey Sweater. Also included in that series is Alex Cuba. Cuba is a Latin-Grammy and JUNO award winner. He will join Kamloops Symphony to perform his songs with orchestra.
Kamloops Symphony also puts on the New Gold Chamber Music Series at Thompson Rivers University. The five-performance series is programmed by members of the Kamloops Symphony that work together to choose and prepare their programmes.
Mélanie Léonard, Leslie Dala, Dina Gilbert and Martin MacDonald were listed in order of appearance to guest conduct the symphony during next season. Bruce Dunn will conduct five of the 9 orchestral performances.
Mélanie Léonard will conduct Schumann and Haydn. Léonard holds a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Montréal. She served as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra's Resident Conductor from 2009 to 2012 and as Associate Conductor for the 2012–2013 season.
Leslie Dala will conduct Past and Present. As Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir, Dala conducted the Canadian premiere of John Adams’ El Niño and Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Vancouver Symphony. From 2003 to 2011, Dala held the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Prince George Symphony. He holds a master's degree in music from the University of British Columbia.
Dina Gilbert will conduct Czech Mates. Dina Gilbert holds a bachelor's degree in clarinet performance and a master's in conducting. Dina also earned a doctorate from the Université de Montréal. She was appointed assistant conductor at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal in April 2013.
Martin MacDonald will conduct Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. Winner of the prestigious 2013 Heinz Unger Award for Orchestral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council, Martin MacDonald completed his master's degree in orchestral conducting at McGill University in Montréal, and his bachelor's degree in cello at Memorial University in St. John's. He currently serves as Associate Conductor of Symphony Nova Scotia.
In addition to the performances, Kamloops Symphony will have several events during the upcoming season. This year they will have an Anniversary Ball in the fall at The Rex, in celebration of 40 years of symphonic music in Kamloops. They will also continue with their popular semi-annual Barb’s Used Book and Music Sale fundraiser and the Mayor’s Gala for the Arts joint fundraiser with Kamloops Art Gallery and Western Canada Theatre.
Kamloops Symphony endeavours to perform interesting, challenging and compelling programmes from a variety of genres at a high performance standard. Kamloops Symphony is committed to Canadian soloists and the work of Canadian composers. They play an important role in the vibrant, cultural life of the southern interior of British Columbia.
Subscriptions tickets for the upcoming season are now on sale.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016