OSO Symphony Matters: survey, news, concerts and more!
Okanagan Symphony Orchestra announces community survey, change of leadership, upcoming concerts and much more!
Read on to learn more…
We invite Okanagan residents, whether you’re a Symphony regular, an occasional attender, or have never been to an OSO concert before, to complete an important community survey. Data collected from this survey will be extremely helpful to the OSO we as plan for upcoming seasons.
Complete it here and once done, you will have the opportunity to enter a draw for a pair of tickets for our OSO opening season concerts in October. We are grateful for your participation! Responses must be received no later than June 5, 2023 to be eligible for the draw.
Congratulations to Dryden Bennett Winner of the Imant Raminsh Scholarship
Congratulations to Dryden Bennett, the recipient of the 2023 Imant Raminsh Scholarship!
Dryden is a graduating Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra trombone player who will be studying Musical Composition at the University of Calgary this fall.
In 2022, he received the Teen Honour in the Arts Award from the City of Kelowna for the 47th Annual Civic & Community Awards.
He was also part of the City of Kelowna’s Creative Youth Perspective, which aims to provide a paid opportunity for local youth that are exploring a creative discipline and to contribute to the local creative sector.
Dryden has participated in the OSYO Composition Program for the past three years, having taken up composing as a way to keep himself in touch with music during pandemic restrictions. He has already produced a considerable body of work.
As well as performances by the OSYO, his works have been workshopped by the OSO, and his “Tangerine Trees” was featured on the OSO’s New Dawn mainstage concert in October 2021, a highly unusual honour for a student composer
Dryden was also a concerto soloist on the OSYO Spring Concert earlier this month.
The Imant Raminsh Scholarship was established in 2013 to honour musician and composer Imant Raminsh as the founding conductor of the OSYO. It is awarded to a graduating student going on to post-secondary studies in music.
Rosemary Thomson & Dennis Colpitts, with OSO Executive Director Geraldine Parent, are honoured at their final performance as OSYO Co-conductors.
A changing of the guard for the Youth Symphony Rosemary & Dennis leave big shoes to fill
Dennis Colpitts and Rosemary Thomson, after 11 seasons, have stepped away from the OSYO as co-conductors. The entire OSO / OSYO organization is sad to see them go and knows this will be both a significant change for the program, and big shoes to fill.The position description for a new OSYO conductor has been posted on various job sites. (See Career Opportunities |Okanagan Symphony Orchestra.) We are confident we will find a suitable conductor for the Youth Symphony program and that the transition to new leadership will happen smoothly in September. The application deadline is Monday, May 29, 2023, 3:00pm PDT. If you know of any suitable candidates who might be interested, please encourage them to apply.
2023/2024 Sneak Peak Expect new season information in July
We are still crossing the “t”s and dotting the “i”s on all the details for our 2023/2024 season, however we are pleased to provide the following overview of our concert offerings.
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Mainstage series
A subscription package of four fantastic classical concerts, with guest artists and repertoire that will thrill and uplift you. Performances in the Kelowna Community Theatre, Penticton’s Cleland Community Theatre, and the Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre.
NEW DISCOVERIES October 20 – 22, 2023
Barber’s Violin Concerto and Dvorak’s beloved Symphony No. 9 “New World”.
VIENNESE DELIGHTS January 19 – 21, 2024
Selections from Lehar’s The Merry Widow and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus — Viennese opera at its frothy, engaging, and enchanting best!
KINDRED SPIRITS February 9 – 11, 2024
Mendelssohn’s familiar Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola, then the OSYO joins the OSO for the fast and furious William Tell Overture in our traditional Side-by-Side collaboration.
BRING ON BEETHOVEN May 10 – 12, 2024
We end the season with a Beethoven extravaganza! The master himself called Symphony No. 7 his “most excellent symphony” and despite his relentlessly advancing deafness, it is ebullient and full of optimism. The majestic and powerful Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” completes this season-ending Beethoven bash.
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Celebration series
Three wonderful optional additions to your subscription package will enrich your autumn, make your Christmas memorable, and bring an infusion of life to the end of winter. Locations and prices to be announced in our season brochure this summer.
SHIMMERING STRINGS November 16 – 19, 2023
Members of the OSO string section bring you the Mendelssohn String Octet in E-flat major, and other works for string quartet.
YULETIDE UKULELE December 15 – 17, 2023
Finally making their appearance, first scheduled in 2021, the husband-and-wife duo of James Hill and Anne Janelle bring their own unique spin on Christmas, with virtuoso ukulele and cello.
VIVACIOUS VIVALDI March 1 – 3, 2024
Among the most recognizable and beloved works of the Baroque era, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons paint musical pictures of the cycle of nature.
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Satellite series
Not your typical symphony concerts! The OSO explores new ways to make music and new collaborators to make it with. Dates, locations and prices to be announced in our season brochure this summer.
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Pocket Orchestras
Look for a new schedule of Pocket Orchestra performances throughout the fall and spring. Dates, locations, and prices to be announced on our website.
The OSO believes orchestral music is for everyone. With your support, we can keep our phenomenal Orchestra playing for years to come.
