Something for everyone? Or everything for all?
On Wednesday, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra unveiled its 2018-2019 season and it’s filled to the brim with big names and exciting options for any music lover.
“It is a pleasure for me to welcome audiences to an exciting and innovative season at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra,” said Rune Bergmann, music director of the CPO, in the announcement. “We truly have something for everyone, and we hope that our audiences will be inspired and intrigued like we are performing this wonderful music.”
If it’s the stars that will get you out to the Jack Singer or Southern Alberta Jubilee, the CPO has operatic superstar soprano Renée Fleming performing with them Sept. 26 at the Jack, and Canadian country soul singer Johnny Reid doing a special holiday concert Dec. 11 at the Jube.
If orchestral pop or more contemporary sounds are more your thing, some of the highlights include: season opener, Classical Mystery Tour: A Symphonic Evening of the Beatles Sept. 14 and 15; Music of the Movies, including selections from such scores and soundtracks as Star Wars and Singin’ In the Rain, early in the new year on Jan. 18 and 19; a concert on Feb. 9, where singer Gavin Hope performs “50 years of brilliant R&B, Motown, funk, disco, and pop”; Heather Rankin featured in a Celtic Celebration March 17; and an April 13 evening where Hawksley Workman is accompanied by the orchestra.
The CPO will also return to the movies again this year, performing the scores to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Feb. 28 and March 1, and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers May 17-19, as the films play behind them on the Jubilee stage.
For the young ones, they’ll get lured to the CPO by such kid-friendly concerts as performances of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Oct. 5 and 6, fave Peter and the Wolf Oct. 21, and ’Tis the Season: Kids’ Holiday Special Dec. 2.
That, along with the Reid concert, marks a pretty busy holiday season at the Ceep, with other performances including A Nat King Cole Christmas Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, A Traditional Christmas Dec. 5-8 — with performances in Okotoks, Rocky Ridge and the Grace Presbyterian Church — and Rune’s Classical Christmas Dec. 13.
And of course, for the classical purists, the entire season is a treasure trove of old favourites and challenging work. Some of the more notable concerts include: Symphonics 101: Guide to the Orchestra, featuring works by such masters as Haydn, Beethoven, Mahler and Debussy on Sept. 21; Verdi’s Requiem Nov. 9 and 10; Brahm’s Double Concerto paired with Karłowicz’s Rebirth Symphony March 15 and 16; pianist Konstantin Shamray with a programme featuring Mendelssohn, Liszt, Bach and Dvorak May 10 and 11; and pianist Yefim Bronfman performing Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto on May 31 and June 1.
The entire season wraps June 7 and 8 with a special Summertime Send-Off, featuring Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman.
The complete season lineup as well as tickets are available now from the CPO’s website here.
