Concerts

Welcome to our 2018-2019 season! The West Coast Symphony Orchestra invites you to join us in experiencing the joy and power of music. We have eight programs for your pleasure, including a benefit concert for the Children’s Music School in Maestro Llapaj’s home town of Antigonea, Albania. We feature exciting collaborations with members of the Vancouver musical community, from large-scale choirs to inspirational virtuoso soloists.

In October, we celebrate our new season with award-winning piano soloist, Spencer Tsai. A 13-year-old musical prodigy who recently returned from his first international piano recital in Germany, Spencer will charm and amaze you with Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. We begin our concert with Les Preludes by Liszt – a magnificent symphonic poem that will spark a lifetime passion for classical music! To finish, we perform The Seasons by Glazunov, ballet music from one of history’s most romantic periods.

In November, we join forces with the wonderful Vancouver Bach Choir to present Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.1 – “A Sea Symphony” with Les Dala. This concert will begin with our principal conductor, Bujar Llapaj, presenting Benjamin Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem. This piece was composed during World War II, and marks the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of November 11th, 1918.

Our December concert will feature musical storytelling: “Peter and the Wolf” by Prokofiev. Through the narrated story along with the voice of each instrument, listen to and appreciate the components of the orchestra besides enjoying a great story. We also include a selection of animated polkas by Johann Strauss that will have toes tapping, on stage and off. Finally, we present Schumann’s Konzertstuck for Four Horns, featuring the orchestra’s own French Horn section.

In January, we have our 7th annual concert to raise money for the Antigonea Music School. We proudly feature the West Coast Symphony Chamber Orchestra and selected soloists. The audience proceeds from this concert go directly to the music school which was founded as part of the WCSO’s 2012 Balkan Tour.

In February, we will welcome this season’s featured cello soloist, Luke Kim. From South Korea and currently a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Luke will treat audiences to his stunning technique and sound with Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante . We are also delighted to perform “Ouroboros” by JUNO award-winning composer, Jordan Nobles. Jordan ‘s music has been described as having “unearthly beauty” that makes us wants to “close our eyes and transcend into a cloud of music”. We will end our program with the beautiful and powerful Symphony No. 3 by Arvo Part, an Estonian composer of classical and religious music.

In March, we welcome violinist David Gillham performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major. We begin with the overture of one of Mozart’s most enchanting operas, Aus dem Serail (the Abduction from the Seraglio), and end with Sibelius’ Symphony No.5, one of Sibelius’ most sublime and grand symphonies.

In May, we welcome back guest conductor Yariv Aloni and renowned violinist Nancy DiNovo to perform William Walton’s Violin Concerto. Nancy’s brilliant and sensitive performance will be sure to mesmerize. We also present Gustav Holst’s A Somerset Rhapsody, which features songs from the English folk tradition. In keeping with our British theme, we end with Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations – 14 variations sprung from the initial theme’s melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements.

Our season finale in June will feature Vancouver composer and recording artist, Jim Hopson, whose music arrangements have been featured on numerous albums, TV shows, and films. We will perform the world premiere of Jim’s West Coast Suite. We will also present Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to “The Italian Girl in Algiers” and complete this season with the grandeur of Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 — one of the best of all orchestral music.

To our beloved audience, whether you are a newcomer or long-standing supporter of our orchestra, we thank you. Your support means our concerts are successful and our orchestra can continue to celebrate the joy of the music. We would love to see you throughout this upcoming season. As Robert Schumann said, “To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts, such is the duty of the artist”. The West Coast Symphony Orchestra strives to be such a messenger! We hope you enjoy this season.