
December 2023
Handel’s Messiah
Enjoy Handel's Messiah, a holiday classic conducted by Nicholas McGegan, featuring the Richard Eaton Singers with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Find out more »A lightly Classical Christmas
Edmonton’s award-winning children’s choir, Cantilon Chamber Choir, joins the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra to perform works inspired by Christmas and holiday traditions. From classic carols from centuries past (O Holy Night, Deck The Halls, O Come All Ye Faithful, Silent Night) to charming new carols by John Rutter, this is a perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Find out more »A Lightly Classical Christmas
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Cantilon Chamber Choir will be performing a unique program containing old favourites like "Deck the Halls" and "Joy to the World" alongside traditional hymnals.
Find out more »A Very Merry Pops
A Very Merry Pops returns with Stuart Chafetz as the conductor. Enjoy sentimental tunes such as like Let It Snow, Sleigh Ride, The First Noël, All I Want For Christmas Is You, Joy to the World, and more by Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Find out more »Hollywood For The Holidays
Enjoy tunes from Toy Story, Star Wars, The Lion King, Harry Potter, Aladdin, Wonder Woman, How to Train Your Dragon, The Lord of the Rings, Beauty and the Beast, and much more at Hollywood For The Holidays.
Find out more »Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert returns to Winspear Centre for a New Year’s celebration that will enchant and delight audiences of all ages. Playing music from the golden age of Viennese music, the Maestro will lead audiences and the orchestra through music by Johann Strauss and his contemporaries.
Find out more »February 2024
Mozart & Mendelssohn
Conducted by Jessica Cottis, the music of Mozart and Mendelssohn comes to life. Allene Hackleman, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Principal Horn since 2004, will be featured as the soloist for Mozart’s triumphant concerto, which he playfully (and mysteriously) wrote in black, red, green, and blue ink.
Find out more »Mendelssohn & Hope
Conductor Jessica Cottis champions a piece written as the world began its recovery from the pandemic.
Find out more »Gershwin’s Magic Key
Gershwin’s Magic Key is a theatrical symphony concert presented by Classical Kids Live. This theatrical production featuring Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, with ESO Resident Conductor Cosette Justo Valdés at the podium. George Gershwin’s most enduring pieces of music are magically woven into a dramatic story as two actors share anecdotes and observations based on true stories from the iconic composer. Hear music from I Got Rhythm, An American in Paris, Girl Crazy, and more, plus Gershwin's beloved Rhapsody in Blue!
Find out more »Stern Conducts Music of Courage and Resistance
Conductor Micheal Stern brings to life music by classical music's great composers such as Haydn, Sibelius, and more.
Find out more »McDonald Plays the Planets
Live at the Winspear presents Canadian organist Mark McDonald on the Davis Concert Organ. McDonald’s diverse career has included performances with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Victoria Symphony, and Cirque du Soleil. He will make his Winspear Centre debut performing Holst’s The Planets. Written between 1914-16, this piece represents all the known planets of the Solar System seen from earth at the time, and their corresponding astrological character.
Find out more »March 2024
Gershwin, By George! Rhapsody In Blue’s 100th
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs Gershwin’s biggest hit, Rhapsody in Blue, to celebrate its landmark 100th birthday. Conductor William Eddins will guide audiences on a thrilling musical journey through Gershwin’s biggest contributions to popular culture. Enjoy music from Crazy For You, Porgy and Bess, Girl Crazy, Funny Face, The Goldwyn Follies, and more.
Find out more »Brahms Symphony No.3
Enjoy the warmth of Brahms’ third symphony conducted by Ruth Reinhardt.
Find out more »Castles and Warriors: Transcendent Sounds
Véronique Lacroix, the founding director of the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, conducts colourful and compelling music by some of Canada’s finest contemporary composers. Sokolović’s music affectionately conjures childhood memories of a merry-go-round. Gilbert’s concerto is both dazzling and haunting, with translucent percussion sonorities filling the air. Ricketts' spacious and dramatic concerto gradually reveals a spellbinding narrative. Two bold works for solo instruments explore the sonic beauties and expressive possibilities of the harp and the tam-tam.
Find out more »Charlotte and The Music-Maker
Charlotte is no ordinary little girl; she plays the trumpet on a cardboard tube, the xylophone with two knitting needles, and the drums on anything that bangs. Her musical talents are not appreciated at home, so she sets off into the wide world only to find herself lost in a raging blizzard. The Music-Maker to the rescue! An odd little man who shares Charlotte's passion for music, the Music-Maker takes Charlotte on a magical, musical journey. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra…
Find out more »Kevin Chen Plays Beethoven’s Emperor
Calgary’s rising star Kevin Chen, winner of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (2021) and the Concours de Genève (2022), returns to the Winspear stage to play Beethoven’s thrilling and popular “Emperor” Piano Concerto.
Find out more »April 2024
The Organ Concert
The famous Davis Concert Organ will be featured front-and-center in Samy Moussa’s elegant tone poem and Guilmant’s lively symphony. Jean-Willy Kunz, Organist-in-Residence with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, joins young British conductor Kerem Hasan in a concert that’s full of musical variety. Catchy dance rhythms and unstoppable energy are what has made Beethoven’s seventh symphony popular since its first performance in 1813. Brimming with enthusiasm and humour, it remains a delight for orchestra musicians and audiences alike.
Find out more »The Magical Music of Harry Potter
“Ah, music! A magic beyond all we do here!” Dumbledore never spoke truer words! Join Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on the Hogwarts Express for a musical adventure through the scores of all eight films from the beloved franchise. Conducted by Enrico Lopez- Yañez, this concert promises to be a magical experience for muggles and wizards alike!
Find out more »Latin Fire
A passionate showcase of Hispanic orchestral music, featuring virtuosic fireworks by Edmonton Symphony Orchestra! Conducted by Enrico Lopez-Yañez, this spicy program includes Lucia, El Cumbanchero, Bésame Mucho, Granada, and Libertango, plus music from Bizet’s Carmen Suite.
Find out more »Tchaikovsky & Folksong
Expect youthful optimism from Tchaikovsky’s favourite folk tunes and Bates’ Mothership, commissioned by the YouTube Symphony.
Find out more »THE WOLF OF LAFONTAINE: SONG & DANCE
Alex Prior returns to the Winspear Stage to conduct a provocative musical journey befitting his big personality. This concert will shine a spotlight on some of today’s brightest composers.
Find out more »CELEIGH CARDINAL WITH THE EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Edmonton’s Celeigh Cardinal makes her Edmonton Symphony Orchestra debut. This JUNO award-winning, Metis soul-folk singer/songwriter brings humour, passion, and endless energy to the stage. You’ll hear her own hits like Set Yourself Free, Wandering River, and When All Is Said and Done, as well as her favourite pop classics, including At Last, Sweet Dreams Are Made of These, and There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.
Find out more »May 2024
SCHUBERT’S UNFINISHED SYMPHONY
Barber’s whimsical Violin Concerto spotlights Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Robert Uchida with poetic music. It’s a mystery why Schubert left his eighth symphony unfinished, although one historian claimed, “He could never have finished it because nothing could approach the originality, power, and skill of the first two movements.” On the other hand, Beethoven wrote four different overtures for his one opera, of which the third is the most impressive, and most popular.
Find out more »M IS FOR MUSIC
Sarah T. Murdoch is a curious eight-year-old girl who isn’t looking forward to her school’s field trip to the symphony. She is sure that M stands for Meh, not music. There are ZERO Jellyfish at the Winspear Centre and not a single dinosaur. But could music be its own adventure? In this delightful introduction to the symphony, Sarah explores the big questions: What is music for? Where does it come from? And is fancy-schmancy orchestra music really for everyone? Let your…
Find out more »LAUBE PLAYS LISZT
Live at the Winspear presents performer and pedagogue Nathan Laube for his thrilling debut performance on the Davis Concert Organ. Known for his brilliant playing, gracious demeanour, and creative programming of repertoire spanning five centuries, he has earned high praise from critics and peers alike. The program will include Laube's own transcription of Franz Liszt's Sonata in B Minor, one of his most magnificent works for the keyboard.
Find out more »RACHMANINOFF & DANCE
Three colourful symphonic dances and a piece originally composed as a ballet make for a memorable performance.
Find out more »FANTASTIC DANCES: RACHMANINOFF & RAVEL
Sergei Rachmaninoff always wanted to compose a ballet but never had the opportunity. Instead, later in life, he wrote a set of three colourful symphonic dances. Ravel originally composed La valse as a ballet, but it was considered undanceable. He published it anyway with a few descriptive phrases like “glimpses of waltzing couples,” “an immense hall,” “progressively brighter,” until finally “chandelier bursts forth.” Avner Dorman describes his concerto for piano composed in 2022 as “a work that expresses extreme emotions…
Find out more »ONES – THE BEATLES #1 HITS
A special presentation of the Beatles 27 number one hit songs that changed the world, for the first time in Edmonton at the Winspear Centre. Experience brilliant narrations to tell the stories behind the songs, captivating backdrops, and a collection of stunning photos and videos on the big screen. Enjoy a 24-piece performance of top musicians who faithfully recreate the sound of the original hit records with orchestra, period correct instruments, and top vocalists on the big stage.
Find out more »FROM BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD
The road from Hollywood to Broadway is paved with unforgettable songs and stories. Jack Everly, Ted Keegan (Broadway’s Phantom) and rising star Katie Scarlett Swaney have a line-up of music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Barry, Stephen Schwartz, James Horner, Ennio Morricone, and John Williams that will remind you of the musical magic of theatre and cinema. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra will perform songs from Titanic, The Phantom of the Opera, La La Land, Wicked, and more!
Find out more »June 2024
MAHLER’S RESURRECTION SYMPHONY
Hear Richard Eaton Singers and the visiting Calgary Youth Orchestra raise the rafters in this special performance of Mahler’s monumental Resurrection Symphony.
Find out more »MARVELOUS MELODIES: DVOŘÁK’S CELLO CONCERTO
Few works have more memorable melodies than Dvořák’s charming Cello Concerto, performed by young Canadian cellist Stéphane Tétreault. John McPherson has been the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Trombone since 1980 and was also Composer-in-Residence in 2016-2017 when he wrote his moving exploration of grief, peace, and liberation. Robert Schumann’s romantic symphony glows with optimism, especially the stunning brass writing inspired by a visit to Cologne’s gothic cathedral on the Rhine.
Find out more »