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June 23

Summer is the time for orchestras all over the world to sell subscriptions. So what's the deal with subscriptions? Why "subscribe"? Well, first of all: discounts. It's like buying bulk - the more tickets you buy, the more money you get off. So that's pretty sweet, right? Secondly, it puts something in your schedule to look forward to. Who doesn't feel a little important when they can blow off dinner-at-the-in-laws because they've had tickets to the symphony for "months, darling"? And sure, you might look at a season and go "I'm really only interested in going to see a few of these" but for a few extra dollars you can customize your subscription!

I think it's time for a SCENARIO.

Say, for example, you want to see and support as much CanCon as possible (I love you!), so you go through the brochure and see in the Signature Series that we have the DaCapo choir and four Canadian horn players performing in Sig 2, we're playing Canadian composer Malcolm Forsyth's Morning Minions in Sig 3, Measha is singing in Sig 5, and in Sig 6 are two Canadian talents: a premiere of a work by Brian Current, and whirling dervish/artist Mira Hunter.

There's four concerts right there. You like the front row of the balcony (B-level pricing), so your subscription comes to $176 - plus $1/concert that you've mixed-and-matched outside our preset packages (which we create for seating reasons) for a total of $178 or $44.50/concert.

Say you turn a few pages and notice we have a British comedian Rainer Hersch coming to do Pops show - you love BritCom. Can you find 3 more shows to create an 8-pack? More CanCon - Dan Levitin is coming to do science experiments to Beethoven in our first Intersections concert. A concert in the Baroque and Beyond series features Canadian soloists playing Bach and Canadian composers. And local heroes Men With Horns are hosting/leading/playing the Christmas concert - your spinster aunt adores Larry Larson, easy Christmas present! So 8 concerts over 4 series. You think, "But the 8-pack is $286!" Intimidating, right? Remember how you're sitting in the front row of the Balcony - B-level pricing? Move one row back and the base 8-pack is now $132. Add the exchange fees and now your 8 concerts are $138. $17.25/concert. Amazing. Less than you were going to pay for your 4-pack, customized to your taste - and you took care of that pesky Christmas present you'd've agonized over.

Check out our season brochure online. Choose your concerts. Call 519.745.4711 and subscribe today!

June 8

09/10 is now over! I'd tell you all about it, but so many other people have shared that it would be perhaps superfluous.

A crucial question: I think we should get this guy as a soloist, performing on his FACE. What do you think?

May 26

SO this weekend we have Carmina Burana over. She's staying in the guest room and leaving muddy trails across the floor, but we are happy to have her because she is the life of the party (and so sexy, oh my word). Colin McPhee's Tabuh-Tabuhan is also around - relegated unfortunately to the couch - but he's a much more pleasant houseguest, and makes the coffee in the morning. Also he seems to have piles of percussionist friends! Anyway, we're having a huge party on Friday and Saturday nights at the Centre In The Square's place so you can meet them. Carmina is bringing Brian Asawa and Hugh Russell and Carla Huhtanen, Tabuh-Tabuhan is bringing all the percussionists he can dredge up, but it won't be complete without you! Here's where you can get tickets.

We'll also be cooling down and getting to know our fantastically fabulous friends on Sunday, so if crazy weekend parties with famous guests isn't your speed, come out to Generations on May 30th - we'll have you home in time for tea!

May 3

A MESSAGE FROM JANA

I heard recently that a few people I know are dressing in tuxes (Bond!) or Bond Girls for the concerts on May 14/15. Very cool! Then I was thinking about our Video Games Live show last year where people dressed up and the upcoming Star Trek, where people will DEFINITELY be in costume. Is theme dressing for the symphony a new trend? Is it different than the old days of wearing one's Sunday best? What do you think?

April 27

So Jean-Marie was a blast and a half, but now it is time to move on to Baroque and Beyond (this is always to me like Back to the Future). This week's concerts (three) will take place at local churches (First United in Waterloo, Harcourt Memorial in Guelph, Central Presbyterian in Cambridge) and feature a Handel Overture (can you handle it?), a Symphony by Dr. William Boyce (who was the original Deaf Jam before Beethoven, even), a Concerto for Violin and Viola by none other than our friend J.S. and performed by Jerzy Kaplanek and Christine Vlajk (of the PSQ), Haydn's Symphony No. 44 (dude wrote a LOT of symphonies, but this is arguably his saddest: its nickname (they all have nicknames) is "Trauer" or "mourning"), Mozart's Rondo for Violin in Bb (which will feature Jerzy) and Hindemith's Trauermusik ("mourning music" see above) which will be performed by Christine Vlajk. Hindemith writes incredibly for viola, P.S., so y'all should Check It Out.

April 22

This week we have Jean-Marie Zeitouni conducting a bunch of Brahms and Mercure, which you can read more about at KBYG. It will be a delightful concert! Edwin is in town, hanging out and being cool as always - the other day he worked with our Youth Strings and conducted some music students at Waterloo Collegiate Institute. I found a bunch of old pictures from a Symphony calendar that came out years and years ago, and they are amazing, so you should check them out! 

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