Sheng Cai and Rachmaninoff
2023-09-17 14:30 - 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Sheng Cai, pianoDinuk Wijeratne | YatraRachmaninov | Piano Concerto No. 2Dvorak | Symphony No. 9
Commissioned to celebrate Canada’s 150th Anniversary by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia, Dinuk Wijeratne’s fanfare, Yatra, is a fitting way to open the NSO’s Diamond Anniversary Season. Sheng Cai, a Canadian pianist with a growing international reputation, brings his dynamic force to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, popular with audiences and pianists alike; numerous films including David Lean’s romantic drama Brief Encounter utilize the music in its soundtrack. Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” has become a universal favourite! Known for its famous English Horn solo in the second movement, astronaut Neil Armstrong even took a tape recording along during Apollo 11’s mission in 1969.
Guest Artist SponsorPatrick Little of the St. Catharines Law Firm

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Walking Through The Fire
2023-09-30 19:30 - 22:00, 2023-10-01 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
SPECIAL EVENT
Sultans of String, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), Shannon Thunderbird, Don Ross, Leela Gilday, The North Sound, and a multimedia extravaganza featuring Northern Cree Powwow Group, Dr. Duke Redbird, Inuit singers, and more!
Award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists perform with JUNO Award nominees Sultans of String, in a musical multimedia event unlike any other! From Métis fiddling to an East Coast Kitchen Party, to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest, experience the beauty and diversity of music from Turtle Island/Canada.

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The Classics of Rodgers & Hammerstein
2023-10-22 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Jay Dref, tenorCharlotte Knight, sopranoNathan Keoughan, baritone
Partridge Hall will be alive with the sound of music as the NSO welcomes Charlotte Knight, Jay Dref, and Nathan Keoughan to sing the classics of Rodgers and Hammerstein. After highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II teamed up in July 1942 for their first collaboration: a musical adaptation of Green Grow the Lilacs. That musical would eventually become Rodgers & Hammerstein’s iconic Oklahoma!. A milestone in the development of the American musical, it also marked the beginning of the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history, and was followed by Carousel, South Pacific, The King And I, Cinderella, and The Sound of Music, all contributing songs to the Great American Songbook.

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Concert Sponsor

Taiko + Bolero
2023-11-19 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Strauss | Don JuanMaki Ishii | Mono-PrismStrauss | Der Rosenkavalier: SuiteRavel | Bolero
In Ishii’s Mono-Prism, the NSO is joined by the mesmerizing and heart-pounding taiko drum ensemble Nagata Shachu, their function being to disturb heaven and earth with their powerful sound and dynamism, and to awaken the sprits. Don Juan is an orchestral favourite due to the numerous technical and musical demands on each instrument. When Richard Strauss needed some local color for his opera Der Rosenkavalier (The Cavalier of the Rose), he turned to the waltz it as shorthand for the elegance and grace of a bygone era. Ravel’s Bolero, known for its orchestral crescendo and featured soloists throughout the entire orchestra, could be his most famous composition, made even more famous by the ice dancing pair Torvill and Dean at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics.
NAGATA SHACHU is theDR. and MRS. W.N. TYTANECK Guest Artist

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Brad’s Home for the Holidays
2023-12-16 19:30 - 22:00, 2023-12-17 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Kaylee Harwood, sopranoSayer Roberts, tenorLaura Secord S.S. Choir
Celebrate the holidays with the familiar sounds of the most enchanting season! The NSO’s festive concert tradition returns with holly and mistletoe, sweet sugar plums, vocalists Kaylee Harwood and Sayer Roberts, and the Laura Secord Secondary School Choir.
New this year: ‘The Snowman” is coming to town. Created by Raymond Briggs, ‘The Snowman” is one of the world’s most popular and iconic picture books. Nominated for an Oscar and winner of a BAFTA TV award, the animated version of “The Snowman” includes the iconic song “Walking in the Air,” written by composer Howard Blake. Enjoy “The Snowman” and its heartwarming soundtrack played live by the NSO as part of the NSO’s holiday concert.
Regardless of where you’re from, come home for the holidays with the NSO!

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Earthbeat + Brahms
2024-01-28 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Snow Bai, erhuNiagara Youth OrchestraVincent Ho | EarthbeatAlison Yun-Fei | Jiang River MemoryKevin Lau | Between the Earth and ForeverBrahms | Symphony No. 4
Erhuist Snow Bai brings her expressive and dynamic performance to the NSO stage with an instrument that is rarely seen. Ho’s Earthbeat is inspired by the traditions of Canada’s First Nations community, bringing one closer to the Earth’s “heartbeat.” Jiang’s River Memory is a work inspired by the Niagara Falls, contemplating on the transformation of human identity as part of the immigration and diaspora experience. Beloved composer Lau’s Between the Earth and Forever, is a poetic evocation of the space between our home and the universe, the familiar and the unknown, the earthly and the transcendent, the preciousness of nature and the abyss of environmental disaster. Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 is the last of his symphonies and possibly his finest and most moving.

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Nibbles And Notes - A Pre-Concert Cocktail Hour
2024-02-10 18:00 - 19:00, 2024-02-11 13:00 - 14:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
SAT 10 FEB AT 6:00PM AND SUN 11 FEB AT 1:00 PMJOY WILLIAMS LOBBY
Please join us for a pre-concert cocktail hour in the Upper Lobby of the PAC before Soulful on Saturday, Feb 10 and Sunday, Feb. 11.
Let the NSO put you in the mood for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy a glass of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and the musical stylings of jazz pianist, Doug Mundy prior to the Soulful concert. A long time Niagara resident, Mundy is one of the most in demand musicians in the Niagara Region. He has recently completed a tour of New Zealand working with a collection of the country’s finest jazz musicians.
Tickets $50 per person plus fees and taxes
Add a $25 donation in honour of the NSO’s 75th Diamond Anniversary and receive a tax receipt for $25

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Soulful
2024-02-10 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-02-11 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
A Jeans ‘n Classics celebration in honour of Black History MonthGavin Hope, vocalist
Come celebrate 50 years of R&B, Motown, Funk, Disco, and Pop by some of the finest African American recording artists and performers like Smokey Robinson, Outkast, Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams, Isaac Hayes, and Seal. Featuring three-time Juno Award nominee and long-time member of the iconic Canadian a cappella group, The Nylons, Gavin Hope is a natural born performer. With his lightning speed comedic timing, skills on the dance floor, and truly exceptional, velvety, emotional voice, Hope is always a fan favourite!

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Postcards from a Blue Planet
2024-02-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-02-19 12:30 - 13:30 | FOPAC Recital Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Madison Deppe, flutes
Cathi MacDonnell, bassoon
Zoltan Kalman, clarinet & alto saxophone
Dave Braun, narrator
Kenneth Cayugan, artwork
Commissioned by the NSO in 2018, Kevin Lau’s Postcards From A Blue Planet highlights unique habitats with a variety of musical styles and genres. This multi-sensory, audio and visual performance introduces you to wind instruments: flute, alto flute, piccolo, clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon.
Part of FirstOntario PAC Family Day events.
Generously sponsored by Paul Collins.
All seats: $20

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Next Gen. Beethoven
2024-03-03 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Chelsea Ahn, pianoYounggun Kim, pianoBeethoven | Coriolan Overture Piano Concerto No. 4Egmont Overture Piano Concerto No. 5
Who doesn’t love Beethoven? Two young talents bring twice the energy to two piano concertos! Piano Concerto No. 4 is a favorite of concert audiences and considered by many to be one of the pinnacles of the piano concerto repertoire. Piano Concerto No. 5 is known as the Emperor Concerto although it has no association with any emperor. Its military aspects and symbolism characterize its heroic style. The Coriolan Overture represents Coriolanus’ resolve and war-like tendencies as he is about to invade Rome. The Egmont Overture, one of the last works of Beethoven’s “middle period,” is powerful and expressive and has become as famous a composition as the Coriolan Overture.
CHELSEA AHN is theDR. and MRS. W.N. TYTANECK Guest Artist

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Concert Sponsor

Classic Rock Radio
2024-04-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
A Gravel Museum Production
Rock out to the greatest classic rock songs of all time! The music of Queen, The Who, Foreigner, Led Zeppelin, and many more performed by an all-star band, backed by the full power of NSO!

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Concert Sponsor

Mahler's Symphony No. 2
2024-05-05 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Jocelyn Fralick, sopranoBeste Kalender, mezzoBuffalo Philharmonic Chorus

Niagara native Jocelyn Fralick, Turkish-Canadian Beste Kalender, the BPC, and the LSSSC join the NSO for a rousing finale to the NSO’s Diamond Anniversary Season. Voted the fifth-greatest symphony of all time in a survey of conductors carried out by the BBC Music Magazine, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 is known as the Resurrection Symphony. One of his most popular and successful works, it was also his first major composition that established his lifelong view of the beauty of the afterlife, and resurrection. In this large work, Mahler further developed the creative “sound of the distance,” his goal to compose a “world of its own,” aspects of which were already seen in Mahler’s First Symphony.

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Parker Plays Grieg
2024-09-15 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Jon Kimura Parker, piano

Kevin Lau
Dark Angels

Grieg
Piano Concerto

Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5

The Medusa myth profoundly influenced the musical shape that Dark Angels would assume. Its pages bear the scars of Medusa’s transformation, and the bitter metaphors associated with her suffering.
The Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, composed by Edvard Grieg in 1868, was the only concerto Grieg completed. It is one of his most popular works and is among the most popular of the genre. Grieg, being only 24 years old at the time of the composition, had taken inspiration from Robert Schumann’s only concerto, also being in A minor.
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony demonstrates how convincingly he could create a large–scale symphonic work of complete technical assurance and structural equilibrium, yet wholly his own in expression.

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All Gershwin
2024-10-20 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Jay Dref, tenorDaniel Clarke Bouchard, piano

Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue

An American in Paris

Vocal Selections

George Gershwin wrote primarily for the Broadway musical theatre, but important as well are his orchestral and piano compositions in which he blended the techniques and forms of classical music with the stylistic nuances and techniques of popular music and jazz.
Rhapsody in Blue incorporates trademarks of the jazz idiom into a symphonic context. The work is perhaps the most-performed and most-recorded orchestral composition of the 20th Century. An American in Paris represents Gershwin’s employment of both jazz and classical forms, the harmonic structure rooted in blues traditions.
Jay Dref (left) returns to the NSO following his appearance last season in The Classic of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Daniel Clarke Bouchard (right) began playing the piano at the age of five. He has performed in many great venues all across Canada.
DANIEL CLARKE BOUCHARD is theDR. and MRS. W.N. TYTANECK Guest Artist

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Pre-Concert Wine & Jazz
2024-11-23 18:00 - 19:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Joy Williams Upper Lobby
Join the Niagara Symphony Orchestra for a pre-concert Wine and Jazz before the Queen Symphony event on Saturday, November 23.

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The Queen Symphony
2024-11-23 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-11-24 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Chorus Niagara, guest artist

Bernstein
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Kashif
The Queen Symphony

Symphonic Dances from West Side Story is an orchestral suite in nine movements adapted from parts of Bernstein’s landmark musical, West Side Story.
The Queen Symphony pays tribute to the timeless songs of the iconic rock band Queen, including Who Wants to Live Forever and Bohemian Rhapsody. The music is distinctly symphonic, building on musical fragments and adding brand new material.
As Niagara’s premier auditioned symphonic choir, Chorus Niagara draws its membership from throughout the Niagara peninsula and from as far away as Hamilton and Buffalo NY.

Supporting Sponsor

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Home For the Holidays
2024-12-14 19:30 - 22:00, 2024-12-15 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Jennifer Rider-Shaw, sopranoRobert Markus, tenor
The NSO’s festive concert tradition returns with holly and mistletoe, and sweet sugar plums. Regardless of where you’re from, come home for the holidays with the NSO and celebrate with familiar sounds of the most enchanting season.
Stars of the Stratford Festival for many seasons, Jennifer Rider-Shaw played The Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Robert Markus most recently played Mark in RENT during the 2023 season.
Laura Secord Secondary School Concert Choir
Director: Katryna Sacco

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Mozart & Beyond
2025-01-26 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Eric Guo, piano

Mozart
The Magic Flute Overture

Chopin
Piano Concerto No. 1

Mozart
Symphony No. 41 – “Jupiter”

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of classical music featuring masterpieces by Mozart and Chopin.
Feel the magic as the concert opens with the majestic overture to Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Hear the brass soar and the orchestra weave a spellbinding tapestry of sound, setting the stage for a truly enchanting experience.
Be captivated by Eric Guo’s breathtaking performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. This young virtuoso, a winner of the 2nd International Chopin Competition on Period Instruments, will ignite your senses with his poetic and passionate playing. Eric is a laureate of the Fifth Canadian Chopin Piano Competition and was previously named one of CBC’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30.
And finally, we conclude the concert in awe with Mozart’s monumental Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter.” Feel the power and joy of this exhilarating work, a masterpiece of symphonic writing that will leave you breathless.
This is a concert you won’t want to miss!

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The Four Seasons Reimagined
2025-02-16 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Maureen Conlon-Gutierrez, violinHector Del Curto, bandoneon

Max Richter
The Four Seasons Reimagined

Astor Piazzolla
The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires

The Four Seasons Reimagined is a complete re-composition and reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s violin concertos, emphasising Richter’s grounding in postmodern and minimalist music.
Each tango of The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires is a unique blending of the syncopations of the dance. Originally conceived as separate compositions, Piazzolla established the practice of performing them as one suite.
Drawing from her rich Mexican-American background, Maureen Conlon-Gutierrez has garnered acclaim with audiences across the U.S., Latin America and Europe.
One of the world’s most sought after bandoneonists, Hector Del Curto has performed with many renowned artists across many musical genres and appeared with the world’s leading orchestras.
HECTOR DEL CURTO is theDR. and MRS. W.N. TYTANECK Guest Artist

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Classical Mystery Tour
2025-03-08 19:30 - 22:00, 2025-03-09 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
James Owen presents Classical Mystery Tour A Tribute to The Beatles, backed by a Symphony Orchestra

Bradley Thachuk, conductor

Guest Artists: Jim Owen, rhythm guitar, piano, and vocals Neil Candelora, bass guitar, piano, and vocals Tom Teeley, lead guitar and vocals Chris McBurney, drums and vocals

“a high goosebump quotient.” – Los Angeles Times
Classical Mystery Tour is more than just a rock concert. Imagine The Beatles playing in concert with a symphony orchestra. What would that have sounded like? Because many Beatles fans never had the chance to experience a live Beatles show, Classical Mystery Tour  provides that opportunity.

Enjoy two dozen Beatles tunes sung, played, and performed exactly as they were written. From early Beatles music on through the solo years, Classical Mystery Tour is the best of The Beatles like you’ve never heard them, live with your Niagara Symphony Orchestra.

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Pastorale
2025-04-05 16:30 - 19:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Beethoven
Fidelio Overture (Sunday Only)

Copland
Appalachian Spring

Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale)

Special Family Concert Event – Bring the whole family to our Saturday matinee of Pastorale!
For a special discounted rate, our Saturday April 5 concert will be a family-friendly performance, a perfect way to introduce children of all ages to Beethoven! This condensed, 75-minute concert, presented in a relaxed and casual atmosphere, includes pre-show fun in the lobby, including:

Colouring Station – Colour a scene from Beethoven’s Pastorale and see your art on the big screen behind the orchestra!

Instrument Petting Zoo – Come try a variety of family-friendly percussion instruments, including Boomwhackers and Bells!

Family “Photo Booth” – With a variety of fun props, get your photo taken at the NSO photo booth!

50/50 Draw – For as low as $1, you can enter our draw by speaking to any of our team at the NSO table or throughout Partridge Hall.

Tickets are only $24-$35, and free for children under 6!
Be swept away by the serene beauty of Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and immerse yourself in the pastoral splendour of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastorale,” feeling Beethoven’s deep love for nature and the sights, sounds, and emotions of a day in the countryside.
Prices for Saturday April 5 only:Adult: $35, Student: $29, 6-18 years: $24, under 6 years free

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Pastorale
2025-04-06 14:30 - 17:00 | Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 3M2, Canada
Beethoven
Fidelio Overture (Sunday Only)

Copland
Appalachian Spring

Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale)

Join us for an evening of musical masterpieces, where the human spirit soars and the beauty of nature unfolds.
Feel the triumph as Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture bursts forth. Witness the composer’s struggle and ultimate victory in crafting the perfect opening to his only opera, a testament to resilience and artistic passion.
Be swept away by the serene beauty of Copland’s Appalachian Spring. Experience the joy and tranquility of a wedding day in rural Pennsylvania, as the music paints a vivid picture of dawn’s gentle awakening and the peaceful close of day.
Immerse yourself in the pastoral splendor of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastorale.” Feel the composer’s deep love for nature as the music evokes the sights, sounds, and emotions of a day in the countryside. Let the symphony’s expressive melodies and evocative textures transport you to a world of tranquility and beauty.
Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the power and beauty of these timeless works. Let the music ignite your senses and stir your soul.
Special Concert Event – Bring the whole family to our Saturday matinee!
For a special discounted rate, our Saturday April 5 concert will be a family-friendly performance, a perfect way to introduce children of all ages to Beethoven! The concert will be shorter than most other performances, and presented in a relaxed and casual atmosphere.

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