Everyone deserves a second chance! Rachmaninoff made the most of his, following the disastrous premiere of his first symphony with his beloved Symphony No. 2, which has been quoted in pop ballads and jazz tunes. TorQ Percussion Quartet bring the other-worldly imaginings of Dinuk Wijeratne’s Invisible Cities to life through bold and invigorating percussive colours.

Rising star Québécoise conductor Dina Gilbert presents two contrasting visions of Eastern Europe. Dvorak’s optimistic Eighth Symphony pays loving tribute to the landscapes and folk tunes of Bohemia. Peteris Vasks’ mournful Concerto for Viola, performed by Canadian violist, and Radio-Canada classical ‘Revelation’, Marina Thibeault, meditates and monologues on the times we are living in.

The lineage of German Romanticism can be traced from Weber to one of its undisputed masters, Brahms. The Brahms symphonic cycle continues in Niagara with the cheerful and moving Second Symphony. Visionary pianist Sara Davis Buechner brings her thoughtful artistry to Jared Miller’s Shattered Night – the Canadian composer’s personal emotional response to the eightieth anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Canadian soprano Claire de Sévigné returns to Niagara to muse on the hazy melancholy of childhood in Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer 1915. Mahler’s enchanting Fourth Symphony closes the programme with a child’s serene vision of heaven.

Stravinsky’s early work with the Ballets Russe in Paris launched the composer to international stardom. The first of these works, The Firebird, is paired with Stravinsky’s own childhood hero Tchaikovsky, whose thrilling Fourth Symphony depicts his struggle with Fate. Niagara’s own Juliet Dunn joins the NSO in the Canadian premiere of Timothy Adams’ Harriet: A Journey to Freedom, a co-commission honouring the life of Harriet Tubman and the local history of the Underground Railroad. 

Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Marie-Josée Lord, soprano
Stephanie Tritchew, mezzo-soprano
Matthew Dalen, tenor
Christopher Dunham, baritone
Chorus Niagara, Robert Cooper, artistic director

Roydon Tse | Vicious Cycle
Wagner | Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and “Liebestod”
Beethoven | Symphony No.9, “Choral”

The NSO concludes the 2021/2022 season with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony: a triumphant response to the challenging times at hand.

Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Michelle Colton, percussion

Glinka | Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila
Kevin Lau | The Stars Are Not Aligned
World Premiere
Rimsky-Korsakov | Scheherazade

Tales of fortune and fate are brought to life through steel, skins, and strings in this reimagining of Masterworks 2!

Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Mark Fewer, leader & violin

Vivaldi | The Four Seasons

Kevin Lau | Le Petit Prince: Concert Suite No. 2 (WORLD PREMIERE)

Respighi | The Pines of Rome

Canadian violinist Mark Fewer leads the NSO strings in Vivaldi’s beloved depiction of pastoral Italy through the calm and fury of the passing seasons.

Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Joseph Johnson, cello

Kelly-Marie Murphy | Murmuration
Shostakovich | Cello Concerto No. 1
Elgar | Enigma Variations

AUDIENCE CHOICE

As voted by you! The NSO presents the winner of our “Name Your Tune!” contest – Elgar’s immortal tribute to his friends, the Enigma Variations.

In accordance with provincial regulations Invisible Cities featuring TorQ Percussion Quartet is postponed. All ticket holders will be contacted by the PAC box office directly with options shortly.

We remain committed to rescheduling this fantastic concert for later in the 2021-22 season with a new date to be announced as soon as possible.

Bradley Thachuk, conductor
David Fung, piano
Tchaikovsky | Piano Concerto No. 1
Tchaikovsky | Romeo & Juliet
Tchaikovsky | 1812 Overture

The boom of war cannons and the tragedy of forbidden love – Tchaikovsky captures the passion and pain of history in his beloved scores.