Join young local musicians as they compete for the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Lethbridge Symphony.
Our concert begins with a work inspired by a visit to the Scottish island of Staffa, home to Fingal’s Cave. Two themes set the scene: rolling waves of a restless sea, alongside the stunning beauty of the cave itself. The music drenches its audience in feelings of loneliness and solitude.
Next, the LSO brings you Carl Stamitz’ concerto, originally written to showcase his own virtuosity. Guest artist Gabe Kastelic, LSO’s principal viola, steps into his soloist’s shoes and engages in a musical conversation with the orchestra, full of range and colour, via his own beautiful instrument.
What were you doing in late August? Dvořák’s Fifth Symphony was written in a mere six weeks, almost the same time frame from the end of summer to our concert date! With this work, Dvořák gave the symphonic form a new modern slant. Rhythmical and dramatically expressive, the last movement was touted as “a grand inspiration” by one critic.
MSQ presents Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131 in C Sharp minor. Beethoven’s favourite out of all of his quartets, and written just a year before his death, this seven-movement masterpiece is performed without pause, taking the listener on a journey from darkness to light, one full of extraordinary thematic transformation, harmonic diversity and structural innovation. Don’t miss this chance to hear one of Beethoven’s greatest late quartets performed live.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
MSQ is ready for their close-up! Featuring gorgeous new arrangements by cellist Mark Rogers, join the quartet as they perform music by John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore and many of cinema’s greatest composers. The heartbreak of Schindler’s List, the nostalgia of Cinema Paradiso, those moments where a single melody can carry an entire story. It’s the music you remember, heard up close where you can feel it.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
This concert features two guest artists, the LSO’s own co-concertmasters, Airdrie Ignas and Alina Khvatova. The evening begins with Jocelyn Morlock’s work, Cobalt.
The element cobalt was originally named after a kobold, a mischievous and possibly evil goblin or sprite found in German folklore, for its troublesome nature. The luminous cobalt blue of the night sky, just before it becomes completely dark, is one of the most beautiful colours found in nature, yet it is visible only for a very short time every evening. Its beauty is as transient and fleeting as this music.
Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony was composed as a grand memorial to his idol, Richard Wagner; the composer claimed he heard the main theme in a dream. The second movement’s deeply emotive second movement features Wagner tubas, rarely seen or heard by concert audiences - and you will experience four! BBC Music Magazine called this work one of the 20 greatest symphonies of all time.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Regional Children's Choirs + Members of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Since May 2000, Kids Choir has provided a wonderful opportunity for Southern Alberta school choirs to sing with members of the Lethbridge Symphony. Thousands of students from hundreds of choirs have participated in this great event. Friends and family of participating choir students are invited to enjoy this concert, and following tradition, the evening ends with a mass choir rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
November 18th - 7 pm
November 19th - 7 pm
November 25th - 7 pm
November 26th - 7 pm
Tickets go on sale October 15th, 2026
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
From Ralph Vaughan Williams to John Williams, and from A Charlie Brown Christmas to a wild Sleigh Ride, this stunning concert featuring rich instrumentation and incredible vocals will elevate your holiday. Hear the soaring voice of guest soloist Tanner Lapointe along with Vox Musica, joining the LSO onstage for the celebration of the season.
Sunday, December 13, 2026 - 3:00 PM or Monday, December 14, 2026 - 7:30pm
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
MSQ brings together two of Schubert’s most famous encounters with death, and neither looks away. The String Quartet in D minor, D.810 (“Death and the Maiden”), one of the most recognized and frequently performed works in the chamber repertoire, remains as gripping as ever, its raw intensity driven by fear, urgency, and a sense of inevitability. Alongside it, the Erlkönig - perhaps the most terrifying story set to music - with its galloping pulse and shifting voices recast for string quartet, conjures a pursuit that never loosens its grip. One hour, Saturday night: you won’t want this ride to end.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
LIONEL BART’S OLIVER!
Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
A Lethbridge Symphony Production by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh
Lionel Bart’s
OLIVER!
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Lionel Bart freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist
Featuring Little Lethbridge Opera Theatre; Megan Wittig & Lisa Stanford, directors, and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
January 28th, 29th & 30th 2027 - 7:30 PM
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Outside it may be freezing, but inside the temperature soars. MSQ joins forces with LSO principal trumpet Josh Davies for a sizzling program that dances between tango, flamenco, and jazz‑infused Latin American song. The strings shimmer with driving rhythms and brilliant colours, while the trumpet cuts through with flashes of gold, lyricism, and a hint of mischief. Let the heat of the music ignite your Saturday night—we promise you’ll leave warmer than you walked in.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Jean Sibelius and Antonín Dvořák in one night? That’s a chamber music dream come true!
First, immerse yourself in the emotional depth of Sibelius’s String Quartet in D minor, Op. 56, “Voces intimae” (“Intimate Voices”)—a five-movement masterpiece filled with whispering conversations, quicksilver scherzos (there are two!), and deeply expressive melodies that pull you right into the music’s inner world.
Then, the energy picks up as special guest Catherine McLaughlin, principal double bass of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra, joins MSQ for Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 77. The double bass adds rich depth and warmth, bringing out Dvořák’s signature folk-inspired character in this perennial favourite.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
To begin the program and set the tone for the concert, these three chorales of J.S. Bach boast multi-layered resonant musical lines and showcase the brilliant ringing timbres of brass instruments, all masterfully arranged by Enrique Crespo.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G Minor begins with a dark theme, becomes lightly lyrical, descends into an angry highly-accented rhythm, and concludes with an intense finale. This, you must hear. From passion to grace, from lightness to tragedy, this work is held in high esteem as a “symphony of all symphonies”.
Kim Arnesen’s Stabat Mater prompts the listener to feel the grief of a child’s life taken too soon. This work explores the Virgin Mary’s deep sorrow at her Son’s crucifixion. The LSO is joined by Ventus Women’s Choir & Cantrice Women’s Ensemble, together bringing us this work of reflection, sorrow, and hope.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
“In looking back through the course of Beethoven’s life as a man, what may be most astonishing about him is that he survived the burden of being Beethoven. So much weighed on him: so much music roiled inside, so much rage, so much delusion, so much anguish physical and mental. No wonder his time called him superhuman. But the truer and sadder reality is that Beethoven lived to the ultimate capacities of being human, and he encompassed that in his art. As one of the defining figures of the revolutionary age, he witnessed and spoke for all of us a new vision of what it means to be human.” -biographer Jan Swafford
MSQ presents Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 14 Op. 131 in C Sharp minor. Beethoven’s favourite out of all of his quartets, and written just a year before his death, this seven-movement masterpiece is performed without pause, taking the listener on a journey from darkness to light, one full of extraordinary thematic transformation, harmonic diversity and structural innovation. Don’t miss this chance to hear one of Beethoven’s greatest late quartets performed live.
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
The Lethbridge Symphony Presents
The Roaring Twenties
Symphony Soiree Annual Gala and Fundraiser
Tickets go on Sale Monday December 14th at 8:00am.
Early bird rate available until Monday March 22nd, 2027 at 11:59pm
With his Piano Concerto No. 1, Brahms intended to combine piano and orchestra as equal partners - no small feat for any composer! This work is known for its scale, grandeur, and technical difficulty. Prepare to be amazed as you hear the keyboard masterfully played by special guest artist Deanna Oye.
Deanna Oye piano, and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
The LSO finishes its season with the last of Brahms’ symphonies, the Fourth. This work has been described as “powerfully organic and continuously unfolding”, and Brahms himself conducted its premiere in 1885. One critic exclaimed later that as he listened to the first movement, he “had the feeling that [he] was being given a beating by two incredibly intelligent people”. Now, isn’t that the most exciting reason to attend the symphony?
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Relax, curl up on the couch, and leave your pajamas on! MSQ presents Toons & Tunes, a special Saturday afternoon performance for families to enjoy together. Join us for string quartet renditions of all your favourite themes from the wondrous world of cartoon television. We will take you on a journey through time from the golden age of Hanna-Barbera classics to beloved present-day themes for the whole family to enjoy. So bring the kids, bring the grandparents, and we promise to deliver an unforgettable afternoon of nostalgia and fun!
Southminster United Church
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Join us at 2:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Southminster United Church
Monday, May 4, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Young Artist Competition Winner, Roswell Reyes, piano, and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Ravel's intention was not to be profound, but to entertain. Influenced by jazz, Negro spirituals, and Basque folk music of Spain, the Concerto in G Major played by LSO guest artist Roswell Reyes, winner of the 2024 Young Artist Competition, will captivate you with its “curiously hypnotic character”. You can listen to the first movement’s lively romp, hear the second movement’s iridescent harmonies, and enjoy the carnival atmosphere of the last movement, where you just might hear some donkey brays and fanfare flourishes. Ravel famously said “the music of a concerto should be light-hearted and brilliant” and he certainly follows his own advice. Roswell Reyes and Glenn Klassen will bring this concerto to life before your very eyes.
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Suite comes to you from a ballet originally written for the Bolshoi Ballet in 1877. While the source of the libretto (the storyline) is unknown, Tchaikovsky excitedly wrote the music for only 800 rubles ($13 Canadian today) in just one year, telling the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse. If you’ve seen the film Black Swan with Natalie Portman, you have seen some sequences from the ballet Swan Lake. Come hear the LSO presenting Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet music.
The Lethbridge Symphony Presents
MASQUERADE
"Unmask the Music"
Symphony Soiree Annual Gala and Fundraiser
April 25th, 2026 - 6:00pm
Early bird rate available until Wednesday March 18th, 2026 at 11:59pm
CHAMBER VI: MEMORY & TRANSFORMATION
Southminster United Church
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:45pm
MSQ’s final concert of the season celebrates homegrown talent, welcoming the Lethbridge Symphony’s Sarah Viejou for an exciting evening showcasing the beauty and majesty of the French horn, and featuring a performance of chamber music written by talented local composer Sonny-Ray Day Rider.
Sarah Viejou, horn, & Musaeus String Quartet
Southminster United Church
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Regional Children's Choirs and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - 7 PM
Tickets go on sale January 15th, 2026.
Thursday, April 2, 2026 - 7 PM
Tickets go on sale January 15th, 2026.
Since May 2000, Kids Choir has provided a wonderful opportunity for Southern Alberta school choirs to sing with members of the Lethbridge Symphony. Thousands of students from hundreds of choirs have participated in this great event. Friends and family of participating choir students are invited to enjoy this concert
Southminster United Church
Thursday, March 19, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Friday, March 20, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 21, 2026 - 2:00 PM
Saturday March 21, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Featuring Little Lethbridge Opera Theatre; Megan Wittig & Lisa Stanford, directors, and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
A 19th century London legend, the story of Sweeney Todd originated in several older tales. Sweeney Todd loses his mind after being imprisoned in an Australian penal colony and losing his wife and daughter to evil Judge Turpin. Returning to his barber shop on Fleet Street with a new identity, Todd swears vengeance upon those who wronged him and the twisted plot unfolds.
Appearing on Broadway and in London in several versions, Sweeney Todd won two Golden Globe awards and was nominated for three Academy Awards. Come hear the fantastic cast of the Little Lethbridge Opera Theatre in partnership with the Lethbridge Symphony bring this musical to life - and death!
SWEENEY TODD
Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
www.mtishows.com
Production is licensed by Music Theatre International.
SWEENEY TODD
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Musical Thriller
From an Adaptation by CHRISTOPHER BOND
Music and Lyrics by STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Book by HUGH WHEELER
Originally Directed On Broadway by HAROLD PRINCE
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Originally Produced on Broadway by Richard Barr, Charles Woodward, Robert Fryer, Mary Lea Johnson, Martin Richards in Association with Dean and Judy Manos
CHAMBER V: 90’s NOSTALGIA
Southminster United Church
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:45pm
Be kind, rewind. Come celebrate the best of the 90’s with an hour of iconic music from the best artists, TV shows and movies from the decade that brought you Nirvana, the Nokia 3310, and everything in between. Could this evening of chamber music BE any better?
Musaeus String Quartet
CHAMBER IV: AMBIENT DREAMSCAPES
Southminster United Church
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:45pm
Ambient, atmospheric, neo-classical; whatever you call it, it’s the perfect music to unwind to. Close your eyes and drift away as MSQ performs a calming selection of musical works by leading contemporary composers Max Richter, Philip Glass, Aphex Twin, Olafur Arnalds, Dario Marianelli, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Caroline Shaw.
Musaeus String Quartet
Southminster United Church
Monday, February 2, 2026 - 7:30 PM
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Nick Sullivan, bass trombone and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Generously sponsored by Subway Auto
King George 1st requested a concert on the Thames, and Handel did not disappoint. His Water Music comprises three suites, each including a variety of dance types. Is anyone up for a bourrée on the royal barge? The rising tide carried the King’s barge upstream quietly, without rowing, followed by a second barge carrying 50 musicians performing Handel’s music. Many other Londoners took to the river, with the local paper The Courant exclaiming “the whole river in a manner was covered with boats and barges” - truly a unique way to experience live music.
Canadian composer Elizabeth Raum is known for her remarkably diverse compositional styles, having written music for ensembles and soloists across the globe. Raum’s vibrant Concerto for Bass Trombone, performed by our own bass trombonist Nick Sullivan, was written in 2007 as a birthday gift for Douglas Sparkes, who played bass trombone with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 1974 to 2016. Commissioned by his students and colleagues, the piece highlights the expressive range and personality of the bass trombone across three contrasting movements. The first begins with a bold, attention-grabbing fanfare that gives way to a smooth, winding melody. The second movement is lyrical and flowing, with a cheerful, whimsical tune that appears in the middle. The final movement brings a bold, energetic feel, with the return of the playful melody offering a fun contrast to the movement’s driving rhythm and intensity.
Beethoven Symphony #2 was written in 1802, when the composer’s deafness was becoming more pronounced and he began to realize it was incurable. The scherzo (which, translated, means “jokingly”) and the finale were deliberately filled with musical jokes by Beethoven, which contemporary critics found shocking. The second movement hints at the influence of folk music; the third is based on a “typical-sounding Austrian side-slapping dance”. A critic for the Newspaper for the Elegant World famously wrote that the symphony was “a hideously writhing, wounded dragon that refused to die, [and] in its last agonies in the fourth movement [was] bleeding to death”. Hmm, did that fellow actually like this symphony - or not? Whether a joke, a dance, or a dying dragon, Beethoven’s energy can be heard here.
CHAMBER III: NORDIC NOIR
Southminster United Church
Join us at 7:00pm for a pre-concert chat with our musicians!
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Doors open at 6:45pm
Come in from the cold and spend a cozy evening with MSQ, as they perform music from Scandinavia, full of icy themes and ancient melodies. Immerse yourself in Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor, where the composer masterfully mixes Nordic folk music with thick romantic orchestral textures, then try to keep yourself from dancing to a selection of rollicking Viking songs arranged for string quartet.
Did you know Grieg kept a little frog figurine in his pocket? Before performing, he would hold it in his hand for good luck. We’re pretty sure there are no frogs in anyone’s pockets tonight, but you never know.
Musaeus String Quartet
Bold and Bombastic Beethoven
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra with guest John Paul Ksiazek, piano
Beethoven used a novel approach while creating the heroic Emperor Concerto; it was a time of great change for him during a war-ridden era and time to let go of old habits. This concerto hints at the larger than life works that would herald Beethoven’s new musical style. At the time, Vienna was under siege by Napoleon’s armies. Beethoven wrote that there was “nothing but drums, cannons, men, and misery” around him and fled to his brother’s cellar, covering his ears with pillows to protect his fading hearing. That sounds like ideal circumstances under which to compose, right? No cannons will be harmed in the performance of the Emperor Concerto.
By contrast, Beethoven’s symphony #4 was a sunny, cheerful musical side trip distracting him from completing the emotionally demanding 5th symphony. When in doubt, procrastinate! Critics at the time praised the symphony’s “richness of ideas, bold originality, and fullness of power”. Less often played than the ever-popular 5th and 9th symphonies, nevertheless, the fourth symphony is sublime and richly expressive.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Support your local symphony with a groovy night of food, dance and silent auctioning.
60’s dress (and dancing) encouraged!
Live entertainment with Musaeus String Quartet, Tanner Lapointe & Jaimee Jarvie.
Purchase your tickets today! $150/person or $1100 for a table of 8
Proudly sponsored by Flowers on 9th
Musical Unrest: From Perpetual Motion to Peace
Musaeus with guests Nigel Boehm, cello, Ronelle Schaufele, violin
From its exotic-sounding opening through its innovative harmonies, Beethoven’s String Quartet in E Flat Major, nicknamed the “Harp”, is a work of endearing elegance. Its heightened expressiveness captivates the listener with unexpected contrasts. The finesse of Beethoven’s composing at this point in his life hints at a maturity far beyond his age. The Harp String Quartet is angelic to hear, and devilish to play.
Who says Romantic composers aren’t actually romantic? Brahms string sextet #2 in G major has a little secret: it includes a reference to Agathe von Seibold, to whom Brahms had been briefly engaged some years previously. In the first movement, the notes A-G-A-H-E appear, spelling Agathe’s name. From its exotic opening to its melodic contrasts, this work never fails to captivate.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the LSO!
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra with guest Josh Davies, trumpet
Come hear toe-tapping selections from “Riverdance”, by Irish composer William Whelan, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! A man of many talents, Whelan has helped produce music by Kate Bush, U2, and Van Morrison. In 2011, Whelan won the UCD Foundation Day Medal in recognition of his ground-breaking Irish musical achievements over the years. Whelan’s original music captures the excitement of Irish dance tunes, captivating audiences all over the world.
Oskar Böhme thrived musically following his move to St. Petersburg, Russia from Germany, experiencing success as an orchestral musician, composer, soloist, and teacher. The trumpet concerto was one of his most famous works. Josh Davies will bring its brilliant lyricism, complex passagework, and playful skipping melodies to LSO’s appreciative audiences. Though Böhme’s career, and ultimately his life, was sadly cut short by the dictatorship of Josef Stalin, this virtuosic, high-spirited work makes his music appeal to new generations.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Dad and Daughters - a Much-Loved Story
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra with guests from The Little Lethbridge Opera Theatre
Tevye, the milkman, must contend with the desires of his three strong-willed daughters. They each want to marry - for love! Outrageous. Each prospective suitor is slightly less palatable than the last. This will never do. Preserving their culture and traditions is starting to feel as precarious as the perch of a fiddler on a roof. The world is changing, and they must change with it. On Broadway for an astonishing 3,242 performances, plus many revivals over the years since its premiere in 1964, this much-loved story has been staged “in every metropolitan city in the world from Paris to Beijing”.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.ca. Based on Sholem Aleichem, stories by special permission of Arnold Pearl, Book by JOSEPH STEIN, Music by JERRY BOCK, Lyrics by SHELDON HARNICK. Produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince. Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by JEROME ROBBINS.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Introspection, Melancholy, and Exuberance: Music in Every Tone Colour
Musaeus with guest Joan Rogers, clarinet
Brahms had retired from composing, but impressed with the virtuosity of a fellow musician, he was inspired to create a work for clarinet and string quartet, a rare combination. Brahms embraced technicality in all ranges of the clarinet, creating a powerful conversation between clarinet and strings. This music of Brahms takes one on an incredible journey that includes spectacular beauty and rich texture.
Not to be outdone, Dvorak’s work is one of restlessness, with unsettled harmonies and rhythms. Dvorak linked this work to the traditional Russian Christmas, a time of frivolity, tipsy carol singing, and riotous celebration, a wild way to ring in 2025!
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Adoration of the Shepherds and Glorification in Heaven
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra with guest Vox Musica, dir. by Joanne Collier
It doesn’t seem like the holidays have arrived without hearing Handel’s Messiah. This beloved oratorio has become one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music, especially at Christmas time. In the mid-1730s, students were so enamoured of Handel’s music, especially his oratorios, that some of them sold their furniture to pay for their five-shilling tickets. Don’t run out and sell your couch yet - you’ll need it to sit and daydream on it after this incredible performance with the Lethbridge Symphony and Vox Musica.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Pirates, Wolves, and Samurai - oh my!
Come hear all of your favourite cinematic tunes! The LSO will bring to life movie themes over the years from Pirates of the Caribbean, Band of Brothers, The Deer Hunter, Dances with Wolves, and the Adventures of Indiana Jones. From swash-buckling bravado to tender love ballads, you’ll be smitten with every minute of this magnificent concert. Buy your tickets early, because every seat will be filled - and you’ll be on the edge of yours.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
An Old-World Composer Celebrates the New
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra with guest artist Joan Rogers, clarinet
One of the most popular symphonies ever, a tape recording of the New World Symphony was even taken to the moon by Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission for the first moon landing in 1969. Dvorak’s symphony #9 was described by Leonard Bernstein as “truly multinational in its foundations”. Dvorak was inspired by the wide open spaces of North America and this music conveys his feelings to listeners. We can certainly understand his passion, living on the prairies as we do. Come enjoy what Dvorak described as “folk songs of America”.
Mozart’s clarinet concerto was his swan song, his last completed work and his only one for the clarinet. Drawing on the full range of the clarinet, the music ranges from cheerful themes to darker moody sounds, a dramatic showcase for the solo instrument. There is no one in our community better suited to play this work of demanding virtuosity than LSO’s principal clarinet, Joan Rogers.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Musical Time Travel - Enjoying Life in 19th Century Italy
Musaeus with guests Aliva Khvatova, violin, Julie Amundsen, cello
Music influences emotions. The “Souvenir de Florence”, a highlight of this program, clearly moves the listener. Tchaikovsky found composing for a sextet quite a challenge, and yet he capably depicts emotional shifts from violence to calmness to romance. He noted one section should be “just discernible, like summer lightning” and another to be played with “great fire and passion”. All together, the music captures a wide range of feelings, making Tchaikovsky remark “I’m terribly pleased with myself”. We think you’ll be just as pleased hearing it live.
Schubert’s string quartet in A Minor is based on a theme from the incidental music for “Rosamunde”, lending the quartet its nickname. Keen listeners will hear hints of Beethoven’s 7th symphony, played last season by the LSO, in the “Rosamunde” quartet’s second movement. Schubert sneaked in a reference to a melody from another of his songs in the third movement, and did it so well that it took over 100 years for anyone to notice! This work reveals the heart of the composer himself.
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Presented by Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels
A work of thanks-giving for all that is good in life.
Featuring guest artists
Madison Craig, soprano
Camille Rogers, mezzo-soprano
Jason Ragan, tenor
Peter Monaghan, bass
Vox Musica: Joanne Collier, director
LCI Chamber Choir, Erinn Roberts, director
& your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Brought to you by Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels
Boring paid commissions? Nah. Mozart chose to write his Great Mass instead. Welcome soloists Madison Craig (soprano), Camille Rogers (mezzo-soprano), Jason Ragan (tenor), and Peter Monaghan (bass-baritone) to the LSO stage once again, along with Vox Musica and the LCI Chamber Choir, offering you the pomp and solemnity of Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor. This large-scale work, considered one of the composer’s greatest, remained unfinished by Mozart. He had vowed to have the work performed in honour of his upcoming wedding, quite the gift for his bride, Constanze, who then sang the “Et incarnatus est” at its premiere. What a team!
Franz Schubert - Symphony No.4 in C Minor (“Tragic”)
W.A. Mozart - Grand Mass in C Minor, K 427 (417a)
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Inspired by le rive gaûche, the evening will feature live French music, exquisite French cuisine, as well as a live & silent auction. New this year, a local artist will capture the evening in a beautiful painting. This one-of-a-kind work will be auctioned off at the end of the night.
Sponsored by Subway Auto
Traditional tunes and uncommon forms from around the world.
Megan Wittig, soprano & Musaeus String Quartet
Last Leaf, by the Danish String Quartet, is based on traditional Nordic tunes, from more refined waltzes and minuets to the wilder fare of polkas and reels, arranged for string quartet. Musaeus brings to the stage a selection of these myriad dance tunes.
Dedicated to a Hungarian count, the “Emperor” string quartet is one of Haydn’s most ambitious works. A colleague of Haydn’s noted the work is “full of invention, fire, good taste, and new effects”. Fasten your seatbelt in preparation for a composition filled with uncommon forms and tempos.
Special guest Megan Wittig sings songs inspired by chivalry and courtly love, with a slight touch of irreverent humour. Passed down through the ages, these songs can be based on passion, poetry - or politics, the jokes understood by medieval audiences “in the know”.
Selections from the "Last Leaf"; Collection by the Danish String Quartet
"Emperor"; String Quartet Op. 76, No. 3 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Presented by Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels
Haunting and sophisticated textures and tones - a source of wonder.
Sarah Viejou, horn & your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Brought to you by Martin Brothers Funeral Chapels
How did you spend your time at age 18? Strauss wrote his first horn concerto at that age while a student at Munich University. Inspired by his father, a leading horn player of the day, this three-movement work explores the great potential of the horn as a solo instrument. Sarah Viejou, LSO principal horn player, will share with us this most frequently performed horn concerto from the 19th century.
Beethoven’s Symphony #7, a cheerful energetic work, shows the composer’s musical optimism despite having become deaf. This symphony boasts brilliant instrumental colours and rich melodies. One listener early on was convinced this music could only have been written by “someone who was seriously intoxicated” while others praised it as being “most pleasing and comprehensible”. Come listen and choose for yourself.
Richard Strauss - Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat, Op. 11
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.7 in A Major, Op.92
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
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THE SOUND OF MUSIC
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. www.concordtheatricals.com
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Music by RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
Book by HOWARD LINDSAY and RUSSELL CROUSE
Suggested by “The Trapp Family Singers” by Maria Augusta Trapp
Featuring Little Lethbridge Opera Theatre and your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Brought to you by Stringam Law
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Sponsored by Subway Auto
Masterpieces highlighting the style of Czech folk music and spirited Bohemian folk dance.
Brad Parker, piano & Musaeus String Quartet
Alternating between exuberant melodies and slow rich refrains, this concert brings the best works of Dvorak and Smetana to life. Elaborate theme transformations engage you, as melancholy melodies, supported by stately accompaniment, are juxtaposed with light-hearted and spirited themes. Based on folk music and dance, these refrains are more richly embroidered each time they are heard in each work, evoking the beloved landscapes of these composers.
Piano Quintet No. 2, Opus 81 by Antonin Dvorak
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor by Bedrich Smetana
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
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A holiday celebration like no other.
Aeris Brass & your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra and Aeris Brass express a spirit of joy through music meant for the season. The Carol Symphony brings to mind the romance and mystery of the manger. Join the LSO for a holiday celebration of light and life, and start off your special holiday season with friends and family with music to charm your soul.
Victor Hely-Hutchinson - A Carol Symphony
Victor Herbert/arr. Langey – March of the Toys from Babes in Toyland Arr. Jerry Brubaker – How the Grinch Stole Christmas Arr. Bob Krogstad – Christmas at the Movies Jim Stephenson – In the Bleak Midwinter G. F. Handel/arr. Schwarz – Concerto for Brass Quintet & Orchestra Traditional arr. Gillis & Rodgers – Westminster Carol
– Good King Wenceslas
J.S. Bach – My Spirit Be Joyful
– Contrapunctus Selections
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Regional Children's Choirs perform with members of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Since May 2000, Kids Choir has provided a wonderful opportunity for Southern Alberta school choirs to sing with members of the Lethbridge Symphony. Thousands of students from hundreds of choirs have participated in this great event. Friends and family of participating choir students are invited to enjoy this concert, and following tradition, the evening ends with a mass choir rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Generously sponsored by McCain Foods
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
November 29
Nicholas Sheran Junior Choir
Nicholas Sheran Senior Choir
Dr. Probe Senior Choir
St. Patrick's Fine Arts Division I Choir
November 30
Coalbanks Junior Choir
Coalbanks Senior Choir
Dr. Hamman Elementary School Choir
St. Mary's School Choir
Regional Children's Choirs perform with members of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
Since May 2000, Kids Choir has provided a wonderful opportunity for Southern Alberta school choirs to sing with members of the Lethbridge Symphony. Thousands of students from hundreds of choirs have participated in this great event. Friends and family of participating choir students are invited to enjoy this concert, and following tradition, the evening ends with a mass choir rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Generously sponsored by McCain Foods
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
November 22nd
Striling School Choir
L.T. Westlake Elementary School Choir
Ecole Agnes Davidson Senior Choir
St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School Choir
November 23rd
Raymond Elementary Junior Choir
Raymond Elementary Senior Choir
Fleetwood-Bawden Junior Choir
Fleetwood-Bawden Senior Choir
Sponsored by Subway Auto
A musical tour around the globe, from a river float to a festival to a glimpse of a phantom.
Tutti Corda; Gabe Kastelic, director & your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
From an opera at La Scala in Milan to a wild ride in a boat down the Moldau, to a subterranean labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera House - join the LSO on a musical journey. This program includes a work written in celebration of the Bolshoi Theatre with “energy spilling over like uncorked champagne”; a key march for Hungarian military celebrations that when first heard, compelled the audience to “erupt like a volcano”; and a work written with the composer locked in a room, forced to write quickly, and told to throw each page out the window to waiting scribes when completed. After all that - watch out for the thieving magpie!
Dmitri Shostakovich - Festive Overture, Op. 96
Denis Khvatov - Invitation
Bedrich Smetana - Vltava (The Moldau)
Hector Berlioz - Rakoczy March (Hungarian March) from Faust
Gioacchino Rossini - Overture to La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie)
Samuel Barber - Adagio for Strings
Andrew Lloyd Webber/arr. Custer - Selections from Phantom of the Opera
Arr. Ralph Ford - Video Games Live
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
Return to tradition through the distinctive style of modern music.
Alayna McNeil, violin (2022 YAC Winner) & your Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra
More conventional than his earlier bold works, Prokofiev gives a nod to traditional Russian folk music and hints at a taste of Spain in this concerto, performed by Young Artist Competition winner and LSO violinist Alayna McNeil. Listen for the castanets in the third movement’s theme!
Tchaikovsky conducted the premiere performance of his fifth symphony. His “fate theme” appears in each movement of the work. The music begins in a somber mood, gradually transforming into a triumphant march, upholding the idea of ultimate victory through strife. A Boston newspaper review said it “sounds like nothing so much as a horde of demons struggling in a torrent of brandy”. This we must hear!
Sergei Prokofiev - violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op.63.
Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64
Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.
Please note that at this time we are only to accept cash and credit.
