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For immediate release: April 24, 2013 For interviews contact: For PHOTOS visit: Mayor Proclaims Symphony Week Peterborough, ON – The Peterborough Symphony Orchestra and the Kawartha Youth Orchestra are pleased to announce Mayor Daryl Bennett’s proclamation of Symphony Week from April 27 to May 5. Mayor Bennett says, “The PSO and KYO are thriving, community-based orchestras that showcase the talent and dedication of our local musicians, volunteers and supporters who participate in this important work with pride and enthusiasm. Peterborough is proud to celebrate over 100 years of excellence in orchestral music. The two orchestras are cultural cornerstones in the vibrant cultural and artistic life of the city.” Under the direction of Conductor Michael Newnham, the PSO has become an orchestra dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and vitality in music making. It has a commitment to education, and has brought classical orchestral music to all parts of the Kawartha Region. The PSO has presented world-premiere performances of music written for it and its conductor, and has championed music written by Canadian composers. In the past few years, the PSO has given the first performances heard in our region of music by composers such as Mahler and Shostakovich. For the past 11 years, the KYO has provided youth with a unique opportunity to excel by learning and performing challenging pieces, developing self-discipline and teamwork that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom. Dedicated to the development of both musicians and citizens, the KYO provides an inclusive pathway for young people to get involved with symphonic music. The establishment of Symphony Week is cause for celebration, and reflects the high quality of musicianship in Peterborough. The dedication of our community’s musicians to perfect their craft provides audiences with an exceptional musical experience. Our city is gaining a national reputation for producing high quality musicians both young and old.” Symphony Week events include major season finale concerts for both orchestras. On Saturday April 27 at 8:00 at Showplace, the Peterborough Symphony sponsored by Westmount Pharmacy, will perform Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, featuring soloist Scott Wight playing a rare Basset Clarinet. On Sunday May 5 at 3:00 pm at Market Hall the Kawartha Youth Orchestra will perform the Sounds of Spring featuring soloist Clair Motyer for Vivaldi’s “Spring”. In between there will be pop up concerts around the city and a musical instrument petting zoo sponsored by Schmooosic is also scheduled at Lansdowne Place Mall on Sunday April 28 where kids young and old can play musical instruments from around the world. The PSO and KYO strive year-round to provide exciting, accessible concert opportunities that engage our community and inspire an appreciation and love of symphonic music. The PSO and KYO achieve excellence in innovative programming and performance, showcasing a roster of exceptional local and international artists and conductors, bringing some of the world’s greatest music to Peterborough. The PSO and the KYO are grateful for support from Symphony Week Sponsors Westmount Pharmacy, Schmooosic and the Electric City Culture Council.
OPENING NIGHT CONCERT DETAILS: Tickets: $39.50/36.50/28.50 for Adults | $15 for Students & Rush Seats | $15 for Tweet Seats (#psolive) | $5 for eyeGO For immediate release: For interviews contact: For PHOTOS visit: Get your Spring on with Mozart’s Clarinet!
Mozart's Clarinet is presented by a new member of their sponsor family, Westmount Pharmacy. Westmount proprietor & long-time PSO subscriber, Murad Younis has a unique perspective on the symphonic 'jewel' of Peterborough: “I've travelled the world and experienced the scope of what classical music has to offer. Nowhere else have I enjoyed the insight and sheer enjoyment that Michael Newnham brings to Peterborough, most notably in his Maestro chat. He makes a concert's music personal for me, which is one of the reasons I decided to sponsor.” Music Director Michael Newnham will begin the concert evening at 7:10pm with his much-sought-after pre-concert chat, which has been known to include guest appearances and multi-media. Although featuring the concerto, this concert also includes Schumann’s Spring Symphony and Canadian composer Malcolm Forsyth’s Essay for Orchestra ‘67. Performing on an authentic basset clarinet, Scott Wight will be presenting the solo voice as Mozart meant it to be heard. Different from the ‘modern’ clarinet, it is larger with a lower, more tenor quality. A perennial favourite, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto is widely recognized as the most popular of his compositions. Robert Schumann’s Spring Symphony, his first, was written at a happy time in his life, flush with newly-wedded bliss to his also-talented wife, Clara. Felix Mendelssohn (also a noted composer) conducted the first performance and was also an early champion of his works. Clara may have been an inspiring muse indeed, as Schumann wrote it in an astoundingly short four days, and fully orchestrated it in only three weeks! Originally a trombonist (something he holds in common with Maestro Newnham), Malcolm Forsyth was considered one of Canada’s foremost composers. Born in South Africa, he immigrated to Canada in 1968 and over the years performed with the Edmonton Symphony, was a professor of music at the University of Alberta and of course was a composer who wrote for the CBC and won many accolades including a Juno and the Order of Canada. Essay for Orchestra ’67 is written with a “ground bass” (think Pachelbel’s canon) with a melody that repeats, usually in the bass. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A Native of Peterborough, Scott Wight found his love for music, and subsequent talent for it, at an early age. While receiving lessons in high school Scott pursued many outlets, both classical and jazz, to satiate his musical needs. He attended Wilfrid Laurier University in Kitchener-Waterloo and studied under clarinetists Pauline Minevich and Ross Edwards graduating with a degree in Orchestral Performance in 1999. After finishing his degree, he moved to the U.S. to continue his studies with world-renown Canadian clarinetist James Campbell at Indiana University. Following his studies, he performed as an Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre for Fine Arts and recorded several live concerts for the CBC. Scott has performed in virtually every major city in Canada both as a chamber musician, soloist, and orchestral or wind ensemble performer. He has been concertmaster of the Ceremonial Guard band in Ottawa and performed with a myriad of ensembles, including the K-W Symphony, Orchestra London, and Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Wight has had the privilege of studying or working with many talents such as Raffi Armenian, Eli Eban, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Leonard Fenyves, and many others. Scott currently resides in Peterborough and teaches clarinet regularly while performing with several professional and semi-professional ensembles. He is Principal Clarinetist of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra and has performed with Alchemy, a French wind trio consisting of PSO members Tori Owen and Ben Bell. Scott has been active with the Kawartha Youth Orchestra as a mentor and wind coach over the past decade. He is currently pursuing other non-musical endeavours as well, as he is in his final year of the BScN program at Trent University where he hopes to fulfill a career in Nursing. CONCERT DETAILS: Tickets: $39.50/36.50/28.50 for Adults | $15 for Students & Rush Seats | $15 for Tweet Seats (#psolive) | $5 for eyeGO For immediate release: For interviews contact: For PHOTOS visit: Peterborough Symphony's RUSSIAN FIRE Will Set Passions aflame!
Music Director, Michael Newnham says "think of jumping Cossacks, colour and excitement. The PSO is going to deliver a fabulous, high-energy evening, along with the virtuoso Alexander Sevastian." The symphony's latest addition to the fold is their Assistant Conductor, Michael Berec who joins their staff in partnership with the Kawartha Youth Orchestra and Market Hall, supported by the RBC Emerging Artist program: "I'm very excited to work with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra as assistant conductor. Coming from a film and television background, I am thrilled to be conducting works like Lieutenant Kijé Suite which Prokofiev originally scored for a film in 1934! This music is melodic and feverishly pompous as it describes an imaginary soldier created to avoid embarrassing the Czar. It also features a rare appearance of the saxophone (co-incidentally my major instrument studied at university)! I would like to thank everyone for making me feel so much at home in Peterborough, and I'm looking forward to a magnificent musical future together." Much of the compelling programme highlights music originally written for multi-media: theatre, ballet, film and opera. Throughout history, the music in these mixed media works have been so well received that they are now stand alone works in the standard symphonic repertoire. Ripe with drama and fireworks, these also include Khatchaturian's Masquerade Suite; Borodin's Polovetsian Dances; Winter from Glazunov's Seasons and a host of spell-binding works with Quartetto Gelato's Alexander Sevastian. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Alexander Sevastian was born on October 2nd, 1976 in Minsk, Belarus. He started playing the accordion at the age of seven. After finishing the musical school in 1991 he entered the Glinka Musical College in Minsk where he was taught by Myron Boula. After finishing the college he entered the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow in the class of Professor Friedrich Lips. In July 1998, Alexander was trained by Professor Elsbeth Moser at the Sofia Goubaidulina Master Class in Avignon, France. In 1996 - 2001 he was working in the Russian TV and Radio orchestra (art director Nickolai Nekrasov). With this orchestra he recorded many TV performances and radio archive tapes. Alexander regularly took part in the music festivals such as "Moscow Autumn", "Bayan and Bayanists", "Young Composers Introduce…" Since April of 2001, Alexander has been living in Toronto, Canada. He has been playing with Toronto Woodwinds, an ensemble that was awarded the first prize at “The Golden Accordion International Competition” in December 2001 (New York). In May 2002 he completed his post-graduate course in Moscow (class of Professor Friedrich Lips). and also completed an Advanced Certificate in Performance program from the University of Toronto (class of Professor Joseph Macerollo). He has performed concerts in 30 Russian cities as well as concerts in Belarus, Ukraine, Germany, Italy and Japan. He has given several premier performances, including the works of Berinsky, Bronner, Korolchuk, Zelenski and Khondo. Since September 2002 Alexander has been playing with an internationally recognized group “Quartetto Gelato” www.quartettogelato.ca. He has been touring regularly in both the United States and Canada with this ensemble. In November 2002 he made his debut with the Hamilton Symphony (under Boris Brott) and has since performed as soloist with the Toronto Symphony, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as well with orchestras in Victoria, Quebec City, Kelowna, Kamloops, Windsor, Edmonton, Charleston, Mississauga, Sioux City and Nanaimo.
In 2007 he won the prestigious Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships, held in Washington DC. Since that time his solo engagements have included appearances in Mexico, Serbia, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the USA and several major tours in Canada. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CONCERT DETAILS: Location: Showplace Performance Centre For immediate release: For photos visit: Peterborough Symphony welcomes Tori Owen as General Manager The Board of Directors of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra (PSO) are pleased to announce the appointment of Tori Owen as the General Manager of the Orchestra. Mrs. Owen will bring significant experience and professional qualifications to the day-to-day operation of Peterborough’s symphonic orchestra. She has along association with the orchestra as a performer, volunteer and administrator. Mrs. Owen holds a post-graduate diploma in Arts Administration & Cultural Management from Humber College and studied music at both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Western Ontario where she obtained a Masters of Music Performance. She has held positions that bring her experience in the classical music world together with administrative skills working for the Faculty of Music at UWO, the Royal Conservatory of Music and interning at Tafelmusik. In the Kawartha region she is a sought after freelance arts administrator and has managed a variety of groups including the Peterborough Symphony and the Kawartha Youth Orchestra. Mrs. Owen has also consulted for 4th Line Theatre, Market Hall and the Peterborough Singers and has extensive volunteer experience in groups such as the Electric City Culture Council, Peterborough Native Learning and the Peterborough Folk Festival since moving back to Peterborough in 2002. “We are thrilled at the PSO to be able to welcome back Tori Owen in the role of General Manager. Tori brings a thorough understanding of the PSO organization in all of its facets, as well as her infectious enthusiasm and good humour. I am very much looking forward to working with Tori and the Board to bring the PSO to the next level of its development artistically and organizationally,” said Michael Newnham, Music Director of the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. For immediate release: For interviews contact: For photos visit: Come "Home for the Season" with the PETERBOROUGH SYMPHONY and Friends!
"The PSO with the Peterborough Pop Ensemble has become a new local Christmas tradition," says Music Director, Michael Newnham. "It will be even more fun this year with the addition of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra. Can't wait!" This will be the third time the Kawartha Youth Orchestra will be joining the PSO onstage in concert, and is always much looked forward to by their talented young players, such as Campbellford's Peter Wowk and Peterborough's own Emily Clark Campbell (pictured here). Founded in 2002, The Kawartha Youth Orchestra gives young musicians of the Kawartha Region the opportunity to learn symphonic music and perform in an orchestral ensemble. Under the direction of Music Director Michael Newnham and professional instrumental coaches, the KYO offers young musicians an advanced level of instruction and a quality orchestral experience in Peterborough while enjoying the camaraderie of other young people.
Enthusiastic and infectious are words used by audience members when describing the Peterborough Pop Ensemble, directed by Barbara Monahan. With a seamless blend of 16 voices, the Pop Ensemble has developed a remarkable reputation for its musical interpretations of a broad spectrum of music — enjoying the rich harmonies of vocal jazz, the challenge of great a cappella music, the inspiration of gospel music, and the energy and pulse of popular music. The Peterborough Pop Ensemble has been performing throughout Peterborough and the surrounding area since 2000, and always strives to present the highest level of musical excellence while creating wonderful concert experiences for it audiences. Each member of the Pop Ensemble also believes in the importance of continued support for local charities and for the community; thus, the group has had the privilege of participating in many important events held in Peterborough. In June 2012 the Pop Ensemble was awarded a Civic Award for Community Betterment and has proudly been named Peterborough’s “musical ambassadors”. Many of the members of the The Pop Ensemble have classical vocal training and are skilled musicians, which is evident in each performance. Above all, this diverse musical group celebrates music and the way it can inspire and unite us all. The Peterborough Symphony is also please to offer something new to audience members: "Tweet Seats." A fun new trend with many major orchestras in the U.S. and now in Canada, Twitter-lovers can keep "tweeting" during the PSO's "Home for the Season" show in a designated section for only $15! These tweeters are asked to use the hash tag #psolive during their concert experience. Web-savvy folks are invited to “like” the PSO on Facebook, for the latest PSO news, symphony world fun facts, and other local cultural events. Stay tuned for more information on our twitter feed, Facebook page or website at www.thepso.org! CONCERT DETAILS: Location: Showplace Performance Centre
Concert goers will see and hear the PSO at their finest, with a whirlwind of musical passions as described by composers from northern climes, including our own. Music Director, Michael Newnham: “Sibelius' first symphony is some of his most romantic, passionate and colourful music which perfectly expresses a northern sensibility in a similar way that his Russian contemporary, Glazunov does in his violin concerto. The orchestra and I are thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to play both of these works, along with the gifted violinist, Andréa Tyniec.” Canada's own Abigail Richardson was commissioned to write “Go!” by the Vancouver Symphony Society and the province of British Columbia for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The composer tells us “this piece is based on something that all Olympic athletes face: the moment before the event...The music reflects the athlete’s turbulent emotional stages while trying to maintain a sense of peace and focus. When the moment finally arrives, there is a brief pause and suspension of time before an incredible explosion of energy as the race begins.” Incidentally, this piece is a first for the PSO – performing an orchestral work written by a female composer! You Go, girl! Finally, Sibelius' passionate and stormy Symphony No. 1 heralds in the northern spring in this breathtaking finish to the PSO season. At the age of 34, Jean Sibelius (1865- 1957) began his first symphony which he wrote with ease having spent five years or so churning out composition after composition. Within a few months, it was down on paper. It has been called the greatest symphony since Brahms and some music scholars feel it sounds derived from Tchaikovsky. Andréa Tyniec, violinist, has deeply moved audiences all over Europe and North America since the age of 6 years old. As the recent recipient of the European Prize for Culture by the European Cultural Foundation Pro Europa, and 1st Prize winner of the Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition 2008 (Italy), she has extensively toured Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, France, Poland, the USA and Canada, as a soloist and recitalist and gave her Debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2009. Musical Highlights of her 2011/12 season are performances of Brahms Double Concerto with cellist Andrés Díaz and the Banff Festival Orchestra, Glazunov Violin Concerto with the Peterborough Symphony Orchestra and Kaija Saariaho’s Graal Théâtre with the GGS New Music Ensemble. She is currently based in Toronto and is a Fellow at the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Andréa Tyniec is a winner of the Canada Arts Council's 2009 Instrument bank competition, which gave her the chance to spend part of her career using the extraordinary Gagliano violin you'll hear at the April 28 concert. (Note: The Gagliano name is one of the top makers of the world's violins, not far behind Stradivarius) This fine violin was made by Januarius Gagliano in Naples in 1747. In 1895, W.E. Hill & Sons of London sold the violin to John A. Brown, Esq. In 1938, it was sold by Pierre Vidoudez to Jean Klein of Geneva. Pearl Palmason of Toronto purchased the instrument in 1960 when she was a member of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and loaned it to the Canada Council in 2003. It is currently on loan to the Council by an an anonymous donor. Quite likely, this will be the first time a Gagliano will be heard in Peterborough! PSO Subscribers will shortly be receiving 2012/2013 brochures in the mail in anticipation of this season finale concert, which traditionally hails in the new season. Single ticket holders will have a chance to upgrade their tickets to a subscription, and renewing subscribers will be pleased to hear about the return of the PSO's “Roses for Renewal” campaign, which gifts renewing subscribers with either a long-stem or buttonhole rosebud if they renew that night. Web-savvy folks are invited to “friend” the PSO on Facebook, not just for the latest PSO news, events, and fun facts, but to participated in their first Facebook contest – stay tuned for more information on our twitter feed, Facebook page or website at www.thepso.org! CONCERT DETAILS:
CURRENT NEWSLETTER ARCHIVED NEWSLETTERS
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Peterborough, ON – On Saturday, April 27th the Peterborough Symphony will bring you out of the darkness and into the light with Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Schumann’s Spring Symphony. See and hear what music fans were screaming about in the 1700’s with Mozart’s final concerto played on a rare basset clarinet by soloist, Scott Wight and the Peterborough Symphony conducted by Michael Newnham. 
Peterborough, ON - The Peterborough Symphony brings one of the hottest globe trotting soloists to the stage on Saturday, February 2nd! Alexander Sevastian, four time winner of the International Accordion Competition and member of the renowned Quartetto Gelato will set passions ablaze with folk-inspired Russian music by Khachaturian, Glazunov and more! 
Peterborough, ON - The PSO's annual 'holiday' concert Saturday, December 8th features the Peterborough Pop Ensemble and welcomes the Kawartha Youth Orchestra to the stage as we share holiday favourites, old and new! "Home for the Season" will also give audience members a chance to join in at the Carol Sing finale. From Corelli’s Christmas concerto to a Sleigh Ride written by Mozart’s father, this show is a great opportunity to get into the spirit of the season with family and friends! 
“It is such a pleasure to work with the PSO again and celebrate the music of the season,” said director Barbara Monahan. “Singing with the orchestra and working under the passionate direction of Michael Newnham is a thrill for all of us!” This is the fourth time the Peterborough Pop Ensemble have collaborated for an event (Queen, Christmas 2011, Beatles). They will be presenting some music "a cappella" or sung 'alone' without orchestra, and other works along with the full group. Audience members can look forward to such gems as Christmas Time is Here (for Charlie Brown lovers) and Jingle Bell Rock.
Peterborough, ON - The Peterborough
Symphony's season finale concert, “Northern
Romance and Passion” is not to be missed!
Featuring the startling talent of Canadian
violinist, Andréa Tyniec, audience members
will hear Glazunov's concerto on the
remarkable violin made by Januarius
Gagliano (1747), a loan from the Instrument
Bank of the Canada Arts Council.