All tagged CPO
When the Calgary Philharmonic performs for a live audience for the first time in a year and a half, it will signify a new beginning in more ways than one. Marc Stevens officially joins the organization as President + CEO in September 2021, following the retirement of Paul Dornian, and is just as eager and excited as the musicians to see the Orchestra back onstage this month and to get Fall 2021 Concerts off and running.
Not long after COVID-19 shut down live performances last spring, it became clear the Calgary Philharmonic would not be able to present its 2020/2021 Season to live audiences as planned. The focus quickly shifted to creating the quality musical experiences people from our community and beyond were seeking online. Fortunately, due to the live-stream initiative launched by the Orchestra in 2017, all the people and pieces needed to record virtual concerts were already in place — and the musicians were eager to start playing again.
Sixty-six members strong, employing musicians from all over Canada and the world, Calgary Philharmonic has filled the Jack Singer Concert Hall with powerful music for over 37 years and been a member of Calgary’s vibrant arts community for 65 years. Like all performing arts organizations in Calgary, they were forced to close their doors when the pandemic hit, but these past couple months they’ve been anything but idle. With the start of the 2020-21 season, they’re announcing a new fall series of free online concerts.
Calgary Philharmonic musicians and Associate Conductor Karl Hirzer are used to welcoming large groups of kids to the concert hall each season, but right now, there are no yellow school buses lined up in front of Arts Commons. So, the Calgary Phil decided to create a fun and educational tour of the Orchestra for kids that can be experienced from anywhere.
