Listen Up! The ESO Announces its 2013-14 Season

Photo Credit: Michael Woolley

Edmontonians are fortunate to have a resident symphony striving to bring innovative programming as well as provide musical favorites to create a diverse season. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) has done exactly that with their 2013-14 season. Whether you're craving the Classical masters with season-selling names such as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms or the nostalgic classics of Gershwin and Bernstein, the ESO's roster of artists and programming will be sure to satiate.  

Some of my Season Highlights:

Symphony Under the Sky (August 30 – September 2, 2013)

Ray Charles, Motown, BBC Proms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky & Dvořák. This labour day weekend in Hawrelak Park is like a compressed sampling of the ESO's season. It has become an annual Edmonton festival tradition to set up a lawn chair, cozy under a blanket with popcorn, and greet the Fall season as the ESO plays into the evening.  

See and Be Seen

Mad Men (Apr 25 & 26, 2014)

A Mad Men themed Symphony party? I can already imagine the amazing fashions audience members will be wearing as Broadway singer, Ryan Silverman, performs Top 40 hits from the early 60’s.

Late Night with Bill Eddins

Join the chill Arts crowd at ESO's Late Night series. All concerts begin at 9:30 PM and all tickets are priced at $29. That means ample time for dinner before heading to the Winspear Centre for some music. Ravel's French Impressionism and Leonard Bernstein's works will be the music showcased at each of these evenings. The vibe will be laid-back as drinks and live entertainment follow the show in the Winspear Lobby.  

New Media

Music of the Night Sky (Oct 26, 2013)

Images from Space + Intergalactic symphonic music = Beam me up!


Mark of Zorro (May 15, 2014)

Following suite with the successful performance of the classic Phantom of the Opera this season, a live cinema stream of the Mark of Zorro will be accompanied by the ESO and Dennis James on the Davis Concert Organ next year.  


Spread the Choral Love

Kokopelli + Òran (Choral Spectacular), Richard Eaton Singers (Messiah), Cantilon Chamber Choir (A Lightly Classical Christmas), Greenwood Singers (We Wish You a Merry Christmas) - are just a few of the names highlighting local choral talent in ESO's season.  

The ESO Hosts... 

 Chantal Kreviazuk (December 10, 2013)

Christmas at the Winspear is always festive and this December they have Canadian singer-songwriter, Chantal Kreviazuk, to serenade local audiences with her tunes in additional to holiday favorites.

Joshua Bell (September, 24, 2013)

Violinist, Joshua Bell, will join the ESO to perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto at their annual Gala concert. Bell has been hailed for his "breathtaking virtuosity, tone of sheer beauty and charismatic stage presence," however, the story of his violin, a Gibson Strad, has an equally famous history. His Strad has a history of being stolen from a backstage dressing room at Carnegie Hall, concealed with shoe polish for 50 years, and eventually being sold for $4 million to Bell. Bell sold his own violin for $2 million (which he played in the Oscar-winning soundtrack of the Red Violin) to go towards the Gibson Strad's $4 million price tag. The Strad's illustrious history is worth a read.



The ESO has ticket packages available including a 2-for-1 subscriber special, or if you value flexibility, sampler passes where you can purchase voucher packages for concerts. If you're between 18-29, you can join the Pulse8 Club for free and you can purchase advance tickets to shows for only $20. Depending on availability, rush tickets will also be available one hour prior to showtime. Take some time to explore the rest of the musical offerings the ESO has this season. It is well worth a look. -miss. sable