Niagara Symphony rolls over Beethoven, Beatles for 76th season
Beatles, Beethoven and some “Bohemian Rhapsody” are all part of Niagara Symphony Orchestra’s 76th season.
Among highlights of its 2024/25 season will be the Canadian premiere of “The Queen Symphony” Nov. 23 and 24, featuring a full orchestra and choir for the music of iconic band Queen. It will be paired with “’Symphonic Dances from West Side Story,’ an orchestral suite in nine movements adapted from parts of Bernstein’s musical ‘West Side Story.’ ”
More rock is in store for “Classical Mystery Tour” March 8 and 9, with cast members from the original Beatlemania performing more than two dozen Beatles songs with original orchestra arrangements by famed Beatles producer George Martin.
The symphony’s annual Christmas show, “Home for the Holidays,” will feature tenor Robert Markus, who played Mark in Stratford Festival’s production of “Rent” last year, along with Jennifer Rider-Shaw from “Monty Python’s Spamalot” that same season. The Dec. 14 and 15 shows will also have the Laura Secord Secondary School Choir. Also coming next season:
■ “Parker Plays Grieg” on Sept. 15, with pianist Jon Kimura Parker;
■ “All Gershwin” Oct. 20, with tenor Jay Dref performing selections from “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris;”
■ Pianist Eric Guo will perform “Piano Concerto No. 1” for “Mozart & Beyond” Jan. 25;
■ ‘The Four Seasons Re-Imagined” on Feb. 16 is a complete reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s violin concertos, with Maureen Conlon-Gutierraz on violin and bandoneon Hector Del Curto;
■ “Pastorale” on April 5 and 6 will feature Beethoven’s “Fidelio Overture,” and “Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale)” along with Copland’s “Appalachian Spring;”
■ Songs from shows like “Wicked,” “The Sound of Music” and “Chicago” will be part of “Blockbuster Broadway” April 26 and 27, 2025;
■ The season wraps up with “Symphonie Fantastique” June 1, 2025, featuring works by Saint-Saens, Berlioz and Wijeratne.
The season will feature one new wrinkle: patrons no longer have to choose between ‘classical’ or ‘popular’ packages. Symphony maestro Bradley Thachuk said the 76th season “truly reflects how we consume performing arts in Niagara.”
All shows will be at FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) in downtown St. Catharines.
Current subscribers can renew starting April 16 by calling PAC at 905-6880722. New subscribers can purchase their packages at firstontariopac.ca.
Single tickets go on sale May 21 at 10 a.m.