Hear it. Feel it. Otto Tausk, Music Director New to the Symphony? Check out our Musically Speaking Series. Buy Now & Save 2020/21 up to 40%! Season Guide Prices go up June 6! Summer 2020 to June 2021 2020/21 Season A Message from the Maestro For our 102nd season, the orchestra and I have created a program that explores lightness and dark: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with its transformation from chaos to joy, the clarity of Sibelius paired with the intensity of Strauss, Stravinsky’s paganistic Rite of Spring and Haydn’s grand vision in The Creation. We are joined by some of the greatest artists in the world: Hélène Grimaud, James Ehnes, Mischa Maisky, Itzhak Perlman and Khatia Buniatishvili to name a few. I am so excited to share this music with you. Hear it. Feel it. Come live the music with us. Otto Tausk, Music Director OTTO TAUSK WITH THE VSO FRONT COVER AND PAGE 2 PHOTOGRAPHER: PETER HOLST 2 Subscribe today Hear more, pay less! Subscribers can save up to 40% off regular ticket prices and enjoy exclusive perks. • Outstanding Value • Insider Perks • Best Seats (one seat for the season with curated series subscriptions) Subscribe today for as little as $135 by calling 604.876.3434 or visiting myVSO.ca/subscribe 3 NEWMONT CANADA Masterworks Gold Join us at the Orpheum at 7pm for pre-concert talks. HAN-NA CHANG HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD JAMES EHNES Mahler, Goerne & Grimaud Mozart in Paris Part of MahlerFest Fri, April 16, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Sat, April 17, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Fri, February 5, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Sat, February 6, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Marc Minkowski, conductor Otto Tausk, conductor Rameau (arr. Minkowski): Une ouverture imaginaire Matthias Goerne, baritone Mozart: Symphony No. 31, Paris Hélène Grimaud, piano Ravel: Le tombeau de Couperin Bizet: Symphony in C Mahler: Rückert-Lieder Schumann: Piano Concerto “explosiveness and exuberance” Ehnes, Sibelius & Strauss Mahler: Symphony No. 5 — The New York Times on Minkowski Fri, September 18, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum “breath-takingly visceral” French Maestro Marc Minkowski brings unique Sat, September 19, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum — New York Music Daily on Hélène Grimaud insight to this beautiful French-themed program. A thrilling Mozart symphony is partnered with music Otto Tausk, conductor The “superb” (New York Times) German baritone by Rameau (the French “Bach”), Bizet (who wrote James Ehnes, violin Matthias Goerne performs a set of Mahler songs that his remarkable first symphony at the age of 17), Barbara Croall: KIKZOOTAADWAK Suite run the gamut from the joy of love to existential angst. and Ravel. (World Première, VSO Commission) Hélène Grimaud will capture the emotional core of Sibelius: Violin Concerto Schumann, a key inspiration for Mahler. Maestro Tausk closes with Mahler’s beloved Symphony No. 5. R. Strauss: Ein Heldenleben Tchaikovsky’s 5th A spectacular program of virtuosity and lyricism. Violin master James Ehnes performs Sibelius’ rich Fri, May 28, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum and soulful concerto. Maestro Tausk leads German Mozart & Dvořák Sat, May 29, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum composer Richard Strauss’s magnificent A Hero’s Life, Han-Na Chang, conductor Fri, March 12, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum a workout for the full orchestra. Plus! A new work Nicholas Wright, violin from the awe-inspiring Odawa First Nation composer Sat, March 13, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Victoria Borisova-Ollas: Barbara Croall. Eun Sun Kim, conductor ...and time is running past midnight... Stefan Jackiw, violin Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1 Mozart: Symphony No. 35 Haffner Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Brahms Requiem Janáček: Violin Concerto The Wandering of a Little Soul Grand Prix winner of the Rostropovich Competition with Bach Toccata & Fugue Dvořák: Romance at age 11, Han-Na Chang performed with the world’s Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 major orchestras before an acclaimed conducting Fri, November 13, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum debut at the BBC Proms. She joins the VSO for an Sat, November 14, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum “a major star” — The New York Times on Kim audience favourite, Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony. Otto Tausk, conductor “as close to perfection as music can get.” Plus, VSO Concertmaster Nicholas Wright’s effortless Hélène Brunet, soprano — The Globe and Mail on Jackiw tone is featured perfectly in Prokofiev’s gorgeous Russell Braun, baritone first violin concerto. UBC Choirs, Graeme Langager, Choir Director Two brilliant new voices take you on a beautiful journey to Prague. After opening with Mozart’s Bach (trans. Stokowski) : Toccata & Fugue exuberant Haffner, the concert dives into the music in D minor plus additional selections of two Czech greats, known for their magical Brahms: A German Requiem lyricism and lush orchestrations. American violinist Stefan Jackiw perfectly combines “intelligence and Maestro Tausk is joined by the great Canadian 604.876.3434 myVSO.ca sensitivity” (The Boston Globe). baritone Russell Braun and soprano Hélène Brunet to perform Brahms’ A German Requiem. Plus, grand orchestral transcriptions of Bach by Leopold Stokowski, the legendary conductor of the SIX CONCERT SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE — PRICES GO UP JUNE 6 Philadelphia Orchestra and Disney’s Fantasia. $525 $384 $282 $240 $198 $153 Subscribe: Or get all 12 Masterworks for as little as $24 per concert REFER TO PAGE 20 4 ASSANTE VANCOUVER CENTRE Masterworks Diamond Join us at the Orpheum at 7pm for pre-concert talks. JAN LISIECKI Tausk Conducts Beethoven’s 9th Jan Lisiecki plays Fri, September 25, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Beethoven’s Emperor Sat, September 26, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Otto Tausk, conductor Fri, May 21, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Simone Osborne, soprano Sat, May 22, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Susan Platts, mezzo-soprano Otto Tausk, conductor Lucas van Lierop, tenor Jan Lisiecki, piano, Cherniavsky Laureate* Scott Brooks, baritone Vancouver Bach Choir, Leslie Dala, choir director Johann Strauss: The Emperor Waltz Maisky and Tovey: Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor Samy Moussa: New Work Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 (World Première, VSO Commission) Pictures at an Exhibition Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 “uncommonly sensitive” Fri, February 26, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum — The New York Times on Lisiecki We could not complete Beethoven 250 without a Sat, February 27, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum performance of the 9th Symphony and its glorious Bramwell Tovey, conductor The remarkable Canadian Jan Lisiecki, acclaimed Ode to Joy. Tausk leads the VSO and the Vancouver Mischa Maisky, cello around the world for his depth of thought and musical maturity, meets Maestro Tausk for the first time in Bach Choir for a definitive interpretation. Plus, Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1 Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Plus, a grand musical new music from Canadian Samy Moussa Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (“strikingly original” — The LA Times). vision inspired by Bruckner’s obsessive spirituality. Maestro Bramwell Tovey returns for a thrilling program featuring cello superstar Mischa Maisky, the *CHERNIAVSKY LAUREATE PIANIST The Sorcerer’s Apprentice plus Chopin essential heir to Rostropovich. Maisky’s complicated history with the USSR makes Shostakovich the ideal The Cherniavsky Laureate position is supported annually by the Gudewill Family, in honour of Janey Fri, October 30, 2020 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum choice for his VSO debut. Plus, Mussorgsky’s grand Gudewill, Peter Cherniavsky, Mrs. B.T. Rogers and Sun, November 1, 2020 at 2:00pm — The Orpheum* and exciting Pictures at an Exhibition to close. the Cherniavsky Junior Club for the Performing Arts, John Fiore, conductor a foundation that annually underwrites the cost of Charles Richard-Hamelin, piano thousands of children attending concerts during Berlioz: Overture: Le corsaire The Art of the Horn: class time for schools throughout British Columbia. Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 Strauss, Wagner and Zemlinsky Wagner: Prelude & Venusberg Music from Tannhäuser Fri, March 19, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Sat, March 20, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Buniatishvili plays Tchaikovsky A dramatic program filled with romance, adventure, Lothar Zagrosek, conductor bombast and longing. It includes The Sorcerer’s Stefan Dohr, horn plus The Rite of Spring Apprentice, well-known from Disney’s Fantasia plus Wagner: Siegfried-Idyll Fri, June 11, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum the Chopin Competition-winning Canadian Charles Strauss: Horn Concerto No. 2 Sat, June 12, 2021 at 8:00pm — The Orpheum Richard-Hamelin plays Chopin’s first concerto which Zemlinsky: The Little Mermaid almost sings with youthful energy and love. Otto Tausk, conductor *N.B. Saturday subscribers will default to the Sunday 2:00pm Berlin Phil principal horn Stefan Dohr performs Khatia Buniatishvili, piano performance and have the option to switch to the Friday performance. Strauss’s dramatic Horn Concerto. Two-time Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 “Conductor of the Year” Lothar Zagrosek brings his Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring “thrilling” and “evocative” style to two narrative works by arch romantics (and horn lovers!) Wagner and “an extraordinary pianist” MISCHA MAISKY Zemlinsky. With multi-media imagery. — LA Times on Buniatishvili Maestro Tausk closes the season with two iconic works. Tchaikovsky is performed by Georgian firebrand Khatia Buniatishvili. With the flare KHATIA BUNIATISHVILI of a Liszt or Horowitz, she brings audiences to their feet wherever she goes. The Rite of Spring, with its celebration of pagan ritual, caused riots at its première. It is now recognized as a modern masterpiece. SIX CONCERT SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE — PRICES GO UP JUNE 6 $525 $384 $282 $240 $198 $153 Or get all 12 Masterworks for as little as $24 per concert REFER TO PAGE 20 5 Our Symphony 101 Series Musically Speaking Classical concerts with a twist: Video screens either side of the stage give fascinating close-ups of the musicians.