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2022-23 Season Announcement
The Prince George Symphony Orchestra has announced a complete concert season in 2022-23, with tickets and subscriptions available now. They will be encouraging masks in the audience, as they have found that a large majority of patrons feel safer with them but are otherwise intending to return to business as usual. The orchestra will present three subscription series, as well as a handful of special events throughout the year.
The Mainstage series, five concerts with the full orchestra at Vanier Hall, includes a surprisingly long list of prominent guest artists. Jane Coop, one of Canada’s most accomplished living pianists, launches the season in September. Other guests include founding PGSO music director Imant Raminsh, newly-hired Vancouver Symphony principal cellist Henry Shapard, local singer-songwriters Kym Gouchie, Amy Blanding, and Rachelle van Zanten, and two emerging opera singers – Emma Johnson and Jason Cook. “I’m very pleased with the season we are offering,” said PGSO Music Director Michael Hall, “I think it’s a really great mix of great classics and fun new pieces, and it lets us feature both some big-name national talent along with some of the truly wonderful musicians that live in Northern BC.”
Over the summer, the PGSO hired three new permanent members, with Lydia Hug (concertmaster), Katherine Peter (Principal Second Violin) and Calvin Yang (Principal Viola) all joining the orchestra’s professional core. This newly expanded group will be featured in three Chamber Socials, concerts featuring a relaxed, intimate environment with food and drinks at table seating. This year’s series again showcases a mix of familiar classics and exciting new fare, with composers ranging from Mozart to American minimalist composer Steve Reich.
Three Family Concerts (formerly Kinderconcerts) will be presented at the UNBC Canfor theatre, with guests including Kelsey Jewesson and CBC host Betsy Trumpener. These concerts are aimed for kids ages 5 to 11, but welcome patrons of all ages. “We’re really investing in this series,” says PGSO Executive Director Ken Hall, “with a sizable chamber orchestra, multi-media presentation, and great music.” The three concerts are themed for Hallowe’en, Christmas, and Earth Day.
The PGSO will also be teaming up with Nove Voce, the Cantata Singers, and tenor Ian Cleary to celebrate Christmas with the PGSO at Vanier Hall. The concert will have many Christmas favourites including excerpts from The Messiah, and culminate with an audience carol sing-along.
The first Mainstage Concert will feature celebrated pianist, Jane Coop. One of Canada's foremost living pianists returns to Prince George with Saint-Saëns second piano concerto. BC composer Christine Donkin's Autumn Scenes and César Franck 's lush late-Romantic symphony complete the program.
Pre-concert talk at 6:30pm - Doors open at 7:00pm
Media contact - Ken Hall, Executive Director - ken@pgso.com