Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Celebrates
Canadian Pride Through Music on National Tour
From March 16-23, 2025, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) led by Maestro Otto Tausk will travel across Canada, celebrating the creativity of Canadian musicians and composers alongside world-renowned soloists. This will mark the orchestra’s first visit to Eastern Canada since 2018, and over 100 musicians will be making the journey.
“Touring is essential for all world-class orchestras,” says VSO Music Director Otto Tausk. “Vancouver can be very proud of presenting one of Canada’s finest orchestras and we can’t wait to share our music on the national stage. Besides bringing some of the absolute highlights of the symphonic repertoire, we are thrilled to also present two of our very own Canadian musical treasures. Our former composer in residence, the late Jocelyn Morlock and a brand new piece by one of our own musicians, composer Marcus Goddard.”
The VSO and Maestro Tausk will be joined by internationally-celebrated soloists who have recently collaborated with the orchestra: Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (Ottawa), violinist Vadim Gluzman for Brahms’ Violin Concerto (Toronto and Kingston), and mezzo-soprano Marion Newman of Kwagiulth and Stó:lō First Nations for the world premiere of Goddard’s Mountain Visions (Toronto, Kingston and Vancouver).
“After over a year of preparations, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s long-awaited 2025 National Tour is finally here,” says Angela Elster, President and CEO of the VSO and VSO School of Music. “At this pivotal time of national unity, we are especially proud to bring Canadians together through the power of music, and celebrate our world-class musicians and composers. We look forward to warmly welcoming audiences in Toronto, Kingston, and Ottawa to our performances. As well, we are proud to announce that Sinfonietta, the VSO School of Music’s advanced String Ensemble, will be joining us as part of this memorable tour.”
To conclude the tour, Vancouver audiences will get the chance to welcome home the VSO on Mar. 21-23 at the Orpheum and experience encore performances of Mountain Visions. A special side-by-side performance of Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony with the students of Sinfonietta will take place at the Mar. 23 matinee concert.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Otto Tausk Music Director
Kingston: Mar. 15, 2025 at 7:30 p.m., Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
Toronto: Mar. 16, 2025 at 3:00 p.m., Roy Thomson Hall
Ottawa: Mar. 17, 2025 at 8:00 p.m., National Arts Centre
Vancouver: Mar. 21 & 22 at 8:00 p.m. and Mar. 23 at 2:00 p.m., Orpheum
VSO School of Music’s Sinfonietta, Carla Birston Conductor
Toronto: Mar. 16 at 1 p.m., Mazzoleni Concert Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music
Ottawa: Mar. 17 at 7:15 p.m., National Arts Centre, Peter Herrndorf Atrium
Kingston: Mar. 18 at 7:30 p.m., The Spire
For complete program and ticketing details, please visit: vancouversymphony.ca/2025tour
The VSO is grateful to its supporters of the 2025 National Tour: Canada Council for the Arts, RBC, Joan Tuey Foundation, Thomas Carlyle Killam Fund, Azrieli Foundation, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Roy Thomson Hall, National Arts Centre Orchestra, National Arts Centre, Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, and individual donors.
About Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1919, the Grammy and Juno Award-winning VSO is the third largest symphony orchestra in Canada, and the largest performing arts organization in Western Canada. The VSO creates, curates, and connects irresistible musical experiences — performing 150+ concerts annually in its home, the Orpheum, as well as numerous venues throughout Metro Vancouver. The VSO is one of a handful of orchestras worldwide that has its own music school: the VSO School of Music. The organization delivers extensive education programs reaching more than 50,000 young people annually, and community engagement initiatives that reach a further 100,000+ people. Maestro Otto Tausk is the VSO’s Music Director and the Artistic Advisor of the VSO School of Music.
About VSO School of Music
Founded in 2010, the VSO School of Music is a state-of-the-art music school located adjacent to the Orpheum Theatre, the home of the VSO, in downtown Vancouver. With a mission to enrich lives through the joy of learning, playing and performing the world’s great music, the VSO School of Music develops experiences that are accessible to all, and nurtures creative and engaged members of society through achievement in the musical arts. With a roster of over 2,000 students, the School is proud to offer individual and group instruction by members of the Vancouver Symphony and other exceptional music educators. Sinfonietta is the VSO School of Music’s advanced string ensemble, consisting of 33 youth players and led by Carla Birston.
