Conductor

Heather Rankin is an East Coast musical icon, famed for her soaring voice, heartfelt songwriting, and international career as part of the record-breaking Cape Breton supergroup The Rankins. Now, after our sold-out collaborations in 2019 and 2023, Symphony Nova Scotia reunites with Heather for a rich symphonic feast of favourites, including new orchestral arrangements from her award-winning solo career, plus some of The Rankin Family’s greatest hits!

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Heather Rankin

Dalhousie University

Get ready to spring into something special with Spring Pops The Once! Join the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and the beloved folk trio The Once for an unforgettable evening of original music and rich orchestral arrangements. Under the baton of Martin MacDonald, this concert blends The Once’s haunting harmonies and heartfelt songwriting with the lush sounds of the NSO, creating a musical experience that’s as fresh as spring itself.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their sound, this collaboration promises to strike the perfect chord between folk tradition and symphonic power. It’s the perfect way to welcome spring—so don’t miss your chance to catch this uniquely Canadian concert that will have you singing all the way home!

The Once

Memorial University of Newfoundland

With the always-electric Martin MacDonald on the podium, the NSO dives headfirst into the unforgettable sounds of the 1970s—an era when rock ruled the airwaves, folk tugged at heartstrings, and pop redefined cool.

Winter Pops: That 70s Show

Cape Breton’s J.P. Cormier is a spectacular multi-instrumentalist famed for his sincere, soulful songwriting. And Pictou’s Dave Gunning is an award-winning singer-songwriter and captivating performer known for his skills as a storyteller. Now, two of Canada’s greatest songsmiths return to Symphony Nova Scotia to celebrate the sounds of the season in this homegrown, hilarious, and heartwarming holiday concert.

A Gunning & Cormier Christmas

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — with the NSO’s Christmas Pops on November 21 at the Arts and Culture Centre. This festive favourite brings together timeless holiday classics, smooth crooner tunes, elegant ballads, and more — all wrapped up in rich symphonic sound. Whether you’re a fan of Bing, Bublé, or classic carols, there’s something in this concert to make your spirits bright.

Christmas Pops: A Yuletide Vibe

The NSO Hallowe’en Spooktacular returns with The Paranormal Popcorn Patrol, a frightfully fun family matinee on Saturday, October 25, 2025 at 3:00pm at the Arts and Culture Centre. Under the baton of conductor Martin MacDonald, presented in partnership with Best Kind Productions, this spooky concert adventure features a team of four young, candy-fueled detectives on a mission to rid the haunted Silver Scream MoviePlex of its ghostly guests—using the power of music. With chilling tunes from classic scary movies like Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more, this is a thrilling and theatrical Halloween treat for all ages.

Hallowe'en Spooktacular

Get ready to fall into spooky season with Fall Pops: Silver Screams on October 24, 2025 at 7:30pm at the Arts & Culture Centre! Conductor Martin MacDonald leads the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra on a thrilling journey through your favourite Halloween movie classics.

Fall Pops: Silver Screams

Relive the film as the TO Live Orchestra performs the Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer’s score live to the film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in Concert

Meridian Hall

The Celtic Tenors are a chart-topping, million-record-selling global phenomenon, and their previous collaborations with Symphony Nova Scotia have sold out with rave reviews. Now, these virtuoso tenors return to Halifax with another blockbuster holiday show, celebrating the spectacular sounds of Christmas. From classic carols like O Holy Night to beloved Celtic holiday favourites, this beautiful blend of Irish roots, classical training, and polished, magnificent music is the can’t-miss concert of the holiday season.

Christmas with The Celtic Tenors

Disney Concerts produces concerts and tours, and licenses Disney music and visual content to symphony orchestras and presenters on a worldwide basis.  Disney Concerts’ concert packages include a variety of formats, such as “live to picture” film concerts and themed instrumental and vocal compilation concerts, and range from instrumental-only symphonic performances to multimedia productions featuring live vocalists and choir.  Numerous new concert packages and touring productions from Disney’s portfolio of studios, including Disney’s feature animation and live action studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel, are currently in development.  Current titles include the Star Wars Film Concert Series (Episodes IV-VIII), Toy Story, Aladdin, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Disney Princess – The Concert, Coco, The Lion King, Up and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which in 2019 accounted for over 900 performances in many of the world’s top concert venues.

Frozen In Concert

TCU Place

The Muppets perform the classic Charles Dickens holiday tale, with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge (Michael Caine).  Gonzo, as Dickens, narrates the story with the help of Rizzo the Rat. The film also features Miss Piggy as Emily Cratchit, Gonzo as the narrator Charles Dickens, Fozzie Bear as Fozziwig, and Robin the Frog as Tiny Tim.  Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases — past, present and future.  They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

Conductor

Martin MacDonald

Events

Past events

25 - 26 Apr, 2026

Heather Rankin · Symphony Nova Scotia

Apr 17, 2026

The Once · Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest by Zimmer

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

About

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