The Kingston Symphony is set to take audiences on a captivating musical journey, exploring the works of legendary composers like Brahms, Schumann, and Ravel. With events like 'Brahms & Schumann', 'Candlelight Christmas', and 'Symphonic Speedruns', the symphony promises a season of extraordinary performances. Featuring talented musicians such as Jonathan Mak and Evan Mitchell, and unique experiences like live video game concerts, this season is a celebration of classical and contemporary music. Get ready for a symphonic adventure that blends tradition with innovation, all hosted at the illustrious Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

A Musical Journey with Kingston Symphony: From Brahms to Ravel

In 2025, the Kingston Symphony is set to unfold a diverse tapestry of soundscapes through its meticulously curated concert series. From the profound depths of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 to the groundbreaking 'Symphonic Speedruns' featuring live game soundtracks, the series promises an exhilarating journey through auditory art. Featuring leading talents like Mark Fewer and Avan Yu, alongside innovative compositions by the likes of Ligeti and Ravel, these events will resonate with both classical connoisseurs and contemporary audiences. Dive into this symphonic adventure that celebrates timeless masterpieces and modern ingenuity.

A Melodious Journey: Kingston Symphony's 2025 Concert Series

The Kingston Symphony is set to captivate audiences with a unique series of concerts that traverse musical history with vibrant orchestral and choral performances. From the enchanting sounds of the 60s across centuries to the sublime choral masterpieces by Gabriel Fauré, and a spectacular showcase by the youth orchestra, these events promise to be a feast for the senses. With renowned artists and promising talents, each concert is a celebration of music that transcends time and space.

A Symphony of Eras: Kingston Symphony's Musical Journey Through Time

Get ready for an unforgettable musical journey as the Kingston Symphony, along with the Kingston Choral Society, presents a series of remarkable concerts. From the rich history of string music to the timeless beauty of choral compositions, these events promise to captivate audiences with their diverse and exquisite performances. Featuring the talents of renowned musicians and emerging artists, each concert offers a unique experience, blending tradition with innovation. Whether you're a fan of orchestral grandeur or choral elegance, there's something for everyone in this symphonic celebration.

A Symphony of Strings and Voices: Kingston's Musical Extravaganza

The Kingston Youth Orchestra, Kingston Youth Strings, and Kingston A-Strings finish their season in a concert featuring some wonderful classics. Former Kingston Youth Orchestra Principal Cellist Sophia Battel, currently working on a Masters degree in Cello Performance at McGill University, returns to perform Glazunov's beautiful Melody for Cello and Orchestra.

Spring Spectacular

Sydenham Street United Church

The Kingston Choral Society finishes their season with a concert featuring exquisite music by Gabriel Fauré for choir and pipe organ. The program includes Fauré's Requiem, Cantique de Jean Racine, and Pavane and features organist Christopher Dawes, soprano Kathryn McConnell, and baritone Bruce Kelly.

Eternal Light

St. George's Cathedral

The Kingston Community Strings will entertain you with a concert called Welcome to the 60s...All the 60s. Take a trip through string music history with music written in the decade of the 60s in each century since the violin was first invented in northern Italy around the mid-1500s. It should be quite a tour!

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Welcome to the 60s … All the 60s

Christ Church Catraqui

We finish our season in the most remarkable way we can, with a tribute to one of history’s greatest composers, Maurice Ravel. Our composer festival examines Ravel’s brilliance, from the clarity and innovation of his Tombeau de Couperin to the stunning beauty of his Piano Concerto in G Major courtesy of Avan Yu, and Ravel’s Mother Goose Ballet, which concludes in perhaps the single most glorious passage of music ever written.

Ravel Festival

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

Experience what we are convinced is a first of its kind concert concept: an evening devoted entirely to the showcasing of world-class speedrunners completing Cuphead and Celeste in record time, with all of the game’s music performed by your Kingston Symphony, live on stage, in sync with the gameplay! With iconic and genre-defining scores by Kristofer Maddigan and Lena Raine, this is a video game concert which is absolutely a cut above the rest. Don’t miss out!

Symphonic Speedruns

Kingston Grand Theatre

Most of us share a common sense of awe and wonder at how beautiful the world around us can be! Not surprisingly, this intrinsic love of Nature is reflected in the musical compositions produced by many gifted composers. Join the Kingston Symphony as we explore some wonderful music inspired by the great outdoors, including a special performance of Peter and the Wolf.

The Great Outdoors

As the saying goes, if you aim for the moon, you will at least hit the stars, but our intention with this concert is the moon or bust. Big thinking and swinging hard are trademarks of your Kingston Symphony. A forward-thinking suite by William Grant Still alongside a brand new concerto written for our Concertmaster Katya Poplyansky and Mozart’s crowning symphonic achievement? It doesn’t get any bigger than this!

Burge & Mozart

Every so often you encounter a composer who manages to draw you into a sound world that is distinctly their own. From the sumptuous satisfaction of Goulet’s Symphonic Chocolates to Ligeti’s titanic Violin Concerto to the plumbing of the emotional depths of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, this concert gives us a glimpse into the sound worlds of three extraordinary composers, and all the treasures, surprises, and delights found therein.

Ligeti & Tchaikovsky

Virtuosic showpieces and romantic ballads, blazing Romani tunes and forgotten chestnuts, all brought to life with multi-instrument mastery. Quartetto Gelato is a popular and highly unusual classical quartet, and a Kingston audience favourite. This dazzling ensemble has enchanted concertgoers and critics worldwide with its exotic blend of musical fireworks, artistic passion, and humour. The concert features Quartetto Gelato performing their newest and freshest tunes with your Kingston Symphony. It is guaranteed to get you excited!

Tasty Tunes

Prisms are fascinating objects, embodying the notion that if your perspective changes even slightly, you see something wholly unique and new. This concert features music which showcases different sides of composers and how multifaceted they can be, like a prism catching and refracting the light just so. A highlight of this concert is the reimagining of Hindemith’s Flute Sonata, newly orchestrated for flute and strings, featuring our own Principal Flute Amelia Lyon.

Hindemith & Haydn

Ring in the season with our classical Christmas concerts! They are the perfect way to begin your holiday festivities, so make sure to include one of these delightful performances on your wish list as the concerts sell out every year. Hear music written to celebrate the season as we join forces with the Kingston Choral Society to present Kingston’s favourite musical holiday tradition. An early gift of music the whole family will enjoy!

Candlelight Christmas

Brahms and Schumann, great friends as well as legendary composers, created some of the most enduring and beloved symphonic works of their time. This concert celebrates their undisputed genius alongside the extraordinary virtuosity of Jonathan Mak, the winner of the inaugural Bader and Overton Canadian Piano Competition. The program is big and bold, with magnificence in every musical turn of phrase. What more could you ask for?

Brahms & Schumann

Science fiction captures our imagination like no other medium can. It has inspired some monumental music to be composed over the years, and with this concert we celebrate the very best the genre has to offer. From Star Trek to Back to the Future to Aliens, Close Encounters, Tron, Battlestar Galactica and even The Day the Earth Stood Still, we absolutely have you covered, whether your jam is action or horror or aspirational sci-fi!

2024: A Sci-Fi Odyssey

Like a dog with a bone, Harmon the Hound simply can’t bear to be away from the Kingston Symphony for very long! Featuring music from Season 1 of Harmon in Space, this is your chance to see Harmon’s original live show for the first time since it debuted in 2022. Please join us as Harmon lands back in Kingston to learn all about the instruments of the orchestra.

Harmon Live

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of Journey, Austin Wintory took arguably the very best score for a digital experience yet written, and created a symphonic suite chronicling the pilgrimage of the Traveler from its nascence through to its apotheosis. After recording this suite with the London Philharmonic, the Kingston Symphony has the honour of performing it in concert for the very first time. We pair the Traveler with Tchaikovsky’s stunningly beautiful Romeo and Juliet for an unforgettable musical odyssey!

Tchaikovsky & Wintory

During the middle of the 20th century, the very best musicians in the world were part of the MGM and Warner Bros. orchestras. The gifted compositional minds of the romantic symphonic era all turned their attention to scoring the iconic films which would come to define Hollywood. This concert salutes these true masters who created some of the greatest music of the era with extraordinary colour, flair, and sweep.

The Golden Age of Hollywood

KYO was established in 1968 by Edouard Bartlett. This year we commemorate 55 years with a joyous concert featuring works by Holst, Anderson, and a brilliant new work by Brian Balmages. Come celebrate with A-Strings, Youth Strings and Youth Orchestra for a spectacular evening of music.

Spring Spectacular / Celebrating 55 Years

The Spire

On Saturday, May 11, 2024 the Kingston Choral Society closes its 70th season with Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major and Joseph Rheinburger’s Stabat Mater, accompanied by a chamber ensemble. Artistic Director Ian Juby leads the Kingston Choral Society in a program of masterworks, mainstays of the great choirs around the world for centuries. Also featured, Charlotte Stewart-Juby, soprano, and Colleen Renihan, mezzo–soprano.

Gloria

Join us for a spectacular celebration of musical genius at the Kingston Symphony Tchaikovsky Festival, happening on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. This much-anticipated event will take place at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, marking a highlight in our annual composer festival series. 

This year, we honor the overwhelming audience request by dedicating the festival to the legendary Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, showcasing his monumental contributions to classical music. The afternoon promises an unforgettable experience with performances of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 4, both of which represent the height of the composer's musical achievements.

Under the baton of the esteemed conductor Evan Mitchell, the Kingston Symphony will bring these masterworks to life, offering a program that is sure to captivate and inspire all who attend. This event is not just a concert but a tribute to Tchaikovsky's enduring legacy and a testament to the power of his music to move and exhilarate audiences across generations.

Tickets are now available for purchase. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a historic afternoon celebrating one of music's true titans. For more information and to secure your seats, visit our website. Join us as we pay homage to the brilliance of Tchaikovsky and experience the magic of his symphonies performed live by the Kingston Symphony.

Tchaikovsky Festival

Every so often, we are lucky to come across a talent so surprising, it is hard to even classify what you are seeing. Baritone saxophonist Leo Pellegrino is one of those talents. A sensational virtuoso, an incredible athlete, and an unstoppable stage presence, Leo P joins forces with the Kingston Symphony in what will be an unforgettable evening. You can’t miss this show!

Sax Attack with Leo P

When music and film combine, they enhance each other’s artistic impact. Sometimes music is composed for films and sometimes the music already exists, and it in turn inspires a film or a scene in a film. We will present both. The beauty of this concert is that there is lots of music to choose from, and a string orchestra is just the ensemble to present it.

Music Inspired by Movies / Movies Inspired by Music

The Anglican Parish of Christ Church Cataraqui

Everyone’s favourite canine cosmonaut Harmon the Hound returns to the stage with your Kingston Symphony! Harmon is emBARKing on another space adventure to the musical planet Ripieno III. She will learn all about new instruments in the orchestra, as they are performed live on stage by the Kingston Symphony. What instrument will Harmon decide to play for her audition? Make no BONES about it. Bring your family and friends to this amazing concert to find out.

Harmon Returns

We celebrate the musical life and impact of the late composer and conductor Bramwell Tovey, one of Canada’s most influential musical forces. Maestro Evan has carefully crafted a program to honour Bramwell, who was a special friend and mentor, supporting him at every opportunity during his early career. Bramwell’s own works are startling and brilliant, overflowing with his unique voice. Frederick Delius, also featured on this program, was one of his most beloved composers and Elgar’s towering Enigma Variations was Bramwell’s favourite piece.

Delius & Elgar

This afternoon’s program celebrates the creative process with the live premiere of John Estacio’s Domestic Divertimento, a work created and digitally premiered to international acclaim during the pandemic. We also premiere Cecilia Livingston’s song cycle Breath Alone, based on text by Canadian poet and novelist Anne Michaels, and sung by soprano Rachel Krehm. Rachmaninoff’s sumptuous Second Symphony completes the program, which we guarantee will be a feast for your ears!

Livingston & Rachmaninoff

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean joins the Kingston Symphony for a tribute to the genius of Joni Mitchell. Mitchell’s iconic blend of blues, rock, and jazz has made her one of Canada’s most beloved musicians. Sarah Slean brings her unique take on the very best of Joni’s songbook, layering familiar gems with her own perspective and superlative voice, with beautiful musical arrangements by Grammy Awardwinning artist Vince Mendoza.

Sarah Slean Sings Joni Mitchell

Join us as we partner with phenomenal jazz pianist Matt Herskowitz in a journey through Johann Sebastian Bach’s music, and the magical elements of surprise, innovation and improvisation which permeate his greatest works. This concert travels from “pure” Bach to increasingly jazz-infused Bach, all with Matt Herskowitz’s generational talent driving things forward! A truly magical and inspired afternoon awaits!

The Bach Connection

The Kingston Symphony’s Candlelight Christmas is one of Kingston’s most beloved performance traditions. Featuring cherished Christmas classics alongside a host of seasonal favourites, as well as a bunch of surprises, Candlelight Christmas has something for everyone. Join us for that warm festive feeling you can only experience with live music during the holidays!

One of the most fascinating aspects of orchestral music is that much of it has survived for centuries. This music never goes out of style and today’s program includes works by three composers who define the word “classic.” Led by Maestra Dina Gilbert, the orchestra performs works by some of the most celebrated composers, from an overture by Rossini to symphonies by Mendelssohn and Brahms.

Mendelssohn & Brahms

Get swept away by the magic of the silver screen with a revue of some of the most incredible music ever written for film. Featuring music from Casablanca, Psycho, James Bond, Harry Potter, Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and more, the Kingston Symphony will transport you to the most fantastical realms of the cinematic universe!

Lights, Camera, Music

Music is an art, a language, and a science as well! Discover how music and science come together by learning about vibration, harmony, resonance, and so much more. With an afternoon of fantastic music and props galore, it is going to be fun for everyone. Warning – there may be an explosion or two!

Science at the Symphony

The strings form the largest single section of the orchestra, and yet they often miss out on the spotlight. This program changes that! From the expansive bliss of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis to the virtuosity of Montgomery’s Strum to the lyrical beauty of Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings, this concert showcases our magnificent string section with music that is sure to delight and surprise.

Vaughan Williams & Mazzoli

Please pardon our Maestro for invoking a little of his own agenda for this concert, which he has filled with some of his favourite music. Strauss’s Vienna Bonbons is sublime, Lalo’s Cello Concerto, particularly as performed by Rachel Mercer, is a musical treasure trove, and Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony is a melodic smorgasbord from the very first note. Yes, this is an indulgence for our Music Director, but these magnificent pieces of music might become some of your favourites too!

Kingston Symphony

May 28, 2025

Spring Spectacular

May 26, 2025

Eternal Light

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