This fall, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) will have a new virtual home to connect audiences around the world. TheConcertHall.ca, presented by TELUS, will host exceptional musical experiences created and curated by the VSO.
Subscribers to TheConcertHall.ca will get to access to a full season of the VSO performances, premiering October 16th with a season opening performance at 7:30pm featuring violinist James Ehnes & Maestro Otto Tausk playing Bach and Beethoven.
Performances will be released weekly throughout the season. Once released, performances will stay available in TheConcertHall.ca for viewing at your leisure.
Throughout the season, the VSO will explore repertoire from Bach, Mozart, and early Beethoven, as well as Pulitzer-Prize winning African-American composer George Walker, and contemporary Canadian composers. There is even something for the kids on October 25th, with a fun-filled symphony jam session led by Juno nominee Will Stroet of CBC Kids fame.
“This is a project we imagined long before COVID,” says Angela Elster, President and CEO of VSO, “But that long-time dream’s timeline got pushed up by about four years. Through our new virtual performance home, we are incredibly excited to celebrate the power of music and to build connections around the globe through music for many years to come.”
Rather than recording traditional live performances intended for audiences in large halls, the VSO has worked to create a unique soundscape crafted specifically to enjoy at home, recording performances (following Covid-19 physical distancing protocols) with state-of-the-art audio and in high-definition 1080p video.
“The way we are recording allows us to create a truly unique experience,” explains Maestro Tausk, whose contract has recently been extended by the Symphony for four more years. “The sheer magnitude of raw emotion and collection of tonalities as expressed by different instruments can come together in perfect unison, and more than ever, allow us to be transported to other places within ourselves. That’s the magic of symphonic music. It allows us to explore images within our own minds. It is an endless conversation between past and present.”
“This virtual concert hall will go a long way towards ensuring that our orchestra not only survives but thrives in the current environment, and will be there for audiences when we can resume our live performances,” said Etienne Bruson, VSO Board Chair. “At the same time, TheConcertHall.ca will give access to incredible performances to audiences from all over the world, not just Vancouver.”
At launch, subscriptions for VSO TheConcertHall.ca will be available for $12.99 monthly, or $129.99 annually.