WSO Opens with Tchaikovsky's Answer to Beethoven's 5th

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra will kick off its 2009-2010 season on September 26 with a concert featuring essential classical music at its best.

Opening Night! Tchaikovsky 4 features renowned soloist Cho-Liang Lin performing Sibelius’Äô Violin Concerto. Lins’Äô recording of the work is considered one the world’Äôs best - it was awarded a top rating in the foremost directory of recorded classical music, the Penguin Guide.

The concert will be capped off with Tchaikovsky’Äôs popular Symphony No. 4. Said to be Tchaikovsky’Äôs response to Beethoven’Äôs 5th symphony, the work is powerfully emotional and introspective. WSO Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate will conduct the evening.

’ÄúSymphony No. 4 deals extensively with the idea of fate and is an intensely personal reflection of the composer’Äôs being,’Äù said Mickelthwate.

After reporting a surplus for the 2008-09 year, Mickelthwate is looking forward to another strong season both financially and artistically.

’ÄúWe have got some fantastic concerts lined up this season. I am especially looking forward to our Pops series where we will be fusing our amazing orchestra with several different musical styles and arts media,’Äù said Mickelthwate.

Both Mickelthwate and Composer-in-Residence Vincent Ho have signed on to new three-year terms with the WSO. They will be joined this year by new Resident Conductor Richard Lee, who comes to Winnipeg from the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. Lee’Äôs first conducting assignment with the WSO will be opening night of the Pops series, Cirque de la Symphonie, on October 2.

’ÄúI am so excited to make my official debut with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra conducting the first Pops program of the season, Cirque de la Symphonie. It is wonderful that we can bring such a visually stimulating show to the Concert Hall. This would be impossible without the great collaboration of circus artistry and orchestra. We are literally risking life and limb to bring audiences this performance.’Äù
- Richard Lee, WSO Resident Conductor

The WSO performs Opening Night! Tchaikovsky 4 on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27 at 8 pm. Individual tickets, ranging from $29 to $75, go on sale Tuesday, September 8. Season ticket packages are still available.

For tickets, contact
WSO Box Office (949-3999 or boxoffice@wso.mb.ca)
WSO website (www.wso.ca)
Ticketmaster (780-3333 or www.ticketmaster.ca)