Vancouver Symphony and Maestro Otto Tausk Announce 2020-21 Season That Explores Lightness and Dark with Great Masterworks

Vancouver Symphony and Maestro Otto Tausk Announce 2020-21 Season That Explores Lightness and Dark with Great Masterworks, New Commissions, Exciting Collaborations, and Superlative Guest Artists

Highlights include:

Great Masterworks including Beethoven’s 9th, Tchaikovsky’s 5th, The Rite of Spring, Bach’s Toccata & Fugue, Beethoven Emperor Concerto, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mahler’s 5th Symphony, La Mer, Rhapsody in Blue, and many more
Superlative guest artists including Mischa Maisky, Hélène Grimaud, Mathias Goerne, Khatia Buniatishvili, James Ehnes, Measha Brueggergosman, Jan Lisiecki, Russel Braun, and many more
Special concerts with Itzhak Perlman and The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and Films with Live Orchestra including West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, and Rocketman
Spectacular Pops featuring Stewart Copeland performing the music of The Police, Paul Shaffer in Symphony, Edith Piaf: Symphonique and more
MahlerFest and eighth annual VSO New Music Festival
2020 Summer Season with Symphonic Pride and live orchestra movie nights Back to the Future in Concert, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Free community concerts Symphony at Sunset, VSO at Deer Lake Park, and Day of Music

Vancouver, Canada (March 6, 2020) — The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) and Music Director Otto Tausk are pleased to announce the 102nd season — an exploration of the themes of lightness and dark with great masterworks, new commissions, exciting collaborations, and superlative guest artists.

For his third season as Music Director of the VSO, Maestro Tausk conducts programs that range from Bach and Beethoven to Sibelius, Strauss, and Mahler and more.

Many of the world’s most exciting artists will take to the Orpheum stage, including cellist Mischa Maisky, violinists Itzhak Perlman and James Ehnes, pianists Jan Lisiecki, Khatia Buniatishvili, and Hélène Grimaud, soprano Measha Brueggergosman, baritones Matthias Goerne and Russell Braun, tenor Michael Schade, and guest conductors Leonard Slatkin, Karen Kamensek, Marc Minkowski, John Fiore, Eun Sun Kim, Han-Na Chang, Lothar Zagrosek, and VSO Music Director Emeritus Bramwell Tovey.

Maestro Tausk commissions new works from Barbara Croall, Samy Moussa, and Vivian Fung.

Special concerts include Itzhak Perlman performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto, The Israel Phiharmonic Orchestra on Tour, and three films with live orchestra West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, and Rocketman. Famous pop culture icons, Stewart Copeland and Paul Shaffer join the VSO along with solo performances from VSO members Nicholas Wright, Christie Reside, and Emilie Grimes. Plus the return of cherished holiday favourites The Snowman in Concert and Home Alone – Film with Orchestra.

Festivals this season will include Mahler Fest in February, the eighth annual VSO New Music Festival in April, and the third annual Day of Music,

Carrying forward the VSO’s commitment to diversity in programming, the 2020 Summer Season will include Symphonic PRIDE in celebration of the LGBTQ community, a performance at the Bard on the Beach stage, the third annual Symphony at Sunset Beach, the return of VSO at Deer Lake Park, and the ever-popular movie night series featuring Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Back to the Future.

Maestro Otto Tausk said: “As the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra begins its second century, I’m thrilled to embrace my third season as Music Director and to reaffirm our commitment to making music accessible for all, with an exciting lineup of programming that explores the full possibilities of diversity, inclusivity and creativity when musical worlds collide.”

For more information on the full 2020-21 season lineup visit http://www.vancouversymphony.ca

About the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1919, the Grammy and Juno-award winning Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is one of the largest arts organizations in Western Canada, Canada’s third largest orchestra, and one of the few orchestras in North America to have its own music school. The VSO and Music Director Maestro Otto Tausk celebrated the orchestra’s 100th anniversary season in 2018-2019.

The mission of the VSO is to create, curate and connect irresistible musical experiences. The VSO fulfills its mission by presenting passionate, high-quality performances of classical, popular, and culturally diverse music; creating meaningful engagement with audiences of all ages and backgrounds; and developing and delivering inspirational education and community programs. Performing more than 150 concerts per year throughout Vancouver, the surrounding communities, and the province of British Columbia, the VSO serves over 270,000 patrons annually, including 50,000 children and young adults. The VSO has an operating budget of $18 million, 104 full-time employees (70 musicians and 34 staff), and is governed by a 21-member board of directors.