All in Calgary Philharmonic
The Calgary Philharmonic’s popular City Spaces series is back with three new virtual concerts recorded at three different local landmarks. Following the success of the first three concerts at The BOW, Contemporary Calgary, and the Fairmont Palliser, the next two concerts travel beyond the downtown to two of the city’s favourite destinations — one that celebrates advancements in science and technology, and one that explores the history of the Canadian West — before wrapping up the 2020-21 Season at home.
Not long after COVID-19 shut down live performances last spring, it became clear the Calgary Philharmonic would not be able to present its 2020/2021 Season to live audiences as planned. The focus quickly shifted to creating the quality musical experiences people from our community and beyond were seeking online. Fortunately, due to the live-stream initiative launched by the Orchestra in 2017, all the people and pieces needed to record virtual concerts were already in place — and the musicians were eager to start playing again.
As the doors of Arts Commons have been closed, the beloved Jack Singer Concert Hall has received more than its fair share of attention.
“When a pandemic shuts down a performing arts centre, does that mean that the staff has nothing to do?” asks Brian Beaulieu, Production Manager for the Jack Singer Concert Hall. “The answer is not at all. We’ve used that time to undo over 30 years of wear and tear on the Jack Singer Concert Hall. You won’t recognize it when we open the doors again.”
Sixty-six members strong, employing musicians from all over Canada and the world, Calgary Philharmonic has filled the Jack Singer Concert Hall with powerful music for over 37 years and been a member of Calgary’s vibrant arts community for 65 years. Like all performing arts organizations in Calgary, they were forced to close their doors when the pandemic hit, but these past couple months they’ve been anything but idle. With the start of the 2020-21 season, they’re announcing a new fall series of free online concerts.
Calgary Philharmonic musicians and Associate Conductor Karl Hirzer are used to welcoming large groups of kids to the concert hall each season, but right now, there are no yellow school buses lined up in front of Arts Commons. So, the Calgary Phil decided to create a fun and educational tour of the Orchestra for kids that can be experienced from anywhere.
