Symphony Nova Scotia presents three blockbuster performances with its annual Festival – ALMOST SOLD OUT!

Concerts to feature expanded orchestra and lineup of popular masterworks, including Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony

Halifax, NS – Symphony Nova Scotia celebrates some of Eastern Europe’s greatest music this week with its highly anticipated three-concert Festival.

From April 27 to 30, Symphony Nova Scotia expands its orchestra with up to 28 additional musicians to present rare performances of some of Eastern Europe’s most beloved classical works, including Dvořák’s Cello Concerto, Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.

Both cello concertos will be performed by Santiago Cañón Valencia, a young South American cellist who’s been praised as “a phenomenon” (The Strad).

“One special thing with our Festival this time is our soloist, Santiago Cañón Valencia,” says Maestro Bernhard Gueller, who will be conducting each of the Festival’s three concerts.

“He performed with us here in Halifax several years ago, and took the audience by storm. Now, we have him back for two very different concertos – a contemporary concerto by Lutoslawski, and the cello concerto of all cello concertos – the Dvořák Concerto.

“Other pieces in these programs include the spectacular Rumanian Rhapsody by Enescu, Les Préludes by Liszt, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. I hope that it will make a glorious end to the season.”

These expanded Festival performances are made possible through the generous support of individual donors, Air Canada, and Pete’s.

The full Festival lineup includes:

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto

Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 pm, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Tickets: $35 and up (HST included); $16 for under-30s

Symphony Nova Scotia performs Dvořák’s beautiful, massively popular Cello Concerto with Colombian cello sensation Santiago Cañón Valencia, a multiple award winner who’s been praised for his “simply tremendous playing” (The Strad).

Then, for the first time ever, our expanded orchestra performs two virtuosic, romantic showpieces: George Enescu’s Rumanian Rhapsody and Franz Liszt’s Les Préludes.

To make this performance possible, Symphony Nova Scotia’s 37-member orchestra will be expanded by 26 additional musicians.

The full concert program includes:

  • George Enescu: Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1
  • Franz Liszt: Les Préludes
  • Antonin Dvořák: Cello Concerto

Learn more about the music with these pre- and post-concert programs, free to ticket holders:

  • Pre-concert: Join host Adrian Hoffman for a free pre-concert chat at 6:45 pm in the Sculpture Court, just outside the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.
  • Post-concert: Join Maestro Gueller and Santiago Cañón Valencia in the auditorium after the concert for an audience Q&A.

Festival Hits: Dvořák and Tchaikovsky

Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 pm, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Tickets: $35 and up (HST included); $16 for under-30s

Symphony Nova Scotia presents an encore performance of Dvořák’s beautiful Cello Concerto with Colombian cello sensation Santiago Cañón Valencia.

Then, for the first time in almost a decade, Symphony Nova Scotia performs Tchaikovsky’s dramatic, powerful, and emotional Symphony No. 5.

For this performance, Symphony Nova Scotia’s 37-member orchestra will be expanded by 19 additional musicians.

The full concert program includes:

  • Dvořák: Cello Concerto
  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Learn more about the music with a free pre-concert chat at 6:45 pm in the Sculpture Court, just outside the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony

Sunday, April 30 at 7:30 pm, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Tickets: $35 and up (HST included); $16 for under-30s

Symphony Nova Scotia presents an encore performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony – a furious, dramatic, and powerful work that’s an audience favourite worldwide.

Plus, cellist Santiago Cañón Valencia returns for Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto, an adventurous and entertaining work that faces off cello and orchestra in “an epic confrontation” (The Guardian).

To make this performance possible, Symphony Nova Scotia’s 37-member orchestra will be expanded by 28 additional musicians.

The full concert program includes:

  • Dvořák: Polednice (Noon Witch)
  • Witold Lutoslawski: Cello Concerto
  • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Learn more about the music with these pre- and post-concert programs, free to ticket holders:

  • Pre-concert: Join host Adrian Hoffman for a free pre-concert chat at 6:45 pm in the Sculpture Court, just outside the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.
  • Post-concert: Join Maestro Gueller and Santiago Cañón Valencia in the auditorium after the concert for an audience Q&A.

Tickets for all three Festival concerts are on sale now! Prices start at $35 (HST included) and $16 for under-30s.

Tickets are available at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office (6101 University Avenue, Halifax), at 902.494.3820, or online at symphonynovascotia.ca.

Above: Hear Maestro Gueller share his thoughts on our 2017 Festival.

About Santiago Cañón Valencia, cello

Born in Bogota, Colombia in 1995, Santiago Cañón Valencia has been praised as one of the most promising young cellist of his generation. His major musical mentors have been Henryk Zarzycki in Colombia, James Tennant in New Zealand, and Andres Diaz in the U.S. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar.

Santiago is a First Prize winner of the Carlos Prieto (2016), Beijing (2010), Gisborne (2011), and Lennox (2014) international cello competitions, and is also a major prize winner of the Casals (2014), Adam (2009), Johansen (2012), and Cassadó (2013) international cello competitions.

He has performed in recital and as a soloist with orchestras throughout Australasia, South America, the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Europe, China, Japan, México, and Russia, and has played as a soloist with Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists and with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Santiago also performed for the premiere in Colombia of Ginastera’s Cello Concerto No. 2 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, and also premiered Gulda’s Cello Concerto in Auckland, New Zealand with the Auckland Chamber Orchestra.

He has collaborated with world-renowned musicians such as Alisa Weilerstein, Shlomo Mintz, Dmitri Berlinsky, Richard Young, Andres Diaz, Emmanuel Ceysson, Wendy Chen, and Roberto Gonzales-Monjas, among others. Santiago has also shared the stage with Maxim Vengerov, Li-Wei Qin, and Phillipe Müller.

Santiago has been a guest artist several times at the Cartagena International Music Festival and was part of the Verbier Festival Academy (Cello) 2016.

His debut CD of solo 20th century works has been internationally acclaimed by the Strad Magazine and others. Consecutively, he has just released two new recordings consisting of Russian cello sonatas and popular pieces of the cello repertoire with pianist Katherine Austin. All of his recordings have been made under the Atoll label in New Zealand.

Santiago has been sponsored by the Mayra & Edmundo Esquenazi Scholarship through the Salvi Fundation since 2011 and is a recipient of the MPower Artist Grants 2016 by the Sphinx Organization.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’s orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love – from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is one of the most exciting orchestras in the country, with dozens of interactive outreach programs, over 20 commercial recordings, and multiple East Coast Music Awards. Visit symphonynovascotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or get tickets today!