Thank You, President Stoicheff

Thank You, President Stoicheff

Headshot of Usask President Peter Stoicheff

Join the SSO in congratulating University of Saskatchewan President Peter Stoicheff as he nears the end of his decade-long term.

During his time as President, Stoicheff has had a large impact on the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with us in 2017. 

Headshot of Peter Stoicheff
Peter Stoicheff, Usask President

“This partnership will advance the wonderful collaborations between two of the province’s most influential cultural institutions,” said Peter Stoicheff. “It will build upon the longstanding connections between the community and our university’s diverse range of departments, colleges, and schools.”

SSO’s CEO and Creative Producer Mark Turner is extremely pleased with the work these organizations accomplished together.

“It was extremely meaningful to get to work with Peter on building the MOU. Our two organizations have worked together since the SSO’s inception in 1931, so taking the time to ensure that we capture that spirit of collaboration for future generations was of the upmost importance,” said Turner. “A shared vision for community and the wellbeing of its people is paramount to the work of both our organizations, and to the shared vision I have with Peter”

Headshot of SSO CEO Mark Turner
Mark Turner, SSO CEO & Creative Producer

Throughout his years as President, Stoicheff has led the University of Saskatchewan to be one of Canada’s top research-intensive medical-doctoral universities, with global impact in water and food security, synchrotron science, medical imaging, and agricultural technology.

Secrets of the Whales

Peter Stoicheff will be collaborating with the SSO again on Saturday, November 22 at our Secrets of the Whales concert, as the show’s narrator. 

This concert takes the National Geographic footage from the Disney+ series Secrets of the Whales, and pairs it with our live orchestra to make for a stunning visual and musical experience. Narrated by Stoicheff, the audience is set on a journey through the lives of these oceanic creatures, learning what is hidden below the surface and just how similar they are to us humans.

GET TICKETS HERE

“I’m honoured to serve as the narrator for the SSO’s concert adaptation of National Geographic’s ‘Secrets of the Whales’ series. The University of Saskatchewan is proud to support and build on the SSO’s mission to enhance Saskatchewan culture through our memorandum of understanding signed in 2017. This event demonstrates how the arts can inspire and build community.” – Peter Stoicheff

We would like to give our thanks to Peter and his drive to promote wider community engagement and build on music-centered programming, while creating new opportunities to explore connections between the U of S campus and the Saskatoon community.

“It’s been such a pleasure working with Peter during his tenure, and I thank him for his enthusiastic collaboration on so many projects during his time.”  – Mark Turner

Holiday Gift Guide

Two Christmas gifts underneath a Christmas tree

This holiday season, skip the socks and the scented candles and gift your loved ones an experience. A night out with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra delivers not just a concert, but a feeling. With the variety of performances we have coming in the new year, there is sure to be a show for everyone on your list.

Beauty and the Beast – January 24, 2026

For the little princess in your life, the family-friends you don’t know what to buy for, or that nostalgic Disney-lover.

Start the new year with a tale as old as time, experienced in a whole new way. This show pairs all the characters you know and love with music from SSO’s own live orchestra. Gift Belle’s magical journey through an enchanted castle this holiday season. 

Get Tickets Here

Bach & Khayyam – February 5, 2026

Constantinople band member playing the setar

For the symphony-lover or the friend who is always down to try something new.

A fusion of worlds, where the spiritual songs of JS Bach are accompanied with poems of Khayyam sung in Persian. The band Constantinople creates a unique dialogue featuring traditional Eastern instruments live at The Broadway Theatre.

Get Tickets Here

Everything is Romantic – February 14, 2026

Angela Cheng playing the piano

For the couple deserving a romantic night out, that hopeless romantic, or of course, your valentine.

Sweep your valentine off their feet with tickets to Everything is Romantic. Maestro Judith Angela Cheng and your SSO are bringing the most romantic melodies to the TCU place. This show offers heart-stopping, romantic music from Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet to Khachaturian’s Love Theme Adagio, making for the most elegant date night. 

Get Tickets Here

Spring Fever – March 7, 2026

Headshot of maestra Tania Miller

For that friend awaiting their winter getaway, or anyone needing a cure to their seasonal depression.

Everyone knows how dreary the post-holidays winter months can get. Plan ahead to shake off your winter blues with this wonderful concerto centered around Schumann’s Spring. It’s an uplifting celebration of renewal and rhythm, making it the concert for those who are always (im)patiently waiting for the snow to melt.

Get Tickets Here

Night Seasons – March 28, 2026

Headshot of cellist Stéphane Tétreault

For the night owl, the advice-giver, or that person who likes to romanticize life

Featuring music from the beloved Rebecca Dale, Night Seasons takes listeners on a journey from darkness to light. With lush contemporary sounds combined with the music of cellist Stéphane Tétreault, this concert promises to take anyone’s breath away.

Get Tickets Here

Buying for someone out of town?

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Gift the experience of a live performance from the comfort of home. Information about ConcertStream available here.

$21 – Stream (1 video bundle)

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As you can see, the SSO offers it all! From an elevated family movie night to the most romantic night of the year to the exploration of a new culture, there is a show for everyone.

Give the gift of music and the symphony because after all, an experience is the best type of gift – it’s a memory.

Happy Holidays from the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra!

Costume Ideas

Looking for some last-minute costume ideas?

Here are a few ideas we thought you might like!

Bach

Need a powdered wig in a pinch for your composer costume? Try using some printer paper!

Wear a black coat and pants with a white top, and carry some sheet music. Just keep telling people “you’ll be Bach” for the extra pun factor.

Looking for other composer costume inspiration? Check out @NormalComposers on Twitter!

Leonard Bernstein partying with Patti Smith.

Béla Bartók having a miserable time with some lady friends.

Record

Want to set the record straight? Dress up as some vinyl for Halloween!

Once you have your cardboard box: Cut 2 large circles from the cardboard box. Spray paint both sides of the circles with black spray paint and let dry completely. While this dries, print out 2 copies of the record label template provided. Cut out the label and glue it to the center of the black cardboard circles. To create shoulder and chest straps, measure the length needed and place 2 strips of duct tape sticky side together. Tape to the cardboard front and back, so you can easily slip it over your head. *Optional: use the paint pen to draw on record grooves.

Here’s the template.

SSO Musician

Have a favourite member of the orchestra? Put on your concert-worthy outfit and fashion yourself after one of our musicians!

Or, if you know them outside the orchestra you could dress up like they do when not on the stage.

A few years ago, principal bassoon Stephanie Unverricht dressed up as our principal oboe Erin Brophey (who was pregnant at the time)!

Pick a great song title and dress up according to the title.

The Devil with a Blue Dress is an easy one to do! Some horns and a pitchfork, plus a blue dress and you’re ready to go.

If you’re really in a pinch try this random costume generator:

Can’t wait to see those musically minded costumes!

History of Halloween

Every year on October 31st we put on fun costumes and get our fill of Halloween candy. But how did it all begin?

The ancient Celts celebrated their new year on November 1st. They marked the end of harvest, and their new year’s eve with a festival called Samhain.

Believing that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead were blurred, on October 31st the Celtic people would commemorate this event with huge sacred bonfires. They would burn sacrifices to ehrie Celtic deities, wore costumes, and tried to predict each other’s futures.

Fastforward to 40 AD and the majority Celts have been conquered by the Roman Empire. Over time there was a blending of Celtic and Roman festivals including Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead, and the day to honour Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. Perhaps this is why we bob for apples?

By the 9th century christianity had spread amonst Celtic lands and blended with older Celtic rights. Christians celebrated All Souls’ Day, potentially in an attempt to replace Samhain and other non christian celebrations with a church approved holiday. The All Saints day was also known as All-Hallows or All-hallowmans, and the night before as All-Hallows Eve, which ultimately became Halloween.

As settlers moved to North America, they brought their Halloween traditions from all over europe. People started handing out candy in exchange for not being tricked, and the day became more secular and community focused.

These days Halloween is filled with fun costumes, tiny candies, and themed concerts!

We hope you have a wonderful, and fun filled Halloween!

From Darkness to Light

One of the special parts of working with living composers is that we get to hear their intentions and stories behind their works. We asked composer Vincent Ho if he wanted to share anything about his piece From Darkness to Light, and here’s what he had to say:

Composer Vincent Ho

From Darkness to Light is the second concerto I wrote for percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, and is a work that has significant meaning to me.

In the winter of 2011, a dear friend of mine, Luc Leestemaker (a talented painter and entrepreneur), was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout that year, he underwent an emotional and spiritual journey, one that is commonly shared with many people who have been afflicted by the illness – from the trauma of being diagnosed, to the painful healing process, and to the moment of clarity one eventually reaches. From that experience, he approached me and proposed the idea of writing a symphonic work that expresses this journey in musical form. 

Luc was a person who did not believe the arts was some commodity one purchases for entertainment when one has money in the bank and everything they need. No, he believed that the arts was something one turns to when they have no money and lose all the things that matter. He truly believed that art and music have the ability to comfort and heal. It was his vision to create a work that would take the audience on a journey of healing.

I could not think of anyone better to collaborate on this project with than Dame Evelyn Glennie. After discussing it with her, we agreed that this was an important theme that warranted musical representation. 

Artist Luc Leestemaker

In preparation for this work, I interviewed a number of cancer survivors and patients. From these interviews, I found many parallels in their journeys. It was their shared experience that I wanted to express in musical form.

Sadly, Luc passed away in May of 2012 on his 55th birthday. During the final months of his life he created a series of paintings as a way of capturing his journey in artistic form. He wanted to share his journey in this way so others living with cancer could benefit from it.

Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker

Exactly one month to the day after his passing, my wife and I experienced the birth of our child Claudia. So for me, this concerto expresses what I went through during that period – the experience of losing a close friend to the miracle of life. 

From Darkness to Light is my personal response to cancer. It is a large-scale work that expresses the horrors of the illness and the journey that one faces: the fear and uncertainty; the shock and trauma; the grueling process of overcoming it; and finally, the reconciliation that is reached at the end – from pain and suffering to peace and acceptance. It is a musical journey of healing.

NOTE: Throughout the work, there are many passages where Dame Glennie freely improvises to elevate the realism of the spiritual journey. As well, we decided to end the piece with her own composition, “A Little Prayer” (for solo marimba). Her work serves as the final stage of the journey, providing a sense of closure that transcends material existence while allowing her to make her own personal statement.

Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker
Artwork by Luc Leestemaker

SSO’s Live Streaming for 2025-2026

ConcertStream.tv continues to give incredible access to your SSO. Not only do you get to see fantastic content whenever you want, but you get an up-close and personal experience all from the comfort of wherever you are!

Streaming has changed the SSO forever. We love sharing our performances with viewers around the world. We are bringing our music-making to the hearts and homes of our patrons. Whether you’re live-streaming the performance or watching it a second time on demand, we’ve curated an online season that highlights the best we have to offer this season.

ConcertStream.tv

Saturday, September 12, 2025
Four Seasons

Renowned baroque violinist Julia Wedman returns home to lead the SSO in a celebration of 300 years of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Wedman has curated a program that is a perfect start to SSO95!

Saturday, October 25, 2025
The Space Between

Multi-Grammy winner, Dame Evelyn Glennie is the centrepiece of a night of mystical story telling with Ho’s From Darkness to Light and we bring light to the darkness with Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony.

Saturday, November 8, 2025
True North

Karl Hirzer returns for a night worthy of glowing hearts as we celebrate the exceptional music that Canada has to offer. Plus, renowned oboist Bede Hanley returns home to Saskatoon for his SSO debut!

Saturday, December 6, 2025
YXE Divas Xmas

Haul out the holly! After our first electrifying YXE Divas show in 2024, we’re bursting with holiday cheer to bring the divas back for a night of pure festive joy!

Saturday, February 14, 2026
Everything is Romantic

Maestro Judith Yan, pianist Angela Cheng, and your SSO bring you some of the most heart-stopping romantic music for your valentines including Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No 2.

Saturday, March 7, 2026
Spring Fever

Maestra Tania Miller joins us to shake off your winter blues with Schumann’s “Spring”. Our own Stephanie Unverricht takes centre stage for Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto paired with some Beethoven and Vaughan Williams.

Saturday, March 28, 2026
Night Seasons

You fell in love with Rebecca Dale’s Materna Requiem in 2020 when we gave the North American premiere. Now, joined by the virtuosic cellist Stéphane Tétreault, we’re thrilled to give the North American premiere of Dale’s new work Night Seasons.

Saturday, April 11, 2026
A Change is Gonna Come

There is nothing like the soulful voice of an R&B diva, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing the powerhouse voice of Saskatoon’s very own Sonia Reid to the music of Whitney, Dion, Aretha, and so much more.

Saturday, May 2, 2026
The Traveller

Dinuk Wijeratne and Kinan Azmeh each left their mark on the SSO and we need to bring these two friends together for an unforgettable concert. We’ve handed over the musical reins and these two superstars will take us on a journey.

Saturday, May 30, 2026
Finding Light

In a season tied together by its search for light in the darkness, Maestro Judith Yan finds the light with a special program including Pergolesi’s transcendent Stabat Mater featuring Saskatoon’s own Kateryna Khartova and Oli Guselle.

Music Makes Your Life Better

You may have seen billboards around town where the SSO reminds you that “Music Makes Your Life Better”.  

With all of the medical and mental health research that has been done on the effect and impact of music on our lives, our mental health, our spiritual health, making the claim that it makes your life better isn’t even being bold. It’s stating a blatant fact – there is concrete proof that adding music to your life makes a profound difference.

What if going to a concert once a month changed your life?

 It increases the body’s production of dopamine, it improves heart health, aids in pain management, combats depression, and strengthens memory…doses of wellness that we all critically need right now.

We gently kicked off our new season last week with Murdoch in Concert. I’ll be 100% honest and say that I didn’t feel ready for a new season – not unprepared, but frankly unsure of leaping into a new year just yet. Before the concert I felt like a kid not wanting to go back to school yet.

And then, the lobby opened. People poured in; folks gathers round to solve the “lobby murder” and grab a drink and pick up their Harden and Huyse; rushed to settle into their seats and cheer as Michael walked out for his 42nd season. And sure enough, as the music played, the whole room changed. Small at first, and then in a wave. 

All that medical research spilled across the stage into the seats and we were all moved by the vibration of sound. 

Magic happened.

In this post-pandemic world suffering from geo-political stressors, coming together for live music created absolute magic. A room full of people who barely knew each other, found themselves inside the sound as a community – and in that moment we left the outside world behind.

Social media and the internet and all the other things that are supposed to “bring us together” have been tearing us apart for years now. It’s caused us to want to stay home, to stay in our control zones and not venture out because people and noise have become overwhelming. 

But as I witnessed the joy on everyone’s face at intermission, it dawned on me that the concert itself creates community. Our hearts synchronized (because that’s what the vibration of live music does to an audience watching an orchestra), and we all connected with each other as our bodies reconnected with ourselves.

Season 95 is now here – what a remarkable thing to think that this city has been vibrating to the sound of an orchestra for 95 years. This season may just be our best yet, with something for everyone.

You like classical? We’ve got Vivaldi and Brahms and Schumann and Handel and Shostakovich and Mozart and Beethoven.

You like romance? We’ve got Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky and Puccini’s Tosca (ok, well Tosca starts with romance and ends in death….but the music is romantic as heck!)

You like rock? We’ve got Saskatoon’s own Kashmir bringing Led Zeppelin to life and our YXE Divas with Christmas hits.

You want super stars? The world’s greatest percussionist of all time, Dame Evelyn Glennie is going to blow you away in October!

You want hometown heroes? An attempted list: Julia, Bede, Casey, Andrea, Spencer, Jayden, Kashmir, Kevin, Stephanie, Katya, Oli, choirs, Tania!, and Janna and all the YXE Divas. Who did I miss??

You want something off the beaten path? Dive oceans deep with the whales of National Geographic in November, or get philosophical with Constantinople in February!

Feeling patriotic? Elbows up on the musical strength of a nation this November with True North with music by Sonny Ray Day Rider, Zosha di Castri, Sammy Moussa, and so much more.

Can’t make it to the concert? Watch it on ConcertStream.tv!

You want to find the meaning of life? Honestly, I suspect that if anyone can lead you there, it’s likely Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne next May. 

Magic. Hearing live music, experiencing an orchestra in full flight, it’s magic. It makes your life better. It fosters community in a world craving it.

We, the musicians, the staff, the volunteers, and me – we all want you to come and make magic with us.

Take the leap, get seats, and let’s make music together.

See you at the symphony,
Mark Turner, CEO

A Special 95 for Season 95!

Created to mark the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season, this painting of the number Ninety-Five joins local artist Keitha McClocklin’s Number Series, which celebrates the personal and collective significance of the meaningful numbers in our lives. McClocklin used the Symphony’s 95th season palette of pinks, blues, indigos and purples to reflect the emotional arc of the Symphony’s programming: a journey from darkness to light, from tension to joy. Inspired by the idea that this season carries audiences from darkness to light, she built the number with layers of collage and mixed media using a street art aesthetic that speaks to spontaneity, energy and emotional release. Look closely and you’ll find visual easter eggs representing the concerts of the Symphony’s 95th season. In its bold lines and gradual colour shifts, the number becomes both a milestone and a metaphor, a vibrant celebration of the music and moments that connect us.

Keitha McClocklin is a Canadian contemporary artist who creates from her studio in Saskatoon’s Riversdale neighbourhood. She works in a range of disciplines including painting, printmaking and drawing, often weaving techniques from one discipline to another. She fluidly moves between figurative, landscape and abstraction, with her abstract realism style characterized by the use of layers, colour and mixed media. McClocklin’s works are held in public and private collections across Canada, the U.S., France, the U.K. and Indonesia.

Our New Patron Portal

We recently did the soft launch of our new patron portal. We launched a new ticketing system this spring, and this is the next step in the process, giving you greater access to your orchestra. For donations, tickets to in-person events, and more, you now have access to our new ticketing system.

For all things ConcertStream.tv, please visit ConcertStream.tv.

A select group of users was sent the following information in their email. If you did not receive this information, or have issues getting into your new account please contact us.

The good news: there is no need for you to create an account on our new system, as you already have one. You just need to set a new password. The instructions for that are below. 

Step 1

Visit https://my.saskatoonsymphony.org/authentication/password-recovery and enter the same email address we used to send you this message, then select the “Recover Password” button.

You will be automatically redirected to a confirmation page with information about an email with a link to reset your password, then sign in.

Please be aware that the email will be sent from aws@upstagecrm.io, this is our new ticketing provider. Kindly add this email address to your contacts and, in case the confirmation email doesn’t appear, check your spam folder.

Step 2

  1. Once the email arrives, select the “Set Your Password and Log In” button.
  2. For security, your email address and verification code will be prefilled for you. There’s no need to enter anything in either field.
  3. Set your password, then enter it again in the confirmation field.
    Password must contain at least:
    8 characters
    1 number
    1 special character (eg. !, @, #, $, %)
    1 uppercase letter
    1 lowercase letter
  4. Select the “Reset Password” button

You will be automatically directed to the Sign In page.

Step 3

Use your email and new password to sign into your account. 

With your account now accessible, you can conveniently buy and oversee tickets, contribute to donations, and preview your tickets for upcoming events.

Access Your Account

The Prairies Performing Arts Initiative

The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra was included in a special announcement made by Prairies Economic Development Canada this morning.

Today, the Honourable Terry Duguid, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced on behalf of the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, a federal investment of over $9.5 million to support performing arts organizations across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This funding will help these organizations expand, innovate, and engage audiences in new and exciting ways.

Your SSO is one of several prairie arts organizations that received this incredible funding to help grow our audiences and increase awareness of our offerings in the community.

You can read the full press release here.