As the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra approaches our 100th anniversary, we are embracing change and redefining our role in the Saskatoon music community.
Recently, CEO Mark Turner had the opportunity to be interviewed about our 100th year by SaskCulture. You can read the full article here.
As stated in the original article, our 10-year strategic plan, Opus 100, is all about preparing and adapting to a changing cultural landscape. As part of our effort, the SSO is reimagining what it means to be an orchestra and redefining our role as a catalyst for music appreciation in the community, with the goal of building long-term sustainability.
“The change in … attracting people in different ways came when we stopped thinking about our concerts as purely the musical experiences we had before.”
– CEO Mark Turner
Hear Mark Turner speak on the SSO’s strategic plan for the years leading up to the big 100 as well as the importance that live music brings to a community like our own:
We are able to do what we do thanks to the support of those who have involved themselves with the SSO. It is because of the support from our community that we are able to bring these amazing musical experiences to the prairies.
We are so proud of what we have built together. Staff, volunteers, musicians, and YOU, our supporters, have built the success that is the envy of many Canadian orchestras.
Leading up to our 100th year, we need your support more than ever. Please share in the joy, hope, and community of supporting your orchestra as we approach this exciting era.
Learn more about our strategic plan, Opus 100, here:
We are so excited for you to explore the wonderful experiences we are bringing to Saskatoon in 2026-2027.
Here is a message for you from CEO Mark Turner regarding our brand new season:
Blockbuster.
Do you remember the thrill of seeing your first movie at the cinema? The anticipation of your first time seeing a play? The excitement of sinking into your seat just as the orchestra breathes together and takes flight?
It’s the precise moment when you open yourself up to something truly wonderful. The rest of your world can be set aside, and you can turn your focus to the completely selfish act of just being present and getting swept up in the adventure, in the story, in emotions. Completely in the moment.
Our 96th season has been carefully crafted with podium partners and guest artists bringing their absolute creative best to life alongside the SSO.
Some of your favourite orchestral works collide with brand new music, sensational soloists from Saskatchewan and across the globe; a line-up of cinematic fun, powerhouse vocals, a trip back to silent films, and an exploration of the art of Picasso through painting and music.
The fire of a new concerto, swashbuckling on the Black Pearl, leaping to the stars At The Ballet, the gorgeous shade of the Pines of Rome, Kevin’s been left at home, and Carmen…up close and very personal!
A season of concerts made for music lovers, played by music lovers.
It is such a joy to share the SSO’s plans for our 96th Season – we can’t wait for you to take your seats!
See you at the symphony,
Mark Turner, CEO & Creative Producer
Ticket Packages Tailored to Your Tastes!
Your concert preferences are as unique as you are, which is why subscribing is more flexible than ever. We’ve made some suggested ticket bundles for you, but you can mix and match any shows to make your subscription package. The more shows you buy, the more you save! Plus, add on extra tickets to shows when you subscribe, no more waiting until the summer.
BUNDLE TICKETS NOW
The Masters Series is now Symphonic Essentials At The Ballet, Picasso Symphony, In Love Again, Roman Holiday, Verve, Vers la flamme
Featuring Homegrown Talent The Elements, At the Ballet, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Amy & Adele, Picasso Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Christmas Classics at the Cathedral, Roman Holiday, Verve Bonus add In Love Again & All Beethoven. Johannes Moser’s mother was born here, so we’ll claim him too!
Female Powerhouses The Elements, At the Ballet, Amy and Adele, Home Alone in Concert, Handel’s Messiah, Verve, How to Train Your Dragon in Concert, Vers la flamme
Inspiring Instrumentalists The Elements, Hunchback of Notre Dame, In Love Again, All Beethoven, Roman Holiday, Verve, Vers la flamme
Shows at TCU Place At the Ballet, Amy and Adele, Picasso Symphony, Home Alone in Concert, Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert, In Love Again, Roman Holiday, Verve, How to Train Your Dragon in Concert, Vers la flamme
Shows at Other Venues The Elements, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Handel’s Messiah, Christmas Classics at the Cathedral, All Beethoven
Family Fun At the Ballet, Amy and Adele, Home Alone in Concert, Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert, How to Train Your Dragon in Concert
Movie Bundle Home Alone in Concert, Pirates of the Caribbean in Concert, How to Train Your Dragon in Concert – bonus add The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Know someone interested in the SSO? Tell them about our New Subscriber Bundle! Choose a minimum of 5 shows from: The Elements, At the Ballet, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Amy and Adele, Picasso Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Christmas Classics at the Cathedral, In Love Again, All Beethoven, Roman Holiday, Verve, Vers la Flamme, and get 50% off!
Must be a new subscriber household, discount does not apply to licensed movies in concert, and is not available in the grand circle.
For classical orchestra lovers, our past Masters series becomes Symphonic Essentials. Podium Partners, guest artists, and your SSO in it’s classic setting.
Crafted in honour of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, After Dark is more than a gin — it is a composition. A performance. A celebration of what can happen when artistry, agriculture, and imagination come together on a shared stage.
At a Glance
Bright cardamom, orange petals, and fresh citrus lead the aroma, followed by a warm, resonant blend of juniper, angelica, coriander, and cinnamon. Layers of fennel, anise, grains of paradise, cubeb, rose hip, and sage add subtle texture and nuance.
On the palate, vibrant citrus and gentle spice mingle with floral and herbaceous notes for a harmonious, balanced experience. The finish is long and graceful, carrying soft spice, citrus, and floral warmth.
Inspired by the experience of sitting in a theatre as the lights dim and the music begins, After Dark captures the layered complexity of an orchestra in full flight. Just as each musician contributes something essential to the whole, every botanical in this gin plays a deliberate part in shaping the final sensory experience.
The opening notes arrive bright and purposeful: green cardamom, shimmering orange petals, and the zest of fresh citrus. These are the violins — luminous, expressive, immediately captivating.
Supporting them is the warm, resonant foundation of juniper, angelica, coriander, and cinnamon, forming the deep harmonic bedrock on which the composition rests. Into this structure weave the woodwinds of the gin world: fennel, anise, grains of paradise, cubeb, rose hip, and a breath of sage — each adding texture, nuance, and unexpected moments of delight.
On the palate, the gin opens like a perfectly phrased musical passage:
Cardamom brings clarity, fennel adds gentle sweetness, citrus peels create lift and movement, warm spices offer depth, botanical florals add air and light, herbaceous tones ground the composition.
It is complex yet harmonious — vibrant yet controlled — a testament to the Black Fox philosophy of balance, terroir, and flavour driven by the land itself. Every layer contributes to a gin that feels alive, expressive, and unmistakably crafted.
The finish is long and graceful, carrying fresh citrus, soft spice, and floral warmth — the lingering resonance of a final chord held in stillness.
Bottled at 42% ABV, After Dark is designed to perform beautifully whether sipped neat, played into a martini, or woven into cocktails that celebrate citrus, herb, and spice.
In recognition of its muse, a portion of each bottle supports the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, helping ensure that the music that inspired this gin continues to thrive.
After Dark stands as one of the most layered and expressive gins Black Fox has ever composed — a spirit that invites you to slow down, listen closely, and savour the beauty that emerges after dark.
The SSO has partnered with Black Fox Farm & Distillery for many years, but now we’re taking it to the next level with After Dark. We would like to thank Black Fox Farm & Distillery for our partnership and this exciting opportunity!
Be one of the first to purchase now through Black Fox’s website.
With winter FINALLY over for good (our May Long Weekend dump of snow officially melted), and a beautiful concert right around the corner, it’s time to introduce our newest After Dark gin cocktail. With summer weather underway, we wanted to highlight fresh bright ingredients like citrus and mint. Since this flavour profile gives a similar … Read more
Learn how to make a new gin cocktail with the SSO’s After Dark gin! This time, we’re pouring heavier to really showcase the impeccable notes of this local liquor. Click to learn the recipe!
Learn how to make a new gin cocktail with the SSO’s After Dark gin! This month, we’re trying a romantic twist on a French 75. Read the recipe or watch SSO’s Tom Brown teach conductor Judith Yan how to make this smooth sipper!
Learn how to make a gin cocktail with the SSO’s After Dark gin. Read the recipe, watch the how-to, or watch John Cote from Black Fox walk us through each step!
Welcome to 2026, and the second half of our 95th season!
The New Year is a natural time for looking back, looking forward, and dreaming big. So, as we step into another year together, here’s a prediction, an intention, and a promise.
First, a prediction: 2026 will be the Year of Real Music.
You might be thinking, well that’s kind of silly… Of course, there’s never been a time when music wasn’t part of life. It is as old as humanity itself, alongside cooking and language as things anthropologists have argued make us human. Music is an integral part of our everyday lives, and one of the most significant ways that we communicate.
For children, music education is closely linked to positive academic, social, and emotional development. Music also positively affects our physical and mental health, relieves stress, improves memory, and combats cognitive decline.
Music today creates the leaders of tomorrow – and keeps us healthy all life long.
You’d think such a potent medicine for the body, mind, and spirit would be well supported, especially since it’s a huge economic driver. But as we know, art is grossly underfunded. The result has been an overall diminishing of the value of art and music in society.
But what would life be like without real music?
There is so much happening in the world around us. One of the biggest challenges we’re facing is that most of the things that are meant to bring us together quite literally disconnect us.
I believe music is our opportunity to reconnect.
And so, an intention: This year, I want to find new, exciting ways to make music together.
Our Saskatoon, in the “middle of nowhere” prairies, has this adventurous, exciting thirst for challenging musical experiences. We want to be moved deeply. And being able to cultivate that, being able to help that grow, being able to offer you the musical experiences you need, is perhaps our greatest accomplishment.
Music gives us permission to be present.
We have a responsibility to be paying very close attention to what’s happening in the world right now. But experiencing live music is permission to just let go for a bit. This is community, this is a place to feel safe and breathe and enjoy.
We must hold on to the things that remind us how beautiful life is.
Finally, a promise: The SSO will be relentless in our work to inspire and raise up our music community.
My vision for what music in Saskatoon could be keeps growing, and has now grown to this very big, very bright, ambitious, audacious future – and it’s only possible because you keep showing up.
When I look around at the 60 plus musicians that are part of the SSO, I see the impact they have on the broader community. They are teachers, they are leaders, they are the people in your neighbourhood. They are what make a community worth living in. And on stage, they become a beacon of hope for the rest of us. This huge group of people, having deep creative discussions, arguments, disagreements, and working things out.
They show us what can be done when we all work together.
As a musical outlet for our city, we have to react to what’s happening in the world, and we have to react to what people are needing in their lives.
We are hungry for connection – we are seeking community – we need real music.
Your SSO is here for you – now, and into the future.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The SSO just partnered with Black Fox Farm and Distillery, creating After Dark gin. Giving a symphony-level sensory experience, each bottle purchased directly supports the SSO.
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!
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 YXE Divas with Christmas hits.
You want super stars? Watch the world’s greatest percussionist of all time, Dame Evelyn Glennie!
You want hometown heroes? An attempted list: Julia, Bede, Casey, Andrea, Spencer, Jayden,, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Once the email arrives, select the “Set Your Password and Log In” button.
For security, your email address and verification code will be prefilled for you. There’s no need to enter anything in either field.
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
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.
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.
