Unbreakable Bond of Musical Friendship

The Traveller, featuring Kinan Azmeh (clarinet) and Dinuk Wijeratne (conductor/piano) is right around the corner! Did you know the relationship between these two artists goes way beyond the SSO?

Here, Britainy Zapshalla writes about their long-time friendship:

What happens when a symphony orchestra hands over the reins to two lifelong friends? The answer is simply a magical evening of music and collaboration as the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra presents The Traveller Saturday May 2 – 7:30p.m. at TCU Place. The performance will be a musical journey shaped by the 25-year friendship, collaboration, and curiosity of pianist/conductor/composer Dinuk Wijeratne and clarinetist/composer Kinan Azmeh. Their story began at Julliard but they didn’t meet in the classroom. Wijeratne and Azmeh met at New York’s International House. The student residence had practice rooms and it was there, surrounded by a global community, the pair began to improvise and question musical traditions.

“We weren’t just playing music – we were playing with music, ” says Azmeh. “Even then we were curious about everything – culture, sound, meaning. We were experimenting with classical repertoire.”

Their friendship continued to resonate on many levels. As immigrants, Sri Lankan-born Wijeratne and Syrian-born Azmeh continue to be inspired by personal journeys and global events. One of the pieces on the program is Wijeratne’s Clarinet Concerto which the composer wrote for Azmeh during the conflict in Syria.

“If war happens, if migration happens because of war, how do you define home?,” says Wijeratne. “This piece is meant to evoke ideas of home. Is it geographic? Is it connected to the people you love or the community you want to contribute to? Is it a state of mind or a feeling at a particular moment? It’s a question deep in our DNA as artists.”

Throughout the evening Azmeh and Wijeratne will perform each other’s music blurring the line between composer and interpreter. Wijeratne will also conduct the orchestra and his friend – marking the first time the two have presented a full program together.

“At the heart of it, this is about trust, ” says Azmeh.“When you write music for a friend, you trust them to make it their own and take care of it when they perform. We lean on each other musically and personally, that makes everything feel natural on stage.”

“When we get to perform together, it’s like no time has passed. Every rehearsal begins with us sharing a good meal and catching up on life,” says Wijeratne. “Knowing Kinan has made me a better composer and musician. This performance is basically two of us served to you on a plate. A true fusion dish.”

Get your tickets to see Azmeh and Wijeratne’s 25-year friendship take the stage in The Traveller!

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James Ehnes – Imaginal

James Ehnes is on tour across the country to celebrate his 50th birthday, and in May 2026, he stops in Saskatoon for a recital!

He stops at many Canadian cities along the way playing bright, beautiful music on the violin accompanied by piano.

The piece Imaginal for violin and piano by Carmen Braden was written specifically for Ehnes’ Canadian tour! Braden shared some of the inspiration behind the piece, that you can read here;

Imaginal for violin and piano
Carmen Braden

How caterpillars become butterflies is crazier and more inspirational than I ever knew! Their bodies disintegrate inside the cocoon into a kind of goo and then are rebuilt into a new form that is bewilderingly different than the old. Special cells called “imaginal” cells are the catalysts for this transformation. They lie dormant in the caterpillar until the right phase of metamorphosis, then become the blueprints and building blocks forming the new butterfly wings, body, legs, antennae out of the caterpillar goo. How cool is that. So coo. Goo.

The universal idea is that we all have our future potentials dormant inside us. And when something catalyzes a major transformation, there is a dissolving of the old which is often hard and we fight against it. But then the incredible and tough and beautiful and surprising rebuilding happens. It is super humanly-relatable to being in a mid-life crisis! – or any kind of big life change… I learned about imaginal cells while I turned 40 last year and am working through a now years-long disintegration and rebuilding of my musical directions.

Musically in “Imaginal” there is a core melody woven throughout the piece that goes through many takings-apart and putting-back-togethers. The melody is from a song I wrote in the early writing stages to get me started.

I wrote “Imaginal” for violinist James Ehnes as he turns 50, travels Canada and the world to play beautiful music. Cuz if there’s anything that’ll hold us together in this crazy world, it’s music, friends, and caterpillars.

Commissioned by the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (lead commissioner), the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Bravo Niagara, Calgary Pro Musica, Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, Cecilia Concerts, Chamber Music Kelowna, Club musical de Québec, Coast Recital Society—Sechelt, Edmonton Chamber Music Society, The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Mount Allison University, The Royal Conservatory of Music, Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, Scotia Festival of Music, Symphony Nova Scotia, and Whitehorse Concerts.

Hear James Ehnes play Imaginal (and more!) in recital on May 6, 2026 at 7:30PM at St. John’s Cathedral.

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See you at the symphony!

The Lunar New Year is a festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, so the dates of the holiday vary slightly from year to year, beginning some time between January 21 and February 20.

This year, the Lunar New Year falls on February 17th, making it just around the corner!

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, we asked this weekend’s conductor and guest artist to share some of their traditions and what the holiday means to them.

Our guest artist this weekend for Everything is Romantic is pianist, Angela Cheng. She will be performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, often considered the most romantic piece of music ever written! Angela celebrates the Lunar New Year by having a big family gathering to host special celebratory meals with dishes including fish and noodles. Other traditions include firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits and red envelopes for good luck. She also stated that all cleaning has to be done before the New Year in order to not sweep away any of the good fortune on New Year’s Day.

Judith Yan, our conductor for this year’s (and last year’s) Valentine’s Day concert, also celebrates by visiting her relatives and using red envelopes for good luck. Another special thing her family does though, is they walk down to the old-school market together, which at this time, is filled with only flowers. They walk around and purchase these beautiful flowers to display.

Before the Lunar New Year arrives on February 17th, make sure to save your seats for Everything is Romantic on February 14th. These two talented souls will be filling the air with romance alongside your SSO with Tchaikovksy’s Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture, Khachaturian’s Love Theme form Spartacus, and more!

This will make for a heartwarming evening perfect for you and your valentine.

SAVE YOUR SEATS

See you at the symphony!

A Talk with Judith Yan

Conductor Judith Yan is returning to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra again for our Valentine’s Day concert, Everything is Romantic. Before she arrives for her performance, we wanted to hear what music truly means to her, so we asked. This is what she said:

There are over 7000 languages around the world – but only one we immediately understand. Even as a child, I knew music was the one language that had the magical power of connecting everyone, no matter where you were from!

My parents understood the value of music and wanted to give me that gift. At age 4, I started ballet, at age 6, the piano. These early influences opened my mind to a different way of looking at the world. When I was 9, my family moved to Canada from Hong Kong and although Canada was so different geographically and culturally, that didn’t matter at all as music instantly became my connecting point. In my work, I’ve conducted in Europe and UK, Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong and South Korea – while the language of the country may change, the music remains the same.

There’s also something about music that expresses what one (sometimes) cannot say out loud… This is especially true in opera, musical theatre, or song, where the music gives additional depth to the meaning of the text, sometimes revealing a contradictory truth to the words you hear.

But I think best of all is this: music creates an indescribable sense of belonging for the audience as much as for the performers; this I feel strongly when I collaborate with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. If you look at the guest artists SSO brings in, it’s people from every kind of background and experience. Yet, when we start playing the distance and differences disappear, and the audience, even the ones sitting in the furthest balcony, we feel like they’re right beside us. It’s quite magical, don’t you think?

Join the magic with us on February 14th, 2026 and see Everything is Romantic live at TCU Place, featuring Judith Yan conducting and Angela Cheng on the piano. This heart-warming night will feature the most romantic music ever written, making it the perfect way to spend this intimate evening with your valentine.

TICKETS HERE

A Message from Kiya

Our upcoming performance with Constantinople is more than a concert; it is a cross-cultural journey where the sacred and spirituality transcend borders. By intertwining the Baroque mastery of J.S. Bach with the Persian soul of Omar Khayyam’s poetry, we are invited into a space of deep reflection.

In anticipation of this performance, Constantinople’s artistic director and setar player, Kiya Tabassian, shared this message regarding the inspiration behind his work and the vital importance of standing in solidarity with the people of Iran.

“Our hearts go out to the brave people of Iran, who have courageously stood up for their basic human rights in the face of brutal oppression. As we raise global awareness of their cause, it is equally important to pause and reflect on our shared human values and our collective hope for a more just and compassionate future.

Kiya Tabassian and his ensemble Constantinople have articulated this shared vision for humanity as profoundly as Johann Sebastian Bach and Omar Khayyam, through their deep explorations of spirituality, science, and the human condition.

We invite you to gather in solidarity with the people of Iran as Constantinople performs Kiya Tabassian’s arrangements of some of the most beautiful spiritual songs and arias by J. S. Bach, placed in dialogue with the poetry of Omar Khayyam—sung in Persian and responding musically and emotionally to Bach’s works, and keep this hope alive in each other’s hearts.”

We hope you take the time to reflect with us, and join us at the concert on Thursday, February 5th at the Broadway Theatre at 7:30PM to see Constantinople’s amazing performance of Bach & Khayyam.

TICKETS HERE

A 2026 Promise

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.

And right now, we need music more than ever.

Time and time again it has been proven that music makes your life better.

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.

Come what may, let’s keep making music together.

Mark Turner

CEO and Creative Producer

Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra

DIVA: Falynn Baptiste

What Music Means to Me

We asked Falynn Baptiste, who is performing in the YXE Divas Xmas this holiday season, what music means to her.

This is what she said.

A little girl with soft dark brown curls stands in front an antique mirror. She is holding a hairbrush, pretending it’s a microphone, and she’s singing.

Singing her heart out.

What was she singing? I can’t remember. But I remember the look and feel of the room in that humble little house on Red Pheasant First Nation.

This was my earliest memory of music – and every time I take to the stage, I still feel like that little girl.

My mother tells me I came into this world a songbird – that singing was a gift meant to be shared with others. Music has always been a part of me and always will be.

But I believe it’s a part of us all.

For all people, whether you can sing or not, play an instrument or not, we are naturally inclined to music.

Music gives life meaning, and all people should have access to music in community. Through schools, or organisations like churches or clubs, or around the campfire… life without music wouldn’t be life at all, so I think it’s our right to experience music.

And in Saskatoon, one of the best ways to experience music is with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.

As an audience member, you can expect to be blown away by the calibre and excellence of the musicians. It’s a gift to be part of that collective experience – everyone on that stage is taking their lifetime of knowledge and dedication into this shared space to create music together. It’s an incredible thing to witness.

As a performer, stepping onto the stage for the first time with a full orchestra was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was like I was that little girl again – a little nervous and trying to muster the courage to open my voice. And then suddenly, this wall of sound washes over me, and I’m transported to some transcendent place.

And as a human, what sticks with me is the love and dedication of this broader musical family. It’s the kindness and fierceness of the musicians, and the support and love of the community itself, the community of Saskatoon.

A night with the SSO will nourish your soul – it’s like stepping into a different world.

It’s like heaven on earth.

Join Falynn, along with the rest of the YXE Divas and your Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra for a night of pure festive joy. Maestra Janna Sailor and the Divas have all your favourite holiday hits, while the SSO won’t let you miss out on the seasonal classics.

Check out Falynn’s website HERE.

Watch Falynn and her fellow YXE Divas perform on December 6th at TCU Place!

BUY TICKETS HERE

Unbreakable Bond of Musical Friendship

James Ehnes – Imaginal

Lunar New Year

A Talk with Judith Yan

A Message from Kiya

A 2026 Promise

Welcome to 2026, and the second half of our 95th season!

DIVA: Falynn Baptiste

What Music Means to Me

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