First Look at the 2026-2027 Season
On May 27 our friends at the Centre In The Square announced their 2026-2027 Season, which includes FIVE Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony concerts: all four concerts in our Masterworks Series plus our Yuletide Pops. Tickets are on sale to the public on June 8!
More information about the other KW Symphony Season concerts will be announced on June 23!
Beauty & Power
Andrei Feher - Conductor
Dobrinka Tabakova - Sun Triptych
Antonín Dvořák - Serenade in D Minor
Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony opens its Masterworks series with Beauty and Power, a program filled with colour, emotion, and symphonic strength. Led by conductor Andrei Feher, the concert begins with Dobrinka Tabakova’s Sun Triptych, a radiant contemporary work that shimmers with warmth, texture, and light. Dvořák’s Serenade in D minor follows, bringing graceful melodies, rich wind writing, and the composer’s unmistakable charm. The program culminates with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, one of the most powerful and transformative works in the orchestral repertoire. Bold, dramatic, and deeply human, this landmark symphony changed the course of music history and continues to inspire audiences with its sweeping energy and emotional force.
Yuletide Pops
Martin MacDonald - Conductor
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony celebrates the joy of the season with Yuletide Pops, a festive concert filled with holiday favourites, orchestral sparkle, and warm seasonal cheer. Led by conductor Martin MacDonald, this joyful program brings the magic of the holidays to life through music that is familiar, uplifting, and fun for all ages. With special guests and soloists to be announced, Yuletide Pops promises an evening of festive surprises, beautiful arrangements, and the kind of musical moments that make the season feel bright. Gather family and friends for a holiday tradition filled with melody, celebration, and the unmistakable sound of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Solace
Naomi Woo - Conductor
Johannes Brahms - Nänie
Caroline Shaw - Entr’acte
Jocelyn Morlock - My Name is Amanda Todd
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony continues its Masterworks series with Solace, a deeply moving program exploring reflection, remembrance, and emotional resilience. Led by conductor Naomi Woo, the concert brings together works of striking beauty and intensity. Brahms’ Nänie offers a heartfelt meditation on loss, while Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte creates a delicate and unexpected sound world inspired by classical form and modern expression. The program also features Jocelyn Morlock’s My Name is Amanda Todd, a powerful Canadian work that speaks to memory, compassion, and the impact of one young person’s story. The evening concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a sweeping and dramatic masterpiece filled with longing, struggle, and ultimately, hope.
Folk Dances
Cosette Justo Valdés - Conductor
Erika Raum - Violin
Maurice Ravel - Alborada del gracioso
Zoltán Kodály - Dances of Galanta
Béla Bartók - Rhapsody No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra
Béla Bartók - Rhapsody No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra
Amadeo Roldán - La Rebambaramba
Manuel de Falla - Suite from “The Three Cornered Hat”
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony continues its Masterworks series with Folk Dances, a vibrant program inspired by rhythm, movement, and musical traditions from around the world. Led by conductor Cosette Justo Valdés, the concert opens with the colour and flair of Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso before moving into Kodály’s spirited Dances of Galánta. Violinist Erika Raum joins the orchestra for Bartók’s Rhapsody No. 1 and Rhapsody No. 2, works filled with folk-inspired melodies and fiery energy. The program also features Amadeo Roldán’s La Rebambaramba and selections from Manuel de Falla’s The Three-Cornered Hat, bringing bold orchestral colour and dance-driven excitement to the stage. Lively, expressive, and full of character, Folk Dances is a celebration of music in motion.
The Journey Home
EVAN MITCHELL - Conductor
RACHEL KREHM - Soprano and librettist
Austin Wintory - Music from the video game Journey
Ryan Trew - Come Closer
Johannes Brahms - Symphony 2 in D major, Op. 73
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony concludes its Masterworks series with The Journey Home, a moving program that explores adventure, reflection, connection, and return.
Led by conductor Evan Mitchell, the concert opens with Austin Wintory’s music from the video game Journey, an evocative and atmospheric score filled with wonder, mystery, and emotional depth. Its sweeping sound world captures the feeling of setting out into the unknown and discovering meaning along the way.
Soprano and librettist Rachel Krehm joins the orchestra for Ryan Trew’s Come Closer Song Cycle, a deeply expressive work for soprano and orchestra that brings voice, poetry, and music together in an intimate and powerful way.
The program concludes with Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 in D major, a warm, lyrical, and radiant masterpiece that offers a beautiful sense of arrival, peace, and homecoming.
The Power of Fate
Earl Lee, Conductor
Bénédicte Lauzière, Violin
Guiseppe Verdi - Overture to La forza del destino
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Violin Concerto #5 (Turkish)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
Murdoch Mysteries
Lucas Waldin, Conductor
An audience favourite at the Centre in The Square returns for 2026 with a new show, Murder in F Major.
Morning & Night (Waterloo)
James Sommerville, Conductor
Deantha Edmunds, Guest Composer and Soprano
Frederick Delius - A Song Before Sunrise
Deantha Edmunds - Angmalukisaa (2025 Juno winner for Classical Composition of the Year)
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.6 in D Major, “Le matin”
Frederick Delius - Summer Night on the River
Antonín Dvořák – Nocturne in B Major, Op.40
Claude Debussy – Rêverie
Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune
Morning & Night (Guelph)
James Sommerville, Conductor
Deantha Edmunds, Guest Composer and Soprano
Frederick Delius - A Song Before Sunrise
Deantha Edmunds - Angmalukisaa (2025 Juno winner for Classical Composition of the Year)
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.6 in D Major, “Le matin”
Frederick Delius - Summer Night on the River
Antonín Dvořák – Nocturne in B Major, Op.40
Claude Debussy – Rêverie
Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune
Morning & Night (Cambridge)
James Sommerville, Conductor
Deantha Edmunds, Guest Composer and Soprano
Frederick Delius - A Song Before Sunrise
Deantha Edmunds - Angmalukisaa (2025 Juno winner for Classical Composition of the Year)
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.6 in D Major, “Le matin”
Frederick Delius - Summer Night on the River
Antonín Dvořák – Nocturne in B Major, Op.40
Claude Debussy – Rêverie
Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune
Music of the Soul
Dina Gilbert, Conductor
Lori Gemmell, Harp
Camille Pépin - Avant les clartés de l'aurore
Nicole Lizee - Another Living Soul
Germaine Tailleferre - Concertino for Harp and Orchestra
Louise Farrenc - Symphony No.3, Op. 36 G Minor, K. 550
Women of the Baroque (Guelph)
Julia Wedman, Leader
Mireille Asselin, Soprano
Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre - Suite and Aria/arias from Céphale et Procris
Antonia Bembo - Suite and Arias from Ercole amante
Barbara Strozzi - Mantilla
Maria Margherita Grimani - Sinfonia from Pallade e Marte
Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in D major, RV 229
Johann Adolph Hasse - Sinfonia in G minor, Op. 5 No. 6
Handel/Hasse arias for Bordoni, Cuzzoni - Giulia Cesare, Rodelinda, Alessandro, etc.
Women of the Baroque (Waterloo)
Julia Wedman, Leader
Mireille Asselin, Soprano
Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre - Suite and Aria/arias from Céphale et Procris
Antonia Bembo - Suite and Arias from Ercole amante
Barbara Strozzi - Mantilla
Maria Margherita Grimani - Sinfonia from Pallade e Marte
Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in D major, RV 229
Johann Adolph Hasse - Sinfonia in G minor, Op. 5 No. 6
Handel/Hasse arias for Bordoni, Cuzzoni - Giulia Cesare, Rodelinda, Alessandro, etc.
Women of the Baroque (Cambridge)
Julia Wedman, Leader
Mireille Asselin, Soprano
Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre - Suite and Aria/arias from Céphale et Procris
Antonia Bembo - Suite and Arias from Ercole amante
Barbara Strozzi - Mantilla
Maria Margherita Grimani - Sinfonia from Pallade e Marte
Antonio Vivaldi - Violin Concerto in D major, RV 229
Johann Adolph Hasse - Sinfonia in G minor, Op. 5 No. 6
Handel/Hasse arias for Bordoni, Cuzzoni - Giulia Cesare, Rodelinda, Alessandro, etc.
Genius & Inspiration
Edwin Outwater, Conductor
Janina Fialkowska, Piano
Kevin Lau - Writ in Water
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G, Op. 58
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550
Holiday Pops
Martin MacDonald, Conductor
Grand Philharmonic Choir, Mark Vuorinen, Artistic Director
Celebrate the holiday season with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony! Join conductor Martin MacDonald , the Grand Philharmonic Choir and special guest for a festive concert of classic carols and symphonic holiday favourites!
Holiday Pops
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Martin MacDonald, Conductor
Grand Philharmonic Choir, Mark Vuorinen, Artistic Director
Celebrate the holiday season with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony! Join conductor Martin MacDonald , the Grand Philharmonic Choir and special guest for a festive concert of classic carols and symphonic holiday favourites!
Holiday Pops
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Martin MacDonald, Conductor
Grand Philharmonic Choir, Mark Vuorinen, Artistic Director
Celebrate the holiday season with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony! Join conductor Martin MacDonald , the Grand Philharmonic Choir and special guest for a festive concert of classic carols and symphonic holiday favourites!
French Connections (Guelph)
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David Fallis, Leader
Joseph Bologne - Symphony No.1 in G Major, Op. 11
Karen Sunabacka - Born By the River
Rameau - Suite (arr. Fallis)
Maurice Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.83, La Poule
French Connections (Waterloo)
David Fallis, Leader
Joseph Bologne - Symphony No.1 in G Major, Op. 11
Karen Sunabacka - Born By the River
Rameau - Suite (arr. Fallis)
Maurice Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.83, La Poule
French Connections (Cambridge)
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David Fallis, Leader
Joseph Bologne - Symphony No.1 in G Major, Op. 11
Karen Sunabacka - Born By the River
Rameau - Suite (arr. Fallis)Maurice Ravel - Le Tombeau de Couperin
Franz Joseph Haydn - Symphony No.83, La Poule
Mahler-Symphony No 2 , “Resurrection”
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James Sommerville, Conductor
Grand Philharmonic Choir, Mark Vuorinen, Artistic Director
Allyson McHardy, Mezzo- Soprano
Lauren Margison, Soprano
Gustav Mahler - Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Resurrection
Song, Serenade & Symphony
Andrei Feher, conductor
Giovanni Gabrieli - Canzonae for brass
Marjan Mozetich* - Postcards from the Sky
Richard Strauss - Serenade in E-flat major, op. 7
Jean Sibelius - Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 43