New Season of Capitol Theatre

The music director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra has launched the schedule for the 2020 season and announced free shows for people who cannot afford tickets.

The musicians will travel around the community and play more than 100 concerts a year, working with people and groups.

Music Director Maestro Robert Franz introduced the events and celebrations at a press conference on Feb. 18.

He said it would be important for the population for various reasons. They will invite people who could not come to one of their concerts to attend certain dress rehearsals as guests of the symphony.

“First of all, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. He is everything in the orchestral world. So, in his honour we will organize two weeklong Beethoven festivals. The second celebration is that we will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Capitol Theatre,” said Franz.

The WSO has expanded their concert season and will be performing with students from St. Clair College in the spring. Franz said he will conduct a special holiday performance in Leamington and he has commissioned a new work by the students for the spring concert.

Michele Jumoulin has been playing violin in the Orchestra since 1989.

“I am excited for next season to work with a wonderful pianist, John Eliot Gardiner who is a legend in Canada. He is coming to play the most famous Beethoven piano concert,” said Jumoulin.

Franz also said the number of children attending concerts has risen from 200 to 600.

The WSO will take children’s concerts to Leamington, sharing family performances with the entire community to foster and expand the mission for education and outreach throughout Windsor-Essex County, according to Franz.

He also said Bill and Rochelle Tepperman, the Morrison Beverly Baker Foundation and the Toldo Foundation are generous sponsors of the Orchestra this year.

There are 19 full-time and 30 part-time musicians playing in the orchestra.

The first event of the orchestra will be on Mar. 8 at 7 p.m. The string spring concert is being presented by Lakeland Homes.

The evening will benefit Windsor Life Centre’s addiction treatment program which helps transform the lives of women from across Canada who are seeking recovery.