THUNDER BAY – Mozart never had a martini.
Invented some seven decades after the Austrian composer died, but each fall the two are linked together as one, thanks to a popular annual fundraiser for the Thunder Symphony Orchestra.
Mozart and Martinis is back for a fifth year and will be staged on Nov. 28 at Bight Restaurant on the city’s redeveloped waterfront.
Ken Boshcoff, development director for the orchestra, says a strong symphony is great for the community as a whole. Combining the TBSO’s music with an evening out seems like a natural fit for a fundraiser, the former mayor added.
“Decades ago, symphonic music was often background music for people who were dining,” Boshcoff said. “We’re recreating that with appetizers and nice drinks, with really good music and a very social atmosphere.
“Bight Restaurant will be fantastically decorated and the ambiance is quite exceptional. It’s a small crowd, but it’s very social.”
The menu will be new this year, as will the martinis and other beverages.
“They get quite creative with the way they do things,” Boshcoff said.
Laura Fralick, a major supporter of the TBSO and a senior financial consultant with Investor’s Group, said the event is a way to make a deep, dark November night special.
The cause is near and dear to her heart, her parents both having longstanding involvement with symphonic music.
“I just have this belief that the arts make our community better,” she said, explaining why she’s been involved with Mozart and Martinis for the past three years.
“It cuts through socio-economic boundaries, it transforms people … We want to make sure that this 50-plus-year-old institution continues to thrive here. It makes our lives better.”
Tickets go on sale on Oct. 2 at www.tbso.ca. Tickets can also be reserved immediately by phoning 626-8276.