NEWS RELEASE
THUNDER BAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
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THUNDER BAY — On Thursday, local MPP Lise Vaugeois met with representatives of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) for the announcement of its 2022/23 Season. MPP Vaugeois also congratulated the TBSO on the work its done since receiving a $250,000 Community Building Fund grant from the Government of Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2021.
“The TBSO is a gem of our region with some of the finest musicians of the country in its ranks,” said Lise Vaugeois, MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. “I am enormously grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for helping our community keep the TBSO alive by helping the organization shift to an online platform. With OTF’s support, the TBSO provided members of our community with much needed joy when everything was shut down and I know I speak for many in looking forward to what looks to be a fantastic series of concerts.”
Providing music to the community and beyond is what TBSO loves to do. Its musicians, staff, and board members are committed to being the soundtrack of the community. Thanks to a generous Community Building Fund grant, designed to help non-profit groups with operating costs, TBSO was able to connect with its audiences in new and meaningful ways. As it moves from online screens to the stage, the grant’s support will enable TBSO to continue to make musical connections and entertain audiences.
For the past two years, TBSO has been streaming concerts and producing digital content, while anticipating a time when it could return to live performances. And now that the time has come, Music Director, Paul Haas, is thrilled to have a full season of must-see shows planned.
The new season will feature guest artists like cellist Rachel Mercer, percussion duo Shhh!, and a special movie night of ‘Back to The Future’ with TBSO playing the score. There will also be a thoughtful and heartfelt family show, ‘The Spirit Horse Returns’, an intimate evening with Matt Sellick, and a breathtaking Earth Day concert featuring Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3.
At the heart of this season, there will be creative collaborations and community partnerships, putting the incredible talent of Thunder Bay in the spotlight. TBSO is ecstatic to start 2022/23 with a bang October 15 by featuring Thunder Bay’s powerhouse singer, Nancy Freeborn, on the big stage at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
Over the past two seasons, TBSO has received a tremendous amount of support from the community. As a thank you, for 2022/23 it will offer “welcome back pricing” of $25 for its Masterworks and Hilldale Classics shows, and free tickets to children under 14. By offering more accessible pricing, TBSO hopes to encourage families to share a night out while enjoying wonderful music.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Tickets for the 2022/23 season go on sale Aug. 20. For more information and to view upcoming concerts, visit www.tbso.ca.
