Symphony Under the Sky: The Unforgettable End-of-Summer Experience

By Kyra Droog, Writer, ESO & Winspear Centre

Imagine: it’s the final weekend of summer, and you have one final chance to have a truly incredible summer experience. You want to go somewhere outdoors, where you can enjoy the brisk evening air and watch the sunset. An evening like that, spent with your friends and family, would bring the perfect end to the summer and usher in the fall in a simply majestic way.

Welcome to Symphony Under the Sky.

As you walk towards Hawrelak Park, you breathe in the beautiful and crisp evening air, mixed with the sounds of birds and frogs in the distance. You smile as you hear the faint notes of trumpet coming from the amphitheatre, knowing that the ESO is warming up for their upcoming performance. Excited chatter and laughter fill the path between the parking lot and the amphitheatre, as families, sweethearts, and everyone in-between head to the gates to get their tickets scanned.

You thank the person that scans your ticket, and head inside the gates, moving past the grass and lawn-chair seating to have a look at the amphitheatre's built-in seating, which is filling up quickly. After glancing at your watch, you realize that there’s still some time to go before the concert, so you head up towards the food trucks and tents that create a semi-circle around the back of the venue. The smell of popcorn is so enticing that you simply must grab a bag before moving on to find your seat in the grass section.

As you spread out your blanket, you marvel at the beautiful view. Much like the Winspear Centre, there simply isn’t a bad seat in the house. You watch a toddler dance excitedly as their parents and onlookers laugh. With a smile on your face, you realize that Symphony Under the Sky truly is an event for everyone.

When conductor Bob Bernhardt comes on stage, grinning widely, you can’t help but be even more excited about the concert that is to come. He turns to the orchestra, raises his arms, and suddenly, Hawrelak Park is full of beautiful music. You watch the sun set behind the amphitheatre, laugh along with Bob Bernhardt’s jokes, and enjoy the truly incredible experience of the music of your ESO in the open air. As the concert draws to a close, you leap to your feet and clap along with the crowd, saluting one of the best ESO experiences of your life. Every ESO concert is magical, but nothing ever comes close to the beauty of Symphony Under the Sky.

As you walk back towards your vehicle at the end of the concert, you remember that this will be the last Symphony Under the Sky at Hawrelak Park for at least three years as the amphitheatre undergoes construction. You are so glad that you bought your tickets for this special event, and that you got to end your summer the perfect way: under the evening sky with your Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets for our 26th Symphony Under the Sky are now on sale, and this is one event that you won’t want to miss. It will be different than in previous years but will maintain the magical qualities that make it one of Edmonton’s most-loved summer festivals.