Open Dress Rehearsals | Winspear Centre

For Grades 7 - 12 | On Sale Now

Catch a sneak peek of the ESO at work in our Open Dress Rehearsals! Students gain an inside view of the rehearsal process through a live blog feed broadcast in the hall and through a Q&A with composers, conductors, or other special guests. Students will be engaged in directed listening and gain an introduction to the historical context of great contemporary and classical symphonic works. This is the ultimate experience for both orchestral newbies and die-hard musicians!

Program length: 1.5 – 2.5 hours

Tickets: $10 / student

Includes one free supervisor ticket for every 10 student tickets purchased. Some subsidies are available for qualifying schools attending Education Concerts and Open Dress Rehearsals. See here for details.

THE NUTCRACKER & MOZART

Thursday, November 28 • 10:00 AM

Nostalgic selections from The Nutcracker, a beloved ballet and one of Tchaikovsky’s most well-known compositions, will bring in wintery cheer on this program which also features ballet music from Mozart, an ESO premiere, and the ESO’s Assistant Principal Flute Sarah Pollard as soloist in Jacques Ibert’s Flute Concerto.

TCHAIKOVSKY & SCOTTISH FANTASY

Friday, February 21 • 10:00 AM

This high-energy program features superstar violinist Timothy Chooi performing Bruch’s vibrant Scottish Fantasy, a work based on four Scottish folk tunes. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is bursting with rich, emotional moments, and features a charming pizzicato movement. The program also includes an ESO premiere by Canadian composer Linda Catlin Smith.

POPS ON PARADE: AN ORCHESTRA SHOWCASE

Friday, April 4 • 10:00 AM

Beloved conductor Bob Bernhardt celebrates the musicians and audience he has grown to love since his debut here in 2006. In addition to glittering and familiar classical showpieces, you’ll hear members of the orchestra play featured solos and a range of genres, from Broadway and Hollywood to beloved pop tunes.

ORGAN & ORCHESTRA

Friday, April 11 • 10:00 AM

Here is your chance to hear the Davis Concert Organ! Joseph Jongen’s magnificent Symphonie concertante for Organ is a mighty force for the instrument and captures a wide range of moods. Also on this program are Mendelssohn’s jolly Symphony No. 4 “Italian”, and Allan Gilliland’s Shadows & Light, written specially for the ESO.

VIVALDI, RODRIGO & THE MOLDAU

Thursday, May 8 • 10:00 AM

In this evocative program, brilliant guitarist Jason Vieaux performs two works composed 200 years apart – a cheerful concerto by Vivaldi and Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, which is "animated by a rhythmic spirit and vigour.” An excerpt from Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 and Smetana’s The Moldau depict beautiful natural landscapes.

Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra

Friday, May 30 • 10:00 AM

Bartók’s unconventional take on the concerto showcases each section of the orchestra rather than one soloist, offering a rollicking introduction to the symphony! Also on the program is Tchaikovsky’s majestic Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by Illia Ovcharenko, and Anna Clyne’s lively PIVOT inspired by a toe-tapping fiddle tune.

Payment Policy

If payment is not received by the payment deadline (one month prior to the concert date), your booking will be cancelled.

Cancellation / Alteration Policy

You are required to provide written notice of cancellation or alteration of your booking via email to edbookings@winspearcentre.com. For cancellation, a fee of 50% of the cost of the original booking will be charged. If less than one week’s notice is given, the full cost of the booking will be charged.

No-Show Policy

Refunds will not be granted for groups who do not attend the field trip. If possible, arrangements will be made for the group to attend at a later date. In extreme circumstances, partial refunds may be granted at the discretion of the ESO/FWCM.