A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM to Close Calgary Philharmonic's 2025/2026 Season
Former music director Hans Graf leads Maureen Thomas and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus at Jack Singer Concert Hall.
The Calgary Philharmonic drops the curtain on another concert season with the suitably epic grand finale of Hans Graf Returns: A Midsummer Night's Dream on June 5 and 6 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. A former Calgary Phil Music Director, Graf's orchestral homecoming sees him revisiting a unique musical-theatrical production that he first debuted with the Calgary Phil in 1997.
Joining the renowned conductor is veteran Calgary actor Maureen Thomas, who featured in the 1997 premiere and in subsequent productions with Graf, as well as other conductors, across the globe. Rounding out the cast are the sopranos and altos of the Calgary Phil Chorus (serving in the role of the fairies), and, of course, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.
Though it includes one of the most recognizable pieces in all of music, The Wedding March, complete performances of Felix Mendelssohn's 1826 score for Shakespeare's beloved comedy remain a rarity, as some pieces of the incidental music only work in a theatrical context. With the inclusion of Thomas, who gives voice to 12 of Shakespeare's most memorable characters, every note fits exactly as Mendelssohn originally intended. Adding an extra helping of fairy dust to this sure-to-be enchanting program is rising star pianist Sophie Liu, who joins Graf and the Orchestra for Frédéric Chopin's beautiful Second Piano Concerto.
MORE ABOUT HANS GRAF
Distinguished Austrian conductor Hans Graf served as Music Director of the Calgary Philharmonic from 1995 to 2003. Owing to his significant contributions to the Phil, he has since been recognized with the honorific Music Director Laureate. Known for his wide range of repertoire and creative programming, Graf is one of today's most highly respected and experienced musicians. With Hans Graf, “a brave new world of music-making under inspired direction” (The Straits Times) began at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, where he was unanimously appointed Chief Conductor from the 2020/21 season, and then Music Director from the 2022/2023 Season.
Hans also currently holds the title of Principal Guest Conductor of the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra of Denmark and formerly served as Music Director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, L'Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, The Basque National Orchestra Euskadi and the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg. He has appeared with nearly all major orchestras of the United States, and in Canada with Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa.
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