TheConcertHall.ca Continues Its Season With A Month Of Mozart

During this unusual and unforgettable season, without in-person concerts, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) continues to offer extraordinary music and to build new audiences - all via its new virtual home, TheConcertHall.ca, presented by TELUS. The VSO's musicians and guest artists are beautifully recorded in 360-degree views, using state-of-the-art audio and video technology, while following strict social distancing protocols. Highlights of the season on TheConcertHall.ca, since its launch in October 2020 - 13 concerts to date - include Bach with James Ehnes, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, holiday programming for families, and VSO Music Director Otto Tausk, leading music by Beethoven, Mussorgsky and Sibelius, as well as contemporary works by Jennifer Butler, George Walker, and others.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's new initiative was inspired by the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall and its model of offering audiences access to every concert that has been performed and recorded, all for a monthly subscription fee. (Annual subscriptions to TheConcertHall.ca are $129.99, with options for weekly and monthly viewing). The VSO is the first orchestra in North America to adopt this model, and plans to release more than 40 performances over the course of this inaugural season. With TheConcertHall.ca, the VSO continues to develop new ways to bring the concert experience to its loyal listeners, while attracting many new ones online. To date, 25% of subscribers come from outside the Vancouver area.

In reviewing TheConcertHall.ca's first performance, the Vancouver Sun praised Maestro Tausk's "calm confidence" as he navigated the new and "unorthodox setup." Vancouver Classical Music called it "an impressive and innovative effort" and "a cause for celebration." VSO audiences have responded enthusiastically, with over 3,000 subscribing to the monthly service. Concerts on the new platform have received well over than 30,000 views to date.

The VSO celebrates the New Year and Mozart's birthday with a Month of Mozart! The virtual mini-festival on TheConcertHall.ca features Mozart's first and last symphonies, the Gran Partita for wind ensemble, as well as music influenced by Mozart from Mahler, Alfred Schnittke, Friedrich Gulda, and former VSO Composer-In-Residence Jocelyn Morlock.

"Mozart always lifts the spirits," comments Maestro Otto Tausk, "As we head into another year of turbulence, but with hope on the horizon, nothing seems more appropriate than to celebrate Mozart and his impact on our musical world. This music brought much joy to me and the musicians of the VSO as we recorded it. I hope you will share in this emotion as we dive into a new year."

All performances available for streaming in TheConcertHall.ca, the virtual home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. 30-day passes for a Month of Mozart are available for only $15.99 CAD. Includes access to all previously released concerts as well as new releases.

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