Toronto Loves Gustavo Gimeno! New Performance Added This June

Due to popular demand, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is adding an extra performance of Gustavo Gimeno Conducts The Firebird on Friday, June 28, 2019, at 7:30pm at Roy Thomson Hall.

The recent announcement of Maestro Gimeno as the TSO's next Music Director has thrilled Torontonians, and the growing anticipation of his arrival has led to a great demand for the June concerts. These June performances will be Gimeno's first in Toronto since being named the TSO's next Music Director. The program, anchored by the famous Stravinsky suite The Firebird, also features Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 "Classical"-one of the composer's most popular works-and spotlights TSO Concertmaster Jonathan Crow in Sibelius's Violin Concerto, which combines brilliant solo writing and symphonic intensity.

Acclaimed for his ability to elicit fresh and vibrant performances, Gustavo Gimeno has conducted leading orchestras in Europe, North America, and Japan, and became Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg in 2015. Maestro Gimeno, who made his Canadian début with the TSO in February 2017, has signed a five-year contract with the TSO to begin in the 2020/21 season.

Tickets for the June 28 performance of Gustavo Gimeno Conducts The Firebird go on sale Friday, November 9. Pre-sale for TSO subscribers and donors begins on Monday, November 5. Tickets are available for purchase online at TSO.CA, by phone (416.593.1285), and in person at the TSO Patron Services Centre or the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office.

Gustavo Gimeno Conducts The Firebird
Friday, June 28 at 7:30pm
Saturday, June 29 at 7:30pm
Sunday, June 30 at 3:00pm

Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Jonathan Crow, violin

Sibelius: Violin Concerto
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 "Classical"
Stravinsky: Suite from The Firebird (1945 revision)

About the TSO: One of Canada's most respected arts organizations, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) plays a vital role in the city's dynamic cultural life. Committed to serving local and national communities through vibrant performances and expansive educational activities, the TSO offers a wide range of programming that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. With a notable recording and broadcast history complementing international touring engagements, the TSO is a unique musical ambassador for Canada around the world.

The TSO continues its long-established history of connecting younger generations with orchestral music. Two core programs include School Concerts, performed for over 40,000 students annually, and the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO), which, in a tuition-free model, offers high-level orchestral training for talented young musicians aged 22 and under. Additionally, the TSO supports the development of next-generation artists through its annual open call for Canadian orchestral scores, and its essential Resident Conductor and Affiliate Composer positions.

Peter Oundjian was named TSO Conductor Emeritus at the end of his 14-year tenure as Music Director in June 2018. In the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, Sir Andrew Davis will serve as Interim Artistic Director, prior to the arrival of the TSO's new Music Director in 2020. Sir Andrew Davis is well known to Toronto audiences, having a 44-year relationship with the TSO. Maestro Davis opens the 2018/19 season and returns to the TSO stage regularly in each of his two seasons as Interim Artistic Director. Gustavo Gimeno will begin serving as the TSO's Music Director in 2020/21.

The TSO was founded in 1922 by a group of Toronto musicians and gave its first performance at the historic Massey Hall. Since 1982, Toronto's iconic Roy Thomson Hall has been the TSO's home, drawing patrons from around the world. Soon to celebrate its centenary, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's name remains synonymous with musical versatility and growth, and artistic distinction.