Music by Women composers

Two Performances!!!! Experience the enchantment of Celtic music like never before at our special event: Celtic Celebration! On Saturday, January 25th, at 2:00 & 7:30 PM, join Principal Conductor William Rowson and the talented guest artists, The Bookends, for an evening of lively rhythms and soul-stirring melodies. From traditional tunes to contemporary interpretations, immPrincipal Conductor: William Rowson

Guest Artists: The Bookends

erse yourself in the rich tapestry of Celtic culture. Let the music transport you to misty moors and ancient castles as we embark on a musical journey through the heart of Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. Don't miss this unforgettable celebration of Celtic heritage and music's timeless power to unite and inspire.

Two Performances!!!! Experience the enchantment of Celtic music like never before at our special event: Celtic Celebration! On Saturday, January 25th, at 2:00 & 7:30 PM, join Principal Conductor William Rowson and the talented guest artists, The Bookends, for an evening of lively rhythms and soul-stirring melodies. From traditional tunes to contemporary interpretations, immPrincipal Conductor: William Rowson

Guest Artists: The Bookends

erse yourself in the rich tapestry of Celtic culture. Let the music transport you to misty moors and ancient castles as we embark on a musical journey through the heart of Ireland, Scotland, and beyond. Don't miss this unforgettable celebration of Celtic heritage and music's timeless power to unite and inspire.

The Avondale Music Series Team is pleased to announce that plans for the 2025 season are well in hand. Our first event is set for SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025 – Swing into the New Year with The Festival City Big Band. At this concert you can sit comfortably and enjoy the swing’n sounds of the Festival City Big Band with vocalists Cathy Whelan and Chris Adair, a beloved group with a 30-year history of entertaining audiences. And, if the spirit so moves you, you can take a spin in the area designated for dancing; the choice is yours! This promises to be a lively way to welcome 2025. Tickets $20 ($25 at the door)

Start the new year in style with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra's annual New Year's Celebration! Join us on January 1st, 2025, at 3:00 PM as Principal Conductor William Rowson leads a jubilant performance guaranteed to set the tone for the year ahead. From timeless dance classics to delightful surprises, immerse yourself in a symphonic celebration that's as bubbly and effervescent as the holiday itself. After the performance, continue the festivities with your loved ones, knowing you've begun the year on a harmonious note. Don't miss this joyful occasion filled with music, laughter, and the promise of new beginnings!

Blue Christmas is a gentle, contemplative service for those who are carrying pain or loss during this season of celebration.

Light refreshments will follow.

Sing-along Messiah

a free will offering will be taken - all proceeds to House of Blesssing

A modern indie folk trio from Newfoundland, The Once have collected a trio of Canadian Folk Music Awards, numerous ECMA awards, and was named Artist of the Year by the Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council. They have earned not one, but two JUNO nominations for Roots Album of the Year and continue to take their music around the world.

With the release of 2024’s Out Here, The Once have delivered a thoughtful and playful assembly of songs mingling their musical roots from Newfoundland along with folk, bluegrass, country, Americana, and modern indie rock. Members Geraldine Hollett, Andrew Dale, and Phil Churchill have created a sound representative of their home province of Newfoundland while pushing the boundaries on the great Canadian songbook with their soothing vocal harmony and acoustically rich core.

Lyrically, The Once’s newest collection of songs encompass an arresting sense of loss with the belief that the good can be found in all people, and a desire to bring it out here for everyone to enjoy. A ray of hope in a confusing time. A port in a storm. A provocation with a grin.

This material is soaked with the poetic charm and sunny sadness of the trio’s collective disposition. Written across Newfoundland and recorded in the band’s GingerBeard House studio the band took their time creating this record. “Sometimes music takes a while to flow”, Geraldine Hollett explains. “If you don’t panic and instead surround yourself with people who love you that you can trust, magic can happen.”

Join us on Saturday, November 16th, at 7:30 PM for an unforgettable evening featuring the Double Bass Legend Joel Quarrington. Led by conductor William Rowson, this captivating performance promises to showcase the mastery of Quarrington's double bass artistry. The program opens with Koussevitzky's powerful Concerto for Bass, Op. 3, allowing Quarrington to demonstrate his virtuosity and passion. Following this, immerse yourself in Bottesini's enchanting Passione Amoroso, a piece that highlights both the technical prowess and lyrical sensitivity of the double bass. Concluding the evening is Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, "From the New World," offering a symphonic journey through American melodies and European influences. Don't miss this extraordinary concert featuring one of the world's foremost double bassists.

SSO presents the inaugural concert of its 20th-anniversary season with an invitation to Stratford for a mesmerizing performance featuring "Beethoven's 5th." Led by conductor William Rowson and showcasing the exceptional talents of bassoonist Alexandre von Wartburg, this evening promises to be nothing short of extraordinary. The journey begins with Stravinsky's dynamic Pulcinella Suite, followed by Weber's enchanting Concerto for Bassoon in F, Op. 75, highlighting von Wartburg's virtuosity. Concluding the spectacle is Beethoven's timeless Symphony No. 5, inviting you to witness the sublime in classical music. Join us for a night that marks both celebration and innovation in our musical journey.

Concert arias composed by Aaron Davis and Margaret Atwood, sung by soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee.

As part of the Avondale program Measha and Aaron will perform “Zombie Blizzard”, a new song cycle that Aaron composed, setting Margaret Atwood’s poems to music, written for brass ensemble, rhythm section and voice. The brass quintet will include trombonist David Pell and other members of the Hannaford St. Silver Band, who commissioned the song cycle. “Zombie Blizzard” has a unique blending of the classical concert aria and jazz-influenced art song where Atwood’s lyrics tackle issues of sexism, humour, gender inequality, and grief.

Susan Grace and Steven Beck form one of the most dynamic piano duos before today’s concert-going public. Giorgio Koukl’s EarRelevant review of their latest CD, Hallelujah Junction says “..their incredible array of capacities is strong enough to place them precisely on the top of the piano duos of today.” Fanfare’s Robert Carl writes that “Quattro Mani is one of the most enduring and leading keyboard duos anywhere” and the Boston Globe printed “Quattro Mani proved itself fearless and equal to every challenge.”

A daring and ultimately touching combination of music and dance, telling the story of Matthew Shepard, a young gay student at the University of Wyoming that was beaten, tortured and left to die on October 6, 1998. His death brought international attention to hate crime legislation, with President Barack Obama signing into law what is commonly referred to the “Matthew Sheppard Act” for hate crime prevention.

Echo Chamber is a performance series that intertwines live chamber music and dance in new choreographed works. The objective of director, Aaron Schwebel is to create performances that offer a new lens through which both music and dance can be experienced. By merging these two art forms in an intimate setting, Echo Chamber performances deliver the unique opportunity to see and hear music and dance together as one integrated expression.