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Record attendance for Okanagan Symphony

Opening weekend for Okanagan Symphony Orchestra sees record numbers in Penticton, Kelowna and Vernon.

The opening weekend of the 53rd season of the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra was embraced at all three performances this weekend.

Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon shows saw record attendance numbers confirming that the demand for live symphony concerts in the Okanagan valley is increasing.

The season opened with Transformations, a collection of works, which showcases how the beauty of nature inspires music, from the brilliance of a sunset to the power of a storm, freshness of spring and mystery of death.

Okanagan favourite Alexandra Babbel delivered shimmering vocal magic in the Four Last Songs of Richard Strauss and the orchestra dazzled in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral. Standing ovations were delivered with great enthusiasm by all three of the audiences.

“As we prepare for our next concert in November, Romantic Rhapsody, we applaud all 52 musicians, our back of house team and our music director Rosemary on all of their fine work,” said Scott Wilson, general manager of the orchestra. “Our entire team now moves their focus to our next show, which contains some personal favourites of mine, The Elgar Cello Concerto and the Symphony No. 3 the Rhenish of Robert Schumann.”

Romantic Rhapsody will be in Penticton on Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cleland Theatre and features the return of Arnold Choi with the Stradivarius Cello recently awarded him by the Canada Council Instrument Bank.

Tickets for performances are available at the Penticton Wine Information Centre, by phone at 250-276-2170 or online via www.OkanaganSymphony.com.