Red Deer Symphony Orchestra's main series concert six: May the Fourth Be With You. (RDSO 2023-24 Season Booklet)

By Alessia Proietti

37th season

Oktoberfest, Opera, & Star Wars: Red Deer Symphony Orchestra returns with six unique concerts

Oct 12, 2023 | 2:13 PM

The Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (RDSO) is back with a new six concert series for their 37^th season.

Claude Lapalme, RDSO’s Music Director, says that each show for the 2023-24 season is unique and distinct, giving the audience a true “bang for their buck”.

He says he has heard feedback from last year’s successful series about, “the feeling that we impart on the audience which is this sort of informal experience to the concert experience. We like to make people feel like they’re in their living room so we want to make sure that the dress code could be as formal or informal as you want. Just show up and keep your ears open and we really believe in that.”

The main series consists of the following concerts:

• October 21 – Oktoberfest: Containing music from Central Europe including Germany, Hungary, and the classic Czech tune The Moldau.
• November 18 – Dancing Phoenix: a string ensemble
• December 9 – Winter Wonderland: a Christmas themed concert featuring the Red Deer Royals marching band
• March 16 – A Night at the Opera: featuring a complete soprano
• April 27 – Let’s Collaborate: an 18^th century baroque concert with ensemble Rosa Barocca
• May 4 – May the Fourth Be With You: a reference to the Star Wars movie series, the orchestra will perform the greatest hits by composer John Williams, who has also written music for popular films like Schindler’s List, Jaws, and Jurassic Park.

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Lapalme jokes that guests will want to buy their tickets early for that wrap-up concert.

The RDSO will also be a “Bach in the Barn” free concert this Saturday at Merchant Hall in Heritage Ranch, as well as a concert on December 3 titled “Nine Lessons & Carols” at the Gaetz United Memorial Church.

With subscriptions still available, Lapalme says last year’s post-pandemic sales went better than expected, particularly with single tickets.

Still in recovery from pre-pandemic levels, he says the RDSO has taken chances and thought on their feet to continue providing the public with varied concerts on a limited budget.

“It [Red Deer] is a smaller market, and you don’t want to be complacent. You want to make sure that there’s a little bit for everybody and that’s what we strive to do. So far, its gone well for us,” he said.

Other symphonies, like the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony in Ontario, haven’t been so lucky, closing down last month due to bankruptcy. Lapalme says he has friends who have lost their jobs as a result.

“We’ve [RDSO] been able to keep our head above water by working very carefully and despite all of that careful work, we find that people have been showing up for concerts. They want the live music so we’re trying to provide as much variety as possible as a result,” he said.

He says their symphony also hosts other events in Red Deer, including kids’ choir and concerts at the Snell gallery, school presentations, and community concerts.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the RDSO website.