Orchestra Toronto Tickets

This is my first concert season and third time attending an Orchestra Toronto concert. My past reviews commended the volunteer orchestra for their execution of this repertoire, but noted issues with timing and particularly string section intonation and synchronization in difficult passages, such perhaps expectedly not up to the level of upper student or professional orchestras within Toronto. At least to my ears, the woodwinds had always been commendable, though synchronization between the instrument sections or rhythmic or phrasing coherence could sometimes struggle, hindering the enjoyment of the music for those with expectations built upon many high-level recordings. These issues were first noticed with the Brahms Symphony No. 4 concert, but by the time of the Debussy "La Mer"concert, I noticed some improvements and likewise in last Sunday's concert. The playing in the first piece sounded clean. Paul Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis"presented a challenging repertoire revealing struggles in some sections, but was otherwise impressively executed. As a side note, volume levels from the third row were moderate, perhaps not as loud as a full-sized orchestra like the TSO whose dynamic range could sometimes be excellent, but enough to have comfortable dynamic peaks and at times present excellent texture. It was with the Dvorak Cello Concerto that I was particularly impressed and was glad to have gotten the rich musical experience I had hoped for. It took a few minutes for my ears to adjust to the actual live tone of a cello when used to listening to recordings, but after that, phrases flowed with excellently engaging dialogue with the orchestra which was able to present exquisitely rich and coherent textures which I felt did an excellent justice to expressing the emotions contained in the work. Despite my critical listening style, this orchestra was able to create an unforgettable experience with timbres and expressive moments I now yearn to be able to relive through recordings. Overall, with each performance and the improvements therein, I am increasingly recommending this orchestra as a viable option for hearing certain desired repertoire. I can also recommend the acoustics of George Weston Recital Hall as being capable of delivering great clarity provided that you sit amid the first few rows lest reflections from the ceiling reflectors detract from the sound.

I made a crew of 7 to come to this event. They all enjoyed it and this pleased me greatly. Personally, I enjoyed the energy of the conductor who laid out the sweat through a very vigorous performance. On a number of occasions he was on stage but both feet of his were in the air. I appreciated the wind instrumentalist too. The vocalist did splendidly. Event support staff demonstrated and eager enthusiasm to serve guest. I am quite pleased Symphony of the Sea put up a show I could be proud of. Room temperature at least where my group sat was appropriate.

Orchestra was very good, conductor extremely passionate and children's choir was a beautiful addition. It was a great way to sense the entrance into the holidays spirit. I had a couple friends invited, Russians. They asked if this was a warehouse and just turned on into a stage for now. Was it? I guess it wasn't Mariinsky.

Will be returning year after year for this one. An instant tradition to be adored by all. Exquisite.

This was my first holiday concert by Orchestra Toronto and it was such a wonderful time! It reminded me of all the great things about the holiday season; it was a fun and meaningful way to spend time with my family. The performance was energetic and magical. I thought the programme was accessible for a wide range of music lovers, as it included well-known pieces that many would recognize and enjoy. Attending the concert is definitely is a must during this time of the year. Looking forward to the next concert by Orchestra Toronto!

The Orchestra Toronto Holiday Concert is the concert I look forward to every season. It is so family-friendly and fun. This year, the Canadian Children's Opera Choir joined them for a wide range of pieces from Elf, to an absolutely beautiful Vaughan Williams Winter suite that I had never heard before but gave me goosebumps. Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker brought me right into the holiday spirit and Grinch was so much fun. The energy of the concert is amazing too with children as well as Newcomers through the RBC Newcomer program. And there was even a craft activity for children at Intermission. I loved the entire experience. The conductor, Michael Newnham has so much energy and makes me want to dance!

Orchestra Toronto has wonderful programming and the musicians are terrific. You get more bang for your buck attending one of their concerts. The community involvement is an added bonus with welcome seats for new Canadians. The venue is better than Roy Thompson for acoustics. All around a bargain for those who love classical music.

My first Orchestra Toronto concert, but won't be my last. The conductor and orchestra were excellent. The meridian arts centre is a gorgeous venue too. Can't wait until the christmas concert!

I love Orchestra Toronto concerts and this concert was also a wonderful experience. The pre-concert chat with the conductor was so informative and really prepared me for the music. The opening piece, Bach, was captivating -opening with a single oboe and ending with all 90 musicians filling the hall with music. The second piece wasn’t my favourite as I’m not a fan of Shashtakovich. But I could see that the soloist was excellent and the orchestra played this difficult piece extremely well. Finally, the Brahms 4 was great -as all Brahms is. Orchestra Toronto really makes classical music accessible. The tickets are reasonably priced, the concerts are informative and engaging, and the theatre is wonderful -comfortable and great acoustics. I will continue to come to these concerts with anticipation.

Not very much into classical music but this concert especially the first part was an absolute cacophony… On the other hand the orchestra and the conductor were okay No wonder there was a 50% discount on the tickets Not sure if I will ever attend another concert after this experience Lastly, the venue is excellent but pity the water fountain was shut off and forcing people to buy drinks…

Firstly, regarding the acoustics of George Weston Recital Hall, at the very middle of row D, my main dissatisfactions from this seat were the first violins sounding too bright and thin compared to what I've heard at Roy Thomson Hall at a similar distance (they should sound more balanced with more body; the second violins section further back sounded nicer, so sitting a few rows further back in this hall may render a nicer orchestral violin tone). There was also some acoustic bloom detracting from clarity. This is in great contrast to when I was sitting at the middle right of row C for the smaller Sinfonia Toronto ensemble's concert on October 21 where the tonality, clarity, and volume were almost perfect, especially with the soloist's violin, though such a small ensemble's dynamic cap was inherently limited. With its being a volunteer orchestra for which our greatest gratitude should be extended for their performance and to the organizers, I should not put too much blame on the violin sections encountering some synchronization and intonation issues for faster violin passages among other audible mistakes within the orchestra, but if one is seeking perfection, a professional orchestra such as the TSO would likely bring you closer to such. Otherwise, this orchestra has achieved its aim of making symphonic music accessible.

This was the first concert of Orchestra Toronto I attended. It was as advertised and it was very good.

Superb direction and execution! I enjoyed the concert from start to finish! The director is so engaging that you are fully immersed in the performance. You can close your eyes and be transported to the beach place or scene they are playing. The musician are amazing too. Congratulations!

As always, Orchestra Toronto gives professional performances with unique and entertaining programs. Dances of the Americas typified that. The guest performer, Denis Plante, played the Bandeneon. They finished with music from West Side Story. We regularly attend TSO as well but I like these performances better.

The orchestra director was amazing not only from the musical standpoint but providing the audience with background information on the selection of the songs. He interacted with the public to the point that at the end everyone was singing along with the choir. Fantastic orchestra and choir! It was delightful to attend.

Great to hear Christmas music. Conductor was animated and brought music to life by explaining movements. Musicians were flawless despite being a volunteer orchestra. Well done!

This show was entertaining, beautiful, interactive. The music was incredible and I can’t wait to do it again. I would definitely sit up higher next time instead of the second row so I could see all the the instruments but it did not take away the perfect sounds that filled the room. The conductor did such an amazing job and was so incredibly gracious. Great job to everyone ❤️

As usual the orchestra was great and the program was unique and entertaining. This concert took on music that has appeared in Christmas movies with the Amadeus Choir as guests. The pieces were varied, fun and expertly performed. We love going to these concerts at the Meridian Centre which is an excellent concert venue. Looking forward to the next one.

Very entertaining. Orchestra accompanied by Amadeus Choir, provided a really enjoyable afternoon. Conductor's discussion of each selection played, enhanced the afternoon. We liked having the musicians intermingle with attendees.

Very beautiful rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony, unfortunately the horns had some pitch problems.