Classical music festivals and free outdoor concerts fill Vancouver summers
From Early Music Vancouver to the VSO's Symphony at Sunset, summer brings Renaissance performances, movie scores, and chamber music across the city and region.
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Summer transforms Vancouver's classical music landscape with free outdoor events and festivals replacing typical season programming. The biggest initiative is Early Music Vancouver's annual festival, kicking off July 31 with Monteverdi's Orfeo and ending August 10 with a Vivaldi program led by baroque violinist Rachel Podger. Between those bookends are eight more events ranging from intimate to esoteric, all featuring informed performances of music from the Renaissance through the early 19th century. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra boasts one of the most popular events: Symphony at Sunset, moving this year to David Lam Park on July 11 at 8 p.m. A week later, Symphony in the Park happens Saturday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. on the Great Lawn of Burnaby's Shadbolt Centre on Deer Lake's north shore. Both programs feature substantial selections from John Williams' catalog alongside traditional repertoire, with Otto Tausk conducting downtown and Trevor Wilson on the podium in Burnaby. On July 19, also at Deer Lake, opera fans get a free taste of next season's offerings through selections from Rossini's Barber of Seville, Puccini's Tosca, and Verdi's La Traviata. Vancouver Opera music director Jacques Lacombe conducts. Pre-concert celebrations begin at 5:15 p.m.; the concert proper starts at 7:30 p.m. The VSO also offers a tradition of movie nights at the historic Orpheum Theatre. Three popular choices run in July: Jurassic Park with John Williams' fabled score launches July 9–10; Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert follows July 16–17; The Lion King Live in Concert closes the series July 24–25. All performances start at 7 p.m., except for a Lion King matinee at 2 p.m. on July 25. Nearby options include the Cascade Peaks Chamber Festival, June 19–21, at RockRidge Canyon Resort near Princeton, or the Victoria Summer Music Festival, running July 24 to August 9 on the University of Victoria grounds. On June 14, the Annex hosts two back-to-back gala concerts featuring B.C. winners of the Canadian Music Competition at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.