Though their fiftieth season has just ended, the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra is already excited about their fifty-first which begins Oct. 7 with the first Chamber Series presentation.
There will be a variety of highlights throughout the season — selections from popular movies like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, popular musicals like West Side Story, opera, a new composition about Southern Alberta , handbell choir, 
the Bridge Bells playing for their annual Christmas concert and symphonic classics, Plus there will be new faces, new performances, new collaborations and special guests including mezzo soprano Sandra Stringer. All that and a performance of Mozart’s popular opera “The Magic Flute.”
“It will be the full experience of the Magic Flute,” enthused Lethbridge Symphony musical director Glenn Klassen, virtually vibrating with excitement talking about the new season.
“ The Magic Flute” takes place Feb. 3 and 4 at the Southminster United Church. It is one of many collaborations in the community with the Symphony as it is being performed with the University of Lethbridge Opera Workshop director Blaine Hendsbee.
“If we were to do these things alone, the cost would be prohibitive. But we can work together to give the community this wonderful experience,” Klassen continued. The University of Lethbridge opera workshop will be providing the singers, while the symphony, which also includes a lot of university students, will be supplying the music. The Symphony features between 50-60 performers from all over the community from students to seniors.
“We always have new faces,” Klassen said. He is glad to welcome new principal second violin Lise Boutin.
“We’re thrilled to have her,” he said noting she has a lot of experience including with the University of Lethbridge conservatory as well as being a sought after freelance.
“She will be a wonderful asset,” he said.
Klassen is excited about many things happening this season including pianist Glen Montgomery on March 19 and the winner of the Young Artists Competition this year, timpani player Matt Groenheide. He won the young artists competition, which took place on April 30. The contest is held every other year, however Klassen was so impressed by the talent each year that he would like to see it take place annually.
“I’m really excited about it, just seeing the talent that we have coming out to it,” he said.
“We have such an amazing talent pool here and it just keeps getting better,” Kassen said.
Groenheide, who is also a member of the Global Drums as well as the Symphony, sent in a CD of some of his favourite pieces including Michael Doherty’s “Raise The Roof,” which is sure to do just that on May 7 when he will be helping bring the season to a close.
He will be the featured artist at the Symphony’s season ending performance May 7.
“It was open to any musicians, but most of them are from Lethbridge because it is based in Lethbridge,” Groenheide said. Entrants submitted CDs of them playing. Winners were chosen in five categories including vocals/ singing, piano, flute/ woodwinds and percussion, which he won.
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Groenheide was immediately drawn to “Raise the Roof,” because of its diversity.
“This piece has a lot of stuff happening in it. On a timpani, they are huge kettle drums and each drum is tuned to a note, so you can play melodies on drums. It’s really different to see. There are strong melodies and also some really bombastic elements and grooves. There’s elements of world music and pop and classical. It’s kind of everything,” he continued. “Raise the Roof,” was one of the pieces he entered in the competition. He recorded it with pianist Graeme Roset.
“The night before the competition, we were pumped about it. But everyone else was playing real well, so there were a lot of ups and downs, worried and confident but it all worked out,” he said.
Norbert Boehm is looking forward to another successful season leading Musaeus, the Lethbridge Symphony’s resident professional string quartet, but can’t choose his most anticipated part of the upcoming season.
“It’s like being asked to choose which one is your favourite kid,” he said adding he is looking forward to working with Lise Boutin, the new second violin who replaces the retiring Maria Geppert.
He is also looking forward to exploring the impressive amount of music written for string quartet.
“The repertoire for string quartet is so vast,” he said. Selections from Schubert, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Elgar among many others will be feature throughout the season.
Musaeus also welcomes special guests including the University of Lethbridge Faculty Brass, classical guitarist Dale Ketcheson on March 2 and mezzo soprano Sandra Stringer who opens the season Oct. 7 plus Matt Groenheide who who will be performing marimbas with them on Nov. 18.
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