Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra excited to be back on stage

By Justin Seward - Lethbridge Herald on October 8, 2022.

Herald photo by Justin Seward Guest musician, soprano Janet Youngdahl, along with the Musaeus String Quartet, performed a number of pieces during the Lethbridge Symphony's season-opening show last weekend at Casa.

The Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra kicked off their 2022-2023 season at Casa with a performance from Musaeus String Quartet and special guest Janet Youngdahl last weekend.

“We have three of the string quartet caucus and then we have six symphony series concerts in which we have, I think, the full Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra performing,” said Aaron Bellamy, LSO president.

The focus of the Symphony is restarting after COVID.

“Our mission is to bring some memorable musical experiences to audience members of all ages,” said Bellamy. “And with COVID it was certainly a challenge to kind of start all that up again. Now that we’re out of COVID, our focus is to bring as many people back to see the symphony and to see Musaeus.”

“It’s real honour,” said Youngdahl. “I feel so proud doing the work with this group and so happy that we can sing in person again. It’s the first real concert I’ve done since COVID started.”

Youngdahl had a sense of luck for the symphony because of having a real string quartet practicing multiple times every week who devote significant time to their projects.

“Mark Rodgers, the cellist, arranged all these pieces. So that’s a significant piece of work that he did first of all,” she said. “We’ve had quite a few days of rehearsal together. So we’ve gotten to know each other and the pieces quite well.”

Youngdahl is blessed to see the organization still going in the community.

“I mean anything we can do to keep it vital and supported and funded and really remember it’s worth it to support the arts and culture,” she said. “It changes the texture of the city.”

Youngdahl teaches singing and early music history at the University of Lethbridge and is a soprano, academic and choral conductor.

A list of concerts can be viewed at http://www.lethbridgesymphony.org.