Songs of Destiny
2025-03-22 19:30 - 22:00 (America/Toronto) | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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A selection of hauntingly lovely works, from Brahms and Schubert, to Ola Gjeilo and Joni Mitchell!
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

St. Matthew Passion
2025-04-18 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Bach’s sublime and powerful setting of the Passion story offers layers of theological and mystical symbolism, a dramatic Biblical narrative, and a compassionate, loving portrayal of the human spirit.
Asitha Tennekoon – Evangelist
Jesse Blumberg – Jesus
Hélène Brunet – Soprano
Allyson McHardy – Mezzo-Soprano
Lawrence Wiliford – Tenor
Jamal Al Titi – Baritone
Musicians of the KW Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, Conductor

Missa Solemnis
2025-10-25 19:30 - 21:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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“From the heart: may it go to the heart” ~ Beethoven on his epic Missa Solemnis
Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis stands as one of the composer’s most profound and ambitious works, a monumental setting of the Latin Mass that blends spiritual intensity with symphonic grandeur. Written over several years and premiered in 1824, it stretches the boundaries of sacred music with its dramatic scope, intricate counterpoint, and heartfelt devotion. You will be drawn into an awe-inspiring journey that conveys Beethoven’s deep faith and humanity, making the Missa Solemnis a truly timeless masterpiece.
Aviva Fortunata, soprano
Marion Newman, mezzo-soprano
Owen McCausland, tenor
Brett Polegato, baritone
University of Waterloo Chamber Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
This concert will be performed without intermission. Length approximately 80 minutes.
Program notes
Von Herzen: möge es wieder zu Herzen gehen!
From the heart: may it go to the heart!
It is this very personal and emotive inscription that Beethoven wrote at the top of the score of his Missa Solemnis. Beethoven, who had already defied what was thought possible with respect to the genres of the day, dedicated most of the years 1819-1822 to writing a new Mass that would become the “crown of my life’s work.”
In 1809, Archduke Rudolph, brother of Emperor Franz II, was one of three noblemen who signed a contract assuring Beethoven would receive an annual annuity for as long as he remained in Vienna. Around the same time, Beethoven began to give Rudolph music lessons, instructing him in piano and composition. A long-lasting relationship of reliable patronage emerged, prompting Beethoven to dedicate a large number of major works to him. Some years later, when it became known that Archduke Rudolph, a priest, would be elevated to the status of cardinal and be made Archbishop, Beethoven professed his desire to mark the occasion with a new Mass setting:
The day on which a High Mass composed by me will be performed during the ceremonies solemnized for Your Imperial Highness will be the most glorious day of my life; and God will enlighten me so that my poor talents may contribute to the glorification of that solemn day.
Beethoven’s work on the Mass began in earnest, but both the eventual scale of the new work and several interruptions in its composition meant that the date of Rudolph’s installation, March 20, 1820, came and went before Beethoven could complete it (music by Hummel and Haydn was performed instead). It would, in fact, be another three years before the new work was finished. Nevertheless, its dedication, “Von Herzen- möge es wieder zu Herzen gehen,” was intended as much an offering of gratitude and admiration to his friend, student and patron, as it is an indication to the rest of the world of the profoundly personal nature of the music. The occasion of Archduke Rudolph’s installation as cardinal and archbishop may have been the impetus Beethoven needed to contemplate the new work, but the Missa Solemnis would take on so much greater a scope and scale than would have been suitable for a liturgical event; this would occupy Beethoven’s creative energy for nearly four years.
Beethoven prepared exhaustively to begin writing this new mass, noting in his diary in 1818, that to write good church music one must “go through all the ecclesiastical chants of the monks, etc. Also look there for the stanzas in the most correct translations along with the most perfect prosody of all Christian-Catholic psalms and hymns in general.” He studied music of the great masters who came before him, including Palestrina, Handel and Bach, for whom he had great respect. He found inspiration, too, in the ancient musical modes of the church, in which the “devotion is divine. May God permit me to express it one day.”
Although Beethoven had set the Mass text once before, in 1807, he began this endeavour with a fresh copy and marked the textual stress of every phrase, with a word by word German translation underneath. He made minor alterations and word substitutions (ending the Gloria with a reprise of the opening text or replacing “Et in spiritum sanctum” with “Credo in spiritum sanctum,” for example). These editorial decisions were made to better fit his thematic and formal musical designs.
The first performance of Missa Solemnis took place in St. Petersburg in 1824 and was given by Prince Nikolai Galitzin who had commissioned other works of Beethoven. The first performance at which Beethoven was present was in Vienna a month later, but was incomplete. The Kyrie, Credo and Agnus Dei were performed in a German translation, since the performance of liturgical works was forbidden in the concert hall. The Mass movements were billed as “Three Sacred Hymns” and were performed in the same concert as the premiere of the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven would not see or “hear” (he was completely deaf by this point of his life) a complete performance in his lifetime.
The Kyrie begins not with a decisive downbeat, but with an upbeat, momentarily suspending time until the woodwinds intone the cries of “Kyrie, preceding those of the chorus and soloists by several measures. The middle section, Christe, flows easily in three, giving contrast to the stoicism of the opening passages. The timeless lament returns with the repetition of the words Kyrie eleison.
Beethoven begins the Gloria with a thunderous uproar using nearly the whole, large orchestra to initiate a rising line of exultation. In a moment of matter-of-fact text painting he arrests the rushing climb, dropping two octaves for the words, “et in terra pax hominibus” (and in earth peace and goodwill to all) returning us all to terra firma. A tender aria for the vocal quartet and chorus forms a slow-movement to his well-balanced triptych of veneration. After returning to the fast tempo a fugue builds towards the end where unexpectedly Beethoven returns to both the text and music of the beginning of the movement (Gloria in excelsis Deo) only now at a faster, more inexhaustible tempo. The movement ends with the chorus shouting “Gloria!” after the orchestra has finished.
The Credo is the longest and wordiest movement of the Mass and also contains some of the most ferocious music for both the orchestra and singers. Beethoven’s piety has always been somewhat of a question. He was born and raised Catholic but would not have been considered an orthodox believer. He did not attend church regularly past the age of childhood and found little use for organized religion. It becomes a subject of interest, therefore, to notice which clauses of the Nicene Creed, the testament of faith, Beethoven emphasizes in his setting. The incarnation, a still moment in time, (Et incarnatus est: And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit…) receives the most intimate music of the entire mass, with a trilling flute depicting the Holy Spirit’s gentle breath over the quartet of soloists. The resurrection, a central tenet of Christianity, (Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum scripturas) is over in just six measures of music, while the final three words of the creed, …et vitam venturi (and the life of the world to come), receives 177 measures. Beethoven’s understanding of religion was less concerned with the details of dogma than with the ways in which humanity relates to God.
Beethoven sets the Sanctus in a b-minor Adagio. The score is marked “Mit Andacht” (With Devotion) and is sung by the quartet of soloists. A measured tremolo builds tension before the orchestra and chorus are once again unleashed in an imitative frenzy at the words pleni sunt coeli. One of the most extraordinary moments of the Mass follows. A lengthy orchestral Prelude of lower strings, bassoon and flutes brings the liturgical proceedings to a standstill, before a transcendent violin solo descends from the heavens and weaves throughout the Benedictus.
The Agnus Dei contains some of the most personal music of the entire Missa Solemnis. Three solemn statements of Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi accompanied by low strings, horns and bassoons leads to an extended Dona nobis pacem (Grant us peace). Here Beethoven gives the instruction “Bitte um inner und äußern Frieden” (Prayer for inner and outer peace). It must be noted that Beethoven knew little peace in his lifetime. Threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars was never far off and personal peace often eluded the great composer. From family custody battles involving his nephew to constant fear of financial ruin, Beethoven’s own sense of strength was often in jeopardy. Needless to say, his hearing loss over the course of the previous decade was a source of distress and embarrassment. On three occasions in the Dona nobis pacem section, Beethoven interrupts the playful, optimistic theme with “war interludes.” In the first, field bugles are heard, invoking the soloists to a recitative-like passage to sing once again “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The second involves an extended, wandering orchestral passage that culminates in the sound of trumpets and drums pleading for peace with a shout. The third interlude is a remembrance of war, a distant drumming before four ‘pacems’ from the chorus returns hope.
Missa Solemnis stands as one of his most profound achievements—a towering exploration of faith, humanity, and transcendence. Fusing monumental architecture with moments of intimate devotion, it reaches beyond liturgical boundaries to express universal longing for peace and reconciliation. From fervent cries of “Kyrie” to the radiant vision of the “Dona nobis pacem,” this masterpiece remains both a personal testament of belief and a timeless appeal to the spirit.
–Mark Vuorinen

Fight the Flight!
2025-11-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Rd N, Waterloo, Canada
Clinician Amie Debrone will help us use Neuro Athletics to calm nerves and improve vocal stamina!
This workshop is great for people who experience “stage fright” or just want to train themselves to have more control over their voice. It’s open to everyone– please join us!
Friday Nov. 7
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Great Hall, Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo
$10 fee, free for students.
Sign up here.

Take a Winter Walk With Me
2025-11-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Our Children’s and Youth choirs present a concert of songs of light and memory
Saturday November 22nd, 7:00pm
Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow St. Waterloo
Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir
Andrea DeBoer-Jones, conductor
Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir
Greer Schatz, conductor
Tickets at the door on the night of the concert

Winter's Night
2025-11-29 19:30 - 21:30 | Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols is paired with a beautiful new companion piece by Armenian-British composer Kristina Arakelyan. Join us for the North American premiere of A Christmas Offering with the Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers and harpist Lori Gemmell. The concert will also include seasonal music by Tori Amos, Dan Forrest and Randall Thompson.
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Lori Gemmell, harp
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
Advance ticket sales close at noon on Saturday the 29th. Tickets available at the door on the evening of the concert.

Messiah
2025-12-13 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Handel’s Messiah has captivated audiences for nearly three centuries with its radiant choruses and profound storytelling. From the jubilant “Hallelujah” to the tender “He Shall Feed His Flock,” this masterpiece traces the prophecy, birth, passion, and triumph of Christ. Both intimate and monumental, it unites soloists, choir, and orchestra in music of timeless beauty and spiritual depth. Experience the wonder of a tradition that continues to inspire hearts and uplift souls.
Sharleen Joynt, soprano
Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano
Asitha Tennekoon, tenor
Jonathon Adams, baritone
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Tango & Tango
2026-02-21 13:00 - 15:00 | Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Learn to sing Piazzolla’s Libertango, then take a beginner tango lesson with dance instructor Mateo Torres!
Saturday February 21st, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Trillium Lutheran Church Community Hall
22 Willow St., Waterloo
This workshop will involve physical movement, so come dressed comfortably and prepared to dance!
Please register yourself by clicking the button below and filling out the form. Cost is $10, payable by etransfer to info@grandphilchoir.com, or cash at the door. FREE for students.
Register here!

Misatango
2026-03-07 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
This concert is sold out
Imagine a music experience that combines the traditional beauty of the Latin Mass with the emotional intensity and rich, dramatic colours of Argentinian tango!
This is Martin Palmeri’s Misatango (Misa a Buenos Aires), which the full choir will perform for you in the resonant space of St. Matthews Centre, Kitchener.
Also on the program for the evening: Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs, Jake Runestad’s The Hope of Loving, and Aaron Manswell’s Stick With Love (this was the winner of our 2022 composition competition)
Amichai Ben Shalev, bandoneon
Musicians of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Mass in B Minor
2026-04-03 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Bach’s Mass in B minor stands as one of the greatest achievements in Western music: the summation of a life’s work. Written near the end of Bach’s life, it gathers the breadth of his musical genius into a single, breathtaking composition. From the joyful dance of the “Gloria” to the profound cry for peace in the “Agnus Dei,” the Mass is a journey through awe, devotion, and profound expression, uniting soloists, choir, and orchestra in music of timeless and universal power.
Myriam Leblanc, soprano
Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano
Owen McCausland, tenor
Tyler Duncan, baritone
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Together We Will Shine! 6:30 show
2026-04-10 18:30 - 19:30 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 1T1, Canada
Our Children’s and Youth Choir’s end of season concert, with special guests, The Carousel Dance Company! This show features Viva, our younger singers.
Contact info@grandphilchoir.com for tickets!

Together We Will Shine! 8:00 show
2026-04-10 20:00 - 21:00 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 1T1, Canada
Our Children’s and Youth Choir’s end of season concert, with special guests, The Carousel Dance Company! This show features Voce, our older children’s choir singers, and our Youth Choir.
Contact info@grandphilchoir.com for tickets!

Choral Couture
2026-04-18 19:30 - 21:30 | Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, 36 King St. W., Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 1A1, Canada
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Our season wraps up with a most unusual concert!
Unique “upcycled” fashions, in which local designers have created beautiful new garments from discarded or outdated items, will be displayed, along with a performance of especially chosen songs from our Chamber Singers, led by Mark Vuorinen.
Part concert, part fashion show with an emphasis on environmental sustainability, it all takes place at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Kitchener.

The Creation
2026-11-07 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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A thrilling celebration of our beautiful planet! From the opening depiction of the chaos that existed before time, to the dramatic representation of the first light, the creation of all the animals, and the lovely duet between Adam and Eve, this concert will be a garden of musical delights!
Claire de Sévigné, soprano
Colin Ainsworth, tenor
Tyler Duncan, baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

To the Hands
2026-11-21 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 49 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 2G9, Canada
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Tickets on sale soon!
At the heart of this concert is Caroline Shaw’s work, To the Hands, and the passion cantata that inspired it, Dieterich Buxtehude’s Ad Manus, from Membra Jesu Nostri. Blending ancient texts with contemporary reflections on refuge and compassion, Shaw’s music invites us to consider the human need for shelter, dignity, and connection in a fractured world. Surrounding Shaw’s work are reflective contemporary choral pieces, which evoke the comfort of home and the joy and hope of finding belonging, by Dale Trumbore, Eric Whitacre, and Stephen Paulus.
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Messiah
2026-12-12 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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From the iconic “Hallelujah” to intimate arias and profoundly stirring choruses, this seasonal favourite takes us on a timeless journey of hope and renewal. Handel’s masterpiece is the best-loved choral work of all, and sits at the very heart of our repertoire.
Mireille Asselin, soprano
Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano
Lawrence Wiliford, tenor
Giles Tomkins, baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Fyer, Fyer
2027-02-27 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Tickets on sale soon!
From the passions of the Renaissance madrigal, to shimmering harmonies of today, this concert explores love and longing in all its beauty, desire, heartbreak and yearning. We will weave together expressive works by Thomas Morley and John Farmer, with luminous contemporary works by Eric Whitacre, Matti Hyökki, Elaine Hagenberg, and others.
Join us for an evening of passion, poetry and radiant choral sound, as voices old and new kindle the eternal flame of love.
Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Ein Deutsches Requiem
2027-03-26 19:30 - 22:00 | Centre In The Square, 101 Queen St. N, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 6P7, Canada
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Brahms’ Requiem focuses on comforting the bereaved instead of judging the souls of the dead. With its deeply humanistic poetry and lush harmonies, it is seen by many as the most transcendent choral work of the Romantic period. This lovely work is perfectly paired with two sublime and devotional Bach motets: O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht and Ich habe genug.
Jonelle Sills, soprano
Brett Polegato, baritone
Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor

Codebreaker
2027-04-24 19:30 - 22:00 | St. Matthews Centre, 54 Benton Street, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
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Tickets on sales soon!
This is a powerful depiction of the brilliant and tragic life of Alan Turing, mathematician and father of computer science. By breaking Nazi codes, Turing helped the Allies win the Second World War. Yet later he was brutally persecuted for his sexuality. Benedict Cumberbatch, the Oscar-nominated actor who portrayed Turing in the film The Imitation Game, attended the premiere of Codebreaker and described it as “a humanizing connection with the spirit of a beautiful man.”
Grand Philharmonic Choir
Mark Vuorinen, conductor
