Strathcona Symphony Orchestra Presents December Concerts 2025

Strathcona Symphony Welcomes New Music Director, Kenji Fuse to the Comox Valley

Debuting as Music Director for the Strathcona Symphony Orchestra (SSO), Kenji Fusé is offering concertgoers an exciting range of pieces from traditional classical works to seasonal favourites with the winter performances titled “Transitions.” The first concerts for the SSO 2025-26 season are on Saturday, December 6th (7 pm) and Sunday, December 7th (2 pm) at Courtenay’s Filberg Centre, and will be highly coveted tickets in the local performing arts calendar.

“I chose the concert title because it has a double meaning,” said Mr. Fusé. “Firstly, it refers to the change of seasons, from autumn to winter. The repertoire reflects this, with the opening piece, Fall Fair, by the beloved Canadian composer, Godfrey Ridout, and transitioning to Christmas favourites.”

“Fall Fair is as much a classical piece of orchestral ‘Canadian Content’ as one can get,” he said. “I fell in love with this delightful work when I performed it in my high school orchestra, around the same time I started conducting the string orchestra. In the future, the SSO will be presenting incredible works by living Canadian composers that speak truly of our times and place.”

“On a second level, the program title also alludes to the growth of the SSO,” Fusé said. “The second half will present the complete performance of Beethoven’s iconic and powerful Symphony No. 5.”

“The 5th is very recognizable, but it is much more than catchy rhythms, gorgeous melodies and dramatic outbursts,” he said. “The composer manages to take the unforgettable four note introduction and spin them into an incredible web of music.”

“It is mind-boggling how much music Beethoven creates by moving these four notes around, in different disguises. The four-note riff keeps coming back in later movements and this effect creates a sort of ‘concept album’ a century ahead of its time.”

For future concerts, Mr. Fusé will continue to breathe life into the traditional classical repertoire and maintain the SSO as part of the living Canadian culture by performing incredible works by living Canadian composers.

Mr. Fusé hopes that the SSO’s ambitious December repertoire will grow the support of the local community and music loving audiences of all ages.

Tickets for Transitions can be purchased at https://strathcona-symphony-orchestra.tickit.ca/. Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $15 for children twelve and under.

For more information, please visit www.strathconasymphony.ca or the SSO’s Facebook page