Red Deer Symphony Orchestra opens 40th season at Polytechnic Arts Centre
Music director Claude Lapalme has led the orchestra for 37 of its 40 years, since taking over from founder Howard Mar in the late 1980s.
The Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (RDSO) kicked off its 40th season this week, opening 40 years to the day after its home venue, the Red Deer Polytechnic Arts Centre, first opened on Oct. 17, 1986.
The orchestra was founded in 1987 by conductor Howard Mar, who secured $165,000 in seed money from the Red Deer branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, along with two government grants and private donations. Mar led the RDSO for three years before a national search brought in Claude Lapalme, who was 28 at the time and has remained music director and conductor for 37 of the organization's 40 years.
Lapalme, a Juno Award winner, said the RDSO has grown more polished over the decades even without the resources of larger orchestras in Calgary and Edmonton, crediting strong relationships among musicians and improved private music instruction across Central Alberta. He said the orchestra aims to stay further integrated into the city's artistic life while balancing tradition with new creative approaches.
The RDSO's 40th season includes its Main Series along with community programming, such as an open rehearsal on Oct. 17 and a Halloween performance called 'A Grave Occasion' at Symphony at the Snell. Tickets for the season remain available through rdso.ca.
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