Strathcona Symphony Orchestra Presents Victoria Symphony Concertmaster Terence Tam to Comox Valley and Campbell River

Strathcona Symphony Orchestra (SSO) audiences will experience the power of storytelling by way of music and a commanding performance from Terence Tam, a world-renowned violin soloist and concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony.

Kenji Fusé has been warmly greeted by the community and orchestra members during his first year as the SSO Music Director, and he has chosen the title, The Magic of Music, to wrap up the 2025/26 season. Concerts are Saturday, May 2 @ 7pm (Filberg Centre, Courtenay) and Sunday, May 3 @ 3pm (Campbell River Baptist Church). Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under and will be available for purchase mid-March on the SSO website, https://strathcona-symphony-orchestra.tickit.ca/.

Tam’s career includes solo performances with leading orchestras in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. He has been a top prizewinner of multiple international and national competitions as well as the recipient of numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and Chalmers Foundation of the Ontario Arts Council. He is well-known as a recitalist, chamber musician, educator, and familiar face on the Vancouver Island classical music scene.

Audiences will get to enjoy Tam perform the first movement (Allegro molto appassionato) of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, accompanied by the SSO musicians.

“Mendelssohn’s concerto is one of the most popular classical pieces ever written, and it continues to appeal to and delight the listener,” said Fusé. “The theme of this concert fits with the popularity of this concerto because it alludes to the fact that music generally defies rational explanation for a person’s passion for a piece.”

Many of the compositions for the May concert are based on extraordinary fairy tales (Mozart’s Magic Flute, Kodály’s Háry János and Stravinsky’s The Firebird) or feelings of a nostalgic and magical beauty (Strauss’ Blue Danube Waltz).

“Háry János is a Hungarian folk opera and is based on the hilarious exploits of a bumbling soldier who manages to magically defeat the armies of the tyrannical Napoleon,” said Fusé. “The Firebird tells the story of a young prince captured by evil King Kastchei and the subsequent downfall of the powerful ruler through the intervention of a rare and magical bird.”

The SSO musicians look forward to playing with Terence during the Mendelssohn concerto and experiencing first-hand the power of accompanying such a musical force.

“When I play viola with the Victoria Symphony, and I get to perform with great musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma, I can’t help but learn and gain valuable experience from such an incredible musician,” said Fusé. “I hope that the SSO will greatly benefit from hearing Terence play, up close and personal. I am certain that the orchestra will never forget such a unique encounter to play with such a masterful and brilliant musician.”

The SSO hopes that audiences attending the May event will feel moved by the music and feel the power of the compositions. The music is very challenging, and the orchestra can’t wait to entertain and delight their audiences with such an incredible program to end the season.