A new symphony orchestra in the region is doing away with tradition to bring music to the ears of rural listeners away from the bright lights and busy streets of the city.
Rather than seek out large venues that seat thousands, the 60-member Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra is targeting small communities surrounding Calgary to perform an array of classical tunes from Mozart to Beethoven.
The orchestra has performances lined up in Okotoks, Strathmore and Turner Valley this fall.
“Just because you live in a small town doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have access to great world-class music,” said Carlos Foggin, founder of the orchestra. “If Calgary can support one orchestra, surely eight or 10 small towns can support one. Just because you live in a small town doesn’t mean you can’t have world-class cultural activities.”
Foggin, both the founder and conductor of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, grew up in a small town where his parents had to drive him 80 minutes to Lethbridge for his piano lessons.
Now a classical pianist of 20 years with a degree in pipe organ performance and conducting from the University of Calgary, Foggin is a big city performer with a curriculum vitae that includes the Calgary Civic Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Calgary Opera, Alberta Winds and Calgary Community Orchestra.
Yet, getting family to attend his concerts was becoming a struggle.
“My sister was in Strathmore and she was always lamenting that it’s so far to go and see events I was playing at, whether I was working with the symphony or opera,” he said. “You’ve got to get in the car by five and you’re not home until midnight. I thought ‘What can I do to get my nieces and nephews to see the performances?’”
Foggin suggested the idea of a touring orchestra to his peers.
“Between the people I went to university with and professional networks I built up over 20 years I had a base of people who would perform a great orchestra,” he said, adding members are from Calgary, Okotoks, High River, Fort Macleod and other surrounding communities.
Since the orchestra was formed in June, Foggin has been sending each player their music and requirements. A week before each concert, they will gather in Calgary for a few days to rehearse, he said.
“I’m a music director of a large church and many of our players are orchestra and band teachers so they have great access to high schools facilities,” he said. “We can get free rehearsal space in Calgary.”
Concerts are scheduled this fall in Okotoks on Sept. 23 at the Okotoks United Church, Strathmore Sept. 24, Calgary Nov. 18 and Turner Valley at the Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Hall Nov. 19.
Foggin aims to expand even further with performances in Rosebud, Olds and Cochrane.
“If it’s within an hour and a half of Calgary and there is a place to play we would like to get there once a year,” he said.
Classical music may seem intimidating to those who never watched an orchestra concert in action, but Foggin said the music is actually quite accessible.
“Most people are scared that classical music is going to be out of their league, that they don’t know anything about it and are not going to understand it,” he said. “If there is something tricky we are going to talk about it and go through it together.”
Foggin said audiences will recognize each piece that will be performed at the upcoming concerts.
“Even if you have never been a classical music person, for every piece you will say, ‘I know that, that’s from this movie or that movie,’” he said. “I hope we can help some people discover that deep down inside, whether they knew it or not, orchestra music is actually pretty cool.”
While the performance will be high in quality, Foggin said players won’t be dressed in tails and starched shirts.
Okotoks viola player Tyler Langdon has performed with Foggin at Christmas concerts and other Calgary performances. He said he was ecstatic when Foggin shared his idea of a touring orchestra.
He said the group consists of a combination of amateur musicians and those with post secondary training.
“I consider myself an amateur musician,” he said. “I’ve never formally studied music at a post secondary level, but I do take lessons every once in a while to keep my chops up.”
Langdon began playing the violin 23 years ago and the viola just a few years later in high school. He’s performed in the Lethbridge Symphony, Symphony of the Kootenays, chamber groups in Salt Lake City and the Calgary Civic Symphony.
He said he likes that Foggin chooses music that is familiar to audiences of various backgrounds.
“People, even if they don’t think they know it, are going to hear these melodies and go, ‘I’ve heard that before,’” he said.
Tickets to see the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra cost $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $18 for children ages 6 to 11. Those purchased at the door cost $30, $25 and $20 respectively.
To buy tickets to an upcoming show and for more details go to rockymountainsymphony.ca
