As if hearing your favourite songs from movies such as Titanic and The Lion King being performed in the classical form surrounded by countless candles isn’t enough to tease out your inner romantic, this Candlelight Valentine’s Day concert is being performed by Canada’s premier film music orchestra, FILMharmonic Orchestra. Under the direction of Francis Choinière, one of CBC’s “30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30,” the collective sound of 30 musicians will shake the genre’s traditional core.
On February 8, you’re going to want to find your seats at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, the setting for Candlelight’s first concert in Ottawa featuring an orchestra. Not only is this an opportunity to get your day of love celebrations in early, but it’s also the chance to discover what happens when timeless love songs meet the power of FILMharmonic’s world-class Canadian performers.
Candlelight Orchestra: Valentine’s Day Special ft. “Romeo and Juliet” and More
Valentine’s Day is a gentle nudge in the right direction to remind us to treasure one another and do something more spontaneous. Revisit that initial spark while attending a concert honouring some of love’s greatest moments on the screen, in opera, and more. Engage in stolen glances and hold hands as musicians who have already performed concerts at the likes of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier take on Debussy’s Clair de Lune, “Meditation” from Thaïs, Mancini’s “Moon River”, and more moving melodies.
The FILMharmonic Orchestra and Francis Choinière
Classical music is often dismissed as belonging to a serious and erudite genre that’s almost daunting to approach, enter the FILMharmonic Orchestra. Established in 2015 by Denis Chabot, it aims to make the classical form more accessible by consciously playing to a “new and inclusive audience”. As well as having performed with the legendary likes of Stacey Kent, Andrea Bocelli, and Stevie Wonder, the ensemble has also recorded three albums.
In the versatile hands of Francis Choinière, co-artistic director and principal conductor, the FILMharmonic continues to thrive. Choinière acted as chorus master and collaborative conductor for performances with Sarah Brightman, Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawad, and more. And now a starry-eyed audience can discover his passion and the exceptional vigour of the orchestra together at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.
Look no further than this captivating concert as an alternative to the traditional bunch of roses or the unoriginal, that sounds harsh but true, box of chocolates. “Near, far, wherever you are”, a concert bathed in the glow of thousands of candles is not easily forgotten.