Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Tickets

Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra In Concert

The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, located in Hamilton, Ontario, is one of Canada’s premier orchestras. By taking classical music beyond mere entertainment and bringing it into the realm of education and community service, the HPO has sought to distinguish itself as a spectacular musical institution for more than 50 years. 

Founded in 1949, the HPO underwent a transformation in the 1960s when a team comprising Betty Webster, Marnie Paikin, and Larry Paikin started organizing community concerts that ranged from in-school performances for children to blockbuster concerts featuring big-name talents like Philippe Entremont and Maureen Forrester. 

Part of their plan for the orchestra was to hire an aggressive and visionary music director, which they found in 1969 in the form of Boris Brott. Under his reign, the HPO changed from being a community orchestra to a full-time professional orchestra. Despite an increasingly good reputation, the group faced economic hardship as a result of their expansion. But it wasn’t enough to break them. 

In 1979, Canadian Brass, one of the ensembles that seeded the orchestra, became the first brass ensemble to play Carnegie Hall, which gave the HPO some street cred. Additionally, the orchestra was the home of the first female concertmaster in North America: Olive Short, who also happened to be the mother of comedian Martin Short. Brott left the group in 1990, but his shoes have been filled by a number of esteemed conductors, including James Sommerville and New Zealand conductor Gemma New, who has been a champion of contemporary music. 

To this day, the orchestra still has an essential community component. They do daytime school concerts, workshops, and performances at community venues. They even have a Seniors’ Symphony Experience, which includes the popular Seniors’ Talk & Tea Series, with lectures, coffee, tea, treats, and more.