Tutta Musica Orchestra celebrate resilience with upcoming performances

Tutta Musica Orchestra brings its OVATION concert series to Fredericton, Saint John and Riverview in March.

When they are not sharing the joys of music with children around the province, the teaching artists of Sistema New Brunswick occasionally find the time to come together to perform as Tutta Musica. The group involves some 50 professional musicians, many of whom are graduates of some of the finest university programs and music conservatories in North and South America. This coming March, members of Tutta Musica, together with nine budding musicians from the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, will perform concerts in Fredericton, Saint John and Riverview to celebrate the Canadian spirit in the wake of COVID-19.

“We wanted to ensure that this piece of history did not end on a negative note,” said Ken McLeod, CEO of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra. “We’re no strangers to notes, so it was with that in mind that we thought of Ovation: Celebrating Everyday Heroes.”

Through themes of courage, resilience and community, this concert series will feature a score commissioned by Canadian composer Jaelem Bhate, supported by a video montage created by Hemmings House Pictures of Saint John, and locally sourced writings, all giving voice to celebrating everyday heroes in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional 48 outreach musical mini concerts featuring iTromboni will be presented in each of the five communities. In a second phase, the OVATION project will serve as a launch pad for Tutta Musica on social networks, including TikTok, where users will be invited to share their testimonials and musical talents with the orchestra.

“Music is a universal language and we wanted our project to reach as many people as possible,” said Jim Tranquilla, the general manager of Tutta Musica. “The pandemic is something that we all experienced together but in our own way. So, the concerts and the use of social networks will allow us to mix experiences and music to create something unique.”