Since joining the Guelph Symphony Orchestra (GSO) as musical director last year, Adam Johnson looks forward to a new season of creating a truly special experience for audiences.
On Sunday at 3 p.m., the GSO will open the season with Symphonic Soundscapes at the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate.
Johnson will conduct a colourful program about storytelling with music from Disney’s Fantasia including the Firebird Suite and A Night on Bald Mountain.
"It's an exciting season ahead. For our first concert, people might be familiar with Disney's Fantasia. Both pieces of music are vivid and dramatic," Johnson said.
"We also have songs from French composer Joseph Canteloube based on old folk melodies that are just heartbreakingly beautiful. There is something about ancient folklore that is so profound. It is directly from the human heart."
The concert will feature soprano Midori Marsh and will conclude with the University of Guelph Choir.
"I have never met anyone who has come to a symphony concert and has not been impressed. There is something really special about having 50 musicians on stage, in this case, in a beautiful church," Johnson said. "It's always a moving experience."
For Johnson, nothing can replace a live concert.
"Recorded music is wonderful, but at a live concert, we definitely do feel a connection with the audience," Johnson said.
"Even if we were to perform the same music, night after night, every night would be different because the relationship with the audience is different."
Johnson believes music is particularly powerful as it is an art form used as a way of communicating.
"There really is something about a live performance that is spontaneous and tangible. Communication happens, not just through sound, but through energy as well,' he said. "Also, studies show that at a live concert, people's heart rates align, skin temperatures normalize and we really do have a community experience."
If unfamiliar with classical music, no need to fret.
"People might think they are not familiar with the symphony orchestra, but the reality is people are exposed to symphony orchestras everyday through film, T.V., and radio. It's always there because it's one of the best ways to communicate emotion," Johnson said.
"Sometimes I hear people say, well I don't know anything. And my answer is you don't have to know. You just sit and enjoy and just take it as it comes."
Johnson's passion for classical music began as a teenager.
"There's lots of young people who enjoy classical music. It's for all ages," he said. "But each age range, I think gets something different from it."
GSO also aims to make concerts affordable.
"It's not an expensive evening out, especially considering the value that you get from it. We want people to have a wonderful experience," Johnson said.
"These genius composers are able to bring us a sense of wonder and awe, and all of these wonderful emotions that I think a symphony orchestra and classical music are great at."
Maestro Johnson made his debut as GSO musical director at the opening of the 2023 season at the River Run Centre last October.
"It's been fabulous. I have developed such a great relationship with both the orchestra and patrons," Johnson said.
"One of the nice things about getting to work with a group regularly is getting to know each other. It means that you can go deeper and more quickly in the rehearsal process. I think we've been having a lot of fun together on stage, and for me, I've been getting to know a lot of people in the community. It has been so nice to deepen these relationships."
For Johnson, Guelph really is beginning to feel like a second home.
"I grew up in Hinton, Alberta, near Jasper. I did my bachelors at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and then moved to Montreal for graduate studies as a pianist," he said.
The award-winning conductor has been hailed as “an exciting talent” and for his “charismatic and commanding presence” on the podium.
He completed his tenure as assistant conductor of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM) in 2018, and was named conductor-in-residence for the 2018-2019 season. He has conducted over 70 concerts with the OSM.
Internationally, Johnson has conducted at the Opéra National de Paris as well as in Spain, Germany and the United States. Prior to his tenure in Montreal, Johnson worked for three seasons with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and continues to regularly guest conduct orchestras across Canada. He has also just been appointed as the music director of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.
"There are so many things that I love about what I do. Musically speaking, it's wonderful to spend time with the greatest composers that ever lived. There's a huge variety. When music is further back in history, and we are still performing it, this is because it's something that is so wonderful and has endured the test of time," Johnson said.
"And then of course, the sound of the orchestra, itself. To bring a group of musicians together, to create something this tangible harmony on stage and then to have that shared energy on stage exchanged with the energy in the audience, it really is special."
For more information about the upcoming Guelph Symphony Orchestra season and for tickets, visit here.
"Classical music can be relaxing, but it can also be very powerful. Anyone who has not experienced it yet, I encourage them to come to a concert. We want to let people know that once they discover the symphony, it can really enrich their lives. And that's our mission, to bring this richness to Guelph," Johnson said.
"For anyone coming to a concert this season, they will get a different experience every time."
