On Thursday, March 17th, my friend and I had the opportunity to attend the Calgary Philharmonic’s show “Rush Hour // Northern Exposure: Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor” down at the Jack Singer Concert Hall. Totally spontaneous (shoutout to our band teacher, Mr. Gingrich, for the tickets!), we headed down to the concert hall for 6:30pm for an hour of entertainment, and let me tell you: it was so worth it.
The CPO’s Rush shows for anyone who doesn’t know, are hour long shows that can be a nice outing after work or school, yet not take up the whole evening. By 6:30 that evening, I was beat. Despite my love of music, I wasn’t particularly ready to hunker down for a three hour show, so the length was just right. My friend and I were seated on the ground level, about five or six rows from the stage in the very middle of the section. I was pleased to see people of all shapes, sizes and ages there. I spotted kids as young as seven and the odd elderly couples having their date night, proving that the symphony is for all ages.
The show opened with Jean Sibelius’ “Finlandia”, which was explosive and captivating. Finlandia is probably one of the most well known compositions by the Finnish Composer. Even if the name is unfamiliar, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard the song somewhere.
Soon after the first song was finished, Grammy and Emmy award winning conductor Roberto Minczuk invited American pianist and guest artist, Conrad Tao, to the stage. At just 21 years of age, Tao is certainly gaining a reputation in the classical music scene, and for good reason. Playing fervently, Conrad is a 
musician like no other. I’ve never seen anyone play so enthusiastically, and the emotion he expressed through his playing could be felt in the atmosphere of the concert hall. I can’t describe what it was like to a T, and simply put, to experience it you must simply go.
My friend and I are both multi-instrumentalists and we’ve had the lucky experience of being a part of William Aberhart High School’s first strings class. Both her and I have been learning cello since the start of the school year, and personally, seeing this show was quite literally awe-inspiring. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I glanced at my friend, my mouth agape in a state of reverence, wondering if she felt the same wonder as I did, to which occasionally we’d share excited glances that said something along the lines of “Did you just hear that?!”
All in all, the night was perfect. Not too short nor not too long, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra put on a great show. If you know me personally, it won’t come as a surprise when I admit I can’t stop talking about the show. It left me feeling inspired and in a good mood and I wish I could go back.
Sadly, if you want to go see Conrad Tao you’re out of luck unless you plan on travelling to North Carolina or Malaysia, in the near future. However, the CPO constantly has new featured artists joining them so if you’re interested, you can check out future events here. Whether you’re on a date or enjoying a casual outing with friends, a night at the CPO is a wise choice that definitely won’t disappoint.
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