Watch above: This year, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is bringing home more Saskatchewan talent than ever before. In the last installment of our series on the orchestra, Joel Senick shows us how the group allowed one artist to say thank you.
SASKATOON – For pianist Thomas Yu, a recent Saskatoon homecoming offered an opportunity to do something he had never done before: perform with the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra (SSO).
“It’s a very special moment and I hope tonight will just create a memory for me for my entire life,” said Yu, before his Nov. 22 performance at TCU Place.
Yu is one example of a purposeful effort by the SSO to feature more Saskatchewan born or raised artists this season than ever before.
“It was time to bring these people home and get them celebrated on our local stage,” said Mark Turner, SSO executive director.
“Some of them are, you know, Juno winners, Grammy nominees, internationally renowned musicians.”
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SSO Music Director Victor Sawa said supporting home grown talent is “very important, because they need support.”
“I mean, who’s going to give it them, because every other province is supporting their own, if we don’t support our own, it dies.”
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Yu grew up in Saskatoon and studied at the University of Saskatchewan before moving to Calgary where he owns a private dental practice.
“One thing that Saskatoon did that most cities don’t, is that they supported the local artist, even before the local artists became an international artist,” said Yu, who has played for audiences in places like Tokyo, Paris, Chicago and Rio de Janeiro.
“In Saskatoon I was just accepted from the first note and that’s what really, really developed my playing.”
Yu is one of 14 Saskatchewan artists slated to perform with the orchestra this season.
University of Saskatchewan graduate and prize-winning soprano Chelsea Mahan recently returned from Montreal to make an appearance with the SSO. In March, soprano Danika Lorèn will make her debut with the SSO. Lorèn lives in Ontario, has performed in Italy and is a graduate of Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon.
“People think about classical music as being something that happens in big cities like Toronto or New York, but this is proof that classical music is happening right here,” said Turner.
Yu said that growing up on the Prairies has played a role in his playing style and how he artistically understands music.
“We understand what it’s like to see the sky, the clouds moving, the wind blowing in your face, the sun shining down on your back,” said Yu.
“All of those elements of nature really come through with playing and you need that kind of society.”
He added that he was happy with Turner and the SSO for focusing their efforts on bringing local talent back to the city.
“It’s great for the community to see what they produced,” said Yu.
“It’s like a way for me to especially say thank you to everything you’ve done for me because you created me in many ways.”
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