Taking place April 1st to April 5th, 2023
Each concert season, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra hosts the Composer Festival with events throughout our community.
The Composer Festival takes a deep dive into the world of a composer featured on our Mainstage, exploring the historical context and cultural influences of some of the biggest names in western classical music.
Join your HPO for a full week of events celebrating the life, music and influence of Franz Schubert!
This year the HPO will take you around Hamilton with talks and performances highlighting the incredible body of work Schubert created in his short lifetime.
Upcoming events:
- Share your musical talents with your favourite Schubert movement at our Community Recital.
- Get cozy and casual with the Brass Quintet at a local brewery.
- Travel through history with our Composer-in-Residence at fascinating talks.
Don’t forget to join us at FirstOntario Concert Hall when we cap the festival off with our mainstage concert, An Evening with Schubert.
Composer Festival Events
Schubert Community Recital
Registration for the community recital will be open until Wednesday, March 22. *Registration form is below
Saturday, April 1st
Time: 2:00 PM
St. Paul’s United Church (29 Park St W, Dundas)
Free event, registration to participate is required.
Join the HPO for an afternoon to celebrate music-making! Community musicians of all ages and experience levels are invited to perform a movement of their favourite Schubert piece or song. As Schubert is known for his numerous compositions for solo voice and piano, we invite vocalists to participate in this year’s recital with piano accompaniment in addition to instrumental performers.
This event is an opportunity for community musicians to perform in a welcoming space for an audience of their peers, friends and family. Please note that this is a non-adjudicated, community outreach event for amateur musicians and students; more seasoned musicians are also encouraged to participate if interested. This event is FREE for both performers and audience members.
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte hosts this event with a special performance from an HPO ensemble! Performers and audience members are invited to stay after the recital for coffee, tea and treats.
Registration to participate has closed. Please join us as an audience member for this free performance!
Schubert Happy Hour
Monday, April 3rd
Time: 5:30 PM
Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. (65 Hatt St., Dundas)
$35 advance, $45 at door (taxes and fees included)
Shake the Monday blues and join the HPO Brass Quintet for a special Happy Hour performance at Shawn & Ed Brewing Co in the heart of Dundas! Part of the HPO’s Composer Festival celebrating the work of Franz Schubert, hear the brass quintet play a unique selection of works by Schubert and his contemporaries, while enjoying curated beer pairings. Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte guides audiences through tasting notes of the Shawn & Ed brews while the Brass Quintet entertain with their signature wit and lively performance style.
Thank you to Shawn & Ed Brewing Co. for supporting this concert!
The Influence of Franz Schubert
*Registration required
Co-presented with The Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art (HAALSA)
Wednesday, April 5th
Time: 7:30 PM
St. Paul’s United Church (29 Park St W, Dundas)
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte takes us on a journey through the life, music and cultural influences of Franz Schubert in this fascinating talk presented in collaboration with the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science an Art (HAALSA). Explore the music world of the late Classical and early Romantic eras and hear Abigail’s piano demonstrations of key works by Schubert and his contemporaries.
*REGISTER HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/7PhYYrU8Be
3D Sculptor and CG Artist Hadi Karimi.
Schubert: His Life and Music
Free event, no registration required
Hamilton Public Library (55 York Blvd)
Thursday, April 6th
Time: 11:00 AM
The HPO Composer Festival dives into the life and music of Franz Schubert. Active in the late Classical and early Romantic eras, Schubert is perhaps best known as the composer of Ave Maria.
Join HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte in the Hamilton Room at the HPL Central Branch to learn the fascinating journey and impact of Schubert, with piano demonstrations of some of his most significant works.
Schubert: His Life and Music
*Free event, registration is required
Burlington Public Library (2331 New St., Burlington)
Thursday, April 6th
Time: 2:00 PM
The HPO Composer Festival dives into the life and music of Franz Schubert. Active in the late Classical and early Romantic eras, Schubert is perhaps best known as the composer of Ave Maria.
Join HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte at the BPL Central Branch to learn the fascinating journey and impact of Schubert, with piano demonstrations of some of his most significant works.
*Register here: https://attend.bpl.on.ca/event/8148537
Talk and Tea: Schubert
Friday, April 14
Time: 11:00 AM
FirstOntario Concert Hall Stage Door (10 MacNab St. South)
HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte explores the lives and music of composers featured on our Mainstage! Ahead of our April 15 concert An Evening with Schubert, we’re exploring the life of Austrian composer Franz Schubert. Talk & Tea audiences can enjoy light refreshments during this fascinating presentation before going into the concert hall for a sneak peek at an HPO rehearsal.
Thank you to Caroline Place for sponsoring the 22-23 Talk & Tea Series!
An Evening with Schubert
Saturday, April 15th
Time: 7:30 PM
FirstOntario Concert Hall (1 Summers Lane)
We cap off this season’s Composer Festival with our Mainstage concert An Evening with Schubert featuring guest soprano Alexandra Smither.
Thank you to our sponsor Effort Trust for supporting this concert!
