From a full orchestra on the stage of Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts back to a living-room conversation in the summer of 2014, here are the moments that have shaped Strings Attached Orchestra, newest first. Tap any thumbnail to open the original programme, poster, article or letter.
2026
August 13, 2026 · 2026 Summer Concert at Earl Bales Park
An evening concert at Earl Bales Park to wrap up the season.
June 28, 2026 · 2026 Season Finale – e•motion
Dances by Bartók, Copland, Piazzolla and Strauss, Mahler’s Adagietto, and Bob Baker’s “The Gathering of Eagles”, at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts.
March – April 2026 · Community concerts
We play for residents at Castleview Wychwood Towers (March 31), and a string quartet from the orchestra performs at Amica Thornhill (April 22).
February 2, 2026 · Side by side with students
The full orchestra plays side by side with the St. Andrew’s Middle School student orchestra.
2025
December 14, 2025 · 2025 Holiday Concert – Baroque Reflections
More than forty musicians play Handel, Purcell and holiday favourites at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts.
Thanks to our 2025–26 supporters: Wood Foundation, Family Dentistry in Maple, Sutton by the Lake, Earl Bales Community Centre.
2025 · 2025 Ontario Shores Community Concert
A holiday-season community concert at Ontario Shores, shared on Instagram on December 4, 2025.
July 29, 2025 · Earl Bales Summer Concert Series
A free outdoor concert at the Barry Zukerman Amphitheatre, Earl Bales Park.
June 22, 2025 · 2025 SÓL FEST
Strings Attached Orchestra performs at SÓL FEST at the Prosserman JCC.
June 8, 2025 · 2025 Season Finale – A Field Full of Folk
Folk songs from Canada, England, Hungary and Slovakia, then Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts.
March – May 2025 · Community concerts
Concerts for residents at Castleview Wychwood Towers (March 30), Chartwell Gibson (April 27), Delmanor Northtown (May 21) and Cummer Lodge (May 25).
Thanks to our 2024–25 supporters: Wood Foundation, Family Dentistry in Maple, Sutton by the Lake, Brewing Brokers.
2024
December 15, 2024 · 2024 Holiday Concert – Romance Departed
At Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts, marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death with his music and that of other Romantic-era composers.
June 23, 2024 · 2024 Season Finale – Celebrating Our Musical Families
Musical highlights from past seasons alongside new repertoire, at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.
April 14, 2024 · Community concert at Castleview Wychwood Towers
The orchestra plays for residents at Castleview Wychwood Towers.
2023
December 17, 2023 · 2023 Holiday Concert, sold out
A sold-out holiday concert at the Al Green Theatre.
Milestone: our 10th season and 10th annual Holiday Concert. From the programme book: “We are very excited to be marking our tenth season!”
Thanks to our 2023–24 supporters: Graphic Art Group, CIBC Wood Gundy, PhotoBenchers, Family Dentistry in Maple, Sutton by the Lake, Crowe Soberman LLP, Harvey Kalles Real Estate, Lakefield Music, Apex Educational Consulting Services Inc., Acmedent Corporation.
June 25, 2023 · 2023 Season Finale
At the Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC, with guest artists.
Thanks to our 2022–23 supporters: Graphic Art Group, CIBC Wood Gundy, PhotoBenchers, Family Dentistry in Maple, Sutton by the Lake, Crowe Soberman LLP, Harvey Kalles Real Estate, Lakefield Music, Apex Educational Consulting Services Inc., Acmedent Corporation, Shower Door of Canada, Cakes by Robert.
2022
December 11, 2022 · 2022 Holiday Concert
In a new venue, the Leah Posluns Theatre, we give the public premiere of the string-orchestra version of Itamar Danziger’s “From Darkness into Light on Hanukkah”, with the composer present.
November 23, 2022 · School concert
A chamber group from the orchestra performs for students at a local primary school.
September 2022 · Jonathan Wong becomes Music Director
Jonathan Wong is appointed Music Director and Conductor.
June 26, 2022 · 2022 Season Finale: back on stage
Back in person at the MacMillan Theatre, with pianist Dr. Shoshana Telner (Mozart) and Tracy Chan on ruan. It is Matthew Poon’s farewell concert.
Thanks to our 2021–22 supporters: Sutton by the Lake, CIBC Wood Gundy, PhotoBenchers, Manulife Securities, Lakefield Music, Shower Door of Canada, Cakes by Robert, Apex Educational Consulting Services Inc., Graphic Art Group, George Heinl & Co. Limited, Mourguet Jewellery, Shaw Festival, Soulpepper, Stratford Festival, The Sound Post, Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
2021
December 12, 2021 · 2021 Holiday Concert
Live-streamed on Zoom with a limited in-person audience: Mozart’s Divertimento in F major, K. 138, Terra Aria, The Carman’s Whistle, the Theme from “Exodus” with Hymn to Freedom, and music from Zelda: Link’s Awakening and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, along with solo performances by members.
Summer – Fall 2021 · Back together
In the summer, members gather to play outdoors in a member’s backyard, and in the fall full in-person rehearsals resume.
June 13, 2021 · 2021 Season Finale
Music from Piazzolla’s Libertango, Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite and the Allegretto of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 to Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, plus film and TV themes from Castle in the Sky, Star Trek and The Godfather, with Matthew Poon talking about the season.
2020
December 20, 2020 · 2020 Holiday Concert, on Zoom
A “social distance style” holiday concert online, introduced by Matthew Poon.
March 2020 · Making music apart
Our last in-person rehearsal before the COVID-19 pandemic is on March 9, 2020. Members keep playing together online, with Monday rehearsals and theory lessons on Zoom and an online cabaret to close our sixth season; our seventh season continues online, with ensemble videos recorded part by part.
2019
December 15, 2019 · 2019 Holiday Concert
Holiday concert at Congregation B’nai Torah, Matthew Poon’s first holiday concert with SAO.
September 2019 · Matthew Poon becomes Music Director
Matthew Poon takes the podium as Music Director and Conductor.
June 2, 2019 · 2019 Season Finale and a tribute to Ric Giorgi
Our 2019 Season Finale at the Isabel Bader Theatre closes five years with founding conductor Ric Giorgi, who grew SAO from 18 to 42 players and led concerts at venues from Sunnybrook’s Warriors’ Hall and Castleview-Whychwood Towers to the Granite Club.
2018
December 16, 2018 · 2018 Holiday Concert
Holiday concert at Congregation B’nai Torah, with music from Gluck’s Overture to Orfeo and Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 to songs by the Beatles, “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” and “Nessun Dorma”.
June 3, 2018 · 2018 Year End Concert
At the Isabel Bader Theatre, with music from Handel and Grieg to Ric Giorgi’s “Ray’s Bossa 3”.
November 2017 – May 2018 · Community concerts
Concerts at the Terraces of Baycrest (November 2017 and April 2018) and the Village of Humber Heights (May 2018). The YCI 2018 contest offers prizes courtesy of Geo. Heinl & Co.
2017
December 10, 2017 · 2017 Holiday Concert
Holiday concert at Congregation B’nai Torah.
Thanks to our 2017–18 supporters: Section15.ca, TD Bank Group, Graphic Art Group, Sutton by the Lake, Family Dentistry in Maple, Manulife Securities, Crowe Soberman LLP, Harvey Kalles Real Estate, ADR Chambers, Rush Ventures, CIBC Wood Gundy, PhotoBenchers, George Heinl & Co. Limited, Bathurst Dundas Dental Centre, Glomalin, Silver+Goren, Blaney McMurtry LLP, Dr. Gayle Wagman & Dr. Michelle Crystal, Lakefield Music.
November 26, 2017 · Joint concert with the Orangeville Show Chorus
Two performances at Westminster United Church, Orangeville; the matinee sells out.
2016
December 11, 2016 · 2016 Holiday Concert
Holiday concert at Congregation B’nai Torah.
Thanks to our 2016–17 supporters: Sing “All of Us”, Rush Ventures, Harvey Kalles Real Estate, Cowan Insurance Group, Kaplan Law, Crowe Soberman LLP, ADR Chambers, CIBC Wood Gundy, Sutton by the Lake, George Heinl & Co. Limited, Assante Wealth Management, Silver+Goren, Dr. Gayle Wagman & Dr. Michelle Crystal, Walt Physiotherapy, Lakefield Music, Traverse Press, Epstein Cole LLP.
June 5, 2016 · 2016 Year End Concert
At the Tribute Communities Recital Hall, York University, with the world premiere of the YCI 2016 winning piece, “Cassiopeia”, and Ric Giorgi’s own “Overture to a Puppet Show”.
Greetings again in 2016: Both wrote again for our second Year End Concert, with new letters. “The Strings Attached Orchestra is a community orchestra that believes in the power of music to mobilize, influence and change lives,” said Mayor Tory, while Premier Wynne applauded our members “for their commitment to bringing the beauty and refinement of string orchestra music to hospitals, retirement homes and diverse communities across Ontario.” Read the 2016 letters (PDF)
February – May 2016 · Community concerts
Bernard Betel Centre (February 21, sponsored in part by Sing All of Us), the Terraces of Baycrest (April 3) and Sunnybrook Veterans’ Wing (May 22).
2015
December 13, 2015 · 2015 Holiday Concert
Holiday concert at Congregation B’nai Torah, with arrangements by our Composer in Residence.
Thanks to our 2015–16 supporters: TD Bank Group, Sing “All of Us”, ADR Chambers, George Heinl & Co. Limited, M Partners, CIBC Wood Gundy, Sutton by the Lake, Traverse Press, Silver+Goren, Lakefield Music, The Lung Association – Ontario, Assante Wealth Management, TorontoDesigned, Epstein Cole LLP, Robyn’s Cookies, Rain Spa & Salon, Dr. Gayle Wagman & Dr. Michelle Crystal, Congregation B’nai Torah Sisterhood.
September – November 2015 · Community concerts
“The Science of Sound” at Palmerston Library Theatre (September 21), then the Terraces of Baycrest (November 15, sponsored in part by ADR Chambers) and Christie Gardens (November 26).
August 2015 · Composer in Residence and the Young Composers Initiative
Violist Charles Heller is named our first Composer in Residence for 2015–16, and we launch the Young Composers Initiative (YCI) for composers aged 16 and under.
June 14, 2015 · 2015 Year End Concert
Our first Year End Concert, at the George Ignatieff Theatre, plays to a sold-out house. The programme includes the orchestral premiere of “Montreal” by the Honourable Donald J. Johnston, P.C., O.C., Q.C., former federal Cabinet minister and head of the OECD, arranged by R. Zaldivar and R. Giorgi.
Greetings from the Premier and the Mayor: In their letters for our first Year End Concert, Premier Kathleen Wynne wrote, “The concerts always delight audiences with passionate performances that are imbued with a sense of joy.” Mayor John Tory added, “Music is a powerful tool of expression that bridges cultural, ethnic and social differences and brings people together.” Read the 2015 letters (PDF)
March – May 2015 · Sponsored community concerts
Concerts at the Bernard Betel Centre (March 15), Grenadier Retirement Residence (April 26) and Sunnybrook’s Veterans’ Wing (May 31), sponsored by M Partners, Crowe Soberman and RML Consulting.
February 2015 · In the press again
The WholeNote’s February issue covers our first Friends & Family concert and Senator Nancy Ruth’s guest appearance. The WholeNote, February 2015
January 14, 2015 · A letter from Senator Nancy Ruth
After playing tambourine with us at the Holiday Concert, Senator Nancy Ruth writes: “This is a great orchestra to join up with.” (read the letter)
2014
December 16, 2014 · Chamber group concert
A trio of SAO members plays a children’s holiday programme at the Loving Care Centre.
Thanks to our 2014–15 supporters: George Heinl & Co. Limited, M Partners, Crowe Soberman LLP, RML Consulting, Sing “All of Us”, Sutton by the Lake, The Spice Trader, Traverse Press, ESPE, Sun Life Financial, Silver+Goren, Lakefield Music, The Lung Association – Ontario, Energy Healing Plus, Sutton Group-Admiral Realty, Epstein Cole LLP, TorontoDesigned, Walt Physiotherapy, Inukshuk Management, Congregation B’nai Torah Sisterhood.
December 7, 2014 · 2014 Holiday Concert
Our first holiday concert, at Congregation B’nai Torah, draws over 200 people and a standing ovation. Senator Nancy Ruth joins the percussion section.
December 2014 · In the press: The WholeNote
Jack MacQuarrie introduces “a new community ensemble” in his WholeNote column, noting that the group already had over 25 members. The WholeNote, December 2014 / January 2015
November 16, 2014 · Community concert at Baycrest
The 2014–15 Community Concert Series opens at the Terraces of Baycrest.
September 2014 · Rehearsals begin
About 18 string players begin Monday-night rehearsals under founding conductor Ric Giorgi, in the Bathurst and Sheppard area.
Summer 2014 · The Original 5
In a living room in the Greater Toronto Area, Claire Morris, Bonnie Wasser, Sarah Heller, Ruth Levenstein and Ric Giorgi plan an inclusive, member-driven community string orchestra. Our website goes up in July 2014.
With thanks to our founding sponsor, George Heinl & Co. Limited, whose generosity “helped build our community orchestra from an idea into a reality.”
See more on our Concert Schedule and Gallery pages.
