Whether you’ve gone more than a dozen times, or never been to the symphony, there’s something to be said for a short, easily digestible program. No intermission, no fuss, just some of Edmonton’s finest musicians serving up a sampling of classical favourites.
That’s the promise of ESO Pairings, a multi-part concert series offering audiences a chance to sample a night at the symphony.
“For people who are busy, or people who haven’t been enjoying symphonic music for a long time, it’s a great way to start because the music is very accessible,” says Jean-Marie Zeitouni, music director with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
On Friday, March 20, the second instalment in this year’s Pairings series kicks off at the Winspear. Dubbed Beethoven & Beer, the event showcases Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony Pastoral — a piece perhaps most well recognized from its roles in Disney’s Fantasia (and later parodied in The Simpsons) — as well as Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. On Friday, June 12, the Pairing concert will feature Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff.
“Just to be clear, the music is not any less interesting because the concert is shorter,” laughs Zeitouni. “It’s really substantial, beautiful playing. And the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony, is an absolute masterpiece of creativity. It’s enough in itself to make an evening out of it.”
The bite-sized concert has a runtime of just over an hour long and, as an added bonus, includes one food or beverage item. The casual nature of the night, as well as interactive elements after the show, make for a low-key, unpretentious approach to a night at the orchestra.
“After the show, musicians come back in the lobby, and people can chat with them. It’s fun for us as the musicians, because we get to know the audience,” says Zeitouni. “For the audience, the symphony orchestra might be a strange kind of organism, so you get to demystify everything that there is about it and still enjoy what I think are the best parts of it, which are the artistry and the grandeur of symphonic music, all in an unstarched package.”
Beethoven & Beer | Friday, March 20, 2026.
Rachmaninoff on the Rocks | Friday, June 12, 2026.
