Cambridge Symphony Orchestra set to kick off 19th season

A brand new season of the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra will begin this Saturday.

This year’s ‘Orchestral Music for All’ will have seven concerts between Oct. 21 and May 31. Some of the shows include two Christmas themed shows in December and a special appearance at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall in November.

Michael Lawrie, the Chair of the Cambridge Symphony, said the last few years have been a struggle, but they are optimistic about their future.

“We are viable and really looking forward to this upcoming season,” said Lawrie.

Last month, the Kitchener-Waterloo (K-W) Symphony Orchestra suddenly closed its doors and declared bankruptcy. Lawrie said he would be delighted if some of their regular attendees would come to their shows.

“We are more affordable, play in venues that have free parking nearby, and it is just a different venue and atmosphere that we have,” he said.

The orchestra is a registered charity that relies on donations to keep afloat. In August, the orchestra was one of 64 groups to receive funding from the Waterloo Region Community Foundation. Lawrie said the money was “very helpful.”

“We could not come close to paying for expenses just with admission tickets,” he said. “So we do need lots of outside support.”

The first show kicks off Saturday October 21 at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Preston at 7 p.m. Tickets are available on the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra’s website.