Toronto Symphony Orchestra Launches "Symphony Where You Are" Through Landmark Partnership with 407 ETR

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) today announced a landmark multi-year partnership with 407 ETR as the inaugural Presenting Partner of Symphony Where You Are. This community program builds lasting relationships through performances, musical experiences, and local partnerships in locations across the Greater Toronto Area, beginning with Brampton and expanding to Markham and Scarborough. Representing the largest corporate investment in community programming in the TSO’s history, the $2.3-million partnership reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to orchestral music and strengthening community connection through long-term investment. TD Bank Group will also support the initiative as Program Supporter.

Guided by the belief that music belongs wherever people are, Symphony Where You Are builds on a three-year community partnership in Brampton, where collaboration with The Rose Theatre has helped inform a framework for community engagement. Concerts including Reggae Roots, Bhangra & Beyond, Hot! Hot! Hot!, and Fiesta Sinfónica have introduced new audiences to orchestral music by celebrating the music and cultural traditions that already resonate within their communities. As inaugural Presenting Partner, 407 ETR’s $2.3-million investment will expand the program over the next five years to Markham and Scarborough, with the TSO continuing to work alongside local partners to create experiences that reflect the identities and interests of each community. The partnership illustrates how long-term collaboration between business and the arts can advance cultural participation and community connection.

“An orchestra should belong to the people it serves,” said Mark Williams, Beck Family CEO of the TSO. “Symphony Where You Are reflects our commitment to creating more opportunities for people to experience the orchestra in their own communities—and to feel that this orchestra belongs to them. We’re incredibly grateful to 407 ETR for its visionary leadership as inaugural Presenting Partner, and to TD Bank Group for its commitment as Program Supporter. Together, these partnerships demonstrate the impact that’s possible when businesses and arts organizations work together to strengthen the communities they serve.”

“At 407 ETR, our purpose is to move and connect communities. Every day, the highway helps more people reach key destinations in the GTA, and through Symphony Where You Are, we’re extending that commitment by helping make world-class experiences more accessible,” said Jose Espinosa, President & CEO, 407 ETR. “This landmark partnership will create meaningful opportunities for people to come together, celebrate the diversity of our region and experience the power of music where they live.”

The partnership will kick off on September 26 at the TSO’s annual Open House & Free Concert, powered by 407 ETR. The orchestra’s largest free public event, the Open House welcomes more than 4,000 people each September for performances, family programming, and opportunities to experience the orchestra in an inclusive and accessible environment. Additional Symphony Where You Are initiatives and community partnerships to be announced over the coming years.

Symphony Where You Are represents the next chapter in the TSO’s expansive commitment to community engagement, building on the historic $15-million investment from the Barrett Family Foundation to support education and community programming. Together, these transformational investments are helping to shape a long-term vision for community connection through music.

The initiative is also supported by Program Supporter, TD Bank Group, whose complementary $520,000 investment will help expand community concerts, learning opportunities, and other participatory experiences connected to Symphony Where You Are.

Symphony Where You Are Key ArtCommunity members watching the Fiesta Sinfónica performance at The Rose Brampton (Christina DeMelo Photography)

Barrett Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and the TSO at the Fiesta Sinfónica performance at The Rose Brampton (Christina DeMelo Photography)Community members watching the Fiesta Sinfónica performance at The Rose Brampton (Christina DeMelo Photography)Puja Amin and Barrett Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and the TSO at the Bhangra & Beyond performance at The Rose Brampton (Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

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About the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has been a defining part of Toronto’s cultural landscape. Through concerts, recordings, tours, and community partnerships, the TSO is shaped by the energy, diversity, and creativity of one of the world’s most multicultural cities. Led by Music Director Gustavo Gimeno, the TSO brings orchestral music to life through performances that span centuries of repertoire, champion today’s composers, and connect audiences with extraordinary artists from around the world. With programs and partnerships across the GTA, the TSO serves Toronto through education initiatives, Relaxed Performances, open rehearsals, and the tuition-free Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, which has helped young people build artistry, confidence, and lifelong skills through music for more than 50 years. The TSO’s work is sustained by a community of audiences, donors, volunteers, partners, and supporters who believe in the power of live orchestral music to bring people together. Each year, the TSO presents more than 120 concerts at Roy Thomson Hall and George Weston Recital Hall, while its education, health-and-well-being, and community programs reach people throughout the GTA. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.

The TSO acknowledges Mary Beck as the Musicians’ Patron in perpetuity for her generous and longstanding support.

The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO.

The Symphony Where You Are Program Presenting Sponsor is 407 ETR.

The Symphony Where You Are Program Supporter is TD Bank Group.

The TSO’s Education and Community Engagement programs are generously supported by the Barrett Family Foundation.

The TSO is grateful for the support of the Toronto Symphony Foundation and all levels of government, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario.

About Symphony Where You Are

Music belongs wherever people are. Symphony Where You Are is the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s program that brings performances and musical experiences to communities across the Greater Toronto Area, including Brampton, Markham, and Scarborough. Working alongside local partners, the program creates opportunities for people to experience live orchestral music where they already gather, connect, and celebrate. Symphony Where You Are is made possible through the support of Presenting Partner 407 ETR and Program Supporter TD Bank Group. To learn more about the program and see upcoming events, visit TSO.CA/SymphonyWhereYouAre.

About 407 ETR

Highway 407 ETR is an all-electronic open-access toll highway located in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada. The highway spans 108 kilometres from Burlington in the west to Pickering in the east.

407 International Inc. is the sole shareholder of 407 ETR and is owned by:

Media Inquiries:

407 ETR Media Relations

media@407etr.com