Toronto Symphony Orchestra Welcomes the Year of the Snake

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is delighted to ring in the Year of the Snake with a spectacular Lunar New Year concert at Roy Thomson Hall on February 8, 2025. Back by enthusiastic demand, this year’s event, Year of the Snake: A Lunar New Year Celebration, is a vibrant cultural experience hosted and narrated by renowned comedian Dashan (Mark Rowswell). Under the baton of conductor Naomi Woo, the TSO will perform a variety of beloved classics from both the Western and Chinese classical canons, and festive favourites befitting of the season, including The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto and the Spring Festival Overture.

This must-see performance will showcase Pan-Asian guest artists. The internationally acclaimed Wu Fei will bring the sounds of the guzheng (a 21-string Chinese zither) to life. Wu Fei has performed around the world at venues including Beijing’s Forbidden City, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Paris’s Quai Branly Museum. Violinist Stella Chen, who was named Gramophone’s 2023 Young Artist of the Year, will be taking the stage as well. Chen garnered worldwide attention with her first-prize win at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, followed by the 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award. The program will also feature dance performances by Yang Yang Dance Studio.

“This celebratory occasion is always a highlight of my year, and I am delighted to reunite with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra to ring in the Year of the Snake,” says Woo. “I love the way this holiday brings people together, so it is fitting to be joined by my friends Stella Chen and Dashan, and to work with the iconic Wu Fei for the first time. It’s always good luck to wear new clothes for the new year, so this concert will also feature a brand-new orchestral piece: Ode to the Red Cliffs, based on a Song Dynasty poem, with music by Shawn Moore and recitation by Dashan.”

The festivities kick off at 7:00pm with a pre-concert celebration in the Roy Thomson Hall lobby, offering concertgoers a chance to enjoy numerous cultural activities, including a thrilling lion dance performance. Attendees can also explore a market of Asian-Canadian vendors offering a diverse array of goods.

Naomi Woo, conductor (Photo courtesy of Naomi Woo)Dashan (Mark Rowswell) (Photo courtesy of Dashan)Stella Chen, violin (Photo by Fay Fox/Courtesy of Stella Chen)Wu Fei, guzheng (Photo courtesy of Wu Fei)Yang Yang Dance Studio performing at the TSO Open House (Photo by Jae Yang/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

Exclusive Pre-concert Cocktail Reception & Dinner

To further enhance the Lunar New Year celebration, the TSO is offering an exclusive pre-concert Cocktail Reception & Dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel. Naomi Woo, Dashan (Mark Rowswell), and guzheng virtuoso Wu Fei will be present for this special event. Guests will enjoy a lively lion dance performance followed by a dedicated guzheng performance by Wu Fei.

Dinner guests will then be ceremoniously escorted down Simcoe Street to the spectacular Lunar New Year concert at Roy Thomson Hall, where they will enjoy the best in-house seating.

Event Details

Date: February 8, 2025

5:30pm–7:30pm: Cocktail Reception & Dinner at Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto

8:00pm–9:45pm: TSO Lunar New Year concert at Roy Thomson Hall

Information & Tickets

Year of the Snake: A Lunar New Year Celebration—Toronto Symphony Orchestra 

Sat, Feb 8, 2025

Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.

Artists:

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets for the performance are on sale now.​ To purchase, visit TSO.CA, call 416.598.3375, or visit the TSO Patron Services Centre.

Group Tickets

Groups of ten or more save 20% on tickets. To purchase, visit TSO.CA/Groups or email us at groupsales@TSO.CA, or call 416.593.5338 for details.

For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has played a fundamental role in shaping and celebrating Canadian culture. The TSO’s commitment to musical excellence and ability to spark connection remain as strong as ever. With a storied history of acclaimed concerts and recordings, Canadian and international tours, and impactful community partnerships, we are dedicated to engaging and enriching local and national communities through vibrant musical experiences. Music Director Gustavo Gimeno brings an expansive artistic vision, intellectual curiosity, and sense of adventure to programming the 93-musician orchestra that serves Toronto—one of the world’s most diverse cities. As a group of artists, teachers, and advocates who share the belief that music has the power to heal, inspire, and connect people from all walks of life, we engage audiences young and old through an array of community-access, health-and-wellness, and education initiatives including the TSO-affiliated Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra—a tuition-free training program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Canadian artists. Join us for a concert at Roy Thomson Hall, or experience the TSO in your neighbourhood. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.

Year of the Snake: A Lunar New Year Celebration is presented by the Bank of China (Canada).

The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO.

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

The TSO relies on the generosity of thousands of donors and partners who provide a critical base of funding that makes possible all of the TSO’s music-making on stage and in the community. 

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.