Noteworthy

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s centennial celebration is as much about looking to the future as it is celebrating the past. Less a retrospective than a recommitment to everything that the TSO stands for, this year we’re celebrating our vibrant city through events, celebration preludes, and collaborations that are 100% Toronto. And, since the best partnerships are born from mutual respect, when we found out that Luanne Ronquillo, Ruru Baked’s patisserie-chef-turned-ice-cream-ingénue was, herself, a fan of the TSO, we knew we had to work together.

Luanne worked closely with Maestro Gustavo Gimeno to bring our vision to life. The entire experience was one that reinvigorated everyone involved, and felt like a shining example of the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration.

In between flavour discussions, we asked Luanne what drew her to the TSO. She thought about the question for a minute and replied, “everything about the experience was beautiful. The concert hall itself is breathtaking when you see it for the first time…then watching the Orchestra and the conductor perform is intense and awe inspiring.” When asked about our experience at Ruru Baked, we’d be hard pressed to put it better.

There’s something so invigorating about watching another artist work magic in their medium, and the way Luanne was able to orchestrate the flavour profiles that would become our first-ever ice cream flavour Be Major was nothing short of beautiful, intense, and awe inspiring.

A reflection of the diverse flavours and tastes that make the Toronto Symphony Orchestra special, Be Major combines elegant pistachio ice cream with swirls of bright blood orange and orange blossom ice creams. This delightful duet between the nuttiness of pistachio and the vibrancy of orange is a testament to something that we’ve long believed: that when we come together creatively we can expect to be delighted, to be inspired, and to Be Major.

Later in another break, this time between flavour samplings, Luanne mentioned that one of her favourite musical indulgences is to watch “a pianist at centre stage.” The skill and confidence of such a performance has always spoken to her. And it’s no wonder, when you watch the skill with which she orders the chaotic into something exquisite (another of her observations about the symphony that we can’t help but echo back).

Creative partnerships are always nourishing, but they’re especially worthwhile when they produce something as delicious as Be Major.

We can’t wait for everyone to try the fruits of this combined labour of love. One hundred years into serving as Toronto’s Orchestra—an honour and responsibility to the city’s arts and culture scene that we relish every day—we could not be more excited for what’s to come. This season, everything we do will be done with an eye toward opening our doors to everyone and deepening our relationship with Toronto’s richly diverse communities. There’s nothing better than sampling and celebrating an entire city’s worth of diverse tastes. In service of this we’ll continue to deliver a breadth and depth of programming that brings something for everyone, serving up art, culture, and major events—and a little bit of ice cream, too.

Be Major will be on sale at Ruru Baked at 659 Lansdowne Avenue until October 21st

Photo credit: Jag Gundu / TSO.ca