Noteworthy

Backstage, the hum of tuning strings and quiet laughter fills the air. The first concert of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra’s (TSYO) season is moments away, and for the young musicians gathered at the Meridian Arts Centre, anticipation hums like an overture. Each player carries a story—of early mornings, late-night practice, and the dream of one day performing on the world’s great stages. Together, they represent the next generation of orchestral artists: ambitious, collaborative, and deeply committed to their craft.

This season also marks the first under the direction of Nicholas Sharma, the TSO’s new RBC Resident Conductor and TSYO Conductor. His own path to the podium began in youth orchestras much like this one. “One of the big things that got me into conducting specifically was playing in a youth orchestra myself,” he shares. “I did so in Ottawa and then in Los Angeles, where my private teacher was also the conductor of the American Youth Symphony. Getting to see that behind the scenes and hearing his take on rehearsals was really important for me—it helped spark that initial interest.”

Sharma recalls that same teacher encouraging him to first master an instrument before pursuing conducting. “He told me, ‘You have to really learn an instrument well first,’” he says. “I’m very glad that I listened to his advice and did that before going into conducting full-time.” Now, as he steps into his new role, Sharma brings that sense of mentorship full circle—helping a new generation of musicians discover their own musical voices.

The 2025/26 season opens on November 29 with Mendelssohn’s Reformation at the Meridian Arts Centre’s George Weston Recital Hall. Sharma describes the program as being built around the idea of “hymns for orchestra,” inspired by Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony, which was written for the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession. “Mendelssohn was Jewish in background but wrote this Lutheran work to celebrate that anniversary,” he explains. “You can hear these beautiful chorales that he takes directly from the Lutheran tradition and sets within this orchestral sound world.”

That theme of reflection and reimagining continues throughout the concert. “Rimsky-Korsakov’s Russian Easter Overture also takes chants from the Russian Orthodox tradition, even though he didn’t really consider himself a part of that either,” says Sharma. “Then there’s Sibelius’s Finlandia, the middle section is maybe one of the most famous hymns for orchestra, representing the spirit of Finland and its people.” The program also features Anna Clyne’s This Moment, a work written after the pandemic and inspired by the words of Thích Nhất Hạnh: ‘This moment is full of wonders.’ Sharma notes that the piece “reflects on meditating on death as a way to celebrate life,” and that, like the other composers on the program, Clyne “looked back to earlier music—Mozart’s Requiem—and brought that tradition into a modern context.”

Beyond the concert stage, the year offers a series of milestones that build the ensemble’s sense of unity and purpose. At the end of October, the TSYO gathered for its beloved Camp Weekend, a three-day retreat of intensive rehearsals, workshops, and shared experiences. “Camp Weekend was three days of intensive music making, both full orchestra rehearsals and smaller group sessions with members of the TSO,” Sharma says. “It happened over Halloween weekend, so of course we got to do some fun things like pumpkin carving, too.”

The TSYO also joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for a side-by-side performance of Finlandia during Joshua Bell Returns. Sharma describes this as “a wonderful opportunity for the musicians to see what a few days in the life of a professional musician is like.” Performing the same work across multiple concerts, he adds, “is a really interesting experience to get to do.”

Earlier this fall, several TSYO musicians had another chance to perform alongside the professionals when they joined the TSO for the Lang Lang Gala, including a woodwind trio performance during the cocktail hour and a piano quartet with Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholar Ryan Huang during the dinner. For these young artists, moments like these are a testament to what’s possible when talent meets opportunity and to the generosity of the TSO community that makes these experiences possible.

For Sharma, that sense of collaboration lies at the heart of what makes the TSYO so special. “So much of our culture is so fast-moving,” he reflects. “Having an opportunity to sit back and really be forced to listen carefully to everybody around you, and to find ways where you fit in or can respond to another musician, is a skill you can take with you regardless of what you do afterwards. There’s just so much you can learn when you’re sitting in a room with a bunch of talented musicians and trying to create something beautiful together.”

As the season unfolds, with Strauss’s Death & Transfiguration in February and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 in April, the TSYO continues to embody the future of orchestral music in Toronto. Each rehearsal builds not only skill, but shared purpose. Each performance reflects what’s possible when passion meets opportunity.

For the TSYO and its supporters alike, this is where the future of music begins. As we look forward to an exciting season of concerts and collaborations, we invite you to join us in celebrating these talented young artists as they take the stage and share their love of music.

Learn more about what’s in store for the TSYO this season at TSO.CA/TSYO.