For their end-of-season performance, the Ottawa Pops Orchestra (OPO) will be surprising audiences for a top secret concert experience at the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre on April 20. Expect the Unexpected: A Musical Surprise hopes to attract both season regulars and newcomers not only to the OPO, but to the world of orchestra in general.
Artistic director of the OPO, Mathieu Roy, sat down with Apt613 to talk more about what they’ve been up to this season, and what audiences can expect with the unexpected.
The OPO is a semi-professional orchestra with a mission of performing accessible and relevant music to the Ottawa community. Initially starting as a student club at the University of Ottawa, they were able to branch out into an independent, non-profit organization.
Ottawa Pops Orchestra. Photo by Curtis Perry.
“A lot of our audience members are coming to see an orchestra for the very first time,” says Roy. “So our fun little challenge is to convince them to come back.”
Roy’s dedication to performing accessible music stems from his belief that orchestras and orchestral music should be contextualized in a way that makes sense for audiences right now.
Not only does the OPO play mainstays of the orchestral music world—think Mozart and Bach—but also scores from popular culture. Earlier this year, the OPO performed music from the Legend of Zelda and The Lord of the Rings to sold-out crowds.
Ottawa Pops Orchestra. Photo by Curtis Perry.
“People aren’t necessarily coming to see us,” says Roy. “They’re coming to see the things that they love.”
While their show this weekend is called Expect the Unexpected, this message is the perfect way to encapsulate what the OPO is all about—having fun and turning the orchestra experience on its head.
“My intent with this is to explore every possible interpretation of surprise that I can think of, and that could apply in an orchestra concert,” says Roy. “It’s honestly nothing like I’ve ever programmed before.”
Ultimately, Roy’s goal for the OPO and the Ottawa arts community is to continue to produce fun and engaging content outside of a scarcity mindset.
“The more that we create, the more that we collaborate and work together, it’s going to help the whole arts community.”
Ottawa Pops Orchestra will be performing their end-of-season concert at the Carleton Dominion Chalmers Centre on April 20 at 7:30pm. You can get tickets for this event on their website.
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