By Deborah Shawcross

Victor Sawa conducts final season with Regina Symphony Orchestra

Mar 1, 2015 | 11:34 AM

The Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is losing its charismatic conductor.  
 
After 20 years at the helm, Victor Sawa will be retiring after the 2015-2016 season.
 
Principal Bassist Steve McLellan says Sawa left his mark on the orchestra.
 
“We’ve had some tough times, mostly prior to Victor. When Victor came here it was a breath of fresh air and a light bulb went on.”
 
When Sawa took the job as conductor, his first order of business was to take the orchestra outdoors. He started Symphony under the Sky, which will open the RSO season this summer at the Motherwell Homestead.
 
Sawa also pushed for a continuing messiah at Christmas. 
 
“Where I studied in Boston they have 270 messiahs in a row, I said ‘we’re on one so don’t you think we need more than one?’ So now we’re up to 19,” said Sawa.  
 
During Sawa’s time as conductor, he made a point to attract audiences that would otherwise not attend an RSO concert. He started the Pops Concert series, which includes more contemporary music like the soundtracks to Oscar winning movies.
 
“Talk about tough; getting audiences, getting the budget and every year now we have five sold out.”
 
For the 2015/2016 Schumiatcher Pops Series, the RSO will perform the music of Elton John and Billy Joel and will share the stage with Cirque du Soleil.
 
For musicians in the orchestra the season will end on a sad note but Principal Flutist, Marie-Noelle Berthelet says they are excited to see what’s next.
 
“It will be interesting to see who is going to replace him. Not easy to replace of course, but I think it’s going to be interesting for us to move in a new direction.”
 
A farewell performance to Sawa will be held May 7, 2016 and it will be to the tune of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
 
“It was going to be Mahler (number) 2 but the program committee said, ‘you know Beethoven 9 is a big seller eh?’ so I said ‘Oh, okay I’ll do Beethoven 9. It’s not a bad piece of music either.’” 
 
What does Sawa think of his last season with the RSO?
 
“It’s terrible, terrible. That’s why I want to come back. There’s reruns like Jerry Seinfeld so I’m hoping for the reruns now.”
 
It looks like Sawa will be waving his conductor baton even in retirement.

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