The last seven years have been a time of evolution and growth for Eric Paetkau and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
There’s one more change coming before the season draws to a close — after seven successful years at the helm, Paetkau will be stepping down as music director and conductor of the SSO.
“Seven years is a long time,” Paetkau said. “I’ve grown so much, I’ve learned so much from all the experiences over the years … it’s special.”
The SSO concert on Saturday, May 7th at TCU Place featuring Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 will mark the end of an era for the orchestra. It will also mark the end of Paetkau’s time as one of the longest-tenured music directors in the organization’s history.
Paetkau’s tenure with the SSO was anything but predictable. Under his artistic leadership, the SSO has performed concerts ranging from Disney pop concerts to the giants of the orchestral genre — Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, and the like.
And that’s not to mention the exciting contemporary Canadian (and Saskatchewan) compositions that have filled the auditorium at the behest of Paetkau’s baton.
“When making music, you often get a feeling where you feel there’s a connection,” Paetkau said. “But once in a while, there’s magic that happens … and that’s happened many times in Saskatoon.”
In reflection on the past seven years, Paetkau said it was hard to pick out one favourite moment with the SSO. Rather, he said it was the number of great moments — both on stage with the musicians he calls friends, and chance encounters with well-wishers throughout Saskatoon — that will stick with him.
“There’s so many highlights,“ he said. “You start listing them, and then there’s this one, and that one … those are the special things that make the whole job special.”
Paetkau was brought into the orchestra in 2015, just a year after current CEO and creative producer Mark Turner. Over the years, Paetkau said the pair has put a strong focus on connecting with the audience and the community.
“He wanted everyone to feel like they were a part of it,” Turner said in a press release. “He was always ready to go in and do things at the university. He involved himself in the community in a great way and never threw up barriers between him and the audience.”
Paetkau pointed out one bold performance relatively early in his tenure that still resonates with him: a concert that began with a Canadian citizenship ceremony and featured all modern, Canadian works.
He admitted that he and Turner had some doubts — but credited an always-eager audience for their boundless support.
“I remember Mark and I going, ‘are we crazy?’” Paetkau said with a laugh. “But we knew it was going to be a great concert … and the audience reaction was wonderful. They loved it. That was a risk that you do that pays off in big dividends.”
Paetkau’s farewell concert will feature the talents of Juno Award-nominated soprano Miriam Khalil. Between Khalil and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Paetkau called it a “fitting” last piece to end his time with the SSO.
“There’s everything in there, from the most sublime to the most mundane. And I think that’s what life is,” Paetkau said. “And all of it is there in those seven years … Mahler’s 4th Symphony is a beautiful way that sums it up, if anything can..”
After departing the SSO, Paetkau plans to explore a number of personal and artistic projects. He said he’ll be creating more music with groups in and around the “home base” in Toronto, and has a children’s book to be published soon.
But as he prepares to leave Saskatoon and the SSO — at least for now — Paetkau has one important message for the city and the faithful audience of the SSO.
“Thank you. From the bottom of my heart,” Paetkau said. “The warmth that the people of the city have shown (my partner) Karen and I has been extraordinary … it’s just a huge, huge, huge, heartfelt thank you. It will always be in my heart.”
The SSO concert Mahler Symphony 4 takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 7 at TCU Place. The concert will take place live in-person and via live stream.
