Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to perform at Whistler Olympic Plaza (July 20 & 21)

Tourism Whistler media release

Whistler, B.C. – Already a visually awe-inspiring canvas of snow-capped mountain peaks and lush forest floors, Whistler spreads its sensory wings this summer, elevating auditory appreciations with outdoor performances by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO).

The resort will be transformed into the most breathtaking of concert halls when the Whistler Olympic Plaza hosts the VSO featuring the acclaimed John Morris Russell conducting two evenings of popular classics.

Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for the Classic Summer Celebration on Friday, July 20 and Beethoven and Tchaikovsky in the Mountains on Saturday, July 21. The concerts are free and begin each night at 8 p.m. in Whistler Olympic Plaza  – the site of the Whistler medals ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Whistler hosts the VSO at Whistler Olympic Plaza as part of the Whistler Presents concert series. Both evenings feature violinist Karen Gomyo, recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2008. Born in Tokyo and raised in New York and Montreal, Gomyo has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance and intensity.”

To read more about the upcoming VSO performances, read the Whistler Insider. Book accommodation with www.whistler.com and enjoy VIP status at Whistler Olympic Plaza with preferred seating for each performance and a wine reception following Friday’s performance with the opportunity to meet members of the VSO.

Summer is alive and well in Whistler with a robust events calendar including the Whistler Longboard Festival July 12-15; the Whistler Children’s Art Festival July 14-15; Crankworx Whistler August 10-19 and Wanderlust Whistler August 23-26.

Upcoming Whistler Presents concerts include: The Mocking Bird and Wil on July 27 and Chantal Kreviazuk on July 28. Jason McCoy performs August 3, Spirit of the West August  4, Great Lake Swimmers August 5, Vince Vaccaro Band and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings August 31, The Boom Booms and Kytami September 1 and Emmanuel Jal September 2.

For the most up-to-date information regarding programming visit http://www.whistler.com/entertainment/.

Whistler-based travel consultants at whistler.com can customize a vacation package, taking care of flights, transportation, accommodation and activities. Call 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or visit whistler.com for more details and offers.

Whistler Festivals, Events & Animation Program

Celebration has always been an important aspect of Whistler culture as was highlighted during the 2010 Winter Games when the community presented the most outstanding display of sport, entertainment and culture the town had ever seen. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and resort partners have continued to build on this momentum by coming together to develop quality year-round, cultural programming. Complementing the many great events the resort has become known for, the Festivals, Events and Animation (FE&A) program showcases a variety of events, concerts and lively village entertainment for all ages. In support of Whistler’s place-based cultural tourism strategy, the RMOW invests in many cultural projects. The FE&A program is financed almost entirely by the funds it receives from the Province of British Columbia’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI) designed to invest in programs and projects to build tourism in the province. Click here for additional details about the FE&A program.

Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com - Whistler's official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.

Media can visit whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.

Media Contacts

Tourism Whistler
Kerry Duff
Manager, Travel Media
T: 604.938.2709
E: kduff@tourismwhistler.com
W: www.whistler.com/media
T: www.Twitter.com/mediaTWhistler
F: www.Facebook.com/GoWhistler

Resort Municipality of Whistler
RMOW Communications
T: 604.967.3030
E: Communications@whistler.ca
W: www.whistler.ca
T: @RMWhistler
F: RMOW