Vancouver Symphony Orchestra maestro Bramwell Tovey is going out with a bang.

The VSO has just released its 2017-18 lineup, the music director's last with the company, and it's rife with epic works, big names, and striking new work.

The visiting guests include star pianists Lang Lang, Stephen Hough, Angela Cheng, and Barry Douglas; violinists Pinchas Zukerman, Philippe Quint, Sarah Chang, Vadim Gluzman, and Ray Chen; percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie; and vocalists like Tracy Dahl, David Pomeroy, Chris Hadfield, and Jann Arden.

The repertoire spans Orff’s Carmina Burana, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection",  and  world premieres  by both composer-in-residence Jocelyn Morlock and Tovey himself. Elsewhere look for such grand works as Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 "The Great", Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, and more.

Amid the more pop offerings, guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos brings to life the music of the movie Jurassic Park; and the VSO brings video-game nuts the sounds of POKÉMON: Symphonic Evolutions.

The 2018 VSO Spring Festival, meanwhile, explores musical legends, from Mozart to Bernstein, and literary legends like Done Quixote. Get ready for Tovey to honour the 100th birthday of Bernstein at this event.

The Subscription Renewals Campaign runs from March through to the Renewals Deadline of May 5. New Subscriptions can be ordered at any time through VSO Customer Service at 604-876-3434 (or in person at the VSO offices) beginning this Wednesday (March 15) at noon. (Online sales of new subscriptions will begin May 8 at 10 a.m. ). Single concert tickets will go on-sale August 21st at 10 a.m. There are some exceptions: the Lang Lang concert is available exclusively to 2016/2017 Season VSO Subscribers until Tuesday, June 20th at 10am, Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions will be available for single tickets sales on Monday April 5th, and Jurassic Park will be available single ticket sales on Monday July 17th.

See the whole schedule and season brochure here.

Read Tovey's statement letter about the upcoming season here:

Dear Friends,

My final season as Music Director of your great Symphony — the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra — is in your hands.

What a journey it has been to preside over the artistry of this extraordinary group these last 18 years. Of course, I will be returning to Vancouver frequently in the years ahead, but a season, and the opportunity to build an entire subscription season in particular, is the greatest honour an orchestra can bestow on a Symphony conductor. It has been my honour to have been entrusted with this task in our community since my appointment in the 2000/2001 season. Now, as I prepare to hand over the baton to my successor and friend, Maestro Otto Tausk, I invite you for one last time to join us for your  rchestra’s 99th season and my finale as Music Director.

It’s a season of celebration and excitement — music to challenge the narrative of every soul — from Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9 to Mahler’s colossal Symphony No. 2, the latter as our very final concert together. There will be a gala with a host of very special guests, which will be a great opportunity for me to thank our audiences for their support and affection over the years, and a tour of British Columbia which gives us the chance to say hello and thank you to audiences across BC.

Finally, my thanks go to my dearest colleagues, the musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, whose artistry remains at the core of the finest and largest arts organization in western Canada. It has been an honour and a privilege — my thanks to you for your support and endorsement of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Always believe in the power of great music to enhance the narrative of people’s lives.

With my deep affection and love.

Sincerely, Bramwell Tovey