News
27 octobre 2025 : MONCTON, (N.-B) : Superb musical talent, teamwork and discipline mixed with True
North Strong and Free pride will be on stage in New Brunswick concert halls this autumn, winter and
spring as the New Brunswick youth orchestra launches its 61 st annual concert tour titled ‘Vive le Canada’.
New Brunswick’s top young orchestral musicians will perform at concerts in Bathurst, Caraquet,
Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton this season. Kenn Mainville, NBYO president and CEO, said
audiences will be delighted to hear the talented young musicians and experience the dynamics and
emotion of a live orchestra.
The NBYO is the pinnacle of musical achievement for young orchestral musicians in New Brunswick, and
most of its players are alumni of Sistema NB, our intensive after-school music program created to break
down barriers to participation. This season, over 95 percent of NBYO members began their musical
journey in Sistema NB, a powerful testament to the program’s reach, quality, and success.
“Vive le Canada is more than a concert theme, it’s a celebration of our national identity through music.
Our musicians are not just youth ambassadors for New Brunswick; they represent the very best of
Canada’s future. When they take the stage, they show the country what’s possible when young people
are given the chance to thrive,” Mainville said.
Northeast New Brunswick will host the first two NBYO concerts with performances scheduled at
Bathurst on Friday, Nov. 8, 7:30 p.m. at École Secondaire Népisiguit and Caraquet on Saturday, Nov. 9,
2:00 p.m. at Centre culturel de Caraquet. The concert season will resume in 2026 with performances in
Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton.
Maestro Tony Delgado, Music Director and Conductor for NBYO and Sistema NB, said the Bathurst and
Caraquet performances will include collaborations with local choirs, a Canadian repertoire, and a
performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
“In Bathurst and Caraquet we'll have the participation of the Chorale Voidunor, from the Bathurst
region, who will be performing four Franco-Canadian pieces with us. The orchestra will also be
performing an instrumental version of Le monde a bien changé as a homage to the legendary band
1755,” Delgado said.
“The musicians are loving the variety of the programme, and we are very advanced in the preparation.
Besides the inclusion of Canadian repertoire and the Challenge of the Tchaikovsky symphony, we have a
special connection with the ‘Conga del Fuego Nuevo’ since it was the piece NBYO performed in the
Festival Winners Gala of the Summa Cum Laude competition in Vienna in 2011,” Delgado said. “All of
these pieces will show the progress of our young musicians.”
Mainville said the performances mark a return to the northeast, where the NBYO enjoys strong
community support and enthusiastic audiences. Collaborations like the one with Chorale Voidunor in
Bathurst deepen the local resonance.
“Both venues are well-known cultural hubs — École Secondaire Népisiguit is a modern performance
space with strong acoustics, while the Centre culturel de Caraquet offers an intimate setting with deep
Acadian roots. We’re thrilled to showcase NBYO’s talent in these venues,” Mainville said.
NBYO musicians are looking forward to local performances following two concert tours throughout
Eastern Canada. The orchestra observed its 60th anniversary with a celebratory Eastern Canada tour in
early summer with concerts in Moncton, St. Andrews, Edmundston, Montreal and Ottawa. In early
October New Brunswick’s youngest ambassadors represented the province and Canada at ’The Promise
of Music: The First World Congress on the Social Impact of Music’ in Toronto.
“After performing Mahler’s First Symphony at La Maison symphonique in Montreal and the National
Arts Centre in Ottawa, our young musicians are thrilled to return home and share their talent with New
Brunswick audiences. These concerts are a celebration of who we are, and an invitation for everyone to
experience the incredible artistic depth of our province’s youth,” Mainville said. “If you’ve never
attended an NBYO performance before, prepare to be amazed. You’ll witness world-class music-making,
the energy of youth, and a powerful connection between the orchestra and its audience. It’s an
experience that uplifts, inspires, and often surprises first-time listeners.”
Tickets are available at nbyotickets.com
