Lecture 1
Wednesday, October 28, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Birth of the Symphony
Lecture 2
Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Haydn and Mozart: The Modern Symphony Emerges
Lecture 3
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Beethoven Changes Everything
Lecture 4
Wednesday, November 18, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Romantic Giants
Lecture 5
Wednesday, November 25, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Mahler, Sibelius and the End of an Era
Lecture 6
Wednesday, December 2, 2026 | 2:00 – 4:00 pm
The Symphony in the 20th and 21st Centuries
Price range: $125.00 through $150.00
“A superb lecturer with a love and vast knowledge of music. His enthusiasm for his subject is infectious. I loved every lecture… also loved the way the lecturer dealt with everyone’s questions.”
Participant from previous lecture series
A lecture series presented by Music and Beyond with host Julian Armour
Save $25 on this course if you have your 2027 festival pass!
For nearly 300 years, the symphony has inspired composers to create some of their most ambitious, personal and profound music. This six-part course traces the extraordinary evolution of the symphony from its modest beginnings in the eighteenth century through Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, the great Romantic symphonists, Mahler and Shostakovich, and into the present day.
Along the way, we will explore how the orchestra itself evolved and discover why, for so many composers, writing a symphony represented the ultimate artistic challenge. Filled with great music, fascinating stories and remarkable personalities, this course offers a journey through one of the richest traditions in Western music.
The Zoom link will remain the same each week. Each session will be recorded and a link to the video and playlist will be sent out to each registrant.
The series will be presented in English; however, participation in French is welcome.
This is a multi-day event
Date: October 28, 2026
Start time: 14:00 EDT
End time: 16:00 EDT
Venue: Online
A multidisciplinary leader and scholar, William is a PhD candidate at the Schulich School of Business researching the role which Canadian banks play in the impending transition to a more sustainable future. He was named a Cardus NextGEN Fellow in 2025. He holds degrees from Toronto Metropolitan University, the Royal Conservatory of Music, Western University, and the University of Ottawa where he served as the elected President of the MBA Student Association.
With professional experience at CIBC, TD Bank Group, Schneider Electric, Yamaha Canada, and over a decade as a professional musician, educator and arts administrator, William brings a rare synergy of financial expertise, innovative creativity, strategic leadership, and a tacit appreciation for arts flourishing in society. He is an accomplish pianist with a repertoire that includes the complete ‘years of pilgrimage’ by Franz Liszt. Committed to leveraging a diverse skill set and rich cultural background, he seeks to support Music & Beyond in becoming one of Canada’s preeminent summer arts festivals.