Experience the symphonic masterpieces of John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Hans Zimmer, Alan Menken, Michael Giacchino, and more! If you're looking to play orchestra music that will get you excited, VPOPS Orchestra is the place for you. Open to all strings, winds, brass, and percussion players. There's nothing quite like the sound of a full symphonic orchestra. You're bound to fall in love right away! The VPOPS Orchestra is subdivided into 2 performance levels suitable for both intermediate and advanced players. Started in 2010, the VPOPS Orchestra has performed in many amazing venues in town. We currently hold the majority of our concerts at the Chan Centre, UBC, but we also do smaller performances at senior homes, and other charity functions in our community. You might even see us outside performing in the summer when the weather is warm. The VPOPS Orchestra made their first international debut at Carnegie Hall, NYC in June 2015, and 2nd in Tokyo, Japan in August 2018. In 2025, we will be making our 3rd international tour overseas to Seoul, South Korea. Come check us out and start a thrilling music-making adventure with the Vancouver Pops Orchestra.
LEVEL 2 STRING ENSEMBLE Tuesday 6-7pm
Musicians in this level can read music at a slow pace, and can produce most pitches within 1.5 octaves with key signatures up to 2 sharps/flats. They can perform rhythms larger than an eighth note/rest with 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 time signatures at moderate tempos. Their pitch and rhythm and tone are being developed. Accents, staccatos, tenutos, and marcatos, will be trained at this level, and basic dynamic control will be introduced. If you've done music for about 1 or 2 years, this is a great place to start.
Available Seats: Violin, Viola, Cello
LEVEL 3 STRING ORCHESTRA Tuesday 7-8:30pm
Musicians in this level can read music at a moderate pace, and can produce most pitches within 2 octaves with key signatures up to 3-4 sharps/flats. They can perform rhythms larger than a sixteenth note/rest with 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8, 2/2 time signatures at moderate tempos. Their pitch and rhythm is consistent for slow tempos, but is still lacking expressive qualities in dynamics and articulation. They have some notion of accents, staccatos, tenutos, and marcatos, but have not yet mastered clear articulation execution. They have a moderate understanding of music, but would like to mature in tone quality, ease of executing challenging/fast passages, developing consistency, and musicality. If you've done music throughout elementary, this is a great place to start. For those with 2-4 years of training and experience.
Available Seats: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Percussion, Piano, Harp
LEVEL 4 STRINGS ORCHESTRA Tuesday 7-9pm
Musicians in this level can read notes comfortably and fairly accurately without assistance and can perform scale patterns in keys up to 5 sharps and flats. They can perform rhythms as small as a sixteenth note at moderate to allegro tempos. Dotted rhythms, and off beat patterns are still challenging to perform steadily. They have the ability to tune to others while holding their own part, and have a little sense for phrasing, shaping, and style. They have a consistent tone, and are able to perform common articulations and dynamics expressively. Most members here have 4-6 years experience. Still struggling with fast and complex rhythms, but wanting to master more difficult techniques. If you have participated in music ensembles throughout high-school or college, this would be an ideal level for you. This is a medium-pace moving orchestra that requires diligent personal practice and study, but much coaching is still provided.
Available seats: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Percussion, Harp
LEVEL 5 FULL ORCHESTRA Monday 7:45-9:30pm
LEVEL 5 STRINGS start at Monday 7pm for sectionals
Can sight-read music fluently, possess a mature tone with vibrato and clarity, and have good control with dynamics, articulation, and tempo. Can accurately play all rhythms and time signatures at allegro-presto tempos. They can play scale patterns in all keys and have the ability to tune sensitively to melodies and harmonies. If you have studied music seriously in the past, and are currently active musically, this would be the ideal level for you. Most members here have 7-10 years previous experience. This is a fast-paced moving orchestra and expect much personal practice and study.
Available seats: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Tuba, Harp, Timpani, Percussion, Oboe, Trumpet, F Horn
LEVEL 5 PIT ORCHESTRA Thursday 7:30-9:30pm
Same musical requirements as Level 5 Orchestra but with rehearsals on Thursdays 8 weeks leading up to a show. This is a fast paced high level orchestra that accompanies the vocal and choral works in our shows, and often feature Broadway and Disney music. This ensemble is suitable for those who can learn music quickly, perform accurately, and prefer short intervals of commitment (vs year round rehearsals), yet still produce high quality performances with the choir. Typically there is 3 shows in a calendar year, so that would roughly be about 24 rehearsals, vs 48 rehearsals from the full orchestra. As a bonus, for instrumentalists who are comfortable with singing, we invite you to be part of the choir when your instrumental parts may be tacet for certain songs or suites.
Available seats: Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Trumpet, F Horn Trombone Tuba, Bass Guitar, Piano, Harp, Timpani, Percussion
"As a formally trained and schooled musician, I was looking for a good, solid community orchestra to join that would help me keep up my skills, challenge me to better in my own playing, and the type of ensemble to which I could significantly contribute, and help me grow in the community. Just from playing in the group for one concert so far, I can see how dedicated the members are to the music and to each other as a whole! The director, Tom, is very encouraging and friendly, but still driven in his vision. I like to have high expectations to live up to and I have found this group to be exactly what I needed to be a part of."
- Leslie Wilson, Clarinet