After a four-year hiatus, “Symphony in the Park” returned to Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park on Sunday August 7, 2005.

The Vancouver Board of Trade brought back the free public concert featuring Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the VSO as part of the Spirit of Vancouver® campaign, when an anonymous VSO patron offered to underwrite the cost of recreating the magic of the original “Symphony in the Park” in Stanley Park in July of 2001.   

The VSO concert also featured a performance by 14 year old violinist Christel Lee, who began her studies at the Vancouver Academy of Music at the age of six. 

The Pace Group was brought on board to help with event logistics, sponsorship, publicity, media relations, advertising and production of collateral items such as posters, banners and programs. Media sponsorships were secured with The Vancouver Sun and The Province, Global Television, CKNW.

More than 13,000 concert goers brought blankets and chairs to stake out their spots on the lawn at Lumberman’s Arch to listen to the program of light classics to be performed outdoors as the sun set over Burrard Inlet.

Objectives:

Create a high profile community celebration that highlights the beauty of Vancouver’s Stanley Park and the talent of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, while adding one more special event to Vancouver’s growing reputation for outdoor entertainment.

Outcomes:

Each of the two concerts has been a summer highlight, attracting large, well-behaved crowds, and showcasing Vancouver’s outdoor reputation.