Tours

Fortieth Anniversary Season: The GVYO's 40th Anniversary concluded with a tour of central and northern Vancouver Island in April 2026. The six-day tour featured four school concerts, three workshops with school bands, and two community concerts in Comox, Alert Bay, Port Hardy and Campbell River. The orchestra performed works by Glinka, Kodály, Brahms, Smetana and Coates, as well as a new work by GVYO alumnus Leslie Opatril. The concerts were a benefit for local music programs and featured a collaborative component with local young musicians.

Here are two reports of the 40th Anniversary Tour:

Thirtieth Anniversary Season: Following the final concert of the GVYO's 30th anniversary season in May 2016, the orchestra departed for a tour through southern BC and the Kootenays. The GVYO performed education and community concerts in Langley, Rock Creek, Nelson, and Kimberly, often collaborating with other youth orchestras and high school orchestras on the way. They showcased well known works by Bartok, Borodin, Ravel and Weber, as well as a newly commissioned work for the orchestra by GVYO alumnus Brandon Chow.

Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Season: The GVYO's Silver Celebration Season concluded with a tour of Vancouver Island in April 2010. The orchestra performed community benefit concerts and education concerts in Bamfield, Port Alberni, Comox, and Qualicum Beach.

Click here to read a report of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Tour by GVYO player Aubrey Kelly.

Twentieth Anniversary Season: In May 2006 the orchestra travelled to the Yukon Territory. The orchestra performed community and school concerts, and also hosted workshops for school students, in Whitehorse, Dawson City, and Haines Junction. In each community the orchestra was joined by local student musicians to perform Triple Expansion, music commissioned from Victoria composer Christopher Butterfield. Flying home from the north, the GVYO performed its final tour concert at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vanocuver, collaborating with Vancouver Youth Symphony members to perform our 20th Anniversary commissioned music.

Fifteenth Anniversary Season: In May 2001 the GVYO travelled to Haida Gwaii. On this tour, the GVYO gave community and school concerts in Nanaimo, Port Hardy, Prince Rupert, Masset, Queen Charlotte City, and were featured guests on the inaugural voyage of the newly restored ferry Queen of the North, where small ensembles of GVYO members performed throughout the voyage.