The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra Society is pleased to be bringing back the PCI/LEDCOR Free Orchestra outdoor concert at the Jack Poole Plaza (Burrard Landing) this year. The event has become one of Vancouver’s downtown summer highlight events where thousands of delighted audiences come and enjoy the VMO perform through great classics and popular tunes.
As this date coincides with Bastille Day (National day of France), for the first half, the VMO has made a programme that celebrates several notable French composer and their works, including: Saint-Saens: Danse Bacchanale, Selections from the ever popular opera, “Carmen”, by George Bizet; Berlioz’s Hungarian March, as well as Meditation from Thais by Massenet. Other works includes: Shostakovich Festive Overture, and the Triumphal March by Verdi to mark the return of this great concert.
For the Second half, the orchestra will delight its audiences with familiar tunes like John William’s Star Wars, Raiders March from Indiana Jones, as well as music from Ghibli Studio, Castle from the Sky by Joe Hisaishi. As always, the tradition of this fun concert, the orchestra will conclude the concert with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture filled with Canon shot to complete the evening.
Audiences are asked to bring their own lawn chairs/blanket for comfort seating, and seating is done first come first serve. We encourage audiences to come early and have a dinner picnic at this beautiful venue. This event is a very family oriented and kids’ friendly concert, and the VMO is delighted to have PCI/LEDCOR as presenters of this concert. Come and join us at Jack Poole Plaza to enjoy the music in the most beautiful setting of Vancouver, featuring scenery of both the mountain and ocean that is going to make this concert a memorable evening for everyone.
Conductor: Ken Hsieh
Soprano: Emma Jang
Tenor: Kiho Sohn
Founded in 2002–2003 by Music Director Ken Hsieh, the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra (VMO) has grown into one of British Columbia’s leading professional ensembles. The orchestra presents up to 12 concerts per season, along with 20 educational outreach concerts and seminars.
The core mandate of the VMO is to provide professional performance and training opportunities for young musicians who are graduating from university or college music programs or who have recently begun their professional careers.
In recent years, many international artists have made their Canadian debut with the VMO, including Hayato Sumino (“Cateen”), Jasmine Choi, Wei Luo, Tamaki Kawakubo, Mari Endo, Rio Arai, Piotr Alexewicz, and Ryan Wang, among others. The orchestra has also welcomed numerous distinguished international performers such as David Fung, Jonathan Roozeman, and Christel Lee, as well as celebrated Canadian artists including Robert Silverman, Stéphane Lemelin, Henri‑Paul Sicsic, Libby Yu, and Eugenia Choi.
The VMO performs at major Vancouver venues including the Orpheum Theatre and the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. Since its inception with just 16 musicians, the orchestra has expanded to ensembles of upwards of 65 players. The VMO has collaborated with many organizations, including the Vancouver Bach Choir, Vancouver Oratorio Society, Sakura Singers, and Pro Arte Dance Group.
To learn more about the VMO and its 24th Season, please visit www.vmocanada.com.
A Charming, Passionate and Compelling presence on the podium, Award Winning Conductor Kenneth Hsieh, has gained widespread attention for his vibrant performances, making him one of the most exciting and versatile young conductors on the international stage today. The 2026-2027 season marks his 24rd season as Music Director of the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and his 3rd season as Artistic Director at the National Broadcasting Orchestra in Toronto. In addition to his many international guest conducting engagement, he has recently made his debuts with National Opera Theatre Munich, Tokyo Ballet (NBS), Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra, Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, only to name a few. In his 14th year, he continues his regular summer performances with the Toronto Taiwanfest Orchestra at HarbourFront Center.
Born in Edmonton, Canada, Ken is the winner of several prestigious conducting prizes including: the Heinz Unger Award in Conducting, and the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award in Orchestral Conducting. His conducting teachers and coaches have included: Kurt Masur, Kazuyoshi Akiyama, Morihiro Okabe, Yuji Yuasa, Ronald Zollman, and Jorma Panula. A graduate of both the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of British Columbia, he completed his post-graduate studies in orchestral conducting in Japan at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music, and Senzoku College of Music on full scholarship. He furthered his conducting studies in Vienna, Austria with Yuji Yuasa, and in masterclass with Seiji Ozawa and Pinchas Zukermann.
At the age of 22, Ken was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Pacific Music Festival (founded by Leonard Bernstein) where he worked with the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra and the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, as well as serving as an assistant and collaborator to: Bernard Haitink, Edo De Waart, Krzysztof Penderecki, Yutaka Sado, Ken Takaseki, and Wen-Pin Chien. The following year, he became the Assistant Conductor at the National Academy Orchestra and the youngest Conductor-in-residence/Assistant Conductor with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (2004-2007), where he conducted over 100 performances from the main subscription series to lighter and pop series concerts. A regular guest conductor with major orchestras around the world, he had worked and enjoyed close relations with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra and Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra, where he has conducted their subscription, masterworks, chamber and educational series. Comfortable conducting in several genres, he enjoys conducting orchestral, opera, ballet, film music, and pop music. Succeeding Yutaka Sado, he has since 2011, led the Japan Century Orchestra (formerly Osaka Century Orchestra) in Beethoven Symphony 9 series at The Symphony Hall in Osaka, produced by Asahi Broadcasting Corporation and sponsored by Air Canada.
In addition to conducting many of Canada`s orchestra in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, London, Vancouver, and Victoria; Ken has been a guest conductor with international orchestras including Boston Ballet, l’orchestre Lamroureux, Tokyo Ballet (NBS), Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Kyoto Symphony Orchestra, New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Century Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gunma Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic, Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra, Hyogo Performing Arts Centre Orchestra, CBC Radio Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London, Siena Wind Orchestra, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, and has made two recordings with the Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa on Avex Label. He has toured with the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra, and the Siena Wind Orchestra on several occasions.
Remaining dedicated to promoting young artists and music education; Ken works often with youth and training orchestras including: Shanghai City Youth Orchestra, Fukuoka Student Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra, Surrey Youth Orchestra, BCMEA Honour Orchestra, Saskatchewan Honour Orchestra, as well as the Japan Junior Philharmonic Orchestra as their summer session conductor that included a benefit concert for the United Nations World Food Program in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. He has been a guest professor and conductor with the National Tainan University, and has worked with the Geidai Philharmonia (National University of Arts in Tokyo), preparing them for the Martha Argerich Festival in Beppu, which was later conducted by Antonio Pappano and Seikyo Kim.
Recently he has collaborated with a wide range of distinguished artists including: Hayato Sumino (Cateen), Cyprien Katsaris, Janina Fialkowska, David Fung, and Jasmine Choi. Several of his concerts have been recorded live and broadcasted on CBC Radio across Canada. His concerts have also been broadcasted on television in Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and the USA. Ken made his European France debut with the historical l’orchestre Lamoureux, performing at their subscription concert at the Theatre Champs-Elysee in Paris, France.
Among other honours and recognitions, he has been awarded the Order of Merit for Outstanding Young Leaders from the Lions Club, Named Top 100 most influential Asian-Canadians by Vancouver Sun, Top 10 Most Beautiful People by TV Weeks Magazine (which included Michael Buble), as well as most recently Top 33 most influential leaders by Sing Tao News and most recently Top 10 Elite Chinese-Canadians. Ken also served as the 2019 Co-Chair of the Liver Foundation of Canada Gala.
Jiayu (Angela) Li is a 16-year-old violinist from Coquitlam, British Columbia. She began playing the violin at the age of eight and is currently studying with Jenny Lim at the Vancouver Academy of Music.
Angela has received numerous scholarships and awards, including the Chua Tiempo Scholarship at the Edith Lando Gifted Youth Competition, the I.O.D.E. Scholarship at the Kay Meek Competition, and Grand Prize at the 3rd Canada Virtuoso Young Artists Music Competition. Representing VAYA, she has won 1st place in both the Intermediate (2025) and Senior (2026) String categories at the Performing Arts BC Provincial Festival.
At the age of 15, Angela made her solo debut with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. She was recognized for the Best Performance Award in the Senior String Category at the Kiwanis Music Festival. She has also attended the Montecito International Music Festival and the Juilliard Summer Music Violin Program, where she studied with distinguished faculty and further developed her performance experience.
Angela is inspired by the expressive qualities of the violin and continues to develop her artistry through performance and study. She hopes to further explore new aspects of musical expression while continuing to grow as a musician.