LEADER
Rick Phillips has been an adult educator in classical music for more than 40 years, public broadcaster in classical music for 30 years, writer, critic, travel tour host, consultant, podcaster, etc. Rick has always been interested in how the symphony sometimes anticipated, reflected, commented on and captured the human feelings and aspirations of its age. The symphony tells us about ourselves.
MUSIC
Participants will listen to a variety of symphonies during the seminar. No advance preparation is required.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
Life is a symphony, and the action of every person in this life is the playing of his or her particular part in the music.
— Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), Indian poet, philosopher, singer, musicologist
This seminar will trace the history and evolution of the symphony, from the early decades of the 18th century as entertainment for the upper classes, through its growth in conception and scope into major expressions of musical art, commenting on human life and death, love, politics, hopes — even life after death.
The late 17th-century Italian opera overture with its tempos of fast-slow-fast, the changing instrumental sonorities of the Baroque concerto grosso, and the dance elements of the Baroque suite all contributed to the make-up of the symphony. But this form doubled in size during the 19th century, as new instruments were included or further developed and refined, and solo singers and choirs with texts were added, enhancing context, meaning and impact.
By tracing the journey chronologically, this seminar will expose the differences, developments and reasons of the symphony’s evolution, resulting in greater enjoyment and appreciation. As well as human emotion and expression, the symphony also reflected the beliefs and values of certain time periods, nationalities and specific personal or sociopolitical circumstances.
Classic recordings of symphonies by the likes of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Shostakovich and more will be featured in the discussions.
TORONTO PURSUITS 2026 PRICING
The registration cost for Toronto Pursuits 2026 is C$1850. All seminars are C$75 off through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, January 3, 2026. Sale prices are automatically applied.
All orders placed by 11:59 p.m. Eastern, January 3, 2026, also get a complimentary Toronto Summer Music Festival ticket. Participants who register after January 3 can purchase a concert ticket at our group rate, typically around C$80. The concert we will be attending will be announced in early spring 2026.
Bring a new friend and save even more! Take $100 off your registration for every new friend you bring to Toronto Pursuits. Your friend also saves $100 on their registration. Choose your discount from the dropdown menu based on the number of friends who also plan to register, and let us know your friend’s name in the order notes.
The fine print: To get the bring-a-friend discount, your friend must not have registered for any previous Toronto Pursuits seminar in any year. Your friend must register by May 31, 2026, or Classical Pursuits will apply the nondiscounted price to your final payment. Limit one $100 discount per participant for being referred as a new friend. For example, if person A brings new friend B, person C cannot also claim friend B for the bring-a-friend discount. If friend B brings new friend D, friend B qualifies for $100 discount for being a new referral, and an additional $100 for referring new friend D. Classical Pursuits reserves the right to make all decisions about discount eligibility.
Toronto Pursuits 2026
See the Toronto Pursuits 2026 page for full details on the program schedule, health and safety, booking your accommodations, terms and conditions, and more.
