Red Deer
Red Deer Symphony Orchestra invites you to the 2024-2025 season!
The Red Deer Symphony Orchestra is a community-oriented professional performing arts leader dedicated to engaging, educating, and inspiring Central Alberta through music.
Despite a successful 2023-24 season featuring diverse musical performances and collaborations, the RDSO faces funding cuts and has launched an advocacy campaign for new operational funds. Historically supported by the City of Red Deer, recent policy changes have reduced available grants, impacting the orchestra’s budget and programming. Donations to the RDSO are being accepted online.
Join us with a Full Season Subscription!
The most music for the best price!
Not only do full-season subscribers get the first pick of the best seats, they also hear the most music for the best price. Buy a full-season subscription and you’ll receive all SIX of our Main Series concerts for the price of FIVE – you get an evening of Red Deer’s finest live music for free!
Full-season subscribers have the opportunity to save their seats before anyone else, and receive “Subscribers Only” benefits throughout the season. Additionally, subscribers receive $10 off extra single tickets: you can bring friends and share the music with them too!
Four-Concert Subscription
Curate your own season!
RDSO offers four-concert subscriptions for those who prefer to curate their own season, so you can enjoy a selection of RDSO’s exciting 2023-24 performances and get the satisfaction of knowing that you are actively supporting Central Alberta’s flagship performing arts organization!
Choose any four of RDSO’s six 2024-25 Main Series Concerts and save your seat in the concert hall!
Three-Concert Subscription
Curate your own season!
RDSO offers three-concert subscriptions for those who prefer to curate their own season, so you can enjoy a selection of RDSO’s exciting 2023-24 performances and get the satisfaction of knowing that you are actively supporting Central Alberta’s flagship performing arts organization!
Choose any three of RDSO’s six 2024-25 Main Series Concerts and save your seat in the concert hall!
In 1987, the population of this fair city was just under 55,000 and the Red Deer College Arts Centre had just opened its doors when a gentleman by the name of Howard Mar took his vision of a community symphonic orchestra in Red Deer, enlisted the financial support to the tune of $165,000 from Red Deer’s Royal Canadian Legion Branch #35, rallied his friends and fellow patrons of the arts, gathered a group of musicians both amateur and professional and… created the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra!
Dr. Alan Johnson, former head of Obstetrics at the RDRHC and the first president of the RDSO said of the beginning: “It was mostly Howard, really. As far as my involvement was concerned and you can quote me – I’ve been at many deliveries before but this one has got to be one of the biggest.” Mr. Mar was the parent; the community delivered and nurtured the creation.
There have been many changes in the last three decades: the population has grown and so has your symphony. Under the creative and talented guidance of Maestro Claude Lapalme, the caring guardianship of many, many board members and volunteers throughout the years, the support of numerous patrons, sponsors and funding agencies, the RDSO has matured from a community based, semi-professional orchestra to a fully professional symphony orchestra, employing union musicians. We have moved from a four-concert season with a budget of $71,000 and an apprenticeship program, to a seven-concert season with a budget of over $500,000 and a range of musical education experiences.
Our community programs include the Dress Rehearsal program that is aimed at making the RDSO accessible to anyone, the Choir Kids program (where children in the Red Deer schools get a chance to publicly perform their songs arranged by our Maestro and played by the symphony); and the budding Music + Explorers program, which is an El Sistema-inspired after school social development program that uses music as a lever to engage socio-economically challenged kids in North Red Deer in creative and artistic activities that improve their quality of life.
Although much has changed, much has also remained the same. We are still run by a volunteer board that works very hard to keep the music playing. We are still financially reliant on the generosity of our local patrons and businesses. We still hold to the original vision of providing educational experiences with symphonic music for central Alberta. We still share the stage with amateur musicians, groups from around the area such as the Red Deer Royals, the Red Deer College Choir, the Lindsay Thurber Composite High School’s choirs, the Rosedale Valley Strings, Soliloquy, and the Red Deer Youth Orchestra.
The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation is thrilled to announce the winners of this year’s Red Deer Hospital Lottery prizes – including the Dream Home, a $100,000.00 cash prize, and Mega Bucks 50.
James Smith of Spruce View has won the $100,000.00 cash prize.
Montey Brehaut of Red Deer has won the Mega Bucks 50 jackpot, taking home $301,702.50.
The grand prize Sorento Custom Homes Dream Home, including furnishings by Urban Barn and worth $1,074,472 – has been awarded to Oscar Gunnlaugson of Sylvan Lake.
The winner announcements took place at noon on June 26 , 2025 – and was streamed live on Facebook from Red Deer Regional Hospital Center.
“We’re excited to celebrate this year’s winners and deeply grateful to everyone who supported the lottery,” said Manon Therriault, CEO of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. “Funds raised will directly enhance patient care at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.”
This year’s lottery proceeds will fund essential new and replacement equipment, ensuring Red Deer Regional Hospital Center can continue to serve the 500,000 people who rely on it. While plans for the hospital expansion move forward, healthcare doesn’t wait. Patients in our community need access
to life-saving technology today, and supporting Red Deer Hospital Lottery has made that possible.
A full list of winners, including electronics prize recipients, will be posted on July 2 at reddeerhospitallottery.ca.
Winners will also receive instructions on how to claim their prizes by mail.
The keys to the Dream Home will be presented at a special ceremony this summer.
News release from Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP)
Red Deer Polytechnic Sells Welikoklad Event Centre
Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) has sold the Welikoklad Event Centre in downtown Red Deer to a new owner who has plans to revitalize the facility as a movie theatre. RDP purchased the Welikoklad Event Centre in 2012. For many years, the Centre served as a valuable learning space for students in a variety of programming, including arts and business. The facility also served as a community hub, where RDP hosted a variety of events for different organizations. With the evolution of time, and RDP’s mix of industry-relevant arts and business programs transitioning back to main campus, the Welikoklad Event Centre no longer serves the same purpose for the post- secondary institution as it once did.
“As we’ve reviewed our future strategic plans relating to program growth and facility usage, to best serve our students, industry partners and community members, we are confident we can meet everyone’s needs at our other campuses,” says Jim Brinkhurst, Vice President, Finance and Administration & Chief Financial Officer, Red Deer Polytechnic. “We feel that now is a good time for the institution to sell this facility and we are pleased to see it repurposed for other community uses that will continue to serve Red Deer and downtown well.”
The Welikoklad Event Centre has been purchased by local business owner, Bill Ramji. He owns Carnival Cinemas, currently located in the Capstone neighbourhood. Future development is planned on the current site of this movie theatre and community gathering space. Ramji is excited to revitalize the theatre’s nearly three decades of history in Red Deer at its new location (which will be renovated before opening) in the heart of downtown.
“Carnival Cinemas is proud to announce the acquisition of the Welikoklad Event Centre from Red Deer Polytechnic, marking an exciting new chapter for this venue and the downtown arts community,” says Bill Ramji, Carnival Cinemas owner. “With this acquisition, Carnival Cinemas reaffirms its commitment to bringing the best value in movies to central Alberta while expanding its focus on supporting local theatre and the performing arts. The Welikoklad Event Centre, previously The Uptown Theatre, was a hub for film lovers and creative voices, and Carnival is eager to build on that legacy.”
Ramji continues, “We’re excited to move forward as Carnival Cinemas and Event Centre and our goal is to continue providing high-quality movie experiences, while also working hand-in-hand with local artists, performers, and theatre groups to enrich downtown Red Deer’s cultural landscape. Carnival Cinemas & Event Centre looks forward to collaborating with the arts community and the broader public to ensure the space remains a vibrant and inclusive gathering place for film and theatre alike.”
RDP will continue to have a presence in downtown Red Deer, with their downtown campus located in the Millennium Centre. The downtown RDP campus is home to RDP’s Continuing Education and Corporate Training programs.
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