Consortium Aurora Borealis greets the New Year in style on January 10 with a concert of sublime Classic and Romantic String Quintets. Thrill to the rich sound of two violas in the inner voices. We introduce you to some absolutely gorgeous chamber music for strings, as we present two mature viola quintets written 103 years apart by Mozart and Brahms. We also bring to light an appealing quintet by a less-known composer, written just two years after Mozart’s. All three men were German speakers.

In 2025 Consortium Aurora Borealis and the rest of the musical world mark the 275th anniversary of the death of Johann Sebastian Bach. This towering figure of the Baroque surpassed all others during this period, and was venerated throughout history as one of the greatest composers of all time. Composer Richard Wagner called Bach “the most stupendous miracle in all music!” 

We’re delighted to welcome Peter Shackleton, well known to Thunder Bay audiences as the TBSO’s Principal Clarinettist since 1988. He appears as our guest soloist in an exquisite concert of Classic and Romantic chamber music, and is joined by our four core string players. They’ll perform two quintets for clarinet and strings, beloved staples of that instrument’s repertoire, and both composed for specific virtuoso clarinettists. Mozart’s dates from the same year as the French Revolution; it’s marvellously melodic, mellow, and at times mirthful.