Philip Chiu, whose playing La Presse has called “pianist-painter” artistry that transforms sound into vivid colour, joins violinist Robert Uchida for Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano on January 10. It is the centerpiece of the Kingston Symphony’s Masterworks Four program, paired with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor — a work the Kingston Symphony describes as “a piece as dramatic and bold as it gets.”
About the Show
This is the fourth installment of the Kingston Symphony’s Masterworks series for the 2026–27 season, built around what the organization describes as “a double helping of incredible works, proving two is almost always better than one.” The program pairs Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano (a double concerto that puts both soloists at the center of the work) with Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor, giving each half of the evening its own dramatic weight.
Chiu is the 2023 JUNO Award winner for Best Classical Solo Album, for his recording Fables on ATMA Classique, and the first-ever recipient of the Mécénat Musica Prix Goyer, one of Canada’s largest classical music prizes. His recordings are regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3, France Musique, ICI Musique, and CBC Music. Uchida, Concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, returns to the Kingston Symphony stage, where he has previously performed as a concerto soloist with the orchestra, and serves as Artistic Director of the Longshadow Music Festival in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. His recording of Tim Brady’s Violin Concerto earned Classical Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards. Strings Magazine has singled out his “ravishing sound, eloquence and hypnotic intensity.”
Conductor Evan Mitchell, who has led the Kingston Symphony for 10 seasons as Music Director, closes the program with the Mozart. Before the pandemic, the masterworks series ran four consecutive sellout seasons under his leadership.
Venue & Logistics
The performance takes place at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King Street West in Kingston, Ontario, with tickets and box office access handled through the Kingston Grand Theatre. The 2:30 p.m. Sunday matinee start is a practical one for anyone making the drive in from across the north country area.
Tickets
Tickets range from $10–$54 plus HST and handling fees, with prices displaying as $11.30–$61.02 with taxes and service fees included. Regular public tickets go on sale Monday, August 24, 2026 at 12 noon; subscriptions are available from the Kingston Grand Theatre box office until then. Buy tickets