JUNO Award-Winning Inuk Soprano Deantha Edmunds to Headline the Kamloops Symphony’s 50th Anniversary Season Opener

ByDarryl Schmidt

KAMLOOPS, BC [July 8, 2026] — The Kamloops Symphony Orchestra (KSO) is pleased to announce that JUNO Award-winning composer and Inuk soprano Deantha Edmunds will join the orchestra in Kamloops and Salmon Arm to open its landmark 50th Anniversary Season with Inspired by Here.

Edmunds, Canada’s first Inuk professional classical singer, brings her voice and her music to a program that reflects the orchestra’s connection to this land. In 2025, she became the first Indigenous artist to win the JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year, and she is a Member of the Order of Canada, recognized for her work championing Indigenous voices in classical music. The evening will feature three of her compositions: Life’s Song, Legacy, and her award-winning song cycle Angmalukisaa.

The evening now also features Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1, a powerful tribute to heritage and nature written by one of history’s most evocative symphonic composers.

A Concert Rooted in Collaboration

Inspired by Here was originally conceived in collaboration with acclaimed Cree/Mennonite cellist and composer Cris Derksen, whose singular blend of classical, Indigenous, and electronic sound made her one of the most distinctive voices in Canadian music. Following Derksen’s sudden tragic passing on May 15, 2026, the KSO made the decision to carry the program forward, preserving the spirit and intention behind the performance.

Concert Details

Inspired by Here — KSO 50th Anniversary Season Opener

Karl Hirzer, podium partner

Deantha Edmunds, Inuk soprano

  • Friday, September 25, 2026 – 7:30 PM Sagebrush Theatre, Kamloops, BC
    Part of the Fairfield by Marriott Signature Concerts series
  • Sunday, September 27, 2026 – 3:00 PM Nexus at First Community, Salmon Arm, BC
    Part of the Salmon Arm Sundays series 

Series Passes are on sale now. Passes for concerts at the Sagebrush Theatre and Kamloops Alliance Church can be purchased through Kamloops Live! Box Office (KL!BO), while passes for Kelson Hall performances and regional concerts can be purchased directly through the KSO office. Individual concerts will be released at a later date.


All series and concerts can be viewed and purchased online at www.KamloopsSymphony.com

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