After five decades, Calgary’s community orchestra is still playing for the love of it, not the paycheque.

Calgary Civic Symphony, a local music collective of everyday people, will celebrate its 50th birthday later this month with a performance at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Sunday, Oct. 25, featuring a never-before-heard piece. 

John Estacio, an Edmonton-based composer, was commissioned to create the symphony’s opening score, which will kick off the 2026-27 season with five performances between now and next spring. 

Titled “Golden Overture,” Estacio said that he started writing the piece earlier in the year. He explained that he wanted the music to convey the symphony’s history, and he made capturing the occasion’s celebratory spirit a top priority.

“I wanted a sense of fanfare, but also in the sense of lyricism and joy, and those were all emotions that I imbued into the composition,” said Estacio. 

“It’s sort of a buoyant, energetic, playful, and majestic quality to the piece to sort of mark a golden anniversary.”

Although this isn’t the first time the symphony has performed one of his scores, Estacio said this is the first time he has personally composed for the group — a piece he has yet to hear in person. 

“That orchestra has played an important part for a lot of people and their lives,” he said. 

“Even though they might not be full-time professional musicians, you know, some of them are teachers, some of them are lawyers, or some of them are just sort of amateur musicians, and making music and assembling together is important to them.”

Civic’s motto ‘music by anyone, for everyone’ stands the test of time

Rolf Bertsch, the Civic’s music director, will conduct the performance. Cellist prodigy Luka Coetzee, who joined the group in 2015 at just 11, will also be playing. Bertsch said the return of its talented alumni shows what makes the group special.

“There’s a reason my hair is grey, and I say that with great affection and respect,” he said. 

“It’s this amazing assemblage of people who are, many of them, highly trained musicians, but who have, and I like to say, wisely, perhaps, chosen to pursue other careers.”

During the day, almost all symphony members work other jobs, which Bertsch said is understandable, given the challenge of earning a living wage while working in the arts. 

He said this provides them with an outlet to pursue their musical passions because they want to, not because they have to. 

Indeed, they are not a professional orchestra, Bertsch said, but explained that this doesn’t mean they are subpar in skill. He said audiences will learn the Civic is anything but, and that shows in their music. 

“The ‘community orchestra’ has an undertone of being not necessarily very good,” said Bertsch. 

“They’re amateur musicians around the world who are fantastic, but who do other things, and I think yes, this absolutely gives them an outlet…and to the audience, it gives a different vibe to a professional orchestra.”

Being for the community, by the community, is exactly why the initiative started back in 1976, and it still rings true today, he said, even as their budget and number of participating musicians have expanded.

Since Bertsch joined in 2008, he said the group has outgrown multiple rehearsal spaces, and its current home at the Werklund Centre reflects demand for music-related recreational activities.

“My hope is only that what we have built will, if anything, continue to improve,” said Bertsch.

“I hope that, somehow, we will stop being one of Calgary’s best-kept secrets.”

Tickets for the anniversary show and the Civic’s subsequent performances are available online, either as individual seats from as low as almost $27 or as a subscription package starting at around $110.