West Coast Symphony

The West Coast Symphony is a non-professional, high-quality, community-based full symphony orchestra based in Vancouver, BC, Canada. West Coast Symphony has existed in some form since the early 1970s and became a registered Canadian charity in 1992. The orchestra counts both professional and amateur musicians in its ranks, who meet every week to prepare six concerts a year for the season, with other smaller ensemble performances scheduled as well.

The principal conductor of the orchestra, Bujar Llapaj, was appointed in 2008 after moving to Canada from Albania, where he remains a prominent figure in the Balkan classical music scene.

The orchestra does not hold back from taking on challenging music, and routinely showcases modern compositions, collaborates on choral works, explores deeper layers of the standard orchestra repertoire, and features the deep soloist talent living in Vancouver. As one example only, the orchestra is proud to have showcased its musical excellence to very appreciative audiences (including in several televised concerts) during tours of Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia in 2012 and 2018, including a saxophone concerto written by a Vancouver-based composer, performed by a Vancouver-based professional.