L-R: Thorgy Thor & Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser (Photos courtesy of the TSO)

Thorgy Thor, the Queen of Classical Music, and the TSO’s first ever drag headliner, will help the orchestra celebrate Pride with a special concert on June 11 in Roy Thomson Hall. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has partnered with Pride Toronto in creating the Official Pride Toronto cultural event.

“We are not only the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, but we are also proudly Toronto’s symphony orchestra, and what’s important to the city and its people is important to us,” said Mark Williams, CEO of the TSO ion a statement. “Pride Toronto’s mission — to be known, heard, understood, accepted, respected, and celebrated — resonates deeply with us. At the TSO, we are unified in our belief in the power of music to connect, heal, and transcend boundaries. This concert is more than a celebration — it’s about harnessing the transformative power of music to uplift, unify, and inspire. And of course, it’s going to be incredibly fun.”

Impresarios Club Pride Salon

The TSO is launching their Pride month celebrations with the Impresarios Club Pride Salon, hosted by the Impresarios Club and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser on June 4, beginning with pre-party music at 2 p.m.

The event begins with a musical program in the Roy Thomson Hall lobby atrium;
A sextet of TSO musicians will play classical and pop music;
The party follows with a reception on the patio at 3 p.m., where music will be provided by DJ Fawn Big Canoe.

Tickets for the Impresarios Club Pride Salon are on sale [HERE].

L-R: Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser & Thorgy Thor (Photo: Max Attwood)

Thorgy Thor and the Thorchestra

Thorgy Thor and the Thorchestra will take the stage at Roy Thomson Hall on Sunday, June 11 at 7:30 p.m. Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser conducts.

Thorgy Thor, aka Shane Thor Galligan, shot to international stardom on the 8th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Thor’s credentials as a musician, however, are impeccable. Having studied at the University of Hartford Hartt School in Connecticut, Thor went on to graduate from the State University of New York, Purchase with a Bachelor of Music in both viola and violin performance.

Thor and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the TSO’s Barrett Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador, have been working together since creating Thorgy and the Thorchestra, which debuted at Halifax Pride in 2018 with Symphony Nova Scotia. The show has since toured from Vancouver to North Carolina.

The program includes favourite classical pieces as well as pop music songs in a combination of music, comedy, and theatricality, with guest artists including Adam “Miss Moço” Moco, Matthew “Snoopy” Cuff, and soprano Midori Marsh.

The TSO’s Mark Williams and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser talked about Thorgy Thor, creating new 2SLGBTQ+ safe spaces, and drag as an art form in a conversation.

“For me, Pride is unthinkable without music,” said Bartholomew-Poyser. “Our goal is to create a show that connects with the audience on multiple levels, offering them experiences that are fresh, unexpected, and deeply personal. We are incredibly excited to bring Thorgy’s unique creativity and performance to our stage.

Thorgy is also a professional musician, working in New York, playing multiple instruments. So it was really a great idea to have her as a headliner, bringing her creativity to the stage.”

Tickets for the June 11 concert at Roy Thomson Hall are on sale now [HERE].