Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra

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Our Community

Sharing music as a tool for wellbeing in our communty is at the heart of our mission. The HPO collaborates with partners and artists in all corners of our community to create accessible opportunities for all to experience live music and learning. You can find us at libraries, recreation centers, long-term care homes, festivals, public parks and more across Hamilton and Burlington, sharing free programming for all ages.  

As Hamilton’s professional orchestra with a nearly 140-year history, we are dedicated to being a pillar of the arts in our community, with relevant and accessible programming. We partner with organizations and businesses in all sectors across a wide spectrum of cultural and social identities and lived experiences. We aim to find meaningful ways to interact with our community and support the wellbeing of our region by engaging, educating and inspiring through outstanding professional orchestral music. 

We support our community’s festivals and events with orchestra and ensemble performances, music history talks. You can find the HPO at local events including Supercrawl, Festival of Friends, Telling Tales, Hamilton Arts Week, Eclectic Local and more throughout the summer months. 

We partner with social and cultural service organizations including the YWCA of Hamilton, the Friendship Centre, Centre for Skills Development and CityHousing Hamilton among others. Our community programming also involves collaboration with local lifelong learning organizations including the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science and Art, and Third Age Learning. Community partnerships allow us best to understand the unique needs of the community and reach individuals who may otherwise not have access to programs.  

Music is a universal language and the HPO strives to ensure that we make our musical experiences accessible to everyone in order to support individual and community wellbeing in Hamilton and beyond.