Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1960 by Etobicoke businessman and part-time clarinetist Cecil Rose, the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra gave its first concert in February 1961 and is now in its seventh decade. Roughly 60 players, amateurs and professionals alike with professional section leaders, rehearse weekly from September to May under Music Director Matthew Jones, whose tenure began in 2018/19. The orchestra presents five symphonic concerts and a family concert each season, principally at Martingrove Collegiate Institute, with selected programs repeated as matinees at the Humber Cultural Hub Recital Hall and Humber Valley United Church. A registered charity administered by a volunteer board under president Judy Gargaro, the EPO also runs student scholarships, a young composers competition, and community outreach in Etobicoke.