Arts & cultureSooke

Sooke Philharmonic.

Community orchestra and chorus of more than 60 players, staging a season of concerts in Sooke including Handel’s Messiah each December.

Known for Handel’s Messiah at the Sooke Community Hall every December

Cellists and violinists performing in concert
Photo: Sooke Philharmonic
Chorus members singing while holding black folders
Row of violinists playing during a concert
1997Open since 1997. That's 29 years. Founded by Norman and Jenny Nelson; music director Yariv Aloni.

Our take

Norman and Jenny Nelson founded the orchestra in 1997 and it played its first concert in June 1998. It now has more than 60 members aged roughly 30 to 80, plus the Sooke Philharmonic Chorus. Yariv Aloni has been music director since 2018. The society also runs a concerto competition named for the Nelsons and the Sooke Secret Garden Tour.

The facts

  • Founded in 1997, with a first concert in June 1998. sookephil.ca
  • Yariv Aloni has been music director since 2018. sookephil.ca
  • Handel’s Messiah is on December 6, 2026, at the Sooke Community Hall. sookephil.ca
  • Tea and Symphony is set for February 14, 2027. sookephil.ca

In The Westshore

On our lists Here since before 2000

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Sources for this listing

Checked November 8, 2026. Built from public sources; nothing here is a firsthand review.

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