Problematic Orchestra
About us
Problematic Orchestra is a semi-professional contemporary chamber orchestra based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. This eclectic ensemble is made up of approximately 26 musicians from a diverse musical diaspora. The ensemble presents a repertoire that crosses genres, blending the rigour of contemporary and classical music with popular music, improvisation, and a modern sensibility.
photos: Bruce Barrett
Longest Night Society
The mandate of Longest Night Society is to support the development of a semi-professional chamber orchestra as a voice for new music in the North.
Problematic Orchestra is a semi-professional contemporary chamber orchestra based in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. This eclectic ensemble is made up of approximately 26 musicians from a diverse musical diaspora. The ensemble presents a repertoire that crosses genres, blending the rigour of contemporary and classical music with popular music, improvisation, and a modern sensibility.
Staff
Hannah Mazurek, Artistic Director
Logan Bennett, General Manager
Board
President: Daniel Janke
Vice President: Judy Greenhill
Secretary: Kimberly Hart
Treasurer: Philippa (Pippa) Lawson
Director at large: Ben Johnston-Urey
For more information contact us.
If you would like to support Yukon’s orchestra, please click the button below.
photos: Bruce Barrett
Current Events
Winter Solstice Concert- Longest Night
Performances:
December 20th & 21st, Yukon Arts Centre
Celebrate the longest night of the year with the Yukon premiere of a new major work by Problematic Orchestra’s 2026 Composer-in-Residence, Nicolas Hyatt.
Meet the Composer in Residence:
Nicolas Hyatt (they/he) is a Franco-Ontarian pianist and composer living in Whitehorse whose artistic practice centres around collaborative creation and community. They studied experimental music composition as a young adult and began their career as a composer of chamber music, having since expanded their artistic practice to include electronic and minimalist music, pop, and numerous other genres. Nic is drawn to collaboration, and has cowritten a number of records with projects Future States & Loon Town (wonky-pop), Parler bien (‘speech music’) and CLout gAMe (electro-hiphop), playing shows and festivals across North America and Europe. They are also a co-founder of Moderna Records, a household name in minimalist instrumental and contemporary classical music.
Images from last year’s Longest Night 2024
Ticket Information
For upcoming event ticket information, please visit the Yukon Arts Centre here.
Previous Events
2025
Puccini’s Tosca
September 18 and 20, 2025
Co-produced by the National Arts Centre, Edmonton Opera, Yukon Arts Centre and Longest Night Society
Tosca tells the intense story of a passionate singer, Tosca, and her lover, the painter Cavaradossi, whose lives are torn apart by the manipulative and cruel chief of police, Scarpia. As love, power, and betrayal collide, the characters must confront impossible choices with deadly consequences.
2024
Longest Night 2024
Inspiration
Longest Night Society presents Inspiration, a series of workshops and performances for strings and winds with guest educators Gwen Hoebig – strings, and Jeremy Brown – winds. The workshop series culminates in concerts at Whitehorse United Church on Saturday April 27, at 7:30 pm, and at the Carcross Community Centre on Sunday April at 3:00 pm.
2023
Ubi Caritas
Composed by Maurice Durufle, arranged by Scott Maynard
Trio Per Uno – Composed by N.J. Zivkovic
Wannabe – Composed by Spice Girls, arranged by Nathan Howe
La Marée Rouge
Composed by Hannah Mazurek, commissioned by Longest Night Society
2022
Soir d’Hiver – Nadia Boulanger
The Crows Of Sarsfield Court- Scott Maynard
Darkness – Peter Jickling
music by Daniel Janke
2021
Coming Together – composed by Frederic Rzewski
2020
Counterpoint of View – composed by George Koller
2019
The theme for the Longest Night 2019 concert series was Canadiana. The program featured composers David Archer, Paul Lucas, Keitha Clark, Katerina Gimon, Sean Smith, Sarah Smith-Johnson, and Scott Maynard as well as arrangers Andrea McColeman and Daniel Janke. The program also featured the Kwanlin Dághàlhaan K’e Dancers.
2019 Videos
Honour Song – composed by Sarah Johnston Smith and family, featuring Kwanlin Dághàlhaan K’e Dancers
Trees on a Wire – composed by David Archer
2018
2018 Videos
The 2018 solstice concerts with Problematic Orchestra featured commissioned works from Bronwen Duncan, Olivier deColombel, Annie Avery, Scott Maynard, Micah Smith, Ben Barrett-Forrest, and Daniel Janke. Our theme for Longest Night 2018 was folksongs.
Radio Works – composed by Daniel Janke
La Vie Est Belle
Listen to La vie est belle, featuring Hélène Beaulieu and Problematic Orchestra. La vie est belle was composed by Daniel Janke for the film Subconscious Password, directed by Chris Landreth [short-listed for an Oscar award, 2014].
2018 Photos
2017
The 2017 Problematic Orchestra winter solstice concert series featured new works by northern Canadian composers Carmen Braden, Olivier de Colombel, Daniel Janke, Scott Maynard, and Andrea McColeman, as well as works adapted from Claudio Monteverdi. Also on the program was a partnership work by director Daniel Janke , commissioned by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Canadian Mosaic project. Small Song for Orchestra was also performed by the TSO on Nov. 3, 2017 at Roy Thompson Hall.
Listen to the TSO performance.
More information on the Canadian Mosaic project can be found here.
2017 Composers
Andrea McColeman, Carmen Braden, Daniel Janke, Olivier de Colombel, Scott Maynard
2017 Photos
Our History
Longest Night Society was formed in 1995 to present the annual winter solstice concerts in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. In 1999 the company released the CD recording not too dark, which can be purchased here.
Beginning in 2016, the society adopted a mandate to support the development of Problematic Orchestra, a semi-professional contemporary chamber orchestra based in Whitehorse, Yukon.
2016
1995 – 2015
Our Sponsors
Longest Night is a community event.
We gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors and Supporters.
