The Windsor Symphony Orchestra will launch a digital concert series today that celebrates cuisine and history alongside the music, and education professor Christine Vanderkooy is excited to be part of it.

A pianist, she will perform in two of the seven entries in “The Music. The Story. The Food.” The videos will include stories about the composers and set a cultural scene with discussion of foods drawn from their times and places, led by history professor Rob Nelson. Subscribers will receive recipes paired with each episode, and may connect with a local restaurant or bakery for prepared versions of the dishes.

“It’s a vivid display of artistry and creativity that models how the pandemic has inspired some to respond with creativity, adroitness, and reinvention,” says Dr. Vanderkooy. “We are especially fortunate to have such an innovative orchestra here in Windsor led by the intrepid and indefatigable Maestro Robert Franz.”

In Episode 5, she will play Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet, op. 2 for piano, strings, clarinet, oboe, horn, and bassoon — a work that was new to her.

“I’m confident the audience will love it for its sweeping melodies and romantic elegance,” Vanderkooy says. “It’s a thrilling ride and a piece that deserves to be heard a lot more often.”

And she will perform J.S. Bach’s Concerto No. 5 in F minor for Piano and String Orchestra as a featured soloist in Episode 7.

“It is one of my favourite keyboard works by Bach, perfectly constructed with a refined game between the keyboard and orchestra, and a recognizable second movement that is guaranteed to melt your heart,” she says.

“Having the opportunity to perform this beloved work with outstanding musicians of the Windsor Symphony is a mountaintop experience, to be sure. I can’t wait to share it with the Windsor community and beyond.”

Find details, including full programs and ticket info, on the WSO website.