The City of Edmonton has launched a pilot project with the Winspear Centre to have symphony music playing in LRT stations throughout downtown. LRT users will hear music recorded by the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) while they wait. “We couldn't be more thrilled to share this specially curated playlist of Edmonton Symphony Orchestra recordings,” said Winspear Centre and ESO President and CEO Annemarie Leenhouts-Petrov in a press release. “While awaiting the LRT, you can now enjoy the amazing artistry and passion of the professional musicians that make up your ESO, experiencing delicate melodies to thundering crescendos, moments of tension, joy, and exhilaration.” Leenhouts-Petrov said it “is a great honour to pilot this initiative to feature local musicians and artists' works as a way of contributing to a vibrant and welcoming downtown Edmonton.”The City of Edmonton said the playlist is expansive, featuring classical composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, familiar modern music from Broadway and Hollywood, and local artists such as John Estacio. “Small actions can have a big impact on increasing the vibrancy in our downtown,” said City of Edmonton Director of Downtown Vibrancy and Safe City Tom Girvan.“We have an incredible arts community in our downtown core, especially with the Arts District at its heart, and we want to find new and exciting ways to make it accessible for people visiting the neighbourhood — whether it’s through music, a mural, or an activation.”For now, it said music will be broadcast through the speakers at Government Centre, Corona, Bay/Enterprise Square, Central, Churchill and MacEwan LRT Station during operational hours from 5 to 2 a.m. daily. Priority will be given to station and train announcements to ensure accessibility.The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) warned Edmontonians in July to be careful when riding public transit because of escalating violence on the LRT. READ MORE: Edmonton police advise using 'extreme caution' when riding LRTSince the previous winter, social disorder on the streets of Edmonton and crime and chaos within the transit system has been an utmost concern for Edmontonians. “You have to be extremely cautious on our transit system and on our streets downtown right now, because there are many people who are in difficult situations themselves, who are very angry for a variety of reasons,” said EPS Det. Jared Buehler.
