Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience Comes to Calgary

On October 31st, 2025, legendary actor Morgan Freeman is set to bring his unique Symphonic Blues Experience to Calgary, Canada. The concert, which blends blues music with a symphony orchestra, is a multimedia journey through the 100-year history of the blues.

Freeman, who has owned the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi for over two decades, has a lifelong passion for the genre. He grew up surrounded by the sounds of the blues in the 1940s, recalling men with guitars and mason jars of moonshine. While he doesn't consider himself an aficionado, Freeman has always been a fan of music, regardless of the genre.

The Symphonic Blues Experience, which has previously been performed in Savannah, Georgia, Dublin, and Salzburg, Austria, features pre-recorded narration by Freeman alongside live performances by 10 or more blues musicians and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. The show follows the evolution of the blues, from its origins in the Mississippi Delta to its influence on genres like gospel and rock. It also explores the social and cultural context that shaped the music over the decades.

According to the show's tour manager and producer, Eric Meier, the concert offers a "poignant" look at the challenges and social justice issues that have been intertwined with the blues throughout its history, and continue to this day.