Haerim Elizabeth Lee & David Fung – Concert Review

Elizabeth Lee and David Fung

On January 24, NOCCA presented its fourth concert of their seventy-first season and once again the audience was beguiled by the offerings showcased by the performers.

The introductory duo opened with Evy Erickson on violin accompanied by Jenny Sunderland on piano. The pair performed an energetic interpretation of O. Rieding’s Concertino in A minor. This piece was beautifully contrasted by the slow and emotive music of Jules Massenet, Meditation from Thais. Both pieces were played expertly from memory. When Ms. Erickson and Ms. Sunderland concluded their presentation, the audience seemed spellbound as it took several seconds for the resounding applause to occur.

Elizabeth Lee and David Fung graced the stage for the main section of the concert and treated the audience to a cornucopia of modern composers including Debussy, Ravel and Gershwin. The musicians performed with technical brilliance and passion. They encapsulated the different genres of music into a highly complex offering for the concert-goers. It was evident that Ms. Lee and Mr. Fung were thoroughly enjoying themselves as they exuded pleasure both on their faces, smiling widely and in their body language. They were one with their music, their instruments and with each other.

Their playing evoked many images; someone rushing around the streets with a great need to get somewhere fast, to the warm, relaxed ‘Summertime’ of the southern states.

They received a well-deserved standing ovation and were enticed back to the stage three times before offering the audience more brilliant musical prowess in an intensely beautiful, intensely Gershwin finale.

Review by Shannon V Marsh and Gerald Sholomenko.

NOCCA’s next concert will feature: 
Guitarists Adam Cicchillitti and Steve Cowan on Tuesday April 23, 2024
Tickets can be purchased at ticket seller.ca or phone (250) 549-7469. 
For more information visit our website nocca.ca

Haerim Elizabeth Lee & David Fung – Thursday January 25, 2024

Haerim Elizabeth Lee & David Fung
7:30 pm Thursday January 25, 2024

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Captivating audiences, leaving them breathless with impeccable phrasing and musicality.

Violinist, Haerim Elizabeth Lee has developed a playing style indicative of the very essence of her personality: passionate, deliberate and often witty. In 2015, Elizabeth performed as the concertmaster with Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center Honors concert in Washington, D.C. to recognize Maestro Seiji Ozawa, which was attended by former President Barrack Obama.

Elizabeth possesses a progressive philosophy when it comes to exploring and premiering works by living composers. 

Elizabeth describes her interpretation of George Gershwin’s works for violin and piano as a “contemporary take on timeless music that captures the vibrant spirit of New Your City as it once was and as it is now. Her new album, My Time is Now, will delight die-hard Gershwin fans and capture the hearts of new followers. More about Liz Lee

Pianist, David Fung will be performing with Elizabeth. He is widely recognized for “interpretations that are elegant and refined, yet intensely poetic and uncommonly espressive.” David regularly appears with the world’s premier ensembles, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the Israel Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony, as well as the major orchestras in Australia. 

David garnered international attention as a laureate of the Queen Elizabeth International Music Competition in Brussels and the Arthur Rubenstein Piano International Masters Competition in Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv, he was further distinguished by the Chamber Music and Mozart prizes, awarded in areas in which he has a passionate interest. 

David is currently on the faculty at the University of British Columbia and is a curator at the Chan Center for the Performing Arts.  More about David Fung.

Click on the links below to view videos of violinist Haerim Elizabeth Lee and pianist David Fung.

David Fung, piano:

Haerim Elizabeth Lee, violin:


BUY SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40  22 and Under – $20

Purchase tickets at:

TICKET SELLER
Phone: (250) 549-SHOW (7469)
E-mail: boxoffice@ticketseller.ca

– or –

Visit The Performing Arts Centre Foyer
3800 33rd Street, Vernon BC

All concerts are held in the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.


*** NOCCA’s next concert will be on Tuesday April 23, 2024. 
Please visit nocca.ca for more details. ***

Quartetto Gelato – Concert Review

Quartetto Gelato – November 28, 2023

On November 28th, Autumn Sunderland opened NOCCA’S 3rd concert of the season. Accompanied by Paul Dykstra on piano, Autumn offered concert goers two delightful pieces, Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise followed by Suk’s Burleska. She played both from memory with confidence and skill. This was demonstrated through the voicing of her violin’s delicate tones. Her fingers rapidly moved over the neck of her instrument as she exhibited incredible agility in her bowing technique. Ms. Sunderland brought together two highly complex musical arrangements in what seemed to be an effortless manner.

The concert’s showcase, Quartetto Gelato, consisting of Colin Maier, oboe, vocals and musical saw, Tino Popovic, violin and vocals, Matti Pulkki, accordion and Kirk Starkey, cello presented the audience with an evening of outstanding, eclectic entertainment. We went on a musical journey that sent us on a wild romp from Klezmer to Gypsy Jazz, Scottish to Country (Spaghetti Roads), and ended the evening with the finale of the theme music from the Flintstones and The Simpons. Throughout the evening, the audience was invited to participate by clapping, snapping their fingers, singing and letting out their joy.

Each musician played with amazing technical expertise and mastery of their instruments. The interplay between the musicians was cohesive, seamless and flowing. This was not an ‘ordinary quartet.’ This was a classical crossover quartet! They created a “mashup musical melange.” Not only did they exquisitely mash together Mozart and Brubeck, they also mashed their instruments into multiple unique voices; the oboe became a bagpipe with cello and violin becoming the drones. The accordion became an impressive pipe organ within a massive European cathedral, The sheer athleticism of the “musiceletes” was impressive. The concert goers could not take their eyes off of Quartetto Gelato. The entire performance was captivating, mind boggling and exhilarating.

Review by Ann Dorval, Shannon Marsh and Gerry Sholomenko.

NOCCA’s next concert will feature: 
Haerim Elizabeth Lee (violin) & David Fung (piano) on Thursday January 25, 2024
Tickets can be purchased at ticket seller.ca or phone (250) 549-7469. 
For more information visit our website nocca.ca

Quartetto Gelato – Tuesday November 28, 2023


Quartetto Gelato
7:30 pm Tuesday November 28, 2023

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An exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and humour.

With sold-out performances in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong and elsewhere, this dazzling ensemble has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with its exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and humour.  With a performance repertoire that spans the globe and includes classical masterworks, engaging vocals, the sizzling energy of tangos, gypsy and klezmer songs, the group’s theatrical stage presence and relaxed humour establish an intimate rapport with audiences worldwide.

At the 2010 INDIE Awards, Quartetto Gelato was honoured as Best Classical Ensemble, and achieved unique global reach when Canadian astronaut Dr. Robert Thirsk chose their first two CDs to take on board during his NASA flight on the space shuttle Columbia, to literally be heard around the world!

More about Quartetto Gelato

Click on the link below to view a video of Quartetto Gelato:


BUY SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40  22 and Under – $20

Purchase tickets at:

TICKET SELLER
Phone: (250) 549-SHOW (7469)
E-mail: boxoffice@ticketseller.ca

– or –

Visit The Performing Arts Centre Foyer
3800-34th Street, Vernon

All concerts are held in the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.


*** NOCCA’s next concert will be on Thursday January 25, 2024. 
Please visit nocca.ca for more details. ***

Oktopus – Concert Review

Oktopus – October 11, 2023


On Wednesday, October 11th, Anders Erikson, accompanied by his mom, two sisters and grandfather opened NOCCA’S 2nd concert of the season with Hadyn’s Concerto in C major 1st Movement. Anders played nimbly. His fingers moved over the strings of the cello with grace and the notes wafted beautifully to the audience. The piece was marked by high concentration on the part of the young cellist as he played from memory.

The 2nd offering was a well known rendition of Phantom of the Opera in which the musicians played their parts well exemplifying their familial talent.

What a night of Klezmer music! The group Okotpus, stretched its tentacles from Montreal, and stretched our musical experience here in Vernon. Playing a wide variety of instruments including, wind, strings, brass and percussion, the music rollicked the audience like non-stop spinning tops and had many listeners dancing in their seats.

The facility of the players was apparent; the precision of the fast lines, intertwined with harmonic interplay between instruments, the abrupt stops and starts with the audience never quite knowing when a piece was actually complete until there was delicious silence. All examples of mind boggling musicianship. Much of the music evoked imagery of celebration, one such image comes to mind, that of  a woman and a man sitting on chairs pulsing in the air while lifted high above the heads of wedding guests.

The music was complex and varied ranging from adapted classical repertoire (Hungarian Dance #5 Brahms, “we fixed the mistakes he made”), to a popular Quebec traditional reel all of which created an atmosphere of ceaseless spinning and energetic movement. It was wonderfully exhilarating. The players were thoroughly enjoying themselves, smiling as they played and had musical conversations with one another.

Near the end of the concert, the young performer, Anders Erikson was invited to the stage to participate in the playing of the Flatbush Waltz. There he was ensconced in the group of players who were appreciative and supportive of his talent. He graced the audience with a wonderfully melodic solo before being swept up in the chaotic melody of the entire group. It was a pleasure to see the expression of joy spread across his face as he adapted to become an integral member of the entire ensemble. Upon speaking with Anders and the ensemble after the concert, it was apparent that each was excited about the experience of a shared expression of talent.

The concert ended with a standing ovation and an amazing encore of Alle Bruder (All Brothers). It was a pure delight spending the evening with such incredible musical talent. As we were leaving the auditorium, one of the young players who accompanied Anders said, “That was the best concert I’ve ever been to…and I didn’t fall asleep!”  Bravo! NOCCA for arranging such a memorable evening of music.

Review by Gerry Sholomenko and Shannon Marsh.

NOCCA’s next concert will feature Quartetto Gelato on Tuesday November 28, 2023.
Tickets can be purchased at ticket seller.ca or phone (250) 549-7469.
For more information visit our website nocca.ca