When: Tuesday September 12, 2023 at 7:30pm Where: Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre
Help us celebrate NOCCA’s Seventy-First anniversary with the homecoming to the NOCCA stage and the North Okanagan’s gift to the international world of music, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko.
After a successful year of competitions in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, Jaeden brings a focused passion and intensity to the art of the piano. Jaeden will be playing NOCCA’s Steinway Concert Grand and this is one concert you do not want to miss!
On April 19th, NOCCA presented its last concert of the season that showcased a young local trio and a more mature Canadian duo.
Just minutes before the show was to begin, a power outage affecting a wide swath of Vernon postponed the concert. In fact, we were all ushered into the foyer where we waited with bated breath, crossed fingers and toes in hopes that the powers that be, aka, B.C.Hydro, could remedy the situation before too long. If not, the concert would have been cancelled. To the great relief and delight of everyone, the electricity was restored and we were treated to a truly exquisite presentation well worth the extended delay.
The opening by the Barbaza Trio of siblings, was well received. Henry, on cello, Benjamin, on cello, and Lenna, on violin, are accomplished young musicians who are composed and highly focused. They treated the audience to four works that showcased their combined talents ending with a flowing and vibrant interpretation of Ravel’s Allegra from Trio No.1 played beautifully with harmonious blends of the instrumental voices. These young musicians have established themselves and will make a mark on future musical endeavours in Vernon and beyond.
The featured artists, Meagan Milatz, on piano and Amy Hills on violin, offered a magnificent performance that awed concertgoers. Their offerings were coupled works; classical pieces contrasted by modern pieces inspired by the classical work in the coupling. The performance opened with a Mozart Sonata followed by the commissioned work of Winnipeg composer, Jocelyn Morlock. “Alba” which means dawn or sunrise and also represents the Alberti Bass of Mozart’s Sonata, where bass notes of the chord are broken, “creating a carpet foundation to the piece.” The music was evocative and created imagery of the early morning as the world awakened. Both musicians were dynamic and one with the music and their instruments completing the piece with a full sunrise.
Amy and Meagan were both energetic and sensitive in their presentation. The interplay between the duo was delightful to behold. Their body language was dramatic and was demonstrative of their passion for both classical and contemporary music that held together across their entire performance. Their technical expertise was in alignment with the difficulty of the music. This promises that they are and will be a duo who commands respect and place on the world chamber music stage.
We would like to thank NOCCA for their role in recognizing, promoting and bringing such incredible music to Vernon. We look forward to next season’s concert series and encourage everyone to attend.
Review by Gerry Sholomenko and Shannon Marsh.
Classical Valley Concerts in May 2023:
Meagan Milatz (piano) will be returning to the Okanagan in May to play a selection of piano quartets from France and Spain with Violaine Melançon (violin), Marina Thibeault (viola) and Nicholas Denton Protsack (cello). The Venue is Vernon Community Music School’s Carriage House at 7:30 pm Tuesday May 16th. Tickets are $30 each (students $15). More information on this and other concerts in the Classical Valley series can be found at https://classicalvalley.com/concerts-2023.
Correction:
We would like to make a correction to an ad that appeared in the concert’s printed programme which stated the Vernon Community Band presents “Sounds For Spring” on Saturday May 12th, 2023 at 2pm. This is incorrect, May 12th, 2023 is a Friday! The concert is actually being held 2pm Saturday May 13, 2023 at Trinity United Church, admission by donation. There will be an onsite bake sale, coffee and tea.
2023/24 NOCCA Season:
Tickets will go on sale soon for NOCCA’s 2023/24 concert series for those wishing to become new season subscribers or wanting to purchase single concert tickets. Links to purchase season subscriptions or single concert tickets will be provided from our website as soon as they are available on ticketseller.
Existing season ticket subscribers will be receiving renewal notices directly from ticketseller, and all renewals need to be confirmed by May 31st, 2023.
Information about the 2023/24 season can be found on NOCCA’s website NOCCA.ca.
The first concert is on Tuesday September 12. 2023 featuring pianist Jaeden Isak-Dzurko. We look forward to seeing you there!
meagan&amy 7:30 pm Wednesday April 19, 2023 Buy Tickets
Passionate, innovative and fearless music-making!
meagan&amy, a vibrant Canadian duo consisting of violinist Amy Hills and pianist Meagan Milatz, share an intense passion for innovative programming and fearless music-making. They began their partnership in 2011 at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University. Their individual strengths – Meagan’s interest in the fortepiano and Amy’s in contemporary music combine in their wide range of repertoire. Praised for their energy, sensitivity and musical maturity, they were awarded the first ever “Pan-Canadian Partnership” recital tour, being chosen from over 50 applications. “Their collaborative musicianship combined with their very accessible, yet audacious repertoire made an immediate impression on the jury.” Their concerts present works by local composers as well as European classics, and through their artistry are interesting, intriguing and fun!
The youth opener for this concert will be the Barbaza Trio which is made up of three siblings: Lenna, 13 years old on violin, Benjamin, 12 years old on Cello, and Henry, 10 years old, on cello. In addition, all three are studying piano. On their chosen instruments, Lenna and Benjamin are in level 10 RCM and Henry is in level 8 RCM. They are all members of the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra and have been active in many local and provincial music festivals, as well as with ensembles and youth orchestras.
SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS Adults – $40 22 and Under – $20 Guest of a subscription member $35
It was an immense pleasure to listen to Alex Thiessen open the NOCCA’S March 20th concert with the presentation of 4 songs including Bizet’s Habanera, beautifully accompanied by Neta Petkau on the NOCCA Steinway Grand. Thiessen sang with confidence, expressiveness and ease. She is a multi-talented musician whose joy of singing shone through brilliantly.
The Valencia Baryton Project made up of Matthew Baker (baryton), Amy Domingues (cello), and Brett Walfish (viola), graced the main stage with a magnificent presentation consisting mainly of Franz Joseph Haydn’s chamber compositions written for the baryton. Haydn wrote over 170 compositions for this instrument and of these, 126 were trios for the baryton, cello and viola.
The baryton, a unique instrument dating back to the 17th century, resembles a combination of the bass viol, a fretted guitar and a bowed cello with sympathetic strings hidden behind the neck. These strings produce harmonic overtones when the instrument is bowed but can also be plucked to provide an array of tonal qualities. Matthew Baker, one of 15 known professional players in the world, introduced us to the magical qualities of this little known instrument. The interplay between the trio entertained the audience throughout the evening with gorgeous harmonies woven beautifully together with delicate precision. Concertgoers were attentive because the delicate sounds produced were both subtle and almost understated.
It’s interesting that for an instrument that was well known in the 17th century, several modern composers are intrigued and have produced compositions for it. While the Haydn pieces were intimate, fragile and delightful, the contemporary works opened new musical perspectives to the musicians and audience. The River, for example, by Canadian composer, Steve Zink, created unmistakable imagery of a river gently meandering through the countryside, allowing the musicians to flow in their musical presentation.
Review by Gerry Sholomenko and Shannon Marsh.
Nocca’s next concert will feature meagan&amy (piano and violin) on Wednesday April 19, 2023. Tickets can be purchased atticket seller.ca or phone (250) 549-7469.
Valencia Baryton Project Pre-concert Talk 7 pm Sunday March 19, 2023 Museum & Archives of Vernon
The Valencia Baryton Project is a trio that centres on the rare early classical instrument, the baryton, accompanied by violin and cello. The baryton has 16 strings – 6 on the front and 10 on the back, played like a harp.
Popular for about a hundred years in the 16th century, the classical baryton was considered the pinnacle of aristocratic instruments and was the preferred instrument of Joseph Haydn’s patron, Prince Esterhazy.
Today the baryton is played by only a handful of people in the world. Come meet and hear this rare instrument in an intimate pre-concert talk with Matt Baker 7 pm Sunday March 19th at the Museum & Archives of Vernon.
Location: Museum & Archives of Vernon (MAV) https://vernonmuseum.ca 3009 32nd Avenue Vernon BC, V1T 2L8
*** The Valencia Baryton Project will be giving a concert at Vernon and District’s Performing Arts Centre the following evening – 7:30 pm Monday March 20, 2023. This is part of NOCCA’s 2022/23 concert series. Tickets for the concert may be purchased at ticketseller.ca ***
North Okanagan Community Concert Association 