Tag: North Okanagan Community Concert Association

Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets

Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets – Saturday October 26, 2019

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert
Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets
Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets

Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets
Saturday October 26, 2019 7:30 pm
BUY TICKETS

Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets – These two internationally acclaimed quartets amalgamate to perform three sophisticated and sparkling string octets by Danish Niels Gade, Canadian Airat Ichmouratov, and Felix Mendelssohn’s masterful String Octet in E Flat Major. This is musical dialogue and communication at its most sensitive and compelling.

The Saguenay String Quartet (formerly known as the Alcan Quartet) -violinists Laura Andriani and Nathalie Camus, violist Luc Beauchemin, and cellist David Ellis. The Saguenay String Quartet has developed a reputation for excellence throughout Canada and internationally since its formation in 1989. The Quartet’s originality, contagious enthusiasm, unique sonority, and remarkable cohesion have all contributed to its long-term success. The ensemble’s list of accomplishments is impressive: 1,000 concerts; over 100 live radio broadcasts, numerous television appearances; tours throughout North America, Europe, Asia; and a number of commissioned pieces and first performances.

The Quartet’s recent tours have led the Quartet to Italy, France, the United States, Asia and all over Canada. Its last visit to the Lanaudière Festival, accompanied by pianist Alain Lefèvre, was hailed by more than 6,000 people and welcomed by enthusiastic critics. This concert was also awarded the Opus Prize for the concert of the year by the Conseil québécois de la musique, as well as a Félix (Adisq) prize for the recording of the same André Mathieu repertoire.

Another cornerstone in the Quartet’s history, is the release of its highly anticipated Complete cycle of Beethoven’s 16 string quartets as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations. In addition to its performing career, the Quartet is regularly invited to teach and conduct master classes at universities, conservatories, and summer chamber music institutes both in Quebec and abroad. The Saguenay String Quartet is based in Chicoutimi, Québec, where it receives the unconditional support of the Orchestre symphonique du Saguenay.  Saguenay Quartet

The Lafayette String Quartet – violinists Ann Elliott-Goldschmidt and Sharon Stanis, violist Joanna Hood, and cellist Pamela Highbaugh Aloni. In July 1986, these four young musicians, based in Detroit and just beginning their professional careers, performed together for the first time as the Lafayette String Quartet. Today the LSQ continues to flourish with its original personnel. The members of the Lafayette String Quartet divide their time between entertaining audiences all over North America and Europe and teaching some of Canada’s finest young string players. Their residency at the University of Victoria is rich in local performances and community involvement. Their concerts in Canada and abroad are hailed as “Passionate, riveting, and with flawless ensemble.”

The LSQ’s extraordinary musicianship was recognized early on. Already in 1988, it was ranked among the magazine Musical America’s “Young Artists to Watch,” and in its first years it won the Grand prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and prizes at the Portsmouth (now City of London) International String Quartet Competition, and the Chicago Discovery Competition. As winners of the 1988 Cleveland String Quartet Competition, the LSQ had the opportunity to study for two years with the Cleveland Quartet at the Eastman School of Music, in Rochester, New York.

In 1991, the four women became artists-in-residence at the University of Victoria’s School of Music, in British Columbia—positions they still hold today. They received honorary doctorates from University Canada West and were honored with the inaugural Craigdarroch Award for Excellence in Artistic Expression in 2010 from the University of Victoria.

The LSQ has performed across Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe, with concerts often allied with masterclasses and workshops. They often collaborate with other string quartets including the Saguenay (Alcan), the New Zealand, the Penderecki, the Molinari, the Emily Carr, and the Quarteto Latinoamericano. Lafayette String Quartet

The concert will be opened by cellist Angela Zeng, a student attending Kalamalka Secondary School. She has been playing cello for 7 years and studies with Morna Howie at the Vernon Community Music School. Angela has been playing with the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra since she was 9 years old and has been playing lots of chamber music with family and friends at local senior centres. Angela earned runner-up in BC Provincial Festival String Junior A category in 2017, and first place in Junior B in 2018. Recently she was invited to audition for the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Concert Program:

Neils W. Gade (1817-1890) String Octet in F major Op. 17
Airat Ichmouratov (1973- ) Spring Octet in G minor “The Letter” Op. 56
Intermission
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) String Octet in E flat major Op. 20

Click on the image/link below to view a video of the Saguenay String Quartet (formerly known as the Alcan Quartet):

Click on the image/link below to view a video of the Lafayette String Quartet:

SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40  Under 18 – $20
Students on the 8to12 program – $5

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.

 

Vox Humana Chamber Choir

Stunning Victoria Choir Gives Flawless Concert!

by SillyGilly, posted in Review

Vox Humana Chamber Choir

Review by Jim Leonard

This concert was held over from the original date in April. The choir wasn’t able to leave Vancouver Island because of high winds at that time. They actually spent some terrifying hours on a ferry that was tossed about, and managed to return to port.

The concert began customarily with some local guest artists; this time Keanna Burgher and Charlotte Backman – both veterans from Melina Moore’s Valley Vocal Arts program.They warmed up the crowd nicely with God Bless The Child, Being Alive and Secondary Characters sung as a duet. Their confidence and experience shone through. They were ably accompanied by Alex MacArthur on the piano.

There was some confusion about which programme was being presented by the choir – the one in the insert or the one on the April concert sleeve. Conductor Brian Wismath cleared it up by announcing that the insert pieces were the evening’s programme – all pieces by Canadian composers of the 20th Century.

Throughout the difficult program – all sung a cappella (no accompaniment) – the choir showed their confidence and produced a flawless blend of tone, perfect tuning and tight ensemble. Kudos to Brian Wismath for his excellent rehearsal technique.

The first half of the program was the most enjoyable for the reviewer. Two pieces by Kathleen Allan – Stars and Thou My Soul May Set in Darkness – showed a mastery of compositional techniques including fugue (complicated round; first part called an exposition). Stars by Ashley Bontje had lovely pentatonic (five-note pattern) melodies woven together.

Certainly the most entertaining piece was by Chris Sivak – Alouette Meets Her Maker – in which the choir produces sounds associated with the decommissioned satellite of the 1970s. The imagination of the composer produces a sequel to the decommissioning after 10 years – with an unexpected reboot after 30 years. There is radio chatter, buzzing, blips and bleeps, all ending with a ‘Whoosh!’ which marked the final destruction of the circuits.

The first half of the program ended with seven parts from Estonian composer Urmas Sisask’s Gloria Patri sung in Latin. All movements were based on only five selected notes. Number one was the Gloria Patri beginning in the style of a church motet, and then using a quartet singing in unison, sounding medieval. The perfect blend of the choir was very evident through this section.

The Sanctus had a lively bouncing rhythm which was perfectly executed by the choir. This was carried out again in the Gloria. The last movement, the Agnus Dei sounded very sombre and penitential out of which grew some simple imitation.The ending had multiple repeats of the phrase Dona Nobis Pacem with long breaks in between. Kudos to the audience for not interrupting with premature applause. You could hear a pin drop!

The second half began with Kitchener-Waterloo composer Jeff Enns’ Psalm 23; it was in the style of a Tudor church anthem with modern harmony. Again perfect tuning and blend were displayed by the choir. Enn’s second piece was a lament about a little girl suffering the experiences at a Residential school. It was called I Lost My Talk.

I didn’t quite grasp the point being made by The Gracious Exchange by Christine Donkin, but it was beautifully sung regardless. The Heaven’s Flock (Eriks Esenvalds) used dense harmony and experimented with various textures- it was a bit beyond my liking but well sung.

The encore – David Bowies’ Space Oddity was just that – odd. Anyways, the audience went away satisfied after hearing this wonderful choir!

The next NOCCA concert will feature Saguenay and Lafayette String Quartets on Saturday October 26, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More information at nocca.ca.

Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.

Vox Humana Chamber Choir

Vox Humana Chamber Choir – Saturday September 28, 2019

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Vox Humana Chamber ChoirVox Humana Chamber Choir
Saturday September 28, 2019 7:30 pm
At Trinity United Church, Vernon
BUY TICKETS

Vox Humana Chamber Choir – Victoria’s premier chamber choir of 24 singers ranging from advanced students to professional musicians, directed by Brian Wismath, presents a versatile mix from Praetorius to Britten, from newly commissioned to established choral repertoire.

Since its founding in 2002, the mixed-voice ensemble Vox Humana has established itself as Victoria’s premier chamber choir. Under the direction of Brian Wismath, its core group of 24 singers ranges from advanced students to professional musicians. As part of its regular concert season from September to June, Vox Humana presents several different programmes of diverse repertoire. Their artistic mandate includes the presentation of new music; their repertoire history includes a number of commissions and Canadian premieres. In addition to their self-produced concerts, Vox Humana is a frequent artistic collaborator with other groups; since 2011 they have appeared annually with the Victoria Symphony in works as diverse as Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Britten’s War Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. Two of Vox’s annual traditions have become sold-out favourites: Vox in the Stars, a performance in the dome housing the Plaskett Telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, BC, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a concert of seasonal music centered on a reading of the beloved Dylan Thomas story.

Vox released its first CD in September 2011, entitled Summer Rain. The title track is a composition by Estonian composer Toivo Tulev. The remainder of the CD features the music of Canadian composer Jeff Enns, and French composer César Geoffray. Vox released its second CD in December 2018, entitled A Child’s Christmas in Wales and features the quintessential Christmastime story by Dylan Thomas, accompanied by carols. voxhumanachoir.ca

The concert will be opened by cellist Angela Zeng, a student attending Kalamalka Secondary School. She has been playing cello for 7 years and studies with Morna Howie at the Vernon Community Music School. Angela has been playing with the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra since she was 9 years old and has been playing lots of chamber music with family members and friends at local senior centres. She goes to New Denver regularly to study cello performance with John Kadz and Johanne Perron. Angela earned runner-up in BC Provincial Festival String Junior A category in 2017, and first place in Junior B in 2018. Recently she was invited to audition for the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She hopes to continue cello after high school and pursue it as a career. In her free time Angela likes to do competitive swimming and play soccer.

Please note: this concert will be held at Trinity United Church in Vernon.

Click on the image/link below to view a short video of the choir performing:

SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40  Under 18 – $20
Students on the 8to12 program – $5

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

This concert will be held at Trinity United Church in Vernon.

Vox Humana Chamber Choir

Vox Humana Chamber Choir – Saturday April 27, 2019

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Vox Humana Chamber ChoirVox Humana Chamber Choir
Saturday April 27, 2019 7:30 pm
BUY TICKETS

Vox Humana Chamber Choir – Victoria’s premier chamber choir of 24 singers ranging from advanced students to professional musicians, directed by Brian Wismath, presents a versatile mix from Praetorius to Britten, from newly commissioned to established choral repertoire.

Since its founding in 2002, the mixed-voice ensemble Vox Humana has established itself as Victoria’s premier chamber choir. Under the direction of Brian Wismath, its core group of 24 singers ranges from advanced students to professional musicians. As part of its regular concert season from September to June, Vox Humana presents several different programmes of diverse repertoire. Their artistic mandate includes the presentation of new music; their repertoire history includes a number of commissions and Canadian premieres. In addition to their self-produced concerts, Vox Humana is a frequent artistic collaborator with other groups; since 2011 they have appeared annually with the Victoria Symphony in works as diverse as Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Britten’s War Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. Two of Vox’s annual traditions have become sold-out favourites: Vox in the Stars, a performance in the dome housing the Plaskett Telescope at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Saanich, BC, and A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a concert of seasonal music centered on a reading of the beloved Dylan Thomas story.

Vox released its first CD in September 2011, entitled Summer Rain. The title track is a composition by Estonian composer Toivo Tulev. The remainder of the CD features the music of Canadian composer Jeff Enns, and French composer César Geoffray. Vox released its second CD in December 2018, entitled A Child’s Christmas in Wales and features the quintessential Christmastime story by Dylan Thomas, accompanied by carols. voxhumanachoir.ca

The concert will be opened by Angela Zeng, a 14 year old, grade 9 student who attends Kalamalka Secondary School. She has been playing cello for 7 years and studies with Morna Howie at the Vernon Community Music School. Angela has been playing with the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra since she was 9 years old and has been playing lots of chamber music with family members and friends at local senior centres. She goes to New Denver regularly to study cello performance with John Kadz and Johanne Perron. Angela earned runner-up in BC Provincial Festival String Junior A category in 2017, and first place in Junior B in 2018. Recently she was invited to audition for the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She hopes to continue cello after high school and pursue it as a career. In her free time Angela likes to do competitive swimming and play soccer.

Concert Program:

Leonard Enns (b. 1948) Te Deum Brevis
David Archer (b. 1985) The Heart of Night
Compassio
Fire and Ice *commissioned for this concert
Liova Bueno (b. 1979) Canadian Triptych *commissioned for this concert
Kathleen Allan (b. 1989) Mother o’ Mine
Jeff Enns (b. 1972) Psalm 23
I Will Lift Mine Eyes
I Lost My Talk
Intermission
Kristopher Fulton (b. 1978) Prometheus
Tobin Stokes (b. 1966) Bush Chord
Rodney Sharman (b. 1958) Requiescat
Jocelyn Morlock (b. 1969) One Black Spike

Click on the image/link below to view a short video of the choir performing:

SINGLE CONCERT TICKETS
Adults – $40  Under 18 – $20
Students on the 8to12 program – $5

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.

Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen

Review: Three Pianists Negotiate One Piano Keyboard – Beautifully!

by SillyGilly, posted in Review
Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen
Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen on Monday April 8th, 2019 at The Vernon & District Performing Arts Centre

Review by Jim Leonard

In spite of the concert being on a Monday night in April, spirits were not dampened! The recently formed quintet comprised of members from 13-20 years of age called “Appassionato,” owned the stage with their enthusiastic version of a Schumann piano quintet.The pianist Henry Baker provided a stable and virtuosic line throughout the composition. There was an effective dialogue between Anton Baker’s viola part and thirteen year old Adam Kunyk’s cello part. Emily Kunyk and Emily Baker provided rock solid solidity in the tempo on their respective violins. I would like to hear this group present a whole concert; their sound was rich and warm.

Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann and Sarah Hagen showed both their versatility and virtuosity throughout this concert which featured music for left hand alone by Marcel Bergmann and music for two to six hands- all on one piano! The pieces for six hands required some very creative seating arrangements – needless to say!

The Prelude for one hand (2019) by Marcel Bergmann began with random bell tone chords. Then a constant ostinato (repeated rhythmic and melodic pattern) was added in the middle giving the effect of two hands playing! Sarah Hagen took the stage to represent two hands playing. She masterfully played three Rachmaninoff Preludes ( #6,7,8 ) from his Opus 32. Each had a varying character: #6 was “stormy” and restless; #7 was like a Russian “Sesame Street” (in Sarah’s words); #8 was effervescent. All were difficult but well played.

The avant garde “Hippocratic Oath” by Mauricio Kagel (1931-2008) – an Argentinian-German composer who developed a theatrical style in his music – was actually written for three hands. One of the hands slapped the bottom of the keyboard in an irregular rhythm at the beginning as if to be independent of the others. The piece ended, however, with all hands stacked together in the air as if to show unity.

After such a piece, the lightness and charm of some of Brahms Waltzes, played in duet form, gave the program a nice turn of events. This breath of fresh air continued with five hands playing Australian-U.S. composer Percy Grainger’s (1882-1961) Zanzibar Boat Song. The music was rich and tune filled; bringing up visions of a brisk sailing trip on a bright sunny day.
Chicago concert pianist-composer Andy Costello (b.1987) is a champion of the music of living composers. His piece “Balance” involved players leaving and returning to the piano to add their voice to the mix.At the climax of this piece, six hands were used (along with creative seating arrangements) to use most of the piano keyboard and create a dense blanket of sound. A rollicking arrangement of Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” by Henri Hausser ended the first half of the programme.

After the intermission,Sarah Hagen played a Piano Sonata in A major by Marianne von Martinez (1744-1812). She was an Austrian composer greatly influenced by the people she shared a house with. In the house (Michaelerplatz), which had four floors, lived a princess from the Esterhazy family; Nicola Porpora – a singing teacher; The Martines family; and in the cold leaky attic, Joseph Haydn. Their lives ultimately became connected through their involvement with Marianna (Porpora taught her voice; Haydn was the accompanist etc). Marianna was the only woman to have written a symphony during the Classic Period. Her Sonata #3 is very much in the style of Haydn and Mozart, with two fast movements divided by a beautiful melancholic Andante movement.

The programme continued with a duet version of three selections from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with special attention to the haunting “One Hand, One Heart” being the favourite for this reviewer. “ Libertango” by Argentinian composer Astor Piazolla (1921-1992) with it’s infectious rhythms played by four hands; “Romance and Waltz” by Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) using six hands; and the “Radetzky March” by Strauss-also with six hands- were much appreciated by the audience. A hilarious encore which left Marcel Bergmann without a piano part; and resigned to sing like a dejected Cuckoo, with the ladies at the piano; topped off a wonderful evening.

The next NOCCA concert will feature Vox Humana Chamber Choir from Victoria, BC presenting a versatile mix from established to newly commissioned choral repertoire on Saturday April 27, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More info at nocca.ca.

Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.