Tag: North Okanagan Community Concert Association

Bergman Duo and Sarah Hagen

Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen – Monday April 8, 2019

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Bergman Duo and Sarah HagenBergmann Duo + Sarah Hagen
Monday April 8, 2019 7:30 pm
BUY TICKETS

Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen – known for their extraordinary keyboard skills, inspired and virtuosic performances, impeccable musicianship, and uniquely original voice, the Bergmann Duo combines forces with Sarah Hagen for an exceptional 1 piano, 6 hands acrobatic musical spectacle on the NOCCA Steinway piano!

A trio of long-time friends, Sarah Hagen of Morning Melodies and the Bergmann Duo of Elizabeth and Marcel, decided a few years ago to have a different kind of fun and see how one piano could manage their collective talents. With musical careers, teaching and domiciles not always coinciding, practice times as a trio were a challenge and performances were even rarer.

NOCCA presented the Bergmann Duo in April of 2015, and the audience was delighted and amazed with their unique combination of warmth, humour and virtuosity. They have performed and received accolades from around the globe and we will hear again how the musical world is their oyster. Not only have they won numerous international competitions, but they have continued to promote the musical talent of other artists through their teaching posts both past and present. The Duo serve as Directors of the Langley Community Music School and are Associate Music Directors of White Rock Concerts.

Sarah Hagen is one extremely talented young lady who many of us know from her “Morning Melodies” presentations in the Marie Fleming Hall at the Performing Arts Centre. She also performed with her friend, tenor Benjamin Butterfield, on NOCCA’s stage in February of 2017. In January 2018, she hosted NOCCA’s youth concert NOYSE and presented her solo production of “Perk Up, Pianist”. Sarah’s quest for inspiration has taken her around the world, and will continue to do so as her inspiration is “everything”. Her sensitive interpretations of the classics to experimentation in musical theatre are indicative of her multiple talents.

One interesting side note to the Bergmann Duo and Sarah playing here in Vernon is that they were all “instrumental” in the selection of NOCCA’s Steinway. Sarah played the piano in the workshop in White Rock before restoration began in order to give NOCCA a performer’s opinion as to its pedigree. Elizabeth and Marcel played the piano in White Rock after the restoration was complete to confirm that the instrument was up to standard, and as we who have heard it well know, the work was done to perfection.

With backgrounds as varied and as richly talented, trying to describe the upcoming concert comes to two words: “Fabulously eclectic”. To quote Marcel and Elizabeth, be prepared for “a full evening of brain work” and “an experience in the negotiation of keyboard gymnastics”. The program features composers such as Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Grainger as well as avant-gardist Mauricio Kagel and, to keep things current, Marcel Bergmann. bergmannduo.com and sarahhagen.com

The concert will be opened by the quintet Appassionato. Ranging in ages 13-20, Appassionato is a new, vibrant, and energetic group rising up in the Okanagan. They began their quintet in October and have been rehearsing and sharing music everywhere they go, whether that be in a concert or a masterclass. The group’s desire is to share their love for classical music and have a lot of fun doing it! The members are Henry Baker (15) piano, Emily Kunyk (15) violin, Emily Baker (20) violin, Anton Baker (18) viola and Adam Kunyk (13) cello.

Click on the image/link below to view short videos of the artists performing:

Sarah Hagen – piano

Bergmann Duo – piano duet

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.

Duo Fortin-Poirier

Review: Sparks Fly Off Our Steinway Grand!

by SillyGilly, posted in Review
Duo Fortin-Poirier
Duo Fortin-Poirier

Review by Jim Leonard

This Valentine Day’s concert began with an appropriate song by Salmon Arm singer Heather Harker; ably accompanied by Alex MacArthur, titled “Les Chemins de L’Amour” (The ways of love) by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Heather had a lovely lyrical tone while singing this song.

Heather, a french immersion kindergarten teacher, then showed her teacher’s personality with a dash of humour by performing “Hippo and Gnu” by Flanders and Swan. These selections were greatly enjoyed by the audience.

The performance of Duo Fortin-Poirier was enhanced by the video camera suspended over the piano keyboard; the image was projected on a large screen at the back of the stage. We could see the magic enfolding from the four hands of the duo. In some selections it seemed as though they were competing for keys!

Marie-Christine and Amélie created an intimate and warm atmosphere with their commentary on the pieces which were quite varied in style and texture. Having played together for fourteen years, they showed an extraordinary powerful partnership.

They designed a program which started casually with “Valses Caprice” by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) and grew in intensity through the “Legends” of Antonin Dvorak(1841-1904) to the pivotal point of the program, “Souvenirs” by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Here the virtuosity of the performers took flight and never looked back.
The selections after the intermission offered a passionate memorial selection (“Adios Nonino”) by A. Piazzolla (1921-1992), “Chroniques d’une Coupe a blanc” by Canadian composer Vanessa Marcoux (b.1986); Vocalise by Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) arranged by Greg Anderson; and a modern work complete with rhythmic knocking sounds and assaults on the strings in the piano, “Garden of Eden:The Serpents Kiss” by W. Bolcom (b. 1938)
The generous audience rose to their feet in appreciation of an excellent and varied program- brilliantly played. The duo then offered a short encore; a quiet arrangement of Gershwin’s “Summertime.” We almost forgot it was winter!

The next NOCCA concert will feature the Bergmann Duo with Sarah Hagen – an exceptional 6 hands on 1 piano acrobatic musical spectacle on Monday April 8, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More info at nocca.ca.

Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.

Piano Duo Fortin-Poirer

Piano Duo Fortin-Poirier – Thursday February 14, 2019

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Fortin-Poirier Piano DuoDuo Fortin-Poirier
Thursday February 14, 2019 7:30 pm
BUY TICKETS

Come share Valentine’s Day with us! NOCCA’s Valentine’s Day concert with Duo Fortin-Poirier – the piano duo of Marie-Christine Poirier and Amelie Fortin, promises to be a wonderful treat! They will delight you with their artistic intuition, shared sensitivity, great vitality, and fiery interpretations.

Both Québec natives, Marie-Christine and Amélie are graduates of Universitéde Montréal with Master’s degrees in performance and Specialized Graduate Diplomas in four-hand piano music under the direction Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt and Paul Stewart.

Duo Fortin-Poirier were finalists in the Concours International de Piano á 4 mains de Valberg (France, 2009) and in the Liszt 200 Chicago International Piano Duos Competition (US, 2011). Their brilliant interpretation of John Corigliano’s Gazebo Dances awarded them a special mention from the jury at the prestigious Concours Grieg –International Piano Competition in Oslo (Norway, 2010). After winning second prize at the Roma International Piano Competition (Italy, 2013) they released their first album ‘Vingt doigts et un piano’.

They are both scholars of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Council of Arts and Letters of Québec, and have performed in France, Norway, Italy, the United States and Canada. Their concert ‘Twenty fingers and a piano’ was the first classical concert to have been selected for a tour of Entrées en Scéne Loto-Québec in 2013-2014. In 2014-2015, the Duo was in residence at the prestigious Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montreal with their concert ‘Mémories’. Their second album ‘Mémories’ was released in 2017.

Known for their dynamism and ease on stage, the lovely Duo Fortin-Poirier presents an exceptional musical tour that will delight music lovers and amateurs alike. You will discover less well-known music and different interpretations of already familiar works with, interpretations that can be at times passionate, funny or touching. The intensity, skill, remarkable complexity, and impressive choreographic movements will be projected on the big screen at the back of the stage so you won’t miss any of their unique connection and extraordinary natural partnership.

They are commonly described as extraordinarily powerful, with an explosive playing style, creating performances that highlight a great common sensibility, impressive in its vitality – dynamic, lively, and witty! Marie-Christine and Amélie are also known for creating an intimate and warm atmosphere, perfect for exploring the theme of memories. The program weaves between the intensity of Piazzolla’s tangos, Rachmaninov’s lyricism, and the liveliness of Samuel Barber. duofortinpoirier.com

The concert will be opened by Heather Harker, vocalist. Raised in the Vernon area, Heather received her initial vocal training from Elizabeth Scott. She pursued a Bachelors of Music, initially at Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, completing it and pursuing a Masters in Voice at the University of Victoria under the direction of Benjamin Butterfield and Anne Grimm. Heather received a graduate assistantship at the University of Victoria, and is the recipient of numerous awards including the Elizabeth Scott Vocal Bursary in 2009, and the NATS High School Voice Scholarship. Heather performed the part of the second lady in ‘Dido and Aeneas’ by Henry Purcell at the ‘Opera on the Avalon’ in Newfoundland, and has been a featured soloist with the University of Victoria Orchestra and the Victoria Chamber Orchestra. Heather now lives in Salmon Arm, where she teaches French Immersion Kindergarten.

Concert Program:

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) Valses Caprice op. 37
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) Legends op. 59 (excerpts)
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Souvenirs
Intermission
Astor Piazzolla (1910-1992)
arr. Victor Simon		 Adios Nonino
Vanessa Marcoux (1986- ) Chroniques d’une coupe à blanc
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
arr. Greg Anderson		 Vocalise
William Bolcom (1938- ) Garden  of Eden: The Serpent’s Kiss

Click on the image/link below to view a short video of Duo Fortin-Poirier 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.

Trio D’Argento visiting Okanagan Lake, Vernon BC

Review: Trio Delivers Virtuosic Concert

by SillyGilly, posted in Review
Trio D’Argento visiting Okanagan Lake, Vernon BC
Trio D’Argento visiting Okanagan Lake, Vernon BC

Review by Jim Leonard

As is customary, each concert features a local artist to begin the program. This time it was Katherine Flaherty; a lovely soprano who offered two familiar and most enjoyable song selections. She had a perfect clear tone for Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and gave a lovely gentle version of Puccini’s “O Mio Bambino Caro.” She was ably accompanied by pianist Alex MacArthur.

“Trio d’Argento” comprised of: Sibylle Marquardt on alto flute, flute and piccolo; Peter Stoll on E flat and B flat clarinets, and Bass clarinet; and Todd Yaniw, piano started their program with Haydn’s “Trio in D”. Originally for other instruments, it was arranged by Peter Stoll. The music was light and bubbly in the hands of the trio. The bass clarinet provided some unique sounds to the ensemble in this work, which originally had the part for cello. Camille Saint-Saens’ (1835-1921) “Tarantella”, marked Presto non Troppo – “Very fast but not out of control” (my translation!) showed the trios ability for precise ensemble and neat playing.

The third set of pieces were by bassoonist-saxophonist Russell Peterson (b.1969). Peterson is an associate professor of music studies at Concordia College in Minnesota. His “Trio for Flute, Clarinet, and Piano” (2009) was the first piece in the program that wasn’t an arrangement. It started mysteriously, depicting a desolate desert scene with chant like melodies. This gave way to a lively market scene with all its hustle and bustle. The trio controlled the changes in character with breathtaking ease. There were colourful overtones created by the flute and clarinet; both in their highest registers. Peterson’s piece ended with a whirling dervish of sound in the Allegro. After this piece some sonic soothing was required, and it arrived with Jacques Ibert’s “Deux Interludes.” Ibert (1890-1962) was an actor, composer and silent film pianist. We were bathed in lovely melody and soothing sonorities from the trio.

Kevin Lau, born in Hong Kong, became the Toronto Symphony’s affiliate composer in 2012; holding that position until 2015. His “Musica Universalis” gave the trio an opportunity to unleash their arsenal of instruments into the realm of Quantum Physics – the awe of the universe. Movement one called “Frozen Fire” started with the pianist creating a shimmering effect on the upper part of the keyboard; one could imagine the array of colours occurring when light strikes the ice surface. “Singularity” (2nd movement) helped us envision a black hole in the universe. ”The End of Eternity” used musical styles from Bach’s fugues, Beethoven and romanticism. During these pieces we heard piccolo, flute, Eb clarinet, Bb clarinet, and bass clarinet and of course the virtuosity of Yaniw, the pianist.

The last programmed piece was “Techno Parade” by Guillaume Connesson (b.1970). In this piece we heard some prepared piano (placing objects on the strings) and jazz flute. At times it sounded like a video game! The trio immersed themselves into the turmoil of the piece and came out the winner using their incredible virtuosity. The enthusiastic audience demanded and encore and got two: The Duet from “Lakme” by Leo Delibes (1815-1910) originally for two sopranos, but skill fully arranged for the trio; and the “Pink Panther” by Henry Mancini. What a night it was!

The next NOCCA concert will be the piano duo “Duo Fortin-Poirer” on Thursday February 14, 2019 at 7:30 pm. More info at nocca.ca.

Review by Jim Leonard for the Vernon Morning Star.

Trio D’Argento – Thursday November 29, 2018

by SillyGilly, posted in Concert

Trio D'ArgentoTrio D’Argento
Thursday November 29, 2018 7:30 pm
BUY TICKETS

Trio D’Argento – this exciting trio, Sibylle Marquardt (flute), Peter Stoll (clarinet) and Todd Yaniw (piano) bring a superb level of excellence to their virtuoso arrangements and original pieces.

On Thursday November 29th at 7:30 pm Trio d’Argento performs NOCCA’s second concert of the 2018/19 season at Vernon’s Performing Arts Centre. From the classics to jazz, to exotic world music, these three brilliant musicians provide lively and entertaining concerts with spoken introductions to each piece. Sybille and Peter play many different sized flutes, clarinets and even saxophones, creating a wide and ever-changing array of sound colours, combined beautifully with Todd’s powerful pianism.

In this concert there will be old classical friends like Haydn and Camille Saint-Säens, as well as American Russell Peterson’s cool trio touching on jazz and world music, plus a brand new piece by Toronto composer Kevin Lau that uses music to introduce the principles of quantum physics!

The trio has firmly established itself in the Ontario chamber music scene in the past few years. They have collaborated with First Nations composer and performer Barbara Croall. Their highly successful debut recording with members of the Canadian Brass “Piano Centric” will be followed up with a CD that showcases their strong commitment to Canadian music. triodargento.ca

Click on the image/link below to view a short video of Trio D’Argento performing (with a different pianist, Anna Ronai) :

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

FULL 2018/19 NOCCA SEASON OF 5 CONCERTS
$125 for adults (That’s just $25 a concert!)
$62.50 for those 18 and under

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.