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Living!
Betty Allison, soprano; Kimberley-Ann Bartczak, piano
Sunday, May 26 at 2pm
Dr. Betty Allison and Kimberley-Ann Bartczak met just as Betty became professor of voice at Dalhousie University, and Kim joined Pacific Opera Victoria as their principal coach and accompanist. They bonded over art song, and their love for Vancouver island. “Living!” explores the thriving world of the lyrical Canadian classical art song by composers from coast to coast actively writing for voice and piano today.
Programme
… coming soon
Biographies
Teaching artist and soprano, Dr. Betty Allison is a professor of voice at Dalhousie University where she runs the DalOpera program and teaches applied voice. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, major credits include the world premiere of Mary’s Wedding with Pacific Opera Victoria, the title role in Floyd’s Susannah with Florentine Opera, Alice in Verdi’s Falstaff with L’Opèra Thèâtre de Metz Mètropole, and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Edmonton Opera. Betty has performed a varied repertoire, demonstrating her natural ability and talent, from the Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), to Vixen (Cunning Little Vixen) and Elizabeth I (Glorina). She is equally comfortable on the concert stage, with her rich and florid interpretation of pieces such as Mahler’s Symphony VIII, Brahms’ Requiem, and Gubaidulia’s Galgenlieder À 3. Recently, Betty completed her doctorate at the University of Toronto. Her research focused on the connection between a singer’s voice and their overall wellness and resilience. Specifically, she examined the non-musical stressors and coping strategies that elite singers use to maintain their voices and careers.
A native of Montreal, Kimberley-Ann Bartczak is a conductor, pianist and vocal coach. Currently the Principal Coach and Accompanist at Pacific Opera Victoria, she was Associate Artistic Director for Manitoba Underground Opera, Resident Conductor and Repetiteur at Calgary Opera, was on staff at Opera on the Avalon, and an alumna of Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. Recent appearances include: Music Director for the world premiere of Veronika Krausas’ Ghost Opera at Calgary Opera and Sokolovic/Bartok’s Svadba/Bluebeard’s Castle double bill at Manitoba Underground Opera, and principal coach for Mozart’s Così fan Tutte at Pacific Opera Victoria. She is an active performer, having performed and conducted coast to coast across Canada as well as in the United States, Mexico and Europe. She also teaches at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and is a regular vocal coach at University of Victoria.
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Show of Hands
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Show of Hands
Ann Mendenhall, piano; Catharina de Beer, piano; Emily Armour, piano; Rykie Avenant, piano
Sunday, April 14 at 2pm
This concert is at Duncan United Church
Back by popular demand, Ann, Catharina, Emily and Rykie have prepared another program of works for four, six and eight hands at one piano. Included are compositions by Liszt, Mozart, Schubert, Czerny, Bizet, and a few fun pieces that will bring a smile to your face. A concert not to be missed, by four performers who find profound joy in this close collaboration.
Programme
Bolero-Fanfare (8 hands) – Gabriel van Calt
Air, from Suite no 3, BWV 1068, arranged by Amadeus Gati (6 hands) – Johann Sebastian Bach
Allegro in A minor for Piano, Four Hands, D. 947, Op. 144, “Lebensstürme” – Franz Peter Schubert
Two Minuets in G Major, arranged by Franzpeter Goebels (6 hands) – Franz Joseph Haydn
Les préludes (Symphonic Poem after Lamartine), S591 (4 hands) – Franz Liszt
Anyone for Tennis? & Bénodet Breeze (6 hands) – Mike CornickChildren’s Games (4 hands) – Georges Bizet
The Top; The Doll; The Merry-Go-Round; Trumpet and Drum; Puss in the Corner; Blindman’s Buff; Leapfrog; Little Husband, Little Wife; The BallSonata in D major for Piano Four Hands, K381 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1. Allegro 2. Andante 3. Allegro moltoFantaisie sur des thèmes d’opéras de Mozart, opus 741 no 1 (6 hands) – Carl Czerny
Libertango, arranged by Khatia and Gvantsa Buniatishvili (4 hands) – Astor Piazzolla
Biographies
Ann Baker Mendenhall grew up in Costa Rica, received her Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Oberlin Conservatory, and pursued her Master’s degree at the University of Victoria, studying with the late Dr. Robin Wood. Ann has been passionately involved in both teaching piano and performing for most of her life. In addition to solo performances, she enjoys collaborating with other musicians, playing chamber music and works for piano ensemble. Widely sought after as a teacher and mentor, she is dedicated to imparting to her students the joy of accomplishment and love of music. An ardent promoter of music in the wider community, Ann has served many years as President of the Cowichan Valley Music Teachers’ Association (CVMTA). She also was Chemainus Classical Concerts’ Artistic Director for a dozen years before handing the baton to Rykie and Catharina.
Catharina de Beer lives and works in Cobble Hill, BC. She completed her Teacher’s Licentiate Diploma in Piano at the University of South Africa. She also holds a degree in Teaching with specialization in inclusive education from the University of South Africa. Before immigrating to Canada, Catharina worked in the private school system, teaching piano as well as group music lessons. She was active as a collaborative pianist, organist and music director of various churches and choirs. Soon after settling in the Cowichan Valley in 2010, she established a music studio where she teaches piano and music theory. She is frequently called on for collaborative work, and performs piano music for four hands as a member of Double Digits Duo.
Emily Armour has a Masters’ in Piano Performance from UVic and now teaches online to a studio of 30+ students. Recently, she was selected by a jury consisting of Canada Council, National Gallery, War Museum, and DND, as 1st alternate for the prestigious Canadian Armed Forces Artist Program Group 11. A veteran spouse, and composer specializing in commemorative music, Emily was inspired to create a federal non profit: Music for Veterans Project (MVP). MVP honours past and present members of the Armed Forces through original music, in order to help them feel seen & valued. Not only is this empathic work highly beneficial to veterans, it also greatly enhances the lives of young composers by allowing them to contribute towards something bigger than themselves that has profound historical significance. If you’re reading this, please consider making a donation to MVP. Your support can ensure that those who defend the freedoms we enjoy are recognized by future generations through the most universal language.
www.musicforveteransproject.com
Rykie Avenant is a graduate of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. After obtaining a Licentiate in Piano Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education, she worked as repetiteur for the Cape Town and Pretoria opera companies before relocating to Canada in 1991. Rykie came to Vancouver Island 21 years ago via Powell River, where she appeared regularly in concert for the Academy of Music, as well as at the International Kathaumixw Choral Festival. In the Cowichan Valley she is in demand as teacher, coach and performer, and currently focuses primarily on collaborative work with various voice studios and instrumental ensembles. She performs piano music for four hands as a member of Double Digits Duo.
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Buttons and Bellows
A wonderfully nostalgic and mellow afternoon of accordion and piano music by Walter Martella and Karina Inkster …
Thanks to all who came out to listen, and to our artists for bringing ALL the accordions to transport us to faraway places and times!
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Buttons and Bellows
Walter Martella, accordion, piano; Karina Inkster, accordion, piano
Sunday, March 17 at 2pm
With their fresh and unique approach to accordion music, Walter (instrumentalist, conductor, and music director of the Powell River Academy of Music) and Karina (musician, writer, and nutrition and fitness coach) will charm you with a program of multi-genre music including works from movie scores, pieces by Piazzolla, and even Chopin and Bach arranged for their instruments!
Programme
Set 1:
Tango Pour Claude – Richard Galliano
Blue – Richard Galliano
Prelude in C / Ave Maria – J.S. Bach/Charles Gounod
Oblivion – Astor Piazzolla
Si Dolce è Il Tormento – Claudio Monteverdi
Il Postino – Luis Bacalov
Sur le fil – Yann Tiersen
Set 2:
Fracanapa – Astor Piazzolla
Chiquilin de Bachin – Astor Piazzolla
Apnea – Richard Galliano
Nocturne – Ernest Marsden
Serenade sur l’eau – Jacques Ibert
Monster waltz – Yann Tiersen
Tanti Anni Prima – Astor Piazzolla
Libertango – Astor Piazzolla
Biographies
Conductor and Music Director of the Powell River Academy of Music, Walter Martella is an accomplished pianist, accordionist, and trumpeter. He earned a Diploma in Jazz Trumpet from Malaspina College (VIU), a Bachelor of Music Degree from UVic, and attended the Banff School of Fine Arts.
Conducting became a significant part of Walter’s life and career when he returned to Powell River to study at PRAM under Don James.
He has participated in the British Columbia Choral Federation’s conducting program and has collaborated with world-renowned conductors. He has led noteworthy works like Holst’s Rig Veda for choir and harp, the Messiah, Schubert’s Mass in G, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. He conducts the Academy Chamber Choir, Chor Musica Men’s Choir and the Powell River Chorus, as well as maintaining a full private teaching schedule.
Walter is a strong believer in the power of music as an important part of community, and has been an adjudicator for instrumental and choral festivals throughout British Columbia. He has recorded five jazz CDs, performed provincially with many well-known musicians in multiple genres, and continues to be in demand all along the West Coast as a trumpet soloist and jazz pianist.Karina Inkster is a fitness and nutrition coach, author of 5 books, magazine writer, and host of the No-B.S. Vegan podcast (syndicated on Powell River radio). Founder of K.I. Health & Fitness, she and her online coaching team work with vegan clients all over the world. Karina holds a Master’s degree in Gerontology, specializing in health and aging.
What does all this have to do with music? Well, nothing. When she’s not working (or doing a ridiculous number of chin-ups), Karina attempts to make time for her musical pursuits. She started taking piano lessons at the age of 5, has been playing Australian didgeridoo for over 2 decades, and picked up the accordion in 2013. She’s been studying accordion with Walter Martella since 2018 after moving from Vancouver to Powell River. -
Dance me to your beauty
Nancy Dahn and Timothy Steeves of Duo Concertante held their audience’s attention effortlessly during this afternoon’s concert.
Music of translucent hopefulness (Beethoven’s “Spring” sonata), music to show us how to find beauty in difficult things (Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin by Kelly-Marie Murphy), music of steadfast love and hope (Solveig’s Song, Grieg), inspiring soundscapes that remind us of our connection to each other and to beauty (Love in the Time of Covid by Dawn Avery), and finally the emotional maturity of Brahms’ 3rd violin sonata – a beautifully balanced program performed by two outstanding artists.
Thank you to our wonderful performers, and to each and every audience member of this sold-out concert!
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Dance me to your beauty
SOLD OUT
Duo Concertante: Nancy Dahn, violin; Timothy Steeves, piano
Sunday, February 18 at 2pm
“Majesty, passion and excitement…… Inspiring!” —Wiener Zeitung (Vienna). Canada’s preeminent chamber music duo, Duo Concertante, explores the eternal theme of awakening to spring through music and love, with a program that includes cherished classics by Beethoven and Brahms, and beautiful new works by star composers Kelly-Marie Murphy and Dawn Avery.
Programme
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F major, Op. 24 “ Spring “ — Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827)
Solveig’s Song, Op.55, No. 4, arranged by Clifford Crawley — Edvard Grieg (1843—1907)
Dance me to your Beauty with a Burning violin — Kelly Marie Murphy (1964— )
Love in the Time of COVID (Iotsistokwaron:ion) (2021) — Dawn Avery (1961— )
Violin Sonata No. 3 in d minor, Op. 108 — Johannes Brahms (1833—1897)
Biographies
For twenty-four years through live performances and acclaimed recordings, violinist Nancy Dahn and pianist Timothy Steeves have built an international career in the Canadian chamber ensemble Duo Concertante. Their name comes from the inscription over Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” sonata, “in stilo molto concertante,” which implies the two performers are equal, dynamic voices. This defines their unique artistic relationship and the “deeply integrated performances that flow naturally as if the music were being created on the spot” (Gramophone). Outstanding musicians, champions of new Canadian music, visionary artistic directors, and inspiring mentors, Duo Concertante have forged a musical legacy and strive to provoke thought and engagement through music in innovative ways.
After their first concert in 1997, the Halifax Chronicle-Herald called Duo Concertante “two packages of musical dynamite that would credit any stage on the planet.” Since then, they have performed in more than 700 concerts across North America, Europe, Central America and China. Their recitals have received numerous accolades including the following critical quotes from national and international press:
Grace and fire… fury and repose…a triumphant mass of non-stop energy – Wholenote
Majesty, passion and excitement. Inspiring! – Wiener Zeitung (Vienna)
Artistry, poetry and impeccable technique – La scena musicale
Duo Concertante’s recordings have set the benchmarks for musicians around the world. Of their epic recording Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano (a 3 CD album), preeminent critic John Terauds stated “…these beautiful interpretations are so good right down to the tiniest of details that they deserve to be called a reference in… contemporary performance”. Gramophone writes that Dahn and Steeves “do Atlantic Canada proud in this splendid new set” and describes their interpretation as a “miracle of… knowledge and poetry”. The album received critical praise in German, Austrian, British and Canadian media; it was featured for months on Air Canada’s entertainment system and is heard on CBC radio almost weekly.Duo Concertante have twelve other acclaimed recordings on top Canadian labels ATMA, Centrediscs, and Marquis, many of which have won awards and special recognitions. The all-Canadian works CD Wild Bird includes Murray Schafer’s Duo for Violin and Piano which won a 2011 Juno Award (Classical Composition of the Year). A two-disc set of J.S. Bach’s Sonatas for Violin and Keyboard, received the first of three consecutive ECMAs for Classical Recording of the Year, followed by Incarnation in 2018 and Perfect Light in 2019. Their Franz Schubert: Music for Violin and Piano was selected by CBC Music as one of “Canada’s Top 20 Classical Albums of 2020.” Ecology of Being, released in 2022, features music written especially for Duo Concertante and inspired by the climate emergency. It has been praised as “a powerful and deeply moving album performed with world-class expressiveness and musicality …. This release is a stunning collection of highly personal works wonderfully performed by the duo.” (The Wholenote)
Duo Concertante are the founders and artistic directors of the Tuckamore Festival – an internationally acclaimed chamber musical festival held for two weeks each August. For 22 years, Tuckamore – a major contributor to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador – has put the province on the map by welcoming leading artists and emerging musicians worldwide to St. John’s. The Tuckamore Festival has presented more than 140 outstanding guest artists; mentored more than 400 young musicians and composers representing 10 countries around the globe; travelled to more than two dozen communities for school tours and performances; and produced more than 500 performances and events. In addition to Tuckamore, Duo Concertante regularly perform and collaborate with other artists of international stature at summer music festivals throughout North America, including the Ottawa International Chamberfest, Cactus Pear Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music, Festival of the Sound, Indian River Festival, Domaine Forget and Music Niagara.
As champions of Canadian music, Duo Concertante have few equals, and their lasting impact will be a legacy of new works created through their unprecedented commitment to commissioning new works. To date the duo has been responsible for sixty-nine new works and original arrangements for violin and piano by leading composers. This includes works by Andrew P. MacDonald (Double Concerto for violin and piano, Op. 51), Alice Ho (Capriccio Ballo, Cœur à cœur), Chan Ka Nin (Cool Mountain Water, Late in a Slow Time, Incarnation), Denis Gougeon (Chants du cœur), Omar Daniel (Wild Honey), Jean Lesage (Portrait of a Sentimental Musician in a Distorting Mirror), Kelly-Marie Murphy (Dance Me to Your Beauty with a Burning Violin), Brian Current (Faster Still with string quartet), Linda Bouchard (Spill Out), Kati Agócs (Supernatural Love), Andrew Staniland (The River within Us…, The Ocean is Full of its Own Collapse) and Jocelyn Morlock (Petrichor, Asylum). The Duo regularly includes new Canadian pieces alongside standard repertoire in such prestigious venues as Wigmore Hall (London), Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall (New York City), Shanghai City Theatre, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Roy Thomson Hall and the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre (Toronto), the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), and the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), among others.
Duo Concertante uses music as a means of drawing attention to issues of historical and social importance, often in collaboration with composers, writers, dancers, and actors. They also enjoy performing for children; their Ecology of Being and What life Throws at You programs have been shared with over 1500 students across Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 2020, Duo Concertante has been active creating unique music videos. Melissa Hui’s piece from the Ecology of Being project was made into a 21-minute film and won Best Experimental Film and Best Original Score at the 2020 IndieX Filmfest (Los Angeles). In 2022, the Duo created SOLACE – four films with music by Dawn Avery, Alice Ho, Jessie Montgomery and Cesar Franck. The Jessie Montgomery film, End of the Line, was an award winner at the Los Angeles Women’s Independent Film Festival.
Upcoming projects and commissions for 2023-2024 include a 60-minute dramatic/musical piece by playwright Robert Chafe and composer Randolph Peters which addresses issues relating to ocean change and sustainability, a new sonata written for the Duo by German composer Stefan Heucke, and a 40-minute multimedia piece by composer Alice Ho and animator Duncan Major inspired by Tom Dawe’s Newfoundland ghost stories.
Nancy Dahn and Timothy Steeves are Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, University Research Professors and John Lewis Paton Distinguished Professors at Memorial University. They are also the proud parents of Clara and Sasha.
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Piano de Colores
Wonderful local pianist Angélica López-Arzate performed for a full house this afternoon, and charmed our audience with her artistry, colourful programming, and warm personality.
Thank you, Angie, and thanks to everyone who came out and supported live classical music!
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Piano de colores
Angélica López-Arzate, piano
Sunday, January 21 at 2pm
THIS CONCERT IS SOLD OUT!
A graduate of the National University of Mexico, Angélica now makes the Cowichan Valley her home. She naturally demonstrates a deep understanding of Latin-American rhythm, colour, texture, and interpretation, and has performed as soloist in Mexico, Bolivia, Cuba, USA and Canada. Angélica warmly invites her audience to explore international horizons with her through the music of Liszt, Chopin, Albéniz and Piazzolla, amongst others.
Programme
Danza Cubana No.7: La Siete — Mario Ruiz Armengol (1914—2002)
Intermezzo No. 1 – Manuel Ponce (1882—1948)
La Comparsa – Ernesto Lecuona (1895—1963)Trois Études de Concert, S. 144. No. 3: Un Sospiro – Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23 – Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849)
Salsa Creek (BWV 847 “Salsa”) – Michael Schütz (1963– )
Asturias (Leyenda) – Isaac Albéniz (1860-1909)
Andalucía – Ernesto Lecuona (1895—1963)
Ante el Escorial – Ernesto Lecuona (1895—1963
Malagueña – Ernesto Lecuona (1895—1963)2 Konzertetüden, S.145. No. 1: Waldesrauschen – Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
Pan con Timba – Aldo López-Gavilán (1979– )
Biography
Angélica López-Arzate received her Bachelor´s degree in Music with honors from Mexico´s National University (UNAM) and her Master´s in Music from Memorial University of Newfoundland, where she was awarded as a Fellow of the Graduate Studies.
She has received multiple awards in piano performance throughout her career and different scholarships to continue with her music education.
As a soloist she has performed in different venues in Mexico, Cuba, Bolivia, USA, and Canada. She also has collaborated as a musical arranger, soloist pianist and accompanist with music producers in radio and TV channels. Angélica has broadened her musical horizons through composition and musical arrangements.
Nowadays she is learning music production, and she is passionate about teaching music and composition with the aim of motivating the love to the music. -
Celebrating Sergei
Our audience warmly welcomed Elias-Axel Pettersson back for a thrilling performance of Schubert, Medtner and Rachmaninoff.
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Chemainus Classical Concerts 