Please Note: Doors usually open 30 minutes before concert time. Tickets may not be available at listed outlets until shortly before the concert date.
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February 2010 (click here to go to all February's listings)
Thursday, February 4, 2010 to Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - Bach, Buxtehude & Telemann
Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 5:30 & 7:00 pm
VCM Presents Student Voice Showcase: Italian Song Competition
Thursday, February 11, 2010, 8:00 pm
Guitar Victoria Showcase Concert
Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:00 pm
High Tide Concerts Presents David Francey
Thursday, February 18, 2010, 7:30 pm
High Tide Concerts Presents The Arrogant Worms
Friday, February 19 2010, 7:30 pm
VCM Presents Quartetto Gelato
Wood Recital Hall - Friday, February 19, Friday February 26 & Saturday February 27 2010, 8:00 pm
The House on Middagh Street - A Musical Play
Saturday, February 20 2010, 8:00 pm (Introduction at 7:10 pm by Robert Holliston. Doors open at 6:45 pm)
EMSI Presents: Tanya Tomkins, baroque cello (San Francisco), Adam LaMotte, baroque violin (Seattle)
Bach for One and Two for Handel
Wood Recital Hall - Friday, February 19, Friday February 26 & Saturday February 27 2010, 8:00 pm
The House on Middagh Street - A Musical Play
NEW! Thursday February 25, 2010, 7:30 pm
Open Space Presents Tzenka Dianova
NEW! Saturday February 27, 2010, 8:00 pm
Open Space Presents Lubomyr Melnyk
March 2010 (click here to go to all March's listings)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
High Tide Concerts Presents Vienna Boys Choir
Saturday, March 6, 2010, 7:30 pm
Atomique Productions presents Hawksley Workman, Plus Guests
Thursday, March 18 2010, 7:30 pm
VCM Presents Janina Fialkowska: Chopin 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010, 7:00 pm
CeltFest 2010 Vancouver Island Features The Barra MacNeils
April 2010 (click here to go to all April's listings)
May 2010 (click here to go to all May's listings)
Thursday, May 6, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
High Tide Concerts Presents The Wailin' JennysMonday, May 10, 2010, 7:30 pm
Atomique Productions presents Final Fantasy, Plus Guests
Thursday, February 4, 2010 to Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - Bach, Buxtehude & Telemann
 Going into it's 6th year the February Classic, Pacific Baroque Festival welcomes Bernard Foccroulle (organ), Anne Grimm (soprano), the return of Colin Tilney (harpsichord), Elissa Poole (baroque flute), Sand Dalton (baroque obio) as well as the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and The Victoria Children's Choir.
The festival focuses on music by three great composers of the German baroque: Dietrich Buxtehude, who J.S. Bach famously walked 300 km to hear play the organ, Georg Philip Telemann, who appears in the Guiness Book of Records as the most prolific composer of all time, and the great J.S. Bach, whose music remains timeless.
The 2010 Pacific Baroque Festival will feature a Thursday morning and evening special event at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and Christ Church Cathedral, two main concerts on the Friday and Saturday evenings at Alix Goolden Hall, and a Free Event "Choral Vespers and Abendmusik" on the Sunday afternoon at Christ Church Cathedral.
Make your plans now to join a welcome audience of Local and Visitor, Classical and Baroque music enthusiasts for this unique, acclaimed music festival event in Victoria BC.
• “A Morning Musical Offering”
Thursday, February 4 2010, 11:00 am
DATE/TIME: Thursday, February 4 2010, 11:00 am
EVENT: Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - “A Morning Musical Offering”
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $25/20 On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311
INFO:
LINKS:
Chamber concert with Marc Destrubé (violin), Natalie Mackie (violone), Elissa Poole (flute), Colin Tilney (harpsichord)
Programme:
Dietrich Buxtehude - Trio for violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord
Georg Telemann - ‘Paris’ Quartet in e minor, for flute, violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord

J.S. Bach - Trio sonata from the ‘Musical Offering’
• "Two Giants of German Baroque Organ Music"
Thursday, February 4 2010, 8:00 pm
DATE/TIME: Thursday, February 4 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - “Two Giants of German Baroque Organ Music”
VENUE: Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave., Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $25/20 On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311
INFO:
LINKS:
Bernard Foccroulle, organ
 Programme:
• Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)
Toccata in F, BuxWV156
Durch Adam’s Fall ist ganz verderbt, BuxWV 183
Passaglia in d moll, BuxWV 161
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BuxWV 188 (Choralfantasie)
Praeludium in D, BuxWV 139
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Durch Adam’s Fall ist ganz verderbt, BWV 637
Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ, BWV 604
Trio Sonata in C, BWV 529
Fantasia und Fuge g-moll, BWV 542
• “Bach’s Long Walk”
Friday, February 5 2010, 8:00 pm (Pre-Concert talk at 7:15pm hosted by Jo-Ann Roberts CBC Radio One, Doors 7:00 pm)
DATE/TIME: Friday, February 5 2010, 8:00 pm (Pre-Concert talk at 7:15pm hosted by Jo-Ann Roberts CBC Radio One, Doors 7:00 pm)
EVENT: Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - “Bach’s Long Walk”
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $30/25 On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311
INFO:
LINKS:
Pacific Baroque Festival Ensemble. Anne Grimm - soprano & Marc Destrubé – director and violin solo
  Programme:
J.S. Bach - 3 fugues from Art of the Fugue, BWV 1080
Dietrich Buxtehude - Cantata O dulcis Jesu, for soprano, two violins and continuo, BuxWV 83
Georg Telemann - Concerto in G Major for Four Violins, Twv 40:201
J.S. Bach - Concerto for violin in a minor, BWV 1041
J.S. Bach - Cantata for soprano, oboe and strings, Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 (Wedding Cantata)’
• “Telemann Goes to School”
Saturday, February 6 2010, 8:00 pm (Pre-Concert talk at 7:15pm hosted by Jo-Ann Roberts CBC Radio One, Doors 7:00 pm)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 6 2010, 8:00 pm (Pre-Concert talk at 7:15pm hosted by Jo-Ann Roberts CBC Radio One, Doors 7:00 pm)
EVENT: Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - “Telemann Goes to School”
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $30/25 On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311
INFO:
LINKS:
Pacific Baroque Festival Orchestra, Victoria Children’s Choir. Marc Destrubé - director
 Programme:
Georg Telemann - Suite for strings and continuo in G Major, La Bizarre, TWV 55:G2
J.S. Bach- 3 Sinfonias (arr Marc Destrubé)
J.S. Bach - Motet for double choir, Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf’, BWV 226
J.S. Bach - Concerto for oboe and violin in c minor, BWV 1060
Georg Telemann - Der Schulmeister cantata for children’s choir, bass and strings, TWV 20:57
• "Choral Vespers and Abendmusik"
Sunday February 7th 2010 - 4:30 pm
DATE/TIME: Sunday, February 7 2010, 4:30 pm
EVENT: Pacific Baroque Festival 2010 - “Choral Vespers and Abendmusik”
VENUE: Christ Church Cathedral, 930 Burdett Ave., Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Free admission, all are welcome!
INFO:
LINKS:
Pacific Baroque Orchestra & St Christopher Singers
Programme:
Dietrich Buxtehude - "Herr, wenn ich nur dich hab" Cantata for soprano, 2 violins and bass continuo BuxWV 38
J.S. Bach - "Jesus, bleibet meine Freude" (from Cantata No. 147: "Herz und Mund und Tat und Lieben" BWV 147)
attributed to Dietrich Buxtehude - "Magnificat"
Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 5:30 & 7:00 pm
VCM Presents Student Voice Showcase: Italian Song Competition
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 5:30 pm (Junior & Intermediate) & 7:00 pm (Senior)
EVENT: VCM Presents Student Voice Showcase: Italian Song
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora ave.
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Admission by Donation
INFO:
LINKS:
Voice students of the VCM perform Italian Song.
Thursday, February 11, 2010, 8:00 pm
Guitar Victoria Showcase Concert: A Fundraiser for Guitar Victoria
DATE/TIME: Thursday, February 11, 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: Guitar Victoria Showcase Concert: A Fundraiser for Guitar Victoria
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Tickets at the door: $10 General / 5 Students & Seniors.
INFO: admin at guitarvictoria.com
LINKS: www.guitarvictoria.com www.classicalguitarcanada.ca
 A showcase of Victoria’s Professional Talent - many are current and former VCM faculty or students. Proceeds go toward Guitar Victoria and to guitar programs in need such as the Victoria Conservatory of Music's Summer Guitar Academy. We need your support so spread the word and come see a great concert!
**Note: Guitar Victoria is giving away 250 free tickets to students age 15 and under, e-mail Bradford at admin at guitarvictoria.com for details.
Performers include:
• Victoria Guitar Trio performing latin influenced trio music by Patrick Roux
• Continuum Consort, soprano Elizabeth MacIsaac, flutist Emily Nagelbach, guitarist Douglas Hensley, and violist Molly Janz perform Songs of Mystery and Night by David Loeb
• Carli & Julie Kennedy, performing original songs from their recent recording!
• VCM Guitar Orchestra, directed by Michael Dias
• Quelus Duo, performing the first movement of Hetu’s Double Guitar Concerto
• Duo Verdejo, performing works for Viola and Guitar (Megan Verdejo, viola)
• Alexander Dunn, performing Beatles arrangements and in music by John Oliver in guitar quartet
• Douglas Hensley, performing with the spectacular Continuum Consort
• Michael Dias, performing in nearly everything! What a guy! Victoria Trio, Quelus
• Bradford Werner, your host for the night, Quelus Duo, Victoria Trio
• Adrian Verdejo, joins Megan Verdejo to showcase guitar-viola works, Victoria Trio
Intermission will feature draw prizes for: Free guitar lessons from the performers, CDs, books, and more!
Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:00 pm
High Tide Concerts Presents David Francey
DATE/TIME: Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: High Tide Concerts Presents David Francey
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Available at: Lyle's Place 770 Yates St., Ditch Records 635 Johnson St. and online at www.hightideconcerts.net
INFO:
LINKS: www.hightideconcerts.net www.davidfrancey.com
 Folk singer David Francey is a storyteller who establishes a personal rapport with his audience in minutes. His wry humor and astute observations combined with his openhearted singing style have earned him a loyal following across Canada and now into the US. David Francey's songs are timeless gems that will be sung for many years to come. David is an absolute gentleman and a truly inspiring man. Francey has been one of the most talked about performers on the festival circuit.
"I haven't been so affected by a Canadian songwriter since I first discovered Gordon Lightfoot, Stan Rogers, and Loreena McKennit. Judging by the audience's response, the next time David Francey comes back to this area, he'll need a much larger venue than the Ginkgo. Another show that gets my Best of the Year pick." - Jim Whitney - Twin Cities Acoustic Music Calendar Newsletter, Minnesota
"David Francey's songs are lean, whippet-like creations, a bit like the man himself. With not one wasted word or superfluous line he takes the everyday, often mundane business of living and elevates it into something infinitely more noble and memorable, the mark of a truly gifted songwriter." - Eric Bogle, Australia
"Francey has made a reputation for himself as one of Canada's most revered folk poets and singers. [His songs] are small and beautifully crafted pieces of work that have made Francey both a folk festival favorite and something of a latter-day Canadian poet laureate." - Greg Quill, The Toronto Star
Thursday, February 18, 2010, 8:00 pm
High Tide Concerts Presents The Arrogant Worms
DATE/TIME: Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: High Tide Concerts Presents The Arrogant Worms
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $25.50 Advance / $28 Door. Available at: Lyle's Place 770 Yates St., Ditch Records 635 Johnson St. and online at www.hightideconcerts.net
INFO:
LINKS: www.hightideconcerts.net www.arrogant-worms.com
 The Arrogant Worms have sold more than 150,000 copies of their 12 albums and played on three continents to crowds as large as 100,000.
Recognized in 2003 as the Touring Act of the Year by the Canadian Arts Presenters Association, The Worms songs are in school lesson plans, in textbooks and even played on the Space Shuttle. On earth or in space, everyone digs these Worms.
Canada's public offered the best praise so far by selecting their song "Canada Is Big" as one of the songs for newly elected President of the United States, Barack Obama. So The Arrogant Worms continue to provide tuneful and silly escapism for everyone who needs it. And if you think you don't need it, well you're wrong. You do. Especially now!
Friday, February 19 2010, 7:30 pm
VCM Presents Quartetto Gelato
DATE/TIME: Friday, February 19 2010, 7:30 pm
EVENT: VCM Presents Quartetto Gelato
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $25 adult, $22 senior, $15 student. On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311 or the McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121 (to purchase online click here)
INFO: bookings at vcm.bc.ca
LINKS: www.vcm.bc.ca
 Classical, Opera, Tango, Gypsy, and Folk music – you name it, the Quartetto probably plays it, in their own unique fashion — with cello, violin, accordion and clarinet. Expect to hear Rossini, Von Weber, Bach, Romanian folk music and more.
For over a decade Quartetto Gelato has been captivating audiences and has continued their reign as an international sensation. Classical in intent, eclectic by design, the musicians thrill their audiences with their mastery of eight instruments, from oboe to accordian, and the wonderfully unexpected bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. The musicians have been praised and said to possess "equal parts of musicianship, showmanship and what might be called 'laughmanship' mark[ed] the lively quartet's witty, wide-ranging program."
Wood Recital Hall
Friday, February 19, Friday February 26 & Saturday February 27 2010, 8:00 pm
The House on Middagh Street - A Musical Play
DATE/TIME: Friday, February 19, Friday February 26 & Saturday February 27 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: The House on Middagh Street - A Musical Play
VENUE: Wood Recital Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Tickets are $15 and may be ordered at any time from the performers, or by e-mail to febhouse at gmail.com. In January, tickets will also be available at Ivy’s Bookstore, Munro’s and Russell Books.
INFO: 250-590-5742 or febhouse at gmail.com
LINKS:
 In 1941 In Brooklyn, one of the most colourful households of all time was established by George Davis, a fiction editor for Harper’s.
McCullers had just published The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Auden and Britten had emigrated to America and were working on an opera, and Gypsy rose lee had abandoned the burlesque theatre and was trying her hand at writing. They had many friends and visitors, among them composer kurt Weill and his actress wife lotte lenya, and Auden’s long-time friend, Christopher Isherwood, whose Berlin stories were the basis for the musical Cabaret.
A musical play, The House on Middagh Street, will tell this story on Feb. 19, 26 and 27, 2010. Based on the book February House by Sherill Tippins, the play draws on the writings of Auden, McCullers, and Isherwood as well as the cabaret music of Kurt Weill and Benjamin Britten/Auden.
The house was dubbed February House because several of the residents had February birthdays. In fact, the performance date of February 19th coincides with Carson McCullers’ birthday.
The performers will be Michael Chadwick as W.H. Auden, Susan Mullen as Carson McCullers, singer, Elisabeth Wagner, and pianist, Anna Cal.
Written by Elisabeth Wagner and directed by Judith McDowell.
If you are an avid reader, or if your book group is looking for reading suggestions, you may find the following of interest:
- W. H. Auden – “September 1, 1939,” “Heavy Date,” “leap Before you look,”“love Feast,” “The More loving one,” “Sonnets from China,” “o Tell Me the Truth about love,” “Calypso,” “Stop All the Clocks”
- Christopher Isherwood – Goodbye to Berlin
- Carson McCullers – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The Member of the Wedding, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
- Sherill Tippins – February House (2005)
Contact your local bookseller!
Saturday, February 20 2010, 8:00 pm
(Introduction at 7:10 pm by Robert Holliston. Doors open at 6:45 pm)
EMSI Presents: Tanya Tomkins, baroque cello (San Francisco), Adam LaMotte, baroque violin (Seattle)
Bach for One and Two for Handel
 DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 8:00 pm (Intro @ 7:10 pm Doors at 6:45 pm)
EVENT: EMSI Presents: Tanya Tomkins, baroque cello (San Francisco), Adam LaMotte, baroque violin (Seattle) Bach for One and Two for Handel
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Members $20; Adults $25; Seniors/Students $22; Phone orders: (250) 386-6121 or online www.rmts.bc.ca (service charge per ticket). Book Store Sales: For about three weeks prior to each concert, a limited number of single tickets will also be available at Munro's Books (Government St) and Ivy's Book Shop (Oak Bay Ave).
INFO: info at earlymusicsocietyoftheislands.ca
LINKS: http://adamlamotte.com/ http://www.tanyatomkins.com/
Two of the brightest young stars in the American early music firmament explore Bach's towering suites for solo cello and the great Partitia for Solo Violin in d minor. They then join forces for Handel's Sonata for Violin and basso continuo Op. 1, No. 13
"spontaneous and heartfelt music making which seemed to leave the audience exalted." — San Francisco Classical Voice
Thursday February 25, 2010, 7:30 pm
Open Space Presents Tzenka Dianova
DATE/TIME: Thursday February 25, 2010, 7:30 pm
EVENT: Open Space Presents Tzenka Dianova
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $12/$15 (concert) or $30/$35 (Piano Series Pass)
INFO: Alan Kollins, Administrative Coordinator openspace at openspace.ca 250.383.8833
LINKS: www.openspace.ca http://tzenkadianova.com
 Victoria — Tzenka Dianova will perform a concert on Thursday February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Alix Goolden Hall. Considered by many to be Victoria’s finest interpreter of new music for the piano, Tzenka Dianova has collaborated with some of Canada’s most distinguished composers. Dianova has regularly performed as a soloist and orchestra member with the Pleven Philharmonia, Sofia State Academy Philharmonia, the Victoria Symphony and the Auckland Philharmonia and is currently associated with the Victoria Symphony and Vancouver Island Symphony. In this solo piano performance, Tzenka will give a rare performance of For Bunita Marcus by American composer Morton Feldman (1926 — 1987).
Tzenka describes Feldman’s work For Bunita Marcus (1985): “Morton Feldman’s last piano solo work of duration over an hour, followed only by Palais de Mari (1986), 30 min. Its language of sparseness, serenity and gentle repetition create, on a large scale, extreme expressivity. Although the means are minimal, the music is not minimalist in any way. The work features extremely low dynamics throughout, as well as a sustaining pedal held for its entire duration, with only two changes. This technique creates a soft yet vibrant aura of harmonics, which makes it possible to say that half of the beauty of the piece is ‘between the notes’.”
“Tzenka Dianova’s performance revealed true depth of thought and feeling and exquisite sense of sound and nuance . . . [The] audience could feel that contemporary music is not an experiment, nor is it an elitist caprice; it is something live, happening here and now . . . ” Culture magazine (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Tzenka Dianova will be performing as part of the Open Space Piano Series Between the Notes. Other performers include Lubomyr Melnyk on Saturday February 27, 8 p.m. at Alix Goolden Hall and Gust Burns, performing two unique concerts Monday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 6, 8 p.m at Open Space as part of his Piano De/Re-Constructed residency.
A pass for all four concerts can be purchased for $35 and for members, $30.
Biography
Tzenka Dianova (pianist, teacher)
Called by the press “a pianistic phenomenon,” Tzenka Dianova has devoted the last twelve years of her life to the interpretation and introduction of twentieth century and contemporary music to audiences and students.
Tzenka’s great love and talent for the piano manifested themselves at a very early age; she gave her first solo debut at the age of five, and appeared as a concerto soloist at eleven. Since then, Ms. Dianova has won numerous prizes in national and international competitions, and has performed regularly, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician.
Tzenka’s education includes postgraduate degrees from three continents, and studies with piano virtuosi Marina Kapatzinskaya, Dmitri Bashkirov, Tamas Vesmas, and Bruce Vogt. During her doctoral research, she became fascinated with the artistic world of John Cage and shared her experience and findings in a book about his prepared piano.
Tzenka has a firm belief in the future of art music and is dedicated to building and re-building connections with the audiences. She also works towards enabling young pianists to read and perform avant-garde music, as well as training composers and performers to co-exist as one.
Tzenka has regularly performed as a soloist and orchestra member with the Pleven Philharmonia, Sofia State Academy Philharmonia, the Victoria Symphony and the Auckland Philharmonia. In 2006 she was on the teaching staff of the Academy of Music, and the School of Music, University of Auckland. In 2007 she worked as an associate member of the Auckland Philharmonia, and is currently associated with the Victoria Symphony and Vancouver Island Symphony.
In addition to performing and teaching, Tzenka has recently started composing multimedia works; she performed her first two pieces, VexEitas and First DeConstruction (in collaboration with electronic music composer Charlotte Rose) in April 2007. Tzenka recently recorded Eve De Castro-Robinson’s Peregrinations for piano and orchestra, with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and a solo CD featuring original transcriptions of the music of John Cage and Erik Satie, both for Atoll Records. Her book, John Cage’s Prepared Piano: The Nuts & Bolts, was recently published by Mutasis Books in Canada.
Saturday February 27, 2010, 8:00 pm
Open Space Presents Lubomyr Melnyk: Continuous Music
DATE/TIME: Saturday February 27, 2010, 8:00 pm
EVENT: Open Space Presents Lubomyr Melnyk: Continuous Music
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $12/$15 (concert) or $30/$35 (Piano Series Pass)
INFO: Alan Kollins, Administrative Coordinator openspace at openspace.ca 250.383.8833
LINKS: www.openspace.ca www.lubomyr.com/ Listen: www.lubomyr.com/listen.html Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm8LJSfIJJs&feature=related
 Lubomyr Melnyk (Stockholm/Winnipeg)
Victoria — Lubomyr Melnyk will perform a piano concert at Alix Goolden Hall on Saturday February 27 at 8 p.m., demonstrating his truly brilliant and original approach to the piano. The performance will include his original solo works as well as the World Premiere of Windmills, for multiple taped and live pianos. This is a performance you definitely don’t want to miss! While in Victoria, Lubomyr will also offer a Master class and discussion to students at the University of Victoria on Thursday, January 25th, 1:00 — 2:30 p.m..
Lubomyr Melnyk is truly a great innovator and explorer of the piano and has been regarded as the fastest pianist in the world, setting two world records for his playing. His original “continuous music” approach to piano playing and composition —described in his book Open Time: The Art of Continuous Music (Toronto, 1981)— is based on the principle of a “continuous” and unbroken line of sound from the piano, created by generating a constant flow of rapid notes, usually with the pedal sustained. The notes can be either in the form of patterns or as broken chords that are spread over the keyboard, creating a unique sound where overtones blend or clash according to the changes in harmony. To accomplish this requires a special technique, one that has taken Lubomyr many years to master.
Lubomyr Melnyk will be performing as part of the Open Space Piano Series Between the Notes. Other performers include Tzenka Dianova on Thursday February 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Alix Goolden Hall and Gust Burns, performing two unique concerts Monday, March 1, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 6, 8 p.m at Open Space as part of his Piano De/Re-Constructed residency.
A pass for all four concerts can be purchased for $35 and for members, $30.
“One of the truly great experiences of life, where the soul seemed to transcend into an experience close to what the mystics described . . . it is beautiful music, magnificently played. . . probably the most unique piano music of the 20th century. . .demanding a new and stupendous mental/physical technique! ”
Biography
Lubomyr Melnyk (pianist, composer, improviser)
Lubomyr Melnyk, BA (Manitoba), MA philosophy (Queen’s) is one of the most innovative and fascinating pianists/composers of this century. Lubomyr Melnyk’s parents fled the Communist expansion and settled in Winnipeg in the early 1950s. During the 1970s, he lived for two years in Paris, where he accompanied contemporary dance under Carolyn Carlson at the Paris Opera.
During this period and with the assistance from the Canada Council, he developed a new “language” for the piano called Continuous Music and, with it, a physical and mental technique that is unprecedented in the history of the piano. The technique’s effect is perhaps most audible in his compositions for two pianos. It is noteworthy that some critics and professional pianists dismiss his work as “merely fast arpeggios” (evidently missing the essential features of the overtones and resonance in his work) while others praise his originality and depth. The approach has much in common with minimalism, although he strongly refutes that term, preferring to call his music “MAXIMALism,” since the player has to generate so many notes to create what he calls “Fourth Dimensions of Sound.”
Using his remarkable technique, Lubomyr Melnyk has set two world records for pianistic achievements: the fastest pianist in the world — sustaining speeds of over 19.5 notes per second in each hand, simultaneously; and the most number of notes in one hour — in exactly 60 minutes, Melnyk sustained an average speed of over 13 notes per second in each hand, yielding a remarkable total of 93,650 individual notes.
From the mid-1970s on, Lubomyr Melnyk divided his time between Sweden and Canada and toured in Europe and North America performing his own music. He gave a concert of his works at the Ukrainian Institute in New York in 1989. His Lund-St. Petri Symphony, a work for solo pianist and tape recorder, was premiered at the cathedral in Lund, Switzerland, and performed elsewhere in that country and in Norway and France. The work, in three sections, calls for a cumulative effect using tape equipment. The soloist records the first section with audience present, then plays it back while recording simultaneously his performance of the second section, and repeats the process by recording the third section over the mixed recordings of the first and second. Melnyk wrote NIHIL for the Kingston Youth Orchestra.
Melnyk has recorded extensively for the CBC in Canada, as well as various European stations. He has performed and given lecture-recitals across Canada and in Europe. From 1979 —1987, Bandura Records released several LP albums of Melnyk’ s works, two of which were among the list of “modern recordings you shouldn’t be without ” by The Village Voice.
March 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
High Tide Concerts Presents Vienna Boys Choir
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
EVENT: High Tide Concerts Presents Vienna Boys Choir
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $29.50 Advance. Available at McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121, Lyle's Place 770 Yates St., Ditch Records 635 Johnson St. and online at www.hightideconcerts.net
INFO:
LINKS: www.hightideconcerts.net www.opus3artists.com/artists/vienna-boys-choir
Biography: the History
In 1498, more than half a millennium ago, Emperor Maximilian I moved his court and his court musicians from Innsbruck to Vienna. He gave specific instructions that there were to be six boys among his musicians. For want of a foundation charter, historians have settled on 1498 as the official foundation date of the Vienna Hofmusikkapelle and - in consequence - the Vienna Boys Choir. Until 1918, the choir sang exclusively for the imperial court, at mass, at private concerts and functions and on state occasions.
Musicians like Heinrich Isaac, Paul Hofhaimer, Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Johann Joseph Fux, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Caldara, Antonio Salieri and Anton Bruckner worked with the choir. Composers Jacobus Gallus and Franz Schubert, and the conductors Hans Richter, Felix Mottl and Clemens Krauss were themselves choristers. Brothers Joseph and Michael Haydn were members of the choir of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and sang frequently with the imperial boys’ choir.
In 1918, after the breakdown of the Habsburg Empire, the Austrian government took over the court opera (i.e. the opera, its orchestra and the adult singers), but not the choir boys. The Wiener Sängerknaben owe their survival to the initiative of Josef Schnitt, who became Dean of the Imperial Chapel in 1921. Schnitt established the boys’ choir as a private institution: the former court choir boys became the Wiener Sängerknaben (in English: Vienna Boys Choir), the imperial uniform was replaced by the sailor suit, then the height of boys’ fashion. Funding was not enough to pay for the boys’ upkeep, and in 1926 the choir started to give concerts outside of the chapel, performing motets, secular works, and - at the boys’ request – children’s operas. The impact was amazing: Within a year, the choir performed in Berlin (where Erich Kleiber conducted them), Prague and Zurich. Athens and Riga (1928) followed, then Spain, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1929), the United States (1932), Australia (1934) and South America (1936).
 Biography: the Present
Today there are around 100 choristers between the ages of ten and fourteen, divided into four touring choirs. The four choirs give around 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people. Each group spends nine to eleven weeks of the school year on tour. They visit virtually all European countries, and they are frequent guests in Asia, Australia and the Americas. Together with members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera Chorus, the Wiener Sängerknaben maintain the tradition of the imperial musicians: as Hofmusikkapelle they provide the music for the Sunday Mass in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel, as they have done since 1498. Gerald Wirth took over as the choir’s artistic director in 2001.
The Wiener Sängerknaben recently completed principle photography for acclaimed director Curt Faudon’s newest mixture of feature film and documentary tentatively titled Silk Road. Due for release during autumn 2008, the film shows the choristers' normal nomadic tour life in Korea, Japan, Canada, the USA, Germany and on the Silk Road itself; the soundtrack will offer everything from medieval chansons and Renaissance music to masses and lieder by Schubert, and includes unexpected highlights from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, China and Mongolia. Though the choir’s history in radio, television and film dates from the1930s to present, this marks their first feature appearance since Disney’s 1962 classic Almost Angels.
Repertoire
The choir’s repertoire includes everything from medieval to contemporary and experimental music. Motets and lieder for boys’ choir form the core of the touring repertoire, as do the choir’s own arrangements of waltzes and polkas by Strauss. Both the choir and the Hofmusikkapelle have a long tradition of commissioning new works. Austrian composers Heinz Kratochwil, hk Gruber (himself a former chorister), Ernst Krenek and Balduin Sulzer have written works for the choir.
The Wiener Sängerknaben perform major choral and symphonic works, sometimes as part of the Hofmusikkapelle, sometimes with other orchestras and men’s choirs. They are regularly asked to supply soloists for large choral and orchestral works, such as Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Mahler’s Das klagende Lied . In recent years, they have performed with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Recent guest conductors include Pierre Boulez, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Mariss Jansons, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti (honorary member of the Hofmusikkapelle), Kent Nagano and Seiji Ozawa.
Saturday, March 6, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
Atomique Presents Hawksley Workman, Plus Guests
DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 6, 2010, 7:30 pm
EVENT: Atomique Productions presents Hawksley Workman, Plus Guests
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora ave.
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Advance Tickets: $29.50 - Available at Lyle's Place, Ditch and www.ticketweb.ca
INFO: info at atomiqueproductions.com 250-995-1419
LINKS: www.hawksleyworkman.com atomique on facebook
 Making music is in Hawksley Workman’s blood. His music has inspired those in the public eye, like celebrities Renee Zellweger and Russell Crowe, who turn on Delicious Wolves or Treeful to get psyched up for a day on set. He’s also good for the athletes, like Canadian Olympic track star Simon Whitfield who used Hawksley’s music as a pump-up-soundtrack before capturing the silver at the Olympics in China.
Throughout his 10-album career, Hawksley Workman has spread his incomparable talent from one continent to another. He has developed a diverse and supportive following that includes Northern Ontario hometown pride to Australian fanfare. He’s caught the ear of The Cure and David Bowie, both of whom took Hawksley on tour. As a producer, Hawksley has worked with on the cusp artists before they were cuspin’, like Tegan & Sara and Sarah Slean. His two latest production credits include Newfoundland’s fast-rising, Hey Rosetta!, and Canadian blockbusters, Great Big Sea.
French jewelry moguls, Cartier, have had their diamond eyes on Hawk for some time, and they recently approached him to contribute a track for their Cartier Love campaign. In addition to his own song for the international campaign, Hawksley wrote and produced a song as a duet for he and Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard. Marion isn’t the only French beauty to be captured under his spell...legendary singer Jane Birkin is poised to release a new album, including a track co-written with Hawksley, Enfants D’Hivers. Where does Hawksley even have time to parlez-vous-Anglais?
Well, he made enough time to take himself and a new band cross-Canada and pan-Europe on his most successful tour to date this winter, selling out prestigious theatres at home and abroad. It was during his European tour where Hawksley proved he doesn’t need a stylist or a crew of 12 - or even a director - to make 7 new, artscape videos for Los Manlicious. Shot in various countries during the Los Euro-Manlicious tour, the videos feature Dance with Deerhead, dirty dancing by Imogen Heap and some fantastic backing scenery.
Hawksley Workman has played on some of the world’s best and biggest stages yet still returns to his humble beginnings. Los Manlicious brings all the reasons why he made it here in the first place with all the reasons why he’s got miles ahead to travel. He’s a man who creates music for the masses, without selling out to the man. And that’s what makes him Los Manlicious.
Thursday, March 18 2010, 7:30 pm
VCM Presents Janina Fialkowska: Chopin 2010
DATE/TIME: Thursday, March 18 2010, 7:30 pm
EVENT: VCM Presents Janina Fialkowska: Chopin 2010
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $19.50 adult, $17 senior, $12 student, $10 VCM student. On sale now at the VCM 250-386-5311 or the McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121 (to purchase online click here)
INFO: bookings at vcm.bc.ca
LINKS: www.vcm.bc.ca
 “A born Chopin interpreter!”
The elderly Maestro was exuberant! After hearing Janina Fialkowska play the E minor concerto for the first time, the legendary Arthur Rubinstein delivered his verdict: "a born Chopin interpreter" he wrote.
Critics all over the world praise Janina Fialkowska's Chopin, mentioning over and over again her beautiful, expressive sound, her lyricism, her elegance, her phrasing, her passion for and deep understanding of the music.
Chopin's music is in Janina Fialkowska's Polish blood which explains her instinctive understanding of the Chopin rhythms, aristocratic moods and Slavic melancholy. With her early studies in Paris, she also acquired Chopin's French attributes including his sense of refinement and stylish elegance.
Janina Fialkowska's lifelong obsession with beautiful, singing keyboard sounds coupled with her brilliant technique are a perfect match for the Chopinesque belcanto-inspired melodies, the powerful bravura passages and the delicate ornamental filigree.
She has prepared an All-Chopin birthday recital especially for the anniversary year as well as a mixed program consisting of Mozart and/or Schumann in the first half and Chopin in the second.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear Chopin played the “old-fashioned” way—with integrity, intelligence and the most beautiful sound!
"Janina Fialkowska is still a world-class Romantic" was a recent Toronto Star headline. And Montreal’s “La Presse” just wrote: “Fialkowska has become an artist of rare distinction as well as retaining all the virtuosity of her youth” (Feb. 2009).
Miss Fialkowska is looking forward to celebrating her favorite composer’s 200th birthday with us all.
Monday, March 22, 2010, 7:00 pm
THE BARRA MACNEILS
Coast to Coast Celtic Celebration
DATE/TIME: Monday, March 22, 7:00 pm
EVENT: THE BARRA MACNEILS - Coast to Coast Celtic Celebration
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora ave.
TICKETS/ADMISSION: On sale now at the McPherson Box Office 250-386-6121 (to purchase online click here)
INFO: www.victoriahighlandgames.com
LINKS: www.barramacneils.com
 Come celebrate CeltFest Vancouver Island’s upcoming 10th Anniversary with the magical Barra MacNeil Family. Featured also will be Vancouver Island CeltFest favourites: master piper René Cusson and members of the Glengarry Highland and O’Brien Irish schools of dance.
The Barra MacNeils live concert experience brings so much more to the stage than most live acts ever can. Multiple lead vocalists, beautiful sibling harmonies, top drawer instrumental prowess on a wide variety of acoustic, stringed, percussion and wind instruments blended with dancing, storytelling, Gaelic songs and a journey through an ancient culture; it is family entertainment at its highest level.
Steeped in Cape Breton tradition with strong Celtic roots and musical artistry, this diverse and talented family group continues to wow audiences around the world with their captivating vocals, harmonies and extraordinary musicianship.
Multi-award winners, the Barra MacNeils have released no less than 14 recordings including: In Concert (2009), In Session (2009), 20th Anniversary Collection (2007), Christmas Album II (2006), All At Once (2005), Racket In the Attic (2002), Christmas Album (1999), Until Now (1997), The Question (1995), The Traditional Album (1994), Closer to Paradise (1993 - Certified Gold in Canada), Timeframe (1990), Rock in the Stream (1989), The Barra MacNeils (1986). In 2001, they released a DVD titled Cape Breton Christmas incorporating music from their live Christmas Concert Special (as seen on television), plus a visit to Cape Breton, interviews with the Barra MacNeils home at Christmas and music videos.
Canada's Celtic ambassadors, the Barra MacNeils continue to perform to sold out audiences throughout Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Europe. From headlining major festivals, concerts, special guest appearances (Rita MacNeils CTV Christmas Special, performing with The Chieftains) television specials, film and television placement (Men with Brooms Soundtrack; Racket In The Attic) and their annual Christmas tour, they have set the course with a solid foundation for success. The Barra MacNeils one-hour Christmas Television Special (2000) continues to be broadcast on Country Music Television (CMT) and on the Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) network in the United States. December 2007 saw the broadcast of a new Christmas Special which will no doubt also become part of the holiday season for years to come.
The Barra MacNeils will continue to do what they love to do best, and that is playing their music for the fans. This incredibly talented family group will tour Canada, the US and Europe to spread their distinctive brand of Celtic flavour around the world.
April 2010
May 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
High Tide Concerts Presents The Wailin' Jennys
DATE/TIME: Thursday, May 6, 2010, 7:30 pm (doors 6:30)
EVENT: High Tide Concerts Presents The Wailin' Jennys
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Ave, Victoria, BC
TICKETS/ADMISSION: $25.00 + s/c/ $28.00 Door. Available at: Lyle's Place 770 Yates St., Ditch Records 635 Johnson St. and online at www.hightideconcerts.net
INFO:
LINKS: www.hightideconcerts.net www.thewailinjennys.com
 Three extraordinary voices, two founding singer-songwriters, one singular vision: The Wailin' Jennys continue to evolve into far more than the melodious sum of their individual talents five years after blowing in on a fresh acoustic breeze from Canada's mid-western heartland.
Spurred onward by a growing fan base that swoons at their intuitive harmonies and revels in their engaging stage presence and uplifting repertoire, the Jennys embarked on a giddy blur of activity following the release of their second album, Firecracker, in August, 2006. Numerous head-turning reviews ("quiet, warm, subtle, mellifluous, almost too good to be true," noted British daily The Independent) greeted a recording produced by David Travers-Smith (Jane Siberry, Harry Manx) and featuring a crew of ace musicians led by guitarist Kevin Breit (Norah Jones, k.d. lang). The trio wooed progressively larger audiences throughout North America while also making successful forays to Australia, the U.K. and continental Europe. And foremost among an unfolding series of life moments have been a second Juno Award nomination in Canada, the continuation of a much-cherished relationship with A Prairie Home Companion (Garrison Keillor's popular National Public Radio show) and a memorable date alongside Rosanne Cash at the prestigious Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow.
"One Voice," a live staple and highlight of the Jennys' Juno- winning debut album 40 Days, remains a metaphoric statement of intent that to this day underlines the group's original mandate: three individuals with unique gifts combining seamlessly into a single beatific entity.
Soprano Ruth Moody (guitar, banjo, accordion, bodhran) and mezzo Nicky Mehta (guitar, harmonica, ukulele, percussion) are charter members who've anchored the Jennys since the first line-up formed in their Winnipeg hometown. The critical third voice, an alto who fills out the chordal range of the group's vibrant three-part harmonies, has been filled in turn by Cara Lut, Annabelle Chvostek and, now that the latter has returned to her own solo career, new recruit Heather Masse.
Monday, May 10, 2010, 7:30 pm
Atomique Productions presents Final Fantasy, Plus Guests
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 10, 2010, 7:30 pm
EVENT: Atomique Productions presents Final Fantasy, Plus Guests
VENUE: Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora ave.
TICKETS/ADMISSION: Advance Tickets: $22.00 - Available at Lyle's Place, Ditch and www.ticketweb.ca
INFO: info at atomiqueproductions.com 250-995-1419
LINKS: www.finalfantasyeternal.com atomique on facebook
 Heartland, the third album by Final Fantasy, is a panoramic and orchestral work; a song cycle of Contemporary Fiction, and Owen Pallett’s finest work to date.
Heartland’s narrative concerns a young, ultra-violent farmer named Lewis and is set in the imaginary landscape of Spectrum. Pallett describes the concepts behind the record: "The album is about the beginning, middle and end of a relationship. But it’s sung from the point of view of the object of my affection.”
Recorded over nine months, Pallett enlisted the services of the Czech Philharmonic in Prague and travelled to Reykjavik to use Valeifgr Siggurdson’s Greenhouse studio, home to such sonically widescreen masterpieces as Bjork’s Medulla & Bonnie "Prince" Billy’s The Letting Go. Collaborating on Heartland are drummer Jeremy Gara (of Arcade Fire) and mixer Rusty Santos, who previously worked on Panda Bear's Person Pitch.
The composition of the record is diverse, oscillating between 19th century military music, '70s analog synth-pop, Russian futurism and American pointillism, often in the space of a few bars. According to Pallett, "The songs were designed to be as dense with polyphony as the Final Fantasy live shows can become. While writing it, I kept an image in my head of putting so many notes on the page that the paper turned black.” The result is a multi-layered orchestral work played with the immediacy of a singer-songwriter or electro bedroom auteur. As Pallett notes, "The album was compositionally modelled upon the principles of electronic music.” In effect Pallett treated the orchestra like a vintage modular synth, programming the parts accordingly: “The string section can function as a white noise generator, the winds clatter like an eight-step sequencer, and the brass rises and falls like an enormous oscillating filter.”
This process echoes the Final Fantasy live shows where Pallett layers parts over and over one another to produce a dense set of orchestral flourishes, something approaching a one man orchestra playing the Rite of Spring with a wholly pop heart. Running in counterpoint to this composition method is Pallet’s incredible sense of melody and his resonant voice. His singing on Heartland infuses the songs with empathy and drama, weaving itself among the strings and percussion, soaring at times on "Lewis Takes Off his Shirt" and "Tryst With Mephistopholes" through the drama of the narrative.
Owen Pallett named Final Fantasy as a nod to the unending series of operatic, melodramatic video games of the same name. Owen has written string and orchestral arrangements for numerous releases, including the Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible, Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House, Beirut’s The Flying Club Cup and The Last Shadow Puppets’ The Age of the Understatement. Most recently he wrote orchestral parts for Pet Shop Boys’ Yes, played violin on Mika’s The Boy Who Knew Too Much and contributed string arrangements to the Mountain Goats album, The Life of the World to Come.
Heartland is a unique modern musical statement. A record comprising twelve concise songs informed by the traditions of pop, which are based on one long narrative concept, and played by an orchestra. The result is an extraordinary piece of work ringing to the sound of its distinct sense of ambition, warmth and emotion.
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