Cowichan Classical Concerts

Concert News

  • Resonance

    Arthur Arnold, cello; Moira Hopfe-Ostensen, piano

    Sunday, February 9 at 2pm

    Culturally rich Powell River is home to Arthur Arnold and Moira Hopfe-Ostensen. Arthur directs the PRISMA Festival and Academy, Moira is Artist-in-Residence at the Powell River Academy of Music, and together they have a huge impact on the musical community. Both known as dynamic and sensitive musicians, they bring a beautifully balanced program of works by R. Strauss, Vaughan-Williams, Romberg and Shostakovich.

    Programme

    Cello Sonata in F major, Op. 6, TrV 115 — Richard Georg Strauss (1864—1949)
    Allegro con brio
    Andante ma non troppo
    Finale – Allegro vivo

    Six Studies in English Folk Songs (1926) — Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872—1958)
    1. Adagio (‘Lovely on the Water’) in E modal minor
    2. Andante sostenuto (‘Spurn Point’) in Eb
    3 Larghetto (‘Van Diemen’s Land’) in D modal minor
    4. Lento (‘She Borrowed Some of Her Mother’s Gold’) in D
    5. Andante tranquillo (‘The Lady and the Dragoon’) in G
    6. Allegro vivace (‘As I walked over London Bridge’) in A modal minor

    Divertimento on Austrian Folk Songs, Op.46 — Bernhard Heinrich Romberg (1767—1841)

    Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40 — Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (1906—1975)
    1. Allegro non troppo
    2. Allegro
    3. Largo
    4. Allegro

    Background information

    Dutch-born conductor Arthur Arnold is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Pacific Region International Summer Music Association (PRISMA Festival & Academy) on Canada’s West Coast. This annual event attracts world-renowned musicians and international music students from top universities. Since 2016, Arthur Arnold has led a pioneering musical collaboration with the Tla’amin Nation. Partnering with the Tla’amin Singers and Drummers, the PRISMA Festival Orchestra annually performs traditional Tla’amin songs, featuring solo performances by the nation’s singers and drummers — a meaningful fusion of cultures. From January 2012 until his resignation in March 2022, Arnold served as the Music Director of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra (MSO). He resigned in protest of the war in Ukraine and the regime responsible, taking a principled stand against the conflict. Arnold is the driving force behind The Mosolov Project, discovering lost manuscripts of the repressed composer Alexander Mosolov in Russian libraries. He performed and recorded Mosolov’s Fifth Symphony (1965) and Harp Concerto (1939) in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The resulting CD, released by Naxos, received the second prize in the prestigious Russian competition Pure Sound. Dedicated to music education, Arnold has mentored over 25 upcoming conductors at the PRISMA Festival and through conducting masterclasses with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Arnold served as the Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific from 2004 to 2011 and as Principal Guest Conductor of the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra in South Korea from 1997 to 2001. He has collaborated with orchestras and festivals throughout Europe, Canada, the USA, and Asia. Arthur and his wife Kim divide their time between the rugged West Coast of Canada and The Netherlands.


    Praised for her expressive playing and engaged teaching, pianist and pedagogue Moira Hopfe-Ostensen is an artist who displays prowess and makes music from the heart, touching her audience with her wonderful communication and sensitivity. Dr Hopfe-Ostensen holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Literature from the University of Alberta, Canada. She most recently held the position of Chair of the Keyboard Department at SWBTS where she was Professor in Piano Performance and Pedagogy to Bachelor, Master and Doctoral students. Dr. Hopfe-Ostensen has appeared as a solo and collaborative pianist throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe; and she continues to be an active pianist, adjudicator, examiner, and clinician. She is committed to the pursuit of excellence in piano pedagogy. She has been certified by the Royal Conservatory of Music as an Advanced Specialist and is a member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada, and the United States. The appointment from the Royal Conservatory places her among over 300 distinguished professional teachers and performers from across North America who are committed to the development of human potential through leadership in music and arts education. Many of her students have gained national and international recognition. She has received numerous awards, including a Professional Distinction Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts from the Peace Hills Arts Council, Canada. Currently, Dr. Hopfe-Ostensen is the Artist in Residence at the Powell River Academy of Music.

  • Post-Romantic Palette

    “Outstanding”, “magnificent”, “spectacular”, “out of this world”….. we all agreed that today’s sold out concert was an experience that left us in awe of these beautiful artists.

    Thank you to Catherine Ordronneau and Kai Gleusteen for an unforgettable performance, and to all the enthusiastic audience members who attended!

     

  • Post-Romantic Palette

    Catherine Ordronneau, piano; Kai Gleusteen, violin

    Sunday, January 12 at 2pm

    First working together in 1999, Kai and Catherine have established themselves as one of the most important duos in the interpretation of sonatas for violin and piano. Having performed more than 100 recitals in Europe, Canada and USA, they are praised for their unique partnership and the emotional power of their interpretations, and are described as playing as if under the control of a single intelligence. 

    Programme

    Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56  — Béla Viktor János Bartók (1881—1945)        
    Joc cu bâtǎ. Allegro moderato
    Brâul. Allegro
    Pê-loc. Andante
    Buciumeana. Moderato
    Poargǎ româneascǎ. Allegro
    Mǎrunţel. L’istesso
    Mǎrunţel. Allegro vivace


    Violin Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25 — George Enescu (1881—1955)

    Moderato malinconico
    Andante sostenuto e misterioso
    Allegro con brio, ma non troppo mosso

    Sonata in A major for piano and violin — César Auguste Jean Guillaume Hubert Franck (1822—1890)

    Allegretto ben moderato
    Allegro
    Ben moderato: Recitativo-Fantasía
    Allegretto poco mosso

    Three Preludes — George Gershwin (1898—1937)  

    Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
    Andante con moto e poco rubato
    Allegro ben ritmato e deciso

    Background information

    Since 1999 when they first began to work together, Kai Gleusteen and Catherine Ordronneau have established themselves as one of the most important duos in the interpretation of sonatas for violin and piano. Having performed more than 100 recitals in Europe, Canada and USA, they are praised for their unique partnership, “playing under the control of a single intelligence”, and for the emotional power of their interpretations.

    In 2004, they were featured in the television program Classical Now, a nationally broadcast show, as well as a two-hour program on CBC radio in Canada including a live recital . They also received critical acclaim for the release of their first recording for the AVIE records label, which includes a “standout performance of the Prokofiev sonata, one of the finest on records.” In May 2004, their second recording with sonatas by Grieg, Dvorak, and Franck was distributed world-wide.

    Their repertoire encompasses most of the great sonatas for violin and piano, as well as a myriad of short pieces representing the countries where they perform. Among recent projects was a tour in the USA with performances with the St Louis Symphony, recitals in Chicago as well as in the San Francisco area and gala concert in the prestigious Hotel de Ville of Paris.

    Canadian born violinist, Kai Gleusteen started at the age of five years old in his native city, Calgary. Early on, he met with success in national music competitions in addition to receiving top academic awards. Already at a young age, he had the opportunity to study with the most renowned violinists and teachers of his time, including Nathan Milstein, Ivan Galamian, Josef Gingold, Dorothy Delay, and Zakhar Bron. By the age of seventeen, Kai was awarded the top prize in the Commonwealth Concerto Competition in Australia, he had received the prestigious Skene Award in Scotland and had formed his first chamber orchestra: The Group of Twelve.

    A strong believer in the musician as a multi-dimensional human being, Kai chose to combine his musical studies with academic pursuits. At the University of Michigan, he studied anthropology, geophysics, and philosophy. He received a Master’s Degree from Rice University under the tutelage of the person who would become his greatest inspiration on both a personal and musical level, the violinist Camilla Wicks.

    In 1991, Kai moved to Europe to live in the heart of Western Culture. Paris and Prague were his bases for nine years, allowing him to develop and perform both as a soloist and leader of numerous orchestras. In the year 2000, he won the concertmaster position of the Orchestra ‘del Gran Teatre del Liceu’ and subsequently moved to Barcelona. In 2003, he created the Gran Teatre del Liceu Chamber Orchestra and was appointed professor at the Escuela Superior de Musica de Catalunya. He continues to perform extensively as a soloist and a recitalist throughout Europe and North America and has released numerous critically acclaimed recordings.

    Having performed her first recital at the age of twelve, it isn’t until the age of twenty, after two years of law school that Catherine Ordronneau decides to devote herself entirely to music.

    Taught by Colette Fernier, Monique Deschaussées, Sergio Perticaroli, and encouraged by François-René Duchâble, she receives the highest distinction at the Conservatory in Rouen and later the prestigious Concert Award at the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris.

    Catherine is also awarded the Yvonne Lefébure Foundation Prize leading to television and radio broadcasts and concert engagements.

    Catherine chooses to avoid the international competition circuit in favour of taking the time to study repertoire in its historical context. Being a great lover of nature, a fan of Marcel Proust and having spent many years in Normandy, she explores in depth the composers who were inspired by this region, such as Roussel, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns. She deepens her understanding of Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms with numerous trips to Germany, her knowledge of the language and by reading Goethe and Heine. Her interpretation of Chopin is nourished by the time spent in Poland and a close examination of his letters. She delivers “mesmerising performances in which her ability to summon a myriad of colour is allied to a total artistic integrity”. (The Times)

    Catherine’s approach to music is very much appreciated not only by solo piano audiences throughout Europe and North America but also by various renowned chamber musicians. She is invited to perform in music festivals throughout these countries and devotes a large part of her time to the duo with Kai Gleusteen and the Trio Liceu.

  • Echoes of Joy

    A heartwarming and joyful program of seasonal music by the excellent singers of the Cowichan Vocal Collective brought our audience to their feet in a standing ovation.

    Thank you to all who came out to enjoy this gift of music.

     

  • Echoes of Joy

    The Cowichan Vocal Collective

    Sunday, December 1 at 2pm

    Since their inception in 2019, the Cowichan Vocal Collective has been harmonizing and raising their voices in song for causes close to their community’s heart. More than just a choir, they are a group of passionate individuals dedicated to using their music to uplift, inspire, and unite, always directing their proceeds towards impactful initiatives. Celebrate the season of giving in community with these outstanding singers!
     

    Programme

    The First Noel – Traditional, arranged by Pinkzebra

    Sing We Now of Christmas – Traditional, arranged by Audrey Snyder

    Wiegenlied (Christmas Lullaby) – John Rutter (1945 — )

    Berceuse de Noel – Joseph  Bovet (1879 — 1951)

    Sing Along – Joy to the World

    What Child is This – Traditional, arranged by John Cornish

    O Magnum Mysterium – Morten Lauridsen (1943 — )

    Ding Dong Merrily on High – Taborout/Woodward, arranged by Philip Stopford

    Here Comes Santa Claus – Autry/Haldeman/Melka, arranged by Kirby Shaw

    Remembering Decembers – Pinkzebra

    Feliz Navidad – José Feliciano (1945 —), arranged by Paul Langford

    Holly Jolly Christmas Johnny Marks (1909 — 1985), arranged by Kirby Shaw

    Winter Wonderland – Bernhardt/Smith, arranged by Maryanne Muglia

    Sing Along – Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

    Once Upon a December –  Flaherty/Ahrens, arranged by Mark Brymer

    Jingle Bells – Pierpont (1822 — 1893), arranged by Gordon Langford

    White Christmas – Irving Berlin (1888 — 1989), arranged by Mac Huff 

    Background information

    The Cowichan Vocal Collective is a mixed voice chamber choir that started in 2019 and is comprised of ten local Cowichan Valley musicians. This passionate group has significant choral experience, including several members with degrees and certifications in music and music education. Collectively, the singers have performed in many advanced and professional choirs across Canada, including Vancouver Chamber Choir, Elektra Women’s Choir, Encore! Women’s Choir, Phoenix Chamber Choir, University of Victoria Chamber Singers, Chor Leoni, University of Alberta Concert Choir, and many more.

    The choir formed with purpose of holding one concert to raise funds for a local Homeless Prevention Fund, but we had too much fun so had to keep singing! Our members gather weekly for rehearsals and spend 3-4 months preparing each concert. Since that first concert, we have continued to share our voices in concerts twice a year where proceeds support local charitable causes. Past recipients have included the Cowichan Women Against Violence Society, ARC: Assisting Refugees in Cowichan, and Providence Farm.

    Cowichan Vocal Collective Members:

    Sheena Christie – Alto, occasional Tenor

    Tom Ellis – Tenor

    Christina Hof Taylor – Soprano

    Makiko Johnston – Alto

    John Lofto – Bass

    Bonnie Louden – Soprano, Pianist

    Kevin Louden – Bass

    Kevin Mattinson – Tenor

    Lara Nowlan – Alto

    Michelle Weckesser – Soprano, Rehearsal Director, and any other vocal part we need her on

    For further information on our concert dates, to find out more information about our choir or to donate directly to the choir please email: cowichanvocalcollective@gmail.com

  • Stars of the Future

    The wildly talented young musicians of the Collegium performed an excellent program! Thank you to our performers and enthusiastic audience!

     

  • Stars of the Future

    Artists of the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s Collegium Program

    Sunday, November 3 at 2pm

    The Victoria Conservatory’s Collegium Program provides ensemble opportunities and deep engagement for exceptional teenage musicians, supporting and challenging them to become the best they can be, in music and in life. The chamber music program is highly successful and rated among the best in the country. Its students perform with a maturity and skill well above their age level, winning top prizes in local, provincial, and national music festivals.

    CCC proudly supports these young performers in their quest for excellence!
     

    Programme

    String Quartet no.1 in F major, Opus 18 no. 1 — Ludwig van Beethoven
    I Allegro con brio                             
    — Glengarry Quartet (Janou Boutilier, Isidora Uhlman, Walter Rees, Celina Holt)

    Woodwind Trio in C major, Opus 87 — Ludwig van Beethoven
    I Allegro         
    —     Queen Alexandra Trio (Judy Su, Celine Liu, Bella Zhang)

    Suite in D major for 3 violins, Opus 17 — Friederich Hermann
    I Grave: Energico ed appassionato, ma in tempo moderato
    —     Josef Hassid Trio (Jessie Wang, Michaela Yee, Owen Fitzgerald)

    Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, B. 166 (Dumky — Antonín Leopold Dvořák
    I Lento maestoso — Allegro quasi doppio movimiento
      —     Mount St. Mary Piano Trio (Andrei Krasnov, Max Webster, Felicia Ma (subbing for Filbert Zhang))

    Creatures of the Enchanted Forest (Flute Quartet) — Anže Rozman
    II “The Bird…”
    III “The Evening Singer”
    —     Jubilee Flute Quartet (Tyler Evans-Knott, Daniel Sanabria, Miya Doak, Emilia Vozian)

    Piano Trio no. 1 in F major, opus 18 — Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns
    I Allegro vivace    
    —     Samson and Delilah Trio (Max Francis, Joanne Jiang, Felicia Ma)     

    Background information

    Founded in January 2006, the Young Artist Collegium Program provides colleagues and peers for exceptional young musicians, supporting and challenging them to become the best they can be, in music and in life.

    Delivered in an after-school format, the Collegium is an enriched program for talented young classical musicians playing piano, string, wind, and brass instruments, all brought together with outstanding teachers to create a lively, collaborative educational experience devoted to the pursuit of musical excellence.

    It provides the environment for students to develop and thrive both as soloists and as chamber musicians; and all the necessary tools needed to think critically and work as a team.

    The Collegium has been described as “likely one of the best, if not THE best, program for young musicians in BC”. Members of the Collegium are consistently winners of local, provincial and national music festivals, as well as scholarships to prestigious universities and postsecondary music schools such as Julliard, Glenn Gould School in Toronto, or Schulich Music at McGill; and our alumni are now members of symphonies in Montreal, Ottawa (National Arts Centre), Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria.

  • Desert Song

    Our 20th season opened with an interesting and varied program of guitar and piano music by Vancouver artist, Itamar Erez. We were delighted to see so many new faces in the audience! Itamar played a mix of classical, contemporary, and own compositions, displaying his gift to interpret various musical genres and intricate rhythmic patterns. Thanks to our artist and our appreciative audience.

     

  • Desert Song

    Itamar Erez, guitar and piano

    Sunday, October 6 at 2pm

    Blend Middle Eastern music, jazz, and flamenco, and you find the unique sound of Itamar Erez, world-renowned guitarist, pianist, and composer. His music is praised for its depth and sensitivity, and has been heard at prestigious venues around the world. In a program especially created for our series, Itamar will perform music by J.S. Bach, Brazilian composers such as Pixinguinha and Garoto, and also his own compositions for guitar and piano.
     

    Programme

    Presto (from Violin Sonata in G minor, BWV 1001) — Johann Sebastian Bach

    Hommage/Sheva — Itamar Erez

    Migrant Voices — Itamar Erez

    Desvairada — Garoto

    Intense — Itamar Erez

    Seu Laurenco no Vinho — Pixinguinha

    Yahli’s Lullaby — Itamar Erez

    Choro For Lulo — Itamar Erez

    New Dawn — Itamar Erez

    Blackbird — John Lennon

    Landslide — Fleetwood Mac / Stevie Nicks

    Requinto — Itamar Erez

         

    Biography

    Itamar’s music holds a depth and sensitivity that touches listeners deeply. It blends the delicateness of Middle Eastern music, the freedom found in jazz and the passion of flamenco, creating a unique sound all his own. Recipient of the 2014 ACUM Prize for Special Achievement in Jazz and the prestigious 2014 Landau Prize, Itamar Erez is an internationally renowned composer and guitarist who has shared the stage with such musicians as Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Tomatito, Avishai Cohen, JeanLouis Matinier, Zohar Fresco, and others.

    “The music really catches fire…Erez stretches out, using his impressive instrumental technique to great effect…” (Songlines Magazine- 2010)

    Itamar has released Six albums to date, including “Desert Song” (2006) and “Hommage” (2010) with the Adama Ensemble, “New Dawn” (2013) with percussionist Yshai Afterman and special guest Antonio Serrano on harmonica, and “Mi Alegria” (2019). “May Song,” was released in October 2022 and features music written during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Migrant Voices”, Itamar’s 6th album, was released in 2024. It is an collaboration album with Hamin Honari (Iranian-Canadian percussionist). This unique project blends diverse cultural influences, highlighting the spontaneous interplay between guitar and percussion.
    In recent years, Itamar performed in Canada, USA, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Cyprus, Israel, India, Tunisia, Colombia & Surinam. Itamar made his Carnegie Hall (NY) debut Apr 2018 performing with the Omar Faruk Tekbilek Ensemble with Ara Dinjkian & Brian Keane as special guests.

    Among the venues and festivals that Itamar played throughout his career were: Barbican Hall (London UK), Sydney Opera (Sydney, Australia), the Jerusalem Jazz Festival (Israel), Oman Opera House, The Megaron (Athens, Greece), Schauspielhaus Leipzig (Germany), Amsterdam Jewish Music Festival (Holland), the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and others. As a workshop facilitator and masterclass teacher, Itamar shares his unique approach to music and instrumentation with students around the globe. Recent gigs for Itamar included showcasing his quartet at the JazzAhead music conference April 2022 in Bremen, Germany and touring in Israel with his quartet in November 2022, playing with International Guitar Night (2023).

    2024 brings a variety of performances in Canada, US & Europe, including gigs at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Penticton’s Dream Cafe, Bellingham’s Jazz Center, Edmonton’s Yardbird Suite, and many others. A new collaboration with Guitar Poet Brian Gore will see more concerts in the US and Canada in 2024. In addition to his performing and teaching career, Itamar has also composed music for various chamber ensembles and classical guitarists, as well as for film. He has written commissioned works for the ‘Sound of Dragon Ensemble’ and other groups, and his compositions for classical guitar, including “Yahli’s Lullaby,” “Morning Song,” “Choro for Lulo,” and “Choro Sentimental,” have been played by concert guitarists around the world. Itamar has also written music for the film “Greek To Me,” directed by Harry Killas.

    He is currently on faculty at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, teaching guitar, jazz, and world music.

  • The French Violin

    Ending our season on the highest note possible!
    Bravo to Victor Fournelle-Blain and Jean-Sébastien Levesque for an outstanding concert
    of French sonatas for violin and piano!