Cowichan Classical Concerts

Tag: bartok

  • Tradition and Innovation

    Derek Zhi Guang Chiu, piano (Steinway Artist) ; Laszlo Mezo, cello
     

    Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 pm

    VENUE: Sylvan United Church, Mill Bay

    Please note that this concert starts at 2:00pm

    Hungarian-born Mezo, recognized as one of the top cellists of his generation, joins acclaimed Steinway Artist Derek Chiu in a program of music by French, Hungarian and Italian composers. At the heart of this program is Franz Liszt, a composer whose musical identity bridges all three cultures. Debussy’s evocative colours, Piatti’s Italian brilliance, and the folk-infused fire of Bartók illuminates the distinctive yet interwoven sound worlds of these nations.
     
     

    Programme


    Sonata in D major, arr. Alfredo Carlo Piatti — Pietro Antonio Locatelli  (1695-1764)

    I. Allegro
    II. Adagio           
    III. Minuetto

    St. François de Paule: Marchant sur les flots, S. 175 No. 2 — Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
                                                                                                                                                 

    12 Caprices for Solo Cello, Op. 25, No. 7 — Carlo Alfredo Piatti  (1822-1901)
       

    March for solo cello, from ‘Music for children’, arr. Gregor Piatigorsky — Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953)

    Consolations, S. 171, arr. Jules de Swert — Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

    I. Andante con moto
    IV. Quasi adagio
    II. Un poco piu mosso
    III. Lento placido
    V. Andantino
    VI. Allegretto sempre cantabile

    Sonate pour violoncelle et piano, L. 135 — Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
    I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto
    II. Sérénade: Modérément animé
    III. Finale: Animé, léger et nerveux

    Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56  — Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
    I. Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance)
    II. Brâul (Sash Dance)
    III. Topogó / Pe loc (In One Spot)
    IV. Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)
    V. Román polka / Poarga Românească (Romanian Polka)
    VI. Aprózó / Mărunțel (Fast Dance)

    Background information

    “Derek is an incredibly skilled and effective online music teacher. His vibrant personality and deep experience as an instructor make his online lesson engaging and productive. He has a top-notch studio setup and a broad capacity for using technology in his teaching. This creates a seamless and highly successful digital learning environment for his students.” – John Scully, Educational Online Program Specialist – The Royal Conservatory

    Steinway Artist Derek Zhi Guang Chiu is a highly acclaimed Canadian pianist and music educator who has gained international recognition for his work. He is renowned for his versatility as a performer, music educator, clinician, adjudicator, and consultant. Chiu has garnered numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including the prestigious Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award in Calgary on three separate occasions. His accomplishments in the field of music education have earned him a highly respected position within the industry.

    As a performer, Chiu has presented solo and chamber music recitals in Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States. His orchestral engagements have encompassed performances with the Windsor Community Orchestra, Briercrest College Orchestra, Rockland Symphony Orchestras, The Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, and the Simon Fraser University Concert Orchestra. He has collaborated onstage with esteemed partners such as Roberto Cani, David Lakirovich, John Lowry, Laszlo Mezo, Sean Wang, and Dara Lynn Zusko.

    Chiu is passionate about collaborating with living composers and has worked extensively to bring contemporary music to audiences worldwide. In 2021, he collaborated with Canadian composer Vince Ho on his composition The Twelve Chinese Zodiac Animals, Book 1. Chiu gave the world premiere performance of the pieces in 2022 in Canada, followed by subsequent performances in Germany, Italy, and the United States. In addition, he has worked with and performed the works of composers Michalis Andronikou and Margaret Boswell-Senyshen, further enriching his diverse repertoire. Looking ahead, Chiu will premiere a new work by up-and-coming Canadian composer Maggie Lu with the Kensington Sinfonia in their 2026/27 season, continuing his commitment to contemporary music.

    Chiu’s expertise in online music education has been invaluable during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when many music teachers faced the challenge of transitioning to remote teaching. He was sought out by other music teachers interested in establishing a virtual teaching presence. Chiu provides personalized consultations to teachers and demonstrates various online programs, resources, and apps that can enhance e-learning. He has also led professional development workshops to assist music teachers in adapting to online teaching.

    Chiu is a dedicated piano pedagogue who has conducted pedagogical workshops on the use of technology in the teaching studio, cognitive practice, aural skills development, sight-reading, Baroque performance practice, and music memorization. His academic lectures have delved into the music of Bach, Chopin, Liszt, and Mozart. Chiu has presented at the Colorado State Music Teachers’ Conference, The Colburn School, The University of Windsor, and Lakehead University, among others. Additionally, he serves as a clinician for The Royal Conservatory of Music and has conducted workshops in both Canada and the United States.

    In Calgary, Chiu maintains a private studio where his piano students have earned scholarships to attend undergraduate and graduate music schools. They have also received gold medals from The Royal Conservatory of Music and have won prizes at local, national, and international piano competitions. Beyond Calgary, he is on the Faculty of the Cremona International Music Academy (Italy) and the Vancouver Island Music Academy. Chiu is sought after as a master class clinician, ensemble coach, and guest teacher.

    His extensive training includes mentorship with notable Canadian teachers Dr. E. Gregory Butler and Joel Hastings at The University of Windsor. While in Windsor, Chiu pursued additional studies in piano pedagogy with Dr. Thomas Green, Chief Examiner Emeritus of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Under the guidance of Solomon Mikowsky (featured in Benjamin Saver’s book “The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA”) and Donn-Alexandre Feder at The Manhattan School of Music in New York, Chiu graduated with a Master of Music degree in 2003. During his studies at the Manhattan School of Music, Chiu was mentored in chamber music by pianist Daniel Epstein of the Raphael Trio and engaged in rigorous studies in Baroque and Classical performance practices with the late Kenneth Cooper, one of the world’s foremost music specialists in the music from those eras. Chiu has participated in master classes in Canada, Europe, and the United States, with instructors such as Janina Fialkowska, Robin Harrison, James Howsmon, Lorrin Hollander, Ramzi Yassa, Cecilio Tieles, and Jesus Angel Rodriguez.

    He is an Ambassador for the Royal Conservatory and a member of their College of Examiners. Chiu is featured on CBC Music’s website, discussing the topic of teens and piano lessons.

    Derek is also passionate about wine, with a particular fondness for French Bordeaux and Italian Barolo. He draws inspiration from the art of Giovanni Antonio Canal, commonly known as Canaletto, Henri Matisse, and his own grandfather, Ng Po Wan. Additionally, Derek is a fan of basketball, enjoying the sport for its blend of strategy, athleticism, and teamwork.

    Born in Budapest, Hungary, Laszlo Mezo gained national recognition as one of the top musicians of his generation when he won First Prize in the Kertész Ottó Memorial Competition at the young age of 18. Since then, he has won numerous other Competitions which have brought him international recognition including the Fourth Prize in the Antonio Janigro Junior International Competition in 1998, Second Prize in the International Dávid Popper Competition for Young Cellists in 2000, the Special Prize in the International Dávid Popper Cello Competition in 2004, and First Prize in the Ima Hogg International Competition in 2008.

    Mr. Mezo has forged a career as a soloist, recitalist, master teacher, and chamber musician. He has performed extensively in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Always eager to pass on his knowledge, Laszlo has conducted master classes in Japan, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, and the United States. Mr. Mezo was adjunct professor in cello at Chapman University
    from 2012 to 2022 and he was Assistant Teacher at the University of Southern California between 2007 and 2008.

    As a soloist, Mr. Mezo has performed with maestros Ádám Fischer, Thomas Wilkins, Grant Llewellyn, Zsolt Hamar. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated in recitals with pianists Kevin Fitz-Gerald, Steven Vanhauwaert, Gábor Farkas, Márta Gulyás, Piotr Folkert, and Balázs Szokolay, violinist Kristóf Baráti, cellist Philipp Muller, and the Bartók Quartet. He has also played under the direction of Zubin Mehta and Kent Nagano as a member of the Bayerische Staatsorchester in Munich, Germany.

    Mr. Mezo holds master’s degrees from the Liszt Ferenc University of Music in Budapest and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. He graduated from the class of Ralph Kirshbaum at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
    Mr. Mezo is a member of the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and is also a sought after soloist and an active studio musician in Hollywood. He has played in many film scores, blockbusters including Star Wars, Super Mario, Ice Age, Life of Pi, Pirates of Caribbean, Wolverine, and The Lone Ranger.

  • 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.