LSM Newswire

Monday, October 19, 2009

Renowned American violinist Rachel Barton Pine makes her VSO debut

Vancouver BC World-renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine graces the Orpheum stage on October 24th & 26th at 8pm. Guest conductor and Music Director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero, leads the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in a beautiful concert featuring the works of Respighi, Saint-Sans, and Ravels epic orchestration of Mussorgskys masterpiece Pictures at an Exhibition.

"An exciting, boundary-defying performer (Rachel Barton) Pine displays a power and confidence that puts her in the top echelon."
- Washington Post

Guerrero understood them completely, and his uninhibited, vividly physical complicity with the orchestra in boldly making them happen was a joy to encounter.
- The Globe and Mail

Rachel Barton Pine began playing the violin at age 3 and played at many renowned venues throughout her childhood and teen years including her debut with the Chicago Symphony under the baton of Erich Leinsdorf at age 10. At age 17, she became the youngest and first American winner of the gold medal at the J.S. Bach International Competition in Germany.

Rachel Barton Pines story is one of inspiration and extraordinary resilience in addition to exquisite technique and music-making. In January of 1995, Barton Pine was severely injured in a train accident, one that came close to killing her and would have ended the majority of careers. As she was exiting a train in Winnetka, Illinois, the strap to her violin case was trapped between the doors, pinning her shoulder to the train. She was dragged 366 feet by the train before being pulled underneath and run over, severing one leg and mangling the other.

After a 2-year hiatus to recover from her injuries in which she had to endure over 40 surgeries, Barton Pine made a noteworthy return to the classical world. She has appeared as soloist with many of the worlds most prestigious orchestras, including the Montreal, Chicago, Vienna, Royal Scottish National, Royal Philharmonic, and New Zealand Orchestras. She has also earned critical acclaim for her prolific discography of over 16 recordings. Her musical interests extend well beyond classical and she has successfully crossed over to the genres of Celtic, folk, rock and jazz. Declared one of Americas most important young musicians, Rachel Barton Pine performs on the Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu (Cremona 1742), known as the ex-Soldat, on generous loan from her patron.

Ms. Barton Pine runs a charitable foundation The Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation which provides career assistance and instruments to young musicians in need and promotes the study and appreciation of classical music by African-American composers.

Costa Rican conductor Giancarlo Guerrero is highly sought after as a guest conductor from prolific orchestras world-wide. He has recently made two important debuts abroad: his European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, where he was immediately invited to return, and his UK Debut with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has also recently made successful debuts with several major American orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Guerrero holds degrees from Baylor and Northwestern Universities. His principal conducting teachers were Michael Haithcock, Stephen Heyde, Victor Yampolsky and Guillermo Scarabino. He was most recently the Music Director of the Eugene Symphony. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Guerrero served as Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra. He made his Minnesota Orchestra subscription debut in March 2000, leading the world premiere of John Coriglianos Phantasmagoria on the Ghosts of Versailles. He returned on subscription every subsequent season during his time there. Prior to his tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra, he served as music director of the Tchira Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela.

CONCERT INFO

PricewaterhouseCoopers Masterworks Silver

Saturday and Monday, October 24 and 26, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Rachel Barton Pine with the VSO

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Rachel Barton Pine, violin

Respighi Trittico Botticelliano
Saint-Saens Concerto No. 3 in B minor, Op. 61
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition

Mussorgskys Pictures at an Exhibition evokes images in music (as does Respighis Three Botticelli Pictures) with the grand orchestration of Ravel. In her starburst of a career so far, Rachel Barton Pine has left critics scratching their heads in search of superlatives it is no wonder she is being called the most important American violinist of her generation.

Visit Giancarlo Guerrero at: www.giancarloguerrero.com
Visit Rachel Barton Pine at: www.rachelbartonpine.com

Series Sponsor: PricewaterhouseCoopers
Video Screen Sponsor: TELUS
Special Video Screen Presentations Created and Produced by: Columbia Academy

Tickets: $25 - $78.50 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

BIOGRAPHIES

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Giancarlo Guerreros 09/10 season marks his first as Music Director of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. A champion of new music, Guerrero has collaborated with and championed the music of several of Americas most respected composers, including John Adams, John Corigliano, Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Michael Daugherty and Roberto Sierra. A new CD on Naxos of music by Michael Daugherty, with the Nashville Symphony, is scheduled for release in September 2009.

Mr. Guerreros guest conducting engagements in the 09/10 season include appearances with the symphony orchestras of Milwaukee, New Jersey and Fort Worth, the Pacific Symphony, in Costa Mesa as well as the Curtis Institute of Music. Abroad, he conducts the Symphony Orchestras of Vancouver and Edmonton in the fall and the Slovenian Philharmonic in the spring.

As a guest conductor, Guerrero recently made two important debuts abroad: his European debut with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, where he was immediately invited to return, and his UK Debut with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He has also recently made successful debuts with several major American orchestras, including the Baltimore Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra (where he was invited back for a subscription week and tour), the Seattle Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra (where he returned in the 07/08 season). Other recent orchestral engagements in North America include appearances with the orchestras of Columbus, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Diego; the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and at the Grant Park Festival.

Also in demand in Central and South America, Guerrero conducts regularly in Venezuela with the Orquesta Sinfnica Simn Bolvar, with which he has had a special relationship for many years. His debut at the Casals Festival with Yo-Yo Ma and the Puerto Rico Symphony in 2005 was followed by return engagements in 2006 and 2007. He also made his debut at the Teatro Coln in Argentina in 2005. Elsewhere he is a regular guest conductor of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand.

Equally at home with opera, Guerrero works regularly with the Costa Rican Lyric Opera and in recent seasons has conducted new productions of Carmen, La bohme and most recently a new production of Rigoletto. In February 2008, he gave the Australian premiere of Osvaldo Golijovs one-act opera Ainadamar at the Adelaide Festival, to great acclaim.

In June 2004, Guerrero was awarded the Helen M. Thompson Award by the American Symphony Orchestra League, which recognizes outstanding achievement among young conductors nationwide.

Guerrero holds degrees from Baylor and Northwestern universities. He was most recently the Music Director of the Eugene Symphony. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Guerrero served as Associate Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra. He made his Minnesota Orchestra subscription debut in March 2000, leading the world premiere of John Coriglianos Phantasmagoria on the Ghosts of Versailles. He returned on subscription every subsequent season during his time there. Prior to his tenure with the Minnesota Orchestra, he served as music director of the Tchira Symphony Orchestra in Venezuela.

Rachel Barton Pine, violin
American violinist Rachel Barton Pine has appeared as soloist with many of the worlds most prestigious orchestras, including the Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Dallas, Baltimore, Montreal, Vienna, New Zealand and Iceland Symphonies, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Israel and Scottish Chamber Orchestras, working with conductors including Charles Dutoit, Zubin Mehta, Erich Leinsdorf, Marin Alsop, Neeme Jrvi, and Placido Domingo. Acclaimed collaborations include Daniel Barenboim, Christoph Eschenbach, William Warfield, Christopher ORiley and Mark OConnor. Her festival appearances include Ravinia, Marlboro, and Salzburg. She has been featured on St. Paul Sunday, Performance Today, From the Top, CBS Sunday Morning, and NBCs Today.

Her 16 critically acclaimed albums for the Cedille, Dorian, and Cacophony labels include "Brahms and Joachim Violin Concertos" with Carlos Kalmar and the Chicago Symphony, "Scottish Fantasies" with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and "Beethoven and Clement Violin Concertos" with Jos Serebrier and the Royal Philharmonic. She holds top prizes from the J.S. Bach (gold medal), Queen Elisabeth, Paganini, Kreisler, Szigeti, and Montreal international competitions, and has twice been honored as a Chicagoan of the Year. A tireless ambassador for classical music, Ms. Pine is dedicated to community engagement and music education. She frequently participates in pre-concert conversations, gives master classes, and presents programs in public schools. Her creative efforts to reach new audiences include appearances on rock radio stations and solo concerts in alternative venues.

Ms. Pines charitable activities include serving as a trustee of the Music Institute of Chicago and president of the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation. She plays the Joseph Guarnerius del Gesu (Cremona 1742), known as the ex-Soldat, on generous loan from her patron.

A Chicago native, Pine began violin studies at age three and made her professional debut four years later at age seven with the Chicago String Ensemble. Her earliest appearances with the Chicago Symphony (at ages ten and fifteen) were broadcast on television. Her principal teachers were Roland and Almita Vamos and she has also studied with Ruben Gonzalez, Werner Scholz, Elmira Darvarova and several specialists in early music performance practice. Pine resides in Chicago with her husband.

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The VSOs Elementary School Concerts begin next month

October 15, 2009 - Vancouver BC The VSO is proud to present VSO Goes Global! on November 16, 18, 23 and 25. Each concert takes place at 10am and 12pm at the newly-renovated Orpheum Theatre and is designed for students from grade 4 to 7. VSO Assistant Conductor Evan Mitchell leads the orchestra in an internationally-themed concert featuring the works of two Canadian composers VSO Composer-In-Residence Scott Good and video game composer Marc Baril.

The VSO highly encourages students to attend an Elementary School Concert, which are open to all schools and homeschools. Supported by study guides and materials that support the curriculum, the concerts are an affordable, educational, and fun experience for students. Students can sing-along with the orchestra to the African folk tune Siyahamba and discover new cultures and music from around the world. They will learn in an entertaining and stimulating environment while the VSO circles the globe in less than one hour!

The VSO has a long standing tradition of providing grade-appropriate Elementary School concerts and each season up to 35,000 students from over 400 schools and homeschools attend. A wonderful combination of orchestral music, theatre and video technology, the VSO school concerts provide students with an interactive live music experience. Video screens located on both sides of the Orpheum stage provide students with close-up shots of the orchestra and conductor as they perform. Study Guides, podcasts, music tracks and bonus features designed to prepare teachers and students for the concerts can be downloaded for free on the VSOs website: www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc.

The VSO thanks its series sponsor Industrial Alliance Pacific and TELUS, Premier Education Partner, for their continued generosity and support, which has enabled the Symphony to freeze the ticket price at $5.50 per student the lowest Elementary School Concert ticket price out of all major Canadian Symphony Orchestras.

CONCERT INFO
VSO Goes Global!ĮClimb aboard with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and travel the world without ever leaving the Orpheum Theatre! Discover cultures and music from around the world as the VSO circles the globe in less than an hour!ĮĮIntermediate Concert: Grades 4 to 7Į
November 16, 18, 23 and 25Į
10:00am and 12:00pm daily
ĮNOVEMBER 18th, 10 am SOLD OUT

TICKET PRICE:
Students: $5.50 (incl. GST)Į
Teachers: Teachers and Special Needs Assistants are free
ĮChaperones: One adult per 10 students will be free. All additional adults are $5.50 (incl. GST)

ORDER: online at www.vancouversymphony.ca/esc or call 604-684-9100 ext. 246 to request a brochure and fax or mail it in.

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Nosferatu: A Special Halloween Night with the VSO!

VANCOUVER, BC The VSO announces A Halloween spectacular! The great 1922 Silent Film Nosferatu will be presented with the music performed live by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on Halloween Night, Saturday October 31st, 8pm, at the Orpheum Theatre. Guest conductor Gillian Anderson leads the orchestra. For one fun night, the Orpheum is transformed back into the movie house that it used to be for the camp and terror that awaits audiences who will thrill to this great silent film with the chilling and dramatic score performed live by the full Vancouver Symphony Orchestra!

Although, commonly referred as just Nosferatu the complete title is fittingly named Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (In German: Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens). This German Expressionist horror film was directed by F.W. Murnau and starred the brilliantly frightening Max Schreck as Count Orlock. No charming aristocrat like later Draculas, this vampire is scary and macabre, a living corpse who feeds mercilessly on his victims. The wonderful Hans Erdmann score has thrilled audiences for generations, with its moody orchestral colours and drama lending a tangible weight and anticipation to the film itself. Hailed as one of the greatest movie adaptations of the vampire legend, youll never have more fun being scared!
Concertgoers are encouraged to come in costume. Give us your best zombie, vampire, werewolf or whatever you dream up and win Cash and Ticket Prizes!

CONCERT INFO
Saturday, October 31, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
Nosferatu! A Special Halloween Presentation
Gillian Anderson, conductor
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Tickets: $25 - $30 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

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Over the River & Through the Woods this Sunday Oct 18 @ 4 pm

Oct 13, 2009 - Choral works by Stephen Smith, John Rutter, Aaron Copeland, Paul Halley and more will be heard this coming Sunday afternoon (4 pm) at Vancouver's Christ Church Cathedral as the Vancouver Children's Choir welcome their special guests and Vancouver's newest 'elder' choir, EnChor, for Over the River & Through the Woods.

This Thanksgiving concert will feature each ensemble in solo sets as well as in combined selections, bringing the lightness of youth and the warmth of age into a fine mix of music. There will be plenty of opportunity for the audience to sing along as well in a selection of favourite Thanksgiving hymns, and the entire audience is invited to a pumpkin pie reception following the concert! Over the River and Through the Woods is a perfect way to celebrate the bounty of the season and the joys of family - we hope to see you there.

Vancouver Children's Choir
Rupert Lang, Founder and Director
presents
Over the River and Through the Woods
with special guests

EnChor
Diane Loomer, C.M., Artistic Director

Sunday, October 18, 2009 ~ 4 pm
Christ Church Cathedral
690 Burrard St, Vancouver BC
Admission by donation
(suggested donation $10 per person, $20 per family)
Pumpkin pie reception to follow.
information: 604.682.636

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tiny Tots: Concerts for the Little Ones!

VANCOUVER, BC The Vancouver Symphonys Tiny Tots is a 4-concert series for children up to four years of age, focusing on fun and music education for early childhood development. Concerts take place on Fridays at 10:00am, 11:30am, and 1:30pm at the Playhouse Theatre in downtown Vancouver and Saturdays at 10:00am and 11:30am at the Terry Fox Theatre in Port Coquitlam. This series features professional music educators and musicians, Let Your Music Shine with Lisa and Linda, in their own musical presentations for kids.

The Tiny Tots series begins on October 23rd and 24th with Musical Olympics for Tots, a concert of winning melodies and favourite classics. The next concert in the series takes place in December Holiday Hooray! features the music of Tchaikovskys Nutcracker and other frosty favourites for children to sing-along with. The Cirque de Classic concert in March presents music by Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart and features magic, movement, and classic miniatures. The final concert of this series, Gallop and Go!, takes place in May and will be a symphonic adventure into farmyard fun.

Lisa Grace Allison and Linda Sebenius, the creators of Let Your Music Shine!, are Redmond-based twin sisters, educators, composers, and performers. They have performed their original musical theatre scores for thousands of Northwest families, as well as releasing multiple award-winning CDs and DVDs. Music Shine Media, LLC is a multi-media production company devoted to developing, producing, and distributing the original products and performances of Let Your Music Shine! with Lisa & Linda.

Check out Let Your Music Shines new YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/LetYourMusicShine

Single concert tickets: Adult $15, Child $7, Children under 6 months by donation
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

TELUS Premier Education Partner

The VSOs Tiny Tots series has been endowed by a generous gift from Mary and Gordon Christopher.


CONCERT INFO

Friday, October 23, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre
Saturday, October 24, 10am, 11:30am, Terry Fox Theatre
Musical Olympics for Tots
Let Your Music Shine with Lisa & Linda, childrens entertainers

I can sing, I can play! Winning melodies and favourite classics highlight this GOLD medal show.


Friday, December 11, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre
Saturday, December 12, 10am, 11:30am, Terry Fox Theatre
Holiday Hooray!
Let Your Music Shine with Lisa & Linda, childrens entertainers

Featuring the music of Tchaikovsky. Move-along with the Nutcracker and sing-a-long to frosty favourites!


Friday, March 26, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre
Saturday, March 27, 10am, 11:30am, Terry Fox Theatre
Cirque de Classic
Let Your Music Shine with Lisa & Linda, childrens entertainers

Let's all go to the 3-ring musical circus! Filled with magic, movement and classic miniatures.


Friday, May 21, 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre
Saturday, May 22, 10am, 11:30am, Terry Fox Theatre
Gallop and Go!
Let Your Music Shine with Lisa & Linda, childrens entertainers

This symphonic adventure into farmyard fun will have tots bouncing to that barnyard beat.


BIOGRAPHIES

Let Your Music Shine with Linda and Lisa, childrens entertainers

Lisa G. Allison and Linda Sebenius, are composers, producers and educators. Their performance duo is committed to presenting the highest quality original, engaging, and age appropriate music education programs and products for young children.

Lisa G. Allison, Artistic Director (M.A. Music Education)
As Artistic Director, Lisa co-ordinates staging, set design, and costuming for live performances. In addition, Lisa is footage coordinator and lead editor for Music Shine Media video productions. When not performing with Let Your Music Shine and editing amazing footage, Lisa is a Voice/Performance Coach and Director of LGMusic Voice Studio and an Elementary Music Specialist for the Lake Washington School District.

Linda Sebenius, Music Director (B.A. Music Theory/Composition)
As Music Director, Linda is the lead orchestrator and arranger for Let Your Music Shine. Whether it is a brass quartet playing Beethoven's Fifth, or a string quartet playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Linda makes the magic of classical music come alive for the youngest listener. As a composer, Linda's original works were featured in the 2003 and 2005 New Works/New Hope concerts to benefit Gilda's Club. Linda also scores music for film and won a 1999 Nell Shipman award for the hilarious short film "Pendemonium."

For more information, please visit www.letyourmusicshine.com

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Friday, October 9, 2009

Vancouver Opera Receives Largest Special-Event Sponsorship in its History

Vancouver Opera Celebrates 50 Years of Spectacular Music with Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala



Vancouver, BC ~ On November 6, 2009, Vancouver Opera will salute 50 years of touching lives with music, drama and spectacle, at a very special celebration: The Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala.

Toasting VOs illustrious past and looking ahead to its shining future, the glamorous evening will celebrate this milestone anniversary with magnificent performances at the Golden Anniversary Concert at the Orpheum Theatre, followed by a Gala Dinner at the historic Commodore Ballroom.


The Golden Anniversary Concert

The Golden Anniversary Concert will feature performances from international and Canadian opera stars, including Tracy Dahl, Brett Polegato, Yalun Zhang, Kimberly Barber, Kathleen Brett, Benjamin Butterfield, Alain Coulombe and Sally Dibblee, with the VO Orchestra and Chorus, all under the baton of VOs music director, Maestro Jonathan Darlington.

The program will include favourites from Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Richard Strauss and Korngold, as well as two very special treats: a sneak-peek at Lillian Alling, a brand-new opera by John Estacio and John Murrell commissioned by VO that will round out the Golden Anniversary celebrations with its world premiere in October 2010; and the ensemble performance of a selection from Johann Strausss beloved and highly entertaining Die Fledermaus. The scene is a party at the home of Prince Orlofsky, where the only rule is that each does according to his or her own taste: chacun son got!. With surprise guests and, of course, virtuosic singing, this delightful performance will reflect the merriment of the Golden Anniversary celebrations.

Attendees will also view a display of masterful, highly decorative cakes - celebrating VOs Golden Anniversary - from some of the citys most talented cake artists, including Queen of Tarts, sweet es, and Cake Tease. Gala Package ticket holders will be treated to an exclusive pre-Concert Cocktail Reception.

The Golden Anniversary Gala

Following the Concert, Gala package ticket holders will continue the celebration at the historic Commodore Ballroom with a sumptuous dinner catered by the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver.

Stars from the opera world will dine alongside attendees, and Associate Conductor and VO Chorus Director Leslie Dala will lead soprano Heather Pawsey and mezzo-soprano Barbara Towell in cabaret-style musical entertainment. Some of the biggest stars in the opera world will make presentations in person and by video link. The evenings entertainment will include a cross-cultural collaboration of the Japanese and First Nations performance groups Sawagi and Tiqilap.


Tickets

The Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala celebration takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009.

The Concert begins at 7:00pm at the Orpheum Theatre; the Gala begins at 8:30pm at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

Tickets to the Golden Anniversary Concert are $19 - $75 and are available at www.vancouveropera.ca or through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Gala Package tickets include both the Concert and Gala portions of the evening as well as a private pre-Concert Reception and valet parking. The Gala Package is $650 (includes $300 tax receipt) and is available exclusively through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.


Artists and program are subject to change


-30-

Hello,

Vancouver Opera is pleased to recognize the support of Scotiabank Group for the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala. PDF of the news release is attached and text is below. Please let me know if you need any more information.

Many thanks!
Selina
Selina RajaniĮCommunications Manager | Vancouver OperaĮĮT. 604-331-4824Į835 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2P4Įwww.vancouveropera.caĮĮĮCelebrating Vancouver Operas Golden Anniversary Season 2009 2010ĮGALA CONCERT & DINNER | NORMA | NIXON IN CHINA | THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | MADAMA BUTTERFLYĮĮVOIS ON TOUR: JACK PINE
VO Receives Largest Special-Event Sponsorship in its History for Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala
VANCOUVER OPERA
NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vancouver, BC ~ Vancouver Opera is proud to recognize the support of Scotiabank Group for the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala on November 6, 2009, celebrating 50 years of touching lives with music, drama and spectacle.

Scotiabank Group is the title sponsor for this very special celebration with a generous Diamond Level contribution of $100,000. This is the largest special-event sponsorship in the history of Vancouver Opera.

We are extremely grateful to Scotiabank Group for its generosity on this very special occasion, said VOs General Director James W. Wright. We are thrilled to have them on board as we toast VOs illustrious past and shining future. Through its support of this special fundraising celebration, Scotiabank Group shows that it recognizes the value of all that Vancouver Opera has brought to the community over five decades: exciting mainstage productions, popular education and touring programs that have reached more than 1.6 million children, and innovative community-engagement events that directly connect this marvelous art form to peoples lives. This sponsorship also showcases Scotiabank Groups commitment to our community and province, for which we are all very grateful.

Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala information

Vancouver Opera invites all to celebrate this milestone season with a sublime evening of sumptuous dining, gracious company and magnificent performances.

The Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert & Gala celebration takes place on Friday, November 6, 2009.

The Concert begins at 7:00pm at the Orpheum Theatre; the Gala begins at 8:30pm at the historic Commodore Ballroom.

Tickets to the Scotiabank Group Golden Anniversary Concert are $19 - $75 and are available at www.vancouveropera.ca or through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Gala Package tickets include both the Concert and Gala portions of the evening as well as a private pre-Concert Reception. The Gala Package is $650 (includes $300 tax receipt) and is available exclusively through the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222.

Artists and program are subject to change

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The Sinatra Project with Michael Feinstein and the VSO

VANCOUVER, BC Five-time Grammy nominee and the Ambassador of the Great American Songbook, Michael Feinstein has played all around the world from Buckingham Palace to the White House. He plays at the Orpheum Theatre for one-night only, Wednesday, October 21st, at 8pm. Bill Elliot conducts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in this very special concert that also celebrates the music of other legendary interpreters of the American Songbook, including Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole and more.

Simply put, nobody knows more about the great songs and the people who wrote them, and nobody is better at sharing his love for the music than Mr. Feinstein.
- The New York Sun

Feinstein demonstrates hes not mainly a singer or musician or walking encyclopedia of American popular song. He is an entertainer, and a grand one at that.
- Variety

This special concert, based on Michael Feinsteins latest album, is a tribute to Ol Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. It focuses on songs written for Sinatra that were never recorded during his golden years at Capitol Records and is comprised of classics such as Fools Rush In, Ive Got a Crush on You, At Last Love, Exactly Like You, and many more. Mr. Feinstein explains, For years Ive had the desire to celebrate Sinatras musical sensibilities, but I have no desire to copy the classic songs that he rendered better than anyone else. I wanted to create an album that would explore his style of singing and his style of music.

More than a mere performer, Mr. Feinstein is also a music historian and curator. He is nationally recognized for his commitment to the American popular song, both celebrating its art and preserving its legacy for the next generation. Visit Michael Feinstein at: www.michaelfeinstein.com.

CONCERT INFO

Specials:
Wednesday, October 21, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre
The Sinatra Project with Michael Feinstein

Bill Elliott, conductor
Michael Feinstein, singer/piano
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Exactly Like YouĮ
There's a Small HotelĮ
Fools Rush In
ĮThe Song Is You
ĮThe Same Hello, the Same Goodbye
ĮBegin the Beguine
ĮI've Got a Crush on YouĮ
Its All Right with MeĮ
You Go to My HeadĮ
How Long Will It LastĮ
All My Tomorrows/All the WayĮ
At Long Last Love

Singer, pianist and passionate protector of the Great American Songbook, Michael Feinstein created The Sinatra Project as a tribute to arguable the greatest interpreter of that song book, Ol Blue Eyes himself. Not only a tribute to the Chairman of the Board, Feinstein pays homage to other greats of the post-war/pre-rock era, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole and others. Youll hear classic tunes such as Begin the Beguine, Under My Skin, Ive Got a Crush on You, Fools Rush In, and so many more great songs performed in Franks own unmistakable style.

Tickets: $25 - $78.50 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

BIOGRAPHIES

Bill Elliot, conductor
Bill Elliott is a composer and arranger whose songs have been prominently featured in many feature films and TV shows, including the HBO film INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE and the Disney Channel film ALLEY CATS STRIKE. Elliott began his career as a rock'n'roll piano player, touring and recording with such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, and many others, before finding his calling as a swingmeister while writing and arranging songs for the 1989 film DICK TRACY. The Swing Orchestra, formed in 1993, was an outgrowth of Elliott's continuing success in writing original, vintage-sounding swing music for film, television, and commercials. He has assembled many of L.A.'s hottest musicians for his mission of recreating the authentic fire and style of big bands at their peak in the late '30s. The band also features BILL'S LUCKY STARS, a vocal quartet who sing in the close-harmony style of the Pied Pipers and the Modernaires, and glamorous lead singer Cassie Miller in featured solos as well. Playing a dominant role in southern California's current swing revival, Elliott's band is a favorite among the young jitterbug and Lindy Hop dancers whose vibrant new counterculture has been growing rapidly. Elliott's music is in the style of the great swing bands of the late '30s and early '40s - as hard-swinging as they come, with an emphasis on colorful arrangements, sophisticated and light-hearted lyrics, and danceability.

Michael Feinstein, vocalist
Michael Feinstein started playing the piano by ear when he was five; he moved to Los Angeles when he was 20 and was introduced to the great lyricist Ira Gershwin by the widow of the legendary concert pianist-actor, Oscar Levant. Feinstein became Gershwins assistant for six years, archiving the extensive Gershwin works and gaining unprecedented access to numerous unpublished Gershwin songs, which he has since performed and recorded. After launching his own career he was spotted by Liza Minnelli who was so impressed with the young musician, she helped launch his career. Feinstein became a household name after his Broadway show, Isnt It Romantic, which opened in 1986. Through his live performances, recordings, film and TV appearances and his song writing (in collaboration with Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Lindy Robbins and Carole Bayer Sager), he has become one of the premiere interpreters of American popular song. Visit Michael Feinstein at: www.michaelfeinstein.com

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The VSOs BACH & BEYOND Series at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts begins on October 16th and 17th with Baroque specialist Martin Haselbck

October 2, 2009 - VANCOUVER, BC Focusing on arguably the most important time in music's development, the VSOs 5-concert Bach & Beyond series features the great masterpieces of Bach and the Baroque era, through the Classical style of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Bach & Beyond takes audiences on an exciting, beautiful journey through the evolution of classical music. The series begins on Friday, October 16th and Saturday, October 17th with renowned conductor, organist, and founder of the Vienna Academy Ensemble, Martin Haselbck, in a concert celebrating the masters of the Baroque era.

The Bach & Beyond series is performed in the beautiful Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC, a concert hall built to showcase music from this era, and each concert is perfectly crafted to take advantage of this wonderful venue and its sparkling acoustics. The VSO is grateful to the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and the University of British Columbia for their generous assistance. The Bach & Beyond series has also been endowed by a generous gift from the Chan Foundation of Canada. The VSO is also grateful to the Chan Centre and the UBC Rose Garden Parkade for working together to provide free parking for VSO customers from 7pm on concert nights.

The Bach & Beyond series takes listeners on a beautiful journey from the Baroque era, represented by the music of Bach, Handel, Telemann, Purcell and Vivaldi, into the music of the Classical era, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

The 2009/2010 Season includes a lineup of internationally-renowned guest artists, including conductor/organist Martin Haselbck, conductor/violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch, conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni, pianist Andrew Armstrong, and conductor/pianist Barry Douglas. VSO Music Director Maestro Bramwell Tovey conducts one of the concerts, and two VSO musicians take solo turns during the Season: Principal Flute Christie Reside, and Principal Oboe Roger Cole.

Order the series and save! Subscribing to all five concerts ensures guaranteed seating and savings of up to 25% over single concert ticket prices.

Single Concert Tickets: $35 - $62.50 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

CONCERT INFO

Bach & Beyond

Friday and Saturday, October 16 and 17, 8pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
Baroque Masters

Martin Haselbck, conductor/organ

Telemann Concerto for Three Trumpets and Orchestra in D Major
Handel Concerto for Organ and Orchestra in F Major, Op. 4, No. 4, HWV 292
Bach Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068
Haydn Symphony No. 103 in E-flat Major, Drum Roll

Martin Haselbck may not be a name that you know, but you should want to: founder of the Vienna Academy Ensemble, acclaimed conductor and organist, Baroque specialist and prolific recording artist with over sixty records to his name, he has done it all and continues to excel in his field. He leads and performs in a quintessential Bach & Beyond concert.

Friday and Saturday, December 18 and 19, 8pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
Vivaldis Four Seasons

Elizabeth Wallfisch, conductor/violin
Roger Cole, oboe damore

Purcell Abdelazar, Z.570: Suite
Handel Concerto Grosso, Op 6, No. 9, HWV 327, in F Major
JS Bach Concerto for Oboe d'amore in A major, BMV 1055
Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Wonderful violinist and Baroque conductor Elizabeth Wallfisch leads from the violin in a program that includes Bachs deliciously beautiful Concerto for Oboe damore with VSO Principal Oboist Roger Cole taking a solo turn and Vivaldis timeless classic The Four Seasons, which has stayed on the top of the charts for over two hundred and eighty years.

Friday and Saturday, February 19 and 20, 8pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
A Little Night Music: Mozart and Haydn

Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Andrew Armstrong, piano

Haydn Il Mondo della Luna, Overture
Haydn Piano Concerto Hob XVIII: 4 in G Major
Mozart Serenata Notturna K 239
Mozart Notturno K 286
Mozart Concert Rondo in A Major K 386
Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Mozart and Haydn: Musical perfection. Haydn took hold of the torch passed to him by Bach and the great composers of the Baroque era and kept the flame ablaze; Mozart took that torch and turned it into a bonfire. Great young Canadian conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni will present their music with the style and grace it deserves.

Visit Andrew Armstrong at: www.andrewarmstrong.com

Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24, 8pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
Bach and Beyond

Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Bach Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067
Stravinsky/Pergolesi Pulcinella: Suite
Mozart Masonic Funeral Music, K.477
Haydn Symphony No. 73 in D Major, La chasse

Maestro Tovey conducts a concert that features Baroque and Classical music with an exciting twist. Bachs Orchestral Suites are some of the pinnacle achievements of the Baroque era. Haydns Symphony No. 73 is another of his many great works of refined beauty. And heres a twist: the suite from Russian composer Igor Stravinskys great ballet music Pulcinella, written in the twentieth century and based on the music of eighteenth century Italian Baroque composer Giovanni Pergolesi.

Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 22, 8pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC
Barry Douglas plays Beethoven

Barry Douglas, conductor/piano

Mozart Symphony No. 25 in G minor, K.183
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1
Haydn Symphony No. 104 in D Major, London

Barry Douglas is truly an extraordinary musician. Studying piano, clarinet, cello and organ while growing up in Belfast; and in 1986 he became the first non-Russian to win outright gold in the International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition since Van Cliburn in 1958. Douglas will conduct and perform in a concert that features Mozarts scintillating little G minor symphony and Beethovens Piano Concerto No.1.

Visit Barry Douglas at: www.barry-douglas.com

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Lionsgate Music Names Tracy McKnight as Vice President, Film Music

SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 1 /CNW/ -- Tracy McKnight has been named Vice President of Film Music for the music arm of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), the leading next generation studio, it was announced today by Lionsgate Music President Jay Faires. The appointment, paired with the recent promotion of Russell Ziecker to head Lionsgate's television music operations, signals the Company's continued commitment to put experienced and talented executives in charge of the musical component of its upcoming film and television slates. McKnight will work on numerous major film projects for Lionsgate's feature film slate in her new role, including FIVE KILLERS, starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, WARRIOR, starring Nick Nolte, and THE WINNING SEASON, with Sam Rockwell and Emma Roberts.

McKnight's diverse experience as a music supervisor, record producer and label co-founder has already earned her a respected place in the entertainment industry. MovieMaker Magazine called her one of 2006's "25 Coolest People to Know" in independent film. Her diverse film credits include such major studio films as THE EX, FRIENDS WITH MONEY and THE ICE HARVEST, acclaimed documentaries BORN INTO BROTHELS and MURDERBALL, and independent films such as COFFEE AND CIGARETTES and THE GUITAR. Prior to joining the Lionsgate Music team, McKnight co-founded Commotion Records with Walter Yetnikoff. Commotion's impressive slate of releases includes the acclaimed film soundtracks from HOTEL RWANDA, THE COOLER and MY ARCHITECT.

McKnight also recently completed work with SUPERBAD director Greg Mottola on ADVENTURELAND for Miramax, and with first-time director Sophie Barthes on COLD SOULS starring Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson and David Strathairn. In addition to her work as a supervisor, label head and now VP of Film Music at Lionsgate, McKnight continues to be an ally of the Sundance Institute/Festival, participating for the past 10 years in their Producers Conference and Composers Lab as an advisor, as well as co-programming the Festival's yearly "Music Meets Film" concert. She also advises for the Independent Film Project and has served on the host committee for the Gotham Awards.

"Nobody understands the combination of music and film better than Tracy," said Faires. "Lionsgate prides itself on producing and releasing some of the most original, distinctive and provocative films in the world. With Tracy coming aboard, we now have in place an executive who can add to the power of our upcoming film slate with equally fresh, dynamic and exciting music."

About Lionsgate
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is the leading next generation studio with a strong and diversified presence in the production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment, video-on-demand and digitally delivered content. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel platform assets, including TV Guide Network in partnership with JPMorgan's One Equity Partners and Allen Shapiro, the Epix multiplatform channel expected to launch in October 2009 with partners Viacom and MGM, the FEARnet branded horror channel with partners Comcast and Sony, and the KIX and Thrill branded action and horror channels in Asia. Its feature film business achieved a number one box office opening weekend in September 2009 with the eighth film in the Tyler Perry franchise, I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF, with the sixth film in the SAW franchise opening in October 2009. The Company's home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and leads the industry in its box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 12,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

About Lionsgate Music
Lionsgate Music oversees music for Lionsgate's film and TV slate, builds the Company's music publishing assets and releases its soundtracks and scores. The music team has received two Oscar nominations for Marco Beltrami's score for 3:10 TO YUMA and for Bird York's song "In The Deep" for Best Picture Academy Award Winner CRASH. Current and upcoming projects include the soundtrack for PRECIOUS, to be released through Interscope Records and featuring a lead track from Mary J. Blige. PRECIOUS is directed by Lee Daniels (MONSTER'S BALL) and presented by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. The film has already attracted significant buzz, winning the Audience Award at this month's Toronto Film Festival in addition to winning the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Additional upcoming projects include the Jim Sheridan film BROTHERS, scheduled for release in December featuring music from U2, as well as music for such upcoming films as THE EXPENDABLES, starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham and Jet Li, FIVE KILLERS, starring Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher, KICK ASS, starring Nicolas Cage, and Academy Award winning director Paul Haggis' THE NEXT THREE DAYS, starring Russell Crowe. The Lionsgate Music team is also working on the Starz! television series Crash, featuring music from Paul McCartney and The Doors, the third season of AMC's Emmy-winning series Mad Men, scored by the critically lauded composer David Carbonara, and its live musical revue, Mad Men Live Revue, which premiered last fall to rave reviews at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre, with more productions upcoming.

www.lionsgate.com

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Monday, October 5, 2009

The VSO's Kids Koncerts begin October 11

THE VSOS SPECTRA ENERGY KIDS KONCERTS SERIES
The very best in musical entertainment for children and families

VANCOUVER, BC The 5-concert Spectra Energy Kids Koncerts series begin on Sunday, October 11th. Kids Koncerts feature fun and educational concert presentations, designed for children from age four to eleven. Its a great family outing for kids, parents, and grandparents alike. Spectra Energy Kids Koncerts is a five-concert series with concerts taking place on Sundays, 2pm at the Orpheum Theatre.

One hour before each concert begins, the VSO Instrument Fair is held in the main lobby of the Orpheum Theatre. The VSO Instrument Fair allows music lovers of all ages to touch and play real orchestra instruments. An array of instruments will be featured throughout the season, one family at a time. Music students and members of the Vancouver Youth Symphony are on hand for each concert to help the kids get a handle on the instrument they choose to try. There is also the Composition Table, where kids can write their own musicand have it played by a member of the VSO! All instruments are generously provided by Tom Lee Music.

Kids Koncerts presents the very best in musical entertainment for children and families, with internationally-renowned childrens entertainers joining the full Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The series begins on October 11th with Platypus Theatre and Rhythm in Your Rubbish. On December 6th, the VSO welcomes Al Simmons for Festive Frivolity. Next up is Maestro Bramwell Tovey as the inimitable Inspector Tovey, investigating the instrument families in the orchestra. On April 18th, Classical Kids appears with one of their most popular shows, Vivaldis Ring of Mystery. The series concludes on May 9th with Enchantment Theatres amazing take on the tale of Scheherazade.


CONCERT INFO

Spectra Energy Kids Koncerts

Sunday, October 11, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Rhythm in Your Rubbish

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Platypus Theatre, entertainers

In this fun and inspiring concert, Platypus Theatre shows audiences that life is what you make of it: two tramps living a hard life on the streets discover that music and beauty exist all around them.

Visit Platypus Theatre at: www.platypustheatre.com

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy
Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Tickets: $26 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Sunday, December 6, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Festive Frivolity

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Al Simmons, entertainer

Al Simmons Festive Frivolity show is a non-stop Holiday romp of gags, jokes, spontaneous fun and audience interaction you never know exactly what Al will do, but you know the kids will have the time of their lives!

Visit Al Simmons at: www.alsimmons.com

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy
Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Tickets: $26 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Sunday, March 14, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Inspector Tovey Investigates Instruments of the Orchestra

Bramwell Tovey, conductor
Vivian Liu, violin

With his inimitable sense of humour and brilliant musicianship, Maestro Inspector Tovey will illustrate just what the heck is going on up there on stage with all the different instruments of the orchestra.

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy
Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Tickets: $26 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Sunday, April 18, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Vivaldis Ring of Mystery

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Classical Kids, entertainers

Vivaldi, Venice and violins: all three are celebrated in Vivaldis Ring of Mystery, a compelling mystery story by Classical Kids about an orphan girl in search of her roots.

Visit Classical Kids at: www.classicalkidslive.com

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy
Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Tickets: $26 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434


Sunday, May 9, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre
Scheherazade

Evan Mitchell, conductor
Enchantment Theatre, entertainers

Enchantment Theatres Scheherazade is the spectacular exotic story of A Thousand and One Nights told through music and acting, an awesome story that will have the kids and parents! enthralled.

Visit Enchantment Theatre at: www.enchantmenttheatre.org

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy
Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Tickets: $26 (senior, student and subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca or by calling VSO customer service at 604.876.3434

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Acclaimed pianist Garrick Ohlsson performs Beethoen with Maestro Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra


VANCOUVER, BC The VSO proudly presents acclaimed pianist Garrick Ohlsson on October 3rd and 5th, 8pm at the Orpheum Theatre. Mr. Ohlsson will perform Beethovens Emperor Piano Concerto No. 5 with a special performance of the beautiful, lyrical Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in the second half. Balakirevs rarely heard In Bohemia kicks off this concert. Maestro Bramwell Tovey conducts.



Mr. Ohlsson centered the performance, playing with his customary clarity, command and wit. HeĶbrought elegance to the beguiling slow movement and zipped through the sprightly finale with zest and humor that still allowed for lyrical turns of phrase in dreamy passages.
- New York Times

Garrick Ohlsson is the most important American pianist of his generation, and the greatest. He was the first American to win the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in 1970, the first of many honours including first prize at the Busoni and Montreal Piano Competitions, the Avery Fisher Prize, and a Grammy Award. An alumnus of Juilliard School, Mr. Ohlsson credits his musical development to his teachers, most notably Claudio Arrau, for teaching him to master the works of Mozart, Beethoven, and Shubert, for which he is now legendary. He has performed with orchestras across the globe, recently completing a North American tour and European performances with the Salzburg Mozarteum and the Deutsche Symphony Berlin.

CONCERT INFO
Masterworks Diamond Series:
Saturday and Monday, October 3 and 5, 8pm
Bramwell Tovey, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano

Balakirev In Bohemia
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73, Emperor
Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)
Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

UBC School of Music announces three new conductors!

Three (Yes 3!) New Conductors Appointed at the UBC School of Music

Vancouver, B.C. ~ UBC School of Music welcomes three new full-time faculty members: Dwight Bennett as Director of the UBC Symphony Orchestra; Dr. Graeme Langager as Director of Choirs; and Dr. Robert Taylor as Director of Bands. Each brings new energy, excitement, and vision to UBC's performing ensembles and conducting courses. September will be wild and exhilarating when auditions take place and rehearsals begin. Almost every student in the School will be involved performing in, or with, one of these large ensembles.

About the appointments Director of the School, Dr. Richard Kurth said,
"It's a rare and exciting moment in the School's history to welcome three new conductors all at once. Professors Bennett, Langager, and Taylor each bring impressive experience, marvelous musicality, and creative energy to the training and programming of their ensembles, and they will build on the wonderful musical legacies of their precursors--Jesse Read, Bruce Pullan, and Marty Berinbaum respectively. The arrival of the new conductors signals an inspiring new era in the School's trajectory. Indeed, it is a special pleasure to welcome them in the 50th anniversary year of our Bachelor of Music program, a year in which we celebrate all the wonderful contributions and achievements so many have made so far, and in which we also strive for new growth and continue our pursuit of excellence, to the lifelong benefit of our students and their audiences."

Get to know our new faculty members:

Dwight Bennett has an extensive international career conducting orchestras and opera companies around the world. He studied with Karel Ancerl, Julius Herford, Franco Ferrara, Kiril Kondrashin, and Bernard Haitink. After winning first prize at the Heinz Unger Conductor's Competition, Dwight Bennett conducted over 100 performances in North America with the Canadian Opera Company.

Mr. Bennett conducted complete symphonic cycles of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms while serving as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Windsor Symphony. He has recorded with CBC, Verdi and Bongiovanni. He was Assistant Conductor (Vienna State Opera), Resident Conductor (Canadian Opera Company), Chief Conductor/Head of Music (New Israeli Opera), Artistic Director (Royal Opera Canada), and Principal Guest Conductor (Ukrainian State Symphony Orchestra). He has worked at such Festivals as Gars, Westben and Strasbourg, and conducted numerous orchestral tours of Europe and Asia. Mr. Bennett was Director and Professor of Music at Lakehead University, and later Director of the University of Toronto conducting program and Symphony Orchestra. He has recently conducted in Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Croatia, Canada, Taiwan, Korea, and China, including a new production/DVD of Massenet's Don Quichotte for Teatro Verdi (Trieste) and symphonic programs with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2007, he was awarded the title "Commendatore Stella Della Solidariet Italiana" from the President of Italy for his contribution to Italian culture and art.


Dr. Graeme Langager has served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Arkansas, and at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. A native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Dr. Langager received the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from California State University, Long Beach. He has studied under Earl Rivers, Stephen Coker, Lynn Bielefelt, and Marc Hafso, and has received additional training from Helmut Rilling, Anton Armstrong, Thomas Davies, John Alexander, and Robert Page. Dr. Langager has taught in California, Ohio, North Carolina and Arkansas. He is sought after as a clinician and guest conductor, and is an active composer and arranger. Dr. Langager has served on the national board of the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and on the boards of the Arkansas and California Chapters of the American Choral Directors Association. Dr. Langager's choirs have been invited to perform at ACDA, MENC, All-State, and IAJE conferences. His choirs have performed throughout Europe and the United States including such prestigious venues as St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Stefansdom in Vienna, Notre Dame in Paris, St. Nicholas in Prague, and St. Stephen's in Budapest.

Robert Taylor is the new Director of Bands at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, where he will conduct the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and teach instrumental conducting. Prior to his appointment at UBC, Dr. Taylor served as Director of Bands at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Eureka High School in northern California. He received the Master of Music and Doctor of Music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Trumpet and Music Education from Humboldt State University. His research has been published in GIA's Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series and featured in presentations at several regional and national music conferences. As a passionate advocate of music in the schools, Dr. Taylor has adjudicated numerous music festivals and is in high demand as a rehearsal clinician and guest conductor throughout North America. Past engagements include collaborations with a wide range of international artists from Allen Vizzutti, Gail Williams, and Ingrid Jensen, to Manhattan Transfer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy as well as frequent appearances with young musicians as principal conductor of the Puget Sound Youth Wind Ensemble and guest conductor of the CODA/ASTA Honor Orchestra, Humboldt Youth Academy Orchestra, and numerous honor groups.


Catch the downbeats of their first concerts at UBC . . .


Dwight Bennett conducts the UBC Symmphony Orchestra offering the overture to Glinka's opera Russlan and Ludmilla, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juilet and Symphony No. 10 by Shostakovich on October 9th at 8:00 pm. Soon after Bennett conducts for the UBC Opera Ensemble's production of Puccini's Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi November 5 8.


Graeme Langager conducts the University Singers October 22nd at noon and October 23rd at 8:00pm. Graeme Langager and Dwight Bennett will each conduct a work at the School's big end of term choral and orchestra concert December 5th. This concert brings together the massed choirs of the University Singers and UBC Choral Union with the UBC Symphony Orchestra to perform Bach's Magnificat in D and Beethoven's Mass in C, Op. 86.


Robert Taylor conducts the UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble October 8th at 8:00 pm. In November concerts are Noon on November 19th and 8:00 pm on November 20th.


All above performances will be held at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC

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Monday, July 20, 2009

The VSO Presents Final Fantasy in Concert


The VSO Presents the Canadian Premiere of FINAL FANTASY in Concert with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra!

Vancouver BC The VSO announces its presentation of Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY, on Thursday, October 8, 2009, at the newly renovated Orpheum Theatre. The concert will feature Nobuo Uematsus award-winning music from Square Enixs enormously successful FINAL FANTASY video game series, performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Grammy award-winner Arnie Roth. State of the art videos will be projected on screens to showcase the games most memorable and thrilling sequences. This concert will also feature the North American premiere performance of the FINAL FANTASY VII Main Theme.

FINAL FANTASY is a worldwide sensation, and one of the most successful video game franchises in the history of gaming. One of the top-selling video game franchises, FINAL FANTASY has created a lasting legacy in the video game world as one of the most innovative and influential role-playing games ever released. It has received worldwide critical acclaim for its originality, graphics, and of course, its rich, sumptuous, exciting music scores. Tickets go on-sale to the public on Monday, July 27th at 10am. Tickets are available online at www.vancouversymphony.ca, or call 604.876.3434.

Video game music has become increasingly popular in the last decade with the advancement of gaming console technology and has become essential in enhancing a games overall experience. In fact, the music of FINAL FANTASY has become just as popular as the ongoing video game franchise due to its epic scores, which incorporate a variety of musical styles. The series veteran composer Nobuo Uematsu was named as one of the Innovators in Time Magazines Time 100: The Next Wave Music feature.

A classically trained violinist, conductor, composer, producer and Grammy award-winning artist, Arnie Roth performs across a wide array of musical genres. Mr. Roth has performed with a host of artists, including Il Divo, Diana Ross, Jewel, and Josh Groban. He is also a long-time member of the Grammy award-winning group Mannheim Steamroller. Orchestras which Mr. Roth has conducted include the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Tokyo Philharmonic. Mr. Roth was the music director and conductor of the Dear Friends: music from FINAL FANTASY and VOICES: music from FINAL FANTASY concerts. He then became the principal conductor and music director of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony featuring music from blockbuster video games such as FINAL FANTASY, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindѢ and Battlefield 1942Ѣ.

CONCERT INFO

Specials:

Final Fantasy in Concert

Thursday, October 8, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Arnie Roth, conductor

Tickets $25 to $65

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

BIOGRAPHIES

Arnie Roth, conductor

A classically trained violinist, conductor, composer, producer and Grammy award-winning artist, Arnie Roth performs across a wide array of musical genres. Mr. Roth has performed with a host of artists, including Il Divo, Diana Ross, Jewel, The Three Tenors, The Irish Tenors, Charlotte Church, Josh Groban, Patrick Stewart, Branford Marsalis and Andrea Bocelli. He is also a long-time member of the Grammy award-winning group Mannheim Steamroller. Orchestras which Mr. Roth has conducted include the London Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, Ravinia Festival Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, the WDR Rundfunkorchester Kln, and the Sydney Symphony. Since 2004 Arnie Roth has brought critical acclaim to the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra as music director and principal conductor showcasing artists including Michael Feinstein, Art Garfunkel, Linda Ronstadt, Wynonna Judd, the Beach Boys and Johnny Mathis. Under his direction the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra appeared in a nationally broadcast PBS Special featuring The Irish Tenors.

Mr. Roth was the music director and conductor of Dear Friends: music from FINAL FANTASY. In 2006 Mr. Roth conducted the new VOICES: music from FINAL FANTASY concert in Tokyo with the Tokyo Philharmonic. He then became the principal conductor and music director of PLAY! A Video Game Symphony featuring music from blockbuster video games such as FINAL FANTASY, World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls III: MorrowindѢ and Battlefield 1942Ѣ. Mr. Roth conducted PLAY! with many international orchestras including the National Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the Singapore Symphony and the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House. As both producer and music director, Arnie Roth premiered Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY in December 2007 with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic in Sweden. The release of the new Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY CD recorded by Roth and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic coincided with the start of the Distant Worlds 2008 world-tour.

As music director, conductor and arranger, Mr. Roth was involved in a number of PBS specials including: Charlotte Church: Enchantment - From Cardiff, Wales for Sony, The Irish Tenors: Heritage, the WTTW Soundstage shows featuring: Jewel, Peter Cetera and Symphony, An Evening with Dennis DeYoung, Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, and WTTWs Four Seasons in Chicago. In 2006 he was the music director and conductor for a ten part television series for RTE featuring the Irish Tenors. He appeared on NBCs Today Show with Il Divo in 2006.

He is the producer, composer, conductor and arranger for nine of the BarbieѢ Princess CGI animated films from Mattel Entertainment. Mr. Roth won the Best Score Award at the 2003 DVD Premier Awards for his score for the film BarbieѢ as Rapunzel, and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007 for his original song Shine from the movie BarbieѢ in The Twelve Dancing Princesses. 2007 also marks the premiere of Mr. Roth's first live concert creation with Mattel. BarbieѢ at the Symphony is a special film with orchestra presentation of the best-selling BarbieѢ Princess movies. Music director Arnie Roth is touring the world in performances featuring great works by classical composers and BarbieѢ highlights from all of the CGI animated films.


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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Details of the 20th Birthday of Bayview Residences Victoria Symphony Splash announced today

The largest annual outdoor symphony concert in British Columbia turns 20!

Victoria, BC Details of the 2009 Bayview Residences Victoria Symphony Splash were unveiled today in a Bayview Residences penthouse overlooking the event site. Sunday, August 2nd marks the 20th birthday of this spectacular community event. Twelve of the original Victoria Symphony orchestra members will make return appearances and 15 year old pianist Christine Wong and 18 year old tenor Josh Lovell make their debut as the 2009 Young Soloists.

In her opening remarks the Victoria Symphonys Music Director Tania Miller stated This city has a wealth of gifts and I believe that Bayview Residences Victoria Symphony Splash and the incredibly talented musicians of the Victoria Symphony are two of them. This annual concert is such a great community event and one that I am proud to be a part of I give my thanks on this 20th Birthday to those that created it, Murray Glazier in particular, and the many supporters, including our title sponsor Bayview Residences, who keep it alive so that we can continue to bring orchestral music into the community.

Ken Mariash, owner of Bayview Properties, announced that the corporate support of the event is stronger than ever with the Provincial Capital Commission and A British Columbia joining Bayview Residences, WestJet, Thrifty Foods, Splashes Kitchen and Bath, 98.5 The Ocean and JACKfm, the Times Colonist, Tom Lee Music, Seaspan International and Level Ground Trading as corporate sponsors of this event.

Maestra Tania Miller proudly announced that at least 12 members of the Victoria Symphony orchestra who performed in 1990 will be performing this year, among them Principal Cello Lawrence Skaggs, Principal Flute Richard Volet, Principal Oboe Michael Byrne, and Principal Bass Mary Rannie.

The Victoria Symphonys concert program is full of musical favourites from previous years. Maestra Tania Miller has chosen Elgars Pomp and Circumstance March no. 4 to open the concert, which was performed in the very first Splash concert in 1990.Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue will be performed by 15 year old pianist Christine Wong. This same piece was performed by the first Splash Young Soloist, Timothy Haig, in 1994.

Symphony Splash founder, Murray Glazier gave a moving recollection of how, along with former General Manager C. Stephen Smith, and former Music Director Peter McCoppin, he brought the Victoria Symphony to the people on a sunny day in August. He recalled being moved to tears as he looked out over the crowd of over 30,000 people who flooded the Inner Harbour for what was initially thought to be a crazy idea.

Many traditions have been established during the two decades of this event, including the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipe and Drum Band who not only have the distinction of playing a prominent role in Bayview Symphony Splash but also of having the only member to actually make an actual splash during the event when one of the pipers fell into the harbour.

Perhaps the best loved tradition is the Victoria Symphony performance of Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture accompanied by and fireworks. On August 2nd it will be performed for 20th time in as many years at the event.

The 20th Birthday of Bayview Residences Victoria Symphony Splash takes place on August 2nd, 2009. From a floating stage in Victorias picturesque Inner Harbour, Maestra Tania Miller, the Victoria Symphony and special guests celebrate the remarkable 20 year history of this incredible event. The day begins at 2pm with kids activities on the Provincial legislative lawn and ends with Victoria Symphonys performance of Tchaikovskys 1812 Overture at 10pm accompanied by fireworks and cannons.

Bayview Residences is proud to be the title sponsor of the annual Bayview Residences Victoria Symphony Splash. A master-planned, 20 acre urban community, Bayview Residences overlooks Victorias world famous Inner Harbour. Bayview One is currently open for immediate occupancy. For further information, please visit us at 80 Saghalie Road, phone 250.388.9924 or visit www.bayviewvictoria.com.

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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

VO Launches 10,000-hour Community Connections volunteer service program

Vancouver Opera Launches Community Connections

Volunteer Service Program

Sponsored by Goldcorp Inc., VO commits 10,000 volunteer service hours to B.C. communities in celebration of VOs Golden Anniversary

Vancouver, BC ~ Starting this month, Vancouver Opera embarks on Community Connections, a ground-breaking program to give back to the communities that have supported it for the past fifty years.

From July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, VO artists, staff, volunteers, supporters and board members will provide a prodigious 10,000 hours of volunteer service to a variety of charities, in celebration of VOs Golden Anniversary. Also participating in the Community Connections program are the staff of Vancouver-based resource leader Goldcorp Inc. Goldcorp has made a major gift to Vancouver Opera through a three-year sponsorship, beginning with the 2009-2010 Golden Anniversary season. This first-ever multi-season sponsorship makes VOs Community Connections program possible.

The Community Connections program allows us to celebrate our Golden Anniversary in a unique way, says James W. Wright, General Director of Vancouver Opera. We're thrilled to be working with Goldcorp, whose generous gift, secured through the hard work of VOs Board of Directors, will help VO to continue to maintain the highest artistic standards in all that we present. Its an extraordinary sponsorship, and fitting for our milestone Golden Anniversary.

Goldcorp is proud to sponsor Vancouver Operas Golden Anniversary and the innovative Community Connections program. For fifty years Vancouver Opera has presented world-class creative productions to diverse audiences, providing inspiration and enriching the lives of so many people, said Chuck Jeannes, President & Chief Executive Officer of Goldcorp. We are excited to be a part of the Community Connections program as we recognize the importance of giving back to our local communities. Together, through volunteer service, Goldcorp employees will endeavour to positively affect the lives of others within our community. Jointly with Vancouver Opera, we look forward to reaching the goal of 10,000 hours of community service over the coming year.

Organizations that will benefit from this landmark commitment include the Powell Street Festival, Habitat for Humanity, Run 4 the Cure, Vancouver Food Bank and Power To Be Adventure Therapy. A full list of participating organizations is available at www.vancouveropera.ca. In addition, any other volunteer service performed by VO supporters for organizations beyond this list will be recognized under the Community Connections program.

During the company's fifty years, audiences of all ages have embraced the work that we have presented, says Doug Tuck, VO's Director of Marketing and Community Programs. Our mainstage productions, education programs, touring performances and community engagement events reach widely and deeply into communities throughout B.C. It is only fitting that we honour the support of those communities by connecting with them in new ways through our volunteer work.

Community Connections will touch communities in B.C. where VO and Goldcorp are active, recognizing and reinforcing the strong connections VO and Goldcorp enjoy with the communities they serve.

VO began as a small group of determined people seeking to build an opera company for their community. Fifty years later, VO has become an internationally respected producer of opera and a vital artistic and educational force in B.C. VOs extraordinary record of community engagement includes touring education programs and outreach to diverse communities through concerts and forums.

VOs Golden Anniversary season includes a long-awaited production of Bellinis Norma (November 28 December 5, 2009), John Adamss stunning 1987 opera Nixon in China (March 13 20, 2010); Mozarts beloved The Marriage of Figaro (April 24 May 4, 2010); and Puccinis Madama Butterfly (May 29 June 10, 2010). A Golden Anniversary Gala Concert will be held on November 6, 2009.

Throughout the Golden Anniversary season, Vancouver Opera In Schools (VOIS) will continue to present Jack Pine, VOs new commissioned opera for young audiences by Vancouver composer Veda Hille, in schools and community venues across the province. The Golden Anniversary celebrations will culminate in the November 2010 world premire of Lillian Alling, by acclaimed composer John Estacio with libretto by award-winning playwright John Murrell.

Goldcorp, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, employs more than 10,000 people worldwide. In 2008, the company achieved very strong operating results, growing revenues by 10% and gold reserves by 7%. Goldcorp was able to share its success by investing over $90 million in community development initiatives throughout the Americas. For Goldcorp, the true measure of a company is not only in achieving success but also in sustaining it and the company cannot achieve long-term sustainable growth without the support of the communities in which it works.

VO and Goldcorp invite all supporters of Vancouver Opera to participate in Community Connections. For more information, and to sign up, visit www.vancouveropera.ca.

About Vancouver Opera and Goldcorp

Vancouver Opera is the second largest opera company in Canada. It is regarded worldwide for its fine mainstage productions; for its country-leading education programs, which have reached more than 1.6 million children and their families in 35 years; for its innovative and award-winning community programs; and for forging groundbreaking cross-cultural creative partnerships that have brought opera to new generations of Canadians. Visit www.vancouveropera.ca for more information.

Goldcorp is North Americas lowest-cost and fastest growing senior gold producer with operations in safe jurisdictions throughout the Americas. Goldcorps aim is to deliver value to shareholders by providing them the best possible return on their investment. This is accomplished through our many valued partnerships with employees, shareholders, vendors and local communities. Visit www.goldcorp.com for more information.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Announcing the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music's first Executive Director

Announcing the Vancouver Symphony Centre and

VSO School of Musics first Executive Director

Vancouver BC The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce Shaun Taylor as the first Executive Director of the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music. Mr. Taylor will begin his new position in September 2009. As Executive Director, Mr. Taylor will play an integral role in managing the Centre and shaping the direction of the Music School, in accordance with the strategies and objectives for the School established by the VSO.

Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Taylor earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in Tuba performance from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has worked as the Music Program Manager of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, the Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, kindergarten through Grade 8 Music Teacher at the Central City Cyberschool of Milwaukee and as a freelance musician.

Now a Canadian citizen, Shaun has been the Principal of the Chilliwack Academy of Music since September 2004, and President of the BC Association of Community Music Schools since 2007. His track record at the Academy in the areas of student and faculty recruitment and retention, program development, fundraising, budgeting, strategic planning and facility management has been extremely impressive. He has also made important contributions to the creation of the Chilliwack Cultural Centre and in the acoustic, aesthetic and technical designs for that facility, which is scheduled to open next summer.

President & CEO Jeff Alexander stated: I am delighted we have been able to engage an administrator, educator, musician and person of Shaun Taylors experience to head up the Vancouver Symphony Centre and VSO School of Music. This exciting initiative continues to take shape and Shaun will be the ideal person to move it toward and beyond the grand opening in early 2011.

The VSO School of Music within the Symphony Centre will be a locus of lifelong learning, providing programs from preschoolers to seniors. The School of Music, a distinct not for-profit charitable society, will see hundreds and eventually thousands of students attending the school on a weekly basis, taking private and group lessons, chamber music workshops, theory and composition classes from members of the VSO and Vancouvers freelance musician community, as well as Master classes from VSO conductors and guest artists, and much more. Distance learning opportunities will also be provided to students from throughout British Columbia and further afield. The School of Music itself will include a recital hall, private teaching studios, classrooms, function space, recording capabilities, and a retail presence at street level.

The VSO School of Music will comprise a portion of the first four floors of Wall Financial Corporations Capitol Residences development, immediately adjacent to the Orpheum on Seymour Street (the former site of the Capitol 6 cinema).

-VSO-

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

The VSO's Exciting Season Finale!

The VSOs Season Finale is a real barn-burner: Carl Orffs extraordinary masterpiece Carmina Burana is a musical setting of medieval poetry, from the sacred to the profane, from devotional love and piety to drinking songs and debauchery! It also happens to be one of the wildest live concert experiences you can possibly have. Combined with Stravinskys Symphony of Psalms, this concert is a magnificent Season Finale for Lower Mainland audiences, and a prelude to the excitement of the 2009/2010 Season!

Maestro Bramwell Tovey wields the baton in this massive concert that features soprano Laura Whalen, tenor Colin Ainsworth, baritone Hugh Russell, the Vancouver Bach Choir, and the Vancouver Bach Childrens Chorus. Concerts take place on Saturday and Monday, June 13th and 15th, 8pm at the Orpheum Theatre.

Carmina Burana was German composer Carl Orffs first and greatest success. It is a scenic cantata composed between 1935 and 1936 based on 24 of the poems found in the medieval collection of the same name. In 1803, at the monastery of Benediktbeuern in Upper Bavaria, musicologist J. A. Schmeller discovered a manuscript collection of lyrics, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries and eventually published it in 1847. The polite side of the collection includes six plays based on the Christmas, Passion and Easter mysteries. The earthier part contains some 200 drinking songs, love lyrics and recruiting songs.

When Orff came across the manuscript in 1935, he saw in it the ideal vehicle to express the kind of basic, uncomplicated human emotions he had in mind. Choosing two dozen poems from the collection, with the assistance of Michel Hofmann, he matched them with equally direct music, featuring simple yet striking rhythms, melodies and harmonies. Its not sophisticated, not intellectual, he wrote, and the themes of my work are themes that everyone knowsĶThere is a spiritual power behind my work, thats why it is accepted throughout the world. The premiere took place in Frankfurt on June 8, 1937.

The illuminated pictures that accompanied the original poems intrigued Orff virtually as much as the words. The cover showed luck as a revolving wheel, blindly governing peoples destinies. Orff begins his Carmina Burana with a grandiose hymn, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Luck, Empress of the World), saluting this inscrutable, unpredictable concept. O Fortuna is one of the grandest statements in all of music, and has become famous world-wide. This extraordinary music from the beginning of Carmina Burana has been used in movies, commercials, and in sports arenas around the world as a trigger for creating feelings of drama and thrilling anticipation. Primo vere (In Springtime), follows. It deals, mostly in quiet, mysterious fashion, with the anticipated arrival of that season. Joy eventually breaks forth as Spring itself appears. It is celebrated in the section entitled Uf dem anger (On the Green).

The next segment, In Taberna (In the Tavern) salutes the juice of the grape in riotous fashion. The tenor soloist, singing in falsetto, takes the role of a swan roasting slowly and sadly on a spit. The baritone is an Abbot who launches the men of the choir into a rollicking ode to drink.

Cour damours (Court of Love) brings several of Orffs loveliest, most lyrical moments. The soprano solo In trutina (In the Balance) a glowing anticipation of fulfillment, is a particular highlight. After the ecstatic fervor of Blanziflor et Helena (Blanchefleur and Helen, the principal characters in a medieval romance), Orffs ode to luck returns, to close Carmina Burana as majestically as it began.

Igor Stravinskys Symphony of Psalms was commissioned in 1929 by conductor Serge Koussevitzky, for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He used this opportunity to realize a project he had been considering for some time: a setting of selected Biblical Psalms for chorus and orchestra.

I began with Psalm 150, Stravinsky wrote. After finishing the fast-tempo sections, I went back to compose the first and second movementsĶThe first movement, Hear my prayer, O Lord, (Psalm 39) was composed in a state of religious and musical symbolism in any of my music before The Flood. It consists of an upside-down pyramid of fugues.

The Allegro in Psalm 150 (Finale of the Symphony) was inspired by a vision of Elijahs chariot climbing to the heavens; never before had I written anything quite so literal as the triplets for horns and piano to suggest the horses and chariot. In setting the words of this final hymn, I cared above all for the sounds of the syllables, and I have indulged my besetting pleasure of regulating prosody in my own way.

Stravinsky, who had become a regular communicant of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1926, inscribed the score of Symphony of Psalms To the Glory of God. The orchestration includes enlarged wind and brass sections, but excludes violins and violas.

CONCERT INFO

Masterworks Diamond Series:

Carmina Burana!

Saturday & Monday, June 13 & 15, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Laura Whalen, soprano

Colin Ainsworth, tenor

Hugh Russell, baritone

Vancouver Bach Choir

Vancouver Bach Childrens Chorus

Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms

Orff Carmina Burana

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

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