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BEHZOD ABDURAIMOV

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This exciting young pianist makes a welcome return after dazzling our audiences in his previous VRS appearances. His electrifying pianism, with its range of great delicacy and thundering power, makes the “Abduraimov experience” impossible to describe in words. If you heard him bring the house down at the Chan Centre with Balakirev’s ‘Islamey’, you’ll be at the front of the line for tickets to this concert!

WAGNER/LISZT: Isolde’s Liebestod, S.447
LISZT: Sonata in B minor, S.178
PROKOFIEV: 10 Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75

Learn more about the program at our pre-concert talk in the Chan Centre’s Royal Bank Cinema at 2.15pm.

“The Uzbek pianist, Behzod Abduraimov made two dream debuts in Amsterdam this week. His secret: authenticity, control and a velvet pianissimo”— Mischa Spel, NRC (October 2017 Concertgebouw debut)

Concert Sponsor: Ann Harding

In Association With:

 

The Chan Endowment Fund
at the University of British Columbia

EVGENY KISSIN

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Evgeny Kissin’s genius was discovered in his first solo debut in Moscow at the age of 12. He made his European debut at 16, and his explosive American debut at Carnegie Hall just 10 days before his 19th birthday. Now, at the age of 45, he is still in constant demand, selling out major concert halls around the world. His musicality, the depth and poetic quality of his interpretations, and his extraordinary virtuosity have earned him the kind of veneration and admiration reserved for only the most gifted classical pianists.

Evgeny appeared on our series in 1996, and again in 1999. We’ve been trying to bring him back for years and our patience and perseverance have paid off. We’re thrilled to present him on one of his very rare visits to the west coast.

CHOPIN: Nocturne in F minor, Op. 55, No. 1
CHOPIN: Nocturne in E Major, Op. 62, No. 2
SCHUMANN: Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 14
RACHMANINOV: Preludes, Op. 23, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
RACHMANINOV: Preludes, Op. 32, Nos. 10, 12, 13

VRS Subscribers enjoy priority access and save up to 20% on single tickets.

By May 18 – Save up to 20%           After May 18 – Save up to 15%

A       $88                                                     $94
B       $74                                                     $78
C       $56                                                     $60
D       $42                                                     $44
E       $20                                                     $21

Concert sponsor: The Martha Lou Henley Charitable Foundation

Supported by:

 

The Chan Endowment Fund
at the University of British Columbia

CHIAROSCURO QUARTET

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Formed in 2005, the Chiaroscuro Quartet comprises Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova (who debuted on our series in 2008), Spanish violinist Pablo Hernán Benedí, Swedish violist Emilie Hörnlund, and French cellist Claire Thirion. Dubbed “a trailblazer for the authentic performance of High Classical chamber music” by Gramophone, this international ensemble performs music of the Classical and early Romantic periods on gut strings with historical bows. The quartet’s unique sound (described in The Observer as “a shock to the ears of the best kind”) is highly acclaimed by audiences and critics all over Europe.

Kristian Bezuidenhout is one of today’s most notable and exciting keyboard artists, equally at home on the fortepiano, harpsichord, and modern piano.
He gained international attention when he won First Prize and the Audience Prize (at the age of 21) in the Bruges Fortepiano Competition. Kristian’s rich and award-winning discography on Harmonia Mundi includes the complete keyboard works of Mozart and Mendelssohn, and Mozart Piano Concertos, which he recorded with the Freiburger Barockorchester.

“Above all, Bezuidenhout knows how to make a fortepiano sing” — The Guardian

SCHUBERT: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, “Death & the Maiden”
MOZART: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor, K.457
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K.414

VRS Subscribers enjoy priority access and save up to 20% on single tickets.

By May 18 – Save up to 20%              After May 18 – Save up to 15%
A       $60                                                      $64
B       $40                                                      $42
C       $20                                                      $21

 

Co-presented with:

 

Supported by:

ANDREW TYSON

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American pianist Andrew Tyson is emerging as a distinctive and important new musical voice.

The recipient of a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant, he is a Laureate of the 2013 Queen Elisabeth Competition. In 2015, he captured First Prize at the Géza Anda Competition in Zurich, where he was also awarded the Mozart and Audience prizes.

“A real poet of the piano”— BBC Radio 3

BERG: Sonata, Op. 1
POULENC: Napoli Suite, FP 40
CHOPIN: Nocturne, 2 Mazurkas and a Ballade
LISZT: Les cloches de Genève
RAVEL: Miroirs

Series sponsor: The Estate of Edwina and Paul Heller

Concert Sponsor: Anonymous

Supported by:

JONATHAN ROOZEMAN

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Finnish-Dutch cellist Jonathan Roozeman is already establishing himself as an artist of exceptional musical integrity. At only 20 years of age, this award-winning performer has appeared with major orchestras and in prestigious concert halls throughout Europe and North America. Jonathan will be accompanied at the keyboard by his brother Jan-Paul.

BOCCHERINI: Sonata in A major, G.4
DEBUSSY: Nocturne and Scherzo, Sonata in D minor
CHOPIN: Introduction and Polonaise brillante for cello and piano, Op. 3
SIBELIUS: Romance, Malinconia
SCHUBERT: Arpeggione Sonata

“The soloist here, Jonathan Roozeman, a young Finnish-Dutch cellist proved a virtuoso himself. Then he wowed listeners with the nale of Gaspar Cassadó’s Suite for Cello”
— The New York Times

Series sponsor: The Estate of Edwina and Paul Heller

Concert Sponsor: Elizabeth Arnold-Bailey, in memory of her mother Ann Baldwin

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DANISH STRING QUARTET

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The Danish String Quartet has established a reputation for their integrated sound, impeccable intonation, and judicious balance. With their technical and interpretive talents matched by an infectious joy for music-making and “rampaging energy” (The New Yorker), the quartet is in demand worldwide by concert and festival presenters alike. This is their third appearance for the VRS.

“They could be grounded in their tone or mystical. They allowed time to stand still, and they could assume the pose of excitingly aggressive rockers. They did it all.” — The Los Angeles Times

BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18, No. 4
MUSIC FROM THE NORDIC COUNTRIES
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 74, No. 10 (“Harp”)

Series Sponsor:

Concert Sponsor: Joyce and Tony

Supported By:

FILIPPO GORINI

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22 year-old pianist Filippo Gorini is praised for his rare intellect, temperament, and vivid imagination. In 2015, he received both the First Prize and the Audience Prize at the Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn. Upon hearing him perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations, Alfred Brendel invited this gifted young Italian to study with him. In 2017, Filippo’s debut album — his recording of the Diabelli Variations — was released. It has already won a Diapason d’Or award.

In a 5-star review of his Diabelli Variations recording, The Guardian’s Kate Molleson wrote: “It is brave, original playing for a musician of any age.”

BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 31, Op. 110
BARTÓK: Sonata Sz. 80
STOCKHAUSEN: Klavierstück IX
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 32, Op. 111

Series sponsor: The Estate of Edwina and Paul Heller

Concert Sponsor: Judith and Poul Hansen

Supported by:

JULIA BULLOCK

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American soprano Julia Bullock has been hailed as an “impressive fast-rising soprano poised for a signicant career” (The New York Times). Equally at home in recital and concert repertoire, she captivates audiences with her versatile artistry and commanding stage presence.

SCHUBERT I BARBER I FAURÉ
A SELECTION OF AMERICAN SONGS

“Julia Bullock combines a rare on stage aura with a style that is exacting but not fussy, with hardly an unturned phrase” — The New Yorker

Series Sponsor: The Estate of Edwina and Paul Heller

Concert Sponsor: Gaby and Yoram Minnes

Supported by:

rbc-city-van-new

YEVGENY SUDBIN

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Upon hearing Yevgeny Sudbin’s first Scarlatti recording, we immediately invited him to Vancouver. He performed at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2006 and returned on our series at the Chan Centre in 2009. Hailed by The Telegraph as “potentially one of the greatest pianists of the 21st Century”, Yevgeny now tours the globe and, since that first Scarlatti recording, has made many critically acclaimed recordings for BIS.

SCARLATTI:  Sonata in B minor, K.197
SCARLATTI:  Sonata in G major, K.455
BEETHOVEN: Bagatelles, Op. 126
CHOPIN: Ballade No. 3, Op. 47
SCRIABIN: Sonata No. 5
SCRIABIN: Nocturne for Left Hand
SCRIABIN: Mazurka Op. 25 No. 3
SAINT-SAËNS/SUDBIN: Danse Macabre

Learn more about the program at our pre-concert talk in the Chan Centre’s Royal Bank Cinema at 2.15pm.

Concert Sponsor: The John C. Kerr Family Foundation

In Association With:

 

The Chan Endowment Fund
at the University of British Columbia

 

SIR SIMON KEENLYSIDE

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Sir Simon Keenlyside is one of the world’s most sought-after and charismatic singers, noted for his versatility and highly charged performances on stage. In 2006, he was the winner of the Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in opera, the ECHO Klassik Male Singer of the Year Award in 2007, and was honoured as Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2011. Last June he was awarded the title of Österreichischer Kammersänger by the Wiener Staatsoper, recognizing his extraordinary contribution to the world of opera. We eagerly await his return to Vancouver with his wonderful recital partner Malcolm Martineau, who is well known to VRS audiences.

BRAHMS | POULENC | RAVEL | SCHUBERT

“He declaimed Wilhelm Müller’s poetry with the fluidity of speech. His German is excellent, his diction is pristine, his eye for detail acute. Armed with his dark, handsome baritone he unveiled multiple layers of meaning in every song, every stanza and occasionally,in a single line”— The Financial Times

Series Sponsor:

Concert Sponsor: Lynn Kagan

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