There is a pre-concert talk at 2.15pm
Since making his Canadian debut on this series at the age of 22, this celebrated Norwegian pianist has won acclaim worldwide for his stellar performances and award-winning recordings. Over the years, his appearances for the VRS — either solo, or with Ian Bostridge or Christian Tetzlaff — have been amongst the most significant and memorable performances in our history.
“A pianist of magisterial elegance, power and insight.” — New York Times
SIBELIUS: Kyllikki, Three Pieces Op. 41
SIBELIUS: The Birch, Op. 75, No. 4
SIBELIUS: The Spruce, Op. 75, No. 5
SIBELIUS: The Forest Lake, Op. 114, No. 3
SIBELIUS: Song in the Forest, Op. 114, Op. 4
SIBELIUS: Spring Vision, Op. 114, No. 5
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No. 18 in Eb major, Op. 31, No. 3
DEBUSSY: La soirée dans Grenade from Estampes
DEBUSSY: Étude 7 pour les degrés chromatiques
DEBUSSY: Étude 11 pour les arpèges composés
DEBUSSY: Étude 5 pour les octaves
CHOPIN: Impromptu in A flat Major, Op. 29
CHOPIN: Étude in A flat Major from Trois nouvelles études
CHOPIN: Nocturne in F Major, Op. 15, No. 1
CHOPIN: Ballad No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
Concert sponsor: The Late Dr. Sherold & Mrs. Shirley Fishman
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With his striking musicality, instinctive stylistic certainty and musical maturity, this young German cellist is taking the international music scene by storm. Don’t miss his Canadian debut with pianist, Benjamin Engeli.
“Hornung seems to come from another planet” –Die Zeit
SCHUMANN: 5 Stücke im Volkston, Op.102
BEETHOVEN: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A major, Op. 69
JANÁČEK: Pohádka (Fairytale) for Cello and Piano
STRAUSS: Sonata for Cello and Piano in F major, Op. 6
Series Sponsor: The Late Edwina & Paul Heller
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The members of the Apollon Musagète Quartet were selected by BBC Radio 3 as 2012-13 New Generation Artists, and by the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein as 2010-11 Rising Stars. In January 2014, the ensemble won a prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award. Hear this marvelous Polish quartet in its Canadian debut.
“Clever programming and stylish interpretation – it is no surprise that the four young Polish members of the Apollon Musagète have risen to the very top of their profession.” — Münchner Merkur
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in D major Op. 18 No. 3
WEBERN: Langsamer Satz
SCHUBERT: String Quartet in G major D. 887
Series Sponsor: The Late Edwina & Paul Heller
Concert Sponsor: Maryke Gilmore
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After an early musical education that included piano, violin and cello, Raphaël Sévère took up the clarinet at the age of 8. By the time he was 12, he had won 5 international competitions. Another Canadian debut not to be missed!
“In every register of the clarinet his is a sound of rare beauty and dazzling virtuosity in service of the music” — La Nouvelle République.
BORODIN: Sonata in B Minor (adapted for clarinet & piano by Raphaël Sévère)
LUTOSŁAWSKI: Dance Preludes
DEBUSSY: Première Rhapsodie
BERG: Four Pieces for clarinet and piano, Op. 5
BERNSTEIN: Sonata for clarinet and piano (1941-42)
Series Sponsor: The Late Edwina & Paul Heller
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There is a pre-concert talk at 2.15pm
Despite their very busy individual careers, the three musicians who comprise this trio — pianist Lars Vogt, violinist Christian Tetzlaff, and cellist Tanja Tetzlaff — get together whenever time permits to play the Piano Trio repertoire. We are delighted to have secured a date on one of their very rare North American tours.
“Whatever they play, you want to hear it. In terms of technical dazzle and lyrical heart, the performance lived up to high expectations.” — The New York Times
SCHUMANN: Trio No.2 in F major, Op.80
DVORÁK: Trio in E minor, Op. 90 “Dumky”
BRAHMS: Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8
In Association With:
There is a pre-concert talk at 2.15pm
One of America’s most thought-provoking, multi-faceted and compelling artists, pianist Jeremy Denk was awarded a 2013 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, the 2014 Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s 2014 Instrumentalist of the Year Award. And now we’ve secured his Vancouver debut!
“Mr. Denk, clearly, is a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs, in whatever combination – both for his penetrating intellectual engagement with the music and for the generosity of his playing.” –The New York Times
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH: English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808
WILLIAM BYRD: The Passinge Measures: the Ninth Pavan from Lady Nevell’s Book
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Piano-Rag-Music
PAUL HINDEMITH: “Ragtime” from Suite “1922”
SCOTT HAYDEN / SCOTT JOPLIN: “Sunflower Slow Drag”
CONLON NANCARROW: Canon for Ursula, No. 1
WILLIAM BOLCOM: Graceful Ghost Rag
DONALD LAMBERT: “Pilgrims’ Chorus” from Tannhauser
JOSEPH HAYDN: Fantasia in C Major, Hob. XVII:4
ROBERT SCHUMANN: Carnaval, Op. 9
In Association With:
Elena Urioste, violin
Michael Brown, piano
Nicholas Canellakis, cello
Pianist Michael Brown, violinist Elena Urioste and cellist Nicholas Canellakis have established themselves as three of the most sought-after young virtuosos on the music scene today. Winners, individually, of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, BBC New Generation Artist Scheme, and the Sphinx and Concert Artist Guild Competitions, they have performed in prestigious venues across the US and Europe.
HAYDN: Piano Trio in F sharp minor, Hob XV:26
CHAUSSON: Piano Trio Op. 3
MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
The Brown-Urioste-Canellakis Trio has replaced the previously scheduled Sitkovetsky Trio. If your tickets say “Sitkovetsky Trio” we shall still welcome you, and we very much look forward to seeing you at the Playhouse. We hope to have the Sitkovetsky Trio perform for us in a future season.
Series Sponsor:
Concert Sponsor: The Board of Directors of the Vancouver Recital Society
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Hailed for music-making of tremendous emotional power, depth and expressiveness, Richard Goode has been acknowledged worldwide as one of today’s leading interpreters of Classical and Romantic music. Last heard on this series in 2007, he makes a welcome return to perform a program of Bach.
“One of the greatest American pianists of this or any generation, Goode performs with deceptive ease; he plays with complete mastery of his instrument and the score, and without histrionics” — St. Louis Post
BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book II: Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C major, BWV870
BACH: French Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816
BACH: 15 Sinfonias, BWV 787-801
BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book II: Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in F major, BWV 880
BACH: Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826
BACH: Italian Concerto, BWV 971
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Founded less than a decade ago by four celebrated soloists, the Arcanto Quartet made a stunning and memorable debut for the VRS at the Chan Centre in 2010. Violinists Antje Weithaas and Daniel Sepec, violist Tabea Zimmermann, and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras make a much-anticipated return to our stage. A musical event not to be missed!
“If the Arcanto Quartet are not yet on your radar, make sure they are from now on.” —The Guardian
PURCELL: Fantasia 19 June 1680, C minor
Fantasia 19 August 1680, G major
Fantasia 22 June 1680, D minor
BRITTEN: String Quartet No. 3
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet Op. 59, No.3
Series Sponsor:
Concert Sponsor: Lynn Kagan
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Born in Nizhny Novgorod, Igor Levit moved to Germany with his family at the age of 8. He completed his piano studies at the Hanover Academy of Music at the age of 22 with the highest academic and performance scores in the history of the institute. As the youngest participant in the 2005 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, Igor won the Silver Medal, the Prize for Best Performance of Chamber Music, the ‘Audience Favourite’ Prize and the Prize for Best Performance of Contemporary Music.
“Russian-German pianist Igor Levit made a hypnotic North American debut, playing the last three piano sonatas of Beethoven with the wisdom of a pianist twice his age.” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker
J.S. BACH: Partita No. 4 BWV 828
SCHUBERT: Moments Musicaux D. 780
BEETHOVEN: Sonata in D minor, Op. 31 No.2 (Tempest)
PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7, Op. 83
Series Sponsor: The Late Edwina & Paul Heller
Concert Sponsor: The John C. Kerr Family Foundation
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