Season: 2024-2025

POST-PERFORMANCE TALKBACK We are delighted to open our 45th Season with Rachel Fenlon, an artist who approaches music with a spirit of inquiry and creative passion. She performs song recitals as both singer and pianist, accompanying herself. Praised for her “unusually shaped recitals in keeping with her extraordinary talent” (Places des Arts/Festival de Lanaudière), Rachel…

PRE-CONCERT TALK AT 2:15PM Schaghajegh first appeared on our radar through Sir András Schiff, her mentor and frequent artistic partner. She made her international breakthrough in 2014 as an award winner in the International Bach Competition in Leipzig. In 2018, she made her Canadian debut at the VRS playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations. We quickly rebooked…

PRE-CONCERT TALK AT 2:15PM Described as “Fearless, dazzling, exceptional” (The Guardian), Tamara Stefanovich captivates audiences worldwide with her utterly unique and eclectic programming. A passionate ambassador of broad repertoire from before Bach to beyond Boulez, she will have you on the edge of your seat! J. S. BACH: Aria variata alla maniera italiana, BWV 989…

Pre-concert Talk at 1:45pm THE CASTALIAN STRING QUARTET TIMOTHY RIDOUT, viola ZLATOMIR FUNG, cello ANGELA CHENG, piano BENJAMIN HOCHMAN, piano Reminiscent of our Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, this mini-Brahms festival brings together eight musicians from three countries to share the chamber music they love with you! Sonata No. 2 for Viola and Piano in E-flat…

Pre-concert Talk at 6:45pm THE CASTALIAN STRING QUARTET TIMOTHY RIDOUT, viola ZLATOMIR FUNG, cello ANGELA CHENG, piano BENJAMIN HOCHMAN, piano Reminiscent of our Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, this mini-Brahms festival brings together eight musicians from three countries to share the chamber music they love with you! 16 Waltzes, Op. 39 for Piano 4-Hands Angela Cheng…

POST-PERFORMANCE TALKBACK Raphaël was born in Djibouti, on the northeastern coast of Africa, and raised in the small city of Cholet in Western France. Recognizing his musical talent, his parents gave him a plastic guitar at the age of seven, which is when his musical journey began. He studied at the Conservatoire de Nantes and…

Pre-concert Talk at 6:45pm Grammy Award-winning soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan is an artist at the forefront of creation. Embodying music with an unparalleled dramatic sensibility, she has shown a profound commitment to the music of our time and has given the world premiere performances of over 90 new works. For her VRS debut, she…

Pre-concert Talk at 2:15pm TWO CLOWNS. PIERROT MEETS PETRUSHKA. GUY ESHED, flute TIBI CZIGER, clarinet DANIEL BARD, violin & viola MICHAL KORMAN, cello SIVAN MAGEN, harp ASSAFF WEISMAN, piano SHIRIT LEE WEISS, stage direction (Pierrot Lunaire) The Israeli Chamber Project is a pretty impressive ensemble. Among its members are International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Gaspar…

Pre-concert Talk at 6:45pm World-renowned guitar virtuoso Miloš returns to the VRS! The Montenegrin marvel’s meteoric rise to fame started in 2011 after the release of his hugely popular debut album ‘Mediterraneo’. Since then, he has earned legions of fans around the world for his sensitive, charismatic performances and six chart-topping recordings. He made his…

Post-performance Talk Back Tom Borrow made his Canadian debut on our stage in 2023 and wowed the VRS audience with his incredible talent. We rebooked his return engagement on the spot. A former BBC New Generation Artist, and a protégé of Murray Perahia, Tom’s career is currently soaring. He has a packed concert schedule that…