Vancouver, BC -- What do respected Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock, famed singer/songwriter Elvis Costello, and 20th Century classical giant Benjamin Britten have in common? The Koerner Quartet will delight Vancouver audiences with the answer as it interprets the work of these diverse talents in Notes of Love & Protest, Sunday, February 15 at 2pm in the Vancouver Academy of Music's (VAM). Koerner Recital Hall The third concert in the Quartet's 2014/15 season serves up a musical valentine that is "more zeitgeist than saccharine," promises Quartet cellist and VAM Executive Director, Joseph Elworthy.
The performance opens with Vermilion by Juno-nominated composer Jocelyn Morlock, one of Canada's most commissioned and recorded new composers, who will be in attendance.
"I first collaborated with Jocelyn in 2010 for the Parisot Cellofest at VAM when I commissioned her to compose a cello quartet in honour of my mentor, Aldo Parisot, who was celebrating his 50th year as a distinguished professor of cello at Yale University," says Mr. Elworthy. "I have since performed many of her works including a soon-to-released Naxos recording of her double cello concerto, Aeromancy."
In addition to being described as one of this country's "most distinctive voices," Ms. Morlock also lends her talent to the work of
Elvis Costello and
Diana Krall as their copyist and arranger. It is not surprising then that Koerner Quartet's Valentine gift includes Mr. Costello's acclaimed The Juliet Letters, featuring VAM'S noted faculty member and baritone Alan MacDonald.
"
Elvis Costello's The Juliet Letters hit me like a ton of bricks when I was at university," Mr. Elworthy says. "The coupling of these beautifully crafted pop/art-songs with a string quartet was daring to say the least. We're delighted to be presenting this exceptional piece."
The afternoon closes with
Benjamin Britten's deeply moving String Quartet No. 2 In Time of War, written as a cry against the state of the world in the mid-20th Century by a composer who would take his place in the pantheon of musical masters.
About Koerner Quartet (
koernerquartet.com) - Comprising four of Canada's most esteemed musicians -
Nicholas Wright (violin), Jason Ho (violin), Emilie Grimes (viola), and Joseph Elworthy (cello) - the Koerner Quartet is known internationally for its nuanced interpretive style. Founded in 2012, the Koerner Quartet is ensemble-in-residence at the Vancouver Academy of Music, where its members balance performing with their dedication to sharing the joy of chamber music with aspiring musicians. The Koerner Quartet directs annual chamber music seminars in Vancouver and Hong Kong, in addition to numerous educational outreach initiatives in conjunction with performances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Frequently heard on live broadcasts for CBC, BBC, Radio Europe, Hong Kong Radio 4, and NHK, the Koerner Quartet has received critical acclaim for its 2013 album of string quartets by Ravel and Bartok. The Quartet is named in honor of one of the founders of the Vancouver Academy of Music, Ms. Iby Koerner.
DETAILS:
Koerner Quartet presents Notes of Love & Protest
Date: Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 2pm
Address: Koerner Recital Hall at Vancouver Academy of Music, 1270 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 4R9
Guest Artist: Alan MacDonald, Baritone
Ticket Prices: $18/$15 (students and seniors)
Box Office: www.koernerquartet.com
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