World-class

Chamber Music comes to Pender Harbour

The seventh annual Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival more than lived up to expectations as eight outstanding musicians played works by a wide range of composers, including many not previously heard on our stage.

The weekend provided an exceptional musical experience and presented a few surprises as well, such as the unexpected appearance of a fandango dancer!

With wonderful memories to build on, we look forward with great anticipation to the eighth annual Festival. Guy Few on trumpet and James Campbell on clarinet will be joined by our artistic director, Alexander Tselyakov on piano and others yet to be confirmed.

Watch this space for information as new details become available. We look forward to welcoming you again in 2012 to enjoy the best in chamber music in the intimate and idyllic setting of the School of Music in Madeira Park.

2011 Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival Musicians

James Ehnes, violin

Hailed as "the Jascha Heifetz of our day" (Globe and Mail), violinist James Ehnes is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting performers in classical music. He has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing regularly with many of the world's most well-known orchestras and conductors. Ehnes' extensive discography ranges from Bach violin sonatas to John Adams' Road Movies. He has been honoured with a Grammy, a Gramophone, and six JUNO awards. Born in 1976 in Brandon, Manitoba, he began violin at age four. Prior to his work at The Juilliard School, he studied with Francis Chaplin and at the Meadowmount School of Music. He holds an honorary Doctor of Music (Brandon University), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2010 was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Ehnes plays the "Marsick" Stradivarius of 1715 and gratefully acknowledges its extended loan from the Fulton Collection.

www.jamesehnes.com

Benjamin Ealovega photo

Daniel Bolshoy, guitar

The CBC's Eric Friesen has described Daniel Bolshoy as "...the whole passionate package", referring not only to his exceptional technique, but also to his ability to reach his audience at a deep emotional level. Bolshoy has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Russia, Israel and North America and has performed at a number of prestigious festivals including the Ottawa and Vancouver International Chamber Music Festivals and the International Music Festival in Macao, China. His recitals are heard frequently on CBC Radio and he has appeared in two documentary films for the Bravo! television series, The Classical Now. Currently teaching guitar at Concordia University in Montreal, Bolshoy will be joining the faculty of the new VSO School of Music in the fall of 2011 as the head of the guitar program. He plays a guitar crafted by Martin Blackwell of Roberts Creek, with strings by D'Addario.  www.danielbolshoy.com

Emmanuelle Beaulieu Bergeron, cello

Whether as an orchestral or chamber musician or as a cello soloist, Emmanuelle Bergeron impresses. A native of Montreal, Bergeron completed a Masters degree at The Juilliard School before moving to Houston to join the Kailas String Quartet in residence at Rice University. As a prize winner at prestigious events such as the Fishoff Chamber Music Competition, the Prix d'Europe and Radio-Canada's Young Artist Competition, Bergeron has attracted the interest of highly respected chamber groups and orchestras. Performances at Tanglewood, Aspen and Washington's Kennedy Centre, among others, have further added to her growing reputation for excellence. Now, following a recent move to Ontario, Bergeron has joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the exciting Tokai String Quartet. www.tokaiquartet.com

Borealis String Quartet

Patricia Shih, 1st violin; Yuel Yawney, 2nd violin; Nikita Progrebnoy, viola; Shih-Lin Chen, cello

Founded in 2000, the Vancouver-based Borealis String Quartet combines fiery performances, passionate style and refined musical interpretation. Of its performance at New York's Metropolitan Museum, Strad Magazine said "...you could feel the music almost as much as you heard it." This year, after several extensive concert tours in Taiwan, the quartet will debut in major centres in China, including Shanghai. The Borealis String Quartet demonstrates an impressive mastery of great quartet literature while, at the same time, being strong champions of contemporary Canadian music. Their commission to John Oliver resulted in Purple Lotus Bud, an evocative composition written for string quartet and the zheng - a traditional Chinese instrument. Through this and other collaborations, the Borealis continues to weave threads from diverse traditions into stunning new musical cloth. In recognition of their important contribution to the East/West dialogue, the CHIMEI Culture Foundation of Taiwan generously loaned the quartet four fine 17th and 18th century Italian string instruments from their renowned collection.   www.borealisstringquartet.com

Steven Lemay Photo

Alexander Tselyakov,  piano and Artistic Director

In the finest tradition of Russian masters such as Rubenstein and Horowitz, Alexander Tselyakov brings "... an intoxicating sound ... "(Israel) and "...  perfect artistic individuality ..." (Russia) to his performances as a concert soloist and chamber musician.  After early recognition and awards at prestigious international competitions such as the Tchaikovsky, Tselyakov has gone on to perform as a distinguished guest soloist with orchestras such as the Leningrad Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony.  He has also appeared as a recitalist at major festivals and concert halls around the world, and has frequently been heard on radio in Denmark, London, Germany and Canada. Tselyakov is passionate about teaching and creating exciting programs which include both classic and contemporary chamber music works and is well-known for his collaboration with many leading Canadian musicians.  Add to these exceptional qualities his deep knowledge of the repertoire and his exquisite sense of program balance and you get a truly exceptional and valued artistic director of both the Pender Harbour and Clear Lake Chamber Music Festivals.  He is currently Professor of Piano at Brandon University School of Music.  www.tselyakov.com