An evening of premieres: Ari Hooker shares his music and memories at upcoming concert
This Tuesday, April 29, at 7 p.m., the Desautels Concert Hall will host a unique evening of music by one of Manitoba’s rising stars. Titled An Evening of Premieres, the concert showcases original compositions by pianist and composer Ari Hooker, including works for solo piano and the debut of his Piano Quartet in C Minor.
Ari will be joined on stage by violinist Gwen Hoebig, violist Carl Stobbe, and his father, cellist Yuri Hooker—a collaboration that brings together professional calibre and personal connection. “It’s interesting for the dynamic to shift from very, very close family friends to basically colleagues,” Ari said. “But it’s a super rewarding one, obviously, and it’s such a treat and a thrill to be able to play with such a quality of musician that they all are.”
The concert will also feature his piano cycle Childhood Memories, a newly completed cycle of ten short piano pieces composed for a young listener. “One of the ladies that attended [a house concert]...she's a big supporter of all the arts and all the music. Her name is Lucienne Blouw. She asked me if I'd be interested in taking on a commission… for her grandson,” Ari explained. “They're all composed with a certain romantic idiom, but they still have a spirit of innocence to them.”
The set is loosely structured around a child’s day, from waking up to bedtime, and is designed to grow gradually in technical difficulty.
Another highlight on the program is the Little Suite for Solo Piano, commissioned to commemorate a 50th wedding anniversary. “That suite consists of four movements. The first is a slow prelude… The second is entitled Valse or Waltz, and its character is a lot more playful and unpredictable… The third is a heartfelt elegy, and then the 4th is a virtuosic and dazzling toccatina,” Ari said. He cites Ravel as a strong influence on this piece: “It has impressionistic influences to it.”
While Hooker is currently completing his studies at the University of Manitoba's Desautels Faculty of Music, his focus has been on piano. But composition remains central to his identity as an artist. “I started composing seriously in grade 12… I started just trying to compose and I started creating things that I liked and that I was proud of. And so I sort of just ran with it.”
Growing up in a musical household has shaped both his aesthetic and practical understanding of music. “Certainly growing up in the household that I grew up in certainly gave me an affinity, I think, for writing for cello and also a love for just the cello,” he said. “All the music that’s playing in the house all the time… it does go somewhere in your head, you do absorb it somehow.”
Looking beyond graduation, Ari remains open to possibilities. “I'm certainly not opposed to more instruction, but I do, I would like just to be able to compose full time,” he said. “There's also a point where you just have to sort of shape your own voice without so much influence from others.”
As for what he’s most excited about on Tuesday night? “Just honestly, the privilege of sharing my music with the public and getting to show everyone what I have been creating.”
An Evening of Premieres takes place on Tuesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Desautels Concert Hall. Tickets will be available at the door, and audience members can expect an inspiring night of heartfelt, imaginative, and virtuosic new works by one of Manitoba’s most promising young artists.
