Since 1991 the Virtuosi Concert Series has been delighting audiences with world class chamber music, performed by some of the best musicians on the scene.
On Sunday, October 30 at 3:00 pm at St. Andrew’s River Heights United Church, the Virtuosi Concert Series will be kicking off their 2022-23 Season with a Concert that features the Montreal based ensemble Infusion Baroque. This is the first of a whole series of stellar concerts that make up the 2022-23 Virtuosi concert Season.
The season, is notable for the variety of composers, and styles of music represented. There will be music written by the 17th century Italian singer and composer Barbara Strozzi, music composed by Canadian piano superstar Stewart Goodyear, and even music for the Turkish instrument called the kanun that will be paired up with a traditional string quartet. These are just a few of the highlights that this upcoming season brings.
For the new Virtuosi Artistic Director Jennifer Thiessen, this season’s program is very exciting. “It feels very good…making this a reality has really been a highlight of the year. Seeing it all in print, seeing the brochure, and all the artists photos lined up together really gives me a thrill.”
All of the performers for this season make up an ideal season for Thiessen. “A lot of these performers were actually people I presented when I did my interview for this job. We were asked to create a mock season. So I went ahead with no logistical limitations, it was a theoretical mock season… I made a season that I thought would kind of my dream season. At the end of the day…when I got the job, and it became time to actually contact people; there were quite a number in the upcoming season that were on that initial mock season."
Variety of composers and styles is of key importance to Thiessen. “It is time for classical music to think about what we’re presenting, and who is involved and invited into this community. I think it is everyone… and could and should reflect everyone who wants to be part of it, while at the same time recognizing the roots of classical chamber music and solo music for recitals.”
Music written by women composers will be very well represented. On October 30th, the ensemble Infusion Baroque will be performing selections from their two CD set called “Virtuosa” that features compositions written by 17th, 18th and 19th century female composers. In addition, the amazing Canadian violist Marina Thibault will also be performing selections from her CD “Elle” that features works for viola written by female composers, most notably, Clara Schumann’s Three Romances for viola, and Rebecca Clarke’s viola sonata.
All of this astounding variety in programming will be combined with composers who make up the cornerstone of the classical canon. Audience members will hear music from Mozart, Vivaldi, and Saint-Saens amongst others, juxtaposed with composers they might not have ever heard of, but might find their music every bit as enticing.
Virtuosi’s upcoming 2022-23 season is sure to be one to remember! Tickets and subscriptions are available through the Virtuosi Website, and for those wanting more details they can check out the 2022-23 online brochure.