Old and New
July 19, 2010
By George Laverock

One of the things that I aimed for when planning this 10th anniversary edition of MusicFest Vancouver was having a balance between artists that are new to to the festival, while also featuring some MusicFest favourites from our first 9 seasons.

One of the groups returning (by popular acclaim!) is The National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Last here in 2005, the NYOC is also celebrating an important anniversary this year – their 50th! As in 2005, they will be playing under the charismatic conductor Jacques Lacombe, who is also a favourite Vancouver Opera conductor. The NYOC is indeed fortunate to have Lacombe with them this summer, as he's been much in demand lately, conducting operas this past season in Berlin, London, Munich and Québec...and he is about to become the Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra beginning this September. The NYOC is touring with two programs, and the one we are going to hear includes Richard Strauss’ Don Juan and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade... two blockbusters of the romantic orchestral repertoire. A friend of mine attended the orchestra’s first rehearsals earlier this month in London, Ontario, and he assures me that it will be a rapturous performance!

Other returning groups are Argentinian Adrián Iaies' jazz trio (first here in 2008), and a number of popular Vancouver ensembles: The Borealis String Quartet; Van Django; Orquesta Goma Dura; Zapato Negro... and of course the five outstanding Vancouver choirs that will be part of our 10th anniversary choral extravaganza Vancouver Sings, at the Chan Centre on August 13th.

On the new-artist side, we are particularly proud to be bringing 11 performers from Australia who have never been at our festival before: The jazz vocal group The Idea of North; the chamber ensemble Freshwater Trio; the didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton; classical pianist Rita Reichman; and jazz musicians Joe Chindamo (piano) and Doug de Vries (guitar). I had the privilege of hearing all these amazing people when I visited Melbourne and Sydney last year... and I can’t wait for you to join me in discovering how rich the musical life is Down Under.

Other artists who have never been with us before are coming from Germany (Concerto Köln Chamber Orchestra); Japan (Brilliant Harmony women’s choir); France (Ludus Modalis, Renaissance vocal ensemble), the USA (Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band); and Madagascar (soprano Yannick-Muriel Noah, via Ottawa and Toronto). Ms. Noah is looking forward to performing for the first time with Vancouver’s Rena Sharon, who is renowned as one of the best collaborative pianists on the planet.

When it comes to creative projects, we are beating the drum about a few this year:
a) The first performances of a delightful operetta being developed by composer Cameron Wilson and writer Kico Gonzalez-Risso (Supernatural Noir)
b) The première of a song cycle called Love Songs by Stephen Chatman, to be performed by baritone Tyler Duncan with the Freshwater Trio on August 11.
c) The first North American performances of several new arrangements of Chopin Preludes for piano trio, by two Australian composers: Adam Starr and Joe Chindamo... as well as new arrangements of two of Schumann’s Scenes of Childhood by the same two Aussie composers.

So, in summary, Old and New will be juxtaposed throughout the festival... and I urge you to come and savour some of each!