Och, ye’re a wee bit Scottish

Musaic Vocal Ensemble presents
From Here to There
choral music from Scotland & Canada
Friday May 10 7:30 p.m.
St Saviour’s Anglican Church, Penticton
Saturday May 11 2:30 p.m.
St. John’s Lutheran, Summerland
Sunday May 12 2:30 p.m.
St. Michael’s Cathedral, Kelowna
$15 Adults $5 Students

Tickets available at the Dragon’s Den (Penticton) or at the door.

Musaic Vocal Ensemble presents a concert of Canadian and Scottish music.

Have you been looking for an opportunity to wear the tartan kilt that have been gathering dust in the back of your closet? Well, here is your chance!! Join Musaic Vocal Ensemble for its spring concert, a celebration of choral music from Scotland and Canada in three performances – in Penticton, Summerland and Kelowna.

Musaic will be joined by guest conductor, Mark Hindley, and soprano soloist, Julie Harvey, who live and work in Scotland; Scottish Country Dancers from Naramata and Kelowna; and possibly even bagpipes to really get you in the mood! You’re sure to be transported all the way across Canada and over to the land of lochs and glens.

Musaic has a reputation for presenting fine choral music, interesting programming, and joy-filled performances and this program will be no exception. As well as singing folksongs from both Canada and Scotland, featured composers will include Canada’s Imant Raminsh and Allan Bevan, and Scotland’s James MacMillan.

Performances will take place on Friday, May 10th, 7:30pm at St. Saviour’s Anglican, Penticton; on Saturday, May 11th, 2:30pm at St. John’s Lutheran, Summerland; and on Sunday, May 12th, 2:30pm at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Kelowna. And what a great way to celebrate the Mother’s Day weekend than by taking your mother to a wonderful performance of choral music!

For more information about these concerts or to find out where to purchase tickets in advance , go to www.musaicvocalensemble.ca

Early bird tickets for next concert season

The South Okanagan Concert Society announces the 2019 /20 concert season. Reserve your seat now to see all four concerts, and save over 20% on the regular ticket price.

Friday October 4: OFRA HARNOY, Cello

Friday November 15: BERGMANN DUO, Piano

Friday January 31: LIZZY HOYT, Celtic folk singer

Friday March 20: MONTREAL GUITAR TRIO

Early Bird (Tickets until May 31): are $19 apiece when purchasing all 4 shows. If seeing only 2 or 3 shows in the season, tickets are $21 each. A single advance ticket is $23; and a single ticket at the door is $25. Students pay a flat rate of $2.50 per show.

All shows start at 7:30 p.m. at the Frank Venables Theatre. Tickets may be purchased in person, by phone (250-498-1626) or online at www.venablestheatre.ca

Ofra Harnoy (pictured above) has established herself as one of the great cellists on the world’s concert stage. She is one of Canada’s most celebrated personalities and is a Member of the Order of Canada. By joining the international artists roster of RCA Victor Red Seal, Ms. Harnoy became the first Canadian classical instrumental soloist since Glenn Gould to gain an exclusive worldwide contract with a major record label.

Ofra Harnoy was born in Israel and immigrated to Canada at age 6. She studied with William Pleeth, Vladimir Orloff, Mstislav Rostropovich and participated in master classes with Janos Starker, Pierre Fournier, and Jacqueline du Pré. She has given concerts on five continents and has played at the request of Prince Charles, President Bill Clinton, three Canadian Prime Ministers, and several times for the Imperial Japanese family.

Ms. Harnoy has won numerous music competitions and was the youngest first prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Award which led to her Carnegie Hall debut.

Ofra Harnoy is a gifted interpreter who wins critical raves for her performances all over the world. She has toured extensively in Europe, the Far East, Australia, and the Americas, and has performed with many of the top orchestras and most noteworthy conductors of our time. Her recording catalog spans many musical styles and genres and she has won numerous awards and distinctions for her recordings, including 5 JUNO Awards (Canada), the Grand Prix du Disque, and Critics Choice Awards from a number of international magazines. Ofra Harnoy was once named by Maclean’s (Canada’s national weekly magazine) as one of the 12 Canadian’s in all fields who bring most credit to their country.

The Bergmann Piano Duo’s dynamic and energetic performances of uniquely eclectic programmes have inspired audiences for more than two decades. Their recitals and concerts with orchestra have taken them to many parts of the world, including the United States, Italy, Germany, Holland, Greece and Canada. They garnered many awards such as first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta, Italy and at The 4th Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and have appeared at
international festivals.

The duo’s CD productions include recordings for the Arktos, KochInternational, Brilliant Classics and Naxos labels. Their extensive repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and incorporates numerous own arrangements and compositions. In addition to their performing careers they enjoy teaching and working in other capacities
of the music industry. They are Directors at the Langley Community Music School and were recently named Associate Artistic Directors of White Rock Concerts. From 2009-2013 Marcel was Professor of Music at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. They have been on faculty at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary, have been involved in various musical projects at The Banff Centre for the Arts and have served as Artistic Directors of The Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and Foundation in Miami. For a decade they were members of the Calgary-based Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, winners of the 2005 and 2006 Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Classical Recording.

Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann became a piano duo while studying with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover and later with Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt at the Université de Montréal.

Acclaimed songwriter, Lizzy Hoyt is one of Canada’s most powerful Celtic-folk artists. Known for bringing Canadian history to life with music, she was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Governor General of Canada for her outstanding contribution to commemorating Canadian veterans and Vimy Ridge history through music. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Lizzy toured for ten years as a side musician before pursuing her own projects. She has been praised for her mastery of the fiddle, guitar and harp while her voice has been described as “otherworldly”, “angelic” and “pure”. 

Throughout her career, she has released four independent albums and two music videos. Lizzy’s fourth album New Lady on the Prairie (produced by John Reischman and Lizzy Hoyt) demonstrates a mature and refined ‘trans-Atlantic’ sound that blends influences from Celtic, bluegrass and folk traditions. The title track, inspired by Lizzy’s great aunt immigrating to Canada from Ireland in the early 1900s, demonstrates her interest in historical songwriting and her ability to craft songs that are touching, poignant, and lyrically rich. The album was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award, Western Canadian Award and three Independent Music Awards. It was also named one of the Best Albums of 2014 by the Indie Acoustic Project. 

​Lizzy is a full-time musician who travels and tours throughout Canada during the year with her trio. She has performed at renowned folk festivals (Edmonton Folk Festival, Montreal Folk Festival, Goderich Celtic Roots Festivals), folk clubs (Calgary Folk Club, Nickelodeon Folk Club, Northern Lights Folk Club) and through performing arts networks across the country.

Described by the CBC as the “hottest” guitar ensemble in Canada, the Montreal Guitar Trio (MG3) has quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with, as well as an interactive force in various musical forms. For over 20 years, the trio’s virtuosity, rigour, creativity and impressive stage presence – where humour and interacting with the public go hand in hand – have been winning over audiences around the world. The trio, composed of guitarists Sébastien Dufour, Glenn Lévesque and Marc Morin, has given hundreds of concerts in some of the most prestigious venues across North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia, including the legendary Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Rundetårnet in Copenhagen and the BB King Blues Club in New York City.

Winner of the 2011 Opus Award for “concert of the year” in the Jazz & World Music category, MG3 has released six albums, including Der Prinz on Analekta label, which earned him a nomination at ADISQ 2014 for the “Instrumental Album” of the year. In January 2017, the trio launched its 7th album « Danzas » at the Théâtre Outremont in Montreal, which pays tribute to the great composers of Spanish music in the likes of Paco de Lucia and Manuel de Falla. This CD was also nominated for the album of the year at the ADISQ Gala 2017.

Throughout the years, the trio has collaborated and shared the stage with world-renowned ensembles and artists, such as the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, Jorane, Solorazaf and Don Ross. Their most memorable collaboration to date was, without a doubt, with the California Guitar Trio (CGT), when both ensembles joined forces to give an unforgettable concert, brilliantly performing some of the greatest rock classics from The Beatles, Radiohead, David Bowie, a few “spaghetti western” themes by Ennio Morricone, as well as some of their original compositions. Starting in the fall of 2010, the sextet has toured across Canada and the United States, performing in over 100 cities.