Toronto’s Cantabile Chamber Singers will present a concert titled Light Of Hope on March 2 that will include the world première of a piece by composer Kevin Lau. Dr. Kevin Lau’s work for SATB choir is titled Stained Glass Windows Through Cathedral.
Stained Glass Windows Through Cathedral is a work in three movements, written to a text by Manahil Bandukwala. Completed in 2022, the work was commissioned by Cantabile Chamber Singers, and it fits perfectly with the concert’s theme of returning light.
Along with Lau’s piece, the program includes work by Durufle, Bruckner, Stephanie Martin and other Canadian composers.
Dr. Kevin Lau
The catch phrase “rising star” is over-used in our hype-driven era, yet it represents a concept that’s definitely applicable to composer/pianist Kevin Lau. Over the last few months alone, his work has been performed by ensembles from Texas to Prince Edward Island, including the National Arts Centre, and his Kimiko’s Pearl Symphonic Poem, a TSO co-commission, will get its world première in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 season.
In September 2023, he released a well received debut album of original compositions on Leaf Records titled Veil Of Stars, featuring the St. John-Mercer-Park Trio. It adds to his growing discography, including the JUNO-nominated Spin Cycle on the Centrediscs label.
Kevin is a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he earned his doctoral degree under the supervision of noted composer Christos Hatzis. He went on to become the Affiliate Composer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra from 2012 to 2015. He’s written several works for the TSO since then.
In addition to North America, his works, including orchestral, chamber music, and opera, have been also been performed in France, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
He’s become known for his ballet scores in particular, including Kimiko’s Pearl. In 2016, Kevin composed the score for the National Ballet of Canada’s original full-length ballet Le Petit Prince. In 2017, he received the Victor Martyn Lynn-Staunton Award by the Canada Council for Outstanding Achievement.
Kevin has also written the scores to several films, and works as a professor at Humber College’s Media and Creative Arts Faculty.
- Tickets to the March 2 concert are available [HERE].
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