JUNO Award-winning cellist Elinor Frey will make her debut with the London Symphonia in a program of 18th century music. The concert, titled An Elegant Fire, features work by C.P.E. Bach, Luigi Boccherini and Joseph Haydn, and can be experienced in person or streamed online on May 4.
“In this concert we are focusing on music in the ‘Galant’ style — music that lands between the baroque and classical eras. C.P.E. Bach, Boccherini and Haydn each wrote passionate music to showcase their colleagues’ virtuosity. Elinor is a fiery and passionate performer at the top of her game. With a terrific combination like this, An Elegant Fire will be a memorable musical experience for the performers and audience alike,” said Andrew Chung, artistic producer of London Symphonia, in a statement.
Elinor will also be leading London Symphonia as she performs.
“I can hardly wait to be in Metropolitan United when London’s audiences discover the incredible array of symphonies and concertos that we will play in An Elegant Fire,” said Elinor Frey. “Boccherini has long been one of my top composers… what charm! What brilliance! CPE Bach, I think, deserves a bigger place in our musical lives. Both he and Haydn let the entire orchestra sparkle through both natural ease and vigorous spirit!”
“London Symphonia excels at performing early music. There are certain artistic collaborators that we get particularly excited about, not just because of their virtuosity on their particular instrument, but because of their deep knowledge and willingness to share. Elinor Frey is one such performer. We’re looking forward immensely to working with Elinor,” said Chung.
Cellist Elinor Frey
Elinor Frey was born in Seattle, and is currently based in Montréal, where she has established a career as a cellist and gambist, and also as a researcher. She is the artistic director of Accademia de’ Dissonanti, an organization devoted to both performance and research.
As a musician, she has performed in recital throughout North and South America, and in Europe, with ensembles such as Constantinople, Les idées heureuses, Il Gardellino, Tafelmusik, Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and many others.
Her recording Early Italian Cello Concertos won the 2023 JUNO award for Classical Album of the Year (small ensemble).
She is the recipient of the US-Italy Fulbright Fellowship, and a recent research residency at the Orpheus Institute in Ghent. Elinor holds degrees from McGill, Mannes, and Juilliard, and teaches Baroque cello and performance practice at McGill University and the Université de Montréal. Along with her JUNO, Frey was awarded Québec’s Opus Prize for “Performer of the Year” in 2021.
Elora Festival: Elinor Frey Plays Bach (July 13)
Along with her performance in London, area Baroque lovers can catch her at the Elora Festival this summer, as part of a full day of Bach celebrations. She’ll be performing J.S. Bach’s Cello Suites, written around 1720 during the period when Bach was at the Court at Cöthen. Today, they’re considered part of the essential repertoire for cello.
Find more information, and in-person or online tickets for the London Symphonia concert on May 4 [HERE] and the Elora Festival [HERE]. The May 4 livestream can also be viewed on demand until May 30.
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