From August 4 to 18, four concerts will bring an international roster of musicians to the green hills of Caledon for the Caledon Music Festival. The Festival offers a mix of the familiar and the new, well known artists and works alongside hidden gems, and works that offer stories to go along with the music.
The concerts take place on Sundays and Wednesdays in various venues, each offering a unique experience.
“This year, the festival becomes an amazing, colourful canvas, bringing to life stories, emotions and the experiences that make us human, all through the power of music. With an incredible lineup of artists from around the world, we’re diving straight into stories that cover everything life throws at us,” says artistic director Terry Lim.
Here’s a look at the lineup.
The Caledon Music Festival: Concerts
Friends of Chamber Music | Alton Mills Arts Centre, August 4
This concert spotlights some of the greatest operatic arias of the classical repertoire, including works by Rachmaninoff, Dvorak, Bellini and Puccini interpreted by soprano Emily Vondrejsova. Emily is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University, where she earned a BMus in Vocal Performance, and an Opera Diploma. A laureate for Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques with Théatre Lyrichorégra 20 for the 2021-2022 season, Emily has also studied at the Musical Horizons Conservatory in Athens, and recently performed at the Lefkas Music Festival.
The program includes a variety of other works. Johannes Brahms composed his String Quintet No. 2 in G major, Op. 111, in 1890, and published it in 1891. It’s also known as the Prater Quintet, and uses a two violins/two violas/ one cello combination. One of his later works, it contains all the iconic elements of his style, including Hungarian folk elements in the finale.
The Emperor and the Bird of Paradise, a piece for flute and narrator by British composer Alan Ridout (1934 to 1996). It’s a story about imprisonment, contrasted by freedom and happiness, and it’s often compared to Prokofiev’s popular Peter and the Wolf.
Canadian Ryan Davis, aka Radia, has taken the often neglected viola to new heights in the role of innovative performer and composer. Classically trained, he blends that background with electronic, hip-hop and folk music.
He’s performed in Koerner Hall and featured on ABC Channel 7 News in LA, and has collaborated with The Gryphon Trio, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, among others. Ryan is Assistant Professor, Viola, at the University of British Columbia’s School of Music in Vancouver.
He’ll be performing original compositions.
Tasting Notes | Davis Family Farm, August 7
When it comes to music festivals, the setting often adds another dimension to concerts and events. Music, drinks, and gorgeous views of the Davis Family Sunflower Farm come together for a memorable experience. The Davis farm offers the opportunity to stroll through 60 acres of giant sunflowers in full bloom, row upon row of golden beauties.
The musical program includes:
- Sonata Latino for flute and piano by Mike Mower, a piece that incorporates elements of salsa, rumba, tango, bossa nova, and merengue;
- Gershwin’s Prelude No. 1, and ‘The Man I Love’ for solo piano;
- Three Dances for two flutes and piano by Gary Schocker, a prominent New York based flutist and composer, who wrote the piece in a playful style that flutists have come to love;
- Boris Kerner, for cello and flower pots, by Caroline Shaw (German author Boris Kerner notes “the detail of the pattern is in the movement” in describing the piece);
- Claude Bolling’s crossover classic Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano, written for flute and jazz trio of piano, bass and drums.
Please Note: With grass seating, you’ll have to bring lawn chairs, blankets and cushions.
Cello Recital | Caledon East United Church, August 14
Cello virtuoso Daniel Hamin Go and pianist Ben Smith perform an unusual program that includes:
- Rachmaninoff: Sonata for cello & piano in G minor, Op. 19);
- Robert Schumann: Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70;
- Caroline Shaw: In manus tuas (based on a 16th century motet by Thomas Tallis);
- Anna Pidgorna: Grief Cycles.
With a music education that has spanned five countries and six institutions, Daniel Hamin Go has developed an international career as a soloist. He has performed throughout North America and Europe, and collaborated with artists such as Jonathan Biss, Rachel Podger, Fazil Say, and Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, among many others.
He’s performed at prominent venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, and Konzerthaus Berlin, and at several music festivals worldwide. Daniel is also an avid chamber musician, and founded the Duo Beattie-Go with guitarist Tim Beattie, and Duo Therrien-Go with pianist Jean-Luc Therrien.
Pianist Benjamin Smith is a member of the faculty at The Glenn Gould School and Taylor Academy with a speciality in chamber music performance. A laureate of the Dublin International Piano Competition, the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, and the CMC Stepping Stone Competition, among others, Benjamin has performed across North America. He has collaborated with the New Juilliard Ensemble, the Las Vegas Young Artists Orchestra, the Ontario Philharmonic, Orchestra London, and other ensembles.
Passions and Storms | Alton Mill Arts Centre, August 18
Young artists Kai Rousseau and Daria Skibitskaya on violin, and Mobin Naeini on viola will join the rest of the Festival artists in a concert. The program:
- Max Richter: Vivaldi Recomposed — Summer, a work that’s both familiar and new, featuring violinist Sophia Szokolay (currently completing her Doctorate at the New England Conservatory);
- Kevin Lau: Joy, a song without words performed by violin and solo orchestra, and featuring violinist Luri Lee (Assistant Principal Second Violin with the TSO, and founding member of the Rolston String Quartet)
- Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48, one of the composer’s darkly romantic and melancholic works.
The full roster of Festival artists includes: Douglas Kwon, violin; ; Sarah Kim, violin; Luri Lee, violin; Sophia Szokolay, violin; Ryan Davis, viola; Caleb Georges, viola; Hez Leung, viola; Amahl Arulanandam, cello; Daniel Hamin Go, cello; Songhee Lee, cello; Michael Chiarello, double bass; Terry Lim, flute; Sarah Moon, flute; Emily Vondrejsova, soprano; Jamie Drake, percussion; Joonghun Cho, piano; .Ben Smith, piano
More information about the Festival, and ticket sales, [HERE].
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.