When Benjamin Butterfield performs a recital at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium on Friday, November 20, at 7:30 p.m., he will be joined by Sarah Hagen, one of Canada’s foremost collaborative and solo pianists.
Having grown up in Courtney, BC, Sarah now makes her home in Prince Edward Island. She has maintained a strong connection to the West Coast and has founded nine different concert series which she personally curated.
Sarah brings a creative artistic flair to her performances. She incorporates photography, dance, and the spoken word into her programs. She collaborated with Canadian Slam Poetry Champion Brendan McLeod to explore Rachmaninoff’s Preludes through poetry and storytelling. When she released her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, each variation was accompanied by a collage that reflected its spirit.
Hagen is blessed with remarkable comedic timing. She tours a humorous performance entitled, “Perk up, Pianist!” Another of her programs entitled Wonder Women! features the music of female composers, both well-known and obscure.
In Pro’ject Sound, Sarah combines the photography of community camera buffs with a musical performance. In a classroom version of Pro’ject Sound, Sarah narrates “The Story of Babar the Elephant” to the music of Poulenc. She has a long list of lecture/recital topics.
On top of all this, Sarah’s website includes a blog called Artist Wines: Uncorking musician-priced cellar secrets.
Sarah Hagen will bring her musicianship and artistic sensibility to the program with Benjamin Butterfield on November 20. She is the perfect pianist to plumb the emotional depths of Schumann and then play with the quirky and irreverent songs of Randy Newman.
Tickets are available online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com at $35 for adults and $20 for students. Call 604-289-3377 for more information.
John Wiebe
President
The Valley Concert Society