September, much like January, is a time of new beginnings. The coming season of the Valley Concert Society is just around the corner. This is your opportunity to schedule six evenings that will inspire and delight you through the long dark months ahead.
The season will open on Friday, October 16, with Vancouver’s Pacific Baroque Orchestra, one of Canada’s finest ensembles playing on period instruments. Their program of night music will open and close with beloved serenades by Mozart.
On November 20, Canadian tenor Benjamin Butterfield and pianist Sarah Hagen will bring a creative program of song cycles by Robert Schumann and Randy Newman, the famed American composer of film scores and popular music.
Fire and Grace and Ash, a trio featuring violin, classical guitar, and mandolin, will present another program of music that spans centuries on February 12. They will bring a magical blend of everything from Bach to American fiddle tunes, from waltzes to folk music.
On March 5, violinist Karl Stobbe from Winnipeg and pianist Paul Williamson, a native of Mission and a former VCS bursary winner, both have personal connections to this community and will include music that has personal connections for them.
The Danish cellist Jonathan Swensen is a rising star. He will be joined by the great Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen to bring the music of Fauré, Chopin, and more on April 9.
Italian pianist Federico Colli, a deeply thoughtful and creative musician, will close our season on April 30 with a solo recital that opens with Scarlatti and closes with Mozart.
Subscribe online at www.valleyconcertsociety.com for the very affordable rate of $150 for adults or $140 for seniors. The student subscription is $60.
All the concerts are at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium at 32315 South Fraser Way in Abbotsford. They begin at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-concert talk in the foyer at 6:50 p.m.
John Wiebe - President
The Valley Concert Society