Reflections from the President

At first blush, there couldn’t be a greater contrast. The man was unassuming. The artist was sensational. The man was short. The artist was towering .The man mumbled at times. The artist communicated with passion and clarity. Charles Richard-Hamelin embodied … Read More

  It was a trio. But every memory of Thursday’s concert returns unerringly to one face. The three of them played with brilliance and passion. But one of them played with the audience. Vladimir Volokhin was an absolute wizard with … Read More

  A large audience filled the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium last Thursday for the concert by Casa Diva and left feeling warmed and happy. There was much to savour as the notes faded and the applause finally ended. There was the … Read More

One of the things that regular concert goers come to expect is that the instruments the performers use will be familiar to them. We get used to the piano, the violin, the cello, the trumpet, the clarinet, the oboe, the … Read More

There is a form of two-piano entertainment, often including singing, which is promoted as “dueling pianos”. It embodies a sense of rivalry and competition. One-upmanship becomes a game between the participants. We had two pianos at the Matsqui Centennial Auditorium … Read More

Here is an octet of random thoughts about an octet of cellos (and a post script as an encore). Where did that sellout come from? We have had very good audiences this year, all about the same size. There was … Read More

We have just enjoyed an evening of great music brilliantly performed. It has become my custom recently to reflect on the music or the performers or some other aspect of the presentation from the stage. Today I wish to turn … Read More

When people debate whether a contemporary work of art is truly great or not, someone is sure to put off the final assessment into the future by appealing to the test of time. “History will judge.” And so History has … Read More