There’s no place like home for Trevor Hoffman.
Hoffman, an award-winning pianist, composer, and producer, has been touring North America with Vivace, a modern and thrilling combination of four unique and exceptional singers who fuse classical and opera with pop.
The group just completed one of its most successful tours to date in February, making stops in Toronto, New York, Miami, New Orleans and Nashville.
On May 31, Hoffman and Vivace will take the stage at the Maple Ridge Alliance Church to perform in the city where the pianist first found his love for music.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be coming back here to play,” said Hoffman, who left Maple Ridge and moved to Vancouver when he was 18 in order to pursue his musical career.
“This is where I grew up and so much of my musical development took place. My family and friends are still here, so it’s exciting to come home and bring Vivace with me.”
Hoffman has worked extensively with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, where he is currently composer in residence. As well, Hoffman keeps busy on projects with the Prince George Symphony Orchestra, specializing in creating syntheses across classical and contemporary genres.
Hoffman has also lent his talents to TV and film, where he has helped orchestrate feature films for Alan Menkin, and has recently completed the first season of the Disney animation series Dr. Dimension Pants, as a co-writer alongside Daniel Ingram and Caleb Chan.
Side projects aside, the former Maple Ridge resident devotes most of his time traveling North America with the classical crossover group Vivace, serving as pianist and musical director.
Based primarily out of Vancouver, Vivace consists of Melody Courage, Tiffany Desrosiers, Marc Devigne and Michael Ciufo. They started merging their talents in 2010, performing at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Since then, they have gone on to tour extensively through the United States and Canada, captivating audiences everywhere they go.
He said the band’s unique sound is an act unlike any Maple Ridge will have experienced. Hoffman describes it as a modern and thrilling combination of four unique and exceptional singers that fuse classical and opera with pop.
“Melody is a coloratura soprano who can go way up into the stratosphere,” said Hoffman. “It’s a real special group of musicians we’ve assembled.”
Alongside touring with Vivace, Hoffman is also a founding member of Smash Music Productions, an Emmy-nominated team whose song albums for TV have reached No. 9 worldwide.
While touring is his first love, Hoffman said the band is excited to get into the studio in fall to work on a new album and creating new videos. He said the members are buoyed by the fact they are close to signing a sponsorship deal with Steinway Pianos that will only help increase the band’s sound and exposure.
Showtime is May 31 at 7 p.m. at the Maple Ridge Alliance Church, 20399 Dewdney Trunk Rd. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door or by calling 604-813-5256.
