For those seeking a classical touch for Mother’s Day entertainment, this Sunday’s concert by tenor Donny Chen may be just the ticket.
Chen, 19, will perform in recital this Sunday (May 13) at 7 p.m. at the Bell Performing Arts Centre, 6250 144 St. in Surrey.
He said his repertoire will include a mixture of classical opera arias and Broadway style musical songs – backed by a 50-piece orchestra directed by Bujar Llapaj – and he’s hoping his passion for music will help inspire people to have a positive outlook on life.
“This is the first orchestra I’ve worked with,” noted the singer, who studies with well-known singer and teacher Ariel Sung.
“I’ve rehearsed with the orchestra and it sounds great – it’s a completely different experience from working with a piano.”
Audience members will find some familiar favourites in his selections from such musicals as Les Miserables and Fiddler on the Roof.
But there should be no worries about the accessibility of the program, he said, with such popular classical material as excerpts from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and Donizetti’s La Donna E Mobile.
“These are the more mainstream opera songs – there are a lot of tunes people will recognize.”
They may also recognize Chen from earlier press.
The singer, who first discovered his classical voice four years ago, was profiled in the Peace Arch News when he performed his first recital two years ago, raising $4,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of his older brother, Andrew, who had recently lost his battle with cancer.
Chen said that, through singing, he has found strength and regained his focus in life.
He said he wants each of his recitals to “demonstrate more and more what I’ve learned – it’s a demonstration of progress.”
For ticket information, call Patty Chen at 778-294-7188, or 604-866-7188.
