The Kamloops Symphony Orchestra’s (KSO) first concert of the 2019-20 season is Romantic Elements, taking place on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 pm in The Nexus at First United Church.
The performance will be a special one for the Salmon Arm audience as a piece from local composer Jean Ethridge starts off the show.
Romantic Elements will take the listener on a musical journey beginning with Ethridge’s piece entitled, Four Elements (earth, water, air, and fire). The performance then moves on to the bursting energy of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1, and concludes with the lyrical beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
According to a concert announcement from the symphony, Ethridge has written many fine works, ranging from well-crafted miniatures to a full-length opera. Her main mentor was Dr. Jean Coulthard at UBC. Later, she studied briefly with Murray Adaskin, Violet Archer and Oskar Morawetz. Canada Council Grants allowed her to study for a year at the Royal College of Music, London, England.
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In 2002, Ethridge was Composer in Residence at Studea Musica in Quebec. The senior Dalcroze Eurhythmics class choreographed Water from the Elements, which was described as “breathtaking.” Originally composed for piano duo, the KSO has commissioned Ethridge to orchestrate four of the Elements for this concert.
Joining the KSO to perform Tchaikovsky’s concerto is Canadian violinist Timothy Chooi, who has been described as “the miracle.” Chooi has won numerous awards for his playing, including the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hannover, Germany, and the Schadt Violin Competition in the US. Along with winning top international prizes, he has contributed his violin performances in global peace events such as the Asian Heritage Day Gala in collaboration with the Government of Canada.
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Chooi has been performing alongside his older brother Nikki, who is also a violinist, as The Chooi Brothers for more than five years. The pair are dedicated to bringing performances to remote regions of the world where classical music is still rare. Most recently, they have completed a project of performing 10 concerts in isolated communities across Western Canada. Chooi is currently pursuing his Masters of Music at the Juilliard School.
Tickets for the Sept. 27 show are $32 in advance or $35 at the door, $10 for youth under 19 and for $15 KSOundcheck members (age 19-34), and can be purchased from Kamloops Live! Box Office at 250-374-5483, or at www.kamloopslive.ca starting Tuesday, Sept. 3. Tickets will also be available at Wearabouts Salmon Arm and at the door.
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