Sounds of Beethoven coming to Cleland

The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra welcomes Canadian pianist Ian Parker back to the OSO stage for three weekend performances in a show that will celebrate the music of Beethoven.

Magnetic, easy-going and delightfully articulate, Parker captivates audiences wherever he goes. He has appeared with the philharmonic orchestras of Buffalo, Calgary and Louisiana, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom and the symphonies of Cincinnati, Edmonton, Honolulu, Kitchener-Waterloo, Long Beach, Washington DC, Quebec City, Regina, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Virginia and Winnipeg.

An enthusiastic recitalist, Parker has performed across the U.S., Western Europe, Israel, and throughout Canada on tours with Debut Atlantic and Jeunesses Musicales du Canada. He made his Lincoln Center recital debut at the Walter Reade Theater in 2004.

During his appearance in the current season, Parker will play recitals presented by Camerata Musica and the North Okanagan Community Concerts Association. He will also perform with the Vogler Quartet in a concert presented by Chamber Music Vancouver, and will collaborate for the first time with the Borealis Quartet during a tour of the Vancouver islands.

The three weekend shows include a Saturday night performance at Penticton’s Cleland Theatre. Tickets are $56.25 (adults), $49 (seniors) and $26.75 (youth) and available by phone at 888-974-9170, in person at the Shatford Centre or online at www.okanagansymphony.com.

“Beethoven was a genius. His music kicked open the door of the romantic era, imbuing the orchestral sound with more power than it had ever had before,” said OSO music director Rosemary Thomson.

“We show off his many moods from the drama of the Coriolan Overture to the exuberance and great beauty of the Symphony No. 7. Okanagan favourite Ian Parker returns for the Emperor Concerto where the OSO will race him to the end.”