Young violinist joins KWS for pair of concerts
A rising star, Benjamin Beilman to perform with local symphony in presentation of works by Jean Sibelius
HAVING PLAYED WITH
ORCHESTRAS all over the world, up and coming violinist Benjamin Beilman will be taking the stage with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Beilman is one of the hottest violinists in the classical music world, having won plenty of awards for his music and skill. He has played with the Philadelphia Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, with the Chicago Symphony and many more across Europe and North America.
The K-W Symphony has been trying to book him for two years, and now, music director Edwin Outwater says they are thrilled to have him on their stage.
“We are very excited and we are very lucky to have him here,” he said. “We are introducing the Region of Waterloo to one of the most exciting young violinists in the world right now.”
On both Feb. 17 and 18, Outwater will be conducting the symphony ensemble and Beilman on a trip through famed Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ best works. Sibelius is one of Outwater’s favourite composers, and he says he can’t wait to share the beauty of his music with the audiences at the symphony.
“I would say that what I really love about Sibelius is that his music is incredibly deep. It is an emotional and transporting experience to listen to his music,” he shared. “It very much mirrors being out in nature, that feeling you get from listening to Sibelius’ music is very similar to some of the most breathtaking moments outdoors that a lot of people experience in their lives.”
Outwater will be adding a visual aspect of the show, helping classical musiclovers really get into the mood for Sibelius.
“These are obviously great works of art that we are playing and they have incredible depth and many, many layers, various meanings that are possible and they can make different impressions on different people,” he said. “Sometimes after just one listen, and just one live experience it can leave people in all sorts of different states, so what I do in Kitchener-Waterloo sometimes, is give a quick overview of the pieces and it is more about how I personally feel about the music than a lecture. It is more about sharing than teaching. We use visual aids there, with images. The music is full of imagery and we want to unlock the audiences’ imagination and kind of affirm the feeling they may have while they are hearing the sounds.”
He hopes the audience takes the feeling they get at the performances with them everywhere they go.
“You go to a movie or hear a piece of music or see a play and you go home to sleep and you want them to dream about it, really. For me, the combination of those images we are showing, and the sounds they heard to combine and gestate in their imagination. I want it to stay with them.”
The two performances are on Feb. 17 and 18, and start at 8 p.m. at Kitchener’s Centre In The Square. Both will feature Beilman and his violin. Tickets start at $29 for adults and $13 for kids. They can be purchased by visiting www. tickets.kwsymphony.ca or by calling 519-745-4711.