VIPS EXCITED FOR 2021
From the opera to the venerable VSO, big moves are afoot on the classical music scene
We are moving on inexorably into 2021, so what better time to ask a quartet of Vancouver's classical music VIPs for their prognostications about the year ahead?
Fresh from its fall streaming successes, let's start with Vancouver Opera and its new(ish) general manager Tom Wright, who has big plans: “Vancouver Opera is looking forward to 2021 as we continue our digital season with our Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists and their first production, The Music Shop by composer Richard Wargo. This will be an entertaining and fun production with a digital premiere on March 13. Our final production of our digital season will be La Tragedie de Carmen, Peter Brook's and Marius Constant's groundbreaking reimagining of Bizet's beloved masterpiece, premiering on May 1. Brenna Corner, alumni of our young artists program, returns to direct this production.
“We are also thrilled to announce the free online release of a double bill of two Richard Wagner pieces, Siegfried Idyll and Wesendonck Lieder. It's a perfect release for Valentine's Day.
“Finally, this spring and summer, once the weather turns nice and we are able to perform outdoors, VO will be out in the Lower Mainland with pop-up opera performances.”
At Early Music Vancouver, Suzie LeBlanc is scarcely in the door as the new artistic and executive director. Even so, she offered wise words about the power of music in our complicated time.
“Artists propose different ways for us to see our world. In these unprecedented times, as we face a pandemic, racism, inequality and environmental challenges, more than ever we need the courage and relevance of art. We have much to learn from Early Music's adaptability and brilliant capacity to reinvent itself. One of my goals will be to help raise undervalued voices from the past and new voices reaching to the future, and to make room for conversations between cultures that can both enlighten and heal. While we finish Matthew White's brilliantly programmed season, I will begin to search for artists to inspire us and create meaningful experiences that shine the light of ancient music and contemporary thinking on the challenges we now face.
“This year will be one of appreciation for each other, for our connections, for music, and the joy it brings to our lives.”
Leila Getz founded the Vancouver Recital Society 40 years ago and has brought in top artists ever since. She's also in daily — one might even say, hourly — touch with an international network of artists, administrators and agents.
“In a curious way the fact that we have been separated from our audiences over the past 10 months has in fact, brought us closer together — through weekly e-newsletters which contain stories, and Zoom conversations with musicians and VRS friends from all over the world.
“As young talent is in the DNA of the VRS, we have filmed performances by two young B.C. pianists, and in the first quarter of 2021 we shall curate a series of concerts, filmed in London, for the VRS by young artists over there on whom we have our eyes and ears. These are gifts of gratitude for our family of supporters.”
The last word goes to Otto Tausk, music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
“I am very optimistic that we can do big symphonic repertoire again for live audiences during the next year. We will share the unique experience of rediscovering the sound of 70 musicians performing together in perfect synchronicity!” he said.
“And there will be much Mozart. We will launch 2021 with a month of Mozart that I think you will very much enjoy. I hope that we continue to record and stream. Even in normal times many people cannot make it to the concert hall. We intend to maintain this new connection.
“Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!”