George Sipos

In the jazz world we have become accustomed, at least since the days of Louis Armstrong, to think of the trumpet as a lyrical instrument. But in the classical realm the common image of the trumpet is of something loud and brassy that goes tootle-toot in the back of the orchestra. ArtSpring’s second Gallery Cabaret of the season on Thursday Jan 24 seeks to dispel this misconception. Vancouver trumpeter Dan Kocurek and pianist Christine Eggert present a wide variety of music showcasing the trumpet in its role as a chamber instrument. Both musicians are recent graduates of the UBC Faculty of Music and work in various facets of the busy Vancouver music scene. Christine, who has a Masters in Piano Performance, teaches at the Vancouver International School of Music and performs widely. Dan, originally from the US and with degrees from the University of Oregon and UBC, is a former member of the prestigious Dallas Brass and plays frequently with the Vancouver Island Symphony,…

Ballet Victoria returns to ArtSpring Sunday, March 25 with an afternoon of dance that includes visual art, poetry, and choreography. First there will be Paul Destrooper’s new work The Four Seasons which combines Vivaldi’s music with West Coast native legends as we follow two ravens through the seasons of a mystical relationship. The dance is accompanied by art from four first nations artists and haikus written by Victoria poet Linda Rogers and read by the Nonourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of BC. Both music and spoken word for this work are recorded. Then pianist Sarah Hagen performs several Chopin Preludes live on our Steinway to accompany Sandrine Cassini’s choreographed exploration of Chopin’s life and artistic achievement. As Ballet BC puts it, this is “a unique show celebrating the West Coast and its multi-cultural, multi artistic community showcasing local international stars.” The performance starts at 2:30pm on Sunday, March 25. Tickets are availab…

One of the greatest pianists Canada has ever known visits ArtSpring on Tuesday, March 20 for a 7:00pm concert. Quebec pianist André Laplante has been honoured in almost every major competition over the years, from the International Tchaikovsky Competition to the Sydney and Long-Thibaud Compeitions. He has won several Juno awards for his recordings and has performed around the world from Carnegie Hall to China. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to classical music. He is known widely as a specialist in the music of Franz Liszt and Maurice Ravel. At his ArtSpring concert M. Laplante will play Liszt’s monumental Les Annees de Pelerinage, as well as works by Bach, Mozart and Ravel. “In recent times,” says ArtSpring Executive Director George Sipos, “we have presented some amazing young pianists near the beginning of their careers – Joyce Yang, Di Wu, Mariangella Vacatello. This time we get to hear from one of the world’s seasoned …