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Benjamin Beilman's return to the VRS
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Violinist Benjamin Beilman last performed for the VRS in the 2015-16 Schubertiade Festival at the Vancouver Playhouse. So powerful was his performance, we immediately booked his return as part of this season's Edwina and Paul Heller Next Generation Series. We've been counting down the days till Ben's return and it's finally here!
This coming Sunday, February 26 at 3pm, Benjamin will be joined by pianist Yekwon Sunwoo for what promises to be an afternoon of marvelous music making. Their program features works by Schubert, Janáček and Bartok.
Tickets, which start at $25, can be purchased online or by calling the VRS box office at 604.602.0363.
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The Dover Quartet with Avi Avital
In Your Words...
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Sunday's sold-out, packed-to-the-rafters performance by the Dover Quartet, who marked their VRS debut, and mandolinist Avi Avital was, as one patron described it, "sublime". We weren't surprised, of course, when the feedback started pouring in minutes after the talented musicians left the stage. Here is some of what the audience had to say:
"...thrilling from the 'get go'!"
"Words do not do justice to the pleasure and exhilaration I felt listening to this wonderful quartet with the addition of the mandolin... I heard the best of both worlds yesterday."
"I absolutely loved the recital yesterday I took my 7 year old daughter and we had a great time."
"How much better can it get?"
"We enjoyed the program, hearing each instrument highlighted by the various composers and we got an increased appreciation of the mandolin. We moved to Vancouver in 2010, one of the unexpected pleasures on settling here , is attending the varied and always good quality Vancouver Recital Society concerts."
"This was the BEST concert to date. Beautiful music and explained very well. Such a wonderful combination of the Dover Quartet and Avi Avital, such a great mesh of talents."
"It is rare for a concert to have more than one piece knock your socks off, but this happened today."
"I could have sat and listened to the whole thing again. The music was fresh and refreshing, full of varied colours, and the joy of the musicians in music-making was contagious."
"You should have heard all the Wows! in my row in the Centre Orchestra back. It was one of those recitals you don't want to end..."
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Leila has been very busy over the last few weeks. That's probably not surprising, given the upcoming announcement of our 2017-18 Season and the fact that we've had (or have) concerts virtually every weekend between February 19 and March 19. But as the saying goes: if you want something done, give it to the busiest person in the room. So to add to her busy schedule, Leila is on the screening jury for the 2017 Concours Musical International de Montréal (CMIM). When not attending VRS concerts, she has been listening to the 300+ entrants in the competition's first round.
Over the years, the VRS has presented several laureates of the competition, including Benjanim Beilman, who returns to our series this coming weekend, soprano Measha Brueggergosman and pianist Beatrice Rana.
As a screening jurist, Leila will travel to Montréal in May to hear the final round of the competition, and she'd LOVE to have you join her! The good people at CMIM have put together a special package for the VRS which includes accommodation, concert tickets and buffet breakfasts. Space is limited, so if you're interested, don't delay! Join Leila in Montréal this May and maybe you'll get a glimpse of what's to come in the 2018-19 Season, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
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