Saturday, April 27, 2024
7:30 p.m.
Historic Pendennis Building (www.pendennisbuilding.com)
9660 Jasper Ave, Edmonton (easy parking)
HOUSE OF BACH – SWEET SUITES
6 cellists, 6 rooms, 6 suites
For this unique and memorable concert, the audience will be divided into groups and move from room to room to hear all of Bach’s spectacular cello suites. Each cellist will perform in their own room and play their suite 6 times, each time for a different audience.
Musicians:
Josephine van Lier, baroque cello (Suite #5)
Julie Hereish, baroque cello (Suite #6)
Rafael Hoekman, baroque cello (Suite #4)
Ronda Metszies , baroque cello (Suite #2)
Meran Currie-Roberts, cello (Suite #3)
Sointu Aalto, baroque cello (Suite #1)
You can attend these CONCERT IN PERSON
AND
We offer the opportunity to attend this CONCERT VIRTUALLY 24 hours after the live concert, through professional, multi-camera, high-quality private stream. The event will remain online for ticket holders for 7 days after the performance.
If you bought a streaming ticket but would like to come in person, make sure to contact info@earlymusicalberta.ca so that we can put you on the in-person list for that concert, provided we haven’t reached capacity. The same goes for the reverse situation: if you bought in-person but perhaps feel unwell, or prefer to stay home; just let us know and you will get the streaming link, and free up more space for someone wanting to attend in person.
If you would like to attend the concert and/or would like to watch it virtually, please purchase the ticket(s) below
JOSEPHINE VAN LIER – BACH SUITE NO. 5 – baroque cello
Biography of Josephine van Lier
Josephine van Lier is a Dutch cellist and viola da gambist who has called Edmonton, Alberta, Canada her home since 1995. Born with an insatiable passion for music and a profound dedication to historically informed performance practice, Josephine has built a remarkable career that encompasses both the “traditional” classical and early worlds of music.
A versatile musician and educator, Josephine’s repertoire is as diverse as her instrument collection. She is equally comfortable performing on historic instruments like the baroque cello, a 5-string violoncello piccolo, a 7-string bass viola da gamba, a violone, or a tenor or treble gamba, as she is on their modern counterparts. Her collection spans over 400 years of instrument design, construction, and materials. This extraordinary range of instruments and bows allows her to explore a vast array of musical repertoire, pushing the boundaries of music performance.
Josephine’s profound musicality and dedication to historical accuracy have earned her international acclaim. One notable achievement is her 4-disc recording of the Bach cello suites, which has received accolades in leading publications worldwide. Reviews in Strad Magazine, Oxford Early Music, and a prestigious “Editor’s Choice” five-star rating from London’s “Early Music Today” serve as a testament to her exceptional artistry and commitment to the authenticity of the music.
Beyond her performance career, Josephine van Lier is also a driving force in the world of early music. She is the founder and artistic director of Early Music Alberta, an organization dedicated to promoting and fostering historically informed performance practices. This institution has been instrumental in organizing concert series and an annual early music festival in Edmonton, showcasing the beauty and significance of early music.
As a passionate and active performer, Josephine continuously seeks out challenging and exciting projects. Her artistic journey has taken her across North America, Asia, and Europe, where she captivates audiences with her enchanting interpretations of both familiar and lesser-known musical masterpieces. Her excellence extends beyond the stage, as she is much sought after for performing, adjudicating festivals, teaching masterclasses, holding lectures, and directing workshops on historically informed performance practice.
Josephine’s contributions to the world of music and her tireless advocacy for early music have been recognized with the “Celebration of Women in the Arts Award” from the Edmonton Arts Council. This accolade underscores her significant impact on the local cultural landscape and her dedication to the arts.
For more information about Josephine van Lier and her musical journey, you can visit her official website at www.josephinevanlier.com. Through her unwavering dedication to early music and her extraordinary talent, Josephine continues to inspire and enrich the world of classical and baroque music.
JULIE HEREISH – BACH SUITE NO. 6 – violoncello piccolo
Biography of July Hereish
Julie Hereish pursued her studies in Montreal and then in Vienna, Austria. In the Fall of 2019, she joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello. Previously, she held the same position in the Québec Symphony Orchestra. Julie is a member and co-founder of the High Level Trio and the Garneau String Quartet, both based in Edmonton. The GSQ is the quartet in residence at Grant MacEwan University’s Conservatory of Music, where it holds the Chamber Music Academy program for young music students. The High Level Trio will soon release the first world recording of John Estacio’s Navigations for String Trio, a new commission from the group. The HLT also runs a chamber music concert series called High Level Trio & Friends
Julie has performed extensively with the chamber orchestra Violons du Roy in Québec City and throughout Europe and North America. Together with actor Pierre Mayer, Julie created Charlot et Mlle Cello, a theatrical concert experience for children based on Charlie Chaplin’s famous character. This project was presented with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in May 2023.
Julie’s main pandemic project was the birth of her two daughters, and learning how to play the viola da gamba! Being in isolation with husband and violist Keith Hamm also led to the start of The New Cohort. The duet went on tour in the Maritimes with Debut Atlantic in the Fall of 2022. Julie is excited to be performing for the first time her favourite Bach Suite (6th!) on a 5 string piccolo cello!
MERAN CURRIE-ROBERTS – BACH SUITE NO. 3 – cello
Biography of Meran Curry-Roberts
Originally from Victoria BC, Meran Currie-Roberts has had a successful career across Canada as a cellist, fundraiser, arts administrator and teacher. She is currently the Executive Director of the Health Arts Society of Alberta as well as a cellist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Meran has played for the Edmonton Recital Society, Festival of the Sound, Elora Festival, Festival Ibero Americano, Music at Port Milford, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Kincardine Festival and Festival Vancouver. She made her solo debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2020, playing Jocelyn Morlock’s Solace. She is also a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton.
After graduating with a B.Mus and M.Mus from the University of Toronto, Meran was an active cellist and teacher in the Toronto area. She frequently appeared with the Kitchener-Waterloo, Thunder Bay, and Windsor Symphonies as well as a five-year stint playing for the Toronto production of The Lion King! Meran moved to Winnipeg with her young family in 2009, quickly establishing herself with an appointment as Dean of the Manitoba Conservatory of Music and Arts. She was responsible for a music faculty of over forty teachers, as well as programming for locations in Winnipeg and Steinbach, MB. With a subsequent move to Calgary in 2011, Meran was initially responsible for the education and outreach programs at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Her fundraising success led to an invitation to move to Alberta Ballet, where she managed and individual giving. Throughout her years as a full-time administrator, Meran continued to play cello, performing with the Winnipeg Symphony and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras. With her family’s move to Edmonton in 2015, Meran was delighted to join the rich cultural fabric that is our city.
In 2016, along with a dedicated board, Meran established the Health Arts Society of Alberta (HASA) as an active musical force in Alberta. HASA is a registered charity that brings over 400 professional concerts to elders in care annually. With a roster of over 100 of Alberta’s finest musicians and more than 50 partner care facilities, the organization subsidizes the cost of professional artists so that marginalized elders have access to the same high-quality music that the general public enjoys.
Meran joined the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra after a successful audition in 2018. She is thrilled to “get back to her roots” as a cellist while continuing to further her administrative career and the mandate of the Health Arts Society. In addition to her work with HASA and the ESO, Meran is a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta and is on faculty at the MacEwan Conservatory of Music. She spends her spare time with her two children, training for marathons, baking bread and visiting her public library branch at least twice a week to support her reading habit.
RAFAEL HOEKMAN – BACH SUITE NO. 4 – baroque cello
Biography of Rafael Hoekman
Hailed as a “Rock Star of the Cello” and noted for his “spirited and fiery performances,” Rafael Hoekman’s varied career as a soloist, teacher, chamber musician and orchestral cellist has taken him on a journey across Canada.
Rafael grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland and began his musical training with his parents at the age of three. His principal teachers were Theo Weber in St. John’s, Yuli Turovsky in Montreal, and he completed his Master’s Degree with Shauna Rolston at the University of Toronto. With his appointment to the position of Principal Cello for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Rafael has come full circle – his father was born in Lethbridge, and his mother was born in Conrad, Montana, a short drive from the Canadian border.
As a young soloist, Rafael first attracted attention by winning First Prize at the Orford International Competition. This award led to performances of the Boccherini Concerto with I Musici de Montreal and a subsequent CD on the Amberola Label. In quick succession, Rafael garnered awards from competitions including the Montreal Symphony Competition, the CMC Stepping Stones Competition, the Debut Young Artist Competition and the Quebec Symphony’s Canadian Concerto Competition. In addition to performing with I Musici de Montreal, Rafael has appeared as soloist with the Edmonton Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, the Quebec Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, the Red Deer Symphony, the Newfoundland Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, the Sudbury Symphony, and the Etobicoke Philharmonic.
As a chamber musician and founding member of the Tokai String Quartet, Rafael won Fourth Prize in the Banff International String Quartet Competition as well as the Felix Galimir Chamber Music Award and the Sir Ernest MacMillan Grant for a young Canadian chamber ensemble. Rafael’s chamber music performances have been featured on several national broadcasts for the CBC. He has been heard all across Canada on tours for Jeunesses Musicales, Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut. He counts as his chamber music partners James Ehnes, James Campbell, Alexander Tselyakov, Anton Kuerti, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, and Jamie Parker. Prior to joining the Edmonton Symphony as Principal Cello in 2015, Rafael was a member of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and held assistant principal positions with both the Winnipeg and Windsor Symphony Orchestras. He has also held positions with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra (Principal Cello), Orchestra London Canada and Sinfonia Toronto (principal cello) and has played frequently with the Detroit and Toronto Symphony Orchestras. He is also currently Principal Cello of the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton.
Rafael is a passionate teacher and enjoys working with aspiring cellists as a faculty member at the University of Alberta and has a very active private studio of younger cellists. His students have won many honors and awards and several of them are poised to become successful professional cellists themselves. Rafael gets very excited whenever the ESO plays the music of Dmitri Shostakovich! This was the music that got him completely hooked on classical music as a teenager.
RONDA METSZIES – BACH SUITE NO. 2 – baroque cello
Biography of Ronda Metszies
Ronda Metszies grew up in Edmonton where she studied cello with Sheila Laughton. After receiving her BMus in Performance from the University of Victoria, she continued her studies first in Edmonton with Tanya Prochazka and then in Germany where she worked with Julius Berger, Friedrich Sellheim and Heinrich Schiff, before returning to Canada. During this time, she released 2 solo CDs with the Arktos label, one of which became its best-selling disc, and resulted in a high-rotation music video on Bravo! Television
Since joining the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2003, she has played with the ensemble at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in 2007 and in Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2012. She has been featured as a soloist with the symphony and served as interim Assistant Principal Cello for 5 seasons.
Ronda has also been a member of the Alberta Baroque ensemble since 2004, and has appeared frequently as a featured soloist with the ensemble, including premiering a Concerto for Cello, Strings and Harpsichord commissioned by the ensemble for her and written by Alan Gilliland in 2015.
Ronda is a founding member of Kent Sangster’s Obsessions Octet, which consists of a classical string quartet meshed with a jazz quartet. This group has released three CDs, one of which was nominated for a Juno award and won a Western Canada Music award in 2007. They were further nominated for Western Canada Music Awards in 2010 and 2017. Internationally, they played in Carnegie Hall in 2012, opening MidAmerica Production’s Chamber Music Series for their 2012 – 2013 season, have toured Europe twice (in 2014 and 2017), and represented Alberta at the Rochester Jazz Festival (where their entire performance was filmed for national broadcast on PBS).
SOINTU AALTO – BACH SUITE NO. 1 – cello
Biography of Sointu Aalto
Sointu Aalto is a nineteen-year-old cellist and composer born in Finland and currently based in Montreal. She is currently studying cello at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music with Matt Haimovitz and composition with Nicole Lizée. In addition, she has a deep interest in philosophy and mathematics, which she studies on the side. Before starting university studies, she studied cello with Josephine van Lier and participated in many masterclasses, including with Kian Soltani, Pieter Wispelwey, and Colin Carr. She also received some composition mentorship from composers including Dinuk Wijeratne, Alin Can Pusculku, Christina Volpini, and Steven Rice. Her compositions have been commissioned and performed by ensembles including Kymi Sinfonietta Orchestra in Finland, UltraViolet Ensemble in Edmonton, MATA festival in New York with Bergamot Quartet, New Music Edmonton, and Continuum Contemporary Music in Toronto. In 2022, her composition Trapdoors, Elliptical Paths that Guide Us Inward, Love, Observations in Population Dynamics, and the Semiotics of the Sky for orchestra and soloist won the third prize of the prestigious Uuno Klami composition competition for youth in Finland. The same year, she also won the Northern Alberta Concerto Competition and performed Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto with the Edmonton Youth Orchestra. This year she will make her orchestral debut with the Vancouver Island Symphony, performing Dvorak’s Cello Concerto and her own new composition.
