Praised by the Vancouver Sun for “his luscious tone and technical prowess,” acclaimed Canadian cellist Ariel Barnes returns to the Sid Williams Theatre on Monday morning, April 2.
Joining him on the stage for the fourth and final concert in this season’s Mattina Musica series will be pianist Sarah Hagen.
Selected as one of six cellists across the nation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Barnes recently recorded J.S. Bach’s D minor suite for CBC’s new online streaming project The Portal. Actively involved in the creation of 21st century art music, his new project Couloir, with harpist Heidi Krutzen, focuses on the development of new works and interdisciplinary collaboration.
An ardent chamber musician, Barnes is a former member of the Borealis String Quartet and Trio Accord, and has collaborated with many fine artists such as the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Musica Intima, Jonathan Crow, Martin Chalifour, Ian Parker and Daniel Bolshoy, among many others.
In addition to his solo and chamber music performances, Barnes is principal cellist of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and a member of the Turning Point Ensemble. He is also an active teacher on faculty at the Vancouver Academy of Music, the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific and the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre. His recordings can be heard on Atma Classiques, Skylark Records, Universal Music and Centrediscs, as well as many live concerts recorded and broadcast on CBC Radio.
From the Comox Valley, pianist Hagen has been heard in concert halls and on the airwaves to critical acclaim throughout North America and Europe.
Since her recent move last summer to an artist loft in one of Vancouver’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, Hagen has become deeply involved with intricate projects inspired by urban vitality.
Highlights of her 2012 season include an evocative production onstage with Ballet Victoria, which opened to rave reviews in March, a new Pro’ject Sound exposition with photographers from Howe Sound, and stimulating collaborations with artists and musicians from around the globe.
Comrades on and off the stage, Barnes and Hagen are thrilled to play together again, sharing a passion for seeking out the heartfelt meaning of each note and fusing the cello and piano into one musical entity. Their program includes Beethoven’s fifth Sonata for piano and cello as well as Debussy’s Cello Sonata.
Coffee and tea is served at 10 am and music begins at 10:30.
For more information on the Mattina Musica series and other performances, visit www.sidwilliamstheatre.com or call 250-338-2430.
— Sarah Hagen