SUBMITTED BY ARTSPRING
Who’s ready for a big new season of live music, dance, theatre and art?
ArtSpring Presents, under the direction of Howard Jang, is back to entertain and inspire our island community, with 28 live performances and an international visual art exhibition.
The season gets underway in fine style with the world premiere of Ballet Victoria’s tribute to iconic show tunes, Broadway on Pointe. From one exhilarating dance performance to another – Joshua Beamish returns with a collection of short works, Proximity. Innovative work from composer Caroline Shaw and dancer/choreographer Vanessa Goodman, Graveyards and Gardens, and Tara Cheyenne’s solo piece Body Parts are also program highlights. And in a hybrid performance blending western dance and music with Japanese Noh theatre, Hiromoto Ida brings us Birthday Present for Myself.
The wide-ranging world of classical music is celebrated this season. Leading cellist Elinor Frey directs Accademia De’ Dissonanti, and vocal storytellers Mirror Visions Ensemble set text to the music of much-loved composers. Unique Quebec wind instrument ensemble Pentaèdre brings us original chamber music repertoire, and the captivating Constantinople return with their blend of classical and eastern musical traditions. Much-loved harpsichordist Steven Devine and Victoria Baroque are here in the new year, as well as the always captivating pianist Ian Parker. Two trios present fascinating shows: the Gryphon Trio, with a multimedia collaboration with Indigenous artists, and Percussiano3, featuring the four hands of piano duo Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann and the many percussion instruments of Rod Thomas Squance. The final classical concerts see the Ladom Ensemble pair acoustic chamber music with a global repertoire, and the Elektra Women’s Choir shows why it’s a leader in the choral arts.
We’re thrilled to have New York based jazz pianist Michael Weiss join us with Vancouver saxophonist Cory Weeds. And another brilliant jazz musician, bassist Jodi Proznick, is part of a unique collaboration with members of the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, Jasmine Jazz. An exciting blues double bill features Australian guitarist Lloyd Spiegel and the gorgeous vocals and guitar work of Niagara’s Suzie Vinnick. Folk music is represented by mandolin master, John Reischman, and The Slocan Ramblers, heralded as Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Andrew Allen — singer/songwriter and multi-top-ten hitmaker — rounds out our contemporary music program.
Diverse theatre performances see Salt Spring’s Nayana Fielkov inviting us to stay at Hotel Vortruba, Japanese-Canadian history under the spotlight in Mark Kunji Ikeda’s Sansei: The Storyteller, and Axis Theatre entertains family audiences with Th’owxiya: the Hungry Feast Dish.
Young performers also take their place in the line-up, with end-of-term concerts from ArtSpring’s Makana Youth Choir, and Victoria’s Conservatory of Music showcases some of the best musicians from its Young Artists Collegium Program.
In our first international art exhibition ArtSpring collaborates with Salt Spring Arts and the San Juan Islands Museum of Art for Archipelago: Contemporary Art of the Salish Sea. Six of the finest visual artists working in the San Juan Islands will feature in our gallery.
We couldn’t run our season without the generous support of our sponsors. And this year we welcome a new season partner – Island Savings Wealth Management, a division of FW Wealth Management Ltd.
We hope you’re as excited for the new season as we are. Ticket sales began on Sept. 6 for members and begin Tuesday, Sept. 13 for general sales.