Catch some music in the garden

Music enlivens the soul and galvanizes the heart. Enjoy that music in a sweet-smelling floral garden or thickly manicured park, and the experience becomes even more uplifting.

As part of St. Albert Chamber Music Society’s summer season, the Sturgeon String Quartet returns to St. Albert Botanic Park on Sunday, Aug. 21 for an intimate and relaxed afternoon concert.

The domestic setting is vibrant with flowers and beautiful scents simply waiting for families to bag a picnic spot near the gazebo where musicians perform.

The concert is an opportunity for the gold-plated quartet, headed by Edmonton Symphony violinist Neda Yamach, to challenge their skills with new repertoire, rediscover great standards and simply enjoy a friendly, easy-going collaboration among peers.

“We’re going to be doing a variety of repertoire and styles. It gives more of a varied flavour to the concert and it reaches a greater demographic. We’ll probably do some light Mozart, a few jazz tunes and (Astor) Piazzolla. He’s a huge crowd pleaser,” said Yamach.

Unlike many chamber ensembles that rarely change musicians, Sturgeon String Quartet’s energy revolves around rotating players.

This time around the dynamic quartet’s free-spirited energy is sustained with the addition of violist Aaron Au, violinist Virginie GagnĂ© and cellist Kathleen de Caen.

Yamach, a St. Albert raised musician, first met Au while studying music at the University of Alberta and viewed him as a mentor.

“Aaron is extremely versatile and a very experienced chamber musician. He’s played in all kinds of settings and plays both the violin and viola equally well. He brings such a unique perspective, and he has a great sense of humour and is very easy-going.”

Yamach first met GagnĂ©, one of Edmonton’s most sought-after violinists, when she joined the symphony about six years ago.

“Virginie is a very refined player. She played with Honolulu Symphony Orchestra before coming to the ESO, and she’s played a lot as a soloist.”

de Caen’s pedigree is equally impressive. The cellist studied for an undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta under the late Tanya Prochazka and later completed a master’s degree at McGill University.

“She has a beautiful sound. It was the first thing I noticed. She has a beautiful vibrato and is a sensitive player. And when you’re a sensitive player, it makes you easy to work with.”

St. Albert Botanic Park is probably one of St. Albert’s most carefree spots to celebrate music and the beauty around us said Yamach while recalling the Sturgeon String Quartet’s debut in the summer of 2015.

“It was really nice. I’d played outdoors before – at a wedding or a corporate event – but I’d never played in a garden where we were the main attraction. The weather ended up being beautiful. There was a good crowd that turned out. Gigging can be stressful, but because it was in a garden, it was stress free. It didn’t feel like a typical gig – but in a good way.”

She suggests people take advantage of one of the remaining summer weekends. So, come as you are. Admission is free. The program starts at 1:30 p.m. Just bring your ears, a blanket and a picnic basket.