Not too many people in St. Albert remember when the last community music recital series was held – or even if one ever existed. Certainly not Nancy Watt, a music teacher who has made the city home for 14 years.
Just speak to Watt for 10 minutes and her passion for music comes tumbling out. She has long pondered the idea of developing a chamber music recital series of professional musicians. “Right now there are a lot of people who drive in to Edmonton for recitals. Why not have them here?” says Watt.
This year Watt finally took the bull by the horns and organized The St. Albert Chamber Music Recital Series, a five-part salon-style inaugural event that launches Saturday, Oct. 2 with Terzetto, a flute/violin/cello trio.
She explains that in France, chamber music originated in private home salons. “They made beautiful music and that’s what I’m trying to do here –recreate it and possibly start a new trend.”
Each recital is featured at Don’s Piano Warehouse’s 80-seat recital room. “I chose a small recital hall for the acoustics and intimacy of the experience.”
Following Terzetto, another trio composed of Milton Schlosser (piano), Tanya Prochazka (cello) and Kathleen Corcoran (voice) perform Nov. 20. In 2011, Enterprise Quartet plays Jan. 29, WindRose Trio performs March 12 and the Rosette Guitar Duo closes the series on May 2.
“Each concert will be opened by a student from the region selected by the Music Festival Association and they will receive a $100 honorarium,” adds Watt.
Grade 12 student Cecilia Gee opens for Terzetto. A member of the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, the young violinist plays Bach’s unaccompanied Adagio from Sonata No. 1.
“She’s very involved in the music. She sometimes plays with her eyes closed. It comes from somewhere deep inside her. She plays with confidence and you can sit back and know you are well taken care off.”
Terzetto performs the bulk of the kick-off recital with the lush strings of Joanne Yu (cello) and Aiyana Anderson (violin) wrapped around the Dorothy Speers’ flirty flute.
Freelance musicians for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Alberta Baroque Ensemble, the trio has also parlayed their music at social events and corporate functions.
But this 90-minute recital is their passion. “It’s such an intimate type of playing and sharing with an audience. It’s like being invited to a private conversation or a secret society,” says Terzetto founder Dorothy Speers.
Their repertoire, a range from classical to modern, encompasses a swath of composers from Giovanni Pergolesi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Georg Telemann and Otar Taktakishvili.
As a special guest, the trio has invited St. Albert’s own Michael Massey, a master pianist, to perform one composition with each Terzetto musician. “Michael is brilliant. You can throw anything at him and he plays it beautifully.”
Performances are on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. A season subscription for adults is $100 and $80 for students and seniors. Individual concert tickets are adult $25, students/seniors $20.
Tickets are available at Don’s Piano Warehouse, 8 Riel Drive, 780-460-4310 or Profiles Public Art Gallery, 19 Perron Street, 780-460-4310. For more information visit www.stalbertchambermusic.ca.
