Edmonton Symphony Orchestra violinist Ewald Cheung has found a way to rehearse his skills and have a little fun at the same time.
The award-winning musician is currently a member of the ESO first violin section, playing the classical repertoire’s most challenging and exhilarating masterpieces.
But on Thursday, Aug. 15, Cheung will be paired with violist Leanne Maitland for a lighter duo performance at the Arden Theatre’s outdoor Plaza Series.
Cheung was originally slated to play with long-time friend and musical partner Ethan Filner, ESO’s assistant principal violinist. At the last minute, Filner stepped aside, and Maitland was invited to replace him.
Maitland is a professional violist who performs regularly with Valkyrie String Quartet, Obsessions Octet, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton.
“Leanne is a wonderful violist. I’ve known her for many years. I’ve enjoyed working and performing with her in the past. It was a very easy decision to invite her. The hardest point was hoping she would agree to play,” said Cheung.
The string duo will perform a 45-minute set starting with Mozart’s Violin and Viola Duo in G Major. The light instrumentation gives equal weight to both the violin and viola in what appears to be a musical dialogue between the two.
On the contemporary scene, the duo performs two pieces from jazz composer Jeremy Cohen’s catalogue - Tango Eight and Cow Person’s Lament.
Flipping back to the 18th century, the duo plays a Duet Opus 13 No. 1 from Alessandro Rolla’s works. Rolla was an Italian viola and violin virtuoso, composer and conductor whose fame today is primarily as the great Paganini’s teacher.
In a salute to one of the few women composers of the 17th century, Cheung and Maitland play French composer Élisabeth Jacquet’s short baroque Sonata for Violin and Viola.
“It’s a nice little refresher from Rolla. It’s a palette cleanser. It gives us a break from the fast notes,” Cheung said.
And in a break from the classical repertoire, the duo will also play a few surprise pop tunes.
“It’s fun and there’s going to be lots of interaction. It’s just the two of us on stage. The music, the repertoire is so varied. We play a huge variety from staples to virtuosic. And we include a few pop tunes. They’re always a hit,” said Cheung.
The Plaza Series opens with a performance by another string artist - harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker. The versatile musician is a master of the classical, Celtic and Latin realms. She has performed with multiple symphonies and Edmonton ensembles as a guest artist, and has captivated audiences with her trio HarpRogue as well as Wilkie’s Cowboy Celtic.
The concert takes place Thursday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Albert Place Plaza. Single tickets are $18.75 and a VIP table for six is $150 at tickets.stalbert.ca.
