Arts
Meet Sudbury's Fab Four
VICKI GILHULA
Winter 2010 |
Silver Birch Concerts is pleased to announce the next concert in its 2009-2010 concert line-up: Tango Dreams featuring the Silver Birch String Quartet and world-champion accordionist Alexander Sevastian, Saturday Jan. 30, 8 pm, St. Peter's United Church 303 York St. Sudbury. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, available at Black Cat. For more information, phone 521-2163.
This exciting concert will feature Tango and Tango-inspired music for string quartet and accordion performed by Sudbury's exciting young Silver Birch String Quartet, and their good musical friend Alexander Sevastian, accordionist from the reknowned group Quartetto Gelato.
Included in this thrilling concert will be traditional Argentine tangos by Carlos Gardel, as well as music by Astor Piazzolla, the innovator of a type of tango called nuevo tango, which incorporates elements of western classical music with tango rhythm and sonorities. Audiences will also hear Tango Dreams, a Piazzolla-inspired piece from Toronto composer Raymond Leudeke written during his time in Buenos Aires. In addition, audiences will be treated a world-premiere performance of Wistful Thinking, a new piece specially commissioned by the Silver Birch String Quartet and Sevastian from the young Toronto-based composer Rob Teehan for this concert.
The article below appeared in the Fall 2008 edition of Sudbury Living.
One warm evening late last summer, a quartet of classically trained musicians and a few of their friends played to a full house in a bar on the Elgin St. strip. This may not have been a first in Sudbury, but it doesn’t happen very often.
Sudbury’s Silver Birch String Quartet performed at Old Montreal Bistro to celebrate the launch of their new CD titled Silverbirch. The quartet’s regular venue is St. Peter’s Church on York St., but they have also played concerts at Fromagerie Elgin, and the Old Rock coffee shop. The quartet is reaching out to non-traditional audiences.
Violinist Christian Robinson sees the string quartet’s performances as “a gateway to classical music.” The 28-year-old says, “There is a misconception about what a classical music concert is all about...We’re a very friendly group. We offer high quality, but at the same time we like to keep it (music) approachable and enjoyable for people, even if they have never been to a classical music concert.”
Robinson is the concert master with the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. The other members of the quartet, Geoff McCausland (second violin), Jamie Arrowsmith (viola), and Alexandra Lee (cello) also play with the Sudbury Symphony.
The 2008/09 Silver Birch concert season features five concerts. The quartet began its fourth season Oct. 6 with guest artists the Penderecki String Quartet from Waterloo.
The Nov. 22 concert is titled From the New World and will celebrate contemporary North American composers such as Charles Ives, Phillip Glass, R. Murray Shafer, and Alice Ho.
The guest artist is percussionist Ian Gibson. Other concert dates are Saturday, Dec. 6 (A Christmas Carol); Saturday, Feb. 21 (Strings of Spain with guest artist guitarist Philip Candelaria); and May 9 (Spring Serenade).
The concert series allows the musicians the freedom to experiment.
“What we find is that we are really able to do the sort of projects we want to do,” says Robinson.
Arrowsmith, 29, has been playing with the quartet for two years. He finds the experience working as four musicians instead of an entire orchestra “more democratic.” Each of the quartet members is allowed input on what is played, he says. He also enjoys playing in an intimate setting where he can connect with the audience.
McCausland, 21 who is originally from Saint John, N.B., says playing in the quartet is a dream come true because each member has a vital role to play.
“You can bring your own personality to the part,” says McCausland, who joined the quartet last March.
He is impressed with Sudbury audiences. “Their level of support blows my mind.”
Robinson, a Pickering native and a Unversity of Toronto graduate, says he enjoys living in Sudbury. Everything would be perfect if the city had a proper performance centre.
Playing with the symphony at the Fraser Auditorium was pure torture for him. “I dare someone to find me a worse place.”
He explains the orchestra had to work very hard to sound good, and it was impossible to sound great in the auditorium.
The symphony’s new home, Glad Tidings Tabernacle, “is a tremendous improvement,” but it is not a performance space with a backstage and proper lighting, he says.
He and the other members of the quartet would like to see a performing arts centre built in Greater Sudbury.
“The enrichment it would bring to the city would open a new era culturally for this city. It is a lot of money, a performing arts centre is never easy to get built,” but once it is, “everyone will wonder how they managed without it...What it would do for this city would be amazing,” says Robinson.
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