Paul Marelyn, Artistic Director
Agassiz International Chamber Music Festival
June 11-18, 2010
Paul Marleyn, Artistic Director
Next year, Agassiz Music will be teaming with the WCCC 2010 office to produce the first ever cello festival in Canada, the Winnipeg International Cello Festival. This June they will be holding their annual chamber festival, and it will be a very special event.
The 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann is a major source of inspiration for the 2010 Agassiz International Chamber Music Festival, which will run Friday, June 11th to Friday, June 18th (all evening programs beginning at 7:30p.m.).
The stellar roster of guest artists includes: internationally renowned US-based clarinettist James Campbell; the new lead violinist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Andrew Wan; Trio Hochelaga of Montréal, and Vancouver violist Dave Harding. These artists will be featured alongside Agassiz favourites Aaron Au, Stéphane Lemelin, award-winning CBC host Andrea Ratuski, and Winnipeg's star soprano, Valdine Anderson. The Festival gives prominence to the chamber works of Schumann and will feature works by Brahms, Mozart, and Ottawa composer Steven Gellman. Our finale on June 18th will highlight Dvořák’s Sextet for Strings and Dohnányi’s Piano Quintet.
The Festival is also pleased to present the young Winnipeg cellist, Zander Scott Howard as Emerging Artist at the June 15th noon hour concert. His collaborative pianist will be Donna Laube.
A new initiative for the Festival will be a Composer Outreach Residency featuring Ottawa’s Steven Gellman. Mr. Gellman will participate in pre-concert dialogues, composer workshops and student-related initiatives. His participation in the Festival has been made possible by a grant by the SOCAN Foundation. Richard Todd of The Ottawa Citizen, August 11, 2008 says: “One of the highlights of this year’s Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival was the excellent performance of Steven Gellman’s fabulous Piano Quartet.” His music is described as ‘…music of great space…energy, contrasts, diversity, daring, harmonization, subtle effects (never unwarranted)…’ Pierre Gorjat, Tribune de Lausanne, Switzerland, March 20, 1983.
The Festival wishes to acknowledge support of SOCAN Foundation, Department of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, The Manitoba Arts Council, The Winnipeg Arts Council, The Winnipeg Foundation; corporate sponsors: Assiniboine Credit Union, Holiday Inn Winnipeg South and The University of Winnipeg; and corporate supporters: LBL Holdings LTD, Manitoba Hydro and The Gail Asper and Michael Paterson Family Foundation.
For tickets to the Festival, call 475-1779 or visit McNally Robinson Booksellers, or go to www.agassizfestival.com. Festival pass to all concerts: $80, seniors $70, students $30. Single tickets $22, and for students and young adults to age 29 the price is $10. EyeGo tickets (High school students) $5.00. Tickets for Emerging Artists noon hour concert only $10 and $5 for students. All concerts take place at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, University of Winnipeg
A Festival Fundraising Luncheon will be held on Saturday, June 19, at 12:30pm.at Inferno’s Bistro at 312 Des Meurons. This fun-filled affair will feature a performance by five of the Festival’s guest artists: Andrew Wan, Anne Robert, Aaron Au, David Harding and Paul Marleyn. A delicious lunch, designed especially for us by Chef Fern Kerouac, will be served. Tickets are $65.00 and will be available for purchase at the Festival or by calling 475-1779.
