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Violin
The end of an era! For the last four years, I had the distinct privilege of performing on an exquisite 1851 Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin, generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. I’m forever grateful for this incredible opportunity!
[VIDEO] The unimaginable has happened… The war in Ukraine continues; the devastation grows. I joined violinist Lara St John and pianist Matt Herskowitz to record this rendition of Пливе кача по Тисині (Plyve Kacha) and Аркан (Arkan). Please share. Please donate. #СлаваУкраїні #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦❤️🇺🇦
Carissa Klopoushak thanks the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank for its support through the loan of the 1851 Jean Baptiste Vuillaume (Maggini model).
Carissa Klopoushak and Julia MacLaine perform at the first Ottawa Chamberfest City Series concert, playing Bartok, Honegger, Schulhoff, and folk music in the lobby of Ottawa City Hall.
Well, friends, big news:
I'm so pleased and excited to announce that I've finished recording my first full-length album, partnering once more with my good friend Philip Chiu!
The recording, which features music by Debussy, Janacek, and Canadian composers Vivier, Carrabré, and Willan, was finished over a three-day period in Montreal at Concordia University's Oscar Peterson Hall. The magnificent Jeremy Tusz (of Diapason Mobile) was at the helm, assisted by Paul Scriver. The four of us are pictured above, just after the final session ended. (Phew!)
I'll be posting updates as this project develops - I'm very excited to share this with you all! Wishing you all a very restful and fulfilling holiday stretch. May you eat great food surrounded by friends and family!
We had a great time performing at Toronto's Gallery 345 last Tuesday, December 9th. It's a wonderful space to play in - I hope to be back again soon! Our concert was also featured as one of Musical Toronto's Critic's Picks. I'm getting really excited for this recording!
Grand announcement time!
I'm thrilled to let you all know that I'll be recording an album with Philip Chiu, performing sonatas by Leos Janacek, Claude Debussy, and Healey Willan, and shorter pieces by Pat Carrabré and Claude Vivier.
Aside from the obvious reasons for recording (it's so much fun!), I'm nearing the end of my tenure with the Canada Council Instrument Bank's 1869 Vuillaume violin and Vuillaume workshop bow - and there's no better way to celebrate than to record! The pieces we're recording are things that the Phil and I have performed together a great many times, starting as early as the 2009 Eckhardt-Grammatté competition winner's tour (Carrabré's Chaconne was the commissioned piece that year), and more recently on our 2013 Debut Atlantic Tour.
We've just finished a couple of private house concerts in Montreal and Gatineau, QC, and are excited to bring the show to Toronto on Tuesday, December 9th, at Gallery 345. Please come! Bring friends!
I'm currently on the road with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, touring England and Scotland to commemorate the 100th anniversary of WWI. To date, we've performed in Edinburgh and Nottingham, and last night we performed a joint concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir which culminated in a boisterous rendition of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Oh yes, and HRH Prince Charles was in attendance :)
My many MANY tour photos will come at a later date, but for now, here's a little clip from the 4th movement, the "Ode to Joy":
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whn1urlpWvw] Off to Salisbury tomorrow, where we will perform in the renowned Cathedral. That performance will be broadcast on CBC Radio 2 on November 9th and 11th, and on CBC Television sometime during the holiday season. Stay tuned!
I'm very pleased to be performing as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival's Shuffle Concert series next week. The Shuffle series, inspired by the mix of music you'd typically find on an iPod, are informal, eclectic one-hour performances by Festival Artists, special guests, and next-generation emerging artists. I'll be joined by my friends Alexandru Sura (cimbalom) and JC Lizotte (cello), playing Eastern European Folk Music (mostly Ukrainian). We'll finish the program with a new arrangement of Ravel's Tzigane. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Thursday, July 24, 5pm The charismatic Canadian violinist performs a folk-inspired program with cimbalom player Alexandru Sura and cellist JC Lizotte.
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave
Pay What You Can
Directly after Ritornello Fest, I flew to Montreal to participate in a series of concerts with my friends and fellow laureates of the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank competition. The laureates took turns performing on the noon-hour series called "Bach's Lunch." Kerry DuWors and I took the opportunity to play together, performing Bach's 2-part Inventions for violin and viola, solo Bach movements, and other violin duos by Leclair and Bartok. You can read all about the noon hour concerts, reviewed by All Things Strings, here.
In addition the lunch-time concerts, we had the marvellous privilege to perform the orchestral parts to Martin Beaver's Four Seasons and to Mozart's 5 violin concerti, performed so generously by Cho-Liang Lin.
