(Halifax, NS) Violin-Piano Duo Nova Scotia Tour
Award-winning East Coast pianist Jennifer King and violinist Gillian Smith are passionate advocates for new Canadian music, especially for music written by women.
They are taking their program of Canadian and Romantic favourites for violin and piano, solo violin and solo piano to the South Shore and northern Nova Scotia (with a
stop in Halifax) from May 25 to June 2.
The five-concert tour includes dates in Truro (May 25, Marigold Cultural Centre, 7:30 p.m.), New Glasgow (May 27, Trinity United Church, 7:30 p.m.), Halifax (May 28,
Maritime Conservatory of the Performing Arts, 2:00 p.m.), Shelburne (June 1, Osprey Arts Centre, 7:30 p.m.) and Lunenburg (June 2, St. John’s Church, 7:30 p.m.). Tickets
are available at the door and are $20 for adults and $10 for students.
The musical duo has been performing together since 2014 and are ECMA nominees and/or winners. Repertoire includes music by Nova Scotian composers Amy Brandon and Derek Charke, Carmen Braden and Adam Vincent Clarke, as well as works by Kevin Lau, Debussy, J.S. Bach and Eugène Ysaÿe.
Spirited and sensitive, Jennifer King is a versatile
pianist who enjoys exploring the world of classical music in the 21st century. Her remarkable career spans three decades and the impact of her artistry has inspired the
dedication of piano works and a growing number of commissions. King’s countless contributions to musical life in the province have been celebrated with an Award of Appreciation from the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
Frequently heard on CBC radio, she released her first recording,
O Mistress Moon in 2018. In 2022, Jennifer released O Mistress Moon:Canadian Edition. Distributed by Leaf Music, Halifax, this set of twelve piano works has been praised for its “dramatic out of this world sonic listening” (The Whole Note). It won Classical Album of the Year at the 2023 ECMAs.
Hailed as a “rising star” by The Whole Note magazine, Nova Scotian violinist Gillian Smith (www.gilliansmithviolin.com) has performed widely throughout Nova Scotia as a soloist and chamber musician. Her album Into the Stone, released on the Leaf Music label (2019), features works for solo violin by five Canadian women composers. La Scena Musicale wrote of the album, “Gillian Smith demonstrates a great skill and mastery...magnificently appropriates Canadian repertoire.” It was nominated for an ECMA award for Classical Recording of the Year in 2020.
Gillian is excited to have commissioned five new works for solo violin from composers Carmen Braden, Amy Brandon, Derek Charke, Corie Rose Soumah, and Hsiu-Ping (Patrick) Wu. A recording featuring these works will be released on the Leaf Music label in November 2023. She gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for this project.
This concert tour is funded by Arts Nova Scotia and NS Gaming Support 4 Culture.
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