Award-winner Morgan Saulnier to play Danish composer's flute concerto

by Anne Bergstrom

When Carl Nielsen was a young boy, he discovered that different lengths and thicknesses of firewood made different sounds when struck together. Out at the woodpile he began banging out tunes. From this humble beginning came Denmark's best-known composer.

Carl went on to study piano and brass instruments, playing

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Pianist Peter Allen is guest soloist in PEISO opening concert

by Anne Bergstrom

The opening concert of the PEI Symphony Orchestra season features a Russian theme. Pianist Peter Allen, who last appeared with the Symphony in the spring of 2000, loves the Russian repertoire, and has decided to play Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. He finds the work inventive, imaginative, and filled with a

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PEI cultural groups in the Island Arts and Heritage Stabilization Program

by Anne Bergstrom

The Island Arts and Heritage Stabilization Program (IAHSP) is partway through its mandate to strengthen arts and heritage organizations on PEI. It is an initiative of the Community Foundation of PEI. The majority of its funding is from the private sector, led by the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation,

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Pianist William Aide performs Mozart’s last piano concerto

by Anne Bergstrom

Do you know where the Porcupine is? I don’t mean the critter with the sharp quills. It’s a geographical place in Canada. Half-way between Toronto and James Bay, where gold mines used to thrive, it is the big town of Timmins and the smaller towns around it. Pianist William Aide once thought of billing himself as “The greatest piani

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Orchestra presents works of composers inspired by Spain

by Anne Bergstrom

Music to bring colour to our winter will be presented by the PEI Symphony at its next concert, Fiesta Espagñola, February 12th at 2:30 pm at the Confederation Centre. It will include music by Spanish composers, along with music by French and Broadway composers inspired by Spain.

PEI Symphony conductor James Mark is looking

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Strathgartney Chamber Orchestra and Chorus presents concert

by Anne Bergstrom

The Strathgartney Chamber Orchestra & Choir, under the baton of Gerry Rutten, will be presenting a concert at Tryon United Church on November 19 at 7:30 pm. They will feature a varied program, with soloists Jacqueline Sorensen, piano, Sylvia Mutch, voice, and others.

Sorensen is “very excited about playing” with the orc

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Season opener features concerto by composer Jim O’Leary

by Anne Bergstrom

Composer Jim O’Leary studied percussion at UPEI, and became interested in orchestral music when playing in the PEI Symphony Orchestra. He had written his first piece while still in high school in Newfoundland. He liked the trombone and wrote something for Dale Sorensen to try. Dale introduced him to a trombone concerto by Jan S

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Chris Norman Ensemble

Review by Anne Bergstrom

Chris Norman brought his ensemble to the Indian River Festival on a rare cool night inside St Mary’s Church, but they soon turned up the heat with their lively playing. The concert was called The Caledonian Flute, as its theme was music of Scotland. Norman is one of the best Celtic flute players anywhere, and he demonstrated his skill on four different t

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Fall Fanfares

PEI Symphony Orchestra

Review by Anne Bergstrom

Fall Fanfares, The PEI Symphony’s first concert of the season, began with a brass fanfare by 16th century Italian composer Giovanni Gabrieli. Two groups of brass players faced each other on opposite sides of the hall, playing antiphonally, answering and echoing each other. Conductor James Mark explained that Gabrieli was the organist and c

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PEI Symphony

by Anne Bergstrom

The final concert of the season for the PEI Symphony, on Sunday March 28 at 2:30 pm, will feature four of the Symphony’s principal wind players in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat. A sinfonia concertante is a piece for more than one solo instrument with orchestra; for example, Mozart also wrote one for violin and viola. The one for four winds, according to music dir

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J. S. Bach by the Strathgartney Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir

by Anne Bergstrom

The Strathgartney Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Choir, under the direction of Gerry Rutten, will be joined by the choir of the Kirk of Saint James, directed by Frank Nicholson, for a concert featuring solely works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach’s musical output was so prodigious that one could make many such programs w

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Nancy White is the guest performer with the PEI Symphony Orchestra

by Anne Bergstrom

Nancy White first made a national name for herself writing and singing zany songs for CBC Radio’s program Sunday Morning, from the late seventies to the early nineties. As a journalist she had followed the news, but she found she preferred poking fun at current events to reporting them. Many of us tuned in to that s

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