Christ Church Cathedral | Map
Chloe Meyers, violin and leader; Jiten Beairsto, violin; Elana Cooper, violin; Majka Demcak, violin; Shin-Jung Nam, violoncello; Michael Vaughan, violone; Connor Page, harpsichord; Sinéad White, soprano; Shane Hanson, counter-tenor
A great opportunity to hear the next generation of early musicians! Members of the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Programme and recipients of EMV’s Scholarship Programme perform chamber music beside their mentors.
Admission is by donation
To download/view the programme page, notes, texts and translations, click here.
This concert is generously supported by Vic & Joan Baker and Bryan & Gail Atkins
Click here for information about parking around / transiting to Christ Church Cathedral
Programme
Domenico Gallo (1730-c.1768):
Trio Sonata no. 1 in G Major
for 2 violins and basso continuo (published posthumously, 1780)
Moderato
Andantino
Presto
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736):
Stabat Mater (1736)
for soprano, alto, strings and continuo
Stabat mater dolorosa – duet
Cujus animam gementem – soprano aria
O quam tristis et afflicta – duet
Quæ morebat et dolebat – alto aria
Quis est homo – duet
Pro peccatis suæ gentis – duet
Vidit suum dulcem natum – soprano aria
Eia Mater fons amoris – alto aria
Fac ut ardeat cor meum – duet
Sancta Mater istud agas – duet
Fac ut portem Christi mortem – alto aria
Inflammatus et accensus – duet Quando corpus morietur – duet
Amen
Programme Notes
During his life, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi enjoyed moderate success as a violinist, organist, and composer of sacred music and comic opera, tragically dying of tuberculosis at the age of only 26 in a monastery near Naples. After his death however, he was catapulted to star status, his name coming to represent everything innovative and engaging, fresh and graceful in eighteenth-century Italian music. Such was his posthumous fame that printers like Robert Bremner in far-away Scotland used Pergolesi’s name as a marketing gimmick.
Domenico Gallo’s Trio Sonata in G Major was first published by Bremner in 1780 as part of a collection of 12 trio sonatas attributed to Pergolesi. “The manuscripts of these sonatas,” Bremner claimed, “Were procured by a curious Gentleman of Fortune during his travels through Italy.” Igor Stravinsky rediscovered this collection of “forgeries” in 1919 and reimagined its music for his ballet Pulcinella. The experience was life-changing. “Pulcinella was my discovery of the past,” Stravinsky wrote, “The epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible. It was a backward look, of course, the first of many love affairs in that direction, but it was a look in the mirror too.”
Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is one of the most famous compositions ever written in praise of the Virgin Mary. The text dates from the medieval era, and describes Mary, the sorrowful mother, witnessing the suffering of her son from the base of the cross. Commissioned by the Most Noble Order of the Knights of Our Lady of Sorrows in Naples for
performance during devotional services on each Friday of Lent, Pergolesi’s setting replaced a Stabat Mater by Alessandro Scarlatti that had been performed in Naples for twenty years and become outdated. Eschewing the contrapuntal severity typical of Baroque sacred music, Pergolesi achieved a natural or “galant” compositional style by focusing musical interest in the vocal melodies, and diligently reflecting the metrical stress and expressive sensibility of the poignant text in the music. Instruments played an accompanimental role, often doubling the voice parts and only occasionally providing contrapuntal interest. Johann Sebastian Bach acknowledged the power of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater by borrowing its music for his cantata Tilge, Höchster, meine Sünden, BWV 1083. This work’s significance, however, extends far beyond its position in music history or the ecclesiastical tradition for which it was written. Here is a moving, profoundly human picture ofa grieving mother.
Christina Hutten
About the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Programme
About five years ago a new and exciting educational initiative took root here in Vancouver. As coordinator of Early Music at the University of British Columbia, I had enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Early Music Vancouver and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO), but this was something entirely new: a Baroque Mentorship Orchestra in which the seasoned professionals of the PBO would rehearse and perform side-by-side with students and aspiring young artists from the community. With Alex Weimann and Chloe Meyers joining the local early music scene, the time was ripe to explore this opportunity, and, thanks to the generosity of Vic and Joan Baker, it all came to pass in the fall of 2014. Over the last five years Alex and Chloe have joined with Vancouver’s own Natalie Mackie as mentors of this new orchestra, and we have also had the pleasure of bringing in many other specialist coaches for strings, woodwinds, and brasses. The orchestra has offered an ambitious variety of music from the 17th and 18th centuries: highlights have included Telemann’s Don Quixote Suite, Handel’s Fireworks Music at the Chan Centre, a spicy programme of Mediterranean music entitled Fandango!, excerpts from Handel’s magnificent early opera Agrippina, and, in the most recent concert last spring, a festival of Telemann concertos and suites. Inspired by the example of their professional mentors, the young musicians of the Baroque Mentorship Orchestra have showed incredible dedication and delight in their music-making, and the quality of their performances has been truly outstanding. With the support of Early Music Vancouver, UBC, and the Bakers, this ensemble is now giving young musicians the skills they need to blossom into early music professionals.
We were also delighted to hear in 2017 that Early Music Vancouver, with generous support from Bryan and Gail Atkins, was in a position to establish a new Scholarship Programme for some of these very same young artists. In the inaugural competition last fall, eight musicians, including two singers and players of violin, flute, bassoon, and horn, received the good news that they could have a year of lessons at absolutely no cost with a range of top local and regional professionals. Any musician knows that the quickest way to improve is through regular instruction, and these students have made leaps and bounds in their playing and singing as a result of this wonderful programme. By supporting both the Baroque Mentorship Orchestra and the Scholarship Programme, Early Music Vancouver has helped to plant to seeds for the future growth of early music in Vancouver and beyond. I am also thrilled to back these educational initiatives and hope that their success will inspire more enthusiasm and support from the region’s many lovers of early music.
Alex Fisher
Professor of Music, University of British Columbia
Programme Texts and Translations
To download/view the programme page, notes, texts and translations, click here.
Chloe Meyers, violin and leader
Violinist Chloe Meyers is a regular guest leader and orchestra member of baroque ensembles all over North America. She has worked with ensembles including Les Violons du Roy, Tafelmusik, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Les Boréades, the Theatre of Early Music, Les Idées Heureuses and Les Voix Baroques. She recently joined the Pacific Baroque Orchestra as concertmaster and will continue to play principal second with Arion Baroque Orchestra in Montreal. Most recently she played first violin on a Juno Award winning recording of Handel arias featuring Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin on the Atma Classique label.
Jiten Beairsto, violin
Jiten Beairsto, a Vancouver native, completed his graduate studies at the University of British Columbia in 2017 under the instruction of David Gillham. Prior to this he studied at the University of Victoria as a student of Sharon Stanis, where he won the UVic Concerto Competition. He has performed with the Victoria Symphony, the Vancouver Island Symphony and the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, and frequently presents chamber music recitals around Vancouver and Vancouver Island. He currently studies Baroque violin with Chloe Meyers, and is a recipient of Early Music Vancouver’s 2017 scholarship programme. Jiten’s academic and professional interests are not limited to classical music: before studying music at university, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in English and French literature, and continues to make most of his living as a rope access technician.
Elana Cooper, violin
Currently based in The Netherlands, Elana Cooper performs on baroque violin, baroque viola, and modern violin. She has performed with ensembles in Europe (Holland Baroque, Dutch Baroque Orchestra, MA Academy in Bruges, Saintes Jeunes Orchestre de l’Abbaye in France), Canada (Pacific Baroque Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra), and the US (Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Bloomington Bach Cantata Project, Oregon Bach Festival Period Orchestra).
Elana holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of British Columbia, where she studied with David Gillham. She also studied baroque violin with Chloe Meyers and Marc Destrubé in Vancouver as a recipient of the Early Music Vancouver Scholarship Programme. Elana studied baroque violin as a Master’s student at the Historical Performance Institute at Indiana University with Stanley Ritchie. In June 2023, Elana will complete her Masters degree in baroque violin at Koninklijk Conservatorium in the Hague as a student of Kati Debretzeni. Elana is looking forward to joining the Theresia Classical Orchestra and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Experience Academy in 2023.
Majka Demcak, violin
Surrey, BC-born Majka Demcak started her violin studies with teacher Sergei Olikhovski at the age of seven. In her time at university, Majka discovered Early and Baroque music, playing with the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Programme (BOMP). Through BOMP, she studied with Chloe Meyers, Alexander Weimann, and Kati Debretzeni in a masterclass. She has also participated in masterclasses with world-renowned musicians such as Midori, Rachel Barton-Pine, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Elizabeth Wallfish, Martin Beaver and Corey Cerovsek. During her studies at UBC, Majka excelled in orchestral performance under conductor Dr. Jonathan Girard, acting as concertmaster with the UBC Symphony Orchestra for many concerts.
In 2017 she was invited to play with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra’s performance of Handel’s Messiah. Currently, Majka is playing with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, the Surrey City Orchestra, and is freelancing around the lower mainland. In the future, she hopes to continue her studies in Baroque Performance.
Shin-Jung Nam, violoncello
Shin-Jung Nam is a Vancouver based cellist, baroque cellist and music educator. She is originally from Daegu, South Korea, and has a Masters of Music from UBC. She performs with many orchestras in BC, including The Kamloops Symphony, The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, The Okanagan Symphony and The Chilliwack Symphony. On the Baroque Cello, she has studied with Rainer Zipperling and Christina Mahler, and has performed with the Early Music Vancouver Festival Orchestra. Shin-Jung also enjoys performing on the Guitarron with Mariachi group Las Estrellas de Vancouver.
Michael Vaughan, violone
Michael Vaughan is originally from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and has a MMus Degree from UBC. He is Assistant Principal Bass with both the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and the Vancouver Island Symphony. He also performs regularly with many other ensembles, including The Vancouver Symphony, The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, The Erato Ensemble, and The Plastic Acid Orchestra. Michael also performs on the Baroque Double Bass and the viola da gamba, and has performed with the Early Music Vancouver Festival Orchestra, Fretwork, and Victoria Baroque.
Connor Page, harpsichord
Connor Page is a harpsichordist and pianist currently studying at the University of British Columbia School of Music. Since his early studies in classical piano Connor has broadened his musical skills and interests to include a variety of fields and idioms from continuo playing to jazz and folk song repertoire, all of which contribute to his love of music as a multi-faceted art form. His activities have ranged from choral accompaniment, community and university concerts to private and corporate functions. Connor’s musicianship finds inspiration and enrichment in his academic pursuits, which extend to the areas of language, literature and music history.
Connor has had the privilege of having his musical and scholarly efforts recognized at and beyond UBC, receiving awards such as the McFarlane-Karp Scholarship in Arts and the June Goldsmith Scholarship in Music. Connor is currently involved in keyboard, choral, and early music activities at UBC, and has had the especial pleasure of working alongside skilled and insightful members of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in the context of UBC early music ensembles. Recent events include UBC concerts A Festival of Baroque Chamber Music, A Tribute to Telemann and the St. John Passion as well as the Cathedral Summer Festival of Sacred Music at Christ Church Cathedral.
Sinéad White, soprano
Currently based out of Vancouver, Irish-born soprano Sinéad White has maintained an active performing and teaching schedule. She was recently the soprano soloist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in Kelowna, BC with the Okanagan Festival Singers alongside members of the Okanagan Symphony as well as a soprano soloist in Bach’s B Minor Mass with SummerChor at St. Andrew’s-Wesley. Last year, she was awarded an Art of Song Fellowship at the Toronto Summer Music Festival where she studied and performed a range of art song repertoire. She has received additional training at the Canadian Vocal Arts Institute and the Advanced Singer/Oratorio Program at the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
In 2014, Sinéad was a fellow at the Sibelius Academy in Santa Fe where she worked on contemporary repertoire with Canadian soprano/conductor Barbara Hannigan. Her opera credits include Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica with the Dublin Opera Studio Program, Zerlina in Don Giovanni with ViVace Opera and Giulietta in Opera McGill’s production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi. She looks forward to completing a one-year Advanced Certificate of Performance with early music specialization at the University of Toronto this coming year. Sinéad completed her BMus and MMus in Voice/Opera at McGill University with tenor, Stefano Algieri and continues to work privately with baritone, Dale Throness. This year, she has studied baroque repertoire with soprano, Nancy Argenta thanks to the generous scholarship from Early Music Vancouver.
Shane Hanson, counter-tenor
Shane Hanson has established himself as an in-demand countertenor in the Vancouver area. Receiving great praise for his performances locally and abroad, the Canadian born continues to create a professional reputation while completing his studies at the University of British Columbia under the direction of Nancy Hermiston and Dale Throness.
He has performed roles with the UBC Opera Ensemble, Vancouver Symphony, Early Music Vancouver, and Chilliwack Symphony. In the fall of 2017, he performed the role of Orfeo in UBC opera’s Orfeo ed Euridice under the direction of Nancy Hermiston and Leslie Dala. Shane’s most notable achievements of 2018 include earning second place in the northwest region of the Met Competition and covering Orphee for ATG Theatre’s Orphee. When not singing, he enjoys rock climbing and time with his family.
