VanDusen Botanical Garden
Alon Sariel, 2024 Artist-in-Residence; Alexander Weimann, harpsichord; Chloe Meyers, violin; Suzie LeBlanc, soprano; Julian Scott, Event Chair & Emcee; Fred Lee, Auctioneer
Rondeau in the Garden
EMV’s annual fundraising gala returns in 2024 with Rondeau in the Garden! Don your flowery frocks and shirts and join us in Vancouver’s sumptuous VanDusen Botanical Garden for dinner catered by Bon Vivant Catering with music, and more.
The evening will feature EMV’s 2024 Artist-in-Residence, mandolin and lute virtuoso Alon Sariel, other EMV musicians. Presenters are Event Chair & Emcee Julian Scott and Auctioneer Fred Lee.
Pre-event Garden access will be available.
Attire: Business Formal, florals encouraged
EVENING PROGRAMME
Early Garden Access
Welcome Reception
Surprise performances
Dinner
Live Auction with Fred Lee
Dessert
Event Committee
Chair: Julian Scott
Members: Sharon Kahn, Pam Ratner, Jeff Sodowsky, Fran Watters
Corporate Sponsors
Alon Sariel, 2024 Artist-in-Residence
Philharmonic hall, not jazz podium; Mozart festival not cult TV rock programme – back then, Alon Sariel had not foreseen how things would develop: back then, in 1994, when his music teacher told the eight-year-old that the mandolin and the electric guitar were “basically the same thing”. This was a momentous deception that was to deliver to the world of music one of the most versatile mandolin players, lutenists and ensemble directors of the present day. In his concert programmes, Alon uses the lute, Baroque guitar, oud and other plucked instruments to give his audiences the most diverse musical experiences. The mandolin, which has survived the centuries and found its place in the most varied of music styles and cultures, occupies a very special place in his heart.
His many acclaimed recordings of Renaissance and Baroque works – his album “Telemandolin” was recognised in 2018 with an OPUS Klassik award – have firmly established him in the public eye as a specialist for early music. His work with international soloists and ensembles such as Maurice Steger, Andreas Scholl, Lautten Compagney, Norway’s Barokksolistene and many others attests to his reputation. That said, Alon’s guiding principle is a changing perspective. In other words: giving new life to existing material, as well as creating completely new works.
That is why Alon, as soloist and conductor, frequently brings contemporary compositions both to the stage and into the studio. He conducted the Munich Chamber Orchester in Markus Stockhausen’s “Symbiosis”, premiered as soloist with the Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin Gilad Hochman’s “Nedudim”, and commissioned two new works for mandolin from Uri Caine for the Beethoven anniversary year in 2020. His album and PENTATONE debut “Plucked Bach” is a journey through Bach’s Cello Suites on six of his different plucked instruments, with a follow-up “Plucked Bach II” released in 2023.
Looking beyond the scope of a professional musician, Alon is an active member of Rhapsody in School, introducing classical music to schoolchildren of all ages. Furthermore, he supported the Live Music Now Foundation and has played in Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. Animal protection is also an important issue for Alon; he has been an ambassador for the Pro Animale charity since 2021.
Alexander Weimann, harpsichord
Alexander Weimann is one of the most sought-after ensemble directors, soloists, and chamber music partners of his generation. After travelling the world with ensembles such as Tragicomedia, Cantus Cölln, the Freiburger Barockorchester, Gesualdo Consort and Tafelmusik, he now focuses on his activities as Music Director of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra in Vancouver, Music Director of the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, and regular guest conductor of ensembles including the Victoria Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Arion Baroque Orchestra in Montreal and the Portland Baroque Orchestra.
Alex was born in Munich, where he studied the organ, church music, musicology (with a summa con laude thesis on Bach’s secco recitatives), theatre, mediæval Latin, and jazz piano, supported by a variety of federal scholarships. From 1990 to 1995, he taught music theory, improvisation, and Jazz at the Munich Musikhochschule. Since 1998, he has been giving master classes in harpsichord and historical performance practice at institutions such as Lunds University in Malmö, the Bremen Musikhochschule, the University of California (Berkeley), Dartmouth College (New Hampshire), McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Mount Allison (New Brunswick). He now teaches at the University of British Columbia and directs the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Programme there. He has received several JUNO and GRAMMY Award nominations – most recently, for the album Nuit Blanches with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and Karina Gauvin.
Chloe Meyers, violin
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.
Suzie LeBlanc, soprano
Born in Acadia, the charismatic soprano provides convincing evidence for the popularity of Early Music while exploring French art song, lieder, contemporary repertoire, and Acadian traditional music. She has performed on famous stages of the world in recitals and opera and has made over 60 recordings ranging from medieval to contemporary music.
Many of her recordings received international praise and prestigious awards, notably a Grammy award for Lully’s Thésée and several Opus awards. In addition to her passion for Early Music, she is an advocate for Canadian contemporary music. Her album “I am in need of music” on poems by Elizabeth Bishop won ECMA’s Best Classical Album and her album “mouvance”, which unites the words of 13 contemporary Acadian poets to the music of Jérôme Blais, was nominated for a JUNO in the category album of the year – solo artist, in 2024. Her most recent album with the Viadana Collective explores the sacred works by Lodovico Viadana and was released on May 1st, 2024, on the Passacaille label.
Appointed to the Order of Canada in 2015, she was recently awarded the rank of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French Republic. As the Artistic and Executive Director of Early Music Vancouver, she enjoys presenting a wide range of artists in the field of historical performance and welcomes the opportunity to sing from time to time.
Julian Scott, Event Chair & Emcee
Julian is an entrepreneur, advisor, writer, board member and patron of the arts with over 20 years of experience in digital marketing and technology. He is the co-founder of Shaw/Scott, a global consulting and marketing agency and Sageflo, a customer experience software company.
He is a speaker at numerous events and writes regularly about industry news and innovations. He is also passionate about mentorship and is honoured to be a Loran Scholar Mentor—a highly competitive scholarship program supporting Canada’s most promising young leaders.
Julian is deeply committed to supporting the performing arts and community organisations. He currently serves as President for the Vancouver Chamber Choir, is a former board director and gala chair for Ballet BC, and currently sits on various planning, fundraising and gala committees for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, the Dr. Peter Centre and Belle Spirale.
Fred Lee, Auctioneer
For more than two decades, Fred Lee, Vanhattan’s ‘Man About Town’’, shares all of Metro Vancouver’s A-list happening, red carpet parties, must-attend galas, and fabulous fundraisers with readers and listeners. Fred’s column appears in Vancouver Magazine, Vancouver Boulevard and Province Newspaper. He has been a regular contributor to the CBC, National Post, Vancouver Courier, BC Business, Look Magazine, Living Magazine and TV Week. Fred, along with CBC’s Margaret Gallagher, hosted the national CBC Radio One food show Flaour of the Week.
A tireless volunteer, Fred has held numerous roles on various organizations, and sits on countless fundraising committees. In addition to hosting a variety of events, and raising millions as an auctioneer, he is a mentor to many and continues to give of his time and expertise to many organizations, including the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, First United Church, and CLICK Foundation. He currently is a board member of Chor Leoni and advisory member for the University of British Columbia’s CampOUT!, a summer leadership camp for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their allies.
His contributions have been cited in many arenas, including the National Post’s Worthy 30 list. Fred is recipient of an AccolAIDS Award in Philanthropy, Association of Fundraising Professional’s Charity Champion Award recipient, Inductee in the BC Restaurant Hall of Fame as a Friend of the Industry, Arthritis Research Canada and Pacific Family Autism Network’s Champion Award recipient; Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow Award for Community Service and UBC President’s Award recipient for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Considered one of the top ten public gardens in North America, VanDusen Botanical Garden is a scenic living museum of plants collected from around the world.
Guided by the Garden’s mandate and spirit of conservation, the Visitor Centre’s design delicately balances architecture and landscape, integrating natural and human systems in meaningful ways to support biodiversity and ecological balance within the site. With its distinct organic roof form and extensive green building strategies, the Visitor Centre is more than a landmark in the city of Vancouver; it is an international icon of sustainability.
Read more on this incredible structure here.