Backstage Notes

History

Fourteen years of sold-out summer festivals under the skilful artistic direction of Alexander Tselyakov.
Past performers include internationally acclaimed musicians such as Andrew Dawes, Jonathan Crow, Rachel Mercer, James Ehnes, Matt Haimovitz, Lara St. John, the late Tanya Prochazka, Barry Shiffman, James Campbell, Guy Few, Brian Yoon, Lafayette String Quartet, Borealis String Quartet, and Gryphon Trio, among others. And our audiences have been thrilled to discover other musicians, not as well known, but wonderfully talented. (This season’s Jenny Lim, who filled in so graciously for a violinist who unfortunately had to bow out a week before the Festival, is a case in point!)
Increasingly, we find that our audiences from across BC and several US states are building their travel plans around our Festival weekend. All roads lead to Madeira Park in August!
In 2009 we commissioned and premiered Pender Harbour Suite for piano trio, composed by Stephen Chatman for the fifth anniversary Festival. In 2014, we celebrated our tenth anniversary with a commissioned piano quintet, In a World of Motion and Distance, by composer Kelly-Marie Murphy.

In January, we featured a Midwinter Chamber Weekend, with musicians familiar to audiences of our summer festival: Terence Tam, violin; Yariv Aloni, viola; Pamela Highbaugh Aloni, cello; Lorraine Min, piano. Two concerts, two wonderful programmes.
For our 14th summer Festival, we welcomed the Lafayette String Quartet, violinist Jenny Lim, violist Yariv Aloni, cellist Brian Yoon, and clarinetist Jenny Jonquil. The programme, ranging over 4 concerts, was splendid, as is to be expected from our Artistic Director (and pianist extraordinaire) Alexander Tselyakov.
Our long-standing free concert, now called Rising Tide, true to our seaside roots, and featuring young musicians in a showcase event, was again an enormous success. David Poon played both piano and harpsichord, Sarah Poon moved between cello and viola da gamba, and two young singers, soprano Lucy Smith and baritone Jacob Gramit, performed beautifully curated repertoire ranging from John Dowland to Gershwin.
Our audience enjoyed every concert, from the formal beauty of Beethoven and Brahms in the opening concert to the high-spirited Saturday afternoon dance party, to a sombre performance of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 12 which explored the sorrow and darkness of the 20th century in its movements, to the joyous conclusion on Sunday afternoon, featuring Mozart, Crusell and Dohnányi.

With seating for 100-120 people, our venue is nestled in a village in bloom, amongst fir trees and soaring eagles, overlooking the harbour. Audiences love our intimate and friendly ambience.
Host families provide accommodation in their homes for the musicians who arrive several days in advance of the Festival for intensive rehearsals. The musicians appreciate the exceptional hospitality that is offered. Community volunteers help with everything from bringing flowers and cinnamon buns to taking tickets to setting out chairs and erecting the outdoor tent.
In 2017, the Pender Harbour Music Society celebrated 30 years of music-making on our hill top, in a building that originally housed a Forestry workshop. We are grateful to the vision of those early board members for their collaboration with the SCRD to procure and then create the performance centre we all enjoy today. Outstanding artists of every genre have graced our stage, a testimony to the commitment of our loyal organizing committees and audiences over the years. The years pass and the music lingers.

This coming year’s Midwinter Chamber Weekend takes place March 30-31st. Two concerts, both at 2 p.m., will feature an exhilarating duo, violinist Kai Gluesteen and pianist Catherine Ordronneau.
Plans are underway for next summer’s Chamber Music Festival, scheduled for the third weekend of August (16th, 17th, and 18th). We are excited at the prospect of welcoming the acclaimed New Zealand String Quartet and clarinetist James Campbell, with other musicians to be confirmed in the next little while. There will also be a very special commission to celebrate 15 years of summer chamber music in Pender Harbour.

For more information please explore our website or call the Festival cell phone: 604.989.3995.