Music Toronto presents
Dinuk Wijeratne & The Canadian Chamber Orchestra
Tickets
Tickets available via Music Toronto and Ticketmaster
Adults - $40-$70
Arts Workers - $20
Free limited student tickets by request, please contact Music Toronto for details
A NIGHT OF EXTRAORDINARY STRINGS.
Just one night after the release of the Canadian Chamber Orchestra's debut album, Where the Light Breaks, the CCO brings the music to the stage for an evening that celebrates the extraordinary range of the string ensemble.
At the heart of the program is Dinuk Wijeratne's Gajaga Vannama: Fantasy Variations on a Traditional Sri Lankan Theme, a dazzling work inspired by the traditional Sri Lankan vannama form. Featured on Where the Light Breaks as a world-premiere recording, the piece is a showcase for rhythmic vitality, virtuosity, and the remarkable colours that fourteen strings can create together.
Also featured from the album is George Walker's Lyric, a work of striking intimacy and expressive depth.
The first half opens with Kareem Roustom's Dabke, bringing the infectious dance rhythms of the Levant into the concert hall, and Jessie Montgomery's Starburst, a short, explosive work that crackles with energy from its opening notes.
Then, in the second half, the orchestra takes on one of the great works of the string quartet repertoire: Edvard Grieg's String Quartet in g minor, presented here in an expansive arrangement for string orchestra. Melodic, sweeping, and richly coloured, Grieg's music takes on an entirely new scale when voiced by fourteen players.
The result is chamber music with the energy of an orchestra: intimate enough to hear every voice, expansive enough to fill the room.
Presented by Music Toronto.
Program
Jessie Montgomery - Starburst
Kareem Roustom - Dabke
Dinuk Wijeratne - Gajaga Vannama: Fantasy Variations on a Traditional Sri Lankan Theme
George Walker - Lyric
Edvard Grieg - String Quartet No. 2
Featured Artist
Dinuk Wijeratne, pianist and composer