Meet Sacha Jorba-Wu: The 2024 Grand Prix Winner

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Sacha Jorba-Wu is a talented young Canadian violinist, currently studying at the Vancouver Academy of Music under Domagoj Ivanovic, the chair of the violin division. Sacha began his violin journey at the age of five and recently won the prestigious $5,000 Grand Prix Award at the 2024 Music International Grand Prix in New York City, alongside earning the accolade of Audience Favorite. In this article, Sacha shares his experiences with VAM.

Congratulations, Sacha, on your recent grand prix victory! What was the highlight of this competition for you, and what were your first impressions of New York (the Big Apple)?

“My favourite part was connecting with amazing musicians from around the world and making new friends! I was only in New York for a short time, but I loved everything about it, including my time with my new friends hanging out and performing in Central Park, and checking out Juilliard and Lincoln Center, after performing in the Kaufman Center. I can’t wait to go back and do all the things I didn’t get a chance to see and do on such a short trip.”

You’ve mentioned using music for humanitarian purposes. Could you share more about your work in this area and what drives you to use your talents to help others?

“There’s something inside me that always wants to help others around me feel better, and it makes me happy when I can! When I was in kindergarten my mom told me about this study that found music helped people recover faster with less pain after having surgery. I felt like this was what I needed to do, because I knew I could help by playing my violin for them. I wanted to do my part and make a difference. This was when I started to volunteer at the Foothills Hospital Cardiac Unit, because I wanted to help heal people’s hearts with my music. I would spend up to 3 hours going from room to room to play by their bedside. 

There’s something magical about music. It has the power to heal, connect, inspire and unite people. I continued volunteering everywhere I could, like at our senior care centres, schools, community centres, and hospitals across Canada. I would play for any group trying to make this world a better place for all living creatures and our planet’s ecosystems. I played for Nature Centres in BC, and non-profit organizations trying to help remote villages in developing countries. FourWorlds is one of these organizations that is focused on Northern Pakistan and I supported them by being part of a fundraising concert in 2023. I was honoured to be a part of ABC Foundation and their Changemakers Program in 2024. I can’t even put into words how much it meant to me when I was given the opportunity to help by being a part of the BC Children’s Hospital fundraiser! We all came together for a cause close to our hearts, and we helped raise $2 Million for kids in May 2024. Music has the power to connect, unite and inspire. It’s a gift to be able to share it with others.”

Who are your musical heroes, and how do they inspire you in your performances and musical choices?

“This is a very difficult question to answer, because I love listening to violinists from the past and present. My favourite violinist often changes depending on the piece being played. However, Roman Kim is one of my absolute favourites, because of how wildly creative and technically masterful he is. This year, I was given the chance to hear one of my favourite violinists, Christian Li, and let me tell you, he was even better in person than you could imagine! He won the Menuhin Competition in 2018 tied with Chloe Chua in the junior category. Oh yeah, I must say that Augustin Hadelichis another violinist I greatly enjoy listening to, and he too is even better in person. I love being inspired by other musicians, and nothing beats a live performance!”

When you step away from the violin and the spotlight, what are your favorite ways to unwind? What activities do you enjoy most when you’re just being a kid?

“I enjoy hanging out with my friends, playing chess, and trying new things. I really love travelling, discovering new places, learning new things and meeting new people. I also enjoy everything to do with science, especially biology, ecology, space and our universe. In summer, I like  swimming, biking, feeding the crows, creating art, touring nature centres, meteor showers and being on the water.

It brings me a lot of happiness when I find ways of helping people, and when I cheer people up with my music. I don’t think I ever really step away from music, because it’s in me and always part of me. I also enjoy thinking about stuff when I’m listening to music.”

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The Neuroscience Behind Music Training: Insights from Dr. Sean Hutchins

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Dr. Sean Hutchins is the Director of Research for The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He founded the conservatory’s research centre, which focuses on experimental studies of music neuroscience and performance. An expert in the science of vocal perception and production, Hutchins shared his insights into the relationship between musical training and cognition.

Could you explain how understanding fundamental processes behind how people perceive and produce music can enhance music education, especially for young learners?

“For several decades now, researchers in neuroscience have found that the brains of trained musicians are different from those of non-musicians. Cognitive psychology has supported this, showing links between the brains of musicians and their improved cognitive performance, including on measurements of intelligence. Musicians clearly benefit from their training, but few studies have looked at the earliest roots of this benefit. My research focuses on the effects that music training can have in early childhood and applies it in a practical setting. This work has fed into the development of the Royal Conservatory’s Smart Start program, which is based on not only my own research, but also the decades of prior research in the field. The research at the RCM Research Centre continues to feed into the program, both to confirm its effectiveness and to help us understand the way that early childhood music education can have lasting impacts on the brain and cognitive development.”

You’ve studied the relationship between speech and singing extensively. What are some surprising ways that these two forms of expression intersect? How might this influence the way we teach music and language skills to children?

“Speech and singing are two very closely related phenomena, and, like speech, singing is culturally universal, found in every society around the world. Music and language overlap in several important ways. Both are forms of communication that function primarily through the medium of sound, though both have important written forms as well. What’s more, both language and music are highly structured, having a grammar or theory that can provide a framework for organization.

Because of this close connection between language and music, skills practiced in music can transfer over to the domain of language. Scientists believe that the precision required for both perceiving and producing music can serve as practice for the neural pathways that support hearing, and this practice in working with precise timings and tunings can make it easier for the ear to also work with the sounds of language. Just by practicing music, children are improving their language skills as well.”

As the Director of Research at The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Research Centre, you have spearheaded several experimental studies. Could you share one or two groundbreaking findings?

“The focus of our research for the past several years has been our Smart Start program. We have found that children who participate in Smart Start show both musical and cognitive benefits that go above and beyond what you would expect from normal development. These cognitive benefits are most evident when we examine children’s language abilities. We believe that the close connection between music and language can help skills practiced in music to transfer to language, and more broadly to general cognitive skills, such as attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility. Our Smart Start results also align well with other findings in the field of music cognition, which show that musicians generally outperform non-musicians in tests of cognitive abilities. Our own lab has shown that highly-trained musicians perform better than non-musicians in the same tests that the children in Smart Start improved on, indicating that these benefits gained from music training can last a lifetime.”

Your current work examines how musical training affects cognitive and linguistic abilities. What can parents and educators do to better utilize music as a tool for cognitive development in children?

“The reason music can help cognitive development in children is that music practice can also help to train more generalized, transferable skills, which can then apply to domains outside of music. One common idea about the benefits of music is that simply listening to certain types of music can raise intelligence- this is often popularized as the “Mozart Effect”. Scientific research on this topic has largely debunked this idea- just listening to music will not cause any lasting gains, for children or adults. On the contrary, the research shows that the benefits of music come largely from the work and effort expended in practicing.

For educators, this means that understanding the specific ways in which musical activities can target cognitive skills like attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility can help them improve their practice- recognizing the parts of music instruction that draw on these skills can help them re-orient their teaching to focus on these skills more directly (with the added bonus of better understanding some of the difficulties that their students might have along the way). For parents, the main takeaway is that the practice is the benefit. Understanding that the cognitive gains from music come largely from the effort put into it can help parents to better support and encourage their children, even if they struggle with their practice.”

What advice would you give to parents considering music education for their children? How can they support their child’s musical journey based on scientific principles?

“Research has shown that music education is one of the most effective ways we have of enhancing a child’s long term potential in any domain that they enter. Skills practiced through music can transfer to all different walks of life- this is one of the reasons that we see so many successful people who also happen to play an instrument, even if it’s not their primary career. What’s more, we know that music training is most effective when it’s started as early as possible, which is why we’ve designed the Smart Start program to start from the very youngest ages. For these young children, much of what they learn about music comes through their parents and care-providers, so it’s best not to think about your child’s music education as something that only happens in the class, but also in the home. Making sure you continue to practice these activities at home is an important part of making music education as beneficial as possible. Even as your children age, parental support is important to give children the structure they need to be able to go to lessons and practice on their own at home. At all ages, demonstrating that you care about their musical development is one of the most effective ways of supporting their continued growth and ensuring that they reap the benefits of music education.”

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VAM Remembers Anthony “Tony” Previté

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February 5, 1920 – September 3, 2024

When people used to walk up the stairs into the Vancouver Academy of Music, it wasn’t a studio or concert hall they first saw. Instead, it was a quaint candy shop full of treats. Behind the counter, students, staff, and faculty would find a classic English gentleman dressed dapperly in his hat, tie, and trench coat, with a huge smile on his face. That gentleman was Anthony Previté, or as everyone called him, Tony.

A cheerful, courteous, and kind-hearted man, Tony served all sorts of baked goods to eager students and staff for over 32 years. He became an integral member of the VAM community, beloved by generations all the way up to and beyond his retirement at the impressive age of 99.

Before his life at VAM, Tony’s story began all the way over in the south of England in the charming county of Surrey. His love for the creative arts was nurtured at a young age, where he grew up with a passion for books, the theatre, and music. His love of the theatre landed him a spot in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and he studied there for two years before enlisting with the Royal Corps of Signals at the young age of 21.

After serving in World War Two, Tony returned to England and the dramatic arts. Soon after, he switched career paths and ventured into the world of photography, where he realized he had a good eye for taking pictures. He was hired by a company called Poly Photo and continued working as a professional photographer until he made the move to British Columbia in 1986 to be closer to his two daughters and his grandchildren. It was then that Tony made his way into VAM’s halls, and hearts.

VAM’s store was run by volunteers at the time, and they began hiring for a permanent position. Former volunteer and treasurer at the shop Pam Cooper shared that Tony was the only one possible for the role, but that they were worried he would be “bored out of his mind.” Luckily, Tony adored working in the shop, and the VAM community adored him.

“Tony just loved it. I mean for him, he didn’t know anybody in Vancouver. His daughter had moved to Calgary. It gave him contact with people, and he was very good with the little kids,” Pam said.

Tony was so good with the kids coming to VAM that they even started calling the academy ‘Tony’s place.’

“There was a little girl with her mother outside the academy, and she pointed to the sign where it says Vancouver Academy. She said, ‘Mommy, you know what that says? That says Tony’s place,’” Pam shared.

But it wasn’t just the kids at VAM who adored Tony (and his treats). VAM’s Director of Enrolment, Nicole Hurst, shared that parents would use the promise of a visit to Tony’s candy shop to persuade their children to practice.

“He had a huge impact. Kids would look forward to going to their lessons because they got to go visit Tony and get some candy, obviously. But the parents would use him as a way to get their kids to practice, ‘If you don’t practice this week, we’re not going to go see Tony,’” said Nicole.

Tony operated the candy store everyday with a beaming smile and became a beloved member of VAM. Alongside handing out goodies from his shop, he used his talents in photography to capture enchanting moments from performances and heartwarming interactions between the community. Everyone cherished Tony, and he equally cherished VAM. His daughter, Anna Mouat, shared that the academy became his social life, from throwing him parties when he hit milestone birthdays to driving him home when they saw him at the bus stop.

“He just lucked out. He landed on his feet with this wonderful job surrounded by musicians, by artists, by people who took him in as if he was part of a loving family that just welcomed him,” Anna shared.

“He loved that there were multiple ages around him at the time. Being around young people, although he always felt young at heart, he always said, ‘I don’t feel old. I still feel about 21,’” Anna continued. “So, that, and being around the music, all the extra things they had, the dinners they put together, they always made a huge birthday, he got to go to concerts, there was just lots of activity in his life. He had friends there. It was his social life.”

Tony retired from the shop at the impressive age of 99 when his health and eyesight meant he could no longer work at the counter. But finding someone to take over the shop was out of the question. This was Tony’s place and as many have described him, he was truly “irreplaceable.”

VAM would like to extend its deepest gratitudes to Anna Mouat and Pam Cooper for speaking with us to help share Tony’s story.

COVID-19 Information

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Click to view VAM’s most up-to-date safety documentation:

Restart Plan | Safety Plan | Face Mask Policy

September 13, 2021

Following the advisory of the BC Centre for Disease Control, at this time, only students participating in group activities at VAM comprising 50 and above participants will be required to show proof of vaccination.
VAM’s mask policy remains in effect.
___________________________

September 2, 2021

The Vancouver Academy of Music is closely monitoring the advisory of the Public Health Officer and will continue to apply an abundance of caution in prioritizing the health and safety of our  students, faculty, staff, and community.
As British Columbia’s requirement of proof of vaccination does not come into effect until September 13, 2021, at this time, VAM will not be requiring individuals to show proof of vaccination to enter the facility.
Faculty members will have the liberty to choose whether or not they will teach in-person based on their students’ vaccine status.
Masks are mandatory in VAM facilities and are required to be worn at all times, except when the individual is engaging in an activity that is not possible when the face is covered. The following are exempt from this mask requirement:
– Children under the age of 5
– Anyone with an underlying medical condition which inhibits the use of a face mask, or unable to apply/remove a mask without assistance.

 

Sincerely,

VAM Administration

VAM Symphony Orchestra to Tour China in July 2020

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Vancouver Academy of Music proudly announces that, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration year, VAM Symphony Orchestra will tour China in July 2020! VAMSO has been invited by Poly Culture North America and Poly Theatre Management Group, which manages many of China’s most beautiful concert halls. The tour program will include Dvorak’s Symphony From the New World in 8 to 10 cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

VAMSO: Carnival of the Animals

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Click here for Press Kit  (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2018

Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra (VAMSO) presents

Carnival of the Animals

VAMSO presents Saint-Saëns’ grand zoological fantasy with
the reveries of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

 Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra  (VAMSO) presents Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals, May 6, 2018, 2pm at the Orpheum Theatre. Under the baton of Kathleen Allan, VAMSO will delve into this sonic expedition of wildlife in addition to Debussy’s hypnagogic Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and works by Gabriel Fauré and Francis Poulenc.

“Saint-Saëns never envisioned Carnival of the Animals as suitable for public performance due to its frivolous nature; during his lifetime performances were largely limited to private settings” says Joseph Elworthy, Executive Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music. “The public premiere took place not long after the composer’s death and quickly became one of his most popular works. Beneath the whimsy lies an abundance of educational value; with instruments imitating the familiar sounds of animals, this piece is often used as a lighthearted but inventive introduction to the orchestra.” Saint-Saëns’ cavalcade of comical creatures ignites the imagination through evoking a variety of images including the march of regal lions, an elegant swan gliding on water, long-eared ‘characters’ (rumoured to depict the braying of music critics), and a chorus line of tortoises high kicking in slow motion accompanied by a rumbling adaptation of Offenbach’s Infernal Galop.

Spotlighting the dreamlike side of the French flair for musical imagery, VAMSO pairs Carnival of the Animals with Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. This orchestral reverie, inspired by the work of iconic symbolist poet Stephane Mallarmé, paints a tableau of a faun enchanted by nymphs on a warm sunny afternoon, drifting lazily in and out of sleep. The free and improvisatory style of Debussy’s writing in this piece not only evokes the carefree frolic of nature in vivid colours but also defied musical standards; Prelude was such a monumental piece of its time that famed composer and conductor Pierre Boulez once remarked that “the flute of the faun brought new breath to the art of music”.

Members of VAM’s Mary Buckerfield White Choral Program join VAMSO on stage for Gabriel Fauré’s Pavane and Cantique de Jean Racine, the latter of which won first prize in a composition competition held at École Niedermeyer, where Fauré  received training from Saint-Saëns. Kathleen Allan, who serves a dual leadership role at VAM as Associate Conductor of VAMSO and Director of Choral Studies, brings together VAM’s four choirs of nearly 100 singers combined for the afternoon’s choral-orchestral selections. Completing the concert program will be Poulenc’s Concert champêtre, or “Pastoral Concerto”, featuring harpsichordist Christina Hutten.

About Vancouver Academy of Music (vam.ca):
Founded in 1969, the Vancouver Academy of Music (VAM) is a non-profit institution that has been spreading a love of learning and musical excellence for generations of aspiring musicians. Located minutes away from downtown, VAM’s spacious facility features teaching studios, expansive classrooms, a library, and two recital halls – all set against the scenic backdrop of Vanier Park.

VAM’s fundamental purpose is to explore the transformative power of music through fostering an inclusive learning environment led by a team of devoted faculty with strong professional backgrounds. From Early Childhood Education to adult learning, VAM delivers world-class music education to students of all ages and abilities.

In addition to private lessons and class instruction, VAM students engage with world-renowned visiting artists in master classes, cooperate with other national and international music education organizations, and participate in numerous performances and competitions. VAM’s Orchestral Training Program is home to four levels of orchestra, which culminates in the Orpheum Series – four concerts that spotlight the VAM Symphony Orchestra in one of Vancouver’s most iconic cultural venues, the Orpheum Theatre.

VAM Symphony Orchestra: Carnival of the Animals

When: Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 2pm
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 601 Smithe St
Tickets: $15 Adults, $10 Students & Seniors, available at vamso.ca
Website: vamso.ca
_____________________________________________________________________________

For further media information, contact
Daniel Marshall, Marketing & Communications Manager
[email protected]  |  604.734.2301

 

VAM’s Orchestral Program is supported by RBC Foundation and the R & J  Stern Family Foundation

VAMSO: Brahms’ Symphony No. 1

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Click here for Press Kit  (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2018

 

 Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra presents

Brahms’ Symphony No. 1

VAMSO pairs Brahms’ tempestuous symphony with
stereophonic world premiere co-written by Vancouver-based duo

 Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra  (VAMSO) presents Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, February 18, 2018, 2pm at the Orpheum Theatre. Under the baton of Music Director Leslie Dala, VAMSO will delve into this colossal orchestral masterwork in addition to Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor and electronic-infused music bridging the classical and popular worlds in a premiere by Jonathan Chan and Jan Bislin.

“Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony left such a powerful wake behind that Brahms once famously declared that he would never finish his own contribution to the genre, wary of the symphonic giant that preceded him” says Joseph Elworthy, Executive Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music. “After taking more than two decades to complete, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 eventually emerged as a formidable monument in the orchestral canon that rose to meet the looming shadow of Beethoven.”

Brahms initially began work on his first symphony at the age of 22, yet after completing three movements the effort was abandoned; the work-in-progress instead manifested as parts of his first piano concerto and German Requiem. The completed symphony premiered in 1876, more than two decades after Brahms’ first attempts, and was unveiled amidst much anticipation. Following its first performance, famed music critic Eduard Hanslinck remarked that “the new symphony is so earnest and complex, so utterly unconcerned with common effects, that it hardly lends itself to quick understanding; even the layman will immediately recognize it as one of the most distinctive and magnificent works of the symphonic literature.”

Generated from a long, painstaking process, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 is presented alongside a work borne of improvisational proclivity, a premiere by violin duo Jonathan Chan and Jan Bislin. Chan and Bislin, both VAM alumni and graduates of Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, partnered in 2013 specializing in extemporaneous music that explores the worlds of pop, rock, jazz, hip hop, and electronic music, and have since performed in the UK, North America, Switzerland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Under the moniker Midnight Meow, the two have made numerous covers of popular songs including music by Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, and Ellie Goulding.

The new work, composed collaboratively by the duo, features a pre-recorded track accompanying instruments imitating each other from across the stage, reproducing the stereophonic effect commonly associated with electronic music. Though the work is fully composed, the style evokes Chan and Bislin’s affinity with improvisational techniques and popular influences.

In addition to these two invigorating works, VAM honours a decades-old tradition of featuring the winner of its most prestigious competition as soloist in the VAMSO season. Hamilton Lau, winner of the 41st Kay Meek Competition, will offer his prodigious interpretation of one of the most popular works of the concerto realm, Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor.

About Vancouver Academy of Music (vam.ca):
Founded in 1969, the Vancouver Academy of Music (VAM) is a non-profit institution that has been spreading a love of learning and musical excellence for generations of aspiring musicians. Located minutes away from downtown, VAM’s spacious facility features teaching studios, expansive classrooms, a library, and two recital halls – all set against the scenic backdrop of Vanier Park.

VAM’s fundamental purpose is to explore the transformative power of music through fostering an inclusive learning environment led by a team of devoted faculty with strong professional backgrounds. From Early Childhood Education to adult learning, VAM delivers world-class music education to students of all ages and abilities.

In addition to private lessons and class instruction, VAM students engage with world-renowned visiting artists in master classes, cooperate with other national and international music education organizations, and participate in numerous performances and competitions. VAM’s Orchestral Training Program is home to four levels of orchestra, which culminates in the Orpheum Series – four concerts that spotlight the VAM Symphony Orchestra in one of Vancouver’s most iconic cultural venues, the Orpheum Theatre.

VAM Symphony Orchestra: Brahms’ Symphony No. 1

When: Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 2pm
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 601 Smithe St
Tickets: $15 Adults, $10 Students & Seniors, available at vamso.ca
Website: vamso.ca
_____________________________________________________________________________

For further media information, contact
Daniel Marshall
[email protected]  |  604.734.2301

VAM’s Orchestral Program is supported by RBC Foundation and the R & J  Stern Family Foundation

Click here for Press Kit  (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

VAMSO: Verdi’s Requiem

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Click here for press kit   (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 19, 2017

Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra presents

Verdi’s Requiem

Thunderous rage and soft, tremulous prayers reverberate in the Orpheum Theatre with Vancouver Bach Choir 

Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra  (VAMSO) combines forces with Vancouver Bach Choir to present one of the most celebrated Romantic masterworks, Verdi’s Requiem. This formidable funeral mass resounds under the direction of Leslie Dala with Joslin Romphf Dennis (soprano), Leah Giselle Field (mezzo-soprano), Frédérik Robert (tenor), and Alan Corbishley (bass).

“The absence of costumes and staging by no means precludes Verdi’s Requiem from generating an experience any less dramatically compelling than his operas,” says Joseph Elworthy, Executive Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music. “From riotous outcries to quiet, trembling devotions, this massive work vividly captures a gripping pathos with sudden contrasts between sharply conflicting emotions.”

The origin of this concert mass stems from Verdi’s desire for a project involving several leading Italian composers collaborating to create a requiem in memory of Gioachino Rossini, regarded by Verdi as “one of the glories of Italy”. Verdi himself contributed the final movement, yet it never materialized as a memorial to his predecessor as planned; instead, the movement was expanded into the complete Requiem following the death of Alessandro Manzoni, a celebrated Italian poet and humanitarian and a second national figure whom Verdi viewed with great admiration.

Adapting his mastery of opera into a genre that forgoes visual staging, Verdi captures vibrant visual effects through sound: sharp strikes of the bass drum resonate with the sheer force of thunder in Dies Irae and the faint calling of off-stage trumpets in Tuba mirum grow into a fanfare that evoke the image of a mighty, majestic throne. Intricate theatrical threads are woven in long, dramatic arcs by the baton of Leslie Dala, director of both VAM Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver Bach Choir, in a work which Johannes Brahms declaimed “only a genius could have written”.

About Vancouver Academy of Music (vam.ca):
Founded in 1969, the Vancouver Academy of Music (VAM) is a non-profit institution that has been spreading a love of learning and musical excellence for generations of aspiring musicians. Located minutes away from downtown, VAM’s spacious facility features teaching studios, expansive classrooms, a library, and two recital halls – all set against the scenic backdrop of Vanier Park.

VAM’s fundamental purpose is to explore the transformative power of music through fostering an inclusive learning environment led by a team of devoted faculty with strong professional backgrounds. From Early Childhood Education to adult learning, VAM delivers world-class music education to students of all ages and abilities.

In addition to private lessons and class instruction, VAM students engage with world-renowned visiting artists in master classes, cooperate with other national and international music education organizations, and participate in numerous performances and competitions. VAM’s Orchestral Training Program is home to four levels of orchestra, which culminates in the Orpheum Series – four concerts that spotlight the VAM Symphony Orchestra in one of Vancouver’s most iconic cultural venues, the Orpheum Theatre.

VAM Symphony Orchestra: Verdi’s Requiem
When: Sunday, November 12, 2017 at 2pm
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 601 Smithe St
Tickets: $15 Adults, $10 Students & Seniors, available at vamso.ca

__________

For further media information, contact

Daniel Marshall
Marketing & Communications Manager, Vancouver Academy of Music
[email protected]  |  604.734.2301

Click here for press kit   (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

VAM’s Orchestral Program is supported by RBC Foundation and the R & J  Stern Family Foundation

VAMSO: Beethoven’s Emperor

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Click here for press kit   (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2017

Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra presents the shining splendour of

Beethoven’s Emperor

Vancouver native Ian Parker leads from piano and podium
in Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto & Symphony No. 7

 Vancouver, BC – The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra  (VAMSO) will embark on a thrilling exploration of Beethoven with Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”) presented alongside Symphony No. 7 and Egmont Overture, October 22, 2017, 2pm at the Orpheum Theatre. In an afternoon of orchestral vivacity, VAM Symphony Orchestra performs with pianist and conductor Ian Parker leading from both piano and podium, including a dual conductor-soloist undertaking in the Emperor Concerto.

“The Emperor Concerto and Symphony No. 7 both exude heroism on an extraordinary scale,” says Joseph Elworthy, Executive Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music. “Beethoven crafted the Emperor Concerto in the midst of great political turmoil and Symphony No. 7, which premiered in the wake of victory, was embraced with great exuberance and celebration.”

The colossal nature of Beethoven’s final concerto, filled with shining splendour, finds a fulfilling match in the lively symphony described as “dance in its highest respect” by Richard Wagner, igniting the air with pulsating rhythms and sweeping melodic lines. Egmont Overture, composed as part of a commission for incidental music accompanying a theatre production, was inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s compelling story of resistance against occupation, mirroring the political climate from which the Emperor Concerto was born.

Tied together by tumult, defiance, and victory, the vigorous energy of this trio of orchestral masterworks is amplified by the magnetic charisma of Vancouver-born Ian Parker. The son of renowned pedagogue Edward Parker and cousin of pianists Jamie Parker and Jon Kimura Parker, the internationally acclaimed artist makes his first appearance on the podium at the helm of Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.

About Vancouver Academy of Music (vam.ca):
Founded in 1969, the Vancouver Academy of Music (VAM) is a non-profit institution that has been spreading a love of learning and musical excellence for generations of aspiring musicians. Located minutes away from downtown, VAM’s spacious facility features teaching studios, expansive classrooms, a library, and two recital halls – all set against the scenic backdrop of Vanier Park.

VAM’s fundamental purpose is to explore the transformative power of music through fostering an inclusive learning environment led by a team of devoted faculty with strong professional backgrounds. From Early Childhood Education to adult learning, VAM delivers world-class music education to students of all ages and abilities.

In addition to private lessons and class instruction, VAM students engage with world-renowned visiting artists in master classes, cooperate with other national and international music education organizations, and participate in numerous performances and competitions. VAM’s Orchestral Training Program is home to four levels of orchestra, which culminates in the Orpheum Series – four concerts that spotlight the VAM Symphony Orchestra in one of Vancouver’s most iconic cultural venues, the Orpheum Theatre.

LISTING INFORMATION                

VAM Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s Emperor

Date: Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 2pm

Ticket prices: $15 Adults, $10 Students & Seniors, available at the door or online

Address: The Orpheum, 601 Smithe St., Vancouver, BC

Website: vam.ca
_____________________________________________________________________________

For further media information, contact

Daniel Marshall
Marketing & Communications Manager, Vancouver Academy of Music
[email protected]  |  604.734.2301

Click here for press kit   (photos, biographies, VAM logo file, downloadable press release)

 

 

VAM’s Orchestral Program is supported by RBC Foundation and the R & J  Stern Family Foundation

VAM Hours Aug. 28 – Sept. 10, 2017

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Aug. 28 – Sept 1
Building Open: 9am-10pm
Office Open: 9am-5pm

September 2-4
Building & Office Closed

Sept. 5-8
Building Open: 9am-10pm
Office Open: 9am-6pm

Sept. 9
Building Open: 8am-10pm
Office Open: 9am-2pm

Sept. 10
Building Open: 9am-5pm
Office Closed

September 11: Fall term begins and regular hours apply