The historic set of discs being recorded by the Seoul Philharmonic for Deutsche grammaphon

are available at:

Sikora's Classical Records

www.sikora'sclassicalrecords.com

432 West Hastings

Vancouver B.C.

604-685-0625

for 19.99

orders can be phoned in and shipped out

The Seoul Philharmonic has been awarded a ten disc contract with the iconic Deutsche grammphon label.

This is  the first Asian orchestra to win a  recording contract with Deutsche Grammphon.

Reocrdings to date are:  

French program;

Ravel              Ma Mere L'Oye

Debussy          La Mer

Ravel              La Valse

The Russian program:

Mussorgsky  Pictures at an Exhibition

Tchaikovsky   Symphony #6 in B minor the "Pathtetique"

These historic recordaings are available in Vancouver at Sikora's Classical Records.

This monumental piece, based on Vivladi's 4 Seasons is composed by Phil Dwyer and was recorded in Vancouver in July

2011 over a 3 day period.

It is scored for violin solo, and  jazz big  band with  a 21 piece string orchestra. Playing assistant concert-master for this

session was a pure adrenaline rush! With many of Canadas top musicians performing, it was music-making at the highest level.

The writing is inventive, pulsating with energy and of a stunnng and exhilerating complexity. Mark Fewer performed the

monster violin solo and lead the orchestra.  

This project was recorded on Alma records www.almarecords.com/

The Seoul Philharmonic will be performing in Vancouver

as part of their North American West Coast Tour.

The performance is Sunday April 15th, Orpheum Theatre, 7:30pm

Myung-Whun Chung Conductor

Wu Wei  Sheng Soloist

Program:

Ravel     Ma Mere L'Oye

Chin      Su  

Tchaikovsky Symphony #6 in B minor the "Pathtetique"

Soo Young Kim, a graduate from my violin class holds the title of Assistant Principal 2nd Violin with the Orchestra.

This is an article about the JOY of MUSIC project written by Toni Stanick, published in Progressions magazine.  Click here to view PDF of publication.

On Friday January 29th I had the pleasure and honour of attending a performance of the Tokyo String Quartet with Andrew and Karen Dawes. This was very exciting as Andy was  frist violin of the Tokyo for more than a year  touring and concertising. It was also fitting that while Andy was on tour with the Tokyo, present first violin Martin Beaver filled Andy's position at the University taking on Andy's students.

We pulled up the the Church, which was packed, and we went immediately backstage where there was much good cheer at the reunion of these musicians.

In the presence of legends: Ian McDougal and Al Kay

I had my first experience at ther Jazz Cellar Sunday January 24th and it was awesome. McDougal and Kay were smooth as silk and played as effortlessly as the swaying hips of the girl from Ipanema. Their sound was fluid and easy while ringing true with bell-like clarity, the upper registers were like the smoothest trumpets you ever heard and the lower registers were sonorous and warm. I was mesmerised by the astonishing technique of these artists as they wove up and down and inside each others musical lines, trading melodies, and creating harmonies with impeccable balance and timing.

What a thrill to be at the inaugurual concert of the brand new National Broadcast Orchestra held at the Chan Centre for the performing Arts, January 8th, 2010.

It was with great pride that I listened to Phillpe Labelle (President, Board of Directors) speak about the monumental achievement of bringing the vision of the NBO to fruition, and how fantastic it is that this  national institution, indeed national treasure  is being based in Vancouver!

VIOLIN RECITAL REVIEW

Looking back on 2009 I can list many outstanding performances that enthralled, moved and inspired me, but today I will speak of just one. For me, the Vancouver Opera production of Salome was the most intensley memorable. I was playing in the orchestrra for this production, I remember the first rehearsal, it was daunting, coming into CBC studio 40, I walked into a virtual sea of musicians, all with scores so technically difficult, rhythmically complex and harmonically challenging it made my your head spin. At the helm, ever so calmly and gracefully Maestro Jonathan Darlington gently began pulling out  threads of music, first from the violas, then the oboe, the flute, the horns and so on...