The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra is proud to announce the release of a new series of filmed performances in celebration of the Winter Solstice. The videos, filmed at Deep Cove Shaw Theatre earlier this month, feature small ensembles and soloists playing repertoire that spans cultures, centuries and continents. The series will go live on the VICO’s website and YouTube channel on December 20, 21 and 22.

In signature VICO fashion, ancient musical cultures are woven together with contemporary classical forms; the programme includes traditional Persian and Chinese music alongside new compositions by participants in the VICO’s annual Sounds Global Composers’ Workshop (held earlier this year). Also on the bill: works by Mark Armanini, John Oliver, Willy Miles-Grenzberg, Amir Eslami, Sid Robinovitch, Farshid Samandari, and Elliot Weisgarber.

We share these performances in the hope that this colourful, innovative music, created and performed in a spirit of cross-cultural collaboration, will help to combat the darkness of winter, and the unsettled feeling of this unusual holiday season.

FEATURED MUSICIANS

  • Diba Ensemble with tenor Jamal Kurdistani
  • An intercultural chamber quartet composed of John Oliver (guitar), Ali Razmi (tar), Dai-Lin Hsieh (zheng), and Joy Yeh (harp)
  • Cloud Bell Ensemble: Yun Song (erhu) & Geling Jiang (sanxian)
  • Liam Hockley (clarinet)
  • Singer/songwriter Willy Miles-Grenzberg
  • …with guest appearances by Amir Eslami (ney) and Milan Milosevic (clarinet), Zarko Perisic (bassoon), and Dejan Sinadinovic (piano)

Videos will be available at https://vi-co.org/the-longest-night-music-for-solstice-solace-2020/ from December 20, 2020.

*******

The VICO gratefully acknowledges the support of the following funders and partners: