The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s Global Soundscapes Festival presents four days of adventurous classical and world music – a rich feast of sounds & rhythms from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Canada. Festival concerts will showcase outstanding local musicians alongside acclaimed national and international guest ensembles.
This year’s Festival showcases string instruments from many cultures: Persian santur, oud, and kamanche, the chang from Uzbekistan, and Chinese erhu will share the stage with violins, violas, celli, double bass, and piano. Featured acts include Montreal santur virtuoso Amir Amiri, Croatia’s Stančul Trio, and Vancouver’s own Borealis String Quartet, Tukhtamishev Trio, and the VICO String Orchestra under the direction of Janna Sailor.
In the intimate atmosphere of the Historic Theatre at the Cultch, audiences can expect to see and hear many virtuoso performers playing instruments from all over the world, rarely seen or heard together on the same stage. The Festival offers a beautifully diverse sound palette and a range of innovative, inspiring approaches to making music that transcends borders.
Festival Programme
Concert #1 – Thursday, June 11 | 7:30 PM
Double bill:
1. Tukhtamishev Trio
Ravshan Tukhtamishev, Khurshida Djuraeva & Jonathan Bernard
2. Amir Amiri, santur
with Ravshan Tukhtamishev & Saina Khaledi
As a master of a traditional Uzbek string instrument called the chang, Ravshan Tukhtamishev has expanded the technical and expressive boundaries of the instrument, introducing new playing techniques and sonic textures that have redefined its role in modern performance. In this concert, he will perform with vocalist Khurshida Djuraeva and percussionist Jonathan Bernard.
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Montreal-based performer, composer, and cultural connector Amir Amiri is a master of the santur, a 72-string instrument dating from approximately 500 BCE. Surrounding himself with outstanding collaborators from the worlds of jazz, classical and world music, Amiri fearlessly transcends genres and borders, exquisitely transporting his ancient instrument into the musical conversations of our time. In this concert, he will be joined by Vancouver’s own Saina Khaledi (santur) and Ravshan Tukhtamishev (chang) in a unique meeting of musical cultures and traditions.
Concert #2 – Friday, June 12 | 7:30 PM
Double bill:
1. Amir Amiri, santur
with Farshid Samandari, piano
2. Borealis String Quartet
with Douglas Hensley, oud
In his second Festival appearance, featured guest artist and santur virtuoso Amir Amiri (Montreal) will perform with VICO’s own Artistic Director, Farshid Samandari on piano. This adventurous collaboration will weave together traditional and contemporary influences, improvisation, and more!
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One of the most dynamic and exciting world-class ensembles of its generation, the Borealis String Quartet has received international critical acclaim for its fiery performances, passionate style, and refined, musical interpretation. On this concert, the Borealis will be joined by Douglas Hensley (oud).
Concert #3 – Saturday, June 8 | 7:30 PM
The VICO String Orchestra
Janna Sailor, conductor
The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra performs in a number of different configurations, ranging from a touring tentet to the full 25-member orchestra. This concert will feature the VICO String Orchestra, a 15-member chamber ensemble composed of Persian kamanches, Chinese erhus, violins, violi, cello, and double bass. The String Orchestra was developed for a pandemic-era series of filmed performances; this Festival concert under the baton of conductor Janna Sailor marks its first ever performance for a live, in-person audience! The all-Canadian programme features compositions by Mark Armanini, Kara Gibbs, Farshid Samandari, Amy Stephen, and Edward Top.
Concert #4 – Sunday, June 9 | 3 PM
Stančul Trio
The Stančul Trio – formed by Jasminka Stančul (piano), Žarko Perišić (bassoon), and Milan Milosević (clarinet) – represents a meeting of internationally acclaimed soloists, each bringing a unique perspective into a shared artistic vision. They strive to make chamber music a living, relevant form of expression that uplifts underrepresented voices, honours the legacy of women in music, and reaffirms the enduring value of dialogue, sensitivity, and innovation in the classical tradition. They will close the Festival with this matinee concert featuring music by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, and the world premiere of a new work by Zoran Novačić.
