Global Soundscapes Festival 2022
June 9-12, 2022
The Historic Theatre at The Cultch
Vancouver, BC
The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra’s annual Global Soundscapes Festival returns live and in- person for 2022, presenting a rich feast of sound and rhythm, celebrating the intersection of traditional sounds and instruments from all over the world with contemporary classical music by Canadian composers.
Over four nights, the festival presents concerts featuring outstanding local musicians and acclaimed national and international artists and groups. The first two nights spotlight the double bill of the Vancouver Erhu Quartet and 88 Strings (June 9), and Montreal’s innovative Ensemble Paramirabo (June 10). Featured international guest artist Ramiz Guliyev – a virtuoso on the Azerbaijani tar – makes his first-ever appearance in British Columbia with the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra under the baton of his son, renowned conductor Ayyub Guliyev (June 11). Ramiz Guliyev also performs June 12 in an intimate concert of traditional Azerbaijani music.
Mr. Guliyev’s performances in Vancouver offer a unique and fleeting opportunity to witness the talent of a towering figure in Azerbaijani culture, and in Middle Eastern music more generally.
All concerts are at the Historic Theatre at The Cultch. Details below!
Festival Programme
Concert #1 – Thursday, June 9 | 8 PM
Double bill:
Vancouver Erhu Quartet | 88 Strings
The festival’s opening night is an intercultural double bill featuring two extraordinary new Vancouver-based chamber ensembles. Created in 2020, the Vancouver Erhu Quartet explores the sonic possibilities from combining the erhu (Chinese violin) with western strings. 88 Strings mixes traditional Chinese, Persian and Western plucked instruments, specializing in new musical inventions and adventures written or arranged specifically for the group.
Concert #2 – Friday, June 10 | 8 PM
**Update (June 8): unfortunately this concert has been cancelled due to illness.**
Ensemble Paramirabo
The intrepid and dedicated members of Ensemble Paramirabo come together as a single voice to perform contemporary music, showcase emerging Canadian composers, and expand the boundaries of the traditional concert experience.
**Update (June 8): unfortunately this concert has been cancelled due to illness. We hope very much to host this wonderful ensemble at some other time in the not-too-distant future!**
Concert #3 – Saturday, June 11 | 8 PM
The Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra
with Ramiz Guliyev, tar
Ayyub Guliyev, conductor
The VICO is proud to welcome master musicians Ramiz Guliyev (tar) and Ayyub Guliyev (conductor) to Vancouver for the first time, and to share the stage with them in this concert full of adventurous music that transcends borders and centuries, including three world premieres: a new concerto for tar and intercultural orchestra by Farshid Samandari; Chahargah Rhapsody by Hasan Rsayev in a new arrangement for tar and intercultural orchestra by Mark Armanini; and ‘Vivaldi in Shiraz’, an intercultural reimagining of a Vivaldi concerto for two mandolins.
Concert #4 – Sunday, June 12 | 3 PM
Ramiz Guliyev, tar
with Michael Creber, piano
and Bijan Rahmani, percussion
Visiting virtuoso Ramiz Guliyev (tar) performs an intimate chamber programme of traditional Azerbaijani music, accompanied by Michael Creber on piano and Bijan Rahmani on percussion.
Mr. Guliyev’s performances in Vancouver offer a unique and fleeting opportunity to witness the talent of a towering figure in Azerbaijani culture, and in Middle Eastern music more generally.
