About The Erato Ensemble

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
William George

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mike Brown

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeff Pelletier, President
Jonathan Easey, Secretary
Johnny Bennett, Treasurer
Vince Schillaci-Ventura, Member-At-Large
Glenn Sutherland, Member-At-Large
Lorraine Graves, Member-At-Large
Candie Tanaka, Member-At-Large

 


ERATO is an art-song chamber ensemble formed in 2006.

Not your grandmother’s classical music, Erato’s performances range from beautiful to challenging to humorous to thought-provoking. Erato dares to be different; to show the public that skilled musicians can bring melodic new music to Vancouver and beyond.

Erato’’s mission is to combine traditional art-song with chamber music, creating a new genre; to create new works for this genre (often by Vancouver-based composers), and to advance the public’s appreciation of the arts by providing high-quality artistic performances in public places.

What makes Erato unique is the mixing of solo vocal music with unexpected instrumentation. Erato’s core ensemble features Solo Voices, Piano, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Saxophone, and Guitar. We also regularly feature other instruments as needed for specific repertoire. There is no other ensemble like us in B.C., and very few in Canada or internationally. Many chamber ensembles feature works with vocalists on their concerts, but only on an occasional basis. Erato features vocal and instrumental repertoire equally, and has been instrumental in creating new works. We are proud to be pioneers in the creation of this new genre. Our members include some of the top musicians in the Vancouver area (featuring members of the Vancouver Symphony, musica intima, and UBC and VSO faculty, among others).

Besides Erato’s own concerts, the ensemble has been featured with Vancouver New Music, Vancouver Pro Musica, Vancouver International Song Institute, Queer Arts Festival, Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, CMC’s New Music in New Places, The Roedde House Museum, and In The House Festival.

In its ten year existence, Erato Ensemble has created or premiered over 70 new works, most by Canadian composers. In addition, the ensemble is committed to programming existing Canadian works, and is an official affiliate ensemble of the Canadian Music Centre. Our commitment to contemporary Canadian works has earned us the reputation of a “composer’s ensemble.” Our adventuresome programming allows us to include music from multiple periods and genres on the same program. The ensemble’s idiosyncratic combination of voice and instruments in various combinations provides a unique listening experience for our audience, and a diverse palette for for composers.

To contact us, please call (604) 720 1792 or shoot us an email via the contact page.

William George & Catherine Laub
Co-Founders