Press Release for Past, October 13, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Park
Phone: 778-866-5638
Email: eratoensemble@gmail.com
“Past, Present, and Future” – Time Travel Through Classical Music
Erato Ensemble Announces New Season and New Artistic Director
Vancouver, BC – August, 2018 – Erato Ensemble takes audiences on a journey through time by exploring our relationship to the “Past, Present, and Future”. Led by newly appointed Artistic Director, Michael Park, each concert presents a thoughtful balance of historical and contemporary repertoire, local and internationally acclaimed composers, and ensemble size ranging from duos through the ensemble’s full octet.
The season opens October 13th, 8pm at the ANNEX with a concert of music from or about the “Past”. The concert includes legends from the classical repertoire, such as Schubert’s Shepherd on the Rock, Dvořák’s Songs My Mother Taught Me. Honouring the ensemble’s past, Erato will perform ensemble founder, Will George’s Twilight Song from the ensemble’s first season as an homage and thank you to George for his work as the ensemble’s previous leader. Never stuck in the past, the concert takes a nostalgic turn with a rich assortment of contemporary pieces by local composers Rodney Sharman and Jocelyn Morlock, and new arrangements from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
“I really wanted to program my first season to honour Erato’s dedication to local and emerging composers. The ensemble has set an admirable precedent performing contemporary works alongside historical repertoire. I think the ensemble is primed to help define what comes next, and I’m excited to be at the helm.”
-Michael Park
Artistic Director, Erato Ensemble
Event Details:
“Past”
Saturday, October 13, 2018,
8pm @ The Annex
Tickets (online and at the door)
Single Tickets $19.99 with membership, or $30
Season Pass $49.99 with membership, or $59.99
Tickets and memberships online and at the door. Rush Seating. Concession rates available.
http://eratoensemble.eventbrite.com
Erato Ensemble gratefully acknowledges the support of:
Vancouver Civic Theatres
BACKGROUND
Erato Ensemble is a unique octet of singers and instrumentalists dedicated to performing and developing the repertoire of vocal/instrumental chamber music. In its decade of concert presenting, Erato Ensemble has fostered and premiered over 80 new works, most by Canadian composers. In honour of its commitment to programming Canadian works, Erato was named an official affiliate ensemble of the Canadian Music Centre in 2016.
Erato is known for its adventurous programming and idiosyncratic combination of voice and instruments. The ensemble has also 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, In The House Festival, and The Roedde House Museum.
Founded in 2006 by tenor Will George, and soprano Catherine Laub, Erato has established itself as a pioneer in the creation of a genre that both honours and transcends traditional art song. Currently led by artistic director, Michael Park, and executive director, Mike Brown, Erato’s mission is to foster and develop the growing repertoire of vocal/instrumental chamber music: honouring, yet distinct from the traditions of art song, choral music, and opera. They do this by supporting the creation of new work, and presenting high-quality artistic performances in public places, thereby advancing the public’s appreciation of the arts.
Erato Ensemble
Dorothea Hayley, soprano
Melanie Adams, mezzo-soprano
William George, tenor
Michael Park, piano
Jeff Pelletier, flute
Julie Begg, clarinet
Sarah Kwok, viola
Alexandra Sia, cello
Michael Park is a composer and pianist with a keen interest in speech, humour, and collaboration. His music aims to give audiences an experience beyond the realm of traditional concert-going. Heralded for his innovative projects, his Ted Talk Experiencing Disease Through Music has been described as “moving, haunting, and an amazing translation of the disease”. He is the creative mind behind Diagnosis: Diabetes (the interactive chamber opera) and the Bouncy Castle Organ Extravaganza.
Michael’s own compositions have been presented in Vancouver by Music on Main, Vancouver Pro Musica, Redshift Music, Songfire Festival of Song, and Queer Arts Festival. His music has also been performed across North America, with notable premieres in Winnipeg, Boston, and New York. A “wildly talented pianist” (Opera Canada), Michael regularly performs with Erato Ensemble, has been the featured artist at Sonic Boom Music Festival, and continues to collaborate with a wide variety of artists, including dancers, poets, visual artists, and musicians.
Michael is a passionate champion of new music. He’s performed dozens a of B.C. premieres as resident pianist with Vancouver’s Erato Ensemble, supported the creation of more than 70 world premieres as founder and co-director of Art Song Lab, and is actively building new repertoire for the genre of speaking pianist through his ongoing solo recital series, Story Time with Michael Park. Michael is the newly appointed artistic director of Erato Ensemble, and is the president of the board of directors for Vancouver’s Redshift Music Society.
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For interviews and information, please contact Michael Park:
778-866-5638 or eratoensemble@gmail.com