Take two classically trained and heralded stringsmiths who have a passion for performance and love of virtuosic and intimate music. Add technical brilliance, intense musicality, a guitar and a violin, and you get Duo Rendezvous.
Violinist Jasper Wood and guitarist Daniel Bolshoy are said to be forces on their respective instruments. The Greater Vernon audience will be able to hear for themselves when the duo plays the fifth and final performance of the North Okanagan Community Concert Association’s 2016-17 season Saturday, March 18.
The men met when their then agent from Richard Paul Agencies suggested they work together.
“They have been performing together for over five years. Jasper credits Daniel and his ability to transcribe traditional violin/piano duets for contributing to their unique sound,” said NOCCA president Paul Maynes.
Together, they will play violin/guitar compositions that have a correlation to dance.
“Our audience will be treated to works by Bach, Falla, Sarasate, Jobim, Piazzolla and Monti – a little bossa nova, some tango and even Hungarian czardas,” said Maynes.
In demand by presenters across the country, thanks to the men’s thriving solo careers, Duo Rendezvous enjoy engaging their audiences with humour and passionate musicianship. Their unique programming enriches the existing guitar and violin repertoire with transcriptions of masterpieces from around the world and newly commissioned pieces by leading Canadian composers.
A professor of violin at UBC, Wood has established himself as a major talent of his generation. He made his first public appearance at the age of five, and has since captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere with his “thrilling virtuosity” (The Strad) and his “sweet tunefulness edged in melancholy” (Washington Post).
An acclaimed competition winner, he has developed a flourishing reputation as a sought-after soloist with major orchestras, including the Montreal and Toronto symphonies and as a recital/chamber musician throughout North America and Europe.
Wood has been awarded both the coveted Sylva Gelber Prize (1996) and the prestigious Virginia Parker Award (2004) from the Canada Council for the Arts. He has 12 recordings on the Endeavor Classics, Analekta, Centrediscs, Disques Pelleas and Naxos, and ATMA labels.
Having performed hundreds of concerts internationally, Bolshoy is recognized as a leader amongst Canadian guitarists. He is regularly praised for his friendly and informative spoken introductions, and progressive programming of solo and chamber music.
An ATMA recording artist, Bolshoy appears on seven recordings and two documentary films. His most recent recording features the solo guitar works of Eduardo Sainz de la Maza.
Bolshoy’s performances have taken him from the most prestigious stages to intimate concerts at remote and smaller communities, where audiences are captivated by his skill, charm, and uniquely communicative stage presence.
He is regularly invited to appear in recital with orchestras and concert societies across Canada, the U.S., Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
A devoted music educator, Bolshoy is currently the head of the guitar departments at UBC and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s school of music, where he shares his passion for music with the next generation of guitar enthusiasts.
Opening for Duo Rendezvous will be Vernon pianst Alex MacArthur.
MacArthur began his music studies at the age of eight with Lucy Feldman at the Vernon Community Music School (VCMS), completing his associate degree with the Royal Conservatory in 2003. After receiving his bachelor of music in piano performance from the University of Victoria in 2008, he studied for two years at le Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal.
MacArthur has been teaching piano on and off for the past 10 years and recently joined the VCMS faculty. In addition to performing and teaching, he is an accomplished accompanist for local musicians and students.
After touring Europe and Mexico with the UVic Chamber Singers, he developed an interest in choral music and currently sings in local choirs. He also acted as musical director/pianist in the recent production of Jasper Station at Vernon’s Powerhouse Theatre.
NOCCA presents MacArthur and Duo Rendezvous at the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40/adult, $20/student at the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca.