2014 | 15 Season
Subscription Series
Love, Hope and Transformation
Opening Night Fundraising Gala and Silent Auction
Saturday, October 18, 2014 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Join the Kindred Spirits Orchestra in celebrating the first concert of the season. Start the evening off in style with an opening night gala followed by spectacular music. Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman overture delights and provides audiences with the style that would define the composer’s voice throughout his career. Acclaimed pianist Dong Xu joins the orchestra with Ravel’s rhythmically complex and jazz influenced Concerto pour la main gauche (Concerto for the Left Hand). The program concludes with Richard Strauss’ Symphony No. 2: a remarkable work that reflects the German Romanticism of Strauss’ tutelage.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Dong Xu | pianist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:00 p.m. Silent auction begins in the foyer of Markham Theatre and closes at 9:30 pm
7:15 p.m.
Pre-concert talk with Carmen Gassi, KSO Principal Clarinettist
7:30 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Rodney Gray, Principal Flutist and Marie-Andrée Gray, Principal Violinist
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Dong Xu
Post-concert live jazz with complimentary glass of Champagne
Wagner, Overture to Der fliegende Holländer
Ravel, Concerto pour la main gauche for piano and orchestra
Strauss, Symphony No. 2 in F minor
A Night With Beethoven
Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Taking centre stage is a concert devoted entirely to the great works of master composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The KSO’s own violinist Marie-Andree Gray shines in her performance of Beethoven’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F, a lyrically beautiful piece imbued with passion and melancholy. Younggun Kim returns to the KSO to perform Beethoven’s Concerti for Piano No. 3 and 4: two spectacular works that were conceived during Beethoven’s fruitful mid-career, which also saw the creation of his infamous Symphony No. 5.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Younggun Kim | pianist
Marie-Andrée Gray | violinist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m. Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Carmen Gassi, KSO Principal Clarinettist and
Daniel Paquin, Associate Principal Clarinettist.
7:30 p.m. Pre-concert talk with Sara Lukjanovs, KSO Associate Principal Contrabass
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Younggun Kim
Post-concert complimentary glass of Champagne
Beethoven, Romance for violin and orchestra No. 2 in F major
Beethoven, Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 3 in C minor
Beethoven, Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 4 in G major
Mendelssohn, Prokofiev and Brahms
Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Artistic inspiration comes in many forms. For a 17-year-old Mendelssohn, it was Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that inspired him to compose one of his most popular works. For Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, it was the folk music of Russia and Spain that served as his muse. Brahms was inspired by Beethoven’s legacy and although had great success in his other works, it was only until much later in his career that he was ready to compose his first symphony.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Ruben Kosemyan | violinist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Kishan Chouhan, Principal Bassoon of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
7:30 p.m.
Pre-concert talk with Michael Berec, Assistant Conductor of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Ruben Kosemyan
Post-concert complimentary glass of Champagne
Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Op. 21
Prokofiev, Concerto for violin and orchestra No. 2 in G minor
Brahms, Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
Spring Fever
Friday, April 3, 2015 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Spring is in the air with a dazzling selection of Romantic works sure to delight. Weber’s Overture to Der Freischütz (The Marksman) is an epic piece that pits good against evil, but most importantly, celebrates the power of love. Delicate and powerful solos prove tantalizing in Liszt’s first Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 exudes beauty and grandeur: a true love letter to the Rhine River, where Schumann lived most of his life.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
William Bellehumeur | pianist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Valentina Tchaikovsky, Principal Violist of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
7:30 p.m.
Pre-concert talk with Alexa Ball, Associate Principal Flutist of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Maestro Kristian Alexander
C.M. von Weber, Overture to Der Freischütz
Liszt, Concerto for piano and orchestra No. 1 in E-flat major
Schumann, Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish” in E flat major, Op. 97
Elgar's Cello Concerto
Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Join Maestro Kristian Alexander as he leads the Kindred Spirits Orchestra through a spirited journey of musical bliss. Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture’s tender tones paint a breathtaking portrait of the sea. Cellist Jun Kyu Park performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto, known to many as Elgar’s ultimate compositional work. Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 breaks with tradition in a delightful romp that celebrates the composer’s joy and happiness.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Jun Kyu Park | cellist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Jesse Dietschi, Principal Contrabass of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
7:30 p.m.
Pre-concert talk with Michael Berec, Assistant Conductor of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Jun Kyu Park
Post-concert complimentary glass of Champagne
Mendelssohn, Hebrides Overture, Op. 26
Elgar, Concerto for cello and orchestra in E minor, Op. 85
Schumann, Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120
From Ashes Reborn
Markham Contemporary Music Festival
Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
The final concert of the season masterfully blends three centuries of music in one glorious night. Beethoven’s The Ruins of Athens Overture, originally commissioned for a theatre opening, is a dramatic work that is sure to stir the soul. Award winning pianist Christina Quilico performs Heather Schmidt’s vibrant Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4; a powerful and majestic work which the composer programmatically subtitles “Phoenix Ascending”. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1, penned in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution, is an accomplished work that pulses with both tradition and innovation.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Christina Petrowska-Quilico | pianist
Alexa Petrenko | host (Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital)
7:30 p.m.
Pre-concert talk
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Christina Petrowska-Quilico
Post-concert complimentary glass of Champagne
Beethoven, Overture to The Ruins of Athens, Op. 113
Heather Schmidt, Concert for piano and orchestra No. 4
Copland, Fanfare for the common man
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 1
Special Concerts and Events
Heavenly Harps
Friday, November 14, 2014 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
The Kindred Spirits Orchestra gives an extraordinary night of premières. Ann Hobson Pilot, former Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Harpist, dazzles in the Canadian premiere of On Willows and Birches, which John Williams wrote for Pilot to mark an outstanding 40 year career with one of the world’s finests orchestras. Following is a world premiere of Canadian composer James Campbell’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, featuring the renowned harpist Teresa Suen. Rounding out the program is Strauss’ Symphony No. 2, a piece that reveals the burgeoning talents of Strauss in his early years.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Ann Hobson Pilot | harpist
Teresa Suen | harpist
Boris Brott | host
7:15 p.m. Pre-concert talk with Michael Berec, Assistant Conductor of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
7:30 p.m.
Prélude (pre-concert recital) with Jing Ye, Concertmaste rof the Kindred Spirits Orchestra
Intermission discussion with Boris Brott, Ann Hobson Pilot and Teresa Suen
J. Strauss, Radetzki March
John Williams, On Willows and Birches for harp and orchestra (Canadian Premiere)
James W. Campbell, Concerto for harp and orchestra (World Premiere)
Strauss, Symphony No. 2 in F minor
Chinese New Year Celebration
February, 2015 (TBC)
Markham Civic Centre
Enjoy traditonal Chinese music and celebrate the year of the Sheep.
Free admission.
Hypnotic Passion
Friday, June 19, 2015 at 8:00 p.m.
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave., Markham ON L6B 0T2
Markham Contemporary Music Festival
Join the KSO for a stimulating concert of twentieth century music at Markham’s 2015 Contemporary Music Festival. Bartók’s hypnotically spine-chilling, Music for Percussion, Strings and Celesta, excites primal urges with its unique evocative melodies, timbres and soundscapes. Pianist Michael Berkovsky brings his passion and technique to the aurally beautiful and highly emotive Piano Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Lisa Hartl | trumpet
Michael Berkovsky | piano
Bartók, Music for strings, percussion and celesta
Shostakovich: Concerto for piano, trumpet and strings No. 1
Unionville Canada Day Celebration
Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 8:00 P.M.
Unionville Millennium Bandstand
Celebrate Canada Day light classic favourites performed by Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Revel in orchestral grandeur with Beethoven’s The Ruins of Athens Overture, originally commissioned for a theatre opening: a dramatic work that is sure to stir the soul. The KSO’s own violinist Marie-Andree Gray shines in her performance of Beethoven’s Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F, a lyrically beautiful piece imbued with passion and melancholy. Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman overture delights and provides audiences with the style that would define the composer’s voice throughout his career. Weber’s Overture to Der Freischütz (The Marksman) is an epic piece that pits good against evil, but most importantly, celebrates the power of love. Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture’s tender tones paint a breathtaking portrait of the sea. The celebration culminates in a spectacular performance of Tchaikovsky’s Solemn Overture The Year 1812 written to commemorate Russia’s defense of their motherland against Napoleon Bonaparte’s invading Grand Armée.
Kristian Alexander | conductor
Marie-Andrée Gray | violinist
Beethoven, Overture to The Ruins of Athens, Op. 113
Beethoven, Romance for violin and orchestra No. 2 in F major
Wagner, Overture to Der fliegende Holländer
Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 1
Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, Op. 21
C.M. von Weber, Overture to Der Freischütz
Strauss, Radetzki March
Mendelssohn, Hebrides Overture, Op. 26
Tchaikovsky, The year 1812, solemn overture, Op. 49
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Email: info@KSOrchestra.ca