The first time I heard Haley Blais, I was struck by her authenticity and ability to convey what other humans are feeling through her music. Just take the lyrics from her song Late Bloomer for example, which present themselves as the soundtrack for those navigating a budding relationship. The Canadian folk-pop singer is based in…
I had the pleasure of attending one of Kensington Sinfonia’s concerts “The Contest Between Harmony and Invention.” The Kensington Sinfonia is a violin ensemble that performs all around Calgary and is led by Artistic Director, Donovan Seidle. Besides being an Artistic Director, he is also well-known in the music community for being the Assistant Concertmaster for the…
On February 25, I had the incredible opportunity to go to ‘Folk U’, an event held in Festival Hall with the aim of bringing youth into music and expanding their potential in a variety of genres. Entering the small front room, I immediately noticed a wide variety of instruments adding to the warm and friendly atmosphere.…
A few weeks back I had the absolute privilege of seeing classical pianist Jan Lisiecki perform alongside the Calgary Philharmonic in a dazzling display of ability and virtuosity. If you’re a classical pianist residing in Calgary, then you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Jan Lisiecki, the local Polish-Canadian pianist who captured the attention of the…
Most teenagers would never consider jazz music to be anything special, in fact the majority of people our age wouldn’t even consider listening to it for leisure. But I’m here to open your eyes, and ears, to the wonderful world of jazz music. This blog post will have a little bit of the history of…
“When James Ehnes played an A in rehearsal on his Stradivarius, he was louder than the whole orchestra while tuning…” James Ehnes, the guest artist for this concert, plays a very special instrument: the “ex-Marsick” Stradivarius of 1715. The Stradivarius is a household name among violinist, and these violins are renowned for their unsurpassed sound…
This well-known portrait of Mozart isn’t what Mozart actually looked like, due to the fact that his portrait was painted only after his death and using details given by his wife. Prior to a Mozart celebration concert by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), Kenneth Delong, music critic, and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus gave a brief introduction…