One of the country's most eminent pianists, Jane Coop, along with acclaimed cellist Henry Shapard, will be performing in the intimate setting of Langley Community Music School’s (LCMS) Rose Gellert concert hall on March 1.
A musician of stature, Coop has been described by The Montreal Gazette as having “... technique, sense of style, tempo, sensitivity of touch, phrasing, and dynamic shading. [She] has that extra something that lets a pianist become a poet.”
Shapard was appointed the principal cello of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at only 21 years of age.
And now in demand around the world as a cello section-leader, the artist has garnered an impressive array of performances as both a soloist and chamber musician, explained LCMS's artistic director Elizabeth Bergmann, of the Bergmann Piano Duo.
“Jane and Henry are each stellar musicians with exceptional talent,” Bergmann said.
“They complement each other beautifully as a duo, and will delight the audience with a performance that is eloquent, dynamic and rich with artistry.”
The concert will feature Beethoven’s famous 12 Variations on a theme from Handel’s Judas Maccabeus and 7 Variations on a theme from Mozart’s Magic Flute. Movements from Beethoven’s Sonatas Op. 102, No.1 and Op. 69 in A Major will round out the program.
Coop has performed in more than 20 countries, and in such eminent halls as the Bolshoi, the Kennedy Center, Wigmore, Carnegie, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and the Beijing Concert Hall.
As professor emerita of music at the University of British Columbia, she has received countless accolades throughout her career and has been appointed to the Order of British Columbia, as well as to the Order of Canada – the country’s highest honour for lifetime achievement.
Shapard has performed as a cello-section leader in notable halls including as guest principal cello of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and guest co-principal cello of the London Philharmonic and Oslo Philharmonic Orchestras.
The cellist served as the assistant conductor of the Yale Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Berkeley College Orchestra and the Saybrook College Orchestra.
“We are grateful to Tom Lee for sponsoring this concert, and we look forward to sharing this special evening of Beethoven’s Sonatas and Variations with our community,” said Bergmann.
The concert is being held Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are $35 for adults, $32 for seniors, $18 for students, and $10 for LCMS students. They are available from the LCMS box office at 604-534-2848 or on Eventbrite. The Rose Gellert Concert Hall is located at 4899 207 St.
Also upcoming, LCMS will host a concert featuring David Lakirovich on violin and Sunny Qu on piano (March 9); Quartetto Gelato (April 12); Jasper Wood, Joseph Elworthy, and the Bergmann Piano Duo (May 3); then Paolo Bortolussi on flute and Dr. Corey Hamm on piano (May 25).
