Friday, May 13, 2022
Knox United Church, Parksville
Concert 6:45 pm, doors open 6:00 pm (note earlier start time)
Join Janelle Nadeau and her long-time friends Laura Vanek and Christian Márkos for an unforgettable concert. The combination of harp, flute and cello will bring a richness to every selection on the music programme. All are accomplished musicians on their own and are delighted with the magical and unusual sound that the three instruments create together. The heartfelt and captivating stories woven into the concert will surely make for a memorable evening.
Janelle Nadeau is a highly accomplished musician who is currently the acting principle harpist with the Vancouver Opera Orchestra and a regular performer with Turning Point Ensemble. “She has taken the stage with everyone from Diana Krall and Kanye West to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She has toured with the Manitoba Arts Network, Home Routes, Celebrity Cruises, and the National Youth Symphony of Canada, and has performed at the World Harp Congress as well as the American Harp Society Conference. And you will still find her on Vancouver’s smaller stages — she continues to play regular weekly gigs all over the city. Her musicianship has been recognized on the competitive circuit as well. She has won both first and second place in the Winnipeg Women’s Musical Club Competition, and was a regional finalist in CBC’s annual Searchlight competition (B.C. division). Upon her graduation from the prestigious Harp Performance Program at the University of British Columbia in 2008, Janelle spent a decade touring across Western Canada with the acclaimed Celtic, medieval, and classical music group Winter Harp, whose performances have become Christmastime tradition for many.”
“Born and raised in small-town Manitoba, Janelle is a prairie girl at heart, and the influence of her roots can be felt in her warm rapport with her audiences.”
source: www.janellenadeau.com
Laura Vanek “began her musical studies at age four studying the piano. She later fell in love with the flute and began taking private lessons at age twelve in Toronto with Dianne Aitken and Douglas Stewart. As a teenager she attended the Domaine Forget Summer Academy where she was introduced to the French style of playing which inspired her to move to Paris and study with the late Alain Marion. While in France she continued her studies with Philippe Pierlot, Vincent Lucas and Francois-Xavier Roth. She later attended the Royal Northern College of Music, studying under Peter Lloyd. In addition, Laura has had private lessons and participated in masterclasses with Robert Aitken, Genevieve Amar, Yosi Arenheim, James Campbell, Lise Daoust, Raymond Guiot and Ryu Noguchi. She recently completed her masters in music performance at the University of Victoria where she was the recipient of The Martlet Chapter Graduate Scholarship and Graduate Award.”
“Laura has won numerous competitions including the Concours Européen de Musique, the Prix de la Ville de Paris and the Mary Gardiner Award for Contemporary Music. She has held positions with l’Orchestre Hector Berlioz and l’Orchestre de l’Opèra Comique and has appeared with the Esprit Orchestra. Since moving to the west coast she regularly performs as a soloist and with a wide variety of chamber ensembles.”
“She was a founding member of NOVO Ensemble, a dynamic, young group, featuring classically trained instrumentalists who specialize in contemporary works performed in intimate and unusual spaces in and around Vancouver. She is also an active orchestral musician who has appeared with The Vancouver Symphony, Kamloops Symphony, Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Island Symphony, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Opera, Victoria Operatic Society, Turning Point Ensemble, Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and the Vancouver Oratorio Society.”
“Since her professional debut, Laura has been actively involved in teaching music. She is a frequent guest teacher at St. Michaels University School, Pacific Christian School and Bodwell College where she has given flute masterclasses and clinics. She has also taught flute and coached chamber music ensembles at The University of Victoria and participated in the Blueridge International Chamber Music Festival.”
source: www.lauravanek.com
Christian Márkos “has been a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 1999. Born in Iași, Romania, Cristian earned his B.Mus in Music Performance from the Music Academy in Bucharest, Romania. He went on to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for post-graduate studies with Mr. Wolfgang Laufer, late cellist of the renowned Fine Arts Quartet.
Wanting to experience a ‘true’ Canadian winter, Cristian sat as Associate Principal Cellist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra for the 2012-2013 concert season. As an accomplished symphony and chamber musician, he has toured with the Mont Blanc Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the late Maestro/cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, and as a soloist Cristian has performed on stages in Romania, France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy, United States, and Canada.
In addition to performing, Cristian is also a dedicated teacher and clinician and maintains vibrant private teaching studios at the VSO’s new School of Music and the Vancouver Academy of Music.”