BEAUTIFUL MELODIES FOR HORN, VOICE & PIANO MARK MOTHER’S DAY
LONDON – Orchestra London horn player Sasha Gorbasew, soprano Natalie Pratt and pianist Stéphan Sylvestre delight deserving mothers this Sunday, May 9 at Mother’s Day Brunch, part of Orchestra London’s Serenade Brunch series at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn.
Attendees will enjoy a gourmet Brunch followed by a lovely recital performed by Gorbasew, Sylvestre, & Pratt. Selections will include Schubert’s Auf dem strom (By the River) and
Du bist die ruh (You are Rest and Peace); Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major; Puccini's Quando me'n vo (Musetta’s Waltz from La Bohème); and Berlioz’s Le Jeune Pâtre Breton (The Young Breton Shepherd).
“One of the most significant pieces written for horn, voice, & piano is Schubert’s Auf dem strom (By the River),” says Gorbasew. “This is mature Schubert and one of his last songs.”
Du bist die ruh (You are Rest and Peace), for soprano and piano, is another famous Schubert piece.
“Jeff Christmas wrote a beautiful horn obbligato for this piece which suits it very nicely,” adds Gorbasew.
In addition to the ensemble selections, each performer will be featured as a soloist. Pratt will sing Bernstein’s “Glitter and Be Gay” and Puccini’s Quando me'n vo (Musetta’s Waltz).
“I love the beautiful Italian melody of Quando me'n vo and La Bohème is one of my favourite operas,” says Pratt.
“When I was a little girl, I would hear my Grandma hum this melody as she would be going about her day. In honour of Mother's Day, it's a great feeling and memory for me to take into performance.”
Sylvestre will perform Brahms’ Intermezzo in A Major, one of the composer’s most famous pieces for piano, part of a collection of pieces dedicated to Clara Schumann:
“The intimacy, lyricism and the remarkable reflectiveness of this piece is a great example of Brahms’ ‘contemplative’ period,” when Brahms himself said ‘even one listener is already too many,’” says Sylvestre.
Gorbasew will shine on Schumann’s Adagio & Allegro, although he quotes his favourite piece on the program as Berlioz’s Le Jeune Pâtre Breton, (The Young Breton Shepherd), a work for all three performers:
“It is very beautiful in its simplicity,” he says. Berlioz has an amazing way to capture certain emotions in his music.”
The Orchestra London Serenade Brunch series combines delicious Sunday brunch fare with delightful recital music at the Best Western Lamplighter Inn. Tickets for Mother’s Day Brunch are on sale at orchestralondon.ca, at the Box Office, or at the door.
Sasha Gorbasew, horn
Sasha Gorbasew has been a member of Orchestra London since 1997. He has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony Orchestra and Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Sasha holds a Bachelor of Music degree (Performance) from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Music (Performance) degree from the University of British Columbia.
Past teachers include Wayne Jeffrey, Martin Hackleman, John Zirbel and Rick Wood. Sasha has participated in master classes with Froydis Ree Wekre, Roland Pandolfi, James Sommerville and Ifor James. Sasha lives in London with his lovely wife Francesca and two sons Samuel and Michael.
Natalie Pratt, soprano
Natalie Pratt studied vocal performance at the University of Western Ontario where she achieved both her Bachelor and Masters (vocal performance and literature) degrees. A recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, she has studied with teachers Gwen Little, Darryl Edwards, and Mary Lou Fallis, and vocal coaches John Hess, Kevin McMillan and Jim Bourne.
Enjoying work in recital, cantata, oratorio and opera, Natalie has performed with choirs and orchestras across Ontario. Her favourite performances include appearances with the Karen Schuessler Singers and the ‘Jum ir Rabat’ Festival (Malta, Europe). She has also released her first CD, called ‘My Favourite Songs’.
An adjudicator, clinician and examiner for Conservatory Canada, Natalie runs her own private studio in London, Ontario. She is very happy to be performing once again with Sasha, and for the first time with Stéphan. “This one’s for my Cameron and Charles, who made me a mom.”
Stéphan Sylvestre, piano
Stéphan Sylvestre ranks among the most sought-after and gifted Canadian pianists of the new generation and enjoys a very active performing career as recitalist, orchestra soloist and chamber musician. His numerous concert tours and performances have taken place in major concert halls, universities and concert organizations throughout Canada, United States, Brazil, the Middle East, France, Italy, Scotland, England, Czech Republic, Russia and the Netherlands. Notable venues include the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), St-Martin in the Fields (London), the St-Petersburg Conservatory (Russia), Place des Arts (Montreal), National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Massey Hall (Toronto).
He has appeared with several Canadian orchestras including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain and the Janacek Academy Orchestra in the Czech Republic. Stéphan Sylvestre holds a master’s degree from the Université de Montréal and an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. He has studied with MarDurand, Leon Fleisher and Marek Jablonski, and has perfected his craft in Europe and at the University of Southern California under John Perry.
CONCERT SUMMARY
Who:
Sasha Gorbasew, horn Natalie Pratt, soprano
Stéphan Sylvestre, piano
What:
Serenade Brunch: Mother’s Day Brunch
Selections for horn, voice, & piano, including Schubert’s Auf dem strom (By the River) and Du bist die ruh (You are Rest and Peace); Brahms’ Intermezzo in A major; Puccini's Quando me'n vo (Musetta’s Waltz); Bernstein’s Glitter and Be Gay and Berlioz’s Le Jeune Pâtre Breton.
When:
Sunday, May 9 (Mother’s Day) Brunch begins at 12 noon with recital to follow
Orchestra London’s 2009-2010 Season is sponsored by: Pacific & Western Bank of Canada The Serenade Brunch Series is sponsored by: Best Western Lamplighter Inn, Stevens Exhibit Design Group, & The London Free Press
