Wednesday, October 25, 2023 | 7:30 pm | Port Theatre

Bite by Bekah Simms takes us on a journey where we introspectively rediscover ourselves. Followed by Beethoven where we revel in the angelic, blooming, daring and celebratory spirit of his and finally, Shostakovich's legendary 5th Symphony , which inspires us bravely to confront formidable challenges, and to ultimately transform the human condition, improving the world around us.

CONDUCTOR: Cosette Justo Valdés

GUEST ARTIST: Philip Chiu, PIANO

PROGRAMME

SIMMS:  Bite

BEETHOVEN:   Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

SHOSTAKOVICH   Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47

PERFORMANCE SPONSOR

PURCHASE TICKETS

PRE-CONCERT TALK: 6:30 PM
CONCERT: 7:30 PM

Join us for our free pre-concert talks. One hour prior to the concert in the theatre lobby.

What to wear? Be comfortable. Dress in a way that works for you. If you feel like dressing up, do it and you won’t be the only one, we promise. If you prefer to be more casual you will fit right in as well.

Beverages served prior to concert and during intermission. You can pre-order your beverage before the concert.


Mobile phones are allowed to be on but must be set to silent.


We weclome you to clap when you like what you hear.

Bekah Simms
BIOGRAPHY

Bekah Simms (born 1990) is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music.

Simms was born and raised in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she studied at the nearby Memorial University of Newfoundland with composer Andrew Staniland.[2] At Memorial University, she received a B.Mus. in music theory and composition in addition to a B.Mus.Ed in music education.[3] She also holds M.Mus. and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Toronto[4] where her teachers included Gary Kulesha, Christos Hatzis, and Norbert Palej.[3] Her thesis work, Foreverdark, was subsequently performed by Esprit Orchestra.[5] Additional studies with acousmatic composer Martin Bédard in Montreal were facilitated through the PIVOT mentorship program, jointly run by the Canadian Music Centre, Canadian League of Composers, and Continuum Contemporary Music.[6]

Simms has received over 30 composition awards, prizes, and competitive selections.[1] This includes the 2019 Barlow Prize,[7] the 2017 Toronto Emerging Composer Award,[8] the 2018 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music,[9] and the inclusion of her work in the official Canadian Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music‘s World Music Days in 2016, 2019, and 2021.[10] She was a nominee for the 2022 Gaudeamus Award.[11]

Simms released her debut album, impurity chains, in September 2018 to positive reviews.[12][13] The composition Granitic was subsequently nominated for a 2019 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year,[14] and her composition Everything Is… Distorted was nominated for a 2020 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the year.[15] Her second full-length album, Bestiaries (2022), received critical acclaim including inclusion on several year end best-of lists.[16][17][18][19][20] In 2023, she received her third Juno nomination in the same category for “Bestiary I & II,” which she won.[21]

Read more at wikipedia.org…

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770– 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music, he remains one of the most recognized and influential musicians of this period, and is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time.

Beethoven was born in Bonn, the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and part of the Holy Roman Empire. He displayed his musical talents at an early age and was vigorously taught by his father Johann van Beethoven, and was later taught by composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe. At age 21, he moved to Vienna and studied composition with Joseph Haydn. Beethoven then gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and was soon courted by Prince Lichnowsky for compositions, which resulted in Opus 1 in 1795.

The piece was a great critical and commercial success, and was followed by Symphony No. 1 in 1800. This composition was distinguished for its frequent use of sforzandi, as well as sudden shifts in tonal centers that were uncommon for traditional symphonic form, and the prominent, more independent use of wind instruments. In 1801, he also gained notoriety for his six String Quartets and for the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus. During this period, his hearing began to deteriorate, but he continued to conduct, premiering his third and fifth symphonies in 1804 and 1808, respectively. His condition worsened to almost complete deafness by 1811, and he then gave up performing and appearing in public.

During this period of self exile, Beethoven composed many of his most admired works; his seventh symphony premiered in 1813, with its second movement, Allegretto, achieving widespread critical acclaim. He composed the piece Missa Solemnis for a number of years until it premiered 1824, which preceded his ninth symphony, with the latter gaining fame for being among the first examples of a choral symphony. In 1826, his fourteenth String Quartet was noted for having seven linked movements played without a break, and is considered the final major piece performed before his death a year later.

 

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Dimitri Shostkovich
Composer

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich[n 1] (25 September [O.S. 12 September] 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist[1] who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major composer.

Shostakovich achieved early fame in the Soviet Union, but had a complex relationship with its government. His 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was initially a success, but eventually was condemned by the Soviet government, putting his career at risk. In 1948 his work was denounced under the Zhdanov Doctrine, with professional consequences lasting several years. Even after his censure was rescinded in 1956, performances of his music were occasionally subject to state interventions, as with his Thirteenth Symphony (1962). Shostakovich was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (1947) and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (from 1962 until his death), as well as chairman of the RSFSR Union of Composers (1960–1968). Over the course of his career, he earned several important awards, including the Order of Lenin, from the Soviet government.

Shostakovich combined a variety of different musical techniques in his works. His music is characterized by sharp contrasts, elements of the grotesque, and ambivalent tonality; he was also heavily influenced by neoclassicism and by the late Romanticism of Gustav Mahler. His orchestral works include 15 symphonies and six concerti (two each for piano, violin, and cello). His chamber works include 15 string quartets, a piano quintet, and two piano trios. His solo piano works include two sonatas, an early set of 24 preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Stage works include three completed operas and three ballets. Shostakovich also wrote several song cycles, and a substantial quantity of music for theatre and film.

Shostakovich’s reputation has continued to grow after his death. Scholarly interest has increased significantly since the late 20th century, including considerable debate about the relationship between his music and his attitudes toward the Soviet government.

 

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
composed by Dimitri Shostakovich

The Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, by Dmitri Shostakovich is a work for orchestra composed between April and July 1937. Its first performance was on November 21, 1937, in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky. The premiere was a “triumphal success”[1] that appealed to both the public and official critics, receiving an ovation that lasted well over half an hour.2
During the first performance of the symphony, people were reported to have wept during the Largo movement.[19] The music, steeped in an atmosphere of mourning, contained echoes of the panikhida, the Russian Orthodox requiem. It also recalled a genre of Russian symphonic works written in memory of the dead, including pieces by Glazunov, Steinberg, Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky.

After the symphony had been performed in Moscow, Heinrich Neuhaus called the work “deep, meaningful, gripping music, classical in the integrity of its conception, perfect in form and the mastery of orchestral writing—music striking for its novelty and originality, but at the same time somehow hauntingly familiar, so truly and sincerely does it recount human feelings”.[20]

Shostakovich returned to the traditional four-movement form and a normal-sized orchestra. More tellingly, he organized each movement along clear lines, having concluded that a symphony cannot be a viable work without firm architecture. The harmonic idiom in the Fifth is less astringent, more tonal than previously, and the thematic material is more accessible. It has been said that, in the Fifth Symphony, the best qualities of Shostakovich’s music, such as meditation, humor and grandeur, blend in perfect balance and self-fulfillment.[1]

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Philip Chiu
Piano

“A pianist-painter who transforms each musical idea into a beautiful array of colors” (La Presse), Philip Chiu is acclaimed for his brilliant pianism, sensitive listening, and a stage presence that eschews the hermit-pianist image and favours openness, authenticity, and connection with audiences. Inaugural winner of the Mécénat Musica Prix Goyer, Mr. Chiu has become one of Canada’s leading musicians through his infectious love of music and his passion for creation and communication.

He concertizes extensively as soloist and chamber musician and has performed solo recitals and chamber music concerts in most major venues across Canada, as well as concert halls in France, Japan and the United States. He recently made his debut for the La Jolla Music Society in California in their 50th anniversary season and will be appearing in Maine and Massachusetts in fall 2019. Chamber music partners have included James Ehnes, Emmanuel Pahud, Regis Pasquier, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Bomsori Kim, Johannes Moser, and Raphael Wallfisch. He has a long-standing violin-piano duo with Jonathan Crow, concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and violinist of the New Orford String Quartet. Mr. Chiu is a veteran touring artist of Prairie Debut, Jeunesses Musicales Canada, and Debut Atlantic, having toured the country 14 times with their generous support.

As Artist-in-Residence of Cecilia Concert’s 2018/19 Season, he immensely enjoyed programming four unique and imaginative concerts, and is looking forward to further exploring his creative side as Artist-in-Residence for Montreal’s La Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur in 2020. Other upcoming projects include a recording/concert tour of John Burge’s 24 Preludes for Solo Piano, as well as a recording/concert project with Pentaèdre, honouring the music of Jacques Hétu.

In addition to his performing activities, Mr. Chiu created the Collaborative Piano Program at the Domaine Forget International Academy and consulted for national and international competitions as a recognized expert in collaborative piano. He has also juried for provincial, national, and international competitions.

Mr. Chiu has recorded for Warner Music, Analekta, ATMA Classique, and CBC Music. He can be heard on BBC Radio 3, France Musique, ICI Musique, and CBC Music. He is eternally grateful for the support of Mécénat Musica, the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Bekah Simms
BIOGRAPHY

Bekah Simms (born 1990) is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music.

Simms was born and raised in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she studied at the nearby Memorial University of Newfoundland with composer Andrew Staniland.[2] At Memorial University, she received a B.Mus. in music theory and composition in addition to a B.Mus.Ed in music education.[3] She also holds M.Mus. and D.M.A. degrees from the University of Toronto[4] where her teachers included Gary Kulesha, Christos Hatzis, and Norbert Palej.[3] Her thesis work, Foreverdark, was subsequently performed by Esprit Orchestra.[5] Additional studies with acousmatic composer Martin Bédard in Montreal were facilitated through the PIVOT mentorship program, jointly run by the Canadian Music Centre, Canadian League of Composers, and Continuum Contemporary Music.[6]

Simms has received over 30 composition awards, prizes, and competitive selections.[1] This includes the 2019 Barlow Prize,[7] the 2017 Toronto Emerging Composer Award,[8] the 2018 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music,[9] and the inclusion of her work in the official Canadian Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music‘s World Music Days in 2016, 2019, and 2021.[10] She was a nominee for the 2022 Gaudeamus Award.[11]

Simms released her debut album, impurity chains, in September 2018 to positive reviews.[12][13] The composition Granitic was subsequently nominated for a 2019 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year,[14] and her composition Everything Is… Distorted was nominated for a 2020 Juno Award for Classical Composition of the year.[15] Her second full-length album, Bestiaries (2022), received critical acclaim including inclusion on several year end best-of lists.[16][17][18][19][20] In 2023, she received her third Juno nomination in the same category for “Bestiary I & II,” which she won.[21]

Read more at wikipedia.org…

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770– 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the classical and romantic eras in classical music, he remains one of the most recognized and influential musicians of this period, and is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time.

Beethoven was born in Bonn, the capital of the Electorate of Cologne, and part of the Holy Roman Empire. He displayed his musical talents at an early age and was vigorously taught by his father Johann van Beethoven, and was later taught by composer and conductor Christian Gottlob Neefe. At age 21, he moved to Vienna and studied composition with Joseph Haydn. Beethoven then gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and was soon courted by Prince Lichnowsky for compositions, which resulted in Opus 1 in 1795.

The piece was a great critical and commercial success, and was followed by Symphony No. 1 in 1800. This composition was distinguished for its frequent use of sforzandi, as well as sudden shifts in tonal centers that were uncommon for traditional symphonic form, and the prominent, more independent use of wind instruments. In 1801, he also gained notoriety for his six String Quartets and for the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus. During this period, his hearing began to deteriorate, but he continued to conduct, premiering his third and fifth symphonies in 1804 and 1808, respectively. His condition worsened to almost complete deafness by 1811, and he then gave up performing and appearing in public.

During this period of self exile, Beethoven composed many of his most admired works; his seventh symphony premiered in 1813, with its second movement, Allegretto, achieving widespread critical acclaim. He composed the piece Missa Solemnis for a number of years until it premiered 1824, which preceded his ninth symphony, with the latter gaining fame for being among the first examples of a choral symphony. In 1826, his fourteenth String Quartet was noted for having seven linked movements played without a break, and is considered the final major piece performed before his death a year later.

 

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Ludvig van Beethoven
Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58

Ludwig van Beethoven‘s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58, was composed in 1805–1806. Beethoven was the soloist in the public premiere as part of the concert on 22 December 1808 at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien.

It was premiered in March 1807 at a private concert of the home of Prince Franz Joseph von Lobkowitz. The Coriolan Overture and the Fourth Symphony were premiered in that same concert.[1] However, the public premiere was not until a concert on 22 December 1808 at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien. Beethoven again took the stage as soloist. The marathon concert saw Beethoven’s last appearance as a soloist with orchestra, as well as the premieres of the Choral Fantasy and the Fifth and Sixth symphonies. Beethoven dedicated the concerto to his friend, student, and patron, the Archduke Rudolph.

A review in the May 1809 edition of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung states that “[this concerto] is the most admirable, singular, artistic and complex Beethoven concerto ever”.[2] However, after its first performance, the piece was neglected until 1836, when it was revived by Felix Mendelssohn.[3]

Today, the work is frequently recorded, and it is a favorite of concert audiences. It is also considered by many to be one of the pinnacles of the piano concerto repertoire.[4][5][6]

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Dimitri Shostakovich
Composer

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich[n 1] (25 September [O.S. 12 September] 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist[1] who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major composer.

Shostakovich achieved early fame in the Soviet Union, but had a complex relationship with its government. His 1934 opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was initially a success, but eventually was condemned by the Soviet government, putting his career at risk. In 1948 his work was denounced under the Zhdanov Doctrine, with professional consequences lasting several years. Even after his censure was rescinded in 1956, performances of his music were occasionally subject to state interventions, as with his Thirteenth Symphony (1962). Shostakovich was a member of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR (1947) and the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (from 1962 until his death), as well as chairman of the RSFSR Union of Composers (1960–1968). Over the course of his career, he earned several important awards, including the Order of Lenin, from the Soviet government.

Shostakovich combined a variety of different musical techniques in his works. His music is characterized by sharp contrasts, elements of the grotesque, and ambivalent tonality; he was also heavily influenced by neoclassicism and by the late Romanticism of Gustav Mahler. His orchestral works include 15 symphonies and six concerti (two each for piano, violin, and cello). His chamber works include 15 string quartets, a piano quintet, and two piano trios. His solo piano works include two sonatas, an early set of 24 preludes, and a later set of 24 preludes and fugues. Stage works include three completed operas and three ballets. Shostakovich also wrote several song cycles, and a substantial quantity of music for theatre and film.

Shostakovich’s reputation has continued to grow after his death. Scholarly interest has increased significantly since the late 20th century, including considerable debate about the relationship between his music and his attitudes toward the Soviet government.

 

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
composed by Dimitri Shostakovich

The Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, by Dmitri Shostakovich is a work for orchestra composed between April and July 1937. Its first performance was on November 21, 1937, in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky. The premiere was a “triumphal success”[1] that appealed to both the public and official critics, receiving an ovation that lasted well over half an hour.2
During the first performance of the symphony, people were reported to have wept during the Largo movement.[19] The music, steeped in an atmosphere of mourning, contained echoes of the panikhida, the Russian Orthodox requiem. It also recalled a genre of Russian symphonic works written in memory of the dead, including pieces by Glazunov, Steinberg, Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky.

After the symphony had been performed in Moscow, Heinrich Neuhaus called the work “deep, meaningful, gripping music, classical in the integrity of its conception, perfect in form and the mastery of orchestral writing—music striking for its novelty and originality, but at the same time somehow hauntingly familiar, so truly and sincerely does it recount human feelings”.[20]

Shostakovich returned to the traditional four-movement form and a normal-sized orchestra. More tellingly, he organized each movement along clear lines, having concluded that a symphony cannot be a viable work without firm architecture. The harmonic idiom in the Fifth is less astringent, more tonal than previously, and the thematic material is more accessible. It has been said that, in the Fifth Symphony, the best qualities of Shostakovich’s music, such as meditation, humor and grandeur, blend in perfect balance and self-fulfillment.[1]

Read more on Wikipedia.org…

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