Music on Main has a host of live music events coming this spring for audiences to enjoy listening together again.
As spring blooms, the Capilano String Quartet make their Music on Main debut at the Fox Cabaret on March 21st. Vancouver’s newest string quartet features four astonishing musicians: Timothy Steeves and Jae-Won Bang, violins; Marina Thibeault, viola; and Jonathan Lo, cello. When the members of the Capilano String Quartet were asked what audiences will feel when listening to their music making, they said the performance will reveal the nature of suffering, and music’s ability to heal, to unite, and to transform one’s self.
photo: Bo Huang
Then onstage March 28th, at Christ Church Cathedral, Music on Main presents Vicky Chow Plays Philip Glass. A highly anticipated homecoming, Vancouver-raised new music superstar Vicky Chow returns from New York to perform legendary composer Philip Glass’ Piano Études, Book 1 in an otherworldly, powerful joining of two immense musical talents.
“Both Vicky Chow and Philip Glass exude an effortless brilliance in their music, and are beautifully paired as performer and composer,” says David Pay, Artistic Director of Music on Main. “We’re very excited to welcome Vicky home to Vancouver, and especially to Music on Main where she was our first Artist in Residence in 2018.”
photo: Kaitlin Jane Photography
April 12th to 15th, Music on Main and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs present Graveyards and Gardens, at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Created and performed by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw and Vancouver-based choreographer Vanessa Goodman, the atmospheric sound-and-dance installation will be performed live in Vancouver for the first time, featuring both artists in collaboration on stage. The work made its world premiere livestream presented by Music on Main in January 2021.
“We have had the privilege of watching this duo create together since introducing them in 2015. Caroline Shaw was Music on Main’s composer in residence, and I felt her aesthetics would resonate deeply with Vanessa Goodman whom I knew through Vancouver’s dance scene,” says David Pay, Artistic Director of Music on Main. “Their innate connection is so inspiring, melding their two extraordinary artistic voices to create a transcendent experience that speaks to the greater loop of our existence within the natural world.”
Photo: Dayna Szyndrowski
In May, Music on Main presents back-to-back performance by Gabriel Kahane at The Annex; The Book of Travelers on May 10th, followed by Magnificent Bird on May 11th. Returning as Artist in Residence, Kahane invites audiences on his lyrical journey of Book of Travelers. The solo vocal and piano performance tells the story of attempting to rediscover and celebrate our collective humanity in the face of a broken and divided nation. For the second show, Kahane’s latest album Magnificent Bird chronicles the final month of a year spent off the internet. Joined by the the Capilano String Quartet, for a performance filled with songs of grief, nostalgia, shame, and salvation, his set is a look into daily life amidst the chaos of the 21st century.
Music on Main is offer both The Book of Travelers and Magnificent Bird in a “pay what you will” ticket model, recognizing that personal finances should not be a barrier to engaging with live music.
Find for details and tickets for all of this spring’s Music on Main’s events online at musiconmain.ca/events