Tickets for Early Music Vancouver’s (EMV) 54th Season – Luminescence – go on sale in one week.
Patrons can prepare to welcome a star-studded season including; The Tallis Scholars (UK), countertenor Reginald Mobley, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra with baritone Tyler Duncan, Dhrupad master Uday Bhawalkar (India), Profetti Della Quinta, Le Consort (France), Ensemble Caprice (Canada), fortepianist Mélisande McNabney (Canada), and rubab virtuoso Homayoun Sakhi (Afghanistan/USA).
“EMV’s 54th season explores the theme of light in works by Handel, Bach and Monteverdi, as well as the ancient music from North India, Persia and Afghanistan,” says EMV’s Artistic and Executive Director Suzie LeBlanc C.M. “Inspired by Apollo, the Olympian god of light, music and poetry, we wish to celebrate everything that shines, from the sun and moon to the luminous artists of today’s early music. We are delighted to present renowned artists from Canada, the US, Europe, India, and the Middle East.”
The season opens on Friday, September 15, 2023 with Handel’s dramatic cantata Apollo e Dafne, a well-known story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and closes with a journey from the darkness associated with Lent to the hope and joy of Easter in the Christian calendar.
The 2023-24 season also includes a mini winter festival – LUMEN – that presents three concerts in three days from January 12 to 14, 2024. EMV created this weekend festival to bring light to the darker January days. The 2024 “Lumen Festival” explores the intersections between early music, contemporary works, jazz, and improvisation. On January 12, renowned countertenor Reginald Mobley returns to Vancouver following his fabulous performance for EMV last season. The Luminous Hour features the music of English Baroque master Henry Purcell alongside compositions by jazz greats Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin as well as a new commission by contemporary composer Edward Top for Chinese and Baroque instruments. A Prayer for Peace on January 13 stars Alexander Weimann in a breathtaking improvisation on the organ of West Vancouver United Church and cellist Elinor Frey closes LUMEN January 14 with a performance of Bach Cello Suites
The 2023-24 Concert Season includes 14 concerts offered singly or by subscription. Subscriptions provide purchasers with discounts of 25% off the single ticket price. Regular single tickets range from $20 to $78.50. People ages 35 and under receive a discount of 35%.
Details on the individual concerts as well as pricing for both single tickets and subscription packages are available at earlymusic.bc.ca. Single tickets and season subscriptions go on sale on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.