Back for its 9th year, Music on Main and the Microcosmos Quartet present The Kessler Academy 2023 at the ANNEX.
On August 20th, the musical tradition returns to bring uplifting and powerful music that will strike a chord with audiences. Under a weeklong mentorship program learning about and performing great classical works, guided by Vancouver’s Microcosmos Quartet, talented young musicians from the The Kessler Academy’s String Orchestra take the stage with Microcosmos Quartet members; Marc Destrubé, Andrea Siradze, Tawnya Popoff and Ashton Lim.
The Kessler Academy is named in honour and in celebration of the late Susan Kessler, whose vision and generosity enabled this initiative to take flight in 2015, the year of her 100th birthday. The program helps classical music thrive in the 21st Century by propelling young string professionals and students into the spotlight, building their confidence and expertise though great music.
With this year’s concert, there’s a sense of solace and meditative reflection mixed with moments of pure joy, as translated through musical works by Jocelyn Morlock, Kaija Saariaho, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Gra?yna Bacewicz and Jessie Montgomery. Both Morlock and Saariaho passed away in 2023. Morlock’s Solace focuses on the comfort needed to regenerate after loss, while Saariaho’s Terra Memoria is dedicated to “for those departed.” Murphy’s In the Time of Our Disbelieving is her musical reflection on a world of fake news, while Bacewicz’s Divertimento marked her 1965 return to writing for string orchestra. Montgomery’s Strum transforms layers of musical textures into ecstatic celebration.
This final showcase of The Kessler Academy is a chance to hear great musical works come alive and to support the talents of these young musicians.
The Kessler Academy 2023 takes place at the ANNEX, 823 Seymour Street, at 3pm (doors 2pm) Sunday August 20, 2023 for tickets and program information visit musiconmain.ca