Latest News for the 73rd season
Friends of Chamber Music
We are awaiting decisions from the health authorities and theatre management before we launch our 73rd season. There is no indication yet about theatre openings. We have artists booked in the months of October, November and December but we are delaying selling subscriptions and tickets as we would like to avoid the problems of refunds and cancellations. This seems to be the most prudent step at this time.
As our Society is managed by a volunteer board of directors and does not have professional staff, we have not been in the position of having to lay off valuable colleagues. Our finances are not in a critical condition as many of you have generously gifted the value of unused tickets for cancelled concerts last season in return for a tax receipt. We have also recently received three generous bequests from longtime members, so we have not had to plea for emergency funds.
The final two concerts at the end of the season are outstanding examples of the exemplary ensembles we have presented in Vancouver during the past 72 years.
The Han Finckel Setzer Trio concert elicited this response from a patron who contacted Wu Han:
“Huge thank you to you and the members of the trio for the most amazing performance at the Friends of Chamber Music this afternoon. That has to be the best chamber music concert I have ever attended. I am 68 years old and the incredibly moving rendition of the Schubert brought tears to my eyes and my wife and the friends were equally moved. Please come back again soon.”
It is hard to describe the final concert so spiritedly presented by the Pavel Haas Quartet and Boris Giltburg.
The following review from a concert recently played by the Pavel Haas is possibly the perhaps the most apt:
“This evening was not just about listening to wonderful melodies but also about watching musicians of the Pavel Haas quartet being truly passionate about what they do. The audience expressed its thanks with thunderous applause and just like the quartet let the music roll over our heads at the beginning of the evening, the applause returned the thunder to the musicians.“
We look forward to resuming our concert season when circumstances permit and look forward to seeing you at the theatre. We thank you for your enthusiasm for live chamber music and your ongoing support that makes our concerts possible.
If you have not yet received a tax receipt for cancelled concerts from the last season, please email us.
Best,
Eric Wilson
President