While playing the classics like Beethoven and Chopin will always reign supreme on the classical music scene, there are a few up-and-coming musicians who are re-defining the genre; and we can’t get enough. By challenging traditional composition, they are breathing a fresh life into our favourite genre.
The Ingenue: Pianist Janaya Lo
Kicking off our list is Janaya Lo of Toronto, Ont. Besides that we love that she’s Canadian, this ingenue is only 10 years old. Perhaps the youngest pianist in attendance at the Royal Conservatory of Music where she’s studied under the likes of Dianne Werner, Lo isn’t only an award-winning pianist but a regular serenading residents of local nursing homes. She’s also a Carnegie Hall, NYC vet already. We’ve no doubt this emerging musician’s star will only continue to rise. A taste of her Haydn interpretation can be found here.
The Indie Composer: Missy Mazzoli
Missy Mazzoli’s “Breaking the Waves” opera, based on the 1996 Lars Von Trier film, is up for an international Opera award. The Brooklyn-based composer and keyboardist is currently composer-in-residence with Opera Philadelphia while her haunting melodies that bridge the indie-classical gap have premiered world-wide.
The Soloist: Nikki Chooi
Canadian Violinist Nikki Chooi reached new heights when he was appointed Concertmaster of New York’s Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for their 2016 – 2017 season. He was previously a member of the internationally-acclaimed, genre-breaking ensemble, Time for Three. Hailed for his dynamic assuredness in performance, Julliard-graduate Chooi’s impressive CV will undoubtedly only continue to get busier.
The Experimentalist: Ann Cleare
Irish composer Ann Cleare combined her studies of electronic music at Paris’ IRCAM with a PhD in Composition from Harvard, so it’s no surprise she’s known for pushing the boundaries of classical music. While indie rockers like Arcade Fire influence her compositions, Cleare’s multi-instrumental approach is at once experimental and influential; especially as an Associate Lecturer in Composition at the University of York.
We’re so proud of our own batch of up-and-comers, the winners of Friends of Chamber Music’s 63rd Annual Young Musicians Competition. The competition concert was held Sunday, March 12th at the Koerner Recital Hall of the Vancouver Academy of Music, and we can’t wait to see where these bright young stars go!
