Borodin Quartet to Perform Complete Shostakovich String Quartet Cycle
Friends of Chamber Music Celebrates 50 Years of Working with the Historic Russian Group
Proudly sponsored by Mission Hill Family Estate
31/03/2015 Vancouver, BC: The Borodin Quartet, founded 70 years ago in Soviet-era Russia, celebrates its anniversary in British Columbia by performing all 15 string quartets by Dmitri Shostakovich. The cycle of five concerts will be presented at the Vancouver Playhouse on May 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13, 2015, with the series proudly sponsored by Mission Hill Family Estate. Tickets are available from the Friends of Chamber Music website and from Tickets Tonight.
Friends of Chamber Music, a non-profit society that presents world-class ensembles in concert, first brought the Borodin Quartet to Vancouver in 1964. The Borodins returned in 1969 to play the Shostakovich cycle of (at that time) 12 quartets for the first time in North America. The group was to perform the cycle in Vancouver again in 2007 but had to cancel due to the failing health of one of its founding members, so this return is a rare opportunity for music lovers.
This modern Russian masterwork, the cycle of all 15 quartets, will be played with authentic Russian soul. The direct connection between the composer and the ensemble is unique: the Borodin Quartet is the only active quartet to have rehearsed the music with Shostakovich himself, and the original members have passed on this direct insight to their successors. This group of quartets is considered as significant in musical terms as Beethoven’s or Bartok’s groups of quartets.
Friends of Chamber Music board member Eric Wilson said, “A cycle like this is the original binge listening experience — you can immerse yourself in a lifetime of music over nine days. Unlike Shostakovich’s large-scale works, which had to conform to Communist Party aesthetics, the quartets capture his genuine and passionate response to that time in Russian history. And his anger, sadness, pain, irony, and sardonic humour still speak to the tragic confusion of our present-day world.”
About the Friends of Chamber Music: Friends of Chamber Music is a non-profit volunteer run society that has been treating Vancouver audiences to the highest calibre chamber music from around the world for 67 seasons.
About Mission Hill Family Estate Winery:
Established in 1981, Mission Hill Family Estate is located in the heart of British Columbia’s pristine Okanagan Valley. This family‐owned winery is known for its award‐winning wines and spectacular setting, and Terrace Restaurant, which was honoured as one of the ‘Top Five Winery Restaurants in the World’ by Travel + Leisure magazine. Majestic mountains, scenic lakes and lush orchards encase the winery’s dramatic architecture and culminate in a setting that celebrates wine, food and the arts. Mission Hill recently won ‘Canadian Winery of the Year’ for the fourth time, and the winery’s elegant, internationally‐acclaimed wine portfolio celebrates the unique character of one of the world’s most exciting, emerging wine regions. With sustainable practices that ensure care for the environment, and a timelessness that respects the von Mandl Family’s European heritage, guests experience the height of winemaking in an incomparable location. For more information visit missionhillwinery.com; Twitter @MissionHillWine and Facebook Facebook.com/MissionHillWine
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Media Contacts:
Eric Wilson
Friends of Chamber Music
604-266-6030
[email protected]
Jessica Burchill, Public Relations Manager
Mission Hill Family Estate
604-264-4003
[email protected]