Composer

This program highlights the viola’s deep, expressive voice in Canadian composer Cassandra Miller’s Concerto, a poignant reflection on separation premiered in 2023 by Lawrence Power. Meanwhile, Debussy paints a vivid portrait of the sea with impressionistic colours, immersing listeners in a nostalgic and dreamlike soundscape. Enjoy a musical journey that is both powerful and poetic.

Wagner and Debussy: From Love to the Sea

Place des Arts

Themes of motherhood, loss, and joy emerge in a program that spans opera, Indigenous voices, and folk tradition, with song and spirit rising together like flame and tide.

Songs of River & Fire

Desautels Concert Hall

Violist Lawrence Power returns to perform Cassandra Miller’s acclaimed Viola Concerto, a piece heralded on its 2022 premiere as an instant classic. Miller weaves her personal attachments into music, creating a work that is delicate, emotionally charged, and deeply human.

EPSG:4326

Romeo & Juliet

The Bridgewater Hall

BBC Philharmonic - Romeo & Juliet

Intrepid musicians from Royal Northern Sinfonia, led by Maria Włoszczowska.

Chanter with Sean Shibe

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

The delicately glowing opening of the “Sunrise” Quartet is one of the most magical moments in all of Haydn’s string quartets, and this gentle aurora will introduce us to a new generation of musicians. Winners of the Bordeaux and Banff International Competitions, this London-based group is quickly establishing itself as one of the most exciting new voices in chamber music, developing a reputation for their refreshing and daring interpretations on the worlds’ most prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall, Berlin Philharmonie, and the BBC Proms. Their program connects us to the most elemental core of chamber music—guiding us from Canadian composer Cassandra Miller’s ode to the regional sounds of the Pacific coast, where bustling cafés give way to quiet, forested stillness; to the folk-inspired melodies collected by Béla Bartók across continents in his String Quartet No. 2; and culminating in the folk-like simplicity and naturalism of Debussy’s groundbreaking String Quartet. Together, these works reflect the powerful connection between folk traditions and the most innovative voices in classical music.

Marmen String Quartet

Richardson Auditorium

For her concert, conductor Elena Schwarz and the Basel Sinfonietta have crafted a powerful narrative. At its heart are traumatic experiences and ways of coping – articulated by women, but not limited to an exclusively female perspective. As a composer and music therapist, with experience working in psychiatric hospitals and prisons, among other settings, Joana Aderi closely connects her musical work with questions of mental illness and healing.

Trauma / Healing

Stadtcasino Basel

Dive into a night of elegance and emotion with Cassandra Miller’s serene Swim, Ravel’s jazz-inflected Piano Concerto in G Major featuring Alexandra Dariescu–hailed as one of the most inspiring pianists of her generation–and the timeless romance of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake conducted by Tianyi Liu.

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

A rare opportunity awaits to experience French composer Gérard Grisey's stunningly dark and disorienting Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil, presented by the London Sinfonietta. This masterpiece offers a journey through intricate collisions of fragmented melody and harmony.  

Quatre chants pour franchir le seuil, which roughly translates to Four Songs for Crossing the Threshold, explores the boundary between life and death – a significance that is elevated by Grisey's passing soon after its completion, preventing his attendance at the world premiere of the piece by the London Sinfonietta and George Benjamin in 1999. 

Grisey: Quatre Chants

Southbank Centre

Kaija Saariaho’s Terra Memoria reflects on memory and change, evoking landscapes both personal and physical, while Wadada Leo Smith’s String Quartet No. 5 (In the Diaspora: Earthquakes and Sunrise Missions) conjures the forces of upheaval and renewal. In Warblework, Cassandra Miller transforms the intricate songs of North American thrushes into layered, weaving lines that blur the boundaries between human and avian voices. John Luther Adams’ The Wind in High Places turns string instruments into an aeolian harp, evoking vast, windswept landscapes. The programme also includes a brand new commission by London based composer Blasio Kavuma.

Ligeti Quartet: Sunrise Missions

Milton Court Concert Hall

Pierre Boulez catapulted himself to the forefront of music pioneers in 1955 with his chamber cantata »Le marteau sans maître« (The Hammer Without a Master). Top young talents such as Ema Nikolovska and Sean Shibe, both Elbphilharmonie FAST LANE artists, juxtapose the Boulez with works by the next generation and the generation after that as part of the Hamburg International Music Festival with the motto »Future«: »12 Caprices« by James Dillon and »Bel Canto« by Cassandra Miller, which is dedicated to the opera diva Maria Callas.

Boulez and the Young Generation

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

### Event Description: Bruce Liu Plays Prokofiev with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

**Event Title:** Bruce Liu Plays Prokofiev

**Dates and Times:**
- **Friday, May 30, 2025** at 8:00 PM
- **Saturday, May 31, 2025** at 8:00 PM
- **Sunday, June 1, 2025** at 2:00 PM

**Venue:** Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver

**Event Overview:**
Join the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for an exhilarating musical journey featuring the extraordinary talents of Bruce Liu, winner of the 2021 Chopin Piano Concerto Competition. Under the masterful direction of Maestro Otto Tausk, the evening promises to be a captivating experience with a program that includes:

- **Cassandra Miller's "Swim"**: An invigorating piece described as "engulfing music that reminds us how to cry" by The New Yorker. This work was commissioned with the support of the Hugh Davidson Fund.
- **Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3**: Performed by the phenomenal Bruce Liu, this concerto is known for its brilliance and technical demands.
- **R. Strauss's "An Alpine Symphony"**: A colossal symphonic poem that takes the audience on an adventurous expedition up a mountain summit.

**Performance Duration:** Approximately 120 minutes, including one intermission.

**Series Information:**
This concert is part of the following series:
- Masterworks Gold
- RGF Integrated Wealth Symphony Sundays

**Artists:**
- **Otto Tausk**: VSO Music Director
- **Bruce Liu**: Piano

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets:** Available for purchase now.
- **Subscription Options:** Subscribe today to enjoy benefits and pricing for the 2024/25 season.

**Don't Miss:**
Experience the magic of live orchestral music with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and witness Bruce Liu's stunning performance of Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto. Secure your tickets now for an unforgettable evening at the Orpheum Theatre.

Bruce Liu Plays Prokofiev

Orpheum

Musik der Zeit - Schöpfungen im Frühling | Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik

Theatersaal

If chamber performances originally took place in homes, then the perfect setting for The Big House would be a derelict mansion. Oliver Leith’s piece is uncanny yet alluring – like the beckoning pull of the dark basement door. Quiet, spectral strings will haunt you long after the end.

Manchester Collective: Hidden Mechanisms

RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music)

Intimate, personal and intricate. Chamber music has always invited a close-knit chemistry, where you can hear every bow and breath.

The Grand Theatre & Opera House Leeds

It’s one of the most beloved works of the Romantic era and Rimsky-Korsakov’s grandest symphonic masterpiece. And now, Symphony Nova Scotia performs the imaginative, colourful Scheherazade for the first time in almost a decade. Music Director Holly Mathieson conducts this awe-inspiring tour de force that the composer himself called “a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale images” to kick off our Spotlight Series. Plus, multi-award-winning, rising star Canadian pianist Tony Yike Yang – youngest-ever laureate in the history of the International Chopin Piano Competition and hailed as “one of Canada’s finest young musicians” (CBC) – joins us to perform Tchaikovksy’s captivating Piano Concerto No. 1, a piece that has been admired for over 150 years for its virtuosic piano writing, lush melodies, and beautiful orchestration.

Scheherazade

Dalhousie University

We are sorry to announce that due to illness Jonny Greenwood (ondes martenot, tanpura, electric guitar) is no longer able to take part in the above concert. The programme and line-up of artists for this concert have therefore changed. Daniel Pioro (violin) will now be joined by Liam Byrne (viol) and Jonas Nordberg (lute), and the programme will be as below.

Daniel Pioro violin; Liam Byrne viol; Jonas Nordberg lute

Wigmore Hall

As their acclaimed Shostakovich recording series continues, the BBC Philharmonic and Chief Conductor John Storgårds bring one of the composer’s boldest symphonies to the Proms. The Fourth, a bleak and ferociously powerful work, was withdrawn before its planned premiere for fear of reprisal from Joseph Stalin, who had recently denounced Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Before the interval we hear Canadian composer Cassandra Miller’s new viola concerto, titled I cannot love without trembling and written for leading player Lawrence Power.

Prom 16: Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4

Royal Albert Hall

Classical Pride Presents: LSO with Oliver Zeffman & Nick Grimshaw

Join us for an unforgettable evening of music and celebration at the Barbican on Sunday, 7 July 2024, at 7pm, as the London Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Oliver Zeffman and presented by Nick Grimshaw, brings to life a diverse programme celebrating LGBTQ classical music. This special concert marks the culmination of 2024's Classical Pride festival, a non-profit event dedicated to showcasing the breadth and diversity of LGBTQ artists across the classical music spectrum.

The evening's programme opens with Aaron Copland's stirring "Fanfare for the Common Man," followed by the world premiere of a new work by US composer Jake Heggie and librettist Taylor Mac, featuring soprano Pumeza Matshikiza. The virtuosic and charming Piano Concerto No 2 by Camille Saint-Saëns will be performed by Pavel Kolesnikov, with an encore of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Valse sentimentale." The concert also includes Cassandra Miller's "Round," which takes Tchaikovsky's theme as a starting point, and concludes with Karol Szymanowski's Symphony No 3, "Song of the Night," featuring tenor soloist Russell Thomas and the LGBTQ Community Choir, offering a nocturnal vision of profound peace and passion.

Tickets are available at various price points, from £15 to £100, with a £4 booking fee per online/phone transaction. Tickets go on general sale on Friday, 15 March. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit barbican.org.

Classical Pride is an annual festival curated by Oliver Zeffman, aiming to highlight the contributions of LGBTQ artists to classical music. The 2024 festival runs from 3 to 7 July, with a full programme of events available at classicalpride.uk. Net proceeds from the festival are donated to three important LGBTQ charities: Rainbow Railroad, Terrence Higgins Trust, and GAY TIMES’ Amplifund. This year's Classical Pride is also generously supported by VIIV Healthcare and GAY TIMES, along with individual benefactors.

Don't miss this powerful celebration of music, diversity, and pride.

Classical Pride with Oliver Zeffman & Nick Grimshaw

Barbican Centre

“Frustrated in love, a young musician of deep sensitivity and ardent imagination takes opium…” Berlioz’s big-hearted blockbuster, Symphonie fantastique began as a nineteenth century tale of drugs and lust. It became… well, the name says it all, really. This is a sonic extravaganza of gothic horror, hopeless devotion and glorious excess, played by one of the biggest orchestras the world had then seen.

Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique in Aberdeen

Music Hall

Principal Guest Conductor Ilan Volkov pairs Berlioz's big-hearted blockbuster 'Symphonie fantastique' with one of the best classical music works of the 21st century (The Guardian).

Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Glasgow City Hall

The BBC Philharmonic and its Chief Conductor John Storgårds are joined today by Canadian violinist James Ehnes, who brings his virtuosity to William Walton’s Violin Concerto. Walton worked on the concerto in 1938 during a trip to Ravello, southern Italy, where he was bitten by a tarantula. He marked the unpleasant incident by incorporating a ‘tarantella’ (an Italian folk dance style) into the concerto, describing the results as "quite gaga, I may say, and of doubtful propriety.”

Pieces by Walton and Miller

MediaCityUK

For Aldeburgh Festival, the BBC Philharmonic and chief conductor John Storgårds join violinist Simone Lamsma alongside Festival featured artist Cassandra Miller with a programme including classic works by Britten and Sibelius.

BBC Philharmonic I at Aldeburgh Festival

Snape Maltings

About Bach features contemporary interpretations of J.S. Bach’s instrumental music. The program includes selections from Emi Ferguson and Ruckus’ Fly the Coop: Bach Sonatas and Preludes, followed by composers’ Cassandra Miller and Reiko Füting’s musical responses to the Bach Chaconne BWV 1004.

About Bach

Libbey Bowl

Embrace a bold and colourful sound world as Manchester Collective bring to life work by titans in contemporary experimental music. For these women, music is an embodied, grounding experience. It’s in the vibrations of our vocal chords, and in our heartbeats.

Composer

Cassandra Miller

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 26, 2026

Manchester Collective: Patterns in Repeat · Opera North

Past events

13 - 14 May, 2026

Wagner and Debussy: From Love to the Sea · Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal

Apr 30, 2026

Songs of River & Fire · Manitoba Chamber Orchestra

About

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