Thu Aug 3 19:00
Chamberfest 2023 Closing Night Mashup
Chamberfest 2023 is closing with a bang, Chamberfest style! We’re rounding up some of the world’s finest chamber musicians for a mashup concert, featuring performances by star-studded Chamberfest Artists-in-Residence Lauren Anker, Bryan Cheng, Philip Chiu, Chamberfest Artistic Director Carissa Klopoushak, Emily Kruspe, Sean Rice, and special guest violist Nadia Sirota. This collaborative event features chamber music favourites, new music, and music from around the world in a program celebrating the old and new, expressed in the spirit of fresh observation and collaboration.
The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.
– Paul Cezanne (attributed)
The concert opens with Gabriella Smith’s “Carrot Revolution,” an electric work introduced to Chamberfest by celebrated violist and cultural tastemaker Nadia Sirota. Named for the (attributed) Cezanne quote, the piece is a patchwork of Smith’s wildly contrasting influences and full of weird, unexpected juxtapositions and intersecting planes of sound, inspired by old works in new contexts and drawing connections between things seemingly unrelated.
The evening then takes a folk turn with an exclusive acoustic set of Balaklava Blues’ inimitable “hyper-folk-noir,” exploring Mark and Marichka’s first-hand experiences of revolution and war in Ukraine (in new arrangements with string quartet co-commissioned by Chamberfest.)
We close the first half of the program with Dohnanyi’s last chamber work: the epic yet overlooked and underperformed Sextet in C major. Featuring the unusual combination of clarinet, horn, piano, violin, viola and cello, the sextet opens with a heroic horn theme. While the first and second movements favour the dark and tumultuous, the third features a lighter, Brahmsian theme and variations introduced by the clarinet. This flows directly into the Finale, which has been described as sounding “like an inebriated Viennese hotel band’s haphazard attempt to render Gershwin.” You’ll hear 1930s’ European jazz influences injected with lopsided Viennese waltzes, and a cabaret-type coda combining all of this with the opening heroic theme.
After intermission, we will enter full-on party mode with a set of from Chamberfest favourites, Toronto’s original guerrilla-folk party-punk massive Lemon Bucket Orkestra.
This concert will revolutionize what chamber music was, is, and can be. Let the magic and energy of this once-in-a-lifetime performance capture you on this special night – the final concert of Chamberfest 2023.
Programme
Gabriella Smith (b. 1991) Carrot Revolution for string quartet
Balaklava Blues
I. you shoot me
II. broken
III. shelter our sky
IV. let me out
Arranged for Balaklava Blues and string quartet by Drew Jurecka.
Ernő Dohnányi (1877-1960)
Sextet in C major for piano, violin, viola, cello, clarinet, and horn, Op. 37
I. Allegro appassionata
II. Intermezzo. Adagio
III. Allegro con sentimento
IV. Finale. Allegro vivace, giocoso
intermission
Lemon Bucket Orkestra A set of from Toronto’s original guerrilla-folk party-punk massive
- Carissa Klopoushakviolin
- Emily Kruspeviolin
- Nadia Sirotaviola
- Sheila Jafféviolin and viola
- Bryan Chengcello
- Sean Rice E-flat clarinet
- Lauren Ankerhorn
- Philip Chiupiano
- Balaklava Bluesensemble
- Lemon Bucket Orkestraensemble
- Chamberfest Artists-in-Residence
Presented with the support of Nelligan Law.
More Concerts
Festival 2023
Experience five spectacular programs on our Signature Series, featuring large-scale collaborations between world-renowned musicians at Ottawa’s Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre. The 2024 Signature Series is generously sponsored by Bytek Volkswagen & Carling Volvo.
Concerts immersed in Beechwood’s history and beauty, from its beloved sanctuary to the expansive grounds, complemented by the serene hours of the early morning.
These performances are outdoors. You will need to bring your own seating and weather protection if desired.
Sunrise Concerts are made possible with the generous support of Beechwood Cemetery.
New Music Now is a celebration of the breadth and vitality of today’s new classical culture. Explore the sonic range of today’s most creative musical minds at Chamberfest’s annual miniseries.
This series celebrates Canada’s world-class standard in chamber performance, featuring core string ensembles, solo piano, brass and vocal ensembles, and more! Taking place at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, these concerts are generously supported by Marina Kun (of Ottawa-based and internationally loved Kun Shoulder Rests).
Our Chamber Chats: Festival Edition features interactive interviews with festival musicians both online and in person.
Our late-night Chamberfringe concerts cross genres and art forms, pushing the boundaries of chamber music with daring and electric performances. Offering everything from lively Arabic jazz to Middle Eastern-Metal fusion, Indigenous beats, and ambient chamber-electronica to Yiddish folk song, or a full-on Ukrainian-Celtic-Arab mashup, there’s always something fresh to check out!
Our Chamberfringe shows take place at La Nouvelle Scène, Club SAW, and The Gladstone Theatre, providing a more casual setting where audiences can enjoy beverages and immerse themselves in the buzzing late-night atmosphere.
Fourteen-day Chamberfest 2021 passholders can exclusively enjoy musical experiences – from full-length concerts to bite-sized adventures – featuring Chamberfriends in Berlin, Paris, New York City, and North Macedonia. Including Hinrich Alpers, Quatuor Danel, Rob Kapilow, Lara St. John, and Simon Trpčeski.
The Live From… series is digital-only content, part of your Festival Livestream Pass and available in the Livestream Library until August 6. Single ticket access to Hinrich Alpers Live from Hanover and Quatuor Danel Live from Antwerp will be available in July, with the generous support of the Embassy of Germany and the Embassy of France. All digital content from Simon Trpčeski, Rob Kapilow, and Lara St. John is exclusive for Festival Livestream Passholders.
Held within Ottawa’s historic and beautiful Beechwood Cemetery, the Beechwood Series features performances that lend themselves to reflection and contemplation, both in its beloved Sacred Space and on the expansive grounds. The Beechwood Series is made possible with the generous support of Beechwood Cemetery
Celebrate the piano at the home of our longtime partners, Steinway Piano Gallery Ottawa.
The Steinway Series is made possible with the generous support of the Steinway Piano Gallery Ottawa.
Get out into the open air with various festival performers for al fresco concerts in downtown Ottawa.
These performances are outdoors. Seating will be limited, and you may need to bring your own weather protection if desired.
Eclectic programming resonates against a backdrop of vinyl, vintage speakers, and reel-to-reel at legendary music destination and beloved Wellington staple, The Record Centre. Here, artists are at play: exploring and expanding their creativity in this casual space.
Seating will not be available.
This summer, our festival offers a rich selection of online content broadcast live from Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre in Ottawa.
Chamberfest’s Community Engagement and Education pillar (CEE) engages community members of all ages through a diverse range of meaningful music experiences. Whether on stage, online, or on the streets, CEE changes lives through music.
