2017 MBTS Programme:

If you haven’t been to MBTS before it is worth taking the time to read about how we programme. We are not a normal festival, in the sense that people normally buy tickets for a particular artist on a particular night. Instead, we create a “company”  of individual artists from across the country and the globe, both jazz and classical, who then collaborate to create the programme.

We have now confirmed all the artists and below is a list of works being considered for the programme. Generally, a typical concert contains a short piece or two from a variety of artists in the company, in a variety of collaborations, both jazz and classical.

Jazz selections are announced from the stage. We have been doing this long enough now that audiences are buying tickets before they know the programme or the artists— because they are confident that every concert will have a large, thoughtfully chosen, selection of the company and different genres.

That being said, here is the 2017 Programme, and below that is the list of artists— but please remember that —  All programming is always subject to change…

 

Concert 1

Sat Eve, July 22nd, 8:15 pm

pre-concert Fanfares

Three Fanfares, for horn in a 
distant rowboat and tuned ships horns (2015) C. Donison (b. 1952)

  1. Call and response between distant
rowboat and boats (with cannon start)
  2. Call and response between less distant
rowboat and boats (with siren start)

III. Call and response between close
rowboat and boats 
(with yelping siren start)

Bryn Badel, posthorn (in a rowboat) C. Donison: MIDI controller (on the Rix Centre balcony)
CANADIAN COAST GUARD, cannon & sirens, Bamfleld Volunteer Boat Flotilla, John Masse Commodore

 

8:30 pm

Opening remarks

Bjarne Brustad  1895-1978

Capricci for Violin and Viola

Moderato

Lento

Allegretto

Vivace

 

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Laila Zakzook, viola

——————–

Isaac Albeniz,  1860-1909

 

Cordoba

Mallorca

Sevilla

Jacob Cordover, guitar

 


 

Ernst von Dohnányi

1877-1960

 

Piano Quintet in E-flat minor, opus 26

Allegro non troppo

Allegretto

Moderato

 

Katya Poplyanski, violin

Buon Park, violin

Madlen Breckbill, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

Marc Ryser, piano

 

Intermission

Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.

Laura Karney, oboe

Katya Poplyanski, violin

Cecily Ward, violin

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Buon Park, violin

Madlen Breckbill, viola

Steven Dann, viola

Joanna Hood, viola

Laila Zakzook, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

Drew Comstock, cello

PJ Perry, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drum

————

Jazz Selections TBA

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

Concert 2

Sunday Matinée, July 23rd, noon

 

TBA

Solo Jazz selections, Brian Dickinson piano (20’)

 

Johannes Brahms

1833-1897

Quintet in G major, opus 111

Adagio non troppo, ma con brio

Adagio

Un poco Allegretto

Vivace ma non troppo presto

 

Buon Park, violin

Katya Poplyanski, violin

Madlen Breckbill, viola

Steven Dann, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

————–

 

Intermission

 

Bedrich Smetana

1824-1884

 

String Quartet #1 in E minor, “From My Life”

Allegro vivo appassionato

Allegro moderato à la Polka

Largo sostenuto

Vivace

 

Katya Poplyanski, violin

Buon Park, violin

Madlen Breckbill, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

——————–

 

Concert 3

Sunday eve, July 23rd, 8:30 pm

 

Jean-Marie Leclair

1697-1764

 

Sonata for Two Violins in E minor, opus 3, no.5

Sonata for Two Violins in A major, opus 3, no.2

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

 

 

———————

 

Johannes Brahms

1833-1897

 

Sonata for Viola and Piano in F minor, opus 120, no.1

Allegro appassionato

Andante un poco Adagio

Allegretto grazioso

Vivace

 

Steven Dann, viola

Marc Ryser, piano

————–

Intermission

 

Phillip Houghton

b.1954

 

Ophelia … A Haunted Sonata

Fear … and the angel

Suffering and madness … am I but a dream of a shadow?

Chant … of the flower moon

Water .. memories – halls of ghosts – wash away

Death … with moons in your hair

 

 

Antonio Losy

c.1650-1721

 

Ouverture from Suite in G major

Jacob Cordover, guitar

 


 

Jazz Selections TBA

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

 

Concert 4

Monday , July 24th, 8:30 pm

 

Sergei Prokofiev

1891-1953

 

Sonata for Two Violins, opus 56

Andante cantabile

Allegro

Comodo (quasi Allegretto)

Allegro con brio

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Cecily Ward, violin

 

——–

 

Johannes Brahms

1833-1897

 

Sonata for Violin and Piano, op. 100

Allegro amabile

Andante tranquillo

Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante)

 

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Marc Ryser, piano

 

————————

 

Intermission

 

Jazz Selections TBA

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

Concert 5

 

Tuesday, July 25th, 8:30 pm

 

Ernst von Dohnányi

1877-1960

 

Serenade in C major, opus 10

Marcia. Allegro

Romanza. Adagio non troppo, quasi andante

Scherzo. Vivace

Tema con variazione. Andante con moto

Finale. Rondo

 

Cecily Ward, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

 

 ———

 

Dmitri Shostakovich

1906-1975

 

Trio in E minor, opus 67

Andante

Allegro non troppo

Largo

Allegretto

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Leana Rutt, cello

Marc Ryser, piano
—————-

Intermission

 

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

(1895-1968)

 

Patero and I (excerpts)

 

Jacob Cordover, guitar

 

 

 

————————————

 

Jazz Selections TBA

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

Concert 6

Thursday, July 27th, 8:30 pm

Toru Takemitsu

1930-1996

 

Toward the Sea

The Night

Moby Dick

Cape Cod

 

Les Allt, alto flute

Jacob Cordover, guitar

 

——–

 

Aaron Copland

1900-1990

 

Duo for Flute and Piano (1971)

Flowing

Poetic, somewhat mournful

Lively, with bounce

 

Les Allt, flute

Marc Ryser, piano

 

 


 

Felix Mendelssohn

1809-1847

 

Quintet in B-flat major, opus 87

Allegro vivace

Andante scherzando

Adagio e lento

Allegro molto vivace

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Cecily Ward, violin

Laila Zakzook, viola

Joanna Hood, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

 

Intermission

 

Béla Bartók

1881-1945

 

Luciano Berio

1925-2003

 

Duos for two violins

 

Bela (Berio)

Slovakian Song (Bartok)

Bruno (Berio)

Wedding Song (Bartok)

Pierre (Berio)

Pillow Dance (Bartok)

Tatiana (Berio)

Hungarian March (Bartok)

Aldo (Berio)

New Year’s Greeting (Bartok)

Igor (Berio)

Bagpipes (Bartok)

Lele (Berio)

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Cecily Ward, violin

 

 

—————-

Jazz Selections TBA

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

—————

 

Concert 7

Friday, July 28th, 8:30 pm

 

Nino Rota

1911-1979

 

Trio (1958)

Allegro ma non troppo

Andante sostenuto

Allegro vivace con spirito

 

Les Allt, flute

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Marc Ryser, piano

————-

 

Erwin Schulhoff

1894-1942

 

Sextet (1924)

Allegro risoluto

Tranquillo

Burlesca. Allegro molto con spirito

Molto adagio

 

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Laila Zakzook, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

Drew Comstock, cello

———————-

 

Intermission

 

W.A. Mozart

1756-1791

 

Quartet for Flute and Strings in A major, K.298

Andante

Menuetto

Rondo

 

Les Allt, flute

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Laila Zakzook, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

————

Jazz Selections TBA

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

Concert 8

Saturday, July 29th, 8:30 pm

 

Georg Phillip Telemann

1681-1767

 

Canonic Duos

 

Les Allt, flute

Aaron Schwebel, violin

 

 ——–

 

Franz Schubert

1797-1828

 

String Quintet in C major, D.956

Allegro ma non troppo

Adagio

Scherzo. Presto Trio. Andante sostenuto

Allegretto – Più allegro

 

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Laila Zakzook, viola

Lean Rutt, cello

Drew Comstock, cello

——————–

 

Intermission

 

Phillip Houghton

b.1954

 

In Amber

 

Jacob Cordover, guitar

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Drew Comstock, cello

 

—————–

 

Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.

 

Laura Karney, oboe

Cecily Ward, violin

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Aaron Schwebel, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Laila Zakzook, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

Drew Comstock, cello

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

 —————-

 

Jazz Selections TBA

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 


 

Concert 9

Sunday Matinée, July 30th, noon

Everything TBA

 


 

Concert 10

Sun eve, July 30th, 8:15 pm

 

pre-concert Fanfares

Three Fanfares, for horn in a 
distant rowboat and tuned ships horns (2015) C. Donison (b. 1952)

  1. Call and response between distant
rowboat and boats (with cannon start)
  2. Call and response between less distant
rowboat and boats (with siren start)

III. Call and response between close
rowboat and boats 
(with yelping siren start)

Bryn Badel, posthorn (in a rowboat) C. Donison: MIDI controller (on the Rix Centre balcony)
CANADIAN COAST GUARD, cannon & sirens, Bamfleld Volunteer Boat Flotilla, John Masse Commodore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8:30 pm

Concert start

 

Johannes Brahms

1833-1897

 

Piano Quartet in A major, opus 26

Allegro non troppo

Poco adagio

Scherzo. Poco allegro

Finale. Allegro

 

Cecily Ward, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

Marc Ryser, piano

———-

 

Intermission

Excerpts from “Bird with Strings” , 1949 Carnegie Hall performance by Charlie Parker with orchestrations for jazz quartet and strings and oboe.

 

Laura Karney, oboe

Cecily Ward, violin

Jennifer Murphy, violin

Elizabeth Skinner, violin

Joanna Hood, viola

Laila Zakzook, viola

Leana Rutt, cello

Drew Comstock, cello

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

 

 —————-

 

Jazz Selections TBA

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

 ——————-

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

1895-1968

 

Sonatina for Flute and Guitar (1965), opus 205

Allegretto grazioso

Tempo di Siciliana

Scherzo – Rondo. Allegretto con spirito

 

Les Allt, flute

Jacob Cordover, guitar

———————-

Jazz Selections TBA

 

PJ Perry, saxophone

Campbell Ryga, saxophone

Brian Dickinson, piano

Neil Swainson, bass

Nels Guloien, drums

———–

Phillip Houghton

b.1954

 

Kinkachoo, I love you

Jacob Cordover, guitar

The Artists

The company is comprised of eight amazing string players lead by Steven Dann, viola (Toronto) and Marc Ryser, piano (Boston); plus Les Allt, flute (Toronto), Jacob Cordover, classical guitar (Barcelona); plus jazz artists from Canadian jazz-royalty— Neil Swainson, bass (Toronto), Cambell Ryga, saxophone (Vancouver), PJ Perry, saxophone (Edmonton), Brian Dickinson, jazz piano (Toronto), Nels Guloien, drms (Vancouver). Classical artists new to MBTS this year include Victoria’s own Joanna Hood, viola (the Lafayette String Quartet), and Cecily Ward, violin (London), formerly with the Cyprus Quartet.
So we have a serious line-up of over-achievers!