The Victoria Conservatory of Music is proud to present the New Orford String Quartet presents Pizzicato!.
Thursday, May 16 at 7:30 pm in Alix Goolden Performance Hall (entrance at 900 Johnson Street)
The Victoria Conservatory of Music is very excited to welcome the New Orford String Quartet, and especially violinist Jonathan Crow, one of the Conservatory’s most prominent Alumni, who studied with the Conservatory’s founding Head of Strings, Sydney Humphreys. Jonathan joins us as we begin our celebration of the Conservatory’s 60th anniversary, and as an important part of that, focus on the Conservatory Strings program. Watch for more concerts this spring and over the coming year, featuring our esteemed alumni, our faculty, and our students, all in celebration of our 60th anniversary!
The New Orford String Quartet returns to the Alix Goolden Performance Hall with a captivating program showcasing the diverse ways in which pizzicato, a technique where the strings are plucked instead of bowed, is used to shape the expressive landscapes of string quartet music:
- Caroline Shaw’s “Blueprint” experiments with pizzicato textures, creating intricate rhythmic patterns that weave a mesmerizing sonic tapestry.
- Ana Sokolovic’s “Commedia delle’arte” utilizes pizzicato to evoke the playful, lively spirit of the Italian theater, adding a delightful rhythmic energy to the music.
- Beethoven’s Harp quartet incorporates pizzicato passages to enhance the ethereal and dreamlike atmosphere of the piece.
- Maurice Ravel’s magnificent string quartet takes the listener through a whole beautiful and distinctive sound world as heard through the prism of Ravel’s gorgeous harmonic language.
About the New Orford String Quartet
Andrew Wan, violin, concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Jonathan Crow, violin, Concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Conservatory of Music alum
Sharon Wei, viola, Associate professor of viola at Western University
Brian Manker, cello, Principal Cellist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Four musicians with equally stellar pedigrees formed the New Orford String Quartet with the goal of developing a new model for a touring string quartet. Their concept – to bring four elite orchestral leaders and soloists together on a regular basis over many years to perform chamber music at the highest level – has resulted in a quartet that maintains a remarkably fresh perspective while bringing a palpable sense of joy to each performance. The Toronto Star has described this outcome as “nothing short of electrifying.”
Learn more about the New Orford String Quartet at https://www.neworford.com/about
Venue Accessibility
Entry for this concert will be at the Victoria Conservatory of Music – 900 Johnson Street.The 900 Johnson Street entrance is at ground-level and wheelchair accessible. There is an elevator located on the first floor: as you enter the building go down the ramp to your right and the elevator is on the left at the bottom. Priority seating can be provided at concerts if you have accessibility issues; please contact the Venues Department . Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located on the main floor, beside the lobby in the Reception and Registration area.
