Resonance

Arthur Arnold, cello; Moira Hopfe-Ostensen, piano

Sunday, February 9 at 2pm

Culturally rich Powell River is home to Arthur Arnold and Moira Hopfe-Ostensen. Arthur directs the PRISMA Festival and Academy, Moira is Artist-in-Residence at the Powell River Academy of Music, and together they have a huge impact on the musical community. Both known as dynamic and sensitive musicians, they bring a beautifully balanced program of works by R. Strauss, Vaughan-Williams, Romberg and Shostakovich.

Programme

Background information

Dutch-born conductor Arthur Arnold is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Pacific Region International Summer Music Association (PRISMA Festival & Academy) on Canada’s West Coast. This annual event attracts world-renowned musicians and international music students from top universities. Since 2016, Arthur Arnold has led a pioneering musical collaboration with the Tla’amin Nation. Partnering with the Tla’amin Singers and Drummers, the PRISMA Festival Orchestra annually performs traditional Tla’amin songs, featuring solo performances by the nation’s singers and drummers — a meaningful fusion of cultures. From January 2012 until his resignation in March 2022, Arnold served as the Music Director of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra (MSO). He resigned in protest of the war in Ukraine and the regime responsible, taking a principled stand against the conflict. Arnold is the driving force behind The Mosolov Project, discovering lost manuscripts of the repressed composer Alexander Mosolov in Russian libraries. He performed and recorded Mosolov’s Fifth Symphony (1965) and Harp Concerto (1939) in the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The resulting CD, released by Naxos, received the second prize in the prestigious Russian competition Pure Sound. Dedicated to music education, Arnold has mentored over 25 upcoming conductors at the PRISMA Festival and through conducting masterclasses with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Arnold served as the Music Director of the Symphony Orchestra Academy of the Pacific from 2004 to 2011 and as Principal Guest Conductor of the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra in South Korea from 1997 to 2001. He has collaborated with orchestras and festivals throughout Europe, Canada, the USA, and Asia. Arthur and his wife Kim divide their time between the rugged West Coast of Canada and The Netherlands.

Praised for her expressive playing and engaged teaching, pianist and pedagogue Moira Hopfe-Ostensen is an artist who displays prowess and makes music from the heart, touching her audience with her wonderful communication and sensitivity. Dr Hopfe-Ostensen holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Literature from the University of Alberta, Canada. She most recently held the position of Chair of the Keyboard Department at SWBTS where she was Professor in Piano Performance and Pedagogy to Bachelor, Master and Doctoral students. Dr. Hopfe-Ostensen has appeared as a solo and collaborative pianist throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe; and she continues to be an active pianist, adjudicator, examiner, and clinician. She is committed to the pursuit of excellence in piano pedagogy. She has been certified by the Royal Conservatory of Music as an Advanced Specialist and is a member of the College of Examiners for the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada, and the United States. The appointment from the Royal Conservatory places her among over 300 distinguished professional teachers and performers from across North America who are committed to the development of human potential through leadership in music and arts education. Many of her students have gained national and international recognition. She has received numerous awards, including a Professional Distinction Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts from the Peace Hills Arts Council, Canada. Currently, Dr. Hopfe-Ostensen is the Artist in Residence at the Powell River Academy of Music.