Exuberance

Arin Sarkissian, flute; Monica Pfau, piano; Brian Yoon, cello
 

Sunday, January 11 at 2:00 pm

VENUE: Sylvan United Church, 985 Shawnigan/Mill Bay Road, Mill Bay

Please note that this concert starts at 2:00

Victoria-based musicians Sarkissian, Yoon, and Pfau join forces to present Nikolai Kapustin’s Trio, an exhilarating fusion of classical form and jazz-infused brilliance, blending intricate counterpoint, virtuosic interplay, and irresistibly swinging rhythms into a seamless and electrifying musical experience. Also on the program are works by British composer Eugene Goossens, French composers Louise Farrenc and Francis Poulenc, and Robert Schumann.
 

 

Programme

Background information

Residing in British Columbia, Arin Sarkissian is the Principal Flutist of the Victoria Symphony. The Toronto-born artist was awarded the 2024 Michael Measures 1st Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts and 1st Prize at Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s 2020 Concours. Sarkissian performs regularly as featured soloist both in Victoria and beyond, most recently as featured soloist on tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and in a solo recital broadcasted by CBC on behalf of Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Orchestral appearances included invitations as fellow with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, substitute for the Vancouver Symphony, and guest Principal Flute with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, pianist Monica Pfau has performed on a variety of stages across North America and Europe. Many of her performances have been featured on CBC Radio’s Westcoast Performance and she has recorded with the CBC Vancouver Orchestra under Mario Bernardi, the National Film Board of Canada, and for Australian cinema. A student of Robin Wood, early honours included the Victoria Medal (UVic), the ARCT Performer’s Gold Medal, BC Cultural Fund artist grants, and a DAAD scholarship to the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. Appointed Accompanist-in-Residence at the Banff Centre, Monica performed with renowned artists such as cellist Janos Starker and the Fine Arts Quartet (USA). After completing her Master’s degree in Performance from UBC, Monica won First Prize in the Concerto Competition and made her orchestral debut under Maestro Kazuyoshi Akiyama. She later accepted a Doctoral Fellowship and became a faculty member of the VSO School of Music. Monica is currently working as a collaborative pianist at the University of Victoria.

Brian Yoon enjoys a multifaceted career as soloist, chamber musician, adjudicator, teacher, and Principal Cello of the Victoria Symphony. Additionally, he was recently appointed as Co-Head of Strings at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. Since winning First Prize at the 35th Eckhardt-Gramatté Competition, Brian has performed from coast to coast, with repertoire ranging from Bach and Beethoven to George Crumb and Metallica. Brian has received generous support from the BC Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation. He currently plays a 1905 cello by Gaetano Sgarabotto of Milan, purchased with the generous support of Dr. Fritz Boehm and the Gail O’Riordan Memorial Fund for Music and Performing Arts at the Victoria Foundation.