Chiaroscuro

Catherine Ordronneau, piano; and Kai Gleusteen, violin
 

Sunday, February 8 at 2:30 pm

VENUE: St Michael and All Angels Church, Chemainus

Please note that this concert starts at 2:30

Just as visual artists use chiaroscuro (strong contrasts between light and dark) to create a sense of depth and drama in a composition, composers of music employ contrasting light and dark tones to create a heightened emotional impact. Highly acclaimed duo Catherine and Kai return with a program for violin and piano, as well as solo piano. Works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Claude Debussy and Edward Elgar explore the many facets of the character of love.

 

Programme

Background information

Since 1999 when they first began to work together, Kai Gleusteen and Catherine Ordronneau have established themselves as one of the most important duos in the interpretation of sonatas for violin and piano. Having performed more than 200 recitals in Europe, Canada and USA, they are praised for their unique partnership, “playing under the control of a single intelligence” (Gramophone Magazine), and for the emotional power of their interpretations. In 2004, they were featured in the television program Classical Now, a nationally broadcast show, as well as a two-hour program on CBC radio in Canada including a live recital . They also received critical acclaim for the release of their first recording for the AVIE records label, which includes a standout performance of the Prokofiev sonata, one of the finest on record. In 2011, Kai and Catherine created a festival called Kaimerata Concerts which features various chamber music concerts with music of a single composer or country. Works are preceded by explanations and demonstrations of the pieces to be performed. This year marks the 14th season in Europe and the 10th in Western Canada. This year’s theme is French chamber music and will include works by Ravel, Poulenc, Messiaen, Francaix, Franck, and Fauré.
Having performed her first recital at the age of twelve, it wasn’t until the age of twenty, after two years of law school, that Catherine Ordronneau decided to devote herself entirely to music. Taught by Colette Fernier, Monique Deschaussées, Sergio Perticaroli, and encouraged by François-René Duchâble, she received the highest distinction at the Conservatory in Rouen, and later the prestigious Concert Award at the École Normale Alfred Cortot in Paris. Catherine chooses to avoid the international competition circuit in favour of taking the time to study repertoire in its historical context. She delivers “mesmerising performances in which her ability to summon a myriad of colour is allied to a total artistic integrity”. (The Times).
Canadian born violinist Kai Gleusteen started playing at the age of five years old in his native city, Calgary. Kai chose to combine his musical studies with academic pursuits. At the University of Michigan, he studied anthropology, geophysics, and philosophy and received a Master’s Degree from Rice University under the tutelage of violinist Camilla Wicks. In 1991, Kai moved to Europe to live in the heart of Western Culture. Paris and Prague were his bases for nine years, allowing him to develop and perform both as a soloist and leader of numerous orchestras. In the year 2000, he won the concertmaster position of the Orquestra Simfonica del Gran Teatre del Liceu and subsequently moved to Barcelona. In 2003, he created the Gran Teatre del Liceu Chamber Orchestra and was appointed professor at the Escuela Superior de Musica de Catalunya. He continues to perform extensively as a soloist and recitalist throughout Europe and North America and has released numerous critically acclaimed recordings. Kai has the great fortune to play on a violin made by J.B. Guadagnini, “El Tigre”, made in 1781.