There is a type of magic that comes from experiencing the work of a musician. Music transports our bodies — and our mind plays catch-up. It finds us smiling softly or with tears already rolling down our cheeks as soon as the bow strikes the strings of the violin.
For 71 years, the Edmonton Chamber Music Society — a non-profit organization — has been bringing a variety of international musical performers to our city. “We are essentially a booking agent and we pick performers we think our audience will like,” says president and program director, DW Morrish. Whether you prefer a vocal soloist, a small chamber orchestra or a traditional string quartet, there is a performance that will speak to you.
“ECMS’s objective is to bring the world’s best chamber music to the Edmonton classical music scene,” says Morrish.
Edmonton will host the Balourdet Quartet on April 17, at Robertson-Wesley United Church.
This acclaimed chamber ensemble had no intention of becoming a string quartet.
In 2018, in New Mexico, Angela Bae (violin), Justin DeFilippis (violin) and Russell Houston (cello) became friends while at the Taos School of Music festival. There was something about late evenings of chamber music and beautiful prepared meals by chef Antoine Balourdet that brought them together.
It wasn’t until later, at Rice University in Houston, Texas, that Benjamin Zannoni (viola) joined the three friends and they formed the Balourdet Quartet. The name honours the moment — especially the person — that led them on the path to becoming the renowned string quartet they are today.
Following their third-place win at the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition, the group received an invitation to a 10-day retreat at the Banff Centre in May 2024. Their second time around was different. It gave them a chance to get a better look at the town and connect with nature in ways they hadn’t during their competition.
But their favourite memory? Watching the Oilers vs Stars playoff game in a crowded Banff bar. It was loud and chaotic and there wasn’t a soul that wasn’t completely invested. “Just being a part of that vibe was actually really special,” says DeFilippis. It was their first real introduction to Edmonton, in a way — even if the Dallas-born cellist was quietly pulling for the other side.
Maybe being in Edmonton will fix that.
There’s something about bringing your own art to a new space. The way it changes the room a little, but also the people in it. And with music, “it makes us feel closer to ourselves and makes us feel more alive,” says DeFilippis.
Their upcoming program, Wildest Dreams, is an extension of that idea. With a mix of classical and modern pieces, “it feels absolutely fantastical, full of imagination and wonder,” says DeFilippis. It is the type of music that transports you somewhere without fully knowing how you got there.
On May 1, Czech violinist Ivan Ženatý will be performing at Trinity Lutheran Church, alongside pianist Martin Kasík.
Finding your passion is a “war with your patience,” says Ženatý. “You find yourself dreaming, waking up sweating and one day, an angel comes.” Like any other art form, it takes work before it becomes a part of you. The violin is now part of him.
The compositions that Ženatý is drawn to are classical romantic. “Old classical tradition is about a slow mentality,” he says. “Like choosing high dining over fast food — it is about savouring.” And pianist Martin Kasík shares this sentiment.
“Ours is a long love story,” Ženatý says, describing what it was like meeting Kasík. Without even rehearsing during their first recording, they merged effortlessly. “We were two macho, powerful soloists coming together,” he says. “And we never lost our individual musical personalities.”
Their upcoming program will include works from Bohuslav Martinů and Richard Strauss, who Ženatý describes as “a mastermind that you can’t help but bow to.”
This will not be Ženatý’s first performance in our city.
In 2018, the Edmonton Recital Society held a concert for the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia. An event that Ženatý was more than happy to participate in, thanks to a call he received from Pavel Jelen — a Czech-born University of Alberta professor.
Each time Ženatý comes back to Edmonton, he is embraced by the city’s not-so-small arts community. “Look at its opera, its orchestra, its university,” he says. He has noticed how strong these are in Edmonton and how big a role they play in making the city’s arts scene what it is. He remembers a friend telling him about the northern oil boom and how it helped push the arts forward, providing opportunities for it to grow — even more than it already had.
“Edmonton is a little miracle in Canada,” he says.
