Sunday, February 23rd / 2025 | Koerner Hall
8:00PM Concert | 7:15PM Musical Insights with Alexina Louie & guests
Alex Pauk, Music Director & conductor
Mark Fewer, violin
Kevin Ahfat, piano
Erica Goodman, harp
Wesley Shen, harpsichord
Prelude Concert #2: RUNNER
Friends of Esprit and Toronto’s very best are spotlighted in this program highlighting exceptional local soloists performing works from around the world. Reich’s minimalist Runner sets the pace for this concert and leads to the contrasting, intense and distilled poetic moments of Abrahamsen’s Double Concerto with individual soloists relating to each then alternatively playing in unison becoming a two-headed creature.
Full attention will be on Erica Goodman in her performance of Pauk’s Harp Concerto, a work of virtuosity which brings wide-ranging musical elements into play.
Gorecki’s concerto blends wild East-European folkloric rhythmic and melodic modes on the harpsichord with driving orchestral forces in a surprising way to transport listeners to unexpected musical realms.
Steve Reich (US): Runner* (2016)
Hans Abrahamsen (DK): Double Concerto (2011)
Alex Pauk (CA): Concerto for Harp & Orchestra (2005)
Henryk Gorecki (PL): Concerto for Harpsichord & Orchestra (1980)
*Canadian premiere