ESTEVAN — The Estevan Arts Council has announced its schedule for the 2022-23 Estevan Concert Series. Seven concerts are on the docket, including one special event.
The season will begin with a performance by Ken Lavigne on Oct. 19, starting at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church. Lavigne has performed across North America with his blend of a classical tenor sound and contemporary style. He weaves music and stories together from his personal experiences.
Lavigne’s Three Knights with a Tenor features the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul McCartney and Elton John, who have all been knighted.
Up next will be Twin Flames on Nov. 29 at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Building across bridges, continents and style, Twins Flames bring together personal history and musical experience. Blending together Indigenous and western instruments, as well as their own unique sonic creation, this multi-award winning duo floats between Inuktut, French and English.
They won consecutive Canadian Folk Music Awards for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year.
The third concert will be Prairie Debut Kosravi & Stadnicki on Jan. 12, 2023, at Trinity Lutheran Church at 7:30 p.m. Prairie Debut provides the opportunity to hear the santur musical instrument, which dates back to Babylonian stone carvings. The instrument will be played in a contemporary style.
The performance of Farhad Kosravi's santur weaves with the sounds of Daniel Stadnicki's percussion. Their second collaborative album, Mosàfer, was released in August 2020 to critical acclaim.
Another Prairie Debut concert, Vioarnesti, will be Feb. 12 at 2:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church. Catherine Wood and Victoria Sparks come together as Viðarneistí, the Icelandic term for wood spark.
It is an apt description for what happens when the rich, sultry tone of the clarinet meets the percussive punch of marimba. The recognition of their shared Icelandic heritage serves as a springboard for Wood and Sparks, as they delve into themes from their Nordic roots.
Motus O will perform the Prisoner of Tehran at the Estevan Comprehensive School on April 16 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Prisoner of Tehran, based on the book of the same name, is a unique collaboration between Iranian born writer-speaker Marina Nemat and Motus O. This unique performance piece is a synthesis of theatre, video and storytelling that swims in a landscape of movement brushing the themes of oppression, persecution, survival and most of all hope.
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Marina was arrested at the age of 16 and spent more than two years in Evin, a political prison in Tehran, where she was tortured and came very close to execution.
She came to Canada in 1991 and has called it home ever since.
A third Prairie Debut concert, DuWors and Dowling, will be April 16 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Church. Violinist Kerry DuWors and pianist Katherine Dowling capture the timeless stories of human experience.
The works of Robert and Clara Schumann – created in the springtime of the Romantic era – resonate through eloquent compositions designed to refresh the soul and inspire delight in listeners.
A season pass is $150 and a patron rate is $275, including a $25 tax receipt. Patrons also receive 12 tickets and their name in the program. Individual tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.
There will also be a special performance when the Poltava Ensemble comes to the Estevan Comprehensive School on March 12 at 2 p.m.
The Poltava Ensemble of song, music and dance is a 50-member Ukrainian group which includes dancers, musicians and singers. This will be an add-on concert with a subscribers’ price of $25. General admission will be regular price.
