The Guelph Concert Band’s annual premier mid-winter concert is scheduled for the River Run Centre on Feb. 28. Under the leadership of conductor Chris Cigolea and showcasing guest artists Canadian jazz singer Barbra Lica and Trumpet virtuoso, Constantin Soare, officials say they are excited to offer what promises to be a thrilling and satisfying musical experience.
Among the concert selections, the Guelph Concert Band will perform tributes to both Count Basie and Harry James as well as the world premiere performance of a powerful composition entitled Camino do Santiago by composer Tina Ternes.
With the band, Lica will sing several numbers including Fly Me to the Moon and Bye Bye Blackbird.
Soare will be featured on solo trumpet with My Way and Hora Staccato. Showcasing as a solo feature will be young Pamela Lui, a young master of the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument.
Headline vocalist Lica is one of Canada’s finest young jazz singers and song writers, organizers state in a press release.
With her success as first runner up in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz competition in New Jersey, Lica’s reputation is growing across Canada and internationally. She recently returned from her performance at the Tokyo International Jazz Festival and has just released Christmas Presents her latest of three albums. As a featured guest artist she sang Satin Doll on Peter Appleyard’s 2012 album Sophisticated Ladies.
Last year’s River Run concert featured international jazz hall of famer Bobby Carcasses of Havana, Cuba. To continue this internationalist tradition, the second guest this year is Constantin Soare presently of New York City where he maintains a busy studio-recording career. Soare is one of the most prominent Romanian trumpet players of the time and for 10 years was principal trumpet player and soloist of the acclaimed Romanian Radio and Television Jazz Orchestra. Soare has performed on hundreds of recordings, movie scores, live concerts and shows all over Europe and North America.
Also, showcasing with the Band will be Lui, master of the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument. Lui will play a piece on this unique instrument that Cigolea says “will blow your mind,” and “is like nothing you have seen before.”
As well as collaborating in performance with guest artists, the Guelph Concert Band will play the world premiere of Tina Ternes’ composition, Camino de Santiago. Ternes was born and trained as a musician in Germany, and has become recognized internationally for her orchestral, choral, and chamber music compositions.
The focus of her work has centred on tonality and since 2012 has become strongly influenced by American music.
The concert will take place at the River Run Centre at 3pm on Feb. 28 for this exciting concert.
For tickets, contact the River Run Centre box office at 519-763-3000 or online. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, $5 got children, $5 eyeGO for students with ID at the box office.
