Following on the jaunty heels of Cod Gone Wild, the Creston Concert Society is proud to present the Bergmann Piano Duo in a unique concert on Nov. 4 at the Prince Charles Theatre.
Consisting of internationally recognized husband-and-wife pianists Marcel and Elizabeth Bergmann, the Bergmann Piano Duo’s dynamic and energetic performances of uniquely eclectic programs have inspired and touched audiences for more than two decades. Recitals and concerts with orchestra have taken them to many parts of the world, including the United States, Italy, Germany, Holland, Greece and Canada.
“Always adventurous,” the married couple “combines virtuosic dedication with the instincts of professional entertainers who love their music,” said Showtime Magazine.
As international prizewinners, including the Dranoff Interna-tional Two Piano Competition and Provincia di Caltan-issetta International Chamber Music Competition, they have performed in recital and with orchestras across North America and Europe, including recent appearances at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Salkind International Duo Piano Festival in San Fransico and Munich in 2013. The duo have several recordings to their credit, as well as being frequent featured artists on CBC broadcasts.
Their “electrifyingly rendered recitals” (Vancouver Sun) draw from an extensive repertoire ranging from the baroque to the contemporary and incorporate numerous arrangements and original compositions by Marcel, who writes in a “uniquely original voice that straddles the best of the classical and jazz worlds” (Miami Herald). Their concert program includes works by Mozart, Brahms and Bernstein, along with Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea and Astor Piazzolla. Committed to supporting the production of new repertoire, the duo has commissioned and premiered several works by Canadian composers.
What makes this current concert tour especially remarkable is that the Bergmann Piano Duo will be travelling with two matching grand pianos in tow, shipped from town to town for an extensive tour in October and November, reaching 13 communities across B.C. from the Gulf Islands to the Lower Mainland, and the Interior, as well as across the Kootenays.
The mastermind chefs who created this recipe for delectable concert enjoyment are veteran community impresario George Zukerman of White Rock and his Kelowna-based partner, Sylvie Lange, who have pulled together the ingredients required for one of Western Canada’s most unusual concert tours of the 21st century.
“We have taken a page out of 20th century musical history,” said Zukerman. “In the ’50s and ’60s, the concert landmark was full of duo-piano teams on tour with their own pianos in tow. Now the Bergmanns have re-established an old tradition that will be as successful today as it was in the past century.”
In the spirit of Vronsky and Babin, Stecher and Horowitz, and a host of others, the Bergmanns are embarking on such a remarkable tour, including two magnificent grand pianos, generously provided by Showcase Pianos of Vancouver.
The performance runs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Tickets are $22 for adults and $10 for students, or $25/$12 at the door. For more information, phone 250-402-9257, email info@crestonconcertsociety.ca or visit www.crestonconcertsociety.ca.
—CRESTON CONCERT SOCIETY