There's musical magic in the air at Peninsula Productions' intimate performance space in Centennial Park.
The colourfully-named – and extraordinarily credentialed – Crimson Crescendo Trio (violinist Monica Niedzielko, pianist/composer/arranger Bruce Petherick and bassist/arranger Peter Koyander) will transform the black box theatre with a series of four very cozy low-light concerts it is calling Gossamer Glow, starting on Sept. 29.
Not the least of the magic is that the upcoming series – which spans classical favourites (Sept. 29), Christmas-themed music (Dec. 1), just over 100 years of popular tunes (March 2) and a reimagining of music from the extensive catalogue of the Beatles (May 4) – had already sold out all its tickets to Peninsula Productions subscribers almost as soon as it was announced last month.
The good news for the rest of us, however, is that Peninsula Productions executive director Janet Ellis has confirmed that demand for the limited-seating concerts will spur added matinee performances to be sold on an individual basis.
A 2 p.m. matinee performance for the Sept. 29 concert has just been added, and further matinees will be scheduled closer to the performance dates (visit peninsulaproductions.org for updates).
Petherick and Koyander (they and Niedzielko are also members of the White Rock City Orchestra) confessed during a recent conversation that they were somewhat stunned that a homegrown musical series, one quite outside of the tried-and-tested realms of pop, rock and the blues, should receive such rapid acceptance.
But they said they are willing to accept it as evidence of the Semiahmoo Peninsula's increasing appetite for all forms of music, as well as live theatre.
"I have a strong feeling we have a great community here in White Rock and South Surrey, and this is a great example of how much, now, it is ready to accept different things," Petherick said.
"With the orchestra alone, we have a core group of about 250 people who turn out to everything we do – and that is a really good number," he added.
The thoroughly-cosmopolitan members of Crimson Crescendo – although they've flown relatively under-the-radar locally – have extensive background and training in music and experience in many aspects of the music business, particularly in Europe (and, in Petherick's case, his native Australia).
Niedzielko, born in Poland, began studying violin at age seven at the National Music School in Tarnow, and holds a Masters degree in music in violin performance from the Music Academy of Krakow.
Currently concertmaster with the White Rock City Orchestra, and a respected music teacher, Niedzelko has been playing professionally (including making recordings) since she was a student, with such ensembles as the Tarnow Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonietta Cracovia, Sinfonia Amabile, Cracow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Polish Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra and the Capella Tarnoviensis Symphony Orchestra, for which she was also concertmaster.
In the non-orchestral field, she also toured the U.S. and the Caribbean as a member of a classical trio.
Petherick – in addition to his current day-gig as a Vancouver-based autistic advocate – has also been a composer and performer for the last 40 years, starting with sound design and composition in Australia during his high school years.
Among his performance highlights have been accompanying Dame Kiri Te Kanawa during a tour of Australia and also touring in the piano chair of the Count Basie Orchestra and the Woody Herman Orchestra. He's also worked in London, the U.S. and Mongolia, and, since moving to Canada in 2001, has been active as a performer, composer and teacher. He also tours frequently across Canada, playing his own compositions.
Canadian-born Peter Koyander, past president of the White Rock City Orchestra lived in London (UK) for much of his life, before moving back to Canada and settling in South Surrey six years ago.
Originally trained as a classical guitarist with such renowned international soloists as Julian Byzantine and John Williams, he travelled throughout Europe playing as a soloist and with various ensembles. Becoming a session musician at the famed Olympic Studios in Barnes, London in his early 20s, he discovered his love of the double bass when he was pressed into service to fill in for the no-show bassist for a band that was due to record at the studio.
Pursuing a classical double bass career under the mentorship of Caroline Emery (double-bass professor for the Royal College of Music) he ultimately became a sought-after freelance bassist for many orchestras across the UK.
While Crimson Crescendo involves three members of the White Rock City Orchestra, it's not an offshoot of the organization per se, Koyander and Petherick explained.
"We like each other's company and making music together became an extension of that," Koyander said.
Starting relatively informally – when they were hired to play a summer concert two years ago to mark the opening of the sales office for the Foster-Martin development – the three musicians found the trio format began to spark ideas.
It's both challenging and exciting, Petherick said – as there is little repertoire developed specifically for the combination of violin, piano and double bass it means they are continually inventing and experimenting with different arranging ideas.
It's also freeing, Koyander and Petherick said. There are really no limits to what they can play – whether it's finding a way to reinterpret a piece like the guitar masterpiece Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tarrega or exploring the harmonic possibilities of a modern classic, Billie Eilish's What Was I Made For?
"When I'm with Peter, it's always 'do you want to try this?' or 'would you like to play this?'" Petherick said. "We have to figure out how not to get in each other's way, how to complement each other."
In this heady context, Niedzielko provides both a grounding influence and a compelling musical voice, Koyander noted.
"Monika has this incredible ability to draw people in with her playing," he said. "She can make you cry with the beauty of her performance."
"When I moved to White Rock I thought I'd sort of retired from performing," Petherick added. "But then I joined the orchestra and am enjoying that, and also enjoying the trio. It constantly challenges me – there's a lot of personal growth for all of us in this."
"We've discovered that making music is an itch that we have scratch," Koyander said.
