Vancouver Recital Society Concert: Ema Nikolovska and Sean Shibe

Ema Nikolovska, mezzo-soprano
Sean Shibe, guitar

Join us for this year’s Vancouver Recital Society Concert featuring Ema Nikolovska, mezzo-soprano, and Sean Shibe, guitar. Two of the most imaginative and daring artists of their generation craft a genre-defying program titled Orlando which traces the legendary troubadour’s journey across centuries and continents, from the medieval Chanson de Roland to Ariosto’s epic poem, and Virginia Woolf’s groundbreaking 1928 novel. This bold and imaginative program explores themes of love, conflict, and identity, weaving together works by Schubert, Glanert, Adès, and others, alongside newly-commissioned pieces by Sasha Scott and Cassandra Miller.

Ema describes the Orlando project as: “Courtly love, conflict, identity, adventures traversing time and space, and the role of song, the life of the troubadour in the middle of it all – the fascinating, gallivanting, and almost science-fiction characters of Orlando from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso and Virginia Woolf’s Orlando are at the heart of this program.”

Planned program: 

Jules Massenet · O Souverin
John Dowland · Praeludium; Come again, sweet love; Come heavy sleep; Think’st thou then by thy feigning
Sasha Scott · 1000 Parts of You

Linda Catlin Smith · Dark Light
Thomas Adès · Blanca
Detlev Glanert · Hexensabbat
Franz Schubert · Einsamkeit
Detlev Glanert · Lied der Wehmut
Thomas Adès · Habanera

Nahre Sol · This Other Here
Maddie Ashman · split
Cassandra Miller · Dream Memorandum (It Reminded Me of the Truth)
Hans Abrahamsen · See the small, limpid well-spring
Franz Schubert · So laßt mich scheinen
Paxton · Be Kind

John Dowland· Orlando Sleepeth
Pauline Viardot · Aimez-moi
Bob Dylan · Masters of War
Laurie Anderson · O Superman

Location: von Kuster Hall, Music Building, Western University

Related Masterclasses: The day before, on Nov. 12, a voice masterclass with Ema Nikolovska and a guitar masterclass with Sean Shibe are also planned.

This concert is part of the Vancouver Recital Society Visiting Artist Series, made possible with a generous gift from alumna Elaine Adair.

The Don Wright Faculty of music is proud to welcome distinguished guest artists visiting for residencies and public masterclasses, as well as those who perform each week during our signature "Fridays @ 12:30" concert series.

• End times are approximate. This event will not include an intermission.
• If this event has a program, it will be on the Concert Programs page up to one week ahead to print at home or save to your phone. Reading programs (on silenced devices please!) during events is perfectly fine.
• Changes happen. Please revisit this page on the day of the event for potential updates.
• For tips on transit, parking, guest expectations, accessibility and more please visit our Audience Information page. 

Want more music? Sign up for the Don Wright Faculty of Music's monthly email to be notified of planned events and major changes.

^{Ema Nikolovska photo credit: Kaupo Kikkas
Sean Shibe photo credit: Iga Gozdowska}