Tuesday, October 3, 2023 – The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) looks forward to our second concert of the season, Britten, Vaughan Williams & Elgar on Saturday, October 21 at 7:30pm. We are thrilled to highlight our own musicians with HPO Principal Oboist Aleh Remezau as this concert’s soloist, and we welcome James Kahane as guest conductor. Among beautiful repertoire by British composers, we are also pleased to present a world premiere by HPO Composer Fellow Kathryn Knowles. 

Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto will be brought to life by Aleh Remezau, who we have looked forward to showcasing since he won the position of Principal Oboe at the HPO in 2020. During the 2020-21 season, he was a featured musician on our video broadcasts of Mozart’s Oboe Quartet and Tomasi’s Evocations for Solo Oboe. 

“It has been a great privilege to make music with my colleagues at the HPO and to be a part of the Hamilton community,” says Aleh Remezau. “The Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto is an inward and intimate work, full of peace, playfulness and nostalgia. I am thrilled to share it with our audience in October.” Read more from Aleh Remezau in our blog, “Aleh Remezau: HPO Soloist this October”. 

 
A theme of friendship connects the works in this program. This season’s ‘Musician’s Choice’, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, is a work for strings by Benjamin Britten inspired by the personality traits of his friend, mentor and teacher, Frank Bridge. Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations is a series of musical portraits of the composer’s friends, each variation capturing their distinct personalities. The use of rich orchestration, memorable melodies and intricate musical puzzles make this a captivating work and a favourite among music educators. 

Our October concert also features our first Composer Fellow piece of the season by composer, cellist, writer and conductor Kathryn Knowles. Her premiering work titled A Strange and Preposterous Affair is accompanied by her own poem and employs the largest orchestra we’ve ever given any composer fellow. 

James Kahane is Principal Conductor of the Helsinki Chamber Orchestra, Principal Conductor of the Orchestre de Chambre de la DrĂŽme, and Conductor of the Polytech Orchestra in Finland. He was also appointed as Susanna MĂ€lkki’s assistant conductor at the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for their 2017/2018 season, aged only 21 at the time. 

Adult tickets start at $35, senior tickets start at $30 and youth tickets are just $20 (prices before tax). Subscriptions packages are also available. Visit hpo.org for tickets and information. 

Britten, Vaughan Williams & Elgar 

October 21, 2023 at 7:30pm 


James Kahane, Conductor 
Aleh Remezau, Oboe 

Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge* 
Vaughan Williams, Oboe Concerto 
Kathryn Knowles (23-24 Composer Fellow), A Strange and Preposterous Affair** 
Elgar, Enigma Variations 

*Players Choice 
**World premiere 

Join the orchestra in an exploration of musical friendships. Britten’s Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge honours the composer’s mentor and Elgar’s Enigma Variations shares a series of musical sketches inspired by those closest to him. HPO Principal Oboe Aleh Remezau takes centerstage as soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto. 

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About the HPO: For over a century, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra has presented orchestral music and education programs with a mission to enrich the wellbeing of the greater Hamilton region. Music Director Gemma New and the professional musicians of the HPO present dynamic orchestral performances ranging from standard classical repertoire to popular music and world premieres by living composers. As one of Canada’s leading professional orchestras, the HPO has proudly contributed to the shaping of Hamilton’s cultural landscape and continues to uphold values of high calibre, inclusive and accessible orchestral music and education for all. 

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Varinder Nandhra 
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Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra 
905.526.1677 x 205 
vnandhra@hpo.org 		Kyla Lacroix Bardsley 
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Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra 
905.526.1677 x 211 
klacroix@hpo.org  Â