“FROM SEA TO SKY”
THE SMITH | KING DUO
SAT SEPT 28 2PM - FAMILY-FRIENDLY SHOW - FREE (45 MINS)
SAT SEPT 28 7:30PM - FEATURE CONCERT - FREE
BOTH EVENTS ARE FREE ADMISSION, WITH DONATIONS WELCOME
Concert description:
Smith | King Duo’s concert is a feast of new and accessible Canadian works by Nova Scotian born or based composers Amy Brandon, Derek Charke, Emily Doolittle, Adam V. Clarke, John Plant, and Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu, as well as Canadian composers Carmen Braden and Alice Ping Yee Ho.
As East Coast performers, we are thrilled to present the world premiere of Prelude No. 2 for violin and piano by Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu as part of our tour to Toronto and Yellowknife. Pianist Jennifer King will also perform the world premieres of two new pieces for solo piano: “Night thoughts are not so dark in June” by Carmen Braden and “…and we saw the stars…” by John Plant, both written for her.
Violinist Gillian Smith will present Toronto/Yellowknife premieres of Carmen Braden’s Tree Talk and Amy Brandon’s Dualisms, and the Smith | King Duo will also premiere Derek Charke’s Prelude and Impromptu, Adam V. Clarke’s Prelude, Emily Doolittle’s col, and Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu’s EN ROUTE in Toronto and Yellowknife.
About the Musicians
Jennifer King, piano
Spirited and sensitive, Jennifer King is a versatile pianist who enjoys exploring the world of classical music in the 21st century. Her remarkable career spans three decades and the impact of her artistry has inspired the dedication of piano works and a growing number of commissions from Canadian composers. King’s countless contributions to musical life in the province have been celebrated with an Award of Appreciation from the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
Frequently heard on CBC Music and CBC Radio 2, her growing catalogue of works began with the 2018 release of O Mistress Moon, a collection of two centuries of Nocturnes and night inspired music. Consecutive releases include a live recording in 2019 (Doolittle: Minute Études “Excerpts”) and a collection of twelve short piano works inspired by fairy tales in 2020 (Twilight Hour: Collected Stories for Piano). In 2022, Jennifer released O Mistress Moon: Canadian Edition. Distributed by Leaf Music in Halifax, this set of twelve contemporary piano works embodies the moon, outer space, and the night. The album has received praise for its “dramatic out of this world sonic listening” (The WholeNote); it won Classical Album of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards 2023.
A familiar face on stages across Atlantic Canada, Jennifer has presented hundreds of recitals as a soloist and as a collaborative artist. King's recent performances include Nova Scotia Music Week, the East Coast Music Awards, the Scotia Festival Chamber Players Series, the Open Waters Festival, Sunday Music in the Garden Room at Acadia University, and the Cecilia Concert Series. With the latter, King combines her musical gifts and strong community spirit to curate, host, and perform in Cecilia Concerts’ Sensory-Accessible Concert Program.
Jennifer’s academic achievements include a Master of Music in solo piano performance from McGill University, a Bachelor of Music from Acadia University, and postgraduate diplomas from the University of Reading (UK) and the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Her artistry has been encouraged through the support of scholarships and grants.
As an artist, King continues grow and explore by pushing boundaries and finding new meaningful ways to connect with the community.
https://www.jenniferkingpiano.com
Gillian Smith - violinist
Violinist Gillian Smith is an enthusiastic advocate for new music and has commissioned and premiered works from a number of composers. She released her debut solo album, Into the Stone, which features works for solo violin by Kati Agócs, Alice Ping Yee Ho, Veronika Krausas, Chantale Laplante, and Ana Sokolović, on the Leaf Music label in 2019. This album was nominated for the 2020 Classical Recording of the Year by the East Coast Music Association (ECMA). David Olds of The WholeNote magazine called Into the Stone “a stunning debut album by a rising star”, and La Scena Musicale wrote, “Gillian Smith demonstrates a great skill and mastery…magnificently appropriates Canadian repertoire”. This album was supported by funding from FACTOR.
Gillian’s second solo album, En Route, features five new works for solo violin commissioned from Canadian composers Amy Brandon, Carmen Braden, Derek Charke, Corie Rose Soumah, and Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu. This album was released in 2023 with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Gillian has recorded two CDs with members of the Acadia New Music Society on the Centrediscs label: Live Wired, which features the music of Derek Charke, Jérôme Blais, and Anthony Genge, and In Sonorous Falling Tones, which features the music of Derek Charke. This album was nominated for an ECMA for Classical Recording of the Year in 2018. She can also be heard on a recording of the chamber music of Carmen Braden, Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars, which was released on the Centrediscs label in September 2019. The American Record Guide wrote of Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars, “exquisitely and beautifully performed, this is a gem”. Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars was nominated for an ECMA for Classical Recording of the Year in 2020.
Gillian’s solo and chamber music recordings have been broadcast on radio on stations across Canada and in the U.S. and the U.K., including on CBC Radio’s In Concert, About Time, and East Coast Music Hour.
Gillian has been featured in recital and as a chamber musician at series and festivals such as the Open Waters Festival, Shattering the Silence Festival, Musique Royale, Music Room Chamber Players, Sunday Music in the Garden Room, and others. She holds degrees in violin performance from the Eastman School of Music (B.Mus.), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.Mus.), and the University of Minnesota (D.M.A). Her principal teachers have included Jorja Fleezanis, Camilla Wicks, Peter Salaff, and Philippe Djokic.
THANK YOU SPONSORS AND PARTNERS!
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to make the Sea to Sky concerts and outreach events happen with the Smith | King Duo:
Our co-presenter the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Julian Morse - MLA Frame Lake
Kate Reid - MLA Great Slave
Shauna Morgan - MLA Yellowknife North
Caroline Wawzonek - MLA Yellowknife South
Keron Testart - MLA Range Lake
Cailtlin Cleveland - MLA Kam Lake
Canada Council for the Arts
NWT Music Teachers Association
Volunteers and technicians
PIDO Productions
Avens: A Community for Seniors
Black Ice Sound
Ptarmigan Ptheatrics