By KIRSTEN BOLTON
For ArtSpring
After a string of sold-out performances in October for ArtSpring’s 2024/25 season, November’s offerings continue to push boundaries and bend genres.
Such is the case on Saturday, Nov. 2, when Montréal-based Duo Cordelia’s exquisite violinist and composer Vanessa Marcoux and pianist Marie-Christine Poirier challenge the very premise of the classical music concert by boldly turning it on its head.
In their program called “Visions from the Other Side,” they offer listeners a distinctly different path to experience chamber music by introducing improvisation and bridging musical universes that would otherwise be dissociated.
With contemplation, humour and delight, the duo curate an array of exciting repertoire works from 20th- and 21st-century revolutionary artists and combine arrangements of traditional melodies with original compositions, including from Marcoux. From Shostakovich to Philip Glass, the result is a touching and unique concert experience, which goes straight to the heart of our deep connection with music.
Duo Cordelia formed in 2016, with both founders sharing masters degrees in violin and piano performance respectively from Université de Montréal and Conservatory training in France. Collectively, they have performed and won recognition across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, been spotlight chamber performers with acclaimed orchestras, while also touring with jazz and world music ensembles such as klezmer band Oktopus, who performed at ArtSpring last season.
Tickets for the show are available online at artspring.ca and through the box office.