The Barcelona Opera Orchestra’s concert master will visit Parksville’s Knox United Church (345 Pym St.) for two classical music performances on Aug. 2 and Aug. 3.
Kai Gleusteen, who has been playing the violin for approximately 50 years, will be joined by spouse Catherine Ordronneau on piano, Beth Root Sandvoss on cello, Dan Scholz on viola and Sharon Stanis on violin for the Kaimerata Chamber Music Festival series, presented by the Oceanside Classical Concerts Society (OCCS).
This year, the Kaimerata Chamber Music Festival will play the works of Tchaikovsky, the Russian classical composer known for works such as Swan Lake, the Nutcracker and the 1812 Overture. The two performances will both feature Tchaikovsky, but with unique set lists.
“The idea being that the protagonist be the composer. I explain a little bit, hoping that the audience enters into the world and the language of the composer,” Gleusteen said.
Gleusteen, originally from Calgary, spends half the year in Spain with the orchestra and the other half touring, including stops on Denman Island where his parents reside.
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He studied in the U.S. and decided he would rather live in Europe than New York. After nine years in Paris, he was invited to audition to lead the orchestra in Barcelona in 1999, where he has lived ever since. The Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu is the oldest orchestra in Spain, giving its first performance in 1847, according to its website.
“I thought, ‘this is the life, the sea, the weather,’” said Gleusteen, who added he loves the people and excellent biking weather in Spain.
It was in Barcelona in 2011 that the Kaimerata Chamber Music Festival began. They have brought the festival to Denman for nearly a decade, as well as appearances around the Island, according to Gleusteen, who said he has been thinking about a Parksville concert for some time and got in touch with the OCCS.
“We’re very excited to bring it to Parksville.”
In addition to Tchaikovsky, the performances will feature composers including Schnitke, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovitch.
The inspiration for this year’s theme was a friend on Denman Island who for years has been asking Gleusteen when he would play he Tchaikovsky piano trio.
“I kept on putting it off and I thought, okay next summer we’ll do it for him, he’s 95,” Gleusteen said. “We’ll finally do a Tchaikovsky year.”
Both performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30 for one night and $50 for a two-night pass and can be found on kaimerata.com or purchased with cash at the door.