The Old School House Arts Centre resumes it Music on Sunday series this weekend with a performance by the renowned Vancouver Cello Quartet Jan. 21.
Known for providing classical and more, the quartet, formed in 2012, is comprised of four dedicated professionals who perform original works and arrangements specifically for cellos.
Since their acclaimed debut, the Quartet has won the hearts of music lovers through their performances of staples of the classical music repertoire as well as contemporary and popular works, all of which showcase the possibilities of the instrument they love.
The mission of the Vancouver Cello Quartet is to create an eclectic mix of repertoire for every concert, shaping the program according to each venue’s interests while maintaining its commitment to musical diversity.
The Vancouver Cello quartet is made up of Lee Duckles, formerly the principal cellist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, along with Kevin Park, Christian Markos and Luke Wook-Young Kim.
Park began his musical training in Seoul, South Korea, and in 2002 was given a full scholarship to pursue his performance degree at the University of North Texas. Kevin was invited to perform in the final rounds of many prestigious competitions and festivals and won first prize in the WRR 101.1 Chamber Music International Competition in 2005. He has been principal cellist of the British Columbia Music Educators Association Orchestra (BCMEA), the University of North Texas Symphony & Chamber Orchestra, the Winspear Opera Orchestra, and the Pilgrim Orchestra.
He currently serves as an artistic director of the Vancouver Chamber Music Society and is a faculty member of several learning centres in the lower mainland, including the Pacific Coast School of Music.
Duckles received his early training in the San Francisco Bay area and a degree in performance from the University of Illinois. An active soloist and chamber musician, he has performed in festivals internationally and, for the past 35 summers, has been the principal cellist of the Cabrillo Music Festival of Contemporary Music in California. In Vancouver, Mr. Duckles has enjoyed an association with the Vancouver Academy of Music, The University of British Columbia, the Vancouver New Music Society, the Masterpiece Music Series, and The Vancouver Chamber Players. He is currently the Co-Director of the Vancouver Chamber Players and President of the Vancouver Cello Club.
Markos is a Romanian-Canadian cellist who earned his B.Mus in Music Performance from the Music Academy in Bucharest, Romania. He went on to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee for post-graduate studies with Mr. Wolfgang Laufer, late cellist of the renowned Fine Arts Quartet. For the 2012-2013 concert season, Cristian joined the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as Associate Principal Cellist. As an accomplished symphony and chamber musician, he has performed on stages in Romania, France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy, United States, and Canada.
Originally from South Korea, Kim has been a member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra since 2015. He completed his undergraduate studies at UBC, where he received the Catherine-Cooke Topping Memorial Medal for musical excellence. Then, he finished his Master of Music degree as a full scholarship student at UCLA. He also participated in summer music festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival, the Early Music Vancouver Programme, and the Incontri in Terra di Siena Music Festival. Kim has appeared in various concert series and has performed as a soloist with various orchestras.
Sunday’s concert begins at 2:30 p.m. at TOSH, 122 Fern Rd. W. in Qualicum Beach. Admission is $18; for tickets call 250-752-6133. For more info, visit online at www.theoldschoolhouse.org.
— NEWS staff and Ron Hadley submission