More About April

April 4 (yes, tomorrow!): Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji will be playing Schubert, Beethoven, Bloch, and a piece she commissioned from Avner Dorman. Since winning First Prize at the 1999 Paganini Competition - the first Japanese and youngest artist to do so - Shoji is regularly invited to perform on some the world's most prestigious stages. Recent highlights include performances at the Salzburg Easter Festival with the Berlin Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons, the London Symphony Orchestra's 100th Anniversary Asia tour with Sir Colin Davis, highly successful tours of Europe and South America with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Bychkov, and of Japan with the New York Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel. Her accompanist is French pianist Julien Quentin, and they'll be playing at St. John's Church (Elgin & Somerset). Tickets, at $40 general, $30 for seniors, $20 for students and $60 for reserved seats near the stage, are available online at arsnova.ca and will be sold at the door. Information: 819-682-2693.

April 5: Concerts-in-the-Glebe, Glebe-St. James United Church (Lyon St. and First Ave.), 4 p.m. Joan Harrison, cello, and Elaine Keillor, piano present "Musical Links between France and Canada", works by Farrenc, Coulthard, and Guerrero. $7-15 or pay what you can.

April 16: Together with Swedish musicians Roland Pöntinen (piano) and Svante Henrysson (cello), Martin Fröst presents his "Beyond All Clarinet History Project" (B.A.C.H.). Martin Fröst performs regularly in leading concert halls and with major orchestras worldwide. Fröst is a charismatic and multitalented soloist and his ambition to explore new aspects of musical creativity is also a great inspiration to many composers. In 2008 he was nominated for a Swedish Grammy and for the prestigious Swedish Export Prize. The concert is at St. Matthew's Church at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: www.arsnova.ca Reserved: $60.00 General: $40.00
Seniors: $30.00 (65 & over) Students: $20.00

April 24: As part of the BC Scene goings-on, the Borealis String Quartet has programmed some music by one of my favorite Canadian composers, Imant Raminsh. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.

April 27: Also part of the BC Scene - Francois Houle! Don't miss this one. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.

May 1: BC Scene presents the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with some music by BC composer Jeffrey Ryan. 8pm at the NAC. click here for details.