Philip Chiu in Recital:
Islands, Legends, and Souls
THURSDAY, MAY 21 | 7PM
Grace United Church
140 Bruce Street South, Thornbury, ON
Internationally acclaimed pianist Philip Chiu returns to SweetWater with a vivid, story-rich solo program that journeys from shimmering seascapes to Celtic mist, then on to the rhythmic heat of Latin America and the lyric heart of Schubert. Debussy’s L’isle joyeuse launches the evening in a burst of colour and light, followed by the hypnotic miniatures of Mompou’s Cants mágìcs and Amy Beach’s atmospheric Scottish Legend. A beloved Irish air from County Derry, in Percy Grainger’s tender arrangement, offers a moment of pure song before Ginastera’s Sonata No. 1 ignites the stage with driving rhythm, mystery, and raw power. After intermission, Chiu paints the spirit of Spain and Brazil through Albéniz’s iconic Asturias and Villa Lobos’s soulful Chôros No. 5, before closing with Schubert’s Sonata in A minor D. 784, where stark drama and fragile hope intertwine. This is piano storytelling at its most intimate and electrifying.
Programme
C. Debussy: L'isle joyeuse
F. Mompou: Cants magics
A. Beach: Scottish Legend
Traditional arr. PA Grainger: Irish Tune from County Derry
A. Ginestra: Sonata No. 1 Op 22
INTERMISSION
Albeniz: Prelude "Asturias"
H. Villa-Lobos: Choros No. 5 "Alma Brasileira" (Brazilian Soul)
F. Schubert: Sonata in A minor D. 784
$45 plus fees/applicable tax
Tickets are available online only through Eventbrite. No exchanges or refunds.
Attending both concerts? Use the code 2SHOWS and see both concerts for only $75.
Dreams and Fairy Tales:
An Evening of Cello Stories
FRIDAY, MAY 22 | 7PM
Historic Leith Church
419000-419498 Tom Thomson Ln, Annan, ON N0H 1B0
Step into an intimate world of musical storytelling as cellist Guillaume Artus and pianist Philip Chiu weave a twilight tapestry of French, Czech, Polish, and Russian soundscapes at Historic Leith Church. From the misty shores of Brittany in Charles Koechlin’s Chansons bretonnes, drawn from ancient Breton folklore, to the rare Sonata in F sharp minor by Jean Huré and Chopin’s dazzling Introduction & Polonaise brillante, the first half revels in colour, lyricism, and virtuosity. After intermission, the program turns toward the visionary 20th century: Witold Lutoslawski’s concentrated Sacher Variations, Leos Janacek’s luminous fairy tale Pohádka, and Sergei Prokofiev’s searing Cello Sonata in C major. Together, these works trace a journey from whispered folk memory to bold, modern voice, in an evening that showcases the cello as storyteller, singer, and hero.
Programme:
Charles Koechlin: Breton Songs from Ancient Folklore (Selections)
Jean Hure: Sonata in F sharp minor
Frederic Chopin: Introduction & Polonaise brillante, Op 3.
INTERMISSION
Witold Lutoslawski: Sacher Variations
Leos Janacek: Pohadka
Sergei Prokofiev: Cello Sonata in C major
**Artists and repertoire are subject to change.
$45 plus fees/applicable tax
Tickets are available online only through Eventbrite. No exchanges or refunds.
Attending both concerts? Use the code 2SHOWS and see both concerts for only $75.
About Our Performers
“A pianist-painter who transforms each musical idea into a beautiful array of colours” (La Presse), Philip Chiu is acclaimed for his brilliant pianism, sensitive listening, and a stage presence that eschews the hermit-pianist image in favour of dialogue, openness and authenticity. Soloist and chamber musician, he performs recitals and chamber music concerts across Canada, as well as France, Japan and the United States. Chamber music partners have included James Ehnes, Emmanuel Pahud, Regis Pasquier, Bomsori Kim and Johannes Moser. He has a long-standing violin-piano duo with violinist Jonathan Crow. He has recorded for ATMA Classique, Warner Music, Analekta, Leaf Music and CBC Music, and can be heard on BBC Radio, France Musique, ICI Musique, and CBC Music.
Philip is grateful for the support of Mécénat Musica, the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts. He also wishes to acknowledge his teachers and mentors: Marc Durand, Jenny Regehr, Susan Steele, and the late Peter Longworth.
Philip Chiu, Pianist
French cellist Guillaume has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including the Berliner Philharmonie, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Salzburg Festspielhaus, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. His recording Fräulein Else, featuring chamber music by Graciane Finzi, received the highest distinction from the French magazine Diapason.
Guillaume has participated in leading international academies and festivals such as the Krzyżowa Music Festival, Perlman Music Program, Toronto Summer Music Festival Academy, Zermatt Festival Academy, and the Ozawa Academy. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has collaborated with renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Ralph Kirshbaum, Nobuko Imai, Eckart Runge, Gary Hoffman, Pamela Frank, and members of the Scharoun Ensemble. A laureate of the Raynaud-Zurfluh Competition and the Liezen Cello Competition, he has served as Second Principal Cello of the Stuttgart Opera Orchestra since 2017 and has been a member of the Verbier Chamber Orchestra since 2016. He has also appeared as guest principal cello with orchestras including the Toronto Opera Orchestra, SWR Stuttgart, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva. Guillaume studied in Lyon and in Berlin at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” with Claudio Bohórquez.
Guillaume Artus, Cellist
Edwin Huizinga is SweetWater Music Festival's Artistic Director and an esteemed violinist. Edwin's combination of his unique and warm style plus his unparalleled musicianship connect him with audiences around the world. Edwin teaches violin at Oberlin, he's a composer, conductor, and a performer.
He has performed with orchestras and ensembles worldwide including Carmel Bach Festival, Amsterdam Conservatory, Baroque Orchestra, and Tafelmusik. Huizinga has released numerous recordings including Partita Americana, fusing classical and bluegrass music. He premiered a new composition commissioned by Opera Atelier for soprano Measha Brueggergosman in late October 2020.
Edwin Huizinga, Artistic Director
