Sarah Hagen will wrap up her fourth season of Musical Mornings concerts in Coquitlam by showcasing the talent of three fellow pianists.
While her final show with the Bergmann piano duo takes place next month, Hagen will highlight the jazz playings of Soren Bebe next week.
Hagen met the acclaimed jazz and contemporary musician about a decade ago while at the Banff Centre in Alberta and, two years ago, suggested they hit the road for a few gigs as part of her Musical Mornings series.
The pair start Wednesday in Maple Ridge and will head to Whistler for a Jazical recital the next night. Courtenay — Hagen’s hometown — is also on their tour list for next week as is Nanaimo, Coquitlam and Surrey.
They’ve composed a unique program, following the theme “in pursuit of beauty.”
Audience-goers, she said, were unsure about their jazz and classical pairing “but we just wanted to show two different styles of music side by side,” she told The Tri-City News last week after a recital with violist Nicolò Eugelmi in Chilliwack.
Hagen said about one-third of their set revolves around Bach; there are also improvisations on Francis Poulenc and Mauel de Falla’s music before concluding with a Danish folk tune, in honour of Bebe’s background.
The Copenhagen pianist, composer and band leader has often been compared with Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Aaron Parks. As well, he leads a jazz trio that has released four albums; a fifth LP is scheduled to be released sometime this year.
As for Hagen, she’s heading into the studio herself to record a solo album next year, concentrating on the work of Sergei Rachmanioff, one of the last Romantic composers.
Overall, she’s pleased with the response of her salon-style shows at the Evergreen Cultural Centre, a season that has seen the likes of soprano Anne Grimm, Francois Houle on clarinet and Marcus Takizawa on viola. “It’s been good. Always good music and always love the cake.”
• Tickets to Musical Mornings with Sarah Hagen and Soren Bebe on March 9 are $20/$15 through the Evergreen box office at 604-927-6555 or online at evergreenculturalcentre.ca. The recitals start with coffee, tea and baked goods.
@jwarrenTC
