Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Plays Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is adored by music lovers—and feared by pianists—for its marriage of technical fireworks and achingly romantic melodies. From the tolling of distant bells that haunt the work’s opening moments to the spirited dances of its finale, this rollercoaster ride for solo piano and orchestra is brought to life by Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, whose captivating performance style “imbues even the most routine passagework with character and individuality” (Calgary Herald).

And feel the first warm, fragrant breezes of spring waft through Southam Hall in a suite from Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, a touching portrayal of mid-19th-century pioneer life in the United States. Originally composed as a ballet for the Martha Graham Dance Company, Copland’s cinematic suite evokes the joys of young love and the spaciousness of rural landscapes with music that moves between tender lyricism and high-kicking country dances.

Themes of fresh starts and new life experiences are also woven throughout Kelly-Marie Murphy’s A Thousand Natural Shocks—a work of urgency and dramatic intensity that blossoms from an extended drum solo into a restless chorus of orchestral voices.

This concert is dedicated to Heather Edwards, in recognition of her transformational gift to the NAC Orchestra, which champions artistic creation, elevates Western Canadian artists on the national stage, and enriches meaningful experiences for artists and audiences across the country.