Arcady will be hosting a fun, animal-themed concert in Brantford on Saturday, August 20, 2024.
This interactive program, which will take place at 39 Kerr-Shaver Terrace, will consist of many entertaining and lively songs featuring animals such as ostriches, cats, pigs, swans, and more.
This charming program will be brought to you by Emily Hiemstra and Sonya Nanos. Emily is a violist, composer, and mom to four boys. A JUNO nominated composer with music that has been deemed “superb” and “extremely resonant” (George Elliott Clarke, Canadian Poet Laureate), she has had her music performed at festivals throughout the UK, USA and Canada. Her desire is to create relevant and engaging music for the next generation and future generations to come. As a violist she has performed at festivals around the world including Banff Centre for the Arts (Banff, CAN) and the German-Scandinavian Youth Orchestra (Berlin, GER). She performed the Stamitz Viola Concerto with the Charis Collective in 2017, and has played with ensembles such as the Canadian Opera Company and the Magisterra Soloists.
Canadian cellist Sonya Nanos charms audiences with her impassioned, imaginative playing. Her diverse career has included performances with ensembles such as the Orlando Philharmonic and Quartetto Gelato, as well as, artists like Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli. As an active chamber musician and recitalist, Nanos has been featured on the Lumina series, Symphony in the Barn, Consortium Aurora Borealis, and as a guest on Western University’s faculty chamber series. Nanos holds a Master of Music from Lynn University where she was awarded the M. Elizabeth Maddy Cumpton Endowment Award for the “outstanding conservatory student of strings”, an Artist Diploma from the Glenn Gould School, and a Bachelor of Music from McGill University.
Among the pieces to be performed are “Aesop’s Fables (i. the donkey, ii. the tortoise, iii. the wolf)” by Emily Hiemstra, “Escape from the Barn” by Michelle Lormier, “Les oiseaux de nos contres” by Alexandra Fol, and “The Cat and the Mouse” by Arcady composer Emma Theresa Verdonk.
Each of these wonderful works includes creative ways to engage the young audience through stories, actions, and auditory cues. Complimentary animal-themed activity pages and snacks will be provided following the concert.
Arcady is a professional music ensemble that performs throughout South Western Ontario presenting concerts that range from vocal and instrumental recitals to full-scale stage productions with orchestra. Arcady’s staff and volunteers are especially passionate about mentoring youth from the Brantford community through the Arcady Youth Singers and children’s concerts such as these. Registration is always open for the Arcady Youth Singers, and they perform with Arcady’s professional musicians every year at Arcady’s spring and Christmas concerts.
