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Borealis String Quartet coming to Nelson

The Borealis String Quartet will take the stage at the Capitol Theatre next Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.
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Vancouver’s Borealis String Quartet plays a matinée concert at the Capitol Theatre on November 17.

Classical music aficionados are in for a thrill.

The Borealis String Quartet will take the stage at the Capitol Theatre next Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., as the second performance in the 2013-2014 Nelson Overture Concerts Society’s series.

One of the most dynamic and exciting world-class ensembles of its generation, the Borealis String Quartet has received international critical acclaim as an ensemble praised for its fiery performances, passionate style, and refined, musical interpretation.

Founded in Vancouver, British Columbia in the fall of 2000 and rapidly establishing a stellar reputation, the Borealis has toured extensively in North America and performed to enthusiastic sold-out audiences in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco, Washington DC, Montreal, Ottawa and, of course, in their home town of Vancouver.

Although the Borealis feels strongly committed to the great traditional quartet literature, they actively seek to promote new works and are strong advocates of Canadian music, with quartets by R. Murray Schafer and Omar Daniels among others in their repertory. They have also worked closely with and commissioned music from Imant Raminsh, Kelly-Marie Murphy, and John Oliver.

The Borealis has also served as String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of British Columbia for the past 10 years.  In addition, they have been the Quartet in Residence at the June Music Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Magic City Chamber Music Festival in Birmingham, Alabama and the Winter Chamber Music Festival in Tucson, Arizona. This past January, they served a short-term residency at Idaho University.

As well as extensive concertizing, the quartet is frequently heard on CBC Radio and other radio stations across North America and Asia. The Borealis has filmed music videos which were broadcast on Bravo Television and debuted at the Vancouver International Film Festival. They have recorded four CDs, three of which feature works by Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Grieg, and Respighi.

The Nelson audience will enjoy works from three well known composers:  Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Op.76, No. 1, Shostakovich’s String Quartet No.8, Op. 110 (1960) and Beethoven’s String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 132.

Tickets for the November 17 matinee concert are available at the Capitol Theatre and are $14 for students and $24 for adults. Students from schools participating in the Nelson Overture Society’s outreach program (South Nelson, Trafalgar, Waldorf, Self Design, Blewett and HomeLinks) can access tickets for free.