Photo by: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC)
This month, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) is hosting a number of concert performances, all of which are either free or offer significant discounts for Brock students.
Music at Noon Concert Series
Two of the upcoming performances are part of the Music at Noon Concert Series, sponsored by the RBC Foundation. This series has been an ongoing part of Brock’s music department since 2015, and these concerts are the first two shows for this semester.
The first of these performances is Erika Reiman on Jan. 24. Reiman is a part-time instructor at Brock and is active as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician throughout Southern Ontario. Her concert will feature works from J. S. Bach and Robert Schumann.
The second concert on Jan. 31 will feature three artists: Mike Polci on the trombone, Timothy White on the trumpet and Lesley Kingham on the piano. Like Reiman, the latter two are also part-time instructors at Brock, specialising in their respective instruments.
Both of these performances will take place from noon to 1 p.m. on their respective dates, as will all subsequent Music at Noon concerts. Tickets are free, however they must be reserved in advance; those interested can do so from the PAC’s website.
Masterworks 4: Gilbert Conducts Dvořák
At 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 22, Quebecois conductor Dina Gilbert will be presenting two pieces, each offering a different perspective of Eastern Europe: Dvořák’s optimistic Eighth Symphony and Pēteris Vasks’ mournful Concerto for Viola.
Gilbert is the current director of the Kamloops Symphony in British Columbia. She has performed all across Canada and the United States, as well as Japan. She is joined by Canadian violist Marina Thibeault, whose album ELLES was nominated for a JUNO award in 2020.
Tickets for this concert normally cost $68, however university and college students have this price reduced to $15 per ticket. Tickets can be purchased on the PAC’s website.
Hear! Here! with The Mark Lalama Trio
Also on Jan. 22, this time starting at 4 p.m., is Hear! Here!, a series featuring the trio of Rich Moore, Davide DiRenzo and Mark Lalama. Each concert in this series features a guest or two, with this concert’s guests being Daniel Romano and Carson McHone.
Romano is a musician based out of Welland. He is the co-founder of You’ve Changed Records and a former member of the band Attack in Black. He’s earned a platinum record for his production work with Dallas Green on City and Colour, and was nominated for a JUNO award for graphic design in 2016.
McHone is a Texan country musician who has had numerous performances in Europe. She has released four records; her third record, Carousel, was listed in Rolling Stone’s list, “40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2018.”
Tickets for this event are normally $35, but post-secondary students only have to pay $25. As with the other events, tickets can be purchased on the PAC’s website.
These events highlight both local and foreign talents with a blend of different genres, providing a wide range of entertainment for potential concert-goers.