As a fan of chamber music, I attended both of these concerts as part of my MusicFest experience in this summer’s festival. Both of the concerts were held at the wonderful acoustic Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver.

Arthur Rowe (l) & Benjamin Beilman (r)

Benjamin Beilman & Arthur Rowe

American violinist Benjamin Beilman performed with Canadian Pianist, Arthur Rowe in the concert held on August 8th. Benjamin was the 2010 winner of the Montreal International Musical Competition and will make his debuts in New York City, Washington DC, and Boston this season. This astonishing young artist is on the fast track to musical superstardom, and MusicFest Vancouver was thrilled to present him in their first Morning Chamber Music concert this year. From sensitive Mozart, to virtuosic Prokofiev and Saint-Saëns, this recital featured the breadth of Beilman’s musicianship as he collaborated with highly respected Canadian pianist, Arthur Rowe.

Trio Paul Klee

Trio Paul Klee

On the evening of August 9th I saw Trio Paul Klee, a group that I hadn’t heard of, who are from France, these young musicians enlightened the audience with their music and passion. Jae-Won Lee, Tristan Cornut, and François Lambret make up Trio Paul Klee. For their debut Canadian performance, the young Parisians selected a most Romantic program. At the core was Brahms’ massive Trio in B Major. Also included was Ravel’s 1915 Trio and a transcription of one of Liszt’s most famous piano works, La vallée d’Obermann.