Guelph Connections Concerts starts now. And by now we mean today.
It’s about chamber music. It’s about Tuesdays. It’s about St. George’s Anglican Church at 99 Woolwich Street in downtown Guelph.
St. George’s is renowned for its acoustics. The grand church’s sanctuary plays host to many concerts and events throughout the year. The sound rings out, reverberates into the pews and up into rafters and balconies. It’s reputed to be one of the best places in Guelph to hear music.
The popular Guelph Connections Concerts is a series of six concerts, now in its seventh season, that brings high caliber chamber music to Wellington County.
The series begins today, Feb. 7, at 4:30 p.m., with French composer Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, performed by the Thin Edge New Music Collective.
Next Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the same time it’s Trio D’Argento, inspired by St. Valentine, and on Feb. 21 there’s a Baroque concert.
Yes, all Tuesday concerts start at 4:30 p.m., and all are free. All are classical. The series runs to March 14.
All six concerts are one hour in length, and each one features unique combinations of musicians – duos, trios, quartets. Many of the players are professionals eager to explore new repertoires and play with new musicians.
And those musicians are well-known throughout southern Ontario, some enjoying national and international reputations, others on the verge of emerging.
St. George’s Guelph Connections Concerts offers three cycles of generally five concerts throughout the year, during the fall, winter and spring seasons. They are held in the late afternoon to give audiences a relaxing, end-of-the-workday experience.
The short duration of the concerts fits well with busy lifestyles. The atmosphere is casual. Parents with young children are common in the audiences.
The Guelph Connections Concerts are produced by artistic director Marlena Tureski, a professional cellist. A native of Saskatchewan, she has performed with the Victoria Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, and as a freelance cellist in Chicago, Seattle and elsewhere.
