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(Posted
5:30 p.m., Feb. 1)
Young talent shines during latest GMC recital
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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 Sisters
Maluki and Mandela Laverdure were among the
21 talented young musicians who performed
during the Gloucester Music Club recital Saturday
night. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The
Gloucester Music Club has been holding recitals for over
10 years featuring some of the best young musicians in
the city.
And
with every concert there are two or three performances
that stand out from the rest. On rare occasions, the program
is loaded with standout performances from top to bottom.
The latest Gloucester Music Club recital held on Saturday
night was just such an occasion.
The
first clue the evening would be something special was
the opening performance by Emily Hou. whose rendition
of Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in e-" was absolutely
flawless.
Nine-year-old
Jadon Xia had the challenging task of following Hou in
the program, which he did with one of my highlights of
the evening. His performance of "Barcarole"
by Canadian composer David Gordon Duke, had me riveted
from the first note. The subtlety and finesse with which
he played was beyond his years.
The
next performance was among my very favourite of the evening.
Sisters Maluki and Mandela Laverdure share a love of the
violin that is evident by their impeccable playing. Maluki,
7, has been playing for two and a half years, while Mandela,
10, has been playing for three and a half years.
For
both sisters Saturday night's recital was their Gloucester
Music Club debut. If they were nervous they didn't show
it.
Maluki
was the first to play, choosing the first movement of
Vivaldi's "Concert in a-". It was a total treat.
Mandela played a Polish dance later in the program that
left me wanting more. Perhaps they'll perform a duet as
an encore at a future GMC recital.
Nicolas
Cooper demonstrated his prowess on the cello with a attention-grabbing
performance of 18th century Spanish composer Antonio Cladara's
"Sonata in D+", while Irene Grose's rendition
of Haydn's piano Sonata in C+, Hob: 35 was equally magnificent.
The
rest of the program featured several other outstanding
performances including a pair of piano recitals by siblings
Alice and Kevin Yang.
Sibling
performances was a theme that ran throughout the evening's
program. Emily Hou's younger brother Alexander and sister
Charlotte both played exquistely, as did Jadon Xia's older
brothers Jeffrey and Jeremy who brought the evening to
a close with a beautiful piano duet of Johanes Brahms'
"Hungarian Dance #5 and #8".
But
the absolutle hightlight of the evening was provided by
Dorian De Luca, 21, who is currently completeing his fourth
year in the University of Ottawa's performance piano program.
De
Luca's performance of Claude Debussy's "L'Ile Joyeuse"
is one of the top five performances I have ever experienced
at a GMC recital. In a word, it was impeccable and I felt
truly privileged to be there.
The
next series of Gloucester Music Club recitals will be
held on March 27 and 28 at Orleans United Church.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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