reviewvancouver: Vancouver Symphony Orchestrat, Louis Lortie

Amidst the Vancouver culture world a musical gem is found in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Strolling through the Orpheum lobby pre-performance one sees photos of the remarkable performers who have excited Orpheum audiences for decades. There is a photo dated 1918 of the VSO orchestra looking elegant, dignified and proud.

This weekend, the VSO tradition continued with the superb performance of composer Ravel’s music featuring renowned pianist Louis Lortie. The placid and engaging evening of music by French composer Maurice Ravel: Concerto for Orchestra, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Piano Concerto in G Major, and Mother Goose (Ma mèrel’Oye). Maestro Otto Tausk led the orchestra with precision and musical mastery.

Lortie is a celebrated international pianist who creates a placid world of music with his incredible keyboard talent. Lortie made his debut at the age of 13 and with excellent musical mentorship and dedication has become one of the most prolific and talented pianists on the international classical music stage. Lortie performs in five continents with a wide range of Orchestras including Orchestre National de France and Dresden Philharmonic in Europe, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, St Louis Symphony, the Shanghai Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Adelaide and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil.

As a recording artist, Lortie has produced over 45 recordings with a repertoire that includes Mozart,Stravinsky, Beethoven and Chopin. Lortie has also recorded CDs with notable violinist Augustin Dumay. Lortie is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of the LacMus International Festival on Lake Como and a Master in Residence at The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel of Brussels.

Conductor Tausk is a notable leader in the world of conducting. Originally trained as a violinist, Tausk gravitated to conducting and has conducted with aplomb for international audiences. Tausk is the Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor to the VSO School of Music. Tausk has collaborated with outstanding soloists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Itzhak Perlman, Daniil Trifonov, Gidon Kremer, James Ehnes, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Hilary Hahn, KhatiaBuniatishvili, and Hélène Grimaud.