The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA 2022/23 Season Opening Weekend Features Piano Virtuoso Michelle Cann

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA begins its 2022/23 season on September 24 and 25 with VSO Music Director and Conductor Maestro Salvador Brotons returning to the podium for his 32nd season. Internationally renowned virtuoso pianist Michelle Cann will join Maestro Brotons in a program including African American classical composer Florence Price's Concerto for Piano in One Movement and George Gershwin's timeless Rhapsody in Blue. This will be Ms. Cann's debut with the VSO.

The concert will begin with one of Mendelssohn's best-known Overtures inspired by the composer's 1829 trip to Fingal's Cave on the island of Staffa, off the coast of Scotland. The final work on the program will be Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 3, the best known of composer's four orchestral suites. After its premiere, Tchaikovsky wrote: "I have never before experienced such a triumph. I saw that the entire mass of the audience was moved, and grateful to me." The performances will be hosted by guest presenter Suzanne Nance of All Classical Portland.

This program is made possible in part by generous support from the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington. A grand piano will be provided by Steinway.

Hailed by Boston Music Intelligencer as a "A compelling, sparkling virtuoso," Ms. Cann has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She regularly appears as a soloist with orchestras around the world and has appeared as cohost and collaborative pianist with NPR's From The Top.

Ms. Cann is a champion of the work of Florence Price, a Chicago-based composer who composed over 300 works during her career and is noted as the first African-American woman to have a composition performed by a major orchestra. Following her death much of her work was overshadowed and some was lost, but in 2009 a substantial collection of her papers was discovered, and she has since been re-evaluated and newly appreciated as a groundbreaking figure of American classical music history.

Following the continued popularity of the live stream for all symphonic concerts, the VSO will continue to offer the option of viewing the program live from home. Season subscriptions are already on sale, and single ticket sales open September 1st.

The Saturday performance will begin at 7:00pm, with the return of the celebrated VSO pre concert show Da Capo, hosted by VSO Podcast host Ashley Johnson and VSO trombonist Greg Scholl, airing only on the live stream at 6:30pm. During intermission the live stream will feature special video programming including an interview with Ms. Cann. The Sunday performance will begin at 3:00pm, with the virtual live stream programming beginning at 2:30. All ticket holders will receive a secure email link in order to access the live stream performances.

Our tech support team will be on standby to assist you if you have any issues logging in during the performances.

Two physicians on the VSO Board of Directors-Dr. Michael Liu and Dr. David Smith-helped to develop the safety protocols for the musicians in coordination with the Washington Health Department.

At this time, the VSO will require face coverings for all patrons attending in person. Masking policy will be re-evaluated and announced four weeks prior to each symphonic concert as the situation develops.

"A compelling, sparkling virtuoso" (Boston Music Intelligencer), pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at age fourteen and has since performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.

A champion of the music of Florence Price, Ms. Cann performed the New York City premiere of the composer's Piano Concerto in One Movement with The Dream Unfinished Orchestra in July 2016 and the Philadelphia premiere with The Philadelphia Orchestra in February 2021, which the Philadelphia Inquirer called "exquisite."

Highlights of her 2021-22 season include debut performances with the Atlanta, Detroit, and St. Louis symphony orchestras, as well as her Canadian concert debut with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. She also receives the 2022 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, and the 2022 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award. Embracing a dual role as both performer and pedagogue, her season includes teaching residencies at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival and the National Conference of the Music Teachers National Association.

Ms. Cann regularly appears in solo and chamber recitals throughout the U.S., China, and South Korea. Notable venues include the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), and the Barbican (London). She has also appeared as cohost and collaborative pianist with NPR's From The Top.

An award winner at top international competitions, in 2019 she served as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's MAC Music Innovator in recognition of her role as an African-American classical musician who embodies artistry, innovation, and a commitment to education and community engagement.

Ms. Cann studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music, where she holds the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies.

Maestro Salvador Brotons returns for his 32nd season as Artistic Director and Conductor of the VSO. In addition to the VSO, he has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears "Ciutat de Palma" (1997-2001, 2009-2013) and the Orquestra Sinfónica del Vallés (1997-2002). He is presently the Conductor of the Barcelona Symphonic Band. In 2005, he received the "Arts Council" award by the Clark County and The City of Vancouver as well as the Kiwanis Rose Award. He has guest conducted orchestras in countries such as the U.S., Israel, France, Germany, China, Poland, South Korea, Mexico, Uruguay, and Colombia.

The VSO, now in its 44th season, has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington's arts community, providing symphonic music of the highest caliber in live performances and through music education in schools, concert halls, and throughout the community. For more information, please visit vancouversymphony.org.