Listening. Together.
Listening together has always been Music on Main’s deepest purpose, and continues to drive all that we do. The shared music and art experiences throughout the past year have become a beacon of light for human connection between listeners and creators.
Celebrate Music on Main’s 15th season with great music, top-flight artists, and sounds you may have never heard before. We’re inviting you to listen together, no matter where you are in the world, to five days of special online performances, artist talks, and opportunities to learn about music.
Performances range from the accessibly eclectic percussion duo Infamy Too! (Aaron Graham and Julia Chien), to the soul-stirring folksong melodies of Dálava (Julia Ulehla and Aram Bajakian), and rising star violinist, Chloe Kim. Mark Takeshi McGregor returns to Music on Main with electro-acoustic hybrid sounds through his performance of James O’Callaghan’s “Doubt is a way of knowing”. Invite Jonathan Lo‘s cello performances to fill your room as he effortlessly masters Benjamin Britten‘s “Ciaccona” and Giuseppe Colombi‘s “Chiaccona a Basso solo”. Witness Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa’s quiet profondity as she performs Rodney Sharman’s “Opera Transcriptions” and describes listening as “one of the ways of being fully present in the world.” And discover Saina Khaledi’s “Mystery of Love” from Music on Main’s celebrated production As dreams are made.
Experience moments of exuberant music that will fill your ears, then let the more intimate works of the artists take you on a personal journey, and ask yourself “what’s going to come next?”
This is a free event! Donations appreciated and make a difference. And, if you’d like to make a gift of any amount in support of this programming and these artists, you can click here.
We can’t wait to listen together.
Listening. Together. has received generous support from:
SoundON, Creative BC, and the Province of British Columbia, Grossman & Stanley Business Lawyers, and Karen Gelmon and Peter Busby
…and, donors like you!
Online festival schedule
All festival events are free
FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2021
7:30pm | Concert
featuring: Chloe Kim, violin, Infamy Too! (Julia Chien & Aaron Graham, percussion), and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, piano
Music by: J.S. Bach, Ivan Trevino, and Rodney Sharman
musiconmain.ca
8:30pm | Artist Talk
Join festival artists and Artistic Director David Pay for conversations about music making.
These dynamic post-concert chats feature great musicians illuminating ideas about music, composers, and new directions.
Zoom: the artist talk zoom link will be added May 14, 2021 on this page.
SATURDAY, MAY 15, 2021
3:00 pm | Beethoven and the Dialogue of Collaboration with Erika Switzer
featuring: Erika Switzer, piano and Tyler Duncan, baritone
Erika Switzer gives an inspiring talk about her work followed by the pre-recorded recital of Erika and Tyler performing
Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, Op.98. Audience Q&A will follow.
musiconmain.ca
7:30pm | Concert
featuring: Saina Khaledi, santour, Mark Takeshi McGregor flute, Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi electronics, and Aram Bajakian, guitar
music by: Saina Khaledi, James O’Callaghan, and Aram Bajakian
musiconmain.ca
8:30pm | Artist Talk
Join festival artists and Artistic Director David Pay for conversations about music making.
These dynamic post-concert chats feature great musicians illuminating ideas about music, composers, and new directions.
Zoom: the artist talk zoom link will be added May 15, 2021 on this page.
SUNDAY, May 16, 2021
3:00pm | Concert
featuring: Infamy Too! (Julia Chien & Aaron Graham, percussion), Mark Takeshi McGregor, flute Julia Ulehla, voice
music by: Alyssa Weinberg, Duncan Maunders, Leonard Gao, Kaija Saariaho, and Julia Ulehla
musiconmain.ca
4:15pm | Artist Talk
Join festival artists and Artistic Director David Pay for conversations about music making.
These dynamic post-concert chats feature great musicians illuminating ideas about music, composers, and new directions.
Zoom: the artist talk zoom link will be added May 16, 2021 on this page.
7:30pm | Concert
featuring: Jonathan Lo, cello, Dálava (Julia Ulehla, voice & Aram Bajakian, guitar), Mark Takeshi McGregor, flute
music by: Giuseppe Colombi, Benjamin Britten, Dálava, and Marin Marais
musiconmain.ca
8:30pm | Artist Talk
Join festival artists and Artistic Director David Pay for conversations about music making.
These dynamic post-concert chats feature great musicians illuminating ideas about music, composers, and new directions.
Zoom: the artist talk zoom link will be added May 16, 2021 on this page.
MONDAY, May 17, 2021
Watch at your leisure! All Listening. Together. events can be viewed for FREE. Why not choose something that intrigues you?
TUESDAY, May 18, 2021
Last chance! All festival content is free until 11:59 PM on May 18.
Didn’t have a chance to listen to everything you wanted to hear?
Don’t worry, all festival content is available online for a limited time until May 18, 11:59PM to watch at your leisure – for FREE. Happy Listening!
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
What the Music on Main community is saying about listening together:
“Shared experiences ignite our shared passion for music. It unites us and sets that moment forever.” (Audience member)
“Creating a community – no matter how temporary or fleeting – of distinct voices and perspectives that connect through a shared experience.” (Joseph Bardsley, Development Manager)
“There’s a magic sort of listening in a room together… A special kind of listening that happens in the room…Sound is so precious and it’s incredibly intimate and so expressive… And listening is part of the experience of performing.” (Chloe Kim, violin)
Research has shown that listening to music with others can reduce stress, sharpen brain performance, help build trust, increase energy, improve sleep, and even raise one’s pain threshold. ALL WELL AND GOOD. But how does that account for the Magic, the Connection, the Exhilaration, the Enlightening Epiphanies or, for that matter, the Woo-hoo-OMG-did-you-hear-that-sheer-kick-ass JOY! (Val Brandt, audience member)
“I’m wanting that risk-taking, vulnerability, and humanity more than ever, knowing that these things will often come at the expense of a “perfect performance””. (Mark Takeshi McGregor, flute)
Friday, May 14, 2021 | 7:30 PM Concert
Friday, May 14, 2021 | 8:30 PM Artist Talk
Saturday, May 15, 2021 | 3:00 PM “Beethoven and the Dialogue of Collaboration”
Saturday, May 15 | 7:30 PM Concert
Saturday, May 15, 2021 | 8:30 PM Artist Talk
Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 3:00 PM Concert
Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 4:15 PM Artist Talk
Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 7:30 PM Concert
Sunday, May 16, 2021 | 8:30 PM Artist Talk