Barrie Concerts & Georgian Music


Sheng Cai

January 13, 2024, 7:30pm - Hiway Church

Sheng Cai

Sheng Cai, Pianist

Sheng Cai

Recently described as "having the inner passion paired with Rubinstein's nonchalance" by Thüringer Allgemeine in Germany, canadian pianist Sheng Cai has embraced the keyboard tradition which epitomizes the greatness of the romantic virtuoso. His performances of major keyboard works of the past centuries have touched audiences and won the praise of critics on four continents. The Toronto Star headlined " This is a young man with real talent... from a clear, singing tone to a subtle sense of rubato to a judicious choice of tempi ". and described as a pianist " with great confidence... gave more lucidity, color and power" by the Birmingham News. Sheng Cai has been honoured with a number of prizes and awards and continues to push the boundaries in interpreting both the established and rarities of the piano literature.

Since his debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at just fifteen years old, Sheng Cai has performed a broad spectrum of concerto repertoire from Mozart to 21st century composers with invitations to dozens of orchestras worldwide as guest soloist. Recent concerto performances include invitations to perform with the Toronto Symphony, Quebec Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Windsor Symphony, Canton Symphony of Ohio, Fort Collins Symphony, New Bedford Symphony, Irving Symphony of Texas, and with Shanghai Symphony, Shenzhen Symphony as well as with Philharmonisches Orchester Erfurt in Germany, Krakow Philharmonic of Poland, North Czech Philharmonic, Jalisco Philharmonic and Orquesta Filarmonica Boca del Rio of Mexico, Orquesta Filarmonica de Bogota in Colombia among many others. In Canada, Sheng Cai was also invited to perform with the Vancouver Symphony for the lunar New Year Gala Concert and has performed with numerous regional orchestras in the US and Canada from coast to coast such as Kingston, Kamloops, Folsom Lake symphonies, Glacier symphony of Montana. He has recently worked with many conductors such as Keith Lockhart, Yoav Talmi, David Lockington,Robert Moody, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Myron Michailidis, Donato Cabrera, Robert Franz , Dina Gilbert, Guoyong Zhang, Marco Parisotto and Eckart Preu.

In solo recitals, Sheng Cai has been heard in many prestigious venues in North America, such as Steinway Hall in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, Chicago's international Music Center, the Cleveland Play House, the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, the Alys Stephens Center in Birmingham, CBC's Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, and other distinguished venues in Stratford, Elora, Montreal and Winnipeg. In China, he inaugurated the Ningbo concert hall, giving both recitals and concerto performances. As a chamber musician, Sheng Cai has collaborated with a number of fine artists, including the Enso String Quartet. Many of his performances have been broadcast on across North America such as CBC Radio Canada and WCLV Radio station in USA.

Sheng Cai is a passionate recording artist, his first recording was a CD of works by Mozart and Martinu for the Canadian Broadcast Company. His most recent Schumann and Liszt CD releases on ATMA classique labels gained international acclaim from the American Record Guide, The international Music Web review in UK, the Wholenote Magazine in Canada and the Fanfare music Magazine in the US.

He was a top-prize winner at many competitions throughout his teenage years, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition (Concours OSM) , Toronto Symphony Piano Competition, The International Young Artists Competition of Colorado, The Bay State competition in Boston, and was the youngest finalist and special prize winner at the Bösendorfer International Piano Competition in the US.

Sheng Cai is instrumental in advocating many neglected works that are peaks of the piano literature, works by composers such as Enescu, Kabalevsky, Kapustin, Medtner, Morawetz, Villa-Lobos and a number of his own works frequently shows up on his concert programs, his creative programming have made audience aware of such treasures of the piano literature deserves a wider audience.

Sheng Cai began his studies in Canada and US where he was a student at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the Juilliard School's pre-college division in New York. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree under full scholarship at The New England Conservatory in Boston. His teachers and mentors include pianists Anton Kuerti, Gary Graffman and Russell Sherman.

Barrie Concerts Logo
VENUE: Hiway Church,
50 Anne Street North (MAP)
TIME: Saturdays 7:30pm

SPIRIT ‘20

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Spirit ‘20

Spirit ’20: Entertaining Sextet featuring Trumpeter Guy Few, Violinist Mark Fewer, Clarinetist James Campbell, Cellist Chloé Dominguez, Pianist John Novacek, and Bassoonist Christian Sharpe performing Duke Ellington, Gershwin and Ravel


COLLECTIF9

November 25, 2023, 7:30pm

Collectif9

Collectif9 - spectacular 9 person Montreal string ensemble


PIANIST SHENG CAI

January 13, 2024, 7:30pm

Pianist Sheng Cai

World-renowned Pianist Sheng Cai Performing “The Romantics”(Tchaikovsky’s “Grand Sonata Opus 37” and Rachmaninoff’s “Sonata no.2 in B flat minor”), and Canadian composer Andre Mathieu’s “Spring” and “Summer”.


PENDERECKI STRING QUARTET

February 24, 2024, 7:30pm

Penderecki String Quartet

Canada’s own Penderecki String Quartet with pianist Ben Smith


Quartetto Gelato

March 23, 2024, 7:30pm

Quartetto Gelato

Kirk Starkey, Violinist Tina Popovic, Accordionist Matti Pulkki, and Oboist Colin Maier perform Gypsy Fantasia, Tiger Rag, Under Paris Skies, and other favourites


SINFONIA TORONTO

April 13, 2024, 7:30pm

SINFONIA TORONTO

Fabulous Nurhan Arman conducting Sinfonia Toronto featuring Ukrainian Canadian Pianist Dmitri Levkovich and Mario Carbotta (Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, Dvorak. Rachmaninoff)


Pianofest

May 18, 2024

Pianofest

Showcasing the skills of young Canadian pianists on the cusp of fame. Featuring Evelyn Liang, Jonathan Alter, and Elijah Orlenko.

Georgian Music Logo
VENUE: Bethel Community Church,
128 St. Vincent Street (MAPS TO VENUES )
TIME: Sundays 2:30pm

piano trio

September 17, 2023, 2:30pm

PIANO TRIO

Trio with violinist Andrew Sords, cellist Joe Johnson, and pianist Cheryl Duvall playing Clara Schumann’s G Minor PianoTrio and Shostakovich


SINFONIA TORONTO

October 22, 2023, 2:30pm

SINFONIA TORONTO

Nurhan Arman and Sinfonia Toronto with Austrian violinist Elisso Gogibedaschwili perform Kulesha + Sarasate


BRETT POLEGATO and ROBERT KORTGAARD

December 3, 2023, 2:30pm

And So It Goes … a Music Theatre Song Cabaret

World famous baritone Brett Polegato and pianist Robert Kortgaard present Sigmund Romberg, Cole Porter


LADOM ENSEMBLE

February 4, 2024, 2:30pm

LADOM ENSEMBLE

Rocking Ladom Ensemble showcase an assortment of Classical Folk Music


VC2

April 28, 2024, 2:30pm

Beethoven Rebooted

Canadian cello duo VC2 playing a variety of amazing classical and contemporary pieces


Sponsors

Sunlife Kristian Robillard Classical 102.9 Life 100.3 Ian Graham Piano Tuning Butter and Basil Canadian Tire

Contact Info

Barrie Concerts & Georgian Music
P.O. Box 452 Barrie, ON L4M 4T7
Phone: (705)-436-1232. or (705)-726-1181 Email: info@barrieconcerts.org
Official Website: www.barrieconcerts.org