Saturday, October 19, 2024
7:30 pm

Towering mountainscapes, flowing brooks, rolling hillsides, and Alpenhorn calls take shape in the first symphony of Johannes Brahms. French Canadian phenom Noémie Raymond-Friset joins us for Shostakovich's earthshaking Cello Concerto No. 1.

Pre-Concert Chat - You're invited to arrive a little early to join Maestro Wheatley and guest artist, Noémie Raymond-Friset, for an intimate pre-concert chat. Theater doors open at 6:40 pm for general seating, with the chat beginning at 6:45 pm. When the chat concludes, attendees will leave the theater and re-enter with their ticket to take their reserved seats for the concert.

Jean Sibelius
Karelia Overture

Dmitri Shostakovich
Cello Concerto No. 1

Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 1, Op. 68

Total Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes

ARTIST BIO

Noémie Raymond-Friset, Cello

Acclaimed Canadian cellist Noémie Raymond is an artist destined to “leave her mark on posterity through her immense sensitivity and immeasurable talent” (Journal des Citoyens). As a chamber musician, soloist and educator, she is a versatile artist whose vibrant, eclectic journey has enriched the world’s musical scene.

Her diverse career has taken her from London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall to the Festival Internacional de Musica de Camara in Lima, performing in the USA, Japan, Cambodia, Chile and many other countries. Noémie has collaborated with renowned virtuosos such as Midori, Pinchas Zukerman, Jan Lisiecki, Yekwon Sunwoo and Timothy Chooi. The 2024- 2025 season marks her debut at Carnegie Hall (Zankel Hall ) in New York, as well as the launch of a new album under the Leaf Music label.

As a soloist, Noémie has appeared with prestigious orchestras such as the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Francophonie, the Agora Orchestra and the Carlos Costas Chamber Orchestra. Fall 2024 will feature appearances with the Skagit Symphony, the Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

Recognized as one of CBC's Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30, Noémie is not only an exceptional performer, she is also an accomplished educator. In the summer, she serves as a chamber music faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute and teaches at the Festival del Lago in Mexico.

A laureate of national and international competitions, Noémie established her reputation by taking prizes at the Tremplin International, the Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt String International Competition, the Prix d'Europe and the WAMSO Young Artist Competition. She is a graduate of the University of Montreal and the New England Conservatory in Boston, and holds a Doctorate in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music.

Noémie plays on the Matteo Goffriller's “Ex-Curtis” cello (1700), generously provided by Canimex Inc. of Drummondville, Quebec.