Cello superstar Sheku returns with a wide-ranging solo program, October 29 at the Chan Centre
Crossing centuries of music for the Vancouver Recital Society performance, the artist is planning a grand finale with young cellists
Vancouver Recital Society presents Sheku at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on October 29 at 3 pm
CELLO SENSATION SHEKU WAS last here with his six incredibly talented Kanneh-Mason siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 26 years, last spring—but this time he returns to the Vancouver Recital Society to show how riveting he can be solo.
The concert, unmissable for cello fans, will feature the expressive artist interpreting everyone from Johann Sebastian Bach to young 21st-century Welsh composer Gwilym Simcock. Sheku will play the range of solo-cello works on his rare 1700 Matteo Goffriller instrument—all in the impeccable acoustic atmosphere of the Chan Centre.
The highlight, though? The grand finale, when Sheku is joined by a group of young local cellists in a performance of Pablo Casals’s “Song of the Birds”—the Catalan composer, cellist, and peace activist’s haunting standard for any kids trying to learn the beautiful instrument. That performance highlights Sheku’s outspoken mission is to make music accessible to all. He may have become famous to the masses while playing at the wedding of Harry and Meghan at Windsor Castle in 2018, and his gigs span Last Night of the Proms and the Royal Philharmonic, but he’s just as keen on performing at school halls.
This marks the fourth time the star has appeared with the VRS, making his sold-out Canadian debut with the organization when he played at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2017—pre royal wedding. That he's back is a testament to his connection to the organization—and it's a chance to see how he's evolved and explored, even if you didn't get bragging rights to that first magical performance here.
Related Articles
Ahead of the Khatsahlano Street Party, singer says he does what he does because he wants the world’s outcasts to feel seen
Inaugural festival, hosted by the Langley Community Music School, regaled attendees with rousing concerts, valuable coaching, and idyllic views
Contest asked musicians to share their vision for the future of early music
The Juno-winning indie-pop band from Burlington, Ontario has amassed millions of YouTube and TikTok views
Vancouver International Jazz Festival’s closing act layers, stacks, and twists pre-existing songs in its own brilliant form of live sampling and improvisation
Mentors include Raven Chacon, who recently became the first Native American to win the Pulitzer Prize in Music, and Western Front curator-at-large Aki Onda
Renowned musical talents from around the globe will come together for a weekend of performances and workshops at ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park
Avant-garde percussionist Ches Smith and master drummer Daniel Brevil’s all-star ensemble blends jazz with the ancient and the modern, the Afrocentric and the Eurocentric
Highlights include a free show by Lebanon-born, Montreal-based artist Lamia Yared, a Dave Brubeck homage by the Marois Vocal Project, and more
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains opens the 10-film, al-fresco screening series that includes live music and access to the gallery’s summer exhibitions
Arts Club Theatre Company production pays homage to late American artist’s iconic songs, from “I Walk the Line” to “Folsom Prison Blues”
Stage presented in partnership with Vancouver Folk Music Festival to feature a specially curated lineup of eight artists every hour, on the hour
The free concert features Renae Morriseau, M’Girl, Russell Wallace, and musica intima
Group of 11 led by B.C.–based arranger and music director Réjean Marois will perform its signature “vocalese” in partnership with Vancouver International Jazz Festival
The free talk focuses on Wong’s first book, a collection of 30 long-form portraits of musicians who have helped shape Vancouver’s jazz scene
Experimental artist inspired by jazz, hip hop, and beat poetry will also play a June 22 show with her quintet Irreversible Entanglements
Alexander Weimann conducts evening with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra centred around a reconstruction of Bach’s Italian Concerto
Apocalyptic rock musical with original score follows survivors navigating the aftermath of a cataclysmic event
The Washington, D.C. trio will be joined by saxophonist James Brandon Lewis at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival for an evening of genre-blurring virtuosity
A first round of shows has been announced in the Amplify, Resonate, Play, and Cabaret series, ranging from classical music to Vancouver theatre favourites
Vancouver Symphony Society secures city grant, as dance and music presenters voice needs and say securing local venues is harder than ever
The maestro is also artistic advisor of the VSO School of Music
In partnership with Vancouver International Jazz Festival, one-time Vancouverite Benedetti returns to the city with his trio for stylized folk, blues, jazz, and rock
From winery concerts to waterfront wood carving, there’s an abundance of events happening throughout B.C. this sunny season
The free performances run all summer long, with artists such as Colin James, Sheepdogs, Walk off the Earth, and more
Ten international soloists and a collection of 17th-century instrumentalists will perform the rarely heard work, at once intimate and dramatic
Soul and folk singer Celeigh Cardinal and genre-defying singer-producer Sebastian Gaskin headline Indigenous festival on September 14; ANOHNI performs with the Johnsons on October 5
The fest’s grand-opening concert on June 20 features stunning visual projections of land and seas
Perched on the perimeter of BC’s scenic wine country, the Cascade Peaks ChamberFest features works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, Gilliand, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Ravel, and Schubert
Performance will be presented as part of North Shore Jazz series at Vancouver International Jazz Festival