Vancouver Recital Society
Kanneh-Mason Family. Photo credit Jake Turney.
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. Photo Credit Allison Burke
Danish String Quartet
The Vancouver Recital Society is one of the premier concert presenters in North America, offering a milestone debut series for rising stars and an internationally renowned classical series for the world’s most celebrated performing artists.
The VRS strives for unparalleled musical experiences in intimate recital settings, fostering deeply personal connections to the art form and cultivating an atmosphere of warmth and community for audiences.
Launched in 1980 by founder and artistic director Leila Getz, the VRS presents upwards of 20 concerts a year at the downtown’s Vancouver Playhouse and at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC.
Among other legendary artists, Yo-Yo Ma, Kiri Te Kanawa, Jessye Norman, Itzhak Perlman, Evgeny Kissin, Kathleen Battle, and Vladimir Ashkenazy have all appeared in recital for the VRS.
Notable VRS debuts include Cecilia Bartoli, Maxim Vengerov, Anne Sofie von Otter, Sir András Schiff, Joshua Bell, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Bryn Terfel. The VRS has also been a champion of Canadian artists such as Angela Cheng, Scott St. John, James Ehnes, and Jon Kimura Parker, among others.
Outside its beloved performance series, the VRS is committed to fostering music education and appreciation in the community by offering concerts by leading world artists free of charge to inner-city and other Vancouver-area schools.
The VRS also partners with the Saint James Music Academy, the VSO School of Music, and the Vancouver Academy of Music to offer lectures, workshops and masterclasses to Vancouver music students by visiting artists.
The Vancouver Recital Society has made its name over more than four decades by offering rare opportunities to experience the world’s finest artistry, bringing acclaimed musicians at the height of their careers to our city’s concert halls. At the same time, Getz is known for introducing discerning Vancouver listeners to some of the most exciting young virtuosos bursting onto the classical scene—artists who often go on to become superstars. But beyond that sense of discovery, the organization devotes itself to the development of emerging musical talent throughout the trajectory of their careers.
Overall, the VRS is dedicated to total organizational excellence, extending to nurturing a culture of respect, dignity, and inclusion by embracing the diversity of its patrons, artists, staff, supporters and partners.
You can see the Winter/Spring 2023 season brochure featuring the Danish String Quartet and Kannah-Mason Family here.
