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Evening of music heralds the solstice in New Westminster

Eight musicians take to the stage in four eclectic duos for Return of Light, part of Anvil Centre's Winter Celebrations on Dec. 23
Return of Light, musicians
Musicians (top, from left) Cassius Khan, David Hodgson, Marina Hasselberg, Natasha D'Agostino, (bottom, from left) John Reischman, Lan Tung, Michael Meroniuk and Jodi Proznick are featured in Return of Light.

Eight top musicians from a diverse range of backgrounds will join together for one evening of musical magic in New Westminster.

Up Close Recital Society and the Anvil Centre are presenting Return of Light as part of the Winter Celebrations at Anvil Centre on Dec. 23.

The concert features a series of duos, each pairing an established artist with an emerging artist, who will perform around the theme of solstice, or the “return of light.”

“Each duo performance will showcase one of the region’s most well-respected and established creative musicians, offering them the opportunity to mentor and collaborate with an outstanding musician at the beginning of their career,” says a write-up about the concert. “The offerings will be unique, sublime, heart-full and entertaining.”

The concert will feature the following four pairings:

CASSIUS KHAN AND DAVID HODGSON

Cassius Khan is one of Canada’s most noted Indian classical musicians. He combines the classical styles of ghazal/thumri singing and the tabla (the North Indian drums), performing them simultaneously. He has collaborated with artists in every genre, from pop and rock to heavy metal, South American contemporary and classical.

He’ll be paired with David Hodgson, who’s quickly establishing himself as a unique saxophonist in Toronto’s vibrant jazz scene. He’s a student at the University of Toronto and the recipient of the 2017 Yamaha Performance and Passion Award and the Fraser MacPherson Jazz Fund.

 

JOHN REISCHMAN AND MICHAEL MERONIUK

Reischman has been hailed by Bluegrass Unlimited as “one of the world’s undisputed masters” of the mandolin, famed for his outstanding tone and taste. He has recorded three critically acclaimed solo albums and collaborated on multiple others, including the Grammy-winning True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe.

Meroniuk is a guitarist and mandolinist who has worked with a variety of different artists and performed live all over Western Canada. He has a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from Capilano University.

 

LAN TUNG AND MARINA HASSELBERG

Lan Tung plays the erhu, a two-stringed bowed musical instrument sometimes known as the “Chinese violin.” Tun is the artistic director of the Orchid Ensemble, Sound of Dragon Society and Proliferasian and has appeared as a soloist and composer with a variety of orchestras and ensembles, including Orchestre Metropolitain (Montreal), the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Little Giant Chinese Chmaber Orchestra in Taipei.

Hasselberg is a cellist. Her musical career has led her from her birth country of Portugal across the world to Vancouver’s music scene, where she started as a chamber musician specializing in classical music and has since expanded to baroque music, new music and interdisciplinary works that cross boundaries. She recently received the City of Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for emerging artist in music.

 

JODI PROZNICK AND NATASHA D’AGOSTINO

Proznick is a JUNO-nominated bassist, composer, producer and educator who has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s finest jazz artists. She has won numerous National Jazz Awards, including Bassist of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and her group, the Jodi Proznick Quartet, has also earned many honours.

D’Agostino is a Vancouver-based vocalist with a degree in jazz voice from Capilano University. Throughout her time at Capilano, she has participated in various ensembles and worked with musicians such as David Braid, Randy Brecker and Donny McCaslin.

 

Return of Light is on Saturday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 regular, or $10 for students and seniors. Buy through www.ticketsnw.ca or 604-521-5050.

Each of the duos will also offer a free performance on the ground floor of Anvil Centre during the Winter Celebrations. Performances run Dec. 19 to 22 from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m.: Reischman and Meroniuk on Dec. 19; Khan and Hodgson on Dec. 20; Tung and Hasselberg on Dec. 21; and Proznick and D’Agostino on Dec. 22.

See www.anvilcentre.com for all the details.