This program explores two rarely performed chamber works shaped by the theatrical imagination and the cultural landscapes of twentieth century Europe. Blending storytelling, dance, and vivid character writing, both pieces reveal how composers transformed practical chamber forces into compelling musical drama.
Composed in Switzerland during the final months of the First World War, L’histoire du soldat by Igor Stravinsky tells the tale of a soldier who bargains with the Devil. Originally conceived as a portable theatre production with narration and dance, the trio version distills the score into a striking sequence of stylized dances — marches, tangos, ragtime, and waltzes — brought to life through rhythmic precision and sharp contrasts.
Nearly three decades later, Francis Poulenc wrote his music for L’invitation au château for playwright Jean Anouilh, creating a sound world of elegance, wit, and emotional nuance. Poulenc deeply admired Stravinsky, and elements of Stravinsky’s clarity, rhythmic vitality, and neo classical wit resonate in this theatrical score, reimagined through Poulenc’s uniquely lyrical and Parisian voice.
Together, these works offer a fascinating journey from Stravinsky’s bold modernist storytelling to Poulenc’s refined theatrical charm, inviting audiences to experience chamber music not only as sound, but as living drama.
Steinway Artist Derek Zhi Guang Chiu is a highly acclaimed Canadian pianist who is celebrated for his refined sound, vivid musical imagination, and commitment to both performance and pedagogy. A three-time recipient of the Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher Award in Calgary, he is also recognized for his leadership as a clinician, adjudicator, and consultant in music education.Chiu has presented recitals across Canada, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United States, and has appeared with orchestras in both Canada and the United States. Chiu is on the faculty of the Cremona International Music Academy (Italy) and the Vancouver Island Music Academy, and teaches from a vibrant private studio in Calgary. His musical formation includes graduate study at The Manhattan School of Music under Solomon Mikowsky and Donn-Alexandre Feder, where he earned a Master of Music in 2003. At Manhattan, he was mentored in chamber music by Daniel Epstein (Raphael Trio) and pursued Baroque and Classical performance practice studies with the late Kenneth Cooper. He is an Ambassador for The Royal Conservatory and a member of its College of Examiners, and has been featured on CBC Music discussing teens and piano lessons. Beyond music, Derek draws inspiration from French Bordeaux and Italian Barolo, the paintings of Canaletto and Henri Matisse, and his grandfather Ng Po Wan. He is also an avid basketball fan, drawn to the sport’s blend of strategy, athleticism, and teamwork.
To connect with Derek Chiu pls. visit: www.derekchiumusicstudio.ca // www.steinway.com/artists/derek-chiu // Instagram: @derekchiupiano
John has been Associate Concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra since 1987. He has served as Concertmaster of the Edmonton Symphony, New Hampshire Philharmonic, Opera New England, and Adelaide Symphony (Australia), and has performed extensively with various orchestras in Canada and the US, including the Toronto Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Opera Company of Boston. John was the founder and first artistic director of the Kensington Sinfonia in Calgary, and has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Halifax, and Red Deer; with such conductors as Hans Graf, Mario Bernardi, James Judd, Jean-François Rivest, Timothy Vernon, Ivars Taurins, Pierre Hétu, and Claude Lapalme. John was a founding member of Calgary’s Land’s End Ensemble, specializing in 20th and 21st-century music, whose recordings have won the Western Canadian Music Award for Outstanding Classical Recording in 2005 and 2006, plus the Juno Award for Classical Composition of the Year in 2014. John has given the premieres of several important composers, including R. Murray, Schafer, Allan Gordon Bell, and Peter Maxwell Davies. His violin was made in Milano by Carlo Ferdinando Landolfi, in 1769.
NATALIA PERIC, CLARINET
Natalia Peric is a Calgary based clarinetist who attended the University of Calgary and obtained a B.Mus in Clarinet Performance and Elementary Music Education as well as a M. Mus in Clarinet Performance studying with Stan Climie and Steve Amsel. She has attended masterclasses and residencies at the Orford Arts Centre, Mozarteum in Salzburg and The Banff Centre. She also attended McGill University where she completed a M.Mus studying with Robert Crowley.
Natalia has performed with the McGill Symphony Orchestra, McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, Gatineau Symphony and more recently she performs with the Calgary Philharmonic, Calgary Opera, Red Deer Symphony, Symphony of the Kootenays, Bow Valley Chorus Orchestra, Alberta Winds and the newly formed WildWood Trio. She also greatly enjoys being a teacher/clinician in the Calgary area teaching clarinet and bass clarinet to students.