Brothers Soren and Laec Lorentzen have been performing together since they were 10 and 7 respectively. They got their start as a duo busking at farmer’s markets in Calgary and area, and have since gone on to perform countless events and gigs as Duo Fratelli. One of their passions has been to use music to reach those who otherwise cannot access it, and as such they have volunteered many hours in schools and seniors homes. They also realized early on that music could be used as a way to fundraise, and have presented many programs in support of organizations and projects, such as Covenant Foundation, the Carmel Hospice and St. Joseph’s Home.

Respected soloists in their own right, both have competed in local, provincial, and national music competitions and have travelled across much of Canada with their music. Soren and Laec have competed many times at the Alberta Music Festival Association’s Provincial Music Festival, placing in Violin, Viola, Cello, Chamber and Sonata classes, and in 2019 Soren toured Spain as the youngest member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

Soren is currently entering his third year of studies in Viola Performance at the Shepherd School of Music in Houston, Texas.

Laec is currently in the Advanced Performance Program at Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

As a viola/cello duo, they most often perform modern repertoire together, although they have also enjoyed transcribing other genres for their instruments. They are pleased to present a program of 20th and 21st Century classical music, featuring repertoire from well known composers such as Hindemith and Piston, as well as the lesser known Norwegian composer Kjell Marcussen (a friend of the CPO’s own Rune Bergmann).  

Walter Piston’s Duo for Viola and Cello, written in 1949, is considered one of the American composer’s finest works. It contains three movements: a march like sonatina, a lilting slow movement, and a finale he described as “dazzlingly virtuousic”. 

German violist and composer Paul Hindemith used his music as an exploration of the emotional landscapes of his life and environment, which included a tumultuous relationship with his government through two world wars. Eventually, due to his refusal to turn his back on Jewish musicians and friends, Hindemith emigrated to the U.S. where he wrote some of his most soulful works. This program includes Hindemith’s Sonata for Solo Viola, No. 1 Op. 25.

Norwegian composer Kjell Marcussen is a living composer and classical guitarist, who writes for unique instrument combinations. Duo Fratelli is pleased to perform Dèdicases, a multi movement work written for Viola and Cello, which echoes the folk music of Norway. 

This concert is presented with the support and cooperation of Peaks and Prairies Productions

This concert is the third in a series of five “Emerging Artists” concerts during 2022 generously sponsored by: