It's when the bleakness of winter sets in that internationally acclaimed classical pianist Sarah Hagen feels the strongest need for musical travels and her fingers take flight with the work of French composer Claude Debussy.
Presented by the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association (HSPAA) on Nov. 5 at St. John the Divine Anglican Church, Hagen will perform a solo recital and her programme will include three pieces by Debussy called "estampes," or engravings.
"Debussy's idea was to create pieces for the armchair traveller," Hagen said. "The first piece is intended to conjure up images of East Asia, the second piece transports us to sultry nights in Spain, and the third is a musical painting of a dramatic rain storm."
Hagen is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician, having performed in concerts across Canada as well as in the United States, France, Italy, Germany and Sweden. Her solo album, Glass House Dancing, was nominated for a 2009 Western Canadian Music Award in the category of Classical Recording of the Year and her music has been played on radio stations across Canada and the U.S.
"I like the idea that music both transports us back in time and on the other hand also brings the pieces and the composers to almost live and breathe among us," Hagen said. "It is the only music that you listen to in complete silence in a concert setting which makes this an incredible experience for me both as an audience member and as a performer."
With a playing style that has been described as both infinitely skilful and inventive, Hagan, 33, is originally from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island and has been playing classical piano since she was seven. A faculty member at the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre for more than 10 years, she also plays with the premier Canadian ensemble, Trio Accord and is the creator and artistic director of an innovative performance project called Pro'ject Sound.
"Pro'ject Sound was initially a way to try to bring an added element of interpretation to the music - trying to share some of the colours and images that I see when I am playing," said Hagen.
Combining live piano music with still photography projected onto a large screen to create a profound sensory experience, Pro'ject Sound is heralded as "a new way of hearing imagery and seeing music."
"It's a different component - you have a different feeling about the music and you get a different sense with the photography but when you put them both together, it's a new synergy that comes out of the both of them," said Joanna Schwarz.
Schwarz is a member of both the HSPAA the Squamish Valley Photography Club, and is arranging a meeting for Nov. 6, the day after the recital, between Hagen and local photographers interested in this exciting opportunity to engage Squamish in a unique art project.
Hagen will provide technical and creative requirements at the meeting, and said she hopes build the show with the photographers over the next few months, returning at a later date with a prepared performance in either late spring or next autumn.
"It will appeal to new audiences and I think it will appeal to the artists who live here to contribute something," said Schwarz.
Hagen's recital takes place Saturday, Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. at St. John the Divine Anglican Church on Diamond Head Road. Tickets are available at Billie's Bouquet and Squamish Adventure Centre for $20, while seniors pay just $15 and students of all ages are free. Those interested in being a part of Pro'ject Sound must email Joanna Schwarz at [email protected] by Tuesday (Nov. 1). Hagen will also instruct a Masterclass at the Squamish Academy of Music on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. for participants with Grade 5 piano or higher. Contact the Squamish Academy of Music at (604) 815-4482 for more information.
"Increasingly, I find myself less focused on achieving and more intent on building a life that matters," Hagen said. "Mostly I feel blessed to have the opportunity to play music - a sometimes precarious existence but always a rich one."
