Cosette Justo Valdés, conductor
Beloved as a musician who wins the respect of her colleagues and the hearts of audiences, Ms. Valdés currently serves as the Resident Conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (Alberta,Canada) and the Artistic Director of the Vancouver Island Symphony (British Columbia, Canada).
Cosette has conducted, among others, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Theater Heidelberg, the National Theater Mannheim and the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra in Germany as well as the Plovdiv Philharmonic of Bulgaria. Whereas in Canada, she has been at the podium with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, L’Orchestra Symphonique de Montréal, Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Valdés maintains strong ties to her native Cuba, where she is celebrated as the Honorary Director of the prestigious Orquesta Sinfónica de Oriente in Santiago. As a frequent guest conductor of the Orquesta Nacional de Cuba in La Habana, she also premiered many works by Cuba’s musical luminaries including Leo Brouwer, Alfredo Diez Nieto, Roberto Valera, and many more.
In 2022 Ms Valdés was nominated for a Heinz Unger Award 2022 by the Ontario Arts Council of Canada.
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times and “one of the best pianists of his generation” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished concert pianist, improviser and composer. Mr. Goodyear has performed with, and has been commissioned by, many of the major orchestras and chamber music organizations around the world.
Last year, Orchid Classics released Mr. Goodyear’s recording of his suite for piano and orchestra, “Callaloo” and his piano sonata. His recent commissions include an orchestral work for the Chineke! Orchestra, his Piano Quintet for the Penderecki String Quartet, and a piano work for the Honens Piano Competition. His suite for solo violin, “Solo” was recorded by violinist Miranda Cuckson on the Urlicht Audiovisual label, and his work for cello and piano, “The Kapak” was recording by cellist Inbal Segev on the Avie Records label.
Mr. Goodyear’s discography includes the complete sonatas and piano concertos of Beethoven, as well as concertos by Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Rachmaninov, an album of Ravel piano works, and an album, entitled “For Glenn Gould”, which combines repertoire from Mr. Gould’s US and Montreal debuts. His Rachmaninov recording received a Juno nomination for Best Classical Album for Soloist and Large Ensemble Accompaniment. Mr. Goodyear’s recording of his own transcription of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet)”, was chosen by the New York Times as one of the best classical music recordings of 2015. His discography is released on the Orchid Classics, Naxos, Analekta, Bright Shiny Things, Marquis Classics, and Steinway and Sons labels. Mr. Goodyear releases his recording of Prokofiev’s 2nd and 3rd Concertos with Andrew Litton and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the composer’s 7th Sonata, on Orchid Classics this September 2024.
Highlights for the 2024-25 season are his performances at the BBC Proms with the Chineke! Orchestra, his return to the Phillips Collection (Washington D.C.), and performances with the Vancouver and Toronto Symphonies, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic, Frankfurt Museumgesellschaft, and A Far Cry in Boston.
Vancouver Island Symphony
The Vancouver Island Symphony is a professional Canadian orchestra – one of only two on Vancouver Island. The VIS presents an annual season of world-class orchestral performances at the beautiful harbour setting of Nanaimo’s Port Theatre. In addition the VIS performs Symphony at the Sid, a series of three concerts at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay and a series of three concerts at Campbell River’s Tidemark Theatre.
By attracting professional musicians and soloists from across the country, offering special education and community concerts and programming, and engaging active volunteers and donors, the VIS serves as a creative asset to the many communities of the growing Central Island area. Its wide-reaching audience and commitment to education are helping to Keep Music Live and foster the next generation of audiences and performers.
