Victoria Symphony Welcomes Canadian Piano Superstar, Angela Hewitt and Fazioli Piano

Victoria, BC – Although the year 2020 hasn’t been a stellar year for everyone, Canadian piano superstar Angela Hewitt’s mishap was one mentioned around the world. Her $300,000 Fazioli F278 Concert Grand Piano took an unfortunate tumble when accidentally dropped by movers in Germany. It was a tumble that made it to CNN, the Guardian and New York Times. (See links at the end of the release).

In Victoria, we plan to do better.

On Monday, October 19th, Salmons Transfer (a moving company from Vancouver) will be bringing that same model (The Fazioli Concert Grand piano Model F278) to the Farquhar at UVic. The Concert Grand Fazioli is on loan to Ms. Hewitt and the Victoria Symphony from Showcase Pianos in Vancouver. Ms. Hewitt will be performing the J.S. Bach Keyboard Concerto in D Minor as well as Dame Myra Hess’s arrangement of Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring with the Victoria Symphony to be aired on November 12, 2020 at victoriasymphony.ca.

“Although the pandemic has not allowed us to engage artists from Europe and the United States, the chance to showcase internationally recognized talent from right here in Canada is a huge opportunity for the Victoria Symphony. We’re thrilled to have such a Canadian legend join us in Victoria,” said CEO Matthew White. “She’s performed with the world’s best chamber orchestras and, even in the pandemic, is in high demand.”

In 2016, Ms. Hewitt began her “Bach Odyssey”, performing the complete keyboard works of Bach in a series of 12 programs in cities around the world. Described as “one of the record glories of our age” (The Sunday Times), her recording of this repertoire for Hyperion Records hit the Billboard Charts in the USA. She is the recipient of the Companion of the Order of Canada and the Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award and most recently has received the City of Leizing Medal: a huge honour that for the first time in its 17-year history will be awarded to a woman.

In a recent survey, CBC music identified Angela Hewitt, Louis Lortie and Marc-Andre Hamelin as top pianists in Canada. All three gifted pianists own and perform on Fazioli pianos. A small piano factory near Venice produces about 120 of these beautiful instruments every year, and has become one of the most sought after brands in the world. Makers of six different sizes of grand pianos from a 5’ 2” baby grand to the colossal 10’ 3” concert grand, Fazioli holds the distinction of producing the largest piano  in the world today. Showcase Pianos in Vancouver is the official representative of Fazioli in British Columbia.

 

Links to Angela Hewitt’s piano mishap:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/11/americas/piano-fazioli-smashed-movers-intl-scli/index.html

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/feb/11/virtuoso-mourns-beloved-150000-piano-smashed-by-movers

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/arts/angela-hewitt-fazioli-piano.html?auth=login-google