From the Promoter

The Madawaska Quartet has recently expanded its string quartet to become a full ensemble, and this concert adds more strings in every sense to ensnare the audience’s attention.

Sky High combines premieres by prominent composers with immersive staging. Performing in the round, the Quartet and their guests will slowly be consumed by its environs as the show progresses. This is no genteel salon –the experience is sure to bring to mind the spellbinding staging of the Flux Quartet’s performance of Morton Feldman’s String Quartet No. 2 during the X Avant festival four years ago.

The Madawaska Quartet (MSQ) have consistently pushed boundaries throughout their career. Hailed for their “astonishing talent” (Musicworks Magazine), they perform pieces from the mainstream to performance art, and from the Baroque to the present-day. As champions of Canadian composers and their works, the MSQ has premiered more than thirty new pieces.

Sanya Eng is one of Canada’s most sought-after harpists, equally celebrated as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician. A dynamic and sensitive performer, she has been described as “an outstanding musical talent” (Jerusalem Post), “remarkably polished” (Globe and Mail), and “dazzling with her delicate and intense command of the harp” (Musical Toronto).

Though he plays the most popular instrument in the world, guitarist Rob MacDonald digs incessantly to find some of the least popular repertoire. This focus comes from a distinct interest in composers who risk taking things too far – sometimes they discover fascinating new ways of using the classical guitar. He teaches at the University of Toronto.

Omar Daniel – Only the Eagle flies the Storm
Andrew Staniland – Equations/Constellations
Scott Good – Sonata
Yoko Ono – Sky Piece for Jesus Christ