Making waves

When it comes to music, there really is something for everyone. No matter your preferences, music has a way of flowing through your life, from the first melodies that lull you to sleep in your bassinet, and the tunes that blasted throughout high school — to the first dance at your wedding or the song you put on repeat after a bad day. Music acts like a time machine, a familiar chord rippling through a speaker can bring us back to a specific time and place like a tidal wave.  

Diving in

For an expert ear, taking a deep dive into a specific category of music can be a lifetime pursuit. Almost any genre can broadly be compared to a vast ocean that trickles down through rivers, lakes, branching out further into tributaries and streams, diverging and converging with other genres, and creating new tide pools to wade into.

The same is true for classical music: interpretations and iterations range from the traditional sounds of  Mozart or Beethoven to the subversive, like John Cage and Julius Eastman and everything in between.

While many are initially hesitant to dive into classical music, which can be perceived as daunting or unapproachable, however, many of today’s performances are offering audiences the opportunity to participate without the pomp and circumstance, and collaborating with artists across the broader musical community to bring classical (and other musical genres) to the masses.

Chamber music, a subgenre of classical music, offers audiences an opportunity to see musicians working together in real time — sans conductor — meaning the performers are constantly checking in with each other and the audience, improvising and communicating without words to bring a piece to life, watching and listening closely as the music ebbs and flows and responding through their instruments.

Diana Cohen and Roman Rabinovich, both professional musicians, are well known in the chamber music community. Diana is the concertmaster of the Calgary Phil, and Roman is a world-renowned touring soloist. 

Together, they founded ChamberFest West in 2022 after hosting a series of front lawn concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the festival has grown, bringing highly sought after musicians from around the world with some of Canada's best to perform for enthusiastic crowds. While most orchestras are on hiatus during the summer months, Chamberfest West offers audiences an opportunity to experience live classical music in July. 

This year, United Active Living is proud to sponsor Making Waves, one of the seven concerts in this year’s festival lineup, a concert that highlights exceptional pieces sure to enthrall audiences.

“This year’s theme is ‘Lost and Found’, and it was inspired by my losing my handbag after a show,” Diana laughs. “It was such a panic, my whole life was in there! Thankfully, my bag and all the contents were recovered. But it did make us think about how we lose and find things throughout our life.” Diana continues, “It also inspired us to find music for this year’s festival that centers around the theme of lost and found. The Making Waves concert includes a long-lost composition that Mozart completed as a child that was recently rediscovered, and a piece by contemporary Canadian composer Zosha Di Castri, and many more that explore the full range of emotions we discover and experience throughout our lives.”  

Rising tides

In United Active Living’s communities, music offers a journey of discovery and new experiences for residents. “The music programs at United are wonderful,” says Ruth, a resident at Fish Creek, “We have the opportunity to experience concerts and performances that I couldn’t dream of!” From intimate recitals to community-wide concerts, United’s partnerships are bringing world-class performances right to residents’ doorsteps, making waves in the everyday through joy, connection, and discovery of new sounds and musical genres.

“ChamberFest West has been a welcome addition to the city’s music scene and means Calgarians can enjoy leading performances of classical music this summer, right here in Calgary,” says Jill Laforty, Musical Director at United, “Diana and Roman have created a community of chamber music music lovers through their dedication and passion to this wonderfully intimate form of music. Residents are thrilled to be able to attend ChamberFest West this year,” Jill continues, “Music programming is essential for older adults and it’s so much more than entertainment. It’s a way to keep memories with us, and to explore and learn new things every day.”

Music envelopes us — it comforts, it inspires, and it connects. It helps us navigate life’s tides as we set sail on new adventures: it moors us gently to the past, and becomes a beacon in troubled waters. Chart a course to a United community to take in our vast musical programming, and be sure to find your way to ChamberFest West this summer — it’s sure to make waves!

Interested in joining United Active Living at ChamberFest West’s Making Waves concert on July 18? Find tickets and more information here.