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Known for the passion, subtlety, and brilliance of their performances, Duo Concertante have worked together since 1997, developing the exceptionally unified voice that has repeatedly impressed audiences worldwide. Nancy Dahn, violin, and Timothy Steeves, piano— “two packages of musical dynamite” (Halifax Chronicle-Herald)—have received the Touring Performers Award (Contact East) as well as Memorial University’s prestigious President’s Award for Outstanding Research, and were named NLAC Artist of the Year in May 2010. Of four acclaimed recordings, the most recent, It Takes Two, features encore pieces arranged by Canadian composer Clifford Crawley and was described as “spectacular” (American Record Guide). A fifth, forthcoming in the fall of 2010, comprises works written especially for the duo by Canadian composers Murray Schafer, Chan Ka Nin, and Kati Agócs, and includes Schafer’s only major work for violin and piano. The first three CDs—À deux, Of Heart and Homeland, and Wild Honey—all received nominations for Best Classical Recording at the East Coast Music Awards. Also slated for release in fall 2010 is their classical music video, “Tico Tico.” Duo Concertante have consistently revealed their passion for new music, commissioning a total of fourteen new works for violin and piano from many of Canada’s leading composers, such as Chan Ka Nin, Kati Agócs, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Alice Ho, Omar Daniel, Clark Ross, Andrew MacDonald, David Scott, Linda Bouchard, and Jean Lesage. Wild Honey (2005) consists almost entirely of works written for the duo, and the fifth disc will also be an all-Canadian CD; three world premières are scheduled for 2010-2011. Duo Concertante maintain a busy touring schedule, with frequent performances across North America, as well as in Europe and China. They have appeared at Wigmore Hall (London), Trinity Church (New York City), Old First Church (San Francisco), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles), the Four Seasons Performing Arts Centre (Toronto), the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), the Forbidden City Concert Hall (Beijing), and the Chapelle du Bon-Pasteur (Montreal). They perform at music festivals throughout North America, including the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, the Cactus Pear Music Festival, Indian River Festival, Colours of Music Festival, and the Huntsville Festival, and have served as artists-in-residence at the Guelph Spring Festival, the Glenn Gould Professional School in Toronto, and Bishop’s University. Based at Memorial University in St. John’s, Dahn and Steeves are energetic, experienced teachers who have given hundreds of master classes and workshops across Canada, in the US, and in China. Their commitment to working with young musicians gave rise to the annual Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, which they founded in 2000 to bring together young chamber music performers with world-class artists and ensembles for an intensive two weeks of learning and performance. As Artistic Directors of the Festival, they continue to present and collaborate with international artists such as the Shanghai Quartet, the Lafayette String Quartet, André Laplante, Mark Fewer, the Borromeo String Quartet, the Miro Quartet, Suzie Leblanc, and Louis Lortie. Reviews"One doesn't listen to a program of violin music here, but to real chamber music, as it should be. Suspended between poetry and romance, the fluidity of the piano intertwines intimately with the poignancy of the violin. Never do [they] sacrifice beauty of sound for the sake of virtuosity, making it obvious that, for [Dahn and Steeves], impeccable technique never gets in the way of artistry." DiscographyIt Takes Two (Marquis) 2009 Website |
“superb musicians” WholeNote