Noon Hour Concert: Northern Winter

Soprano Bethany Hörst and pianist Marianna Chibotar will be playing a selection of modern Canadian art songs by composers such as Gary Kulesha, Ramona Luengen, Martha Hill Duncan, and Jeff Smallman.  These composers are known for creating modern music that is still accessible to audiences, avoiding extreme avant-garde techniques.  They draw inspiration from nature and their Canadian identity.
THE ARTISTS: Bethany Hörst has sung with orchestras and major choirs across Canada. She has won several international competitions including the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Competition at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Hörst is a recipient of Brian Law Opera Scholarship and the Jacqueline Desmarais Opera Grant.She holds a Master of Music degree in Literature and Performance from Western University, where she currently teaches voice. She is in high demand for masterclasses and adjudicating throughout Canada. Hörst Studio students frequently appear with Mirvish Productions, Drayton Entertainment, and the Shaw and Stratford Festival Theatre.
Marianna Chibotar-Rutkevich is an accomplished Concert Pianist, holding a Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Literature and Musicology, and a Post-Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the State University of Kishinev in Moldova.She has been privileged to have studied with some of the most internationally renowned piano masters and legendary pedagogues from Russia, the Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Holland, Brazil and Australia. While maintaining an active performing schedule, she is also a dedicated teacher. Marianna is currently on the piano faculty at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, University of Western Ontario as a Piano Instructor and Collaborative Pianist. Recently, she has been honoured to perform live for CBC Radio and Television and to appear as the official Pianist for the Canadian Music Competition.