Introducing our guest soloist, Kerson Leong, joining us on November 11, 2023 to perform the Sibelius Violin Concerto at Sibelius & Dvořák!
One Toronto Star critic describes Kerson Leong as “not just one of Canada’s greatest violinists but one of the greatest violinists, period”. Since his First Prize win at the International Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in 2010, he continues to win over colleagues and audiences alike with “a mixture of spontaneity and mastery, elegance, fantasy, intensity that makes his sound recognizable from the first notes” (Le Monde).
His recent album for Alpha Classics featuring the complete sonatas for solo violin by Eugène Ysaÿe was awarded the Diapason d’Or Découverte and the Choc de Classica. Classica called him “more than a discovery, a veritable revelation”. Gramophone declared that “his recording could be a happy first choice for any discerning listener”.
Kerson Leong’s Performances
His 22/23 season included solo performances with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Brussels Phiharmonic, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain, Les Violons du Roy and Symphony Nova Scotia among others, as well as a tour of Sweden with the Camerata Nordica. Highlights from past seasons include solo performances with such ensembles as the Royal, Oslo, Kansai, and Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, the Singapore, Montreal, Vancouver, Stavanger, and Wuppertal Symphony Orchestras, a recital tour of the Midwestern United States, and recording John Rutter’s Visions with the composer himself and the Aurora Chamber Orchestra, after giving its world premiere in London, UK.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin hand-picked Kerson Leong to be his artist-in-residence with the Orchestre Métropolitain during the 18/19 season. He has performed in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Wigmore Hall, the Auditorium du Louvre and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. A passionate chamber musician, he has performed at such international festivals and concert series as the Verbier Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Flâneries musicales de Reims, and Bergen International Festival among others.
A passion for teaching
Kerson also has a passion for pedagogy and music outreach. Numerous festivals and universities in North America have invited to teach and give masterclasses. His noteworthy role in reaching young people and aspiring musicians is being cemented through his creative social media presence. He is an associate artist of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium, where he was mentored by Augustin Dumay.
He has always been keen on making connections between music and other fields. Ever since his dad started introducing him to physics concepts about string resonance, they have strongly influenced his playing and philosophy on sound production. Together with his dad, he has given lectures about this subject around the world.
Kerson performs on the ‘ex Bohrer, Baumgartner’ Guarneri del Gesu courtesy of Canimex Inc, Drummondville (Quebec), Canada.
Kerson Leong with the HPO
Do not miss this rising world-class Canadian violinist’s performance with the HPO!
SIBELIUS & DVOŘÁK
November 11, 2023 at 7:30pm
Jacob Joyce, Conductor
Kerson Leong, Violin
- Paul Kawabe (23-24 Composer Fellow), Seven Thousand Paper Cranes*
- Sibelius, Violin Concerto
- Dvorák, Symphony No. 7
* World premiere
Published on October 17, 2023