Design, function and art

These things all come together at Vancouver's lovely old Orpheum theater - beautiful architecture, designed as a movie house, it functions brilliantly as the home for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and music.

I love going to the symphony - especially when they're playing something I've never heard before. A few weeks ago, I heard Alondra de la Parra conduct Edward Top's Symphony Golden Dragon.

Top is the VSO's conductor in residence and what drew me in was the surprise of the music. It's not that I don't like classical music - I do. Some of it - Bach, in particular - I love. But this symphony blew me away. I never knew what to expect and I fell in love.

If you want to hear a piece of music like nothing you've ever heard before, if you're interested in new music, you can check this symphony out at:  http://soundcloud.com/edward-top/symphony-golden-dragon

One of the joys of the evening, especially during the Golden Dragon symphony, was watching the young conductor, Alondra de la Parra. Her movements, her direction, became part of the music and it was an amazing experience to watch her direct this symphony. It was as if she were linked to each of the musicians by strings, as if those strings turned them into a single voice. It was wonderful.

Angela Cheng played a Mozart piano concerto - and each time I've heard her, I've been more and more impressed, but for me, as I'm not a huge fan of Mozart, that was the part of the program I least enjoyed. Luckily for me, they finished it up with Brahms, the lovely Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, and I went away more than happy with my evening.

Three of my favorite things combined on that night - design, function and art - and I walked home, in the rain, delighted with the evening.

Kate