Powerhouse Duo Liam&LaLa Set to Take Atlantic Canadian Audiences from “Paris to Pesaro…via Petersburg”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2023
Powerhouse Duo Liam&LaLa Set to Take Atlantic Canadian Audiences from “Paris to Pesaro…via Petersburg”
K’JIUPUKTUK/HALIFAX, NS – Sometimes the way to move forward is to look to the past for inspiration. From March 10th-27th, Nova Scotian pianist LaLa Lee and award-winning cellist David Liam Roberts will explore pieces that look to earlier styles of music and European classical musical hubs, from Poulenc’s Suite Française to Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne. An emerging duo, Liam&LaLa made their recital debut in November 2020 for Cecilia Concerts at the Lilian Piercey Concert Hall in Halifax, to great acclaim. David Liam is the winner of the 1st Prize and Grand Award at the 2018 National Music Festival of Canada as well as the esteemed 2020 Michael Measures 2nd Prize, while LaLa performs extensively throughout China and Canada and has played concerti with orchestras including the Shanghai Philharmonic, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Symphony Nova Scotia. Both artists have been featured on CBC’s list of Canada’s 30 Top Classical Musicians Under 30 and are recipients of The Royal Conservatory’s most prestigious scholarships.
Debut Atlantic is thrilled to present high-calibre artists to audiences across Atlantic Canada. Liam&LaLa will begin their tour in Tatamagouche, NS on Friday, March 10th performing at The Grace Arts Centre at 7:30pm. They then travel to Mahone Bay, NS on March 11th, where they will appear with Musique Royale at Cecilia’s Retreat for an 11:00am performance. The following day, March 12th, Liam&LaLa will perform at King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal, NS at 3:00pm. Afterwards, they head to the Théâtre Capitol Theatre in Moncton for their first performance in New Brunswick at 7:30pm. On March 18th at 4:00pm and 7:00pm, Liam&LaLa will appear with the Hear! Here! Society at the Yarmouth County Museum and Archives in Yarmouth, NS. The next day, March 19th at 2:00pm, they will perform at Sunday Music in the Garden Room in Wolfville, NS. They head back to New Brunswick on March 22nd for a performance with MusicUNB in Fredericton, NB at 7:30pm. On March 24th at 7:30pm Liam&LaLa will perform in Charlottetown, PE at the Confederation Centre for the Arts. They return to Nova Scotia the following evening, on March 25th at 7:30pm, to perform with the Antigonish Performing Arts Series in Antigonish, NS. They will finish their Debut Atlantic tour in Goose Bay – Happy Valley, NL at the Lawrence O’Brien Arts Centre at 7:30pm.
In addition to concert engagements, Liam&LaLa will be working with young students through the Debut Goes to School! program. This season, Debut Goes to School offers students throughout Atlantic Canada virtual and in-person access to outstanding classical and global music artists. Through this program, students are provided the opportunity to participate in live, interactive learning sessions and other events for various age groups and levels of ability.
Debut Atlantic wants to recognize the partners and sponsors that come together to bring these incredible artists to communities and venues of all sizes across our region. It would not be possible without the generous support of sustaining partners, including the Canada Council for the Arts, Arts Nova Scotia, and the Province of New Brunswick. Debut would also like to thank its educational partner, the Nova Scotia Department of Education; and its season partners, including the Halifax Regional Municipality, The Lloyd Carr-Harris Foundation, Support4Culture, the Craig Foundation, Pink Larkin, Halcraft Printers, Strategic Arts Management, and InnVest Hotels (Comfort Inn).
Please see the enclosed list of concert dates and artist biography, and come share in a unique performance, rich with passion and exploration.
–
As one of Canada’s most prestigious classical music organizations, Debut Atlantic is committed to developing young artists and establishing new initiatives that enhance the cultural life of Atlantic Canada. Since 1979 it has treated Atlantic audiences to Canada’s most promising young musicians. Celebrating 42 years, Debut Atlantic has featured over 400 artists, gracing the stages of venues from Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Full details on Debut Atlantic’s concert seasons and educational programs can be found at www.debutatlantic.ca.
-30-
For further information, please contact:
Erin Sparks – Executive Director
Debut Atlantic
902-429-6812
erin@debutatlantic.ca
-Or-
Elizabeth Upson Perez – Program Officer
Debut Atlantic
902-429-6812
elizabeth@debutatlantic.ca
TOUR SCHEDULE—Liam&LaLa
Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia
7:30pm, March 10, 2023
The Grace Arts Centre
31 Creamery Rd.
902-657-3500
www.gracejollymore.com/events
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
11:00am, March 11, 2023
Musique Royale
Cecilia’s Retreat
1199 Oakland Rd., RR#2
musiqueroyale.com
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
3:00pm, March 12, 2023
King’s Theatre
209 George St.
902-532-7704
Moncton, New Brunswick
7:30pm, March 16, 2023
Théâtre Capitol Theatre
811 Main St.
506-856-4379
capitol.nb.ca
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
4:00pm & 7:00pm, March 18, 2023
Hear! Here! Society
Yarmouth County Museum and Archives
22 Collins St.
902-749-7411
Wolfville, Nova Scotia
2:00pm, March 19, 2023
Sunday Music in the Garden Room
KC Irving Environmental Science Centre
Acadia University
artsacadia.acadiau.ca/Sunday_Music_in_the_Garden_Room.html
Fredericton, New Brunswick
7:30pm, March 22, 2023
Memorial Hall, UNB
9 Bailey Dr.
506-453-4697
www.unb.ca/cel/music
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
7:30pm, March 24, 2023
Confederation Centre of the Arts
Memorial Hall
145 Richmond St.
1-800-565-0278
confederationcentre.com
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
7:30pm, March 25, 2023
Antigonish Performing Arts Series
Immaculata Hall, St. F.X. University
2360 Notre Dame Ave.
902-867-3909
people.stfx.ca/msteinit/schedule.htm
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador
7:30pm, March 27, 2023
Lawrence O’Brien Arts Centre
15-21 Voisey Dr.
709-896-4027
www.obrienartscentre.ca
BIOGRAPHY—Liam&LaLa
David Liam Roberts
Winner of the 2021 Canada Council for the Arts’ Michael Measures 1st Prize, David Liam Roberts has established a reputation as one of Canada’s most promising cellists. David Liam was awarded both the 1st Prize and Grand Award at the 2018 National Music Festival of Canada and recently won 1st Prize of the 2022 biennial WMC McLellan Competition after performing the Schumann Cello Concerto as soloist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in the competition’s final round.
Upcoming engagements include a 3-week recital tour of the Atlantic provinces in March 2023 with pianist LaLa Lee as 2022-23 Debut Atlantic touring artists. Recent engagements include a solo appearance with the Winnipeg Symphony in a subscription concert performing double cello concerti with Yuri Hooker (conducted by Daniel Raiskin), recorded concerts presented by the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg and Virtuosi Concerts, and a solo recital in collaboration with Winnipeg’s Polycoro Chamber Choir and multimedia artist Taylor McArthur.
Chamber music has been an integral part of David Liam’s life since he started busking with his older siblings at age 5, playing Métis fiddle tunes in his home province of Manitoba. Recent highlights have been collaborating with pianist Nicolas Namoradze and violinists Joel Link (Dover Quartet) and Scott St. John at the Toronto Summer Music Festival. David Liam is a regular extra with the Toronto Symphony since the 2021-22 season.
David Liam plays a Ruggeri-model cello that was made for him in 2017 by Winnipeg-based luthier, Garth Lee.
LaLa Lee
Praised for her sensitive expression and profound understanding of music, LaLa Lee is described by Juno Award winning composer Dinuk Wijeratne as “undoubtedly a talent to watch”. The 21-year-old pianist has delighted audiences worldwide with solo, chamber, and orchestral performances and was named as one of CBC’s 30 Hot Classical Musicians under 30. In the past, she has been invited to perform at a private function for Renée Fleming and Alexander Shelley and was a Featured Artist at the Scotia Festival of Music where she collaborated with Phil Myers, former Principal Horn of the New York Philharmonic.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, LaLa gave a recital entitled “Beethoven’s Birthday Bash” at Mazzoleni Hall featuring only his works and performed two violin sonatas with her duo partner in a Beethoven Violin Sonata marathon concert at the Concerts@100 Series. Despite the pandemic, she continued the year-long celebration with two more all-Beethoven recitals at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance’s Beethoven Festival in October. She also gave four recitals for Cecilia Concerts and will perform Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto with Ensemble Testori in Milan, Italy as well as Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 with Mandle Philharmonic in Toronto.
Despite her young age, LaLa has performed with many great musicians including conductors Bernhard Gueller, Muhai Tang, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. She has played with orchestras including the Shanghai Philharmonic, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, Nova Sinfonia, and Chebucto Symphony Orchestra. In 2018 alone, LaLa was the youngest finalist at the SteppingStone Competition; gave an extensive recital tour across 4 cities in China over 5 days for the China International Music Festival; performed in halls such as the Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Hefei Grand Theatre, Poly Culture Group; and taught her first masterclass at the Changzhou Music School.
LaLa is regularly programmed at concert series such as Cecilia Concerts and The Music Room Chamber Players Series. She has been featured in recitals at Morningside Music Bridge, Orford Music Festival, and Scotia Festival of Music. LaLa has had the distinct honour of performing in masterclasses for Martha Argerich, the late Leon Fleisher, Scott St John, and Andrew Armstrong; and has worked with Janina Fialkowska, Denise Djokic, Walter Delahunt, and Tim Fain. Since the age of 5, she began playing fundraising concerts for the IWK Children’s Hospital and Foundation, The Great Big Dig, Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, and Gilda’s Club.
Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, LaLa is currently studying to earn her Bachelor’s of Music (Honours) at the Glenn Gould School of Music, in the studio of John Perry and David Louie. She has been awarded the prestigious Henry Hung Foundation full scholarship and stipend. From the age of three, LaLa began learning piano, studying at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts and with Lynn Stodola of Dalhousie University. When she is not found at the piano, LaLa enjoys baking, writing, and being outdoors.