The Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival is a series of live concerts and events with traditional music at various venues in Vancouver.
The festival features music by Johann Sebastian Bach, but also by different composers too including Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Strozzi and others. In 2023 the summer festival runs from July 27th until August 5th. If you like classical music, especially music played as it was originally done in the era of its composers, you’ll love this series of concerts!
EMV Summer Music Festival
Formerly known as the Vancouver Bach Festival, the EMV Summer Festival is an exploration of traditional music presented by Early Music Vancouver. Each year the festival has a different theme. In 2023 the theme is “Women in Sight”.
Celebrating its 7th year in 2023, the EMV Summer Festival runs from July 27th until August 5th. Performances are inspired by Christine de Pizan who questioned the overall treatment of women in society. The shows explore the role of women throughout history from a musical perspective. There are eleven concerts and one special event in 2023. The events happen in-person at a variety of venues.
For tickets and full details about the festival and its concerts, visit the official Early Music Vancouver website.
2023 Schedule of Events
The schedule for the 2023 EMV Summer Festival is listed below. Early bird tickets range from about $20 to $70 and are available from early April until mid-May. Prices will likely increase as the festival gets closer.
Thursday, July 27th, 2023
- Rondeau in Carthage – EMV’s 2023 fundraising event takes place at the Nuba restaurant at 207 West Hastings Street in Vancouver. The formal event begins at 6:00 pm and features a dinner, performance and a live auction. Guests also get VIP seats to The Queen of Carthage show at the SFU Goldcorp Centre. Early bird admission to the full event costs $225 per person.
Friday, July 28th, 2023
- Il Ponte di Leonardo – this concert is held at 7:30 pm at Christ Church Cathedral. The event features Marco Beasley, Kiya Tabassian and Ensemble Constantinople. The performance takes audiences into the works of Leonardo da Vinci.
For tickets and the festival’s official website visit earlymusic.bc.ca.
Saturday, July 29th, 2023
- The Well-Tempered Organ! – inspired by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, this show features Alexander Weimann on the organ. The concert takes place at 2:00 pm at the West Vancouver United Church. The venue is located on the North Shore at 2062 Esquimalt Avenue.
Sunday, July 30th, 2023
- Songs Without Words: Women in Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance – a recital by an EMV Artist-in-Residence. Catalina Vicens performs songs on the keyboard at Pyatt Hall at 843 Seymour Street in Vancouver starting at 3:00 pm.
Tuesday, August 1st, 2023
- Our City of Ladies – a continued exploration of The City of Ladies with vocals and instrumentation by the Servir Antico Ensemble. The show is directed by Catalina Vicens. It begins at 7:30 pm at Christ Church Cathedral.
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023
- The Bach Parodies – an homage to Bach that also includes parodies of works by Mozart, Gounod and Korotikin. Performers are Jessica Korotkin, Majka Demcak, Elana Cooper and Diederik van Dijk. The show takes place at Christ Church Cathedral at 1:00 pm.
- The Ladies Vespers – featuring works from Italy during the 1600s, this concert is full of energy. Performers include Nadine Balbiesi, Myriam Leblanc, Jane Long, Ellen Torrie, the Elektra Women’s Choir, and more. The show begins at 7:00 pm at Christ Church Cathedral.
Thursday, August 3rd, 2023
- Atempor/Elle: In Search of Inner Coherence – a duet with music by Margaret Little and dance by Stéphanie Brochard. The show takes place at The Annex at 823 Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver starting at 1:00 in the afternoon.
- Milton in Love: The Birth of Opera in the Eternal City – the second show of the day is at 7:30 pm at Pyatt Hall at 843 Seymour Street. This concert features singers Nadine Balbiesi, Myriam Leblanc and Ellen Torrie, as well as live music. It’s all about John Milton’s poetry in Rome and his admiration of Leonora Baroni.
Friday, August 4th, 2023
- Party Like it’s 1964! Celebrating Elizabeth Jacquet de la Guerreo – an exploration of the artist’s music at St. James Community Square at 3214 West 10th Avenue. The show starts at 7:30 at night and features Ai Horton, Elana Cooper, Stéphanie Brochard and more.
Saturday, August 5th, 2023
- A Woman’s Voice in Bach’s World: Christiane Mariane von Ziegler – the last show of the festival begins at 7:30 pm and is held at Christ Church Cathedral. It features Krisztina Szabó, Phillipe Gagné, Sumner Thompson, Alexander Weimann and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. The show is a celebration of the poet’s advocacy for women’s rights.
For tickets and full details visit the official Early Music Vancouver website.
About EMV
The EMV Summer Festival is presented by Early Music Vancouver (EMV). The performing arts organization is one of the largest in North America. EMV has been a big part of Metro Vancouver’s cultural scene for over 50 years. The team hosts over 40 events each year, much to the delight of music-lovers in Metro Vancouver.
Early Music Vancouver presents artists from different parts of the world to local audiences. The organization also produces its own shows with their in-house band, known as the Pacific Baroque Orchestra. EMV tends to focus on music from the Baroque times in the 1800s.
Other Information
For more information about the festival visit, the official Early Music Vancouver website.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
