Concert Review: Fierbois delights!

Review by: Brian Adolph

Photo Credits: Derrek Owen

Classical music lovers were treated to a dazzling display of virtuosity at the March 13 performance of Fierbois.

The duo, consisting of oboist Caitlin Broms-Jacobs and pianist Madeline Hildebrand, performed a program of evocative classical and contemporary compositions that took the audience from the Prairies to the Rocky Mountains to chasing birds in the park.

Opening with selections from Oscar Peterson’s Canadiana Suite before moving on to more classical fare, the performers quickly demonstrated how an oboe and piano can become more than the sum of their parts. With the help of some brilliant arranging, the pair took compositions intended for an orchestra or a jazz trio and made them uniquely their own.

Hildebrand, a top-tier classical pianist, also has a flair for theatrical playing. She has performed with Philip Glass as well as the Kronos Quartet and brought some of that contemporary, experimental sound to the pair’s performance of Jocelyn Morlock’s moody Halcyon, as well as the musically humorous The Bird Fancyer’s New Delight by Canadian composer David Braid.

As long-time principal oboist for the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, as well as a regular performer with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Broms-Jacobs is well known in the Winnipeg classical music scene. She is noted for her “singing tone” and “sensitive musicality,” both of which were in evidence in her performances of Ravel’s Sonatine and Mozart’s Sonata K.454.

It was the interplay between these two accomplished musicians that created the evening’s magic. Their intricately woven melodies and counterpoint, as well as the joined-at-the-hip tightness of the performance, were a delight to watch.

With their newly released album Sing to Me Again, Fierbois is poised to make their mark on the Canadian classical music scene.

EMCA's next concert brings the Derina Harvey Band back to Pinawa on Friday, April 10th with their electrifying blend of Celtic rock and East Coast kitchen party. Whether you've seen this group before or it's your first time, this is guaranteed to be a show you won't want to miss!