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Victoria Piano Quartet graces Whistler on Jan. 26

The group is made up of accomplished musicians Yariv Aloni, Pamela Highbaugh, Terence Tam and Lorraine Min

Individually speaking: Yariv Aloni, Pamela Highbaugh, Terence Tam and Lorraine Min are four of Canada's top-flight classical musicians. 

Aloni directs the Victoria Chamber Orchestra, the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra. Formerly a member of both the Penderecki string quartets and the Aviv piano quartet, he also founded the Galiano Ensemble of Victoria and is an outstanding viola player. 

Highbaugh co-founded the prize-winning Lafayette String Quartet and has worked as an Artist in Residence at the University of Victoria since 1991 teaching cello (her main instrument) and chamber music. One review by The Detroit News recognized her "meltingly beautiful solos."

Critically-acclaimed Min has graced a number of famous concert halls around the globe. She holds the rare distinction of Steinway Artist as an individual who plays and records exclusively on high-class Steinway pianos, and has been lauded by both the New York Times and Washington Post.

Violinist Tam once served as concertmaster for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Nova Scotia before assuming that particular role with the Victoria Symphony. 

This group is known collectively as the Victoria Piano Quartet (VPQ), and later this month they'll be partnering with the Whistler Chamber Music Society (WCMS). 

"It's nice to play for a new audience, sharing our music with them and hopefully getting a lovely reaction," says Aloni. "Every concert is so different. Even though you play the exact same music based on what you planned, the audience is part of the music-making." 

You can't tell based on their names, but Aloni is married to Highbaugh with Tam and Min forming another couple. These personal relationships do not impede them from rehearsing and performing together in any way. 

"If anything, it makes us all the more understanding of trying to support each other," Highbaugh remarks. 

Four is not a crowd 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the first influential composer to write for the specific on-stage lineup of piano, violin, cello and viola, which every piano quartet encompasses. Many have followed in his footsteps, including Johannes Brahms and Joaquin Turina whom the VPQ will showcase at the Maury Young Arts Centre.

"Brahms' [Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor] is a major, major work in the repertoire," Aloni explains. "It has several movements. The last one is called in Italian 'Rondo alla Zingarese' or 'Rondo in the [Romani] style.' Brahms proved himself to be one of the greatest piano quartet composers. 

"The other piece is slightly shorter, [Piano Quartet in A Minor] by Turina. It really evokes the folklore of Spanish music with flamenco rhythms, beautiful melodies and a lot of heart." 

Quartets can generate a nuanced dynamic. There is no conductor, unlike your typical orchestra, so everybody needs to stay on the same page. If that happens, they reap the benefits. 

"The synergy about this chamber group—and most—is that you really don't have to talk a lot because it's all conveyed with how we play and how we listen to each other. There's a lot of energy, commitment and passion. If it works, it works, and that's the way Victoria Piano Quartet has always been," says Highbaugh. "When we rehearse, we'll discuss certain things and have different views, but there's a way to blend it all and make it work for everybody." 

A Vancouver Island presenter named Ken Hicks is responsible for bringing the VPQ together originally. He thought it would be interesting to assemble two married couples on stage, and his gut proved correct: Aloni and company hit it off from their very first practice. The frequency with which their paths cross may vary from year to year, but they always look forward to the next show. 

"It's nice to read [critical praise], but if you believe the good things they write about you, you have to also believe the bad things," Aloni comments. "It's nice to have accolades, but it's mostly nice to be able to play. All of my colleagues are phenomenal musicians and that's the greatest joy." 

For more information on the upcoming VPQ concert in Whistler, which is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 5 p.m., visit whistlerchambermusic.ca/concert/victoria-piano-quartet