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Christina Volpini

Christina Volpini

Christina Volpini is a composer, pianist, and writer based in Montréal, Canada. Currently pursuing a Masters in Composition at McGill University, she writes for publications such as Bachtrack and Music & Literature. Christina is a new music enthusiast and an organizer of the Montréal Contemporary Music Lab.

Author:Christina Volpini

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Petrenko delivers a spirited Mahler 1 in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 12 May 2016

Visiting conductor Vasily Petrenko leads the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal in an energetic interpretation of Mahler and Prokofiev.

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Petrenko delivers a spirited Mahler 1 in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Kent Nagano excites on eve of OSM's international tour

By Christina Volpini, 10 March 2016

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Kent Nagano give terrific performances of Debussy, Prokofiev and Stravinsky as they embark on their American tour.

*****

Kent Nagano excites on eve of OSM's international tour

By Christina Volpini

Technical demands: Budapest Festival Orchestra and Marc-André Hamelin in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 16 February 2016

The visiting Budapest Festival Orchestra delivered traditional repertoire with some unexpected quirks.

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Budapest FO and Marc-André Hamelin in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Musical monograms: Shostakovich's Tenth a highlight in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 28 November 2015

With Mahler’s arrangement of Bach orchestral suites and Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, this concert showcased the many ways that composers have placed musical signatures on their work.

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Musical monograms: Shostakovich's Tenth a highlight in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Kent Nagano and Yefim Bronfman ‘go bold’ in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 19 November 2015

The stark aesthetic contrast between Ives’ Symphony no. 4 and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no. 1 led to an evening of music that was diverse, challenging and very entertaining.

*****

Kent Nagano and Yefim Bronfman ‘go bold’ in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Music in memory of the Second World War in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 06 November 2015

On this Montréal concert, visiting conductor Cristian Măcelaru presented Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II

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Music in memory of the Second World War in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Orchestral pyrotechnics in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 21 October 2015

Nagano and the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal imbued programmatic works with a sense of excitement, sprinkling the magic dust that brought each works’ characters to life.

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Orchestral pyrotechnics in Montréal*

By Christina Volpini

Sibelius, Rachmaninov plus Penderecki conducting in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 19 September 2015

With Penderecki conducting his own work, this concert demonstrated the possibilities of orchestral colour filtered through a post-Romantic lens, but was confronted with issues of balance and refinement.

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Penderecki conducts in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Contemplations on listening: Alvin Lucier and the Bozzini Quartet in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 07 June 2015

The Bozzini Quartet confronted the challenges of Lucier's music with confidence and precision, their dedication evident in their effort to bring various acoustic phenomena to fruition.

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Alvin Lucier and the Bozzini Quartet in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Montréal visit a resounding success

By Christina Volpini, 09 May 2015

The challenges presented on this program, particularly Bruckner's Seventh Symphony, allowed the TSO to impress with their technical precision, ensemble cohesiveness and stamina.

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Toronto Symphony Orchestra visits Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Storgårds leads a Nordic journey in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 22 April 2015

Ranging from the famous Grieg Piano Concerto to a lesser known work of Sibelius, this concert featured a vast array of orchestral colour evoking the shimmering landscapes of the North.

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Storgårds leads a Nordic journey in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Nézet-Séguin’s “English Gardens” ripe with emotional power

By Christina Volpini, 17 April 2015

In front of an enthusiastic Montréal crowd, Yannick Nézet-Séguin led his orchestra through the varied atmospheres and moods of works by great English composers of the early 20th century.

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Nézet-Séguin’s “English Gardens” ripe with emotional power

By Christina Volpini

Lugansky and Mena Dazzle in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 28 March 2015

Works of Chopin and Tchaikovsky on this concert displayed the two faces of Romantic music – the quiet intimacy of the individual and the expressive power of the whole.

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Lugansky and Mena Dazzle in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Montréal’s ‘Philip Glass Fever’ raises questions

By Christina Volpini, 07 March 2015

While Glass' latest music has managed to package and sell a form of experimentalism to the masses, it also sparks debate about style versus substance.

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Montréal’s ‘Philip Glass Fever’ raises questions

By Christina Volpini

Dénes Várjon seeks balance between technique and musicality in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 19 February 2015

Featuring Classical to Modernist piano repertoire, the evening was a display of varying styles and challenges that demonstrated Várjon’s adaptability.

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Dénes Várjon in Montréal recital

By Christina Volpini

A spirited evening with Emanuel Ax in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 20 February 2015

This concert was an intimate occasion to witness a master pianist breathe life in to favourites as well as lesser known works for the piano.

*****

A spirited evening with Emanuel Ax in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

French Romanticism meets Spanish influence at Montreal's Musée des Beaux-Arts

By Christina Volpini, 06 February 2015

In collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, musicians of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal presented late 19th century chamber music of Spanish and French composers.

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French Romanticism meets Spanish influence in Montreal

By Christina Volpini

Bold and eclectic: Nagano commanding in Bartók in Montréal

By Christina Volpini, 13 January 2015

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s program was a collage-like display of the diverse music that emerged from composers in New York City from 1936 to 1956.

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Bold and eclectic: Nagano commanding's Bartók

By Christina Volpini

Warmth for a cold winter evening: Orchestre Métropolitain explores the depths of Scandinavia

By Christina Volpini, 30 November 2014

The Orchestre Metropolitain’s Scandinavian Escape brought to mind the warmth and familiarity of home in this Sunday concert.

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Warmth for a cold winter evening in Montréal

By Christina Volpini

Castanets, contrasts and bursts of ecstasy: Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal shares the music of Spain

By Christina Volpini, 06 November 2014

The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s matinee concert “Amor!” was a welcome excursion, sweeping the audience off through the colourful musical tradition of warm, sunny Spain.

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Castanets, contrasts and bursts of ecstasy

By Christina Volpini