The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's 2025-26 season concluded with a unique post-season event: a one-night-only performance by Kayhan Kalhor. The virtuoso kamancheh player and composer delivered a stellar show at the Orpheum Theatre.
Program Highlights
The evening opened with Colin Jacobsen's Atashgah (Fire Temple), a lively piece blending new music idioms with traditional string writing, showcasing the kamancheh. The program ended with Kalhor's Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur, an extended work that captivated the nearly sold-out audience with virtuosic kamancheh lines and evocative rhythms. However, the highlight was Kalhor's Silent City, originally from 2008, which was adapted for string orchestra and percussion. This half-hour piece was deeply moving and elegantly conceived, demonstrating Kalhor's skill in cross-cultural musical dialogue.
Performances
Kalhor's solo work was exemplary, and the VSO strings, led by resident conductor Trevor Wilson, were evocative and impressive. Cellist Zoltan Rozsnyai often played in tandem with Kalhor, creating duo-concerto textures, while percussionist Mathias Kunzli delivered electrifying rhythms. The performance was a memorable musical event, and Silent City deserves a place in future VSO Masterworks concerts.
