Armed with a clarinet, a piano and their personable stage presence, Kornel Wolak and Chris Donnelly present a remarkable blend of classical and jazz music rarely heard in live performance.
Prairie Debut and the Assiniboia & District Arts Council are pleased to welcome Wolak & Donnelly to Assiniboia. The duo will perform at the Conexus Auditorium at the Prince of Wales Centre on Wednesday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m.
From revered classical pieces such as Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, to Gershwin’s famous Rhapsody in Blue, and Oscar Peterson’s classic Hymn to Freedom, Chris and Kornel captivate audiences with virtuosity, familiar melodies and a profound passion for music and performing.
Highly praised on two continents for his glorious tone, precise technical control and musical imagination, clarinetist Kornel Wolak is well on his way to a major career as a soloist and chamber musician in both classical and cross-over repertoire.
Born in Bialystok, Poland in 1979, Kornel was a scholarship student at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he earned his performance certificate and, two years later, his Master of Music degree.
Chris Donnelly represents a new generation of jazz pianists, composers and improvisers dedicated to creating programs that are engaging, entertaining and educating. He is continually praised for his virtuosic performances, musicality, versatility and ability to captivate audiences.
In September 2008, Chris released his Juno-nominated, debut album with Alma Records called Solo, featuring a blend of original material and arrangements of jazz standards. This also earned him nominations for ‘Best Recording of the Year’ and ‘Best Keyboardist of the Year’ from the 2009 National Jazz Awards. In March 2011, Chris released an album of original music inspired by the works of graphic artist M.C. Escher entitled Metamorphosis.
Chris Donnelly holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Toronto and upon completing his Masters of Music in Jazz Performance at the University of Toronto, he was awarded The Tecumseh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award for students ‘deemed to have the greatest potential to make an important contribution to the field of music.’ Chris is currently a professor at the University of Toronto.
Courtesy www.prairiedebut.com
