Vetta Chamber Music celebrates its 40th season with a just-announced lineup full of Canadian works

The premiere of a Dorothy Chang composition and a guest appearance by harpist Rita Costanzi are among the highlights

By emily lyth

Harpist Rita Costanzi. Photo by Shelley and Keith Photography

Composer Dorothy Chang.

VETTA CHAMBER MUSIC is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and it’s commemorating the special milestone with a season themed “Evolution”.

Vetta began as a string quartet in the 1980s and has since grown to include an accomplished ensemble of chamber musicians, with Joan Blackman as artistic director. Two concerts this season will pay homage to the company’s roots with musicians who were pivotal to its success, while another three will honour the future of the art form. Canadian compositions are included throughout the season.

As usual, Vetta will perform each concert at four venues: West Point Grey United Church, West Vancouver United Church, Pyatt Hall, and ArtSpring on Salt Spring Island.

Kicking things off is the aptly titled Beginnings, from September 26 to 29. Featuring Vetta’s current string quartet—violinists Blackman and Maria Larionoff, violist David Harding, and cellist Zoltan Rozsnyai—it’ll include Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Energy alongside works by Shostakovich and Beethoven that were pivotal to the company’s early years.

Concert Two, Stirrings, will close out the year, from November 14 to 17. Internationally recognized harpist Rita Costanzi, who is one of Vetta’s original featured artists, will play Marcel Tournier’s Vers la source dans le bois for solo harp, Claude Debussy’s Danse sacrée and Danse profane, and more.

Music to Warm the Heart will launch 2026 offerings, from January 23 to 26. The program revolves around the highly anticipated return of pianist Jane Coop and cellist Ariel Barnes, who will play some of their favourite works alongside Blackman, including Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 66.

From March 6 to 9, 2026, the Vetta Chamber Players will be joined by the young musicians of the Mentorship Orchestra for A Look to the Future. Most notably, they’ll play a brand-new commission by Chinese Canadian-American composer Dorothy Chang, who has been a music professor at UBC since 2003. Her eclectic catalogue includes more than 80 compositions for mixed Chinese and Western ensembles, interdisciplinary collaborations with dancers and theatre artists, and beyond.

Closing out the season, from May 1 to 4, 2026, is Celebration, a nod to the important milestone Vetta is celebrating this year. Pianist Angela Cheng will join Blackman for Franck’s Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano. Violist Hung-Wei Huang will be the featured soloist in a piece by contemporary Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich. And the three musicians will unite with Rozsnyai for Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60.

Tickets to all shows for the 2025–26 season are now on sale. And if you’re eager to get another taste of the Vetta Chamber Players before then, take a look at the company’s website—videos of last season’s concerts are available for free viewing.  

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