EMMA Concert Association is proud to present violinist Angèle Dubeau and the La Pieta string ensemble.

An artist of rare versatility,considered one of the most prominent violin virtuosos in Canada, Angèle Dubeau has led a dazzling career in the great concert halls of the world for the past 35 years.When she founded La Pietà in 1997, her modest goal was to produce an outstanding CD of Antonio Vivaldi’s works with an ensemble of string instruments, a piano, and 13 women performers. Very quickly the group gained a reputation for exceptional virtuosity, impeccable precision, rich musical interpretations, and the contagious happiness that marked their presence on stage. Angele Dubeau and La Pieta now travel the globe, bringing Maestro Vivaldi’s Baroque treasures to rapt audiences.

The ensemble’s name is a reference to the Pieta hospice (Ospedale) of Venice, Italy, one of four such hospices founded in the 14th century and still operating during Vivaldi’s lifetime. Originally established to house abandoned orphans and illegitimate girls, the Ospedale della Pieta began to offer voice and instrument lessons and staffed impressive choruses and orchestras with their charges. It became such a desirable training ground for musicians that members of the nobility sent their daughters there to be educated. On Sundays, the Ospedale offered concerts to the large audiences who gathered there, although the institution was careful to hide the performers from the adoring public eye.

Composer Antonio Vivaldi worked closely, on and off for 35 years, with the girls of the Pieta, teaching them the fundamentals of music, composing music for them to perform, and conducting many of the Sunday concerts. The high degree of difficulty manifested in the music is a testament to the virtuosity of the young performers in the Maestro’s orchestras and choruses. Much of Vivaldi's finest sacred vocal and instrumental music was written for performance at the Pietà.

That is the Pieta behind Angele Dubeau’s La Pieta. The 13 women who will grace the stage of Lewis Auditorium on February 7th stand in the shadow of countless girls from the 18th century Venetian ospedales who practiced and performed and thrilled the audiences of the day with their compelling music making. Don’t miss Angele Dubeau and La Pieta! For more information go to emmaconcerts.com or follow EMMA Concert Association on Facebook.