Jesse is Centric MusicFest’s founding artistic director and we’re excited to have him back performing for Centric’s 10th Anniversary! Fun Fact: It’s his first time back performing in the festival since passing the torch to Ryan Kolodziej.

At the heart of the Centric MusicFest String Quartet’s purpose is the promotion of collaboration, transcending geographical and artistic boundaries. By uniting musicians from different communities, we inspire a powerful exchange of ideas, techniques, and creative visions. This unique ensemble will vary every year, bringing together two local and two visiting artists. The members of the 2024 quartet are musicians Alina Khvatova, first violin (Lethbridge); Vladimir Rufino, second violin (Calgary/Brazil); Fabiola Amorim, viola (Calgary/Brazil); and Christine Bootland, cello (Lethbridge/Medicine Hat).

The Centric MusicFest String Quartet returns to the splendour of the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. Enjoy curated acoustics and crystal-clear sound through our specially prepared wireless headphones as you relax in one of Lethbridge’s iconic outdoor locales.

Cherished by many, the Goldberg Variations are emblematic of keyboard virtuosity, rich expression, and hardcore classical interpretation. Sarah will offer a short introduction to this marvellous and intense piece before playing the full work.

“Canadian pianist Sarah Hagen’s Goldberg Variations are dramatically different. Naysayers and refusniks beware: her approach combines unfettered joy, wide awake with wonder, requisite pedagogy, and the ability to make the instrument bend to her will. The epic scope of the work is stated right out of the gate, with an extensive exploration of the Aria that opens the way to the variable tempi, harmonic adventure with unlimited changes in registration and emotion. Hagen’s performance combines vivid precision of touch with perfect articulation of line, making her Goldberg Variations something to absolutely die for.” – Whole Note Magazine

Primo Music Assoc. Scholarship Winner: Jeran Lynnes, marimba

CMF String Quartet

With Ryan Kolodziej, piano

Alina Khvatova, first violin

Vladimir Rufino, second violin

Fabiola Amorim, viola

Christine Bootland, cello

Sarah released an album of Goldberg Variations in 2021. Her third album, Women of Note, highlights two forgotten female composers of the 18th century, and garnered the 2021 Music PEI Instrumental Recording of the Year as well as two ECMA nominations. Sarah’s debut solo album, Glass House Dancing, was nominated for Classical Recording of the Year at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards. Her second album, Devoted: Music of Robert & Clara Schumann, features solo piano works and Clara Schumann’s Romances, Opus 22 with violinist Martin Chalifour, concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. In addition to writing wine reviews for her blog, “ARTIST WINES! – Uncorking musician-priced cellar secrets,” Sarah tours a one woman musical comedy show called “Perk up, pianist!” of which the Edmonton Journal wrote, “Her comic timing is as solid as her musical meter.”

Select Reviews:

“…the level of passion that Hagen possesses – when it comes to experiencing, interpreting and expressing art – is something quite extraordinary. It does seem to be this deep level of artistic understanding, and ability to communicate on this level – either through words or through artistic expression – that truly sets her apart as a pianist and musical artist. …it was immediately apparent that this would be a piano concert beyond the norm. …Hagen is one of the most expressive piano players that I have ever seen perform. ” – The Guardian (Charlottetown)

“If all you wanted was a marvelously handled piece of difficult piano music, it would be hard to ask for more. Hagen did much more than just hit the notes in the right spots. […] “I’ll have to admit I’m not usually a fan of such Russian works, but Hagen’s performance has made me reconsider my classical music likes and dislikes.” – Smithers Interior News

“Mozart’s D minor Fantasy K. 397, played flawlessly by Sarah Hagen” – Review Vancouver

“Hagen played “with great sensitivity and heart.” – Vernon Morning Star

“Her Bach and Haydn were outstandingly inventive” – University of Waterloo Gazette

His dedication to musical evolution is now leading him to pursue a Bachelor of Music at the University of Lethbridge to further fuel his passion for percussion.

Along his journey, Jeran’s talent has been recognized at the Lethbridge and District Music and Speech Arts Festival, where he’s been honoured as the recipient of the Ackroyd Percussion Award, the Ray Bainborough Memorial Scholarship, and the Primo Music Association Scholarship. He has performed in a variety of settings, ranging from high school bands to the WHIP Youth Percussion Ensemble, the U of L Young Artists Music Academy, Whoop Up Days, and his personal rock band.

As Jeran continues his musical exploration, he remains dedicated to growth, always seeking to expand his skills and honing his craft. Beyond the stage, he loves spending time with friends in collaborative music-making sessions. When he’s not making music, Jeran enjoys simple pleasures like reading, driving his car, and watching movies.

Vladimir has performed with orchestras in Brazil, the United States, and Canada, on many occasions serving as soloist, and concertmaster. His chamber music experience includes numerous international performances as part of the Quartet Quarta Dimensão, the Camerata Brasílica, the Villa-Lobos String Quartet, and the Vaughan String Quartet.

Vladimir performs regularly with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and as first violin of the Vaughan String Quartet. In addition to his performance schedule, Vladimir adjudicates for festivals and competitions in Alberta and teaches at the MacEwan University Conservatory of Music and Mount Royal University Conservatory of Music.

She has studied with renowned artists Aldo Parisot, Janos Starker, Zara Nelsova, and Lawrence Lesser at the Banff School of Fine Arts and has performed with well-known classical musicians David Shifrin, Andrew Dawes, Kai Gleusteen and country artist Lyle Lovett.

Christine is an active extra performer in various chamber ensembles and with the Lethbridge, Red Deer and Regina Symphonies as well as the Symphony of the Kootenays and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

She has toured Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia as a member of the Armadillo String Quartet of Canada and was first prize winner in the CIBC National Chamber Music Festival Competition with the JEB string quartet. Christine has adjudicated all over Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan and her students have won numerous awards at all levels but for her, she gets immense joy from doing educational outreach performance programs wherever she is. Christine was on the faculty at Medicine Hat College from 2001-2021 as cello instructor, ensemble coach, Academy Instructor and conductor and program coordinator for both the Community and Junior Orchestras. In 2010 she was pleased to be invited to become a cello instructor at the University of Lethbridge Conservatory of Music three days a week. Her favorite thing to do in her down time is to read, experiment in her garden and go for walks.

We invite our audiences to have fun with us as we exponentially expand the sonic possibilities of the piano and negotiate the athletic and contortionist choreography necessary to share the keyboard. As dedicated performer-educators, we aspire to bring our enthusiasm for ensemble music making to our students and our communities!

Most recently, FOURtitude performed and/or led master classes in Calgary at the Adults Learning Music Support Group, Crowsnest Pass Art Gallery, Medicine Hat College Conservatory, Music at Noon Series at the U of L, and at the Keys to Piano Workshop and Lunch and Listen Series at the U of L Conservatory.

We are also founding faculty members of the U of L Conservatory’s Lethbridge Piano Intensive (LPI), a memorable summer music program for teens, juniors, adults, and teacher auditors held each summer at the University of Lethbridge.