Harmonies emanating from four guitars in a powerful toe-tapping concert will fill two Foothills churches next weekend.
The talented Canadian Guitar Quartet is bringing its combination of popular classical tunes and original arrangements to the Red Deer Lake United Church for the On the Edge Concert Series Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and at the High River United Church for the Gift of Music Society Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The quartet features the talents of Julien Bisaillon, Renaud Coté-Giguere, Bruno Roussel and Louis Trépanier.
“Our music is really accessible,” said Bisaillon. “We really like to speak about the music we are playing in concert and we let people know a little bit of the insides about every one of the works that we are representing. It makes the music easier to understand and it’s easier to enjoy in that sense also.”
Bisaillon joined the Canadian Guitar Quartet in 2010 after 11 years studying under the tutorship of one of the founding members Patrick Roux.
“They were an ensemble that I was really looking up to and I really enjoyed their concerts,” he said. “I have always had a blast hearing them on stage and seeing how easy it seems for them to play the guitar.”
Bisaillon was drawn to the guitar and it was while studying music at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau that solidified his dream to perform.
“After I was done with my science degree I decided to go with music full time,” he said. “It was making me happier and it was something that I always dreamt of doing.”
With Roux as a teacher, Bisaillon developed exceptional skills as a guitar player in his youth.
“I discovered all the repertoire that spans early from renaissance music to more contemporary works which are really appealing as well as interesting musically and really fun to play on stage,” he said. “Three of us (with the Canadian Guitar Quartet) studied with Patrick Roux.”
When the four performers come together, their harmonies combine into one.
“As a classical guitar quartet we all play the same instrument with the same range of notes,” he said. “You don’t try to be too different from the other guys. We all have our individual abilities and strengths but we try to really be involved equally in the pieces in that we don’t have one guy who is always lead or one guy who is always accompaniment.”
Bisaillon said it’s all about balance.
“We try to keep it very even and we try to put that forward as one of the strengths as the quartet that we are all four virtuosos that can do basically anything on the guitar,” he said.
The 17-year-old Canadian Guitar Quartet’s repertoire has been building over the years with more original arrangements combined with classical pieces easily recognized by audiences, said Bisaillon.
“We have a piece on our program by our newest member Renaud who is also a great composer,” he said. “Patrick is a great composer and we always like to program his music. We mix that with arrangements that are better known by audiences.
“We like to mix up the styles, we like to mix up the influences and try to give people music that they know, but also have them make some new discoveries as well.”
The quartet has three critically acclaimed CDs, it has performed in some of Canada’s most prestigious concert halls from the Winspear Centre in Edmonton to the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and has been broadcast on CBC and Radio-Canada.
This month’s Alberta tour includes performances in Calgary, High River, Lacombe, Lethbridge, Sherwood Park and Grande Prairie.
Bisaillon said it’s their first visit to the province since 2012.
“We’ve always been welcomed very warmly in Alberta and B.C.,” said Bisaillon. “One of the concerts where we had our all time record of CD sales was with the Edmonton Symphony. The public has always been very warm to us in your region.”
The Canadian Guitar Quartet will return to Alberta with a performance at the Mount Royal Conservatory in February.
“We will see the people out west a few times this year,” he said. “We are really looking forward to that.”
Tickets to watch the Canadian Guitar Quartet perform at Red Deer Lake cost $25 per person, $10 for youth and those 12 and under are free. To purchase tickets call 403-256-3181 ext. 5 or go to rdlunitedchurch.org
Tickets to see them perform in High River cost $30 for adults and $10 for youth by going to highrivergiftofmusic.com
