Introduction to Piano Quintet Playing
May 1, 2026
Saturday, August 8th, 2026
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Presented with Music on Main
Langley Community Music School and Music on Main are delighted to present The Kessler Academy String Orchestra to the community at this free summer concert!
Rising young string professionals and advanced students take to the Rose Gellert Hall Stage with the Microcosmos Quartet and celebrated pianist Spartak Margarya to perform repertoire inspired by Apollo, the Greek god of music, poetry, and the sun.
Following a week-long mentorship program of intensive rehearsals, young professional string players share great music by Benjamin Britten, Igor Stravinsky, and Alfred Schnittke.
Benjamin Britten’s Apollo is exuberant and virtuosic, while Igor Stravinsky’s Apollon Musagète, the composer’s first collaboration with choreographer George Balanchine, exemplifies the elegance and rhythmic precision of neoclassicism.
The concert also features Alfred Schnittke’s Piano Concerto, performed by pianist Spartak Margaryan. Praised for his “strongly defined personality” and “exceptional refinement,” Margaryan is widely regarded as one of the most promising pianists of his generation, bringing extraordinary depth and artistry to everything he plays.
Join us in supporting the stars of tomorrow with performances that promise an unforgettable afternoon of inspiration and musical discovery.
The concert will take place in the intimate setting of the Rose Gellert Hall at 4899 207 St, Langley City, BC, V3A 2E4. No registration is required, admission is FREE, and everyone is welcome to join us for this perfect afternoon of great music making!
The Kessler Academy is generously sponsored by Eileen Mate, and is also supported by The Greygates Foundation, held at the Vancouver Foundation.
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About Spartak Margaryan, piano
At the age of eleven, he began his piano education at the renowned state Alexander Spendaryan Music School for gifted children in Yerevan, Armenia, under the guidance of Marina Vardanyan. During his training in Yerevan, Spartak not only focused intensively on piano playing but also on composition. Some of his compositions were performed at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall and received great recognition from audiences and critics. Spartak achieved remarkable success in various international piano competitions, including the Grand Prix at the International “Flame” Piano Competition in Paris, the First Prize at the International Piano Competition Solphi Al Wadi in Damascus, Syria, and the Second Prize at the 18th International N. Rubinstein Piano Competition in Paris.
In 2019, Spartak was honored as Hamburg’s emerging star at the unveiling of the new Steinway & Sons Limited Edition at the Elbphilharmonie. In 2021, Spartak released his CD “Sonus Eterna” featuring the Beethoven Diabelli Variations. In 2022, he was appointed a fellow of the Frantz Wirth Memorial Foundation. In 2023, Spartak participated in the Telekom Beethoven Competition in Bonn. In 2024, he made his debut concert at the prestigious Flagey Piano Days in Brussels.
Spartak Margaryan performs as a soloist and in chamber music ensembles on numerous stages in Armenia, Italy, France, USA, Canada and Germany. His interpretation of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations was praised by Konstantin Lifschitz as “a highly refined and extremely stable structure by one of the most promising musicians of our time.“ “Spartak Margaryan presents an impressive and remarkable rendition of the 33 Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120, which convinces through precise understanding, musical sensitivity, and thoughtful interpretation. We can eagerly anticipate how this young musician will continue to evolve.“ (The New Listener 2022)
About Microcosmos Quartet
Microcosmos was formed in Vancouver in the spring of 2010 to perform the rich repertoire of string quartets written in the past 100 years. The quartet takes advantage of the compactness and portability of a string quartet – four chairs and adequate light are all that is required – to present some of the greatest music of the 20th and 21st centuries in intimate spaces and sometimes unusual venues such as private homes, clubs, small halls, public and commercial buildings, for an audience that can experience the music close at hand.
The six quartets of Béla Bartók form the core of the quartet’s repertoire, complemented by important related works, including those by Canadian composers. Aside from the quartet’s intimate ‘house’ concerts, they have been guests on other series including a performance of Benjamin Britten’s three quartets, celebrating his centennial in 2013 for Music on Main’s lauded ‘Cellar’ series, the premiere of eleven works for quartet as ensemble-in-residence for Vancouver Pro Musica’s ‘Further’ Series in 2015, and ‘Speaking in Ligeti’, an interdisciplinary collaboration with MMHop Productions and four dancers that toured to Halifax and Ottawa.
In 2015 the quartet launched the Kessler Academy, an annual educational initiative featuring a conductor-less orchestra mentorship program led by the quartet members.
About Kessler Academy
With the understanding that there is no better learning situation than making music alongside those with more experience, the Kessler Academy was established to give young string players an intensive experience preparing and performing a challenging program in a professional context.
The session will involve a concentrated period of rehearsal at the Post at 750 in downtown Vancouver, followed by a public concert at the Roundhouse, presented by Music on Main on August 10th, 2024. Rehearals will begin on August 4th.
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of friends of the Microcosmos Quartet, along with private and foundation sponsors, participation is subsidized. The Kessler Academy is open to advanced high school and university level students, as well as young professional musicians.
To learn more and to contribute to this important and valuable opportunity for young musicans, visit KesslerAcademy.com
The Kessler Academy is a project of Microcosmos Quartet, in collaboration with Music on Main.
