Pranks, Jokes, & Hoaxes: Haydn & P.D.Q. Bach

Featuring: Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Sharon Wei Symphonic shenanigans for April Fools’. Expect the unexpected with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, featuring symphonies by P.D.Q. Bach (the “Weird Al” of classical music) and “Papa” Haydn. Also, not one, but two viola concertos – we’re not joking – performed by Canadian violist Sharon Wei, including a French forgery of J.C. Bach and a new commission from Saman Shahi. *Co-commission by Obiora Ensemble, Stratford Symphony Orchestra, PEI Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Nova Scotia. About the Artists: Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser , conductor A passionate communicator, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. He is concurrently the Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Partner and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, and Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education of the San Francisco Symphony. Daniel has conducted the Houston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Link-Up Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, and he is the Music Director of the Kennedy Center Summer Music Institute. He served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and was Cover Conductor with the Washington National Opera. Daniel is the host of CBC’s nationally broadcast weekly radio show Centre Stage . Sharon Wei, viola Sharon Wei is a dynamic and multi-faceted musician, recognized as one of the most respected violists on the scene today. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Kingston Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and premiered Mascall’s Ziigwan concerto with London Symphonia. She has performed recital tours with Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut with pianist Angela Park. Sharon premiered Saman Shahi’s viola concerto— inspired by the Northern Tornadoes Project —in Montreal with Ensemble Obiora, with additional performances in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As a chamber musician, Sharon regularly performs at festivals such as Marlboro, Verbier, Banff, Seattle, and Ravinia. She is the violist of the award-winning New Orford String Quartet and has collaborated with renowned musicians including James Ehnes, Claude Frank, Joseph Silverstein, and the Amernet and St. Lawrence String Quartets. Sharon co-founded Ensemble Made in Canada in 2006, and their Mosaïque Project —which won the 2021 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year—toured across Canada in both traditional venues and unique settings, such as the seabed of Hopewell Rocks at low tide. Sharon has served on the faculties of Yale and Stanford Universities and is currently Associate Professor of Viola at Western University, where she has also held the role of Assistant Dean of Research. She is a regular faculty member at Curtis Summerfest, Scotia Festival, Toronto Summer Music, and the Orford Academy. Sharon won the viola prize at Yale University, is a Western Faculty Scholar, and has received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR. Expect the unexpected with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, featuring symphonies by P.D.Q. Bach (the “Weird Al” of classical music) and “Papa” Haydn. Also, not one, but two viola concertos – we’re not joking – performed by Canadian violist Sharon Wei, including a French forgery of J.C. Bach and a new commission from Saman Shahi. *Co-commission by Obiora Ensemble, Stratford Symphony Orchestra, PEI Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Nova Scotia. A passionate communicator, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. He is concurrently the Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Partner and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, and Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education of the San Francisco Symphony. Daniel has conducted the Houston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Link-Up Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Regina Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, and he is the Music Director of the Kennedy Center Summer Music Institute. He served as Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and was Cover Conductor with the Washington National Opera.