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Sinfonia hosts cellist in weekend concert

Desmond Hoebig returns home for Centennial Theatre performance
Sinfonia
The Lions Gate Sinfonia, led by conductor Clyde Mitchell, performs with cellist Desmond Hoebig at Centennial Theatre on Nov. 2.

The Romantic Hero, presented by Lions Gate Sinfonia, Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. at North Vancouver's Centennial Theatre. For more info: lionsgatesinfonia.com.

A renowned international cellist is gearing up to make a hometown appearance this weekend on the North Shore.

North Vancouver native Desmond Hoebig, who currently resides in Houston, Texas, where he's worked at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University as a professor of cello for the last five and a half years, is slated to take the stage for his firstever performance with Lions Gate Sinfonia. The concert, entitled The Romantic Hero, will get underway Sunday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. at Centennial Theatre.

While teaching is his current focus, Hoebig has had a long career as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician, including as a member of the Juno Award-winning Orford String Quartet, the Hoebig-Moroz Trio, and a duo with Andrew Tunis. He attended the Juilliard School, has earned countless awards and served as principal cellist of the Cleveland, Houston and Cincinnati symphony orchestras.

"I love the music so much. It's part of who I am," he says. "If somebody is willing to allow me to perform it, it excites me that I'm given such a great opportunity. Making music with friends is one of the greatest pleasures we can have. So if you really feel passionate about anything, and so I feel passionate about this music, you want to express that. Since I have that emotional connection to this music, I want to express it.

Being given this opportunity, is just very exciting."

Hoebig's sister, Gwen Hoebig, is likewise a renowned classical musician and has been based in Winnipeg for the last 27 years. A violinist, Gwen serves as concertmaster of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Desmond travels north for West Coast dates every now and then, however this is his first local performance in some time.

"It's been a little while," he says.

That said, he is in the area regularly as his mother, Patricia, 94, a retired North Shore music teacher, lives in Lynn Valley.

While it's Desmond's debut with Lions Gate Sinfonia, he's looking forward to playing with a few familiar faces, including conductor Clyde Mitchell, the professional orchestra's music director, who he's known for a very long time, initially as a French horn player.

Overall, Desmond is viewing the upcoming North Shore performance as a special one.

"It is special because I love Vancouver. It is special because I get to spend some time with my mom. It's special because I've known Clyde for a long time even though I haven't worked with him. It's special because some of the people in the orchestra I've actually known since being a child. It will be fun to see these people who knew me as a teenager," he says.

Desmond will perform Antonin Dvorak's Cello Concerto. "It's the most known cello concerto. It is a spectacular work that is incredibly beautiful - very grand style. Just a really gorgeous, gorgeous romantic concerto," he says.

Featuring some beautiful, soaring melodies, the orchestral parts are equally as interesting as the solo sections.

"It's not that you're just hearing the soloist run around and the orchestra is kind of twiddling their thumbs. Especially the principal wind parts have some spectacular melodies themselves. So it's a showcase for the orchestra," he says.

"The people who want to come will absolutely be just taken with what a beautiful piece it is. Hopefully they will be inspired," he adds.

Lions Gate Sinfonia will also play Franz Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony" and the audience will be treated to a performance by Lions Gate Youth Sinfonia, set to open the concert with Hungarian and Slavonic Dances by Brahms and Dvorak.