We're thrilled to present Continental Drifts, ChamberFest West's fifth annual chamber music festival. Join us July 14 - 19, 2026, for an extraordinary journey across continents and centuries, from the ancient griot traditions of West Africa to the concert halls of Vienna, from the wide open spaces of the American West to the drawing rooms of Paris, and everywhere in between. As always, you can expect breathtaking performances from some of the world's finest chamber musicians.
We're pleased to offer Ambassador Passes and Festival Passes for the five concert series. The Ambassador Pass includes a complimentary guest ticket to Concert I, so bring someone special along for the ride.
We can't wait to see you all this summer!
Diana Cohen and Roman Rabinovich - Artistic Directors
Ticket Types
Ambassador Pass
Experience all 5 concerts and bring a guest to opening night!
Ambassador Passes include a complimentary guest ticket to our opening night concert, Pangaea at the Bella Concert Hall - so you can introduce a friend to ChamberFest West, and a $47.50 charitable tax receipt. Thanks for your support!
Check the concert descriptions to learn more about each performance, and our website for a list of 2026 musicians.
Festival Pass
Five concerts for the price of four!
Check the concert descriptions to learn more about each performance, and our website for a list of 2026 musicians
Community Concert
Join us on the front lawn at cSpace for a free concert showcasing some of our amazing festival musicians. Bring a blanket or chair, relax in the setting sun, and savour some sublime music.
July 14, 2026
cSpace
Marda Loop
1721 29 Ave SW
Calgary, AB T2T 6T7
Pangea
ChamberFest West opens its fifth season to a world without borders. This celebratory program journeys across continents, beginning with African Classical Music featuring master kora player Tunde Jegede and the vivid storytelling of Chinese folklore, followed by the hypnotic Piano Phase by American minimalist Steve Reich and the high-octane, dance-charged virtuosity of Matthew Hindson’s Rush. The program concludes with Johannes Brahms’s Sextet in G major—often called his most ethereal large-scale work—unfolding with deep romantic lyricism and a rich, enveloping warmth.
July 15, 18, 19, 2026
Mount Royal University
Bella Concert Hall
18 Mt Royal Cir SW
Calgary, AB T3E 7N5
Program:
TUNDE JEGEDE (b. 1972)
Moon Waters
Tunde Jegede, Kora
TRADITIONAL (arr. Yang Bao Zhi, b.1935)
Ambush on All Sides
Blake Pouliot, violin | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
STEVE REICH (b. 1936)
Piano Phase for Two Pianos
Roman Rabinovich, piano | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
MIGUEL DEL ÁGUILA (b. 1957)
Clocks, Op. 58 (No. 1)
for piano quintet
David McCarroll, violin | Kerson Leong, violin
Njord Fossnes, viola | Brook Speltz, cello | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
MATTHEW HINDSON (b. 1968)
Rush
for piano trio
David McCarroll, violin | Brook Speltz, cello | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
- Intermission -
JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)
String Sextet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 36
Blake Pouliot, violin | Diana Cohen, violin
Pearl de la Motte, viola | Njord Fosnes, viola
Oliver Herbert, cello | Clancy Newman, cello
300 Years of Groove
Violin phenom Kerson Leong opens with a burst of brilliance, leading a seamless, no-intermission journey from the radiant clarity of Johann Sebastian Bach through the shimmering virtuosity of Francisco Tárrega and Eugène Ysaÿe, while Charles Ives’ bold, experimental Piano Trio introduces unexpected twists along the way. The energy spills into Clancy Newman’s electrifying arrangements of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah for cello choir, before culminating in Ernő Dohnányi’s Sextet—a vibrant blend of Romantic sweep, wit, and a touch of shadow beneath its luminous surface.
July 16, 2026
The GRAND Theatre
608 - 1st Street SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 1M6
Program:
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
Prelude
Kerson Leong, violin
FRANCISCO TÁRREGA (1852-1909)
Recuerdos de la Alhambra
Kerson Leong, violin
EUGÈNE YSAŸE (1858-1931)
Sonata No. 5, Op. 27, No. 5
Danse rustique
Kerson Leong, violin
CHARLES IVES (1874-1954)
Piano Trio, S. 86
Anthony Marwood, violin | Clancy Newman, cello | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
MARK RONSON (b. 1975) (arr. Clancy Newman)
Uptown Funk
Clancy Newman, cello
LEONARD COHEN (1934-2016) (arr. Clancy Newman)
Hallelujah
for three cellos
Clancy Newman | Brook Speltz | Oliver Herbert
ERNŐ DOHNÁNYI (1877-1960)
Sextet in C Major, Op. 37
Diana Cohen, violin | Jennifer Stumm, viola
Brook Speltz, cello | Jay Shankar, clarinet
Nikolette LaBonte, horn | Roman Rabinovich, piano
Friction & Sparks
This program moves between elegance and intensity. Franz Danzi’s Wind Quintet is genial and playful, its textures light and full of charm, while Dmitri Shostakovich’s late Violin Sonata cuts deeper—spare, intense, and haunting in its stark introspection. After the break, Venezuelan-French composer Reynaldo Hahn’s Piano Quintet surges with passion, offering dramatic fervor, evocative colors, and a sweeping sense of release.
July 17, 2027
University of Calgary
Cenovus Energy Great Hall, Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall
206 University Ct NW
Calgary, AB T2N 4V8
Program:
FRANZ DANZI (1763-1826)
Wind Quintet, Op. 56, No. 1
Christie Reside, flute | Ben Price, oboe | Jay Shankar, clarinet
Nikolette LaBonte, horn | Antoine St-Onge, bassoon
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Violin Sonata, Op. 134
Anthony Marwood, violin | Roman Rabinovich, piano
- Intermission -
REYNALDO HAHN (1874-1947)
Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor
David McCarroll, violin | Diana Cohen, violin
Jennifer Stumm, viola | Oliver Herbert, cello | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
NEW WORLD
From the Catalan Baroque virtuosity of José Plà and Juan Bautista Plà to the imaginative colors of Gryphonsong by “brilliant and compelling” Vincent Ho, this program explores musical horizons. Aaron Copland’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Appalachian Spring celebrates the American pioneer spirit with themes of hope, love, and community, leading to Antonín Dvořák’s String Quintet in E-flat major—shaped by his travels to the New World and created in a particularly joyful, optimistic frame of mind.
July 15, 18, 19, 2026
Mount Royal University
Bella Concert Hall
18 Mt Royal Cir SW
Calgary, AB T3E 7N5
Program:
JOSÉ PLÀ (c. 1728-1762) & JUAN BAUTISTA PLÀ (c. 1720-1773)
Trio Sonata in D minor
Allegro molto - Andante - Allegro assai
Ben Price, oboe | Kerson Leong, violin | Oliver Herbert, cello
Chris Sies, percussion | Roman Rabinovich, harpsichord
VINCENT HO (b. 1975)
Gryphonsong
Anthony Marwood, violin | Clancy Newman, cello | Roman Rabinovich, piano
AARON COPLAND (1900-1990)
Appalachian Spring (1944)
Christie Reside, flute | Jay Shankar, clarinet | Antoine St-Onge, bassoon
Blake Pouliot, violin | David McCarroll, violin
Kerson Leong, violin | Diana Cohen, violin
Njord Fossnes, viola | Pearl de la Motte, viola
Brook Speltz, cello | Oliver Herbert, cello
Nathan Farrington, double bass | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
- Intermission -
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97 (B. 180)
Anthony Marwood, violin | David McCarroll, violin Jennifer Stumm,
viola | Njord Fossnes, viola Oliver Herbert, cello
GRAND FINALE — Schubert’s “Trout”
We close our season with a buoyant program, beginning with Joseph Haydn’s sparkling, extroverted Piano Trio in C major, followed by the wit and drive of Sergei Prokofiev’s sardonic Quintet, then the raw, high-energy sound of Jörg Widmann, one of today’s most versatile and compelling musical voices. The festival ends with Franz Schubert’s iconic “Trout” Quintet—radiant, generous, and full of life—a final celebration of pure, shared joy!
July 15, 18, 19, 2026
Mount Royal University
Bella Concert Hall
18 Mt Royal Cir SW
Calgary, AB T3E 7N5
Program:
JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809)
Piano Trio No. 43 in C Major, Hob. XV:27
Blake Pouliot, violin | Oliver Herbert, cello | Zoltan Fejervari, piano
SERGEI PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Quintet, Op. 39
Ben Price, oboe | Jay Shankar, clarinet | Diana Cohen, violin
Njord Fossnes, viola | Nathan Farrington, double bass
JÖRG WIDMANN (b. 1973)
180 Beats Per Minute
for string sextet
Kerson Leong, violin | Diana Cohen, violin
Njord Fossnes, viola | Pearl de la Motte, viola
Brook Speltz, cello | Clancy Newman, cello
- Intermission -
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Piano Quintet in A Major, "Trout," D. 667
Kerson Leong, violin | Jennifer Stumm, viola
Brook Speltz, cello | Nathan Farrington, double bass | Roman Rabinovich, piano