An up-and-coming contemporary vocal chamber ensemble 鈥� looking to transform how people view classical music 鈥� is launching a classical tour featuring their debut album on Vancouver Island in December.
Raised on Vancouver Island, cellist Sahara von Hattenberger and soprano Vanessa Croome are making a name for themselves by creating Canada's first voice and cello ensemble and redefining classical music.
They both grew up as band nerds in school, living about an hour apart 鈥� von Hattenberger in Comox and Croome in Nanaimo 鈥� but only crossed paths in Montreal in 2022.
Their debut album, Duo 脡trange, has been released under the esteemed, Montreal-based label, ATMA Classique.
"We're creating new classical music that is created for voice and cello to be played for people in more casual settings," Croome told the Mirror.
The goal is to blend classical tradition with modern aesthetics, bringing fresh perspectives to contemporary compositions, small ensemble works, and digital projects.
Typically, instrumentalists and singers in a classical setting have little interaction, Croome added. Building that interaction between vocals and cello is what the pair emphasize in their work.
"It's funny because in popular contemporary music, singers and guitarists and drummers work together all the time 鈥� it's very normal," she said.
Duo 脡trange takes pride in its commitment to diversity, placing an emphasis on female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ creators, according to a media release. Their unique soprano-cello pairing explores new timbres, collaborating with artists, such as pianists Kyoko Hashimoto and Joanne Kang, as well as videographer Huei Lin, as featured in The New York Times.
The concerts are independently produced, meaning sales from tickets directly support Canadian artists and composers.
The tour will include performances in Comox on Dec. 3 and in Campbell River on Dec. 4. To check out the artist's music, see https://www.duoetrange.com. Tickets are available on .
