World premieres journey through truth and illusion at the Annex, May 31

Astrolabe Musik Theatre presents Farshid Samandari’s The Greater Sea and Gheorghi Arnaoudov’s Notes of the Phantom Woman

Astrolabe Musik Theatre presents Fiction, Fact, Fools — And the Search for Truth and Beauty at the Annex on May 31 at 7:30 pm

“BEAUTY IS TRUTH, truth beauty,” writes poet John Keats at the end of his Ode on a Grecian Urn.

The statement lies at the heart of two monodramas for voice and chamber ensemble: Farshid Samandari’s The Greater Sea and Gheorghi Arnaoudov’s Notes of the Phantom Woman. Presented by Astrolabe Musik Theatre, this double bill was written specifically for the company that pushes the bounds of classical vocal music.

The world premieres embark on a journey through truth and illusion, posing a spiritual quest and questioning how beauty and truth are recognized in today’s world.

Winner of the Vancouver Symphony Winter Olympic Commission, Samandari is an Iranian-Canadian composer who integrates different ethnic music and spectral techniques in his works. In The Greater Sea, he brings poet Kahlil Gibran’s text to life and explores the blurred boundary between madness and enlightenment.

Bulgarian composer Arnaoudov’s adaptation of Iana Boukova’s evocative poetry Notes of the Phantom Woman centres around a baffling true-crime mystery. Recognized as one of the most distinctive European composers, Arnaoudov finds his minimalist style in unconventional storytelling that “meditates on an idea,” lingering on spiritualism and esthetic mysticism.

Known for her creation of roles in new Canadian operas, Vancouver soprano Heather Pawsey takes the lead in both works. The chamber ensemble features percussionists Jonathan Bernard and Gregory Samek; flutist Paolo Bortolussi; pianists Jane Hayes, Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, and Anna Levy; cellist Isidora Nojkovic; and saxophonist Julia Nolan, under renowned local conductor Leslie Dala.

The world premieres take the stage on May 31 at the Annex, offering an immersive musical experience that bridges poetry, mystery, and philosophical inquiry. These monodramas invite audiences to step into a realm where sound and story intertwine—challenging perceptions of truth, beauty, and belief.

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Helen Wu

Helen (Yichun) Wu is a classical musician and music critic with an interest in the performing arts at large. Before moving to Canada to pursue a Master of Journalism at UBC, she received her degrees in piano for solo and chamber music, and comparative literature in the United States.

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