Cascade Peaks ChamberFest launches its annual Festival Concert Series at scenic RockRidge Canyon, June 19 to 21

Taking place in the state-of-the-art Rock Theatre, program features the Borealis String Quartet, Juno Award–winning Gryphon Trio, and more

SPONSORED POST BY Langley Community Music School

Artists performing as part of Cascade Peaks ChamberFest.

This year, Cascade Peaks ChamberFest will celebrate its third Festival Concert Series, titled Fire and Light, from June 19 to 21. Sponsored by the Langley Community Music School, the festival will take place just a two-hour drive from the Lower Mainland on the stunning grounds of RockRidge Canyon, which is located 14 kilometres south of Princeton.

The series of three concerts takes place in the 320-seat, state-of-the-art Rock Theatre, located on the shores of Lorne Lake. Joining Ensemble-in-Residence the Borealis String Quartet on the program this year is the Juno Award–winning Gryphon Trio, along with violinist Mark Fewer, violist Sharon Wei, and the Chamber Vocal Ensemble led by Mark Vuorinen.

The festival opens on June 19 at 7:30 pm with music of dramatic intensity and emotional depth. Beethoven’s String Trio in G major, Op. 9, No. 1 reveals the young composer already expanding the expressive possibilities of chamber music, blending Classical elegance with bold energy and rich interplay among the instruments. Written nearly 170 years later, Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat major, Op. 117 reflects a deeply personal voice forged under political pressure, its five connected movements shifting between quiet introspection and bursts of restless urgency. The program culminates with Brahms’s sweeping Piano Trio No. 3 in C minor, Op. 101, one of the composer’s most powerful chamber works.

Cascade Peaks ChamberFest concert in the Rock Theatre.

The second evening on June 20 celebrates lyricism, colour, and musical dialogue across centuries. Starting at 7 pm in the theatre lobby, the Chamber Vocal Ensemble—comprised of young pre-professional ensemble singers from across Canada—and the Borealis String Quartet will present the world premiere of Imant Raminsh’s Where Wildness Lives, under the direction of Vuorinen. Following that in the Rock Theatre will be Mozart’s Duo for Violin and Viola in B-flat Major, K. 424. A masterpiece of elegant conversation between two instruments, the work is full of warmth and effortless melodies.

The program then turns to contemporary Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy, whose 1997 composition Give Me Phoenix Wings to Fly evokes transformation and renewal through vibrant rhythms and soaring musical gestures. After intermission, Dvořák’s beloved Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major unites piano and strings in one of the most joyful works of the chamber repertoire.

RockRidge Canyon grounds, where Cascade Peaks ChamberFest takes place.

The festival concludes at 2 pm on June 21 with music of brilliance, vitality, and exuberance. Haydn’s Piano Trio in A major, Hob. XV:18 sparkles with the wit and clarity that helped define the Classical style, with its graceful melodies and playful exchanges between violin, cello, and piano capturing the composer’s unmistakable charm. Bohuslav Martinů’s Sonata for Violin and Piano brings a contrasting 20th-century voice, blending rhythmic drive, lyrical passages, and flashes of folk-inspired energy. The festival culminates with Tchaikovsky’s electrifying “Souvenir de Florence”, a lush and virtuosic work for string sextet.

Several ticket options are available online through the Cascade Peaks ChamberFest website, including Festival Access Passes for the complete concert series and single concert tickets for individual events.

Accommodation for out-of-town guests can be arranged at the Wolfe Creek Lodge, which will be reserved for Festival Pass Holders; learn more here.

Post sponsored by Langley Community Music School.

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