Alexander Weimann plays “O Canada”–infused piano classics in True North Variations, July 27
Early Music Vancouver Summer Festival concert coincides with the release of a new CD
Alexander Weimann. Photo by Mark Mushet
Early Music Vancouver presents True North Variations: O Canada Reimagined at the Annex on July 27 at 2 pm, as part of its 2025 Summer Festival
HISTORICAL MUSIC CAN be intimidating for new listeners—mainly because of the sheer volume of material that’s out there. But at Early Music Vancouver’s 2025 Summer Festival, one event is providing a thorough overview of the genre through the lens of a tune that everyone in the country is familiar with: “O Canada”.
In a matinee concert called True North Variations: O Canada Reimagined, renowned German-born conductor, harpsichordist, and pianist Alexander Weimann performs a piano program that features improvised variations on works by J.S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Purcell, Mozart, Scriabin, Mendelssohn, and Messiaen—all infused with different aspects of the “O Canada” melody.
“Fairest Isle” from Purcell’s opera King Arthur will open and close the song cycle. In his program notes, Weimann writes that the tune’s beginning notes resemble an alliteration with the national anthem, adding that its “lyrics and atmosphere suggest to me the lifelong desire to travel toward something beyond words.”
The concert coincides with the release of Weimann’s CD Canavian Variations: The Art of Improvisation, Volume 3, his third installment in a series of improvised piano works. It will be available for streaming across platforms as of July 27.
The matinee will start out with a conversation about the project between Weimann and Early Music Vancouver’s artistic and executive director, Suzie LeBlanc; Weimann’s 35-minute performance will follow, and a Q&A with the audience will conclude the event.
This year’s EMV Summer Festival, themed Bach & Mozart: In Endless Ascent, will run from July 26 to August 8. Read Stir’s coverage of the full lineup here. 
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