From the Beach Boys to Bach, Vetta Chamber Music thinks outside the box in Joan and Joe, March 3 to 6
The upcoming concert features Vetta’s artistic director Joan Blackman performing with the Joe Trio
Joan Blackman.
The Joe Trio.
Vetta Chamber Music presents Joan and Joe: Outside the Box on March 3 at 2 pm at West Point Grey United Church; March 4 at 7:30 pm at West Vancouver United Church; March 5 at 2 pm at Pyatt Hall; and March 6 at 7:30 pmn at ArtSpring on Salt Spring Island.
An arrangement of the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and “Surf’s Up”; Astor Piazzolla’s “Summer”; and Bernie, Casey and Pinker’s “Sweet Georgia Brown” (which is perhaps best known as the Harlem Globetrotters’ theme song): these may not be the kind of numbers that first come to mind when thinking of a performance by a chamber-music ensemble. The title of Vetta Chamber Music’s upcoming concert, however, hints at the content, with Joan and Joe: Outside the Box hitting local stages this weekend.
Those first names refer to Vetta artistic director Joan Blackman, a violin virtuoso; and the members of the Vancouver-based Joe Trio: Cameron Wilson (violinist and arranger); cellist Charles Inkman; and pianist Allen Stiles.
Wilson arranged the aforementioned combo of Brian Wilson songs as well as other pieces on the program, including “Classic TV Themes meet the Great Composers”, “Duelling Trio”, and “The Sad Story of Little Joe”. Also on offer are Bach’s Trio in C major, Schubert’s Andante, and more.
Formed in 1989, the Joe Trio is known for having far-reaching musical interests, playing everything from works by the likes of Haydn and Shostakovich to their own arrangements of pop, jazz and rock tunes.
More information is at vettamusic.com/.
Related Articles
The concerts signal the beginning of a new era for the long-running local institution, with the 2026-27 season marking violist Hung-Wei Huang’s first as Vetta’s artistic director
Power, passion, and betrayal propel this emotionally charged co-production with Pacific Opera Victoria
More highlights include a collaboration with Montreal’s MUTEK festival and an intimate masterclass with Emmy and BAFTA–winning composer Cristóbal Tapia de Veer
Fresh arrangements bring the enduring artist’s legacy to life at the all-new VanJazz festival
Montreal-based singer-songwriter talks about the dreamy layers of sound that went into her latest album—and stripping them away for her new EP and solo tour
Audiences can expect a heartwarming set, plus a merch table filled with homegrown garlic and handmade soap
The Mohawk musician’s career trajectory has taken him from bar shows to The Launch to Nashville, but he’s always stayed grounded in his Six Nations community
The pair of Grammy Award winners honour the jazz legend’s legacy in honour of his centennial
Program features the Canadian premiere of Tawnie Olson’s Missa Brevis, kicking off her tenure as Composer-in-Residence
The New York artist draws on everything from the guitar work of legends like Joe Pass and his own father to the unmistakable voice of Tony Bennett—the inspiration of his latest album
A new series of public performances and a cross-country collaboration with La Nef and Seán Dagher mark the choir’s 35th season
Japan’s Kuniko Kato Quartet opens the lineup as part of the VNM Festival: Open Frequencies, performing the music of Steve Reich
The singer-songwriter and Latin Grammy winner has collaborated with artists from all over the world, and she will perform with Vancouver’s own Black Dog String Quartet
Former artistic director Joan Blackman, esteemed pianist Jane Coop, and newly appointed artistic director Hung-Wei Huang join forces onstage
Singer-songwriter performs tracks off her latest album, playing guitar, piano, and autoharp
Nebula Performances stages a full production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s famous work, with Wanshuai Yu in the leading role
Meditative piece is a collaboration between interdisciplinary artist Alex Mah and violinist Ilana Waniuk
Guitarist Cole Schmidt performs at a jazz-driven music-and-dance series reborn after the June passing of Tony Wilson
For 2026–27, the choir will premiere new commissions by Canadian composers Suba Sankaran and Alex Eddington, as well as revisiting works from its inaugural year
With the new CD Artemis Sleeps, the late composer’s former roommate celebrates chamber works that range from pithy to rhapsodic to enigmatic
Singer Krystle Dos Santos and her band celebrate the record label that brought us legendary performers including Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye
With songs from his latest album, the swing ambassador pays tribute to another great swinger
The daughter of the Band’s legendary drummer and singer Levon Helm is a musical force to be reckoned with in her own right
The eight-piece band blends reggae and Afrobeat, exploring singer Brian Baroda’s experiences as a South Sudanese refugee
Local singer puts her own improvisational spice on classic songs in ode to Anita O’Day’s iconic performance in the acclaimed, 1959 Newport Jazz Festival documentary
