Vino & Forte: a Classical Fusion Duet

ORIANA WHITE & IVAN TUCAKOV
Friday 15th March 2013
Pyatt Hall, 843 Seymour Street, Vancouver
Wine Reception 7pm, Concert 8pm

Following their successful performances in 2012, pianist Oriana White and guitarist Ivan Tucakov will once again grace the stage of Vancouver’s Pyatt Hall for Vino & Forte, a unique concert experience where the audience can savour wine and hear an intricate blend of music for piano and flamenco guitar.

Each skilled in their own field, White and Tucakov take on the challenge of merging the two styles of music—classical and Balkan-flamenco—creating in the process a unique hybrid, an experience they liken to learning a whole new language.

Vino & Forte has a dual interpretation. Forte is an Italian music dynamic symbol for ‘strength’ and also a derivative in French, meaning a person’s particular skill. As for vino, the duo promote and serve a local wine for each performance with the aim of creating a relaxed and refined environment to enjoy music.

Oriana White was born in 1982 in Harrogate, Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, the eldest daughter of Japanese violinist Masako Suzuki White and British Petroleum Engineer and Managing Director of White Star Pump Company, Shaun White. Oriana was raised in (London) UK, Dubai, (Hamamatsu, Shizuoka) Japan and Singapore. In 2000, she returned to the UK and graduated with an honors degree in Architecture at Cardiff Univeristy.

Oriana was first encouraged to start playing the piano at the age of nine and within five years achieved Distinction for the Performer’s Certificate in Pianoforte from the Trinity College of London curriculum. While living in Singapore, Oriana continued to achieve first place in local piano competitions and participated in recitals held at the Japanese Association Singapore and Annual Piano Marathons organised by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

Academically, Oriana excelled in mathematics and technical drawing, which inspired her to follow a career in architecture. Her main interest was to discover the art and science of building acoustics, in particular for performance spaces. Following completion of her degree, Oriana worked for seven years in UK architecture firms until her move to Vancouver in 2010, where she secured a position at local firm Grant and Sinclair Architects Ltd. She continues to work for GSAL at present.

Having maintained a passion for the piano throughout the years, Oriana has dedicated her spare time to organising concerts, composing, private lessons and performing on request for special events and functions such as the upcoming 17th Annual Canadian Cancer Society Daffodil Ball in April 2013. Oriana’s vision is to  continue sharing inspiration through the art of music here in Vancouver.
www.orianawhite.com