The cutting-edge cello duo VC² will perform a concert on Sunday March 18th, 2018, at St. Thomas' Anglican Church in Belleville.

VC² is an innovative cello duo that bridges the gap between Ludwig Van and Van Halen. (SCROLL DOWN TO WATCH VIDEO) Comprised of multi-genre cellists Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt, the Toronto-based duo seeks to present programmes that are both artistically challenging and easily accessible to the casual concertgoer. They have performed in venues ranging from intimate pubs to Roy Thompson Hall and are constantly searching for new ways and spaces to bring art music to a wide variety of audiences. They pride themselves not only on performing works by the great masters of classical music, but also original arrangements of the modern classics of popular music. They have a deep connection to the world of New Music and are constantly striving to present new works by living composers, especially those that are home-grown.

Formed in 2015, the pair met in 2008 while at the University of Toronto where they both studied under Shauna Rolston. They chose to continue their studies at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University where they completed their Master’s Degrees with Matt Haimovitz. As luck would have it, they both found themselves back in Toronto and a musical partnership was born. Both Mr. Holt and Mr. Arulanandam wear many musical hats as orchestral, chamber and session musicians in the Greater Toronto Area. They have appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, Soundstreams, The Art of Time Ensemble and Continuum Contemporary Music, Pocket Concerts and Tapestry Opera. They are also both members of Haimovitz’s ensemble, Uccello, and were semi-finalists in the 2015 Eckhardt-Gramatte competition. Though new to the scene, VC² seek to take a place at the forefront of the Canadian chamber music world.

The programme they will present in Belleville is centred around pieces written by cellists, for cellists. It will feature works by Bernhard Romberg (a life long colleague of Beethoven's), Friedrich August Kummer, Julius Klengel, Jean-Baptiste Barrière, David Popper, and Luigi Boccherini. The duo wishes to showcase the many capabilities of the cello — times two!

“Music at St. Thomas’ is a series dedicated to classical music,” says artistic director Francine Nguyen-Savaria. “We want to show that classical music can be deep, beautiful, accessible, and actual, all at once. That duo can have a ‘badass’ appearance, and we love it! What we heard from them was professional, serious artistry. And in the end, that is what real badass is all about. Something authentic.”

The concert will start at 4:30 PM. A reception will follow.