Duo Étrange: Voice + Cello New Classical Tour / Victoria

An evening of classical music featuring two of Canada's rising contemporary classical artists; Vancouver Island's own Sahara von Hattenberger and Vanessa Croome.

Two Island-born artists who met in Montreal have formed the first Canadian voice / cello group: Duo Étrange. Hailed as an ensemble who is "redefining classical music" (Pan M 360), the duo is in BC this December for a homecoming Island tour playing music inspired by their upcoming album début with the iconic Canadian label ATMA Classique.

Whats on the programme:

🎶 New Classical experience a classical music event that blends sounds of old and new. This concert will feature works written by both North American and European composers performed by a voice and cello duo. Like a night at the symphony, in your living room!

🎻 Relaxed salon-style performance. We will be talking about the story of our music during the performance.

⭐️ Independently produced this is an independently produced event. Your ticket directly supports Canadian artists and composers who grew up on Vancouver Island!

Other fun things:

Join our mailing list! Stay up to date on other upcoming shows, and learn more about our mission to create new classical music.

Get in the mood before the show: follow our Spotify playlist "Écoute Étrange" to hear what we are listening to and what inspires our programs!

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Who is Duo Étrange?

Duo Étrange is redefining 21st-century vocal chamber music, creating contemporary classical art for modern audiences. Since their founding in 2023, soprano Vanessa Croome and cellist Sahara von Hattenberger have gained early acclaim, including a début album with ATMA Classique and world premieres from Canadian composers like Nicole Lizée and Jeffrey Fong, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Upcoming highlights include their arrangement of Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre at Yellow Barn, performances at Montreal’s Salle Bourgie, and New York’s Tribeca New Music series.

Duo Étrange champions diversity, prioritizing female, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ creators. Their unique soprano-cello pairing explores new timbres, collaborating with artists like pianists Kyoko Hashimoto and Joanne Kang and videographer Huei Lin, featured in The New York Times. Anchored in Canadian roots, Vanessa and Sahara grew up near each other on Vancouver Island, eventually meeting in Montréal, where they debuted at the Chapelle Historique du Bon Pasteur.

Their mission is to blend classical tradition with modern aesthetics, bringing fresh perspectives to contemporary compositions, small ensemble works, and digital projects.

www.duoetrange.com

🎻 Sahara von Hattenberger, cellist

Originally hailing from Comox, ​Sahara von Hattenberger is a cellist based in NYC and Montreal. She is a member of the Chamber Orchestra of New York and specializes in contemporary music. Recently she was selected for residencies with both BangOnACan and Yellow Barn, and was chosen to be a Pole Releve artist by “Le Vivier”, Montreal’s premier contemporary music organization.

Upon completing her Master’s Degree at McGill university she signed with a Tokyo-based music agency and lived in Japan under contract from 2019 to 2020. After working as a soloist and touring the country extensively, she returned to Canada during the pandemic and founded “Duo Kogarashi”, an ensemble dedicated to promoting cultural exchange between Japan and Canada. In 2021, she was the recipient of a grant from the Canada Council of the Arts to commission two new works for Duo Kogarashi which promote Japanese culture in Canada. The hour-long performance was filmed as a virtual concert and included works from both Japanese and Canadian composers. Duo Kogarashi is currently actively performing Japanese works around Canada.

In October 2024 she released her first album with ODDSOUND records entitled “1Q84” with musicians Joanne Kang (piano), Jim Doxas (drums) and Adrian Vedady (bass). The album was featured on PANM360 as well as dozens of articles and radio stations such as Radio France. In 2025 she will be releasing her second album through the ATMA Classique label with the group she founded with soprano Vanessa Croome, “Duo Étrange” with commissions by Nicole Lizée (BBC Proms, Bang On A Can), Airat Ichmouratov, and Laurence Jobidon.

🎶 Vanessa Croome, soprano

A classical singer praised for her "impeccably clean coloratura" (Le Devoir) and "incredible vocal talent that moved us to tears” (Ludwig Van Montreal), Vanessa hails from Nanaimo, BC and is known for her work in international classical, contemporary, and baroque repertoire. Vanessa is a recent graduate of the Santa Fe Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the Staatsoper Augsburg the artist residency programs. Vanessa is the co-founder of the rising vocal chamber ensemble Duo Étrange.

Recent engagements include Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), Königin der Nacht (Kosky’s Die Zauberflöte), Soloist in the world premier of M.Butterfly at the Santa Fe Opera, La Folie (Platée) and concert debuts with l'Orchestre Métropolitain and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Drummondville, as well as critically acclaimed recital debuts at the Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur and L’Association des Arts et Culture dans les Hautes Vosges.

A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and McGill University, Vanessa received young artist training with Opéra de Montréal, the Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Vanessa was a finalist for the Canadian Opera Company Centre Stage Competition and the McGill University Elizabeth Wirth Vocal Prize, as well as a semi-finalist for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition and a 2020, and 2023 winner of Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques with Théâtre Lyrichorégra.

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