Rising star

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This article was published 12/10/2024 (539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Winnipeg dynamo pianist/composer Ari Hooker takes the stage with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (along with some familiar supporters) today for his second appearance in three weeks.

“It’s super exciting and I’m extremely honoured to be playing with the orchestra again this weekend,” the soft-spoken 20-year-old virtuoso says during an interview at his south Winnipeg home.

He’ll be proudly sharing the stage once again with his father, longtime principal cellist Yuri Hooker (who is currently on a one-year sabbatical with guest appearances throughout the season). His mother Michelle Mourre, a conductor and pianist; older sister Elly, an award-winning illustrator; and girlfriend Junie will be cheering him on from the audience.

Hooker will perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue during the season opener for the symphony’s new Live at the WSO matinee series. Today’s show is a celebration of the last 70 years of the WSO’s Pops program, led by assistant conductor Monica Chen.

The crowd-pleasing program of light classics, film scores, pop hits and Broadway tunes also features local Juno-nominated Indigenous duo Burnstick, comprised of slide guitarist Jason Burnstick and vocalist Nadia Burnstick.

Hooker made his WSO debut during its recent community celebration. The performance opportunity was part of his prize for winning the Winnipeg Music Festival’s Aikins Memorial Trophy in March. He treated listeners to his original composition Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 5, describing the evening as “one of the best experiences in my life,” in which he heard his music spring to life in the hands of professional musicians he considers extended family.

Hooker also premièred the three-movement work in its entirety last spring at the University of Manitoba’s Eva Clare Hall. It was composed during his non-school hours as a year-long passion project and performed with his own meticulously programmed MIDI orchestral accompaniment — a herculean task for anyone, let alone a teenaged, full-time student.

“I had asked the maestro (Daniel Raiskin) if we could play the first movement in my concerto and he approved it. I was grateful that he was willing to listen to it and treated it like any other piece,” he says of the performance that received roaring applause and positive reviews from his onstage colleagues.

One of his newest fans includes Chen, who first heard the phenom herself last month.

“Writing one’s own piano concerto is definitely not something that happens with every young musician out there, so that definitely is a big accomplishment on his part for not only being able to compose this work at a very high level, but also being able to play it well,” Chen says.

Hooker, an avid soccer fan with a keen interest in the film score and video game industries, first began piano lessons with his mother at the age of three, in addition to playing cello until age 12.

The former student at Linden Christian School then moved on to study with local teacher Darryl Friesen for 10 years, and is currently in his third year with David Moroz at the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music.

His flourishing artistry as a classically-trained pianist, skillful improviser and primarily self-taught composer is garnering increasing attention and accolades as his star continues to rise.

Saturday’s concert is also a birthday party of sorts. Rhapsody in Blue, which famously launches with its extended clarinet trill before rocketing up over two octaves in an enthralling glissando, marks its centenary this year.

Composed in a scant five weeks, Gershwin ended up improvising the lion’s share of his solo part for its New York City première in February 1924 with the ink on arranger Ferde Grofe’s orchestrations still drying eight days before the first downbeat.

Moroz can personally attest to its unique musical challenges.

“One of the difficulties in this piece is to make it sound improvisatory. It has to have a certain playfulness, and a certain spontaneity that needs to come out in performance, and there’s no question that Ari can bring that out,” he says, before elaborating on his protégé’s artistry.

“I’m sure his performance this weekend will be a huge success.”

Hooker first learned the piece five years ago and has been poring through recordings and videos to hone his own interpretation.

He’s also worked on it extensively with his mother, who performs the transcribed orchestral parts on the family’s second grand piano.

“We both feel a lot of pride, but also a sense of, ‘What did we do to deserve this?’” Yuri Hooker, who also serves as Senior Pastor at Bethesda Church, says about his gifted son.

“A better word might be gratitude. You do all that you can for your children to teach them and bring them along. However, there are never any guarantees in life. When your child wants to follow in your footsteps, you become very grateful while offering as much guidance as you can to help them grow and be happy.”

As for now, the younger Hooker’s plans are still up in the air after he graduates with his Bachelor of Music performance degree next year. While he will continue to perform both as soloist and chamber player, he’s adamant that composition will play a key role in his life.

He admits to often staying up all night to set the musical images and ideas swirling in his imagination to paper — just as renowned pianist and composer George Gershwin did, often joining forces with his kid brother, the equally brilliant lyricist Ira Gershwin.

“I definitely want to maintain my piano chops and be able to play my own works, but I don’t need to play the piano in the same way that I need to compose,” Hooker says.

“I would credit a lot of what I’m doing to being immersed in musical culture throughout my entire life, and classical music in particular. I can’t really explain it, other than saying that I always just try to absorb everything, and trust my instincts.”

holly.harris@shaw.ca