Artistic Director Cassie Luftspring reflects on exchange, listening, and the spirit of the Tapestry International Festival.
What makes the Tapestry International Festival different from a traditional concert weekend?
Tapestry is less about presenting a single performance and more about creating space for exchange. With four adult treble choirs coming together, the focus expands beyond what happens on stage. There’s a chance to listen to one another, share ideas, and experience different artistic perspectives in close proximity.
It feels especially meaningful to welcome these singers to Vancouver at one of its most beautiful times of year, when the city is full of blossoms and spring energy. That spirit of openness and renewal feels very much in keeping with the festival itself.
For me, that’s where the richness lies. The performances matter, of course, but they’re part of a larger experience rooted in connection, curiosity, and the sense of being part of something bigger than any one ensemble.
What does it mean to bring four adult treble choirs together in one space right now?
There’s something powerful about hearing multiple adult treble choirs side by side. Each choir brings its own sound, its own way of shaping text and music, and its own sense of identity. When those voices are placed in conversation with one another, it creates a depth you don’t often get in a single program.
Right now, that kind of listening feels especially important. Adult treble choirs carry voices that have too often been overlooked, and this festival is also a reminder of how vital it is to make space for women’s voices and other underrepresented voices to be heard clearly and with attention.
This festival offers a chance not only to hear beautiful singing, but to listen deeply – to each other, and with each other – in a way that feels meaningful right now.
What are you most excited for audiences to experience across the two days?
I’m excited for audiences to experience the distinct shape of each evening. On May 8, Choral Threads offers an open, exploratory experience – a chance to meet these choirs and hear the individual voices and approaches that make each ensemble unique.
Then on May 9, the concert brings everything together in a more formal setting, where the collective energy of all four ensembles really comes into focus. In addition to each choir’s solo set, we’ll join forces for four massed-choir works. The four participating Artistic Directors select a piece – by a composer from their own country – that serves as a kind of ‘musical ambassador’ for their ensembles.
Across both nights, I hope audiences feel that sense of connection – between choirs, between artists and listeners, and within the music itself.