Conductor Karl Hirzer.

In Monday’s (1/13) Stir (British Columbia), Gail Johnson writes, “When Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs its upcoming ‘Land of Winter’ program [on Jan. 16], it will host conductor Karl Hirzer, a rising talent on the international stage. Formerly associate conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Hirzer has been guest conductor with the Szczecin Philharmonic in Poland, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Regina Symphony Orchestra and is a regular guest conductor with the contemporary group Land’s End Ensemble…. Hirzer has also worked with the National Academy Orchestra of Canada, the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Orchestra Giovanile Italiana at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, and more…. The VSO performance takes its name from a mesmerizing suite by Donnacha Dennehy. ‘Land of Winter’ [premiered in 2022] takes listeners on a journey through the sonic textures of Ireland’s changing seasons, presented in 12 interconnected sections that represent the months of the year…. The evening also features two works by Canadian composers: Zosha Di Castri’s ‘Cortège,’ which won the Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music in 2012; and Michael Oesterle’s work for chamber orchestra, ‘Annus Mirabilis,’ a musical tribute to 1905, the year that Albert Einstein reached so many milestones.”