Several factors inspired Vincent Ho to write the cello concerto City Suite. The first was the cellist Ho was writing for, Shauna Rolston who he has known since his days as a graduate student at University of Toronto. The second was a conversation with a cellist friend Jakub Omsky, who suggested he revisit the emotional space from writing a previous work Nighthawks. The third was a book Cello Suites by Eric Siblin which explores the history of J.S. Bach's famous cello works.
Vincent Ho is a Canadian who is widely recognised as one of the most exciting composers of his generation. He has made waves in the music world of North America despite being fairly early in his compositional career, receiving numerous prizes, accolades, and prominent commissions in a relatively short space of time. Ho’s music is rich and energetic - a unique integration of influences ranging from the visual arts, electroacoustic and natural soundscapes, traditional classical music forms, and the physical properties of the instruments and ensembles for which he writes. His music is sensual, sonorous and richly textured, and Ho gives considerable attention to the audience’s experience of his intricate sound-worlds.
