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Volume 10 Issue 4 - December 2004

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • December
  • Theatre
  • January
  • Jazz
  • Ensemble
  • Symphony
  • Choir
  • Musical
  • February

ENSEMBLE NOIR

ENSEMBLE NOIR www.ensemblenoir.org Sonic Revival Jan - May 2005 Tickets (adults) - 7 1::.;. (seniors/ students) Subscribe to all 4 events for · or for seniors I students. · To book call 416 923-9400 +.' - ··v; . . :- 1. CONTACT · , •. Jan 22, 2005 - 7:30 PM · Winchester Theatre, 80 Winchester St. _, A sonic explosion of music by African composer Kevin Volans, set against the avant-garde music of his teacher Karlheinz Stockhausen. Africa meets European avant-garde meets Asia. 2. AFRICAN ALCHEMIES Mar 20, 2005 - 7:30 PM Winchester Theatre, 80 Winchester St. Ensemble Noir presents African composer Martin Scherzinger with his Rochester-based ensemble for an exciting evening of music from Africa including transcriptions of mbira music {Zimbabwean thumb piano). World premieres of new piano trios and string *' music by Kevin Volans, Martin Scherzinger and Bongani Ndodana. 3. EASTERN REVIVAL May 8, 2005 - 7:30 PM Winchester Theatre Music by Patricia Morehead, Ruth Lomon, Keiko Abe, Yi Liding. Evocative music with inspiration from China anq. Japan, spiced up with Native American influences. 4. THE ORPHAN BOY Co-produced with dancelmmersion Choreography: Vivine Scarlet & Germaul Barnes Ndodana Music: Bongani May 26 - 28; 8PM Artword Theatre, 75 Portland St. An African Masai tale of transformation told through music and dance. !Programs rnay change) SOME THING New Jason van Eyk A COMMENT MADE by a Canadian composer during a panel event at Ergo ProjeclS' recent Canadian - Lithuanian composer exchange is still resonating with me. Her comment was, and I paraphrase here from my own memory, that the great advantage of being a composer living in the Western world, and in such 1 a multicultural coumry as Canada. is the freedom to compose how she chooses. By this, she meant that she is free Lo use whaLever techniques, tools, and materials she likes and craft them, guided by her artistic vision, into music. This remark stood in contrast lO the range of compositionaJ practices in the predominantly mono-cultural Lithuania, and the impact lhat a history of occupation and Socialist rule has had on the artistic development lhere. Perhaps, in part, her statement also explains why it is has become increasingly difficult to classify anything such as a comemporary Canadian school of composition. While the development of a Canadian sound" in new music can increasingly be identified by location (for example, a Victoria sound), the overarching description would be one of a plurality of "sounds", expressed both within compositional works and between compositions themselves. The one constant principle is that of diversity and plurality, achieved through freedom. To r.onto's December concert line-up offers clear examples of this principle. ff compositional freedom is an aspirational goal in new music, then my guess is chat improvised composition is one summit of that aspiration. Two Toronto concerts give us the chance to discover for our own ears if this is true. On December 3rd at the Music Gallery and December 5th at the Montreal Bistro, Earshot Concerts presents a full evening of Michael Hynes' Believe Everything You Hear. This suite of eighteen structured improvisations draws on a diversity of influences ranging from James Joyce to Frank Zappa. and melds the worlds of rock, jazz and avant-garde music. Hynes himself will join the Earshot Ensemble, the Motion Ensemble from New Brunswick, and several other guest musicians to perform what is Michael Hynes Jn between, on December 4th, Arraymusic and the Music Gallery will co-present shorter works under the title of The Composer/Improviser. This world-premiere heavy concert showcases some of the compositional talent hiding within the Arraymusic Ensemble, with two new works by Robert Stevenson and Stephen Clarke. Arraymusic will be joined by one of Canada· s most spectacular improvisers, composers, and perforn1ers, Montreal-based clarinetist Lori Freedman, in a world premiere of her own creation. Also on the programme are works by young Guelph-based composer Cam McKittrick and John Abram. More details: www .arraymusic.com. On December 7th, again at the Music Gallery, Continuum explores the question of musical diversity at the concert level, performing new and existing works by young and established composers from both at home and abroad. The concert, appropriately titled Conversely, explores various musical ideas and their flip-sides. Dynamic work is contrasted against static, energetic against calm, and similar musical ideas are explored in pairs of pieces that present different solutions. Established Canadian composer Allison Cameron (who has just announced her departure as the Artistic Director of Arraymusic) offers a new work alongside two young composers: Edmonton-based Siaw Kin Lee and Argentine-born, Torontobased Diego Soifer. Pairs of pieces by Irish composer Gerald Barry. who has been called "one of the most inventive and relentlessly inquiring composers of our current generation", and British composer Laurence Crane, contrast against each other while demonstrating the subtle inner diversity of exploring the described as "darkly beautiful music". same musical ideas in their pair of separate works. For more detail, More details are available at contact Continuum at416-924-4945. www. earshotconcerts. ea WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM DECEMBER 1 2004 -fEBRUARY 72005

Finally, on December 12th, Tim Brady's Bradyworks ensemble offers us a concert of Irish, British and Canadian work, including a new composition by Halifax-based Jerome Blais. This concert is presented as part of the Music Gallery's Composer NOW: On Tour series. The Bradyworks ensemble was originally created to perform Brady's compositions. which brings to the forefront this concept of Canadian compositional diversity by mixing together contemporary chamber music, jazz, rock and electroacoustics. The group ·s unique sound combines electric guitar and saxophone with traditional chamber music forces and live electronics, drawing on diverse performance traditions. For more: www.timbrady.ca. Looking ahead ro the start of the New Year, many concerts seem to address the issue raised in this column in November. (I enquired why the Toronto new music community was not rellecting a broader array of non-European contemporary music.) Either the question was timely or premature, as in January we will have the chance to S(!e and hear combinations of new music eicher originating from or inspired by Africa. China, and Japan. On January 9th, at the Glenn Gould Studio, New Music Conce.rts presents Canadian premieres of work by Japanese composers Toshio Hosokawa and Kazuhiko Suzuki,' with guest sho vircuoso Mayumi Miyata. This concert will also offer the audience the chance to hear traditional Japanese Gagaku selections for solo sho, a tTaditional Japanese wood flute. For more details, visit www.newmusicconcens.com. Starting on January 13th, NU­ MUS, che Penderecki String Quartet. Wilfrid Laurier University and the Pentaedre Wind Quintet join forces to presem a Chinese New Music Fescival. The spark of inspiration for this collaboration originated with Chinese Canadian composer Alice Ho. ·who put Jeremy Bell (in his dual role as Artistic Director ofNUMUS and violinist in the Penderecki Quartet) in touch with the Hong Kong Composers Guild. This contact precipitated a variety of activity, including a NU MUS commission from Chinese composer Law Wing-fai. and a three week tour of China by the Penderecki Quartet. The overall results have culminated in this Festival. which {>tarts on January !3th at Wilfrid Laurier University. There will be opportunities CONflNUES NEXT PACE Sunday .January 9 I Spm • Glenn Gould Studio Japanese Sh(> l'trtU(-;o Mayumi Miyata with Robert Aft.ken, flute, Joseph Macerollo, acL'Ordion, and rhe Accordes srring quam.:1 Gagaku selections and music by Hosokawa*, Suzuk1• & Cage• Sat I Sun .January 22 I 23 I Spm • The Music Gallery Three Cities in the Life of Dr. Norman Bethune a d1arnber npera b\• Tun Brady featuring Bradyworks with Michael Donovan. l>aritone. With solo eleccric guitar "'ork:- b)' •Brady, •Bartley, •Schafer and •Lussier Monday February 28 I Spm • Glenn Gould Studio Milestones Patricia Green, mezzo-'iol)r:;no Robert Aitken, solo flute :md mill ucmr New Music Concerts Ensemble Landmark scort>s b)' •Garant, +Morel, •Aitken, •Mather and •Trernblay Friday April 1 I •• 7pm •• • Glenn Gould Studio An E'Vening with Heinz Holliger In conjuction with the Facultv of Music, NMC presents the Michael :1nsition ·Jt the University of Toronto. Works ))' Holliger* ;ind Ca.rter featuring Patricia Green, rhe NMC Ensemble and U of T Contemporary Music Ensemble • Dl§f'rt'l .. r ngw m.upd iffs d..t/lsts in To1:o0n listMe is a unique mailing list servicing Toronto's New Music organizations. It is for everyone who wants to be kept informed about the many New Music events and concerts in town. Check every month for promotions at www.listme.ca. funding partners P!RKlNS MA1L1NG LIST SER.VJC&S • -- - ·-..- . .. Sunday May 1 I Spm • Glenn Gould Studio Jorg Widmann CQ.flll!5'!1tlfd 11i1h Goethe lnstituc Toronto The rising young German darinetisr and winrcer performs his music with the NMC Ensemble ;1nd Accordes ( Canadian prcmicrcs) Friday May 27 I Spm • ',, /''"'' 111ul u 111> The Music Gallery Wiid, Wired West Keith Hamel curates a rnn(en of chamber music with compute rs. NMC Ensemble I Robert Aitken Joseph Petric, accordion, Max Christie, dariner music by +Hamel,• Pritchard, •Steenhuisen• and •Radford ..... 11Ulllft11fll INJll HJIOUS JAPANFOUHDATKlN I:, • Pl\"mK.·n: pc.·rfnm1ln«'l' • t.::rn.:ad1Jn wurk 1'n'j!.rt11111m:'$"lllft1!1N.;s.ul114.\.f/ot.·ht111,1.1t• me SOO.N fo11111lnt1011 jl t o ront cia rt scou ncil 4.7_

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