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8 years ago

Volume 11 Issue 5 - February 2006

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • February
  • Theatre
  • Jazz
  • Arts
  • Symphony
  • Mozart
  • Musical
  • Orchestra
  • Quartet

Quoolibet by Allan Pu

Quoolibet by Allan Pu Iker Alexandre Da Costa and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, February 7 & 8 Another young Canadian violinist has joined the ranks of superstars James Ehnes, Judy Kang, Lara St. John, Jasper Wood, Erika Raum and Corey Cerovsek. His name is Alexandre Da Costa. Born and raised in Montreal, he was recognized early as a prodigy on both the violin and the piano, and by the age of nine was performing on both instruments. As a teenager he attended Pierre Laporte School of the Arts, to which he gives considerable credit for allowing him to pursue his musical studies while getting a general education. In 1998, at the age of 18, Alexandre received a Master's degree in violin from the Quebec Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor's degree in Piano from the Faculty of Music of the University of Montreal. From 1998 to 2001 he studied at the Escue/a Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid with Zakhar Bron (the teacher of Maxim Vengerov and Vadim Repin) and attended master classes and more extensive courses with several other internationally renowned figures . These studies were supported by grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Quebec and the Isaac Albeniz Foundation in Spain. Over the past few years he has performed concerti by Paganini, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Lalo and Tchaikovsky with Canadian, Polish, Romanian, Bosnian, Spanish and German orchestras, and has given solo recitals throughout the world. He has a growing li st of CDs on Montreal's Disques XXI-2 1 label to his credit, including most recently a recording (reviewed in last November's WholeNote) of a concerto by Portuguese composer Freitas Branco with Spain's Extremadura Symphony Orchestra. Toronto audiences wi II have the opportunity to hear Da Costa live on February 7 & 8 when he performs Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy and Zigeunerweisen with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra unde r conductor Peter Oundjian. Alexandre Da Costa, Vienna, 2004. Da Costa plays with the TSO in Feb. Penderecki String Quartet Top marks this month for creative concert programming go to Music Toronto's Penderecki String Quartet March 2 concert. The program for this is built around Tolstoy's novella, Kreutzer Sonata, from which actor Colin Fox will give readings. The quartet will perform Beethoven's own arrangement of his Kreutzer Sonata ( originally for violin and piano) for cello and string quartet with guest cellist, Antonio Lysy, Leos Janacek' s String Quartet No. l "Kreutzer" (1923) and the world premiere of Canadian composer Jeffrey Ryan's String Quartet No. 3, which Ryan says, reflects the point of view of the male protagonist in Tolstoy's story. The Penderecki's brand new release of the Complete String Quartets of Bela Bart6k will be available at this concert. Young Stars of the Young Century On March 4, Show One Productions presents its second annual International Gala Concert featuring extraordinary young musicians from Canada and countries that were part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Among these gifted performers is a young Canadian pianist, Simon Ng, a graduate of Upper Canada College, who at the age of only eighteen has many accomplishments to his credit, including a performance with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, numerous Canadian Music Competition prizes and awards. He is also enrolled in pre-medical studies at the University ofWestem Ontario where in addition to advancing in 1

Musical chairs A couple of months ago Barry Shiffman, second violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet was appointed director of music programs at the Banff Centre. His St. Lawrence vacancy will be filled by Toronto violinist and U ofT associate professor, Scott St. John - and his seat at the U of T Faculty of Music will be filled by Gryphon Trio violinist, Annalee Patipatanakoon. Congratulations all round! Meanwhile, if you want to hear Mr. St. John perform while he is still in Toronto, he will perform with Mooredale Concerts, Feb 25 and 26. This month will also probably be the last, in Toronto at least, to hear the St. Lawrence with Barry Shiffrnan. They will perform Shostakovich' s String Quartet No. 7, Chan Ka Nin' s String Quartet No. 4 and Beethoven's String Quartet inc-sharp minor, Op. 131 at Music Toronto's February 9 concert. rnSinfqnia 1oronLo NURHAN ARMAN MUSIC DIRECTO~ Toronto's Premier Chamber Orchestr Strauss el Swing jl o/iennese 9vf.ask!cf (}Jan Saturday, Mardi 25, 2006 7 pm to 1 am }lrcadian Court {})ine in Continenta{ sp{endour and dance tlie niglit away to Viennese waftzes 6y Sirifonia rtoronto and favourites 6y tlie rtoronto Jl{{-Star

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