Canada’s Bechstein
Canada’s Bechstein Selection CentreYoung Chang Piano GalleryWorld Class Repairsto all musical instruments10 Via Renzo Drive, Richmond Hill(east side of Leslie St., just north of Major Mackenzie Dr.)905.770.52221.800.463.3000cosmomusic.caFREE CONCERT SERIES IN THERICHARD BRADSHAW AMPHITHEATRE“…topnotch musicand dance…a highoctane celebration!”The San FernandoValley SunMost Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at noon or 5:30 p.m.coc.ca 416-363-8231Official Media Partners:Credit: Lisa Portis (City Dance Corps), COC Free Concert Series 2009.Photo: Mike Brassard, SalsaTO. Creative: Endeavour Marketing145 Queen St. W. (at University)The Diva and theEmperorchristopher hoileThere are two important opera stories this month: one surroundedby a plethora of media attention, and one that should be betterknown. The first is the North American premiere of PrimaDonna by Rufus Wainwright, at Toronto’s Luminato Festival. Thesecond is Handel’s Giulio Cesare, marking the first time OrchestraLondon will stage its own opera production.It is safe to say that no opera by a Canadian composer has everreceived as much international media coverage as Prima Donna, thecentrepiece of this year’s Luminato Festival. The principal reasonis that its composer, Rufus Wainwright, is at age 36 already famousas a singer/songwriter. The son of folk-singers Kate McGarrigle andLoudon Wainwright III and brother of singer Martha Wainwright,he was born into a musical family and began touring with themat age 13. In 1998 his self-titled first album won him the accolade“Best New Artist of the Year”from Rolling Stone.In 2006, Peter Gelb, the newgeneral manger of the MetropolitanOpera, commissioned newoperas from nine composers inan effort to revitalize the Metand to draw in younger audiences.Of these nine, who includedJake Heggie (Dead ManWalking), Adam Guettel (TheLight in the Piazza) and WyntonMarsalis, Wainwright had madethe most progress by mid 2007.But there was a problem: Wainwright’slibretto, written by BernadetteColomine and himself,was in French. Gelb claimed thatpresenting a new opera not inBeat by Beat / On OperaRufus Wainwright’s operaPrima Donna will be presentedby Luminato.English was “an immediate impediment.” Wainwright, however, insistedthat French was part of the texture of the work.Once the two parted company, many festivals vied to produceit. It premiered at the Manchester International Festival on July 10,2009, with a subsequent performances in London in April 2010.Wainwright insisted that Luminato should present the North Americanpremiere.The opera is set in Paris on July 14, 1970, and follows a dayin the life of aging diva Régine Saint Laurent. She is planningher comeback but happens to fall in love with the journalist interviewingher. Wainwright, who has long been a fan of opera andwhose songs are sometimes classified as “operatic pop,” has writtenan homage to traditional opera. Thus, audiences need not worrythat this new work will also be avant garde. In Luminato’s new production,directed by Tim Albery, Janis Kelly reprises the title rolewith a cast that includes local favourites Gregory Dahl as the butlerand Colin Ainsworth as the journalist. Robert Houssart conductsthe 57-member orchestra. The opera will be performed at the ElginTheatre on June 14, 16, 18 and 19. For more information seewww.luminato.com.At the start of the month, Orchestra London takes a bold newstep by becoming a producer of opera. For the past five years theorchestra under maestro Timothy Vernon has presented one operaeach June at the Grand Theatre. All of these have been transfers ofproductions from Pacific Opera Victoria where Vernon is the artisticcontinued on page 18 ...10 thewholenote.comJune 1 - July 7, 2010magic + logic 22 St. Clair Avenue East, 14th floor, Toronto 416.849.4874ACCT MGR: Keith, Amy Date: May 14 2010Docket: CO090654_05Client: COCCampaign: Spring SeasonPub: Wholenote MagFilename: CO090654_05_Wholenote_4C_JunRevision: finalArtist: kimIssue/Date: June 2010Ship Date: May 14 2010Ad Size: 3.5" x 5"Bleed Size:Safety/Live:File Build at: 100% (1:1)Line Screen:CMYK
Green PagesThe WholeNote 6th AnnualSummer Music GuideAUDITION THE CHOIRThinking about joining? Visit thewholenote.com/canary©2009 Google; IMAGE NOAA ©2010 CNES/Spot IMAGE; IMAGE USDA FARM SERvICE AGENCy;IMAGE ©2010 TerraMETRICSWE AT THE WHOLENOTE are big fans of summermusic festivals – and are proud to welcome you toour 6th Annual Green Pages Summer Music Guide.There are forty six festivals participating in thisyear’s Green Pages. They are listed here in alphabeticalorder, with short descriptions, phone numbersand web addresses so you can begin to plan yourmusical summer.The WholeNote Green Pages stays online from nowtill the last festival listed here is over! And profileswill keep coming in to us. So stay tuned as the summerprogresses.In addition to these festival profiles, this issuealso contains daily listings for festivals active betweenJune 1 and July 7. These can be found in ourdaily listings, starting on page 28, and in our specialfestival listing section (Section C), starting on page38. Also, remember to check back at the end of Junefor our July/August double issue, for details on therest of the summer’s daily fare.thewholenote.com/greenAll-CANADIAN Jazz FestivalsEp 24 - 26MEMORIAl Park, Port Hope, ONThe All-Canadian Jazz FestivalPort Hope presents a weekendof the country’s finest jazz, in afriendly small-town setting justone hour east of Toronto. Fridaynight’s free-admission opener featuresthe Carlos del Junco Quartet.The Laila Biali Trio, with GuidoBasso and Phil Dwyer, play theSaturday Night headline concert.Daytime concerts include ShuffleDemons, Terry Clarke Trio, AlexPangman and her Alleycats, MarkAtkinson Trio, Amanda Martinez,Ross Wooldridge Tribute to theBenny Goodman Sextet, the TDCanada Trust Young Jazz Showcase,Dave Young Quartet, and theBrian Barlow Big Band with HeatherBambrick. In Memorial Park,downtown Port Hope; park is licensedand there are food vendorson site.905-885-1938www.allcanadianjazz.caAshkENAz FestivalAug 31 - Sep 6HARbOURFRONT CENTRE &OTHER vENUEs, TorontoOne of the largest and most prestigiousevents of its kind anywherein the world, the 15th AshkenazFestival will once again featurethe best of the global Yiddish/Jewishculture scene, from traditionaland boundary-breaking Klezmer,Yiddish and Sephardic music, todiverse offerings in theatre, film,visual arts, literature, family programming,participatory danceworkshops, and the Ashkenaz Parade.Headliners include: 14-pieceJewish/Roma supergroup TheOther Europeans; JDub Recordsartists Balkan Beat Box and TheSway Machinery; Italian chamberklezquartet Klezmerata Fiorentina;Jewish power-pop from NewYork’s Yiddish Princess; Sephardicand Mizrahi music with Moroccan-Jewishguitarist/vocalist GerardEdery, Israeli oud and violinvirtuoso Yair Dalal, Balkan Ladinolegend Flory Jagoda, and Persian-Jewish chanteuse Galeet Dardashtiand her band Divahn. And much,much more!416-979-9901www.ashkenazfestival.comBayFIEld FesTIval of SongJUN 5, 6, 10 - 13TOWN Hall, BayFIEld, ONCelebrate the Art of Song! Eightevents in the historic Town Hallon the Square in a beautiful villageon Lake Huron, renowned forits beaches, sunsets, and restau-theWholeNote theWholeNote SUMMER 2010 MUSIC SUMMeR GUIDE MUSIC | 2010-2011 GUIDE11
