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Volume 15 Issue 9 - June 2010

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On Opera...continued

On Opera...continued from page 10director. The orchestra’s first productionas “Opera London” is Handel’s GiulioCesare, directed by American TimothyNelson, who at age 30 has already receivedmuch acclaim for his productions.Nelson is unusual as opera directorsgo because he is also a musician andconductor. In 2003 he founded AmericanOpera Theatre at Georgetown Universityin Washington, DC, to exploreSoprano Lucia Cesaroni.his interests in movement, music, designand opera as theatre. In 2008 he was the director and conductor ofMarc-Antoine Charpentier’s David et Jonathas (1688) at the BrooklynAcademy of Music and last year, among many other credits, hewas the director and conductor of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas andJohn Blow’s Venus and Adonis in Virginia and the director of PhilipGlass’s Hydrogen Jukebox, staged as part of Obama’s inaugural celebrations.Currently he is the artistic director of the Canadian OperaticArts Academy at the University of Western Ontario.Known for his up-to-date takes on the classics, Nelson plans torelocate the action in Giulio Cesare from Egypt to a present-daywar-torn country suggesting Afghanistan. For a highly detailed lookat Nelson’s thoughts behind this concept, have a look at his blog(blog.operalondon.ca), which includes video lectures and stage designs.The cast will feature the well-known countertenor Drew Minterin the title role with Lucia Cesaroni as Cleopatra, Roseanne vanSandwijk as Sesto and Ian Howell as Tolomeo.Beside the excitement that this project will bring to London, thisis a rare opportunity to see Handel’s opera fully-staged in a house ofonly 839 seats. Performances are June 3 and 5 at 7:30 and June 6 at2pm. For more information visit www.uwo.ca/music/operalondon.Christopher Hoile is a Toronto-based writer on opera. He can becontacted at: opera@thewholenote.com.AUDITIONSInterested in something out of the ordinary? Join theOrpheus Choir, directed by Robert Cooper“Expect something different!”VENTUREinto the world of silent film and sing the choralsoundtrack to the 1924 version of Peter PanCELEBRATEthe festive season with the Dylan Thomas classicA Child’s Christmas in WalesSINGthe premiere of Quaternity ,Imant Raminsh’s new work for chorus and orchestraDISCOVERnew music: Esenvalds’ Passion and Resurrectionand less-known classics – Haydn’s Stabat MaterBook an audition - call Helen at 416 251-3803www.orpheuschoirtoronto.com“... a choir to take another look at...”Beat by Beat / Classical & BeyondHighways and Bywaysallan pulkerAs always in June summer festivals of various kinds are gettingunder way. Some are big productions that are hard to miss,while others are smaller, out-of-the way events.Brott Music FestivalThe 23rd annual Brott Music Festival, which goes on through muchof the summer, opens this year in Burlington, with three performanceson three consecutive Wednesdays by the National AcademyOrchestra, which principal conductor Boris Brott founded as a trainingorchestra for young professional musicians and conductors. Thisyear the orchestra has two apprentice conductors: Geneviève Leclair,winner of the 2010 MacMillan Prize for conducting, is a doctoralconducting student at Boston University; Samuel Tam, a graduate ofMcGill University, has spent the last two years as apprentice and assistantconductor at the Canadian Opera Company, and will continuehis training at the University of Toronto.Each of the three Burlington concerts will feature a young instrumentalsoloist: cellist Denise Djokic on June 16, clarinettist GiampieroSobrino on June 23, and violinist Jonathan Crow on June 30.The Canadian AldeburghOn June 5, the fourth annual Bayfield Festival of Song opens with arecital by soprano Virginia Hatfield, mezzo Lauren Segal and pianistBruce Ubukata. The festival will continue until June 13 with masterclasses and vocal and piano recitals. Bayfield is on Lake Huron halfwaybetween Grand Bend and Goderich.LuminatoThe fourth annual Luminato Festival runs from June 11 to 20, withmany events that will be of interest to WholeNote readers. All thoseevents can be found, of course, on Luminato’s website. Events includean opera by Rufus Wainright, a late-night performance by theToronto Symphony Orchestra of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and aconcert on June 12 by the Vienna Academy Orchestra.Music at SharonSharon Temple’s annual month-longSunday afternoon concert series,under the new artistic leadership ofLarry Beckwith and Rick Phillipsopens on June 6 with a recital bymezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta andpianist Stephen Philcox. This willbe a great opportunity to hear thistalented young singer, who, Globeand Mail reviewer Paula Citron predicts“is heading for stardom.” Theseries continues on June 13 withEnsemble Polaris, June 20 with theTokai String Quartet and pianistAnton Kuerti, June 27 with pianistAlexander Seredenko, and on July 4with Montreal’s Les Voix Baroques.Countertenor Matthew Whiteof Les Voix Baroques.Blue Bridge FestivalLike Music at Sharon, The Blue Bridge Festival also takes place inYork Region, and its artistic director Brenda Muller is also a musicteacher with the York Region Board of Education. It opens on June4 with a very eclectic programme of everything “from opera to folk,from chamber music to jazz, to the poetry of the spoken word.” Allthis takes place in beautiful Roches Point on the southern shores ofLake Simcoe. The festival continues the next evening with a GalaConcert in Newmarket. The third and last day of the festival, Sun-18 thewholenote.comJune 1 - July 7, 2010

Whole Note.indd 119/05/2010 5:36:06 PMday, June 6, offers a variety of events including a parade, opera singersperforming from a raft and workshops at the Varley Art Gallery.For those of you who would like to make it a weekend getaway, festivalpass holders will receive discounted rates from two really greatlocal resorts, the Briars and Whispering Pines Inn.Music Mondays and the Music GardenYou don’t, of course, have to leave the metropolis to hear music besidea lake or in an historic venue. Music Mondays offers a wonderfulseries of concerts at noon on Mondays at Holy Trinity Churchfrom June right through to Labour Day and the Music Garden offersa great variety of music in an enchanting downtown lakeside location.Summer in Toronto just isn’t complete without at least one concertfrom each of these series.Off the Beaten TrackGallery 345, at 345 Sorauren Avenue in Toronto’s west end, betweenLansdowne and Roncesvalles, has become a really busy venue overthe past couple of years. I gave a concert there myself with pianistElena Tchernaia, a couple of years ago – and can say from experiencewhat a great place it is to perform in, with its lively acousticsand friendly ambience. In this magazine, there are six concerts listedthere between June 4 and 30.On June 6, the first of what I expect will be many concerts atMerriam Music in Oakville is taking place. Since Merriam Musicis a high-end piano dealership, you can expect to hear high calibremusic making on great instruments at these events. At this openingevent the performers will be Adrean Farrugia, Robi Botos, andStu Harrison, performing on three different pianos, covering a broadrange of repertoire in a unique three-piano format. Take note, pianists:in his message to me, Stu Harrison wrote: “We’re also lookingto expand the series in 2011 to include recording possibilities for artistswho want an inexpensive method of recording live events on aFazioli, or like pianos.”I’ve often written about the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber MusicSociety, which for those who live in K-W is right on the beaten path,of course. In this issue there are a staggering 16 events listed takingplace in three locations, the Music Room, Maureen Forrester Halland Keffer Memorial Chapel.The Arts and Ideas Studio, located in what used to be a bank inan aging and definitely off the beaten track suburban location onO’Connor Drive, just northeast of St. Clair Avenue East, is used as adance studio. With an intimate atmosphere, good acoustics and greatlight, however, this is a perfect venue for chamber music. The firstof three concerts currently scheduled for the Studio will be on June19, with the young jazz group Café Olé playing all original music byits leader, bassist Justin Shaskin; and the newly formed EnsembleEspressivo with clarinettist Nicolai Tarasov, Yours Truly on flute anda t.b.a. guitarist performing a delightful trio by the early 19th centuryguitarist-composer Francesco “Powerful Molino, and among versatile” other things.John Terauds, The TorontoStarElsewhere in the NewsAt intermission during a performance of the opera Giiweden on May14, I spoke to Aradia director Kevin Mallon, who told me he’d justbeen appointed artistic director of Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestrain Ottawa. There’s a resonance here between orchestra and conductor.Mallon, after all, is best known as an early music specialist.It was Tafelmusik that brought him to Toronto in the first place,and he has made a name for himself Call the and St. many Lawrence recordings Centreas Box the Office directorof the Aradia Ensemble. Indeed, at 416-366-7723 only a couple or 1-800-708-6754of years ago ina WholeNote review of Aradia’s Israel or book in Egypt on-lineCD, at www.stlc.comreviewer RobertTomas dubbed him “Canada’s crown princeVisit usofatperiodwww.hssb.caperformance” –hastening to add that “frequently he is invited to guest-conduct standardrepertoire and contemporary music.”It will be interesting to see what new directions Mallon takes theLong & McQuadeMusical Instumentsensemble in.Photo by R. DiVitoAllan Pulker is a flautist and a founder of The WholeNote whocurrently serves as Chairman of The WholeNote’s board of directors.He can be contacted at classicalbeyond@thewholenote.com.BRASS WEEKIN TORONTOJUNE 13-20, 2010World’s Biggest Brass EventSunday June 13th 11:00 rehearsal 12:00 Concert, The Assembly Hall atKipling Ave and Lakeshore Blvd. Howard Cable, The Canadian Brass, TrueNorth Brass, Hannaford Silver Band. Let’s break the record of 596! Musicavailable at www.iwbctoronto2010.comCanadian Celebration ConcertWednesday, June 16th, 7:30pm. Weston Silver Band, newly formed ViceroyBrass with Gillian MacKay, Alastair Kay, Trombonistas, and many othersoloists! Adults Seniors and Students.Lina AllemanoThurs. June 17th, 2010 1:30pm Concert and 2:30 pm Clinic. / Come and hear Canada’s own brilliant Jazz trumpeter with her ensemble.Making Music Rocks!Thurs. June 17th, 2010 7:30pm. / . Includes Britain’s Bella Tromba,Australia’s CAZZBO – jazz tubist; Japan’s Ladies Brass Band; Americanchamber groups and soloists.True North Brass and 417FIVEFriday, June 18th 2:30 pm. /. Toronto’s True North joins forces withmembers of the National Arts Centre and Montreal symphonies for quintetstandards and original music.Tribute ConcertFriday, June 18th 7:30pm. /. The Monarch Brass Ensemble –Michelle Rakers conducting (US Marine Band), Julie Landsman, PrincipalHorn of the Met; Susan Slaughter, Principal Trumpet of St. Louis.Afternoon Showcase ConcertSaturday, June 19th, 2:30pm. / . “Nanook of the North” film withShirley Hoffman, Anita McAllister’s trumpet ensemble, Amy Horvey solotrumpet.Saturday Night Live at HumberSaturday, June 19th 8pm. /. Munich’s Abbie Conant One WomanShow; Symbiosis; Bella Tromba; Fergus McWilliam, Erika Raum and LydiaWong trio; Allene “Powerful Hackleman and solo versatile” horn; Japan’s Ladies Brass Band.John Terauds, The TorontoStarAll above concerts at Humber College Lakeshore AuditoriumGrand Finale withBrass BellesSunday June 20, 2010, 3:00 p.m. • Jane Mallett TheatreCall the St. Lawrence Centre Box Officeat 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754or book on-line at www.stlc.comVisit us at www.hssb.caDr. Gillian MacKay, Guest Conductor • Solo artists from theLong & McQuadeInternational Women’s Brass Conference • www.iwbctoronto2010.comMusical InstumentsOur season finale is in fact the grand finale of the first International Women’s Brass Conference tobe held in Canada. Our soloists include Bonnie Denton - Euphonium, Susan Rider - Cornet, JoanWatson - Horn, Gail Robertson - Euphonium and Carol Jantsch - Tuba. This concert includes worksby Joan Tower, Dorothy Gates and the premiere of Elizabeth Raum’s Jason and the Golden Fleecein a new version for brass band commissioned by the HSSB. Sponsored byThe Hannaford Street Silver Band is grateful for the assistance received from its corporate and its many individual donors, and from the following:Photo by R. DiVitoTickets: 416-366-7723 / 1-800-708-6754 or stlc.comBrass BSunday June 20, 2010, 3:00 p.m. • Jane MDr. Gillian MacKay, Guest Conductor • SolInternational Women’s Brass ConferenceOur season finale is in fact the grand finale of tbe held in Canada. Our soloists include BonnieWatson - Horn, Gail Robertson - Euphonium anby Joan Tower, Dorothy Gates and the premierein a new version for brass band commissionedThe Hannaford Street Silver Band is grateful for the assistance received from its corporate and its many individual dAll proceeds from IWBC concerts support a music program for youth inEtobicoke South. Sponsored by Lakeshore Arts and co-hosted byDenny Christianson, Humber College Music Department.Go to www.iwbctoronto2010.com for a complete list of events includingBrass Olympics: throw a tuba and win. Register for entire week and SAVE!Includes masterclasses, clinics, jazz improv boot camp, brass ensembles.June 1 - July 7, 2010 thewholenote.com 19

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