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Volume 19 Issue 2 - October 2013

  • Text
  • October
  • Toronto
  • Choir
  • Concerts
  • Jazz
  • November
  • Arts
  • Orchestra
  • Musical
  • Symphony

BLUE PAGES

BLUE PAGES 2013/14important music from around the world, constituteEsprit’s core activities. Concerts offer audiencesmusic otherwise unavailable in Canada andare performed with the highest standards to befound, under music director and conductor AlexPauk. Concert series are presented in Torontoat the acoustically acclaimed Koerner Hall at theRoyal Conservatory of Music.In addition to concert series, Esprit reaches outto the community through various outreach andeducation programs such as Pre-concert Chats,the Creative Sparks Mentoring and LeadershipProgram, the Toward a Living Art Education Program,the New Wave Composers Festival andnational and international touring. Esprit hasbeen the recipient of three Lieutenant Governor’sArts Awards, the Jean A. Chalmers NationalMusic Award, the Vida Peene Award and theSOCAN Award for Imaginative Orchestral Programming.Esprit’s annual New Wave ComposersFestival celebrates young Canadian artists,providing a platform to connect composers andperformers with new audiences.Elena Koneva, operations manager416-815-7887info@espritorchestra.comespritorchestra.com●●Essential OperaEssential Opera began in 2010 and is now anever-evolving and growing venture. Its missionis to give both audiences and artists opportunitiesto experience opera at its most essential. Committedto affordable ticket prices and to castinghigh-quality professional artists, EssentialOpera ensures that opera stays accessible to awide audience — in more ways than one. Everyproduction features an original on-screen Englishtranslation, always enthusiastically receivedby the audience.Following their inaugural performance of Mozart’sLe nozze di Figaro, Essential Opera openedits second season with a sell-out performanceof Massenet’s lush Chérubin. The second seasonconcluded with Handel’s Alcina, featuringa chamber orchestra of authentic instruments,at Toronto’s Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre and at theNew Hamburg Live! Festival of the Arts. EssentialOpera’s third season began with Weill’s ThreepennyOpera (Die Dreigroschenoper) and closedwith “Two Weddings and a Funeral,” an Italiandouble bill of Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) and Il campanello(Donizetti). Our upcoming season includesHaydn’s L’isola disabitata (November 8, HeliconianHall), new Canadian operas and a touringremount of “Two Weddings and a Funeral.”Erin Bardua andMaureen Batt, artistic directorsMaureen Batt647-290-7970essentialopera@gmail.comessentialopera.com●●Etobicoke Centennial ChoirThe Etobicoke Centennial Choir (ECC) is an SATBcommunity choir with a long history of choralexcellence. Now entering its 47th season, theECC is dedicated to enriching the cultural life ofour community through the presentation of finechoral music. Our three-concert season includesa varied repertoire of both classical and contemporarymusic.ECC singers enjoy the opportunity to enhancetheir vocal skills, expand their choral repertoireand experience the camaraderie that comes withuniting voices in song. The choir welcomes newsingers and associate members.Our concert season begins on December 7with “Sacred Traditions,” featuring Bach’s CantataBWV140, Srul Irving Glick’s haunting Kedushaand selections from Handel’s Messiah. InApril, “Hidden Treasures: Renaissance to Romantic”features Franck’s Mass in A, Mozart’s Nocturnesand Schumann’s Songs on a Poem byRobbie Burns. Finally, the Far East meets WestToronto in a concert presentation of Gilbert andSullivan’s The Mikado in June.Weekly rehearsals are held Tuesdays from7:15pm to 10:00pm at Humber Valley UnitedChurch in Etobicoke. Interested singers areinvited to attend a rehearsal. Follow us on Facebookand Twitter: @etobicokechoir!Henry Renglich, music directorShari Ellis, choir president416-622-6923info@etobicokecentennialchoir.caetobicokecentennialchoir.ca●●Etobicoke CommunityConcert BandNow in its 19th season, the Etobicoke CommunityConcert Band’s mission is to enliven the spirit ofthe community with high quality musical entertainment.Beyond our four-part series of concerthall performances, we extend our resources toa multitude of community performances, charitableevents and worthwhile causes in our neighborhoodand in our city.ECCB kicks off its exciting 2013/14 concert serieson October 25 with “Remember When,” anacknowledgment and salute to the great musiciansand bands, both past and present. OnDecember 13, “Christmas Fantasy” promotescommunity through seasonal works and showtunes and a special guest who leads the audiencethrough ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. OnMarch 21 ECCB presents “Give Our Regards toBroadway,” highlighting award-winning musicalsthat have appeared in the “Big Apple”: Evita, MissSaigon and many more! Finally, on May 30, ECCBpresents “Prelude to a Dream,” the lead-in to our20th anniversary gala planned for the 2014/15season, with a review of our best performancesof the last 19 years (and more!).Rob Hunter, presidentJohn Edward Liddle, music director416-410-1570info@eccb.caeccb.ca●●Etobicoke PhilharmonicOrchestraThis year we offer five great evenings of symphonicmusic in Etobicoke with our 60-pieceorchestra, under the direction of Sabatino Vacca.Professional musicians lead the sections, supportedby high-level community players, and stellarsoloists are featured.Our season opens with Halloween and Christmasconcerts including seasonal favourites andin the New Year includes well-loved concertosand symphonies. Our grand finale, “Beethovenat the Proms,” features Beethoven’s SymphonyNo.9 and the EPO chorus.Advanced orchestral musicians of all agesinterested in joining us are welcome to apply formembership by contacting our personnel manager.Rehearsals begin Wednesday September 4,2013.The EPO is inviting submissions of originalworks scored for orchestra for its first YoungComposers Competition. Three winners willreceive cash prizes and the Grand Prize compositionwill be performed by the EPO duringits 2013/14 season. Details are available onour website.Singers interested in joining our chorus andyoung string players interested in the EtobicokeYouth Strings program are invited to visit ourwebsite for details.See you at the symphony!General Information416-239-5665; info@eporchestra.caJudy Gargaro, personnel manager416-232-2275; jgargaro@quickemail.comeporchestra.caEtobicoke Youth StringsShari Lundy, music director416-239-0523; eys@eporchestra.cashari.lundy@gmail.com●●euphonia“The hippest and hottest band around town” iswhat critics are calling euphonia, a new orchestrawith a no-holds-barred attitude that is takingToronto by storm. With innovative approachesto presenting classical music, euphonia has leftthe concert hall in search of new audiences.Performing once a month as a house band atLula Lounge, a nightclub on Toronto’s west side,euphonia is making a reputation for outstandingshows in an informal atmosphere.euphonia’s attitude that listening to and playingclassical music should be an engaging experienceis embraced by its talented musicians andhas been noted in reviews.“Their common bond is an unwavering affection,love, passion for serious music — albeitplayed without too much seriousness on display.”B10 | theWholeNote 2013/14 PRESENTER PROFILES

—David Farrell, New Canadian Musiceuphonia is proving that classical music hasa demographically wide appeal and that musicplayed well and with passion will have an enthusiasticaudience of all ages.euphonia.ca●●Exultate Chamber SingersOver a 33-year history, the Exultate ChamberSingers has garnered praise from all quartersfor sensitive, precise and seamless performances.The choir was established in 1981 by conductorJohn Tuttle and is enriched not only bythe excellent musicianship of its members butalso by their varied academic and professionalbackgrounds. Together, they form a passionate,committed ensemble with a wide-ranging repertoireand were awarded the Healey Willan GrandPrize for a third time at the 2004 CBC Competitionfor Amateur Choirs. Exultate’s fourth CD,All Around the Circle, features folk songs fromacross Canada and was launched at the first performanceof Exultate’s 25th anniversary seasonin October 2005. Exultate presents a four-concertsubscription series in Toronto and makesguest appearances in various Ontario communities.Auditions are held as required to fill vacanciesin the fixed-membership group.Hilary Apfelstadt, artistic directorElana Harte, operations manager416-971-9229exultate@exultate.netexultate.net●●Flato Markham TheatreThe Flato Markham Theatre’s DiamondSeries 13/14 season is unmatched in offering amix of world-class artists who have already lefta profound footprint in the world of entertainment.We offer you a dazzling line-up with today’smost gifted award-winning artists who continueto offer stunning artistry and success. Our DiamondSeries is exclusive in diversity and variety,with over 70 performances including those byemerging stars...footprints in the making! Featuredseries include: “Totally Classical” to “AllAbout Jazz,” “World Stage” to “Nostalgia,” “AfternoonMatinees” to “Great Canadian Performers”and more!Expect the best of world-class performanceswith Flato Markham Theatre’s flexible pricingoffers — yet unmatched in the GTA! With globallyacclaimed artists, Canadian and GTA premieresand exclusive presentations, this 527-seat theatre(with not a bad seat in the house) offers anexperience that creates unforgettable memories.We are located at 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.Free parking is available onsite.Box Office: 905-305-7469; 1-866-768-8801markhamtheatre.caKOFFLER CENTRE FOR THE ARTS●●Georgetown Bach ChoraleThe Georgetown Bach Chorale is now in its 14thseason and has just returned from the 2013Festival 500 choral extravaganza in St. John’s,Newfoundland. The chorale will be featured infive concerts and will sponsor a concert with astring quintet and a February evening of pianoand poetry, featuring the chorale’s conductor RonGreidanus and local celebrity Vera MacDonald.The chorale is made up of approximately 24singers, many of whom perform solos in someof the works presented. The chorale performslocally in Halton Hills using the magnificent facilitiesoffered by such churches as St. Elias, thetraditional Ukrainian church in west Brampton,and the towering Croatian Centre’s church inNorval, suitable for a capella repertoire.This season begins with Arensky’s rarely performedPiano Quintet in D Major and Chopin’sPiano Concerto in E Minor. Bach’s Magnificat andChristmas Oratorio Part I and four in-house concertslead up to Christmas. An a capella concert,Brumel’s Earthquake Mass and Vivaldi’s Four Seasonsare featured in the final three concerts ofthe 2013/14 season.Ian Oldaker905-873-6081oldakeri@outlook.comgeorgetownbachchorale.com●●Glionna Mansell CorporationGlionna Mansell Corporation is a music marketingagency and concert producer in the organand choral performance genre. As a respectedleader in the industry, the company is an activesupporter/promoter of emerging artistic talentalongside experienced world-stage performers.The activities operating under the GlionnaMansell banner include the Glionna Mansell ArtsFoundation for Performance Excellence, ORGA-NIX Concerts Inc. and Our Lady of SorrowsOrgan Concerts.Glionna Mansell is also the exclusive Ontariodealer of Allen digital and digital-pipe organs.With close to 100,000 installations acrossfive continents, Allen is the leading and mostrespected organ builder in the world andtogether with Glionna Mansell has a reputationfor profound quality — seen and unseen. GlionnaMansell is the authority in organ design, installation,service and performance. President andartistic director Gordon Mansell is an executiveon the Toronto board of the Royal Canadian Collegeof Organists. He is also music director andorganist at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church,where he presides over a world-renownedCasavant Frères mechanical-action pipe organ,Op.2805.Gordon Mansell,president and artistic director416-769-5224; 1-877-769-5224glionnamansell.com●●Grace Church on-the-HillThere is no sound like the soaring tone of trebles,boys and girls, trained in the English cathedraltradition and singing in the superb acoustics ofGrace Church on-the-Hill. The Choir of Gentlemenand Boys and the St. Cecilia Choir of Womenand Girls sing the best choral repertoire (15th to21st century) each week in worship, in concertsand on tour. Girls and boys aged 5 and up are welcometo participate. Prior musical training is notrequired for children. Scholarships and subsidiesare available to promising students. There is nomembership fee and children receive a small stipendfor singing. Interested adult choir membersshould contact the directors of music. We lookforward to hearing from you!Stephen Frketic,organist and choirmasterSarah Hicks, conductor,St. Cecilia Women’s Choirmusic@gracechurchonthehill.catheWholeNote 2013/14 PRESENTER PROFILES | B11

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