In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!
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●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Christmastide: A Baroque Christmas. Torelli: Concerto Grosso for two violins in g; Charpentier: In Nativitatem Domini Canticum; Manfredini: Concerto Grosso No.12 in C “Christmas Concerto”. Ellen McAteer, soprano; Ivars Taurins, conductor. First United Church (Waterloo), 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. . Also Nov 24(Guelph), 25(Cambridge). Thursday November23 ●●12:00 noon: University of Guelph College of Arts. Thursday at Noon: Student Soloists Day. Applied music students in the School of Fine Art and Music. Goldschmidt Room, 107 MacKinnon Bldg., 50 Stone Rd. E., Guelph. 519-824-4120 x52991. Free. ●●7:00: Magisterra Soloists. Magisterra at the Museum: Masterworks. Chausson: Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet; and works by Brahms and Kahn. Guest: Uriel Tsachor, piano. Museum London Theatre, 421 Ridout St. N., London. 519-661-0333. ; (sr); (st); (child). Friday November 24 ●●7:30: Kingston Community Strings. KCS in Concert. Tartini: Concertino for clarinet & string orchestra; Newbold: Lion City; D. Cameron: Ballade (premiere). Chris Alfano, clarinet. Christ Church Cataraqui Parish Centre, 990 Sydenham Rd., Kingston. 613-531- 6200. Free. ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Christmastide: A Baroque Christmas. Torelli: Concerto Grosso for two violins in g; Charpentier: In Nativitatem Domini Canticum; Manfredini: Concerto Grosso No.12 in C “Christmas Concerto”. Ellen McAteer, soprano; Ivars Taurins, conductor. Harcourt Memorial United Church, 87 Dean Ave., Guelph. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. . Also Nov 22(Waterloo), 25(Cambridge). Saturday November 25 ●●1:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn. Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert. Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill, vocalists; Westben Choruses; Donna B. Concerts Beyond the GTA Bennett and Brian Finley, directors. The Barn, 6688 County Road 30, Campbellford. 705- 653-5508 or 1-877-883-5777. ; (st); (youth). Also Nov 26, Dec 2(Norwood), Dec 3(Peterborough)(all 3pm). ●●2:00: King Edward Choir. A Ceremony of Carols. Britten: A Ceremony of Carols; Beethoven: Hallelujah; Liszt: Ave Verum Corpus; Rutter: Mary’s Lullaby; Ramirez: Los Pastores. Oliver Balaburski, conductor. Collier Street United Church, 112 Collier St., Barrie. 705-305-6797. ; (st). Also 7:30pm. ●●7:30: Grand Philharmonic Choir. Winter Hymn. Britten: Ceremony of Carols; Pärt: Bogoroditse Djevo; Pärt: Sieben Magnificat Antiphonen (excerpts); Ešenvalds: Stars; Schafer: Snowforms, and other works. Winter Hymn Grand Philharmonic Chamber Singers; Julia Seager-Scott, harp. St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 23 Water St. N., Kitchener. 519-578-5660 x5290. . ●●7:30: King Edward Choir. A Ceremony of Carols. Britten: A Ceremony of Carols; Beethoven: Hallelujah; Liszt: Ave Verum Corpus; Rutter: Mary’s Lullaby; Ramirez: Los Pastores. Oliver Balaburski, conductor. Collier Street United Church, 112 Collier St., Barrie. 705-305-6797. ; (st). Also 2pm. ●●7:30: Peterborough Singers. Yuletide Cheer. Venabrass Quintet; Ian Sadler, organ; Sydney Birrell, conductor. Emmanuel (George St.) United Church, 534 George St. N., Peterborough. 705-745-1820. ; (under 30); (st). ●●7:30: Serenata Choir. It’s Christmas! Gary Heard, conductor. St. Paul’s United Church (Midland), 308 King St., Midland. 705-526- 6800. ; (st). ●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department of Music. Balinese Gamelan Ensemble. Students play by ear on various gamelan instruments, consisting of gongs, metallophones, drums and flutes. Featuring new instruments from Bali. Humanities Theatre, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo. 519-885-8220 x24226. Free. Audience will have an opportunity to try the instruments following the concert. ●●8:00: Jeffery Concerts. Program 3: FRIENDS Ensemble OF MUSIC Vivant PRESENTS Christmas Tidings November 26, 2017 – 3:00pm Port Hope United Church, joined by La Jeunesse Choir. Andréa Tyniec, Violin; Arthur Rowe, Piano. Beethoven: Violin Sonata No.9 Op.47 in A “Kreutzer”; Schumann: Violin Sonata No.2 Op.121 in d. Wolf Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St., London. 519-672-8800. . ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Christmastide: A Baroque Christmas. Torelli: Concerto Grosso for two violins in g; Charpentier: In Nativitatem Domini Canticum; Manfredini: Concerto Grosso No.12 in C “Christmas Concerto”. Ellen McAteer, soprano; Ivars Taurins, conductor. Central Presbyterian Church (Cambridge), 7 Queens Sq., Cambridge. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. . Also Nov 22(Waterloo), 24(Guelph). Sunday November 26 ●●2:30: Duet Club of Hamilton. Celebrating Song. Duet Club’s Women of Song; Stéphane Potvin, conductor; Guests: Kokoro Singers; Brenda Uchimaru, conductor. Melrose United Church, 86 Homewood Ave., Hamilton. 905- 627-4534. ; (sr/st); free(12 and under). ●●2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. Con Danza. Argento: Valentino Dances; Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Concerto for Two Guitars; Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Op.64 (suite compiled by Bradley Thachuk). Ken Meyer, guitar; Steven Thachuk, guitar; Bradley Thahuck, conductor. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722 or 1-855-515-0722. ; (sr); (30 and under); (st/arts/ child); (eyeGO). ●●3:00: Friends of Music. Christmas Tidings: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”. Ensemble Vivant; La Jeunesse Choir. Port Hope United Church, 34 South St., Port Hope. 905-797-2295. ; $23(st); free(children under 13 accompanied by an adult/La Jeunesse Youth Orchestra members). ●●3:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn. Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert. Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill, vocalists; Westben Choruses; Donna Bennett and Brian Finley, directors. The Barn, 6688 County Road 30, Campbellford. 705- 653-5508 or 1-877-883-5777. ; (st); (youth). Also Nov 25(Campbellford, 1pm), Dec 2(Norwood, 3pm), Dec 3 (Peterborough, 3pm). ●●5:00: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston). Advent Candlelight Procession with Carols. Cathedral Adult, Teen, and Children’s Choirs. 270 King St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Religious service. ●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department of Music. Festivals of Light: University Choir. Celebrating holidays, festivals and rituals from around the world. Music from India, Japan, Thailand, Sweden, as well as Canadian traditional music for Advent and Christmas. University of Waterloo Choir; Gerard Yun, conductor. St. John’s Lutheran Church, 22 Willow St., Waterloo. 519-885-8220 x24226. ; (sr/st). Monday November 27 ●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Ten Strings and a Goatskin: New Celtic Heroes on the Scene. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. ; (st). Tuesday November 28 ●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Instrumental students. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free. ●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. London Handel Players: Father, Godfather and Son. Works by Telemann, J.S. Bach and C.P.E. Bach. Adrian Butterfield, violin; Rachel Brown, flute and recorder; Katherine Sharman, cello and gamba; Laurence Cummings, harpsichord. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. -; -(st). Wednesday November 29 ●●12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Kitchener). Wednesday Noon-Hour Concerts. Mark Lewis, singer-songwriter. 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Free. 11:30am: Optional low-cost lunch available in the foyer. ●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. The University String Orchestra. George Cleland, conductor. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. ; (child); (eyeGo); free(Brock students). ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Peter Shackleton, Clarinet; Stephanie Mara, Piano. Béla Kovács: Hommage à Bach; Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Sonata Op.128; J. Williams: Viktor’s Tale; and other works. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. ; (st). Thursday November 30 ●●12:15: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston). Advent Concert. Brad Barbeau, organ. 270 King St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Voluntary collection. ●●8:00: University of Waterloo Department of Music. orchestra@uwaterloo. Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite; Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Daniel Warren, conductor. Humanities Theatre, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W., Waterloo. 519-885-8220 x24226. Free. Friday December 1 ●●12:00 noon: First-St. Andrew’s United Church. Friday Advent Noon Recital. Ken Baldwin, trumpet; Terry Mead, piano and organ. First-St. Andrew’s United Church, 350 Queens Ave, London. 519-679-8182. Free will offering. Lunch following . ●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department of Music. Rejoice in the Lamb: Chamber Choir. Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb; works by Sandström, Ešenvalds, Corlis, Biebl and others. Jan Overduin, organ; Mark Vuorinen, conductor. Knox Presbyterian Church (Waterloo), 50 Erb St. W., Waterloo. 519-885- 8220 x24226. ; (sr/st). ●●8:00: Folk Under the Clock. The Once. Modern indie folk trio from Newfoundland. Geraldine Hollett; Phil Churchill; Andrew Dale. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749- 1146. .50; (st). ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Jonathan Crow Plays Beethoven. Jörg Widmann: Con brio Concert Overture; Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 in a “Scottish”; Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D. Jonathan Crow, violin, Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. - . Also Dec 2. 56 | November2017 thewholenote.com
d 1 Saturday December 2 ●●2:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Youth Orchestra: Concert 1. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745- 4711 or 1-888-745-4717. ; (child). ●●3:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn. Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert. Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill, vocalists; Westben Choruses; Donna Bennett and Brian Finley, directors. Norwood United Church, 4264 Hwy 7, Norwood. 705- 653-5508 or 1-877-883-5777. ; (st); (youth). Also Nov 25(Campbellford, 1pm), Nov 26(Campbellford, 3pm), Dec 3(Peterborough, 3pm). musicata.ca ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Jonathan Crow Plays Beethoven. Jörg Widmann: Con brio Concert Overture; Mendelssohn: Symphony No.3 in a “Scottish”; Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D. Jonathan Crow, violin, Pablo Rus Broseta, conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. - . Also Dec 1. Sunday December 3 2017-10-19 12:00 PM C. Music Theatre You, Fascinatin’ Rhythm, The Man I Love); and other works. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. ; (st). Monday December 4 ●●2:00: University of Waterloo Department of Music. UW Jazz Ensemble. Featuring jazz classics. Michael Wood, conductor. Great Hall, Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Rd. N., Waterloo. 519- 885-8220 x24226. ; (sr/st). Reception following. Musicata Festiva ●●3:00: Westben Concerts at The Barn. Upper Canada Christmas. Narrated concert. Musicata’s Christmas concert features music that is timeless: music that crosses the Musicata Festiva boundaries of centuries with Susanna ease. The Moodie major and works Catharine for this Parr concert Traill, are two German Baroque Musicata’s Christmas concert masterpieces, features Bach’s music motet that is vocalists; Lobet timeless: den Westben Herrn music and that Choruses; Pachelbel’s crosses Donna the Magnificat. Bennett by for Lassus, and this Brian concert Lauridsen, Finley, are directors. two Mendelssohn, German Northminster Baroque Gjeilo, Hammerschmidt, Shorter works Music for Christmas, crossing boundaries of centuries spanning with ease. several The major centuries, works masterpieces, the centuries Bach’s motet Lovelace with Lobet ease and den others, Herrn round and Pachelbel’s out United a program Church, Magnificat. 300 of exhilarating Sunset Shorter Blvd, works and Peterborough. 705-653-5508 Gjeilo, or Hammerschmidt, 1-877-883-5777. ; touching music. spanning several centuries, by Lassus, Lauridsen, Mendelssohn, Lovelace Saturday and others, round Dec Saturday, out 2, a 7:30pm program December of exhilarating 2, 2017 (st); and at (youth). 7:30 touching p.m. Also music. Nov 25(Campbellford, Hamilton Church of St. John the Evangelist, 1pm), Nov 26(Campbellford, 320 Charlton 3pm), Ave. Dec W., 2(Norwood, 3pm). Hamilton Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. Church of St. John the Tickets Evangelist, available 320 at the Charlton door or Ave. at www.musicata.ca ●●7:00: Barrie W., Concert Hamilton Band. Christmas at Regular | Senior | Student | Children Free Tickets available at the door or at www.musicata.ca the Beach. Lighthouse Community Church, Regular | Senior | Student | Children 800 Free Sunnidale Rd., Wasaga Beach. 705-481- 1607. Donations to the food bank welcomed. ●●7:30: Attila Glatz Concert Productions. ●●7:30: Musicata - Hamilton’s Voices. Christmas Concert. Church of St. John the Evangelist, 320 Charlton Ave. W., Hamilton. 905-628-5238. ; (sr); (st). Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country, pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; Mickey Gilley. Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls. 416-323-1403. and up. Also Dec 4(2pm and 8pm). ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Raffi Besalyan, Piano. Mozart: Sonata in C K330; Babajanian: Prelude and Melody; Baghdassarian: Preludes (in d, E, b; Chopin: Ballade No.4 Op.52; Gershwin/ Wild: Three Virtuoso Etudes (Embraceable ●●2:00: Attila Glatz Concert Productions. Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country, pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; and Mickey Gilley. Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls. 416-323-1403. and up. Also 8pm; Dec 3(7:30pm). ●●7:30: University of Waterloo Department of Music. Instrumental Chamber Ensembles. Six different chamber ensembles will play classical music ranging from Brahms to Koechlin. Chapel, Conrad Grebel University College, 140 Westmount Rd. N., Waterloo. 519-885-8220 x24226. Free. Reception following. ●●8:00: Attila Glatz Concert Productions. Festival of Stars. Doo-wop, Motown, country, pop, and rock-and-roll hits. Featuring Neil Sedaka; Under the Streetlamp; and Mickey Gilley. Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls. 416-323-1403. and up. Also 2pm; Dec 3(7:30pm). Tuesday December 5 ●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. RBC Foundation 2017-10-19 12:00 Music@Noon. PM Piano and guitar students. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free. ●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. The University Wind Ensemble. Zoltan Kalman, conductor. Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. ; (child); (eyeGo); free(Brock students). Wednesday December 6 ●●12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Kitchener). Wednesday Noon-Hour Concerts. Renaissance School of the Arts Flute Choir; Wendy Wagler, conductor. 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Free. 11:30am: Optional lowcost lunch available in the foyer. ●●7:30: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston). Advent Concert. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; and other works. Valery Lloyd-Watts and Clare Gordon, piano duo. 270 King St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. . ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Alex DaCosta, Violin and Beth Ann De Souza, Piano. Program TBA. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886- 1673. ; (st). Thursday December 7 ●●12:15: St. George’s Cathedral (Kingston). Advent Concert. Mulberry School Choir; Margaret Moncrieff, director. 270 King St. E., Kingston. 613-548-4617. Free. Voluntary offering. These music theatre listings contain a wide range of music theatre types including opera, operetta, musicals and other performance genres where music and drama combine. Listings in this section are sorted alphabetically by presenter. ●●Brampton Music Theatre. Hairspray. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the film. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Lane, Brampton. 905-874-2800. -. Opens Nov 9, 7:30pm. Runs to Nov 18. Thurs-Sat(7:30pm). ●●Canadian Opera Company. The Elixir of Love. Music by Gaetano Donizetti. Andrew Haji, tenor (Nemorino); Simone Osborne, soprano (Adina); Gordon Bintner, baritone (Belcore); James Robinson, director; Yves Abel, conductor. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363- 8231. -$235. Opens Oct 11, 7:30pm. Also Oct 15(2pm), 17, 21, 27, 29, Nov 2, 4(4:30pm). ●●Canadian Opera Company. The Magic Victrola. Libretto by David Kersnar and Jacqueline Russell. Works by Bizet, Mozart, Puccini and others. Members of the COC’s Ensemble Studio; Ashlie Corcoran, director. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. ; free(children under 12), Maximum of 2 free children’s tickets for each adult ticket sold. Additional children’s tickets . Dec 2, 11am. Also Dec 2(1:30pm); Dec 3(10:30am and 1:30pm). ●●Civic Light Opera Company. The Wizard of Oz. Music, lyrics and book by Joe Cascone and James P. Doyle, based on the film. Zion Cultural Centre, 1650 Finch Ave. E. 416-755- 1717. . Opens Nov 29, 7pm. Runs to Dec 10. Wed (7pm), Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). Note: extra show Dec 9, 2pm. ●●Clarkson Music Theatre. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin, book by David Ives and Paul Blake. Meadowvale Theatre, 6315 Montevideo Road. 905-615-4720. ; (sr/st). Opens Nov 17, 8pm. Runs to Nov 26. Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). Note: extra show Nov 25, 2pm. ●●Crow's Theatre. A&R Angels. Created by Kevin Drew. Streetcar Crowsnest, 345 Carlaw Ave. 647-341-7390. -. Opens Nov 20, 8pm. Runs to Dec 9. Mon- Sat(8pm), Wed/Sat(2pm). Note: no matinee Nov 22. ●●Curtain Call Players. The War Show. Written by Peter Colley. Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Dr. 416-703-6181. . Opens Nov 3, 8pm. Runs to Nov 11. Thurs-Sat(8pm). Sat/Sun(2pm). ●●Drayton Entertainment. Kings and Queens of Country. Featuring hits of early country music. St. Jacob’s Schoolhouse Theatre, 11 Albert St. W., St. Jacob’s. 1-855- 372-9866. -. Opens Sep 19, 2pm. Runs to Dec 24. Tues-Thurs/Sat/Sun(2pm), Thurs-Sat(7:30pm). ●●Drayton Entertainment. Rock of Ages. Book by Chris D’Arienzo to music by 1980s rock bands. Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, 46 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge. 1-855-372- 9866. -. Opens Oct 11, 7:30pm. Runs to Nov 5. Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Thurs/Sat/ Sun(2pm). ●●Drayton Entertainment. Beauty and the Beast. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton. Dunfield Theatre Cambridge, 46 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge. 1-855-372- 9866. -. Opens Nov 22, 2pm. Runs to Dec 31. Wed/Thurs/Sat(2pm), Thurs- Sat(7:30pm), Sun(1pm/7pm). Note: extra shows Dec 19 & 27, 7:30pm. Note: no mat Dec 20, no eve Dec 24 & 31. ●●Drayton Entertainment. Honk. Music by George Stiles, lyrics and book by Anthony Drewe. St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, 40 Benjamin Rd. E., Waterloo. 1-855-372- 9866. -. Opens Nov 29, 10:30am. Runs to Dec 24. Wed(10:30am), Thurs/Sat(2pm), Thurs-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(11:30am/4pm). Note: extra shows Dec 12, 19(10:30am). Note: no eve show Dec 14. Note: Dec 24 show is at 1pm. ●●Factory Theatre/b current performing arts. Trace. Written, composed and performed by Jeff Ho. Nina Lee Aquino, director. Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. 416- 504-9971. -. Opens Nov 11, 8pm. Runs to Dec 3. Tues-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Grand Theatre. Once. Music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, book by Enda Walsh. Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St, London. 519-672-8800. .95-. Opens Oct 17, 7:30pm. Runs to Nov 4. Tues- Thurs(7:30pm), Fri/Sat(8pm), Sat/Sun(2pm). ●●Hart House Theatre. The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin, additional material by Jay Reiss. Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-8849. ; (sr); (st). Opens Nov 10, 8pm. Runs to Nov 25. Wed-Sat(8pm). Also Nov 25(2pm). ●●International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. Singing Stars: The Next Generation. A program of arias. Rachel thewholenote.com November2017 | 57
July/August issue is now available in flipthrough HERE, bringing to a close 25 seasons of doing what we do (and plan to continue doing), and on stands early in the week of July 5. Not the usual bucolic parade of music in the summer sun, but lots, we hope, to pass the time: links to online and virtual music; a full slate of record reviews; plenty new in the Listening Room; and a full slate of stories – the future of opera, the plight of small venues, the challenge facing orchestras, the barriers to resumption of choral life, the challenges of isolation for real-time music; the steps some festivals are taking to keep the spirit and substance of what they do alive. And intersecting with all of it, responses to the urgent call for anti-racist action and systemic change.
"COVID's Metamorphoses"? "There's Always Time (Until Suddenly There Isn't)"? "The Writing on the Wall"? It's hard to know WHAT to call this latest chapter in the extraordinary story we are all of a sudden characters in. By whatever name we call it, the MAY/JUNE combined issue of The WholeNote is now available, HERE in flip through format, in print commencing Wednesday May 6, and, in fully interactive form, online at thewholenote.com. Our 18th Annual Choral Canary Pages, scheduled for publication in print and flip through in September is already well underway with the first 50 choirs home to roost and more being added every week online. Community Voices, our cover story, brings to you the thoughts of 30 musical community members, all going through what we are going through (and with many more to come as the feature gets amplified online over the course of the coming months). And our regular writers bring their personal thoughts to the mix. Finally, a full-fledged DISCoveries review section offers cues and clues to recorded music for your solitary solace!
After some doubt that we would be allowed to go to press, in respect to wide-ranging Ontario business closures relating to COVID-19, The WholeNote magazine for April 2020 is now on press, and print distribution – modified to respect community-wide closures and the need for appropriate distancing – starts Monday March 30. Meanwhile the full magazine is right here, digitally, so if you value us PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK AS WIDELY AS YOU CAN. It's the safest way for us to reach the widest possible audience at this time!
FEATURED: Music & Health writer Vivien Fellegi explores music, blindness & the plasticity of perception; David Jaeger digs into Gustavo Gimeno's plans for new music in his upcoming first season as music director at TSO; pianist James Rhodes, here for an early March recital, speaks his mind in a Q&A with Paul Ennis; and Lydia Perovic talks music and more with rising Turkish-Canadian mezzo Beste Kalender. Also, among our columns, Peggy Baker Dance Projects headlines Wende Bartley's In with the New; Steve Wallace's Jazz Notes rushes in definitionally where many fear to tread; ... and more.
Visions of 2020! Sampling from back to front for a change: in Rearview Mirror, Robert Harris on the Beethoven he loves (and loves to hate!); Errol Gay, a most musical life remembered; Luna Pearl Woolf in focus in recordings editor David Olds' "Editor's Corner" and in Jenny Parr's preview of "Jacqueline"; Speranza Scappucci explains how not to reinvent Rossini; The Indigo Project, where "each piece of cloth tells a story"; and, leading it all off, Jully Black makes a giant leap in "Caroline, or Change." And as always, much more. Now online in flip-through format here and on stands starting Thurs Jan 30.
Welcome to our December/January issue as we turn the annual calendar page, halfway through our season for the 25th time, juggling as always, secular stuff, the spirit of the season, new year resolve and winter journeys! Why is Mozart's Handel's Messiah's trumpet a trombone? Why when Laurie Anderson offers to fly you to the moon you should take her up on the invitation. Why messing with Winterreisse can (sometimes) be a very good thing! And a bumper crop of record reviews for your reading (and sometimes listening) pleasure. Available in flipthrough here right now, and on stands commencing Thursday Nov 28. See you on the other side!
On the slim chance you might not have already heard the news, Estonian Canadian composing giant Udo Kasemets was born the same year that Leo Thermin invented the theremin --1919. Which means this is the centenary year for both of them, and both are being celebrated in style, as Andrew Timar and MJ Buell respectively explain. And that's just a taste of a bustling November, with enough coverage of music of both the delectably substantial and delightfully silly on hand to satisfy one and all.
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
Vol 1 of our 25th season is now here! And speaking of 25, that's how many films in the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival editor Paul Ennis, in our Eighth Annual TIFF TIPS, has chosen to highlight for their particular musical interest.
Also inside: Rob Harris looks through the Rear View Mirror at past and present prognostications about the imminent death of classical music; Mysterious Barricades and Systemic Barriers are Lydia Perović's preoccupations in Art of Song; Andrew Timar reflects on the evolving priorities of the Polaris Prize; and elsewhere, it's chocks away as yet another season creaks or roars (depending on the beat) into motion. Welcome back.
What a range of stuff! A profile of Liz Upchurch, the COC ensemble studio's vocal mentor extraordinaire; a backgrounder on win-win faith/arts centre partnerships and ways of exploring the possibilities; an interview with St. Petersburg-based Eifman Ballet's Boris Eifman; Ana Sokolovic's violin concert Evta finally coming to town; a Love Letter to YouTube, and much more. Plus our 17th annual Canary Pages Choral directory if all you want to do is sing! sing! sing!
Arraymusic, the Music Gallery and Native Women in the Arts join for a mini-festival celebrating the work of composer, performer and installation artist Raven Chacon; Music and Health looks at the role of Healing Arts Ontario in supporting concerts in care facilities; Kingston-based composer Marjan Mozetich's life and work are celebrated in film; "Forest Bathing" recontextualizes Schumann, Shostakovich and Hindemith; in Judy Loman's hands, the harp can sing; Mahler's Resurrection bursts the bounds of symphonic form; Ed Bickert, guitar master remembered. All this and more in our April issue, now online in flip-through here, and on stands commencing Friday March 29.
Something Old, Something New! The Ide(a)s of March are Upon Us! Rob Harris's Rear View Mirror looks forward to a tonal revival; Tafelmusik expands their chronological envelope in two directions, Esprit makes wave after wave; Pax Christi's new oratorio by Barbara Croall catches the attention of our choral and new music columnists; and summer music education is our special focus, right when warm days are once again possible to imagine. All this and more in our March 2019 edition, available in flipthrough here, and on the stands starting Thursday Feb 28.
In this issue: A prize that brings lustre to its laureates (and a laureate who brings lustre to the prize); Edwin Huizinga on the journey of Opera Atelier's "The Angel Speaks" from Versailles to the ROM; Danny Driver on playing piano in the moment; Remembering Neil Crory (a different kind of genius)' Year of the Boar, Indigeneity and Opera; all this and more in Volume 24 #5. Online in flip through, HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday Jan 31.
When is a trumpet like a motorcycle in a dressage event? How many Brunhilde's does it take to change an Elektra? Just two of the many questions you've been dying to ask, to which you will find answers in a 24th annual combined December/January issue – in which our 11 beat columnists sift through what's on offer in the upcoming holiday month, and what they're already circling in their calendars for 2019. Oh, and features too: a klezmer violinist breathing new life into a very old film; two New Music festivals in January, 200 metres apart; a Music & Health story on the restorative powers of a grassroots exercise in collective music-making; even a good reason to go to Winnipeg in the dead of winter. All this and more in Vol 24 No 4, now available in flipthrough format here.
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
Presenters, start your engines! With TIFF and "back-to-work" out of the way, the regular concert season rumbles to life, and, if our Editor's Opener can be trusted, "Seeking Synergies" seems to be the name of the game. Denise Williams' constantly evolving "Walk Together Children" touching down at the Toronto Centre for the Arts; the second annual Festival of Arabic Music and Arts expanding its range; a lesson in Jazz Survival with Steve Wallace; the 150 presenter and performer profiles in our 19th annual Blue Pages directory... this is an issue that is definitely more than the sum of its parts.
In this issue: The WholeNote's 7th Annual TIFF TIPS guide to festival films with musical clout; soprano Erin Wall in conversation with Art of Song columnist Lydia Perovic, about more than the art of song; a summer's worth of recordings reviewed; Toronto Chamber Choir at 50 (is a few close friends all it takes?); and much more, as the 2018/19 season gets under way.
PLANTING NOT PAVING! In this JUNE / JULY /AUGUST combined issue: Farewell interviews with TSO's Peter Oundjian and Stratford Summer Music's John Miller, along with "going places" chats with Luminato's Josephine Ridge, TD Jazz's Josh Grossman and Charm of Finches' Terry Lim. ) Plus a summer's worth of fruitful festival inquiry, in the city and on the road, in a feast of stories and our annual GREEN PAGES summer Directory.
In this issue: our sixteenth annual Choral Canary Pages; coverage of 21C, Estonian Music Week and the 3rd Toronto Bach Festival (three festivals that aren’t waiting for summer!); and features galore: “Final Finales” for Larry Beckwith’s Toronto Masque Theatre and for David Fallis as artistic director of Toronto Consort; four conductors on the challenges of choral conducting; operatic Hockey Noir; violinist Stephen Sitarski’s perspective on addressing depression; remembering bandleader, composer and saxophonist Paul Cram. These and other stories, in our May 2018 edition of the magazine.
In this issue: we talk with jazz pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo about growing up in Toronto, building a musical career, and being adaptive to change; pianist Eve Egoyan prepares for her upcoming Luminato project and for the next stage in her long-term collaborative relationship with Spanish-German composer Maria de Alvear; jazz violinist Aline Homzy, halfway through preparing for a concert featuring standout women bandleaders, talks about social equity in the world of improvised music; and the local choral community celebrates the life and work of choral conductor Elmer Iseler, 20 years after his passing.
In this issue: Canadian Stage, Tapestry Opera and Vancouver Opera collaborate to take Gogol’s short story The Overcoat to the operatic stage; Montreal-based Sam Shalabi brings his ensemble Land of Kush, and his newest composition, to Toronto; Five Canadian composers, each with a different CBC connection, are nominated for JUNOs; and The WholeNote team presents its annual Summer Music Education Directory, a directory of summer music camps, programs and courses across the province and beyond.
In this issue: composer Nicole Lizée talks about her love for analogue equipment, and the music that “glitching” evokes; Richard Rose, artistic director at the Tarragon Theatre, gives us insights into their a rock-and-roll Hamlet, now entering production; Toronto prepares for a mini-revival of Schoenberg’s music, with three upcoming shows at New Music Concerts; and the local music theatre community remembers and celebrates the life and work of Mi’kmaq playwright and performer Cathy Elliott . These and other stories, in our double-issue December/January edition of the magazine.
In this issue: conversations (of one kind or another) galore! Daniela Nardi on taking the reins at "best-kept secret" venue, 918 Bathurst; composer Jeff Ryan on his "Afghanistan" Requiem for a Generation" partnership with war poet, Susan Steele; lutenist Ben Stein on seventeenth century jazz; collaborative pianist Philip Chiu on going solo; Barbara Hannigan on her upcoming Viennese "Second School" recital at Koerner; Tina Pearson on Pauline Oliveros; and as always a whole lot more!
In this issue: several local artists reflect on the memory of composer Claude Vivier, as they prepare to perform his music; Vancouver gets ready to host international festival ISCM World New Music Days, which is coming to Canada for the second time since its inception in 1923; one of the founders of Artword Artbar, one of Hamilton’s staple music venues, on the eve of the 5th annual Steel City Jazz Festival, muses on keeping urban music venues alive; and a conversation with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, as he prepares for an ambitious recital in Toronto. These and other stories, in our October 2017 issue of the magazine.
In this issue: a look at why musicians experience stage fright, and how to combat it; an inside look at the second Kensington Market Jazz Festival, which zeros in on one of Toronto’s true ‘music villages’; an in-depth interview with Elisa Citterio, new music director of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; and The WholeNote’s guide to TIFF, with suggestions for the 20 most musical films at this year’s festival. These and other stories, in our September 2017 issue of the magazine!
CBC Radio's Lost Horizon; Pinocchio as Po-Mo Operatic Poster Boy; Meet the Curators (Crow, Bernstein, Ridge); a Global Music Orchestra is born; and festivals, festivals, festivals in our 13th annual summer music Green Pages. All this and more in our three-month June-through August summer special issue, now available in flipthrough HERE and on the stands commencing Thursday June 1.
From science fact in "Integral Man: Music and the Movies," to science fiction in the editor's opener; from World Fiddle Day at the Aga Khan Museum to three Canadians at the Cliburn; from wanting to sashay across the 401 to Chamberfest in Montreal to exploring the Continuum of Jumblies Theatre's 20-year commitment to the Community Play (there's a pun in there somewhere!).
In this issue: Our podcast ramps up with interviews in March with fight director Jenny Parr, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and baritone Russell Braun; two views of composer John Beckwith at 90; how music’s connection to memory can assist with the care of patients with Alzheimer’s; musical celebrations in film and jazz, at National Canadian Film Day and Jazz Day; and a preview of Louis Riel, which opens this month at the COC. These and other stories, in our April 2017 issue of the magazine!
On our cover: Owen Pallett's musical palette on display at New Creations. Spring brings thoughts of summer music education! (It's never too late.). For Marc-Andre Hamelin the score is king. Ella at 100 has the tributes happening. All; this and more.
In this issue: an interview with composer/vocalist Jeremy Dutcher, on his upcoming debut album and unique compositional voice; a conversation with Boston Symphony hornist James Sommerville, as as the BSO gets ready to come to his hometown; Stuart Hamilton, fondly remembered; and an inside look at Hugh’s Room, as it enters a complicated chapter in the story of its life in the complex fabric of our musical city. These and other stories, as we celebrate the past and look forward to the rest of 2016/17, the first glimpses of 2017/18, and beyond!
In this issue: a conversation with pianist Stewart Goodyear, in advance of his upcoming show at Koerner Hall; a preview of the annual New Year’s phenomenon that is Bravissimo!/Salute to Vienna; an inside look at music performance in Toronto’s health-care centres; and a reflection on the incredible life and lasting influence of the late Pauline Oliveros. These and more, in a special December/January combined issue!
In this issue: David Jaeger and Alex Pauk’s most memorable R. Murray Schafer collabs, in this month’s installment of Jaeger’s CBC Radio Two: The Living Legacy; an interview with flutist Claire Chase, who brings new music and mindset to Toronto this month; an investigation into the strange coincidence of three simultaneous Mendelssohn Elijahs this Nov 5; and of course, our annual Blue Pages, a who’s who of southern Ontario’s live music scene- a community as prolific and multifaceted as ever. These and more, as we move full-force into the 2016/17 concert season- all aboard!
Music lover's TIFF (our fifth annual guide to the Toronto International Film Festival); Aix Marks the Spot (how Brexit could impact on operatic co-production); The Unstoppable Howard Cable (an affectionate memoir of a late chapter in the life of of a great Canadian arranger; Kensington Jazz Story (the newest kid on the festival block flexes its muscles). These stories and much more as we say a lingering goodbye to summer and turn to the task, for the 22nd season, of covering the live and recorded music that make Southern Ontario tick.
It's combined June/July/August summer issue time with, we hope, enough between the covers to keep you dipping into it all through the coming lazy, hazy days. From Jazz Vans racing round "The Island" delivering pop-up brass breakouts at the roadside, to Bach flute ambushes strolling "The Grove, " to dozens of reasons to stay in the city. May yours be a summer where you find undiscovered musical treasures, and, better still, when, unexpectedly, the music finds you.
INSIDE: The Canaries Are Here! 116 choirs to choose from, so take the plunge! The Nylons hit the road after one last SING! Fling. Jazz writer Steve Wallace wonders "Watts Goode" rather than "what's new?" Paul Ennis has the musical picks of the HotDocs crop. David Jaeger's CBC Radio continues golden for a little while yet. Douglas McNabney is Music's Child. Leipzig meets Damascus in Alison Mackay's fertile imagination. And "C" is for KRONOS in Wende Bartley's koverage of the third annual 21C Festival. All this and as usual much much more. Enjoy.
From 30 camp profiles to spark thoughts of being your summer musical best, to testing LUDWIG as you while away the rest of so-called winter; from Scottish Opera and the Danish Midtvest, to a first Toronto recital appearance by violin superstar Maxim Vengerov; from musings on New Creations and new creation, to the boy who made a habit of crying Beowulf; it's a month of merry meetings and rousing recordings reviewed, all here to discover in The WholeNote.
2016 is off to a flying start! We chronicle the Artful Times of Andrew Burashko, the violistic versatility of Teng Li, the ageless ebullience of jazz pianist Gene DiNovi and the ninetieth birthday of trumpeter Johnny Cowell. Jaeger remembers Boulez; Waxman recalls Bley's influence, and Olds finds Bowie haunting Editor's Corner. Oh, and did we mention there's all that music? Hello (and goodbye) to the February blues, and here's to swinging through the musical vines of the Year of the Monkey.
What's a vinyl renaissance? What happens when Handel's Messiah runs afoul of the rumba rhythm setting on a (gasp!) Hammond organ? What work does Marc-Andre Hamelin say he would be content to have on every recital program he plays? What are Steve Wallace's favourite fifty Christmas recordings? Why is violinist Daniel Hope celebrating Yehudi Menuhin's 100th birthday at Koerner Hall January 28? Answers to all these questions (and a whole lot more) in the Dec/Jan issue of The WholeNote.
"Come" seems to be the verb that knits this month's issue together. Sondra Radvanovsky comes to Koerner, William Norris comes to Tafel as their new GM, opera comes to Canadian Stage; and (a long time coming!) Jane Bunnett's musicianship and mentorship are honoured with the Premier's award for excellence; plus David Jaeger's ongoing series on the golden years of CBC Radio Two, Andrew Timar on hybridity, a bumper crop of record reviews and much much more. Come on in!
Vol 21 No 2 is now available for your viewing pleasure, and it's a bumper crop, right at the harvest moon. First ever Canadian opera on the Four Seasons Centre main stage gets double coverage with Wende Bartley interviewing Pyramus and Thisbe composer Barbara Monk Feldman and Chris Hoile connecting with director Christopher Alden; Paul Ennis digs into the musical mind of pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, and pianist Eve Egoyan is "On the Record" in conversation with publisher David Perlman ahead of the Oct release concert for her tenth recording. And at the heart of it all the 16th edition of our annual BLUE PAGES directory of presenters profile the season now well and truly under way.
Paul Ennis's annual TIFF TIPS (27 festival films of potential particular musical interest); Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma and Jeffrey Beecher on the Silk Road; David Jaeger on CBC Radio Music in the days it was committed to commissioning; the LISTENING ROOM continues to grow on line; DISCoveries is back, bigger than ever; and Mary Lou Fallis says Trinity-St. Paul's is Just the Spot (especially this coming Sept 25!).
