D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz) E. The ETCeteras N’awlins Jazz Bar & Dining 299 King St. W. 416-595-1958 nawlins.ca All shows: No cover/PWYC. Every Tue 6:30pm Stacie McGregor. Every Wed 7pm The Jim Heineman Trio. Every Thur 8pm Nothin’ But the Blues with Joe Bowden. Every Fri & Sat 8:30pm N’awlins All Star Band; Every Sun 7pm Brooke Blackburn. Nice Bistro, The 117 Brock St. N., Whitby. 905-668-8839 nicebistro.com (full schedule) Old Mill, The 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641 oldmilltoronto.com The Home Smith Bar: No reservations. No cover. food/drink minimum. All shows: 7:30pm-10:30pm Every Tues, Thu, Fri, and Sat. Nov 2 Fern Lindzon with George Koller, Nick Fraser; Nov 3 Canadian Jazz Quartet and Friends Celebrate First Fridays; Nov 4 Laura Fernandez with Colleen Allen, Don Naduriak; Nov 6 John McLeod & The Rex Hotel Orchestra; Nov 7 In Concert and Conversation with Gene DiNovi; Nov 9 Steve McDade with Adrean Farrugia, Scott Alexander, Davidé DiRenzo; Nov 10 Sophia Perlman with Adrean Farrugia, Ross McIntyre, Jeff Halischuk; Nov 11 Brian Blain Blues Campfire Jam with Chris Whitely, Jenie Thai, Alec Fraser; Nov 16 Pat Collins with Tom Szczesniak, Ted Quinlan; Nov 17 Dina LaCroix, David Restivo; Nov 18 Julie Michels with Russ Boswell, Tim Shia; Nov 23 Bob Brough with Adrean Farrugia, Artie Roth; Nov 24 Ahmed Mitchell with Alexander Brown, David Restivo, Roberto Riveron; Nov 25 Monica Chapman with Bartosz Hadala, Jordon O’Connor, Chris Wallace; Nov 30 Robin Banks with Ted Quinlan, Richard Whiteman; Dec 1 Canadian Jazz Quartet & Friends Celebrate First Fridays; Dec 2 Mike Downes with David Restivo, Larnell Lewis; Dec 5 In Concert and Conversation with Gene DiNovi; Dec 7 Genevieve Marentette Trio with Robert Scott, George Koller Only Café, The 972 Danforth Ave. 416-463-7843 theonlycafe.com (full schedule) All shows: 8pm unless otherwise indicated. Nov 1 Jamick w/ Gary LaRocca; Nov 2 In Between Sounds; Nov 4 Mudpunch; Nov 4 & 5 5pm Beerfest; Nov 5: Brian Passmore; Nov 7 Kristy Hagerman; Nov 8 & 22 PSS Presents An Evening of Improvised Creations; Nov 16 Mid-November Mighty Moustache Mayhem: Sawdust City Tap Takeover at the M’OnlyCafe; Nov 18 Blakeley-Walker Band Paintbox Bistro 555 Dundas St. E. 647-748-0555 paintboxbistro.ca (full schedule) Pilot Tavern, The 22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 thepilot.ca All shows: 3:30pm. No cover. Every Sat 3pm Saturday Jazz. Nov 4 Tune Town; Nov 11 Bob Brough Quartet; Nov 18 Kevin Turcotte Quartet; Nov 25 Dan Faulk Quartet; Dec 2 Alex Dean Quartet. Poetry Jazz Café 224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299 poetryjazzcafe.com (full schedule) Reposado Bar & Lounge 136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474 reposadobar.com (full schedule) Reservoir Lounge, The 52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887 reservoirlounge.com (full schedule). All shows: 9:45pm Every Tue, Sat Tyler Yarema and his Rhythm. Every Wed The Digs. Every Thu Stacey Kaniuk. Every Fri Dee Dee and the Dirty Martinis. Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The 194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475 therex.ca (full schedule) Call for cover charge info. Every Sun 12 noon Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 7pm Marilyn Lerner Trio. Every Mon 6:30pm University of Toronto Student Jazz Ensembles. Every Tue 6:30pm Chris Platt Trio. Every Tue (except Nov 28) 9:30pm Classic Rex Jazz Jam. Every Wed 6:30pm Thompson Egbo-Egbo. Every Thu 6:30pm Kevin Quain. Every Fri 4pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm James Brown Trio. Every Sat 12noon The Sinners Choir; 7:30pm Justin Bacchus. Nov 1 9:30pm François Jalbert & Jerome Beaulieu Duo. Nov 2 9:30pm The North. Nov 3 & 4 9:45pm Rinse the Algorithm. Nov 5 3:30pm Club Django; 9:30pm Samuel Bonnet Quartet. Nov 6 9:30pm Socialist Night School. Nov 8 9:30pm Manuel Valera Trio. Nov 9 & 10 9:45pm Carn / Davidson 9. Nov 11 9:45pm Rhythm Method. Nov 12 9:30pm Harley Card Quintet. Nov 13 9:30pm Sonuskapos Big Band. Nov 15 9:30pm Steve Wallace. Nov 16 9:30pm Aubrey Dayle Quartet. Nov 17 9:45 pm Avi Granite. Nov 18 9:45pm Easy Answers. Nov 19 9:30pm Nick Maclean Quartet. Nov 20 9:30pm Writers Jazz Orchestra. Nov 22 9:30pm Modus Factor. Nov 23 & 24 9:45pm ‘Nuf Said. Nov 25 9:45pm Jefferson / Murley. Nov 26 9:30pm Mary-Catherine Pazzano. Nov 27 8:30pm Rex Hotel Orchestra. Nov 28 9:30pm Joe Policastro Trio. Nov 29 9:30pm Matt Lagan Quintet. Nov 30 9:30pm Robb Cappalletto Group. Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The 1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064 thesaltydog.ca (full schedule) Every Tue Jazz Night. Every Thu Karaoke. Every Fri Blues Jam. Sauce on the Danforth 1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376 sauceondanforth.com All shows: No cover. Every Mon 9pm Funky Mondays. Every Tue 6pm Julian Fauth Plays Barrel-House Jazz. Every Sat 4pm Saturday Matinees. Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137 tranzac.org 3-4 shows daily, various styles. Mostly PWYC. Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. Every Fri 5pm The Friends of Hugh Oliver (folk). Book Launches ●●Nov 7 7:00: The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom. Book Launch. Release of Jaymz Bee’s new book Cosmic Fishing. Presented by Pages Unbound and Insomniac Press. Readings from plus interviews and music performances. 1214 Queen St. W. 416-531-4635. ( book rebate). Galas and Fundraisers ●●Nov 1 5:30: Canadian Opera Company. Centre Stage. Featuring the Ensemble Studio Competition, a vocal showcase of young Canadian singers selected from nationwide auditions. Host: Ben Heppner. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. at University Ave. Cocktails at 5:30pm. Competition at 6:30pm. Tickets available online at COCCentreStage.ca or 416-363- 8231. 0 (cocktail reception and competition); ,500 (Gala dinner). ●●Nov 5 8:00: Big Rude Jake and Pivotal Productions. Blues for the Red Door. 4th annual star-studded blues revue to benefit the Red Door Family Shelter in Toronto. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. Tickets , Advance tickets at www.bluesforthereddoor.ca. ●●Nov 17 6:30: Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Art Show & Silent Auction. 477 Manning Ave. 416-531-7955. /(adv). CANCELLED COME TO THE CABARET With Elizabeth Beeler as M. C. Sat. Nov. 18 at 4pm THE EDWARD JACKMAN CENTRE www.torontooperetta.com 416-366-7723 | www.stlc.com ●●Nov 18 4:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Come to the Cabaret. An afternoon with songs and chats. Elizabeth Beeler, Master of Ceremonies. Edward Jackman Centre, 947 Queen St. E., 2nd Floor. 416-366-7723. . CANCELLED. Lectures, Salons, Symposia ●●Nov 2 7:30: Darchei Noam Synagogue. Four Jewish Musical Titans (Part 2: Artur Rubinstein). Rick Phillips examines four master musicians and their music. A mix of lecture, music and discussion. 864 Sheppard Ave. W. 416-638-4783. per lecture. Also Nov 16, Dec 7. ●●Nov 4 7:00: The Toronto Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Loops and Whorls: The Men, the Malice and the Fascinating History of Fingerprinting. Illustrated talk with musical accompaniment. St. Andrew’s United Church, 117 Bloor St. E. Parking below church, off Hayden St. Refreshments included. Nonmembers welcome. . ●●Nov 6 1:30: Miles Nadal JCC. Ten Types of Tenors. Lecture by Iain Scott, opera educator. 750 Spadina Ave. 416-924-6211 x0. . ●●Nov 8 7:00-9:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Get Happy: The Music of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Lecture and sing-along. Pianist and music appreciation instructor Jordan Klapman. Join the fun and sing all of the greatest hits from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Temerty Theatre, Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-2824. . ●●Nov 12 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Opera: Fact vs. Fiction. Guest speaker: opera producer and lecturer Sue Elliott. Room 330, Edward Johnson Bldg., Faculty of Music, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-924-3940. . ●●Nov 16 7:30: Darchei Noam Synagogue. Four Jewish Musical Titans (Part 3: Vladimir Horowitz). Rick Phillips examines four master musicians and their music. A mix of lecture, music and discussion. 864 Sheppard Ave. W. 416-638-4783. per lecture. Also Dec 7. ●●Nov 25 3:00: Gallery 345. ClimateKeys: Talking About Climate Change. Lecture and discussion led by Prof. Matthew Hoffmann. Music for solo piano by Berio, Ravel, Takemitsu and Lavallée. Erika Crino, piano. 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781. PWYC. ●●Nov 26 2:00-5:00: Classical Music Club Toronto. Prokofiev: 1917 Premieres. Many of Prokofiev’s most interesting works were premiered 100 years ago. We will be presenting a number of audio and video recordings exploring these important works. Annual membership: (regular); (sr/st). Free for first-time visitors. Donations accepted for refreshments. 416-898-2549. ●●Dec 3 2:00: Toronto Opera Club. Love at First Sight! Guest Speaker: Iain Scott. Room 330, Faculty of Music, Edward Johnson Bldg., 80 Queen’s Park. 416-924-3940. . ●●Dec 7 7:30: Darchei Noam Synagogue. Four Jewish Musical Titans (Part 4: George Szell). Rick Phillips examines four master musicians and their music. A mix of lecture, music, and discussion. 864 Sheppard Ave. W. 416-638- 4783. per lecture. Masterclasses ●●Nov 4 10:00am-12:00noon: Kawartha Youth Orchestra. Violin Masterclass. Toronto Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Jonathan Crow. The Mount Community Centre, “The Gathering Room”, 1545 Monaghan Rd., Peterborough. 705-927-0768. Audit fee ; (st). ●●Nov 11 11:00am-1:00pm: Tafelmusik. Fortepiano Masterclass. Christian Bezuidenhout. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. Open to the public. 416-964- 9652. Free admission. Donations welcome. ●●Nov 24 6:00-9:00: ORMTA Central Toronto Branch. Composition Master Class with Omar Daniel. In honour of Canada Music Week. Participants and auditors of all ages and levels welcome. Canadian Music Centre 20 St Joseph St. -. Contact: Avila Lotoski at avila.lotoski@hotmail.com. ●●Nov 24 7:00-10:00: University of Toronto, Faculty of Music. Robert Dick - Flute Masterclass. Edward Johnson Building, University of 60 | November 2017 thewholenote.com
Toronto, 80 Queens Park. Open to the public. Free admission. Readings ●●Dec 3 7:00: Runnymede United Church. Annual Reading of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Performed by Ben Heppner, Gill Deacon, Susan Ormiston, RH Thomson, Nancy Palk, Lisa Horner and Jeff Douglas. 432 Runnymede Rd. www.runnymedeunited.org. . Screenings ●●Nov 21 6:30: Royal Conservatory. Conduct! Every Move Counts. Every two years, 24 young conductors travel to the Frankfurt Opera House to compete in the Sir Georg Solti Conductors’ Competition, the world’s leading conducting competition. Go backstage with this film as it follows five of these conductors through evaluation rounds to the finals. Conductor Tania Miller will participate in a post-screening discussion along with a performance by Royal Conservatory students. Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W. Tickets available at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema or online at www.hotdocscinema.ca. . Singalongs, Jams, Circles ●●Nov 17 7:30-10:00: Toronto Recorder Players Society Meeting. Mount Pleasant Road Baptist Church, 527 Mt. Pleasant Rd. at Belsize Dr. Bring your recorders and music stand. 416-779-5750. (non-members). ●●Nov 29 7:30: Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir. Open House Rehearsal. An opportunity for prospective members or curious onlookers to experience the choir in the informal setting of a rehearsal. Dewi Sant Welsh United Church, 33 Melrose Ave. 905- 726-3341. Free. ●●Dec 3 2:30-5:00 Choral Bonanza Team. Messiah Sing-along. Handel: Messiah (Christmas Portion). Dr. Richard Heinzle, conductor; Sapphire Navaratnarajah, accompanist. Richmond Hill Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 416-568-9838. Choral singers participation fee: . Suggested donation for concert: . Concert is at 7pm. Choral singers are asked to pre-register at ChoralBonanza@ gmail.com if possible (required if you need a score: Watkins Shaw ed.). Soloists and orchestra musicians: no fee, please email a short resume to ChoralBonanza@gmail.com. Tours ●●Nov 12 10:30am: Canadian Opera Company. 90-Minute Tour of the Four Seasons Centre. Led by a trained docent. Includes information and access to the Isadore and Rosalie Sharp City Room, the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre and R. Fraser Elliott Hall, as well as backstage areas such as the wig rooms and ressing rooms, the orchestra pit, and other spaces that only a stage door pass could unlock. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363- 8231. coc.ca (adults); (sr/st). Also Nov 19, 26. Workshops ●●Nov 5 1:30-4:00: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Workshop coached by recorder player Stephane Potvin. Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd. Bring your early instruments and a music stand. . 416-779- 5750. www.tempotoronto.net. ●●Nov 18 10:30am-1:00pm: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Singsation Saturday. Join other enthusiastic singers for a fun Canada– 150-themed choral workshop. Sing through a number of works by Canadian composers, including Ave Verum by Imant Raminsh and folk songs like Song for the Mira and We Rise Again. With guest conductor Stephane Potvin of Musikay. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, Cameron Hall, 1585 Yonge St. (1 block north of Yonge and St. Clair). , includes refreshments. Register at the door. www.tmchoir.org/singsation-saturdays ●●Nov 19 2:00-4:30: CAMMAC Toronto Region. Reading for Singers and String Players. Choral works by Ola Gjeilo: Northern Lights; Ubi Caritas; Across the Vast, Eternal Sky; Tundra; and Sacred Heart. Jenny Crober, conductor. Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 905-877-0671. ; (members). ●●Nov 25 TBA: Long & McQuade. Workshop with Robert Dick, Flute. Long & McQuade, 925 Bloor St. W. Open to the public. Free. ●●Nov 25 10:00am-4:30pm International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. Branding, Marketing, Social Media. Music theatre singer Lara Harb shares her knowledge. NOTE: The first 10 artists to register can have their materials critiqued. 519 Church St. 416-362-1422. . ●●Dec 2 10:00am-5:00pm: International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. From Rags to Reasonable! Financial Management / Planning for Artists with Chris Enns. info@ircpa.net 416.362.1422 www.ircpa.net BUSINESS WORKSHOPS FOR MUSICIANS OF ALL GENRES BRANDING, MARKETING, SOCIAL MEDIA SAT. NOV.25, 10am -4.30pm 519 Church St. l block north of Wellesley FROM RAGS TO REASONABLE! SAT. DEC. 2 10am-1pm- Getting Started, Bridging gaps 2-5pm - financial planning Canadian Music Centre, 20 St. Joseph Street ARTISTS NEW TO CANADA SUN. DEC. 3, 2:30 - 5pm 918 Bathurst Street FREE! PLEASE REGISTER www,ircpa.net TICKETS: - Take advantage of the 3 for 1 deal and SAVE ! 3 colleagues can share one registration - paying only per person. The IRCPA acknowledges with thanks support from the Ontario Arts Council, the Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, and private donors. Partners: La Scena, Lula Lounge, the Wholenote, Classical 96.3FM Operatic tenor and certified financial planner Chris Enns discusses the basics of financial management, with such topics as budgeting with variable incomes (morning); and speaks about financial planning (afternoon). Canadian Music Centre, 20 St. Joseph St. 416- 362-1422. . ●●Dec 3 1:30-4:00: Toronto Early Music Players Organization. Workshop coached by recorder player Vincent Lauzer. Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue Rd. Bring your early instruments and a music stand. . (416) 779- 5750. www.tempotoronto.net. ●●Dec 3 2:30-5:00: International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. Artists New to Canada. Performer/composer Shahriyar Jamshidi, a recent newcomer to Canada, and musician, writer and teacher Marcelo Puente, who came to Toronto from Chile in 1974, share their experiences of establishing music careers in this country, providing guidance and suggestions for newcomer artists facing the same challenges. 918 Bathurst St. 416-362-1422. Free. thewholenote.com November 2017 | 61
PRICELESS Vol 23 No 3 NOVEMBER 2017
2017/18 SEASON MOZART’S PIANO GUE
Volume 23 No 3 | November 2017 ON O
FOR OPENERS | DAVID PERLMAN Rear Vi
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Choral Scene: Uncharted territory: three choirs finding paths forward; Music Theatre: Loose Tea on the boil with Alaina Viau’s Dead Reckoning; In with the New: what happens to soundart when climate change meets COVID-19; Call to action: diversity, accountability, and reform in post-secondary jazz studies; 9th Annual TIFF Tips: a filmfest like no other; Remembering: Leon Fleisher; DISCoveries: a NY state of mind; 25th anniversary stroll-through; and more. Online in flip through here, and on stands commencing Tues SEP 1.
Following the Goldberg trail from Gould to Lang Lang; Measha Brueggergosman and Edwin Huizinga on face to face collaboration in strange times; diggings into dance as FFDN keeps live alive; "Classical unicorn?" - Luke Welch reflects on life as a Black classical pianist; Debashis Sinha's adventures in sound art; choral lessons from Skagit Valley; and the 21st annual WholeNote Blue Pages (part 1 of 3) in print and online. Here now. And, yes, still in print, with distribution starting Thursday October 1.
Alanis Obomsawin's art of life; fifteen Exquisite Departures; UnCovered re(dis)covered; jazz in the kitchen; three takes on managing record releases in times of plague; baroque for babies; presenter directory (blue pages) part two; and, here at the WholeNote, work in progress on four brick walls (or is it five?). All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Tuesday Nov 3.
In this issue: Beautiful Exceptions, Sing-Alone Messiahs, Livingston’s Vocal Pleasures, Chamber Beethoven, Online Opera (Plexiglass & All), Playlist for the Winter of our Discontent, The Oud & the Fuzz, Who is Alex Trebek? All this and more available in flipthrough HERE, and in print Friday December 4.
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!).