In this issue: The Toronto Brazilian bateria beat goes on; TD Jazz in Yorkville is three years young; Murray Schafer's earliest Wilderness forays revisited; cellist/composer Cris Derksen's Maada'ookkii Songlines to close Luminato (and it's free!); our 15th annual Green Pages summer music guide; all this and more in our combined June/July/August issue now available in flipthrough format here and on stands starting Thursday May 30.
Summer Festivals Summer
Summer Festivals Summer Festival Listings Welcome to The WholeNote’s Summer Festival listings. The following pages contain basic listings for these festivals, where available at time of publication: 21st Century Guitar......................................................Aug 22 to 25 Beaches International Jazz Festival....................................Jul 5 to 28 BIG on Bloor Festival.............................................................Jul 20 Brookside Music “Festival of the Bay”..........................Jul 21 to Aug 16 Brott Music Festival.................................................Jun 27 to Aug 15 Celebration of Nations.....................................................Sep 6 to 8 Classical Unbound Festival............................................Jul 26 to 28 Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival..................................Jul 24 to 28 Collingwood Summer Music Festival..........................Jul 17 to Aug 11 Elora Festival.................................................................Jul 12 to 28 Festival Classica.....................................................May 24 to Jun 16 Festival of the Sound.................................................Jul 19 to Aug 10 The Fifth Canadian Chopin Piano Competition & Festival........................................Aug 23 to 29 Guelph Jazz Festival.......................................................Sep 11 to 15 Heritage Music Festival...................................................Aug 7 to 11 Highlands Opera Studio..........................................Jul 22 to Aug 26 Honens Festival...............................................................Sep 5 to 8 Kincardine Summer Music Festival................................Aug 12 to 17 XV Latvian Festival of Song & Dance in Canada........................Jul 3 to 7 Leith Summer Festival............................................Jun 29 to Aug 24 Luminato......................................................................Jun 7 to 23 Markham Village Music Festival.....................................Jun 14 to 15 Montreal Chamber Music Festival................................Jun 7, 11 to 16 Music and Beyond............................................................Jul 4 to 18 Music Mondays.........................................................May 6 to Sep 2 Musique Royale.............................................................Jun to Sep National Youth Orchestra of Canada: Odyssey Tour......................Jul OperaMuskoka Festival...............................................Aug 20 to 23 Orchestra Breva – Eroica: A Sesquicentennial Tribute to Laura Secord..May 25, 26, Jun 20, 21, 23 Ottawa Chamberfest.................................................Jul 25 to Aug 8 Prince Edward County Chamber Music Festival...............Sep 13 to 22 Prince Edward County Jazz Festival................................Aug 13 to 18 Something Else! Festival...............................................Jun 20 to 23 South Coast Jazz...........................................................Aug 17 to 18 Stonebridge Wasaga Beach Blues....................................Sep 13 to 15 Stratford Summer Music..........................................Jul 15 to Aug 25 Summer Music in the Garden....................................Jun 27 to Sep 16 Summer Opera Lyric Theatre.....................................Jul 26 to Aug 4 Sun Life Financial Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival.........................................Jul 19 to 21 Sweetwater Music Festival............................................Sep 20 to 22 Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival..............................Jun 3 to 15 TD Markham Jazz Festival...........................................Aug 14, 16, 18 TD Niagara Jazz Festival..................................................Jul 19 to 28 TD Sunfest: Canada’s Premier Celebration of World Cultures..................Jul 4 to 7 Toronto Summer Music..............................................Jul 11 to Aug 3 Westben Concerts at The Barn......................................Jun 2 to Aug 4 Check our website www.thewholenote.com for repertoire details, updates and additional information. Did you know that you can search these listings on our website (TheWholeNote.com/JustASK) and obtain further information about ticket pricing, performers and repertoire? You also have the ability to search by keywords, geographical region and music genres. 21st Century Guitar Aug 22 to 25 Ottawa, ON 902-986-5299 www.21cguitar.com Listings not available at time of publication. For general description, see Green Pages. Beaches International Jazz Festival Jul 5 to 28 Toronto, ON 416-698-2152 www.beachesjazz.com All events are free admission. ●●Jul 5–7: Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside Main Stage & Block Party, Jimmie Simpson Park, Queen St. E. ●●Jul 12–14: Beaches Jazz Latin Carnival, Woodbine ●●Jul 19–21: Beaches Jazz TD Woodbine Park Series, Woodbine ●●Jul 26–28: Beaches Jazz OLG Woodbine Park Series, Woodbine ●●Jul 25–27: Beaches Jazz StreetFest, Queen St. E. (between Woodbine and Beech Ave.) BIG on Bloor Festival Jul 20 Toronto, ON 647-887-6739 www.bigonbloorfestival.com ●●Jul 20 12:00 noon: Sonic Future Bloor. Keynes Woods, Selené, Jeff Burke, and others. Bloor Collegiate Institute, 1141 Bloor St. W. 416-801-5910. Free. Brookside Music “Festival of the Bay” Jul 21 to Aug 16 Midland Alliance Church 829 Yonge St. Midland, ON 705-527-4420 www.brooksidemusic.com Concerts are at 7:00pm. Ticket price: . ●●Jul 21 7:00: Syrène Saxophone Quartet. ●●Jul 26 7:00: The Swiss Trio. Guests: James Campbell, clarinet; Ken McDonald, horn; Douglas Perry, viola; Lydia Adams, conductor. ●●Jul 29 7:00: Festival Baroque. Guests: Sebastien Singer, cello; Andre Fischer, guitar. ●●Aug 07 7:00: Canadian Guitar Quartet. Guests: Sebastien Singer, cello; Andre Fischer, guitar. Brott Music Festival Jun 27 to Aug 15 Hamilton, ON 905-525-7664 www.brottmusic.com Performances take place in Burlington and Hamilton. Visit our website for further information. ●●Jun 27 7:30: Fascinating Rhythm. Chelsea Rus, soprano; David Curry, tenor; Raymond Huang, pianist; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Jul 04 7:30: PopOpera. National Academy Orchestra; BrottOpera Singers; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Jul 11 7:30: Connoisseur Classics 1. National Academy Orchestra; Rachel Mercer, cello; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Jul 18 7:30: La bohème. National Academy Orchestra; BrottOpera Cast; John Fanning, baritone; Boris Brott, conductor. 6:30pm: pre-concert chat (free). ●●Jul 25 7:30: Fly Me to the Moon. National Academy Orchestra; Chris Jason, Sinatra Impersonator; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Jul 28 3:00: Connoisseur Classics 2. National Academy Orchestra; Adrian Anantawan, violin; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Aug 08 7:30: For Your Eyes Only. National Academy Orchestra; Jeans N Classics; Boris Brott, conductor. ●●Aug 15 7:30: My Fair Lady. Celebration of Nations Sep 6 to 8 FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre 250 St Paul St. St. Catharines, ON 905-688-0722 A gathering featuring music, theatre, dance, film, interactive workshops and teachings to honour and celebrate Indigenous culture. Details TBA. Classical Unbound Festival Jul 26 to 28 Prince Edward County, ON 514-713-1082 www.classicalunbound.com Performances take place in various venues in Hillier and Trenton. Visit our website for further information. ●●Jul 26 7:00: Shoulders of Giants. Ironwood Quartet. ●●Jul 27 7:30: Ironwood Unbound. Ironwood Quartet. ●●Jul 28 7:00: Summer Nocturne. Ironwood Quartet. Cocktail reception 6pm. Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival Jul 24 to 28 204-571-6547 www.clearlakefestival.ca Performances take place in Erickson, Brandon, and Riding Mountain National Park. Visit our website for further information. ●●Jul 24 7:30: Opening Night. Sabina Rzazade, piano; Kerry Duwors and Katie Gannon, violins; and others; Alla Turbanova and Paul Shore, hosts; Alexander Tselyakov and Daniel DANIEL TSELYAKOV, piano, artistic director JULY 25-28 clearlakefestival.ca 54 | June | July | August2019 thewholenote.com
Tselyakov, artistic directors and pianos. Wine and cheese reception follows. ●●Jul 25 7:30: Concert 2: Chamber Masterworks I. Kerry Duwors and Katie Gannon, violins; and others. ●●Jul 26 7:30: Concert 3: Chamber Masterworks II. Alla Turbanova and Sabina Rzazade pianos; and others. ●●Jul 27 11:00am: Coffee Concert: Serious Fun! Nancy Hennen, flute; Cris Byman, clarinet; Alla Turbanova, piano. Coffee and pastries; 7:30: Jazz Concert. Michael Cain, jazz piano; Eric Platz, drums; Diogo Peixoto, guitar; Julian Bradford, bass. ●●Jul 28 3:00: Festival Grand Finale. Nancy Hennen, flute, Cris Byman, clarinet; Alla Turbanova, piano. Collingwood Summer Music Festival Jul 17 to Aug 11 Collingwood, ON 705-445-2200 www.collingwoodfestival.com Inaugural Concert A Choral Extravaganza Individual ticket price: + HST Thursday, July 18th, 6:30pm ●●Jul 18 6:30: A Choral Extravaganza! Inaugural Concert. Elmer Iseler Singers; Choral- Works Choir; Collingwood Festival Orchestra; Mayumi Seiler, violin; Daniel Wnukowski, piano and others. ●●Jul 19 7:00: Gryphon Trio. ●●Jul 20 7:00: Quartetto Gelato. ●●Aug 01 12:00 noon: Underground Railway Story for the Family - Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley Duo; 7:00: Sugar and Gold - Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley Quintet. ●●Aug 02 7:00: Nhapitapi (Zimbabwe). ●●Aug 03 7:00: Payadora Tango Ensemble. ●●Aug 09 7:00: Rolston String Quartet. Guest: Daniel Wnukowski, piano. ●●Aug 11 3:00: Family Fun - Carnival of the Animals / The Hockey Sweater - World Premiere. RH Thomson, actor; Trevor Copp, mime; Michael Schulte, violin. Elora Festival Jul 12 to 28 519-846-0331 www.elorafestival.com Performances take place at Elora and Fergus. Visit our website for further information. ● ● Jul 12 7:30: Opening Night 40th Anniversary Gala. Elora Singers; State Choir Latvija; Members of the Grand Philharmonic Children’s and Youth Choirs; Jane Archibald, James Westman and Daniel Taylor, soloists; and others; Maris Sirmais and Mark Vuorinen, conductors. ●●Jul 13 1:00: State Choir Latvija in Recital; 3:15 Pre-concert chat for Piano Six; 4:00: Piano Six. Daniel Wnukowski, Marika Bournaki, David Jalbert, Angela Park, Ian Parker and Anastasia Rizikov; 7:30: Natalie Mac- Master with The Elora Singers. Natalie Mac- Master, fiddle. ●●Jul 14 1:30: Jane Archibald, Soprano in Recital; 4:00: The Laplante/Seilor/Carr Trio in Recital. André Laplante, piano; Mayumi Seiler, violin; Colin Carr, cello; 6:00: Singers Unplugged 3.0. Michael Cressman, baritone and director. Also 8pm. ●●Jul 18 5:00: Evensong. Elora Singers; Matthew Larkin, organ; Mark Vuorinen, conductor; 7:30: Elora Singers: Path of Miracles. Mark Vuorinen, conductor. ●●Jul 19 7:30: Lemon Bucket Orkestra. ●●Jul 20 10:00 Pre-concert activities for Shoestring Opera; 11:00am: Shoestring Opera: Schoolyard Carmen. Katy Clark, soprano. Free post-concert Museum tour; 1:00: Gloria: French Choral Music for the Soul. Elora Singers; Matthew Larkin, organ; Mark Vuorinen, conductor; 4:00: Cheng2 Duo. Bryan Cheng, cello; Silvie Cheng, piano; 7:30: Unforgettable: The Nat King Cole Story. Thom Allison, performer; big band; Elora Singers. ●●Jul 21 2:00: Daniel Taylor with Charles Daniels and Ellen McAteer in Recital. Daniel Taylor, countertenor; Charles Daniels, tenor; Ellen McAteer, soprano; Steven Philcox, piano; 4:30: Hymn to St. Cecilia: Music from the English Tradition. Elora Singers; Matthew Larkin, organ; Mark Vuorinen, conductor; 7:30: Kuné, Canada’s Global Orchestra. ●●Jul 25 5:00: Evensong. Elora Singers; Matthew Larkin, organ; Mark Vuorinen, conductor; 7:30: COC Competition Winner: Matthew Cairns, Tenor; 9:00: Elora Singers at Twilight: From Darkness to Light. ●●Jul 27 10:00am: Pre-concert art activities for From Winkle to Stardom; 11:00am: Family Series (all ages): From Twinkle to Stardom. Music Comedy Duo Millan & Faye. Free post-concert Museum tour; 1:00: Penderecki Quartet with Daniel Lichti, Baritone; 4:00: Festival of the Sound Ensemble with Elora Singers. Swiss Piano Trio; James Campbell; Ken MacDonald; Doug Perry; James Mason; 7:30: An Evening With Measha Brueggergosman. ●●Jul 28 3:00: 40th Anniversary Finale: Magnificat! Elora Singers; Festival Orchestra with sitar and tabla. Festival Classica May 24 to June 16 Saint-Lambert, Montréal, QC 888-801-9906 www.fesivalclassica.com Performances take place at various venues throughout the Saint-Lambert area. Visit our website for further information. ●●Jun 01 10:00am: Natalie Choquette - Sorcière Malbouffa; 10:00am: Cordes Suzuki violins and cellos; 11:30am: The World of Julien Brody; 12:00 noon: Cégep de Saint-Laurent presents: Pianomania 2019. Asparuh Ivanov, Anaïs Lemay, Salomé Marcotte-Hurtubise, Émile Rose, Ada Vuong and others; 1:00: The Jealous Lover. Valérie Milot, harp; Mathieu Lussier, bassoon; Marianne Lambert, soprano; 1:15: Voces de España. Les Rugissants; Jonathan Barriault, guitar; Xavier Brossard-Ménard, director; Myriam Allard, flamenco dancer; 2:00: Pascal Amoyel - The Day I Met Franz Liszt; 2:30: Concert by the Conservatoire de musique de la Montérégie’s emerging talent; 3:00: Romances for Voice and Guitar. Magali Simard-Galdès, soprano; Antonio Figueroa, tenor; David Jacques, guitar; 4:00: Collège Durocher Saint-Lambert’s Pop’N’Jazz Band. Pierre Richard, director; 5:30: Cégep Marie-Victorin students in concert; 7:00: Trio Con moto - French Impressions; 7:00: Radiotango; 7:00: Poetry Jam! Bertrand Laverdure, Gabrielle Boulianne-Tremblay, poets; Marianne Trudel, piano; Sophie Lemaire, singer; 7:30: Joannie Labelle - Bea Box Invites the Pascale Croft String Quartet; 8:00: The French Art of the Trio. Stéphane Tétreault, cello; Mark Djokic, violin; Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano; 9:00: Saturday Night Fever. Orchestre symphonique du Conservatoire de la Montérégie; Classica Choir; Simon Fournier, conductor; Élizabeth Blouin-Brathwaite, soloist. ●●Jun 02 9:00am: Yoga and Gregorian Chant. Ensemble Scholastica; 10:00am: The Drum Garden. Marise Demers, percussion; Karine Cloutier, dancer. In French; 10:00am: Principessa Emma Cloutier; 11:00am: Children Sing in the Rhythm of Life; 11:00am: Poetry Jam!; 1:00: Block 15 or Music as a Form of Resistance. Pascal Amoyel, piano; Emmanuelle Bertrand, cello. In French; 1:00: Symphonie Fantastique by Berlioz. Orchestre Philharmonique de Montréal; 2:45: In Concert. École de musique Vincent-d’Indy Jazz Combo; 3:30: I Giardini - Piano Quartets; 4:00: An Afternoon with Friends with Marc Hervieux; 8:00: Clair de lune. Guests: Laetitia Grimaldi, soprano; Marc Boucher, baritone; Marc David, director. ●●Jun 03 7:00: David Jacques - Guitar Stories. In French. ●●Jun 04 7:00: La Petite Bande de Montréal. Orchestre de chambre de la Montérégie; Martin Dagenais, director; Caroline Gélinas, mezzo; Dominique Côté, baritone. ●●Jun 05 7:30: Bach Reimagined. Matt Herskowitz, piano; Charles Papsoff, saxophone/ flute. ●●Jun 06 7:00: Songs of Twilight. Kateryna Bragina, Stéphane Tétreault, cello; 7:00: François Dompierre - Dompierre in cinémascope. François Dompierre; McGill Chamber Orchestra; Mark Djokic, violin; Elisabeth Pon, piano. In French. ●●Jun 07 8:00: Mômes de Paris. Clémentine Decouture, soprano; Paul Colomb, cello; David Bros, accordian, Cédric Barbier, percussion. ●●Jun 08 9:00: Tribute to the Rolling Stones. Orchestre symphonique du Conservatoire de la Montérégie; Classica Choir; Marc Ouellette, conductor. Rain date: June 9(2pm). ●●Jun 11 7:00: Les larmes de Jacqueline. Orchestre Métropolitain; Alain Trudel, conductor; Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano; Stéphane Tétreault, cello. ●●Jun 14 7:00: 3rd International Recital Competition of French Art Songs - Semifinals. ●●Jun 15 5:00: Symphonic Picnic; 7:00: Keyboard Frenzy! Luc Beauséjour, Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, harpsichord/piano; 9:00: Francophonique - Big Concert Under the Stars. Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil; Marc David, conductor. ●●Jun 16 4:00: 3rd International Recital Competition of French Art Songs - Finals. Festival of the Sound Jul 19 to Aug 10 Parry Sound, ON 1-866-364-0061 www.festivalofthesound.ca Performances take place at various venues in Parry Sound and Elora. Visit our website for further information. ●●Jul 19 7:30: Gala Opening Concert. Elmer Iseler Singers; Mary Lou Fallis, soprano; Colin Fox, narrator; Penderecki String Quartet; Guy Few, piano and others. ●●Jul 21 2:30: Up Close & Personal. Gene DiNovi, piano; 7:30: Viennese Opera Party. Leslie Fagan, Kristina Szabó, sopranos; Colin Ainsworth, tenor; Sam Chan, baritone; Guy Few, trumpet and others. ●●Jul 22 10:30am: Office Hour: Accordion Postcards. Joseph Petric, Guy Few, accordion; 2:00: Music for Trumpet & Organ. William McArton, organ; Guy Few, trumpet; 6:30: Brass on the Bay Cruise. Ten members of Hannaford Street Silver Band. ●●Jul 23 1:30: Anagnoson & Kinton in Recital. Anagnoson and Kinton, piano duo; Alan Stein, visual art.; 3:30: Fantasy & Romance. Gryphon Trio; James Campbell, clarinet; Douglas McNabney, viola; Joel Quarrington, bass; 6:00: Bands on the Bay; 8:00: Strike Up the Band. Hannaford Street Silver Band; Russell Braun, baritone. ●●Jul 24 1:30: Carolyn & Russell in Concert. Russell Braun, baritone; Carolyn Maule, piano; 3:30: Swiss Trio & Friends. Swiss Piano Trio; Douglas McNabney, viola; James Campbell,clarinet; Ken MacDonald, horn; 7:30: Beethoven I. Janina Fialkowski, piano; Rolston String Quartet. ●●Jul 25 1:30: Rolston String Quartet; 7:30: National Youth Orchestra of Canada: A Look Into The Future. Michael Francis, conductor. ●●Jul 26 10:30am: Office Hour: Swiss Piano Trio - Musical Life in Switzerland; 2:00: Janina Fialkowska Plays Chopin; 7:30: Payadora Tango Ensemble. ●●Jul 27 11:00am: Strings Across the Sky; 4:00: Festival of the Sound Ensemble with Elora Singers. Swiss Piano Trio; James Campbell; Ken MacDonald; Doug Perry; James Mason; 7:30: Jayme Stone’s Folklife. Jayme Stone, banjo/voice; Moira Smiley, voice/ accordion; Sumaia Jackson, fiddle/voice; Joe Phillips, bass/voice. ●●Jul 28 6:30: Celtic Magic Cruise. Scantily Plaid. ●●Jul 30 1:30: Beethoven II. Leopoldo Erice, piano; Yegor Dyachkov, cello; 3:30: Sonatas for Strings & Piano. Duo Concertante; Yegor Dyachkov, cello; Martin Roscoe, piano; 7:30: The Four Seasons. Mark Fewer, violin; John Rice, narrator; Julie Nesrallah, soprano; Robert Kortgaard, piano; Festival Ensemble and others. ●●Jul 31 1:30: Festival Baroque. James Mason, oboe; Julie Baumgartel, violin; Borys Medicky, harpsichord; Suzanne Shulman, flute; Karl Stobbe and others; 3:30: Blue Ocean. Andrea Ratuski, host; Paul Marleyn, cello; Karl Stobbe, violin; Martin Roscoe, piano; James Campbell, clarinet and others; 7:30: Three Centuries of Choral Music. Elora Festival Singers; Mark Vuorinen, conductor; Festival Ensemble. ●●Aug 01 1:30: Mozart & Beethoven. Atis thewholenote.com June | July | August2019 | 55
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!).
