fine community and professional musical and artistic talent, JSL Musical Productions· connects talented artists with local, regional and national talent and entertainment seekers. In addition, JSL Musical Productions· creates performance opportunities for Artists lo showcase their talents, develop networking opportunities and enhance their careers. Events and venues are as varied as there are artists. Whether it be a Big Band Review at venues such as The Miss\ssauga Living Arts Centre, or an intimate Celestial Flute and Harp Duo in an acoustically superior church sanctuary, elegant dinner club entertainment or 'jammin' street parties, JSL. Musical Productions· excels in bringing performers and performance opportunities together! Roselyn Brown, Principal Artist and Administrative Officer, continues to seek and provide musical opportunities, create musical productions and be a voice in the development, support and promotion of musical and artistic talent within the community. •A Division of JSL Enterprises Roselyn Brown 905-276-3373 4040 Creditview Rd !Jnit 16 #12075 Mississauga L5C 3Y8 info@jslmusic.comwww.jslmusic.com JUBILATE SINGERS J The Jubilate Singers is an auditioned, mixed-voice chamber choir of some 35 members. The choir presents an annual concert series at Eastminster United Church and performs at community events across Metropolitan Toronto. Our November 27 concert, sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute, features music by Vivaldi and Puccini. On March 5, along with Vox Finlandae we celebrate the Finnish and Canadian choral tradition. Our final Catalan/Spanish concert, on June 11, features El Romancero Gitano by Castelnuovo-Tedesco for guitar and choir. The Jubilate Singers rehearse Tuesdays at 7 :30 pm at St. Leonard's Anglican Church, 25 Wanless Avenue, just a block north of the Yonge/Lawrence subway station. Occasional sectional rehearsals are held on an informal basis. We are a hard-working but congenial group, striving for excellence under the energetic and capable direction of Isabel Bernaus, with Sherry Squires, accompanist. It is not unheard of for choristers to be sighted at a pub across the street alter rehearsal, though this is not a requirement for membership. New members are always welcome. Artistic Director: Isabel Bernaus President: Andrew Hellebust 4 Beechwood Crescent, Toronto M4K 2K8 Tel: 416-421-4419 info@jubilatesingers.ca www.jubilatesingers.ca K THE KITCHENER WATERLOO PHILHARMONIC CHOIR The Kitchener Waterloo Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1983. The choir has always maintained a commitment to music education, hence the es\ablishment of the Children's choir in 1987 and the Youth choir in 1998. Over the past 31 years, under the dynamic leadership of Artistic Director, Dr. Howard Dyck, the Philharmonic Choir has grown into a major choral institution. The Centre In The Square in Kitchener became the choir's home for its annual series of concerts in 1980. Each year the choir presents lour major choral works from master composers and commissions new ones by Canadian Composers. We endeavour to engage the services of internationally-renowned Canadian soloists such as Russell Braun, Ben Heppner, Michael Schade, James Westman, Measha Brueggergosman, and Suzie LeBlanc, to name just a few. If your passion is.serious choral music we encourage you to attend one of our concerts and be inspired. Artistic Director: Dr. Howard Dyck, CM, LLD General Manager: Gabriella Currie 101 Queen Street North, Kitchener, N2H 6P7 519-578-6885 Fax: 519-578-9230 gcurrie@kwphilharmonic.com www.kwphilharmonic.com KOMITAS MUSICAL ASSOCIATION CHOIR Founded in 1977 by David Varjabed, a renowned Baritone, this choir has brought the music of Armenia to a Canadian audience. The repertoire includes Armenian folk and classical music, and Western opera choruses. Named alter the Armenian composer, Komitas, who in 1899 was using choirs to perform choral settings of Armenian folk music all over Europe, the Komitas choir has performed a variety of works which have received critical acclaim. The choir has performed in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, the USA, and in cities in Armenia. In 1985, the choir won first prize in the highly competitive Ethnic Choir Festival at the Ryerson Theatre. In June 2004, Komitas Choir performed its Spring concert, and their next concert will be in January of 2005. Also coming up in 2005 will be the staging of an Opera Comique, Garineh, by Dikran Tchoukhadjian. For auditions, call 905-417-2802. Regular rehearsals are Mondays and Fridays. Komitas looks forward to many more successful seasons of performing both Armenian and Western music for the enjoyment of Canadian audiences. Music Director: David Varjabed 638 Confederation Parkway, Vaughan, L4K 5K6 905-417-2802 Fax: 905-889-9258 KOREAN CANADIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra is a semiprofessional orchestra based in Toronto, currently in its l 7'b season. It started out as a community orchestra in 1987, where student musicians met for weekly rehearsals in preparation for its two to three concerts a season. It has grown steadily since, now employing many young Canadian musicians (both Korean and non-Korean) in presenting its Fall and Spring concerts and gaining a reputation as a little orchestra that has thrived in Toronto's cultural scene. The KCSO is committed to innovative programming, including Korean culture and themes, featuring highcaliber soloists of Korean background, up and coming talents through the 'Young Artist Series', as well as performing works of Korean-Canadian composers. It has recently seen the formation of a junior and youth orchestra division, as an homage to its roots. Our 2004-2005 season concerts are on November 13'h 2004 at George Weston Recital Hall, featuring counter- tenor David Dong Qyu Lee and Mezzo soprano Helen Yu, and March 191h 2005 at Jane Mallet Theatre, with violinist Judy Kang. Music Director: Richard Lee 703 Bloor St. W., #203, Toronto, M6G 1L5 416-534-3760 Fax: 416-534-3955 mskcga@yahoo.com L LACHAN JEWISH CHAMBER CHOIR The Lochan Jewish Chamber Choir is a group of 25-30 singers dedicated to the performance of all kinds of music that comes out of the Jewish culture. Under the direction of Cantor Benjamin Maissner, the choir, now in it's 11 lh season, showcases the best of Jewish music, sung by the best of Toronto's voices. The choir is known internationally for its musical virtuosity and its comprehensive repertoire that spans several centuries and a variety of styles both popular and classical. Lochan has performed in Canada, Europe and Israel, has appeared on TV ad has recently produced a new CD. Last season included 3 local concerts and a performance at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in conjunction with the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit. Recording and current concert schedules can be found at www.lachan.or. The choir rehearses Monday evenings, 8-10.30 pm., September through June, at Holy Blossom Temple, 1950 Bathurst Street, Toronto. Membership is by audition, held in September/October far 2004/2005 season. Music Director, Benjamin Z. Maissner Contact Laurence Ja cobs: larryjacobs@rogers.com 416 630 1259 www.lachan.org LES AMIS CONCERTS Our 2004/05 - 22•d Season will have a new look. It has moved its operation to an Office/Studio/Rehearsal space. A festive opening of the series will take place on September 24'b at the Palace Restaurant with violinist Akemi and cellist Rachel Mercer. Look far the fallowing: Kirby Quartet on October 15'b & l 7th; Cellist Roberta Janzen & pianist Peter Longworth on November 7th. LA violinist Claire-Jeanne Martin & Toronto pianist Svetlana Marinovic on January 23'd - This concert will be repeated in LA on January 30th; Les AMIS Chamber Ensemble with violinist Lynn Kuo, clarinetist Emily Marlow, cellist Rafael Hoekman & pianist Angela Park on February 9' and 13th; Violinist Terence Tam & pianist Lorraine Min on March 13th. In addition to great traditional chamber music repertoire, Canadian composers Ronald Royer, Sophia Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatte, Philip McConnell, Kelly Marie Murphy, Jean Papeneau-Couture, Michael Pepa and USA composers Jeannie G. Pool & Beverly Grigsby will be heard. Les AMIS pianist Angela Park will premiere Michael Pepa's newly commissioned work with the Canadian Sinlonietta on January 22, 2005. Michael Pepa, Founding Artistic Director Lynn Kuo, Chef de I' ensemble Les AMIS 157 Carlton Street, Suite 207, Toronto, MSA 2K3 905-773-7712 lesamis@sympatico.ca www.lesamisconcerts.org 12 Wll1l1l1t1 MEMBERS' PROFILES 2004-2005
M MARKHAM CONCERT BAND The Markham Concert Band was formed in 1978, and with over 65 members, is one of the largest community bands in Canada! Band members include young and old from many fields of endeavour. The Band performs its 4-concert series in the beautiful Markham Theatre: October 24th 2004, Fun in the Fall; December 12th 2004, A Seasonal Celebration; March 6th 2005, The Tunes Keep Popping; and May Jst 2005, Arounll the World in Ninety Minutes. All concerts are on Sundays and begin at 3:00 pm. The Band can also be seen at many Markham and York Region festivals and events, including the Unionville Festival, Markham Village Music Festival, Canada Day and Markham Fair. You an expect extra special variety, contemporary pieces, marches, show tunes, light classics and, occasionally, a little jazz - the kind of music that appeals to any audience. Special guests are featured at many of the concerts. The Band performs under the leadership of Doug Manning, who holds the degrees of Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. Music Director: Doug Manning President: Rob Wells. Contact: Derek van Dassen 157 Church Street, Markham, L3B 2M2 905-472-0194 Fax: 905-472-6576 booktime@sympatico.ca www.mcb.on.ca MARKHAM THEATRE FOR PERFORptING ARTS Welcome to Markham Theatre for Performing Arts' brand new Professional Entertainment Season- October2004 to April 2005 featuring over 32 exciting shows highlighting a vast array of talent both local and international. For a copy of our season brochure call 905-305-7469. Markham Theatre is committed to the presentation of award-winning professional entertainment, community and educational performing arts programs, in addition to the celebration of Canadian talent. With 20 years of success behind us, we are proud of our achievements and look forward to many more as one of Canada's premiere arts facilities. Our Box office hours are Mon-Sat 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. NEW: Buy your tickets online. Theatre Manager: David Scott Administration: 905-415-7537 Toll Free: 1-866-768-8801 Box Ollice: 905-305-SHOW (7469) 305 show@markham.ca 171 Town Centre Blvd.", Markham, L3R SGS www.markham.ca MILTON CHORISTERS We are a non-auditioned choir with a Jove for singing. A strong sense of camaraderie and high performance standards keep the group vibrant and enthusiastic. Our rehearsals are Tuesday evenings 7:30 - 10:00 pm Knox Presbyterian Church, 170 Main St, Milton. For this, our 36'b season, we invite you to catch a wide variety of musical sounds with a strong emphasis on the nostalgic music that will bring back heart-warming memories of days gone by. We start with a celebration of Remembrance Day with songs from both World Wars, followed by a benefit Christmas performance. In the spring we venture into the lively, uplifting music of Gospel. We end our season with our traditional pub night and an evening of Swing. In addition the Milton Choristers support their community with many public singing engagements at benefit events. Please visit our website. Conductor: Sonja van de Hoel Accompanist: John Govedas President: Kathy Tyers P.O. Box 405, Milton, L9T 4Y9 905-876-320? www.miltonchoristers.com Founded in 1981, the Mississauga Children's Choir is a treble voiced choir of 115 children ages 6- l 7yr, The choir has grown to include three graded choruses -Training, Children and Youth. Under the leadership of Music Director Thomas Bell, the MCC is dedicated to providing young singers with exceptional musical experiences through excellence in performance, education, touring and service to the community. Auditions are held March - June by appointment. MCC enjoys an established relationship with the City of Mississauga and Opera Mississauga/Royal Opera Canada. The MCC has an active schedule each season of concerts, festivals, recordings, retreats and tours. Principal performances take place al Mississauga's Living Arts Centre. Songs of the Stars, will be presented on Saturday, December 4, 2004 and our spring concert, A Pageant of Song, will take place on Saturday June 4, 2005. Touring is a highlight of each season. The MCC's Youth Chorus will tour England July 2005, presenting many concerts including St. Paul's Cathedral, London, a.nd in Windsor Castle. Music Director: Thomas Bell Choir Manager: Kathy Brisley P.O. Box 41047, 4141 Dixie Rd. Mississauga, L4W 5C9 905-624-9704 Fax: 905-624-4693 info@mississaugachildrenschoir.com www.mississaugachildrenschoir.com MISSISSAUGA CHORAL SOCIETY The Mississauga Choral Society is an 80 + voice, semi-professional choir that brings to the stage the major choral repertoire of the J6•h to 20'h centuries. Now in its 30'b year, MCS is the Resident Choir of the Living Arts Centre (LAC) in Mississauga where it presents choral masterpieces, regularly commissions new Canadian works and hosts outstanding Canadian choirs and guest soloists. Artistic Director Chrys A. Ben)ley, now in his 28'h year with the choir, has led MCS in its growth to becoming a choral group of professional calibre and recognized reputation. The 2004-2005 performance season includes Handel's Messiah and David Passmore's Majora Canamusat LAC, Dec. 12, 2004; Baroque Treasures, featuring J.S. Bach's Cantata #140 [Wachet au! (Sleepers, Wake!)]. at LAC, Feb. 20, 2005; and Mendelssohn's Elijah at LAC, May 1, 2005. Chrys A. Bentley, Artistic Director Box 59505, Credit Landing Postal Outlet 228 Lakeshore Road West. Mississauga, LSH 4L I Auditions 905-278-7059, LAC Box Office 905-306-6000 mcs@misschorsoc.com www.misschorscc.com THE MISSISSAUGA SYMPHONY Celebrating its 33'd season, the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, along with Sinfonia Mississauga and the Mississauga Philharmonic Orchestra, present their 2004/05 concert series offering audiences a year of expressive music and engaging performances in the acoustically sound Hammerson Hall in Mississauga's Living Arts Centre. All performances are. scheduled for Saturday evenings. Oct. 16: The Kruisselbrink Sisters: Rebecca, Richelle and Renee Kruisselbrink, piano; Nov. 27: Tchaikovsky & Bart6k: guest conductor Paul Pulford, David Rose, viola; Dec. 18: Christmas in Mississauga: soprano Leslie Fagan and Holy Name of Mary Concert Choir with conductor Deborah Smith. Jan. 22: True North Brass: Strong and Free - a cross-Canada musical tour; Feb. 5: Dances In Time: Shauna Rolston, cello, and Louise DiTullio, flute; Mar. 5: An Evening of Baroque: Yi-Jia Susanne Hou, violin, and Norman Engel. trumpet; Mar. 19: Dee Daniels: Great Ladies of Swing: Dee Daniels, vocals; Apr. 2: Honens Laureate: Roberto Piano, piano; April 16: Rik Emmett: Rik Emmett, guitar; May 7: Opera's Greatest Hits: Mississauga Choral Society with conductor Chrys Bentley. The Mississauga Symphon·ic Association Music Director & Conductor: John Barnum General Manager: Mike Plaus 905-615-4401 Fax: 905-615-4402 Box Office: 905-306-6000 mail@mississaugasymphony.com www.mississaugasymphony.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Wlllllllltl MEMBERS' PROFILES 2004-2005 13
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!).
