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~~;lf;~" 2008/09 SeasonACADElvlYNovember 01, 2008 - Mozart in Paris, 1778February 07, 2009 - Not just "Messiah"April 25, 2009 - Inspired by GreeceEastminster United Church, 310 Danforth at 8 p.m.Tickets (regular) / (senior/student)More info : www.academyconcertseries.comChris Haile (On Opera):My most magical musicalexerience of the season waswithout a doubt OperaAtelier's production ofldomeneo. With a powerhousecast of MeashaBrueggergosman, KresimirSpicer, Peggy Kriha Dyeand Michael Maniaci, withAndrew Parrott's conducting,it proved to be anabsolutely thrilling experience.In your "beat", whatwas the most newsworthyevent or biggest developmentduring the past year?Marc Hervieux in Opera Hamilton's 2006production of La Traviata. Hervieu.x is afeature tenor and one of the four soloists inPopera in the coming Opera Hamilton 2008-09 season.Chris Haile: The most important Canadian opera news story of thepast season has been the near-death and rebirth of Opera Ontario.Once the fourth largest producer of opera in Canada, the companyhad to cancel its 2007-08 season because of severe financial difficulties.Yet, due to the hard work of General Director David Speers,the amazing generosity of Hamilton businesses that forgave the companyits loans and the more than 80% of subscribers who donatedtheir tickets, the company was able to demonstrate that it had firmlocal support and could rebuild. Now in an unexpected but welldeservedhappy ending, it has reverted to its original name of OperaHamilton and has just announced its 2008-09 season of The MagicFlute and Madama Butterfly, showcasing Canadian talent-ColinAinsworth, Alex Dobson and Shannon Mercer are already scheduledfor Flute.Richard Marsella: SoundstreamsCanada securing a hefty commissionfor R. Murray Schafer's The Children'sCrusade, which will be premierednext June as part of LuminaTO2009-this new opera workwill feature over 150 performers,including the Canadian Children's2 Opera Chorus and the Toronto Con~ sort.c3 I was also very excited to hear§ about the announced collaboration8 between composer Christos Hatzis'-----"-'---="'-"""---'-_J ~ and librettist Margaret Atwood onJim Galloway "at work" in the the new chamber opera Pauline tosummer, taking shots of be premiered in early 2010. Thepe,formers at the TD Canada opera will be based on the life ofTrust Toronto Jazz Festival Pauline Johnson (1861-1913), awoman ahead of her time, who travelled across Canada, the UnitedStates and Great Britain giving readings of her own work in an erawhen such female independence was rare and remarkable.Karen Ages: The opening of Musideum, a new multi-cultural musicalinstrument store at 401 Richmond. I haven't been there yet, but Ihope to visit soon.Frank Nakashima: I'd have to say the launch of a concert season byThe Toronto Continua Collective. They are a group of musicianswho study the art of accompaniment, on lutes, theorbos, Baroquetriple harp, harpsichord and violas da gamba, under the direction ofLucas Harris and Borys Medicky. Their first program of the seasonfeatured early 17th century music from Italy, Spain, Austria andPoland. Definitely one of Toronto's best-kept musical secrets.Jim Galloway: The demise of IAJE (International Association ofJazz Education), coming after a less than successful event in Toronto(not necessarily related), showed cracks in what was regarded asa relative stronghold of jazz.WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM ] ULY 1 - S EP T 7 2008
Jack MacQuarrie: The appearance of a variety of different types ofnew outreach programs to encourage young people to continue withtheir music after leaving high school. A group of students have takenthe initiative to establish a new community band in Scarboroughto encourage recent graduates to continue their music as an avocation(www .continuingmusic.ca). Hopefully this initiative will be emulatedin other communities!Allan Pulker: Elise Bradley taking over the Toronto Children's Chorusfrom Jean Ashworth Bartle. This is an organization that has overthe years made a major impact on the lives of many young people,including a good many who have gone into music professionally.For it to move ahead through a major transition like this is an indicationof its strength as an organization and its likelihood of beingaround for a long time to come.If we'd beendoing ourcolumns asusual thisissue, whatwould youdefinitely nothave wantedleft out?Allan Pulker:If there issuch a thingas a "musthear" this Janet Cardiff's Forty-Part Motet at Shawinigan Space,summer I Shawinigan, Quebec. Allan Pulker hopes to visit thethink it is installation this summer at Stratford Summer Music.Janet Cardiffs sound installation "Forty-Part Motet," which can bevisited every and any day of the week except Mondays and Tuesdaysfrom July 23 to August 17 at Stratford City Hall thanks to StratfordSummer Music. Each of the separate vocal lines of Thomas Tallis'famous forty-part motet, Spem in alium has been recorded separately.The recordings are played back through 40 speakers placed as acircle of sound around the auditorium. Listeners inside the circle canapproach each of the singers individually or, by standing in the middleof the room, hear all of them together.Artafliine~ canadian OPERA companyFOUR SEASONS CENTREFOi!. THE P E RF O RM ING ARTSSunday, October 26 at 3 p.m.Kaffeemusik: From Darkness to LightSaturday, December 6 at 8 p.m.Magnificat! by Jan Dismas ZelenkaStarring Canadian soprano Agnes ZsigovicsSaturday, March 28 at 8 p.m.Celebrating Handel: Vespers of 1707Soloist Agnes ZsigovicsSunday, May 24 at 3 p.m.Kaffeemusik: J.S. Bach, Cantata #150JULY 1 - SEPT 7 2008WWW, TH EWHOLENOTE,COM19
