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Volume 17 Issue 2 - October 2011

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Blue PagestheWholeNote

Blue PagestheWholeNote 2011-2012 PRESENTER PROFILESVarjabed at 905-417-2802. Opera Belcanto rehearsesTuesdays at 7:30pm at Forest Run Public School inMaple (Dufferin/Rutherford area).David Varjabed, music director905-417-2802Box Office: 905-787-8811www.rhcentre.cawww.operabelcanto.net●●OPERA HAMILTONA new era begins! Join Opera Hamilton in its 32ndseason as we present our fully staged operas in the750-seat intimate performance space of the DofascoCentre for the Arts.With two fully staged operas — The Barber of Seville(October 22, 25, 27 and 29) and Il Trovatore (April 14, 17,19 and 21) — along with our ever popular POPERA Plus(January 14, 19 and 21), there’s something for everyone.Our new home will afford Opera Hamilton patronsa more intimate and comfortable performanceexperience in addition to more options for attendance— four performances of each production, includinga Saturday matinee. On stage you will continue toenjoy the same acclaimed casts and innovative productionswhile the orchestra pit will happily accommodatea full sized orchestra.Be a part of a new beginning!905-527-7627Box Office: 905 527-7627 x236info@operahamilton.cawww.operahamilton.cafollow us on facebook●●OPERA IN CONCERTOpera in Concert is a unique Canadian company dedicatedto Canadian artists and innovative programming.Defying traditional operatic presentation, ourperformances rely only on the power and beauty ofthe human voice accompanied by orchestra or piano.Our 38th season begins with L’Accordéoniste: LatinHeat!, featuring mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber,pianist Peter Tiefenbach and accordionist Mary-LouVetere (October 2). Experience an expressive tourdeforce with the poignant and nostalgic timbre ofthe accordion! OIC’s season continues with GiacomoMeyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, starring Lauren Whalen,Edgar Ernesto Ramirez, Alain Coulombe, IasminaPataca and Johnathon Kirby (November 27). Next, ayoung Giuseppe Verdi’s tale of love, infidelity andvengeance, Oberto stars Michele Bogdanowicz, GilesTomkins, Joni Henson and Romulo Delgado (March4, 2012). Our season concludes with Franz Shubert’sDie Freunde von Salamanka, featuring James McLean,Catherine Robbin and Michael Ciufo with conductorKevin Mallon and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra(April 1).Concerts include OIC’s renowned chorus withRobert Cooper conducting, and the pre-performancepresentation “The Backgrounder” with hostIain Scott. All performances are at the St. LawrenceCentre for the Arts.Guillermo Silva-Marin, general director416-922-2147Tickets: 416-366-7723; 1-800-708-6754guillermo@operainconcert.comwww.operainconcert.com●●OPERA YORKIn our 15th season running and our third seasonas resident professional opera company at the newRichmond Hill Centre for the Arts, Opera York offerstwo exciting productions for our main stage, alongwith the Opera York Chorus and Orchestra. The seasonis opened by artistic director Sabatino Vacca withthe Puccini favourite Madama Butterfly. Stage directorMadeline Hubbard joins with production designerFrank Pasian to create a magnificent set.The second half of Opera York’s season is led byartistic director Geoffrey Butler, offering in full productiona classic of the Viennese opera repertoire,Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.Opera York continues to provide affordable and accessiblelectures, operatic concerts for seniors andeducational programming. November 3 and 5, 2011:Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. February 26, March 1 and3, 2012: Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (both at Richmond HillCentre for the Arts).905-763-7853Box Office: 905-787-8811; rhcentre.cainfo@operayork.comwww.operayork.com●●ORCHESTRA TORONTOOrchestra Toronto, one of Canada’s premiere communityvolunteer symphony orchestras, offers vibrantprogramming in five affordable Sunday afternoon concerts.Music director Danielle Lisboa conducts theorchestra in the acoustically superb George WestonRecital Hall at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, onYonge St. north of Sheppard Avenue.The 2011/12 season offers eclectic, sublime andpowerful masterpieces which promise exceptionalconcert experiences. Each concert is preceded bya pre-concert talk by the music director. A thrillingroster of soloists promises to delight. SopranoZorana Sadiq sings Strauss’ Four Last Songs and theOriana Women’s Choir performs Debussy’s Nocturneson October 23; the David Smith Theatre of Marionettesperforms to Khachaturian’s The Masquerade Suite andClarisse Schneider, winner of the Orchestra TorontoConcerto Competition’s 2011 Marta Hidy Prize forViolin, plays Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No 2 in DMinor on December 4; saxophonist Wallace Halladayperforms Glazunov’s Saxophone Concerto in E-flat Majoron April 15; and the Toronto Choral Society performBeethoven’s Symphony No.9 in D Minor on May 27.Wendy Limbertie, executive director416-467-7142otoronto@on.aibn.comwww.orchestratoronto.ca●●ORCHESTRAS MISSISSAUGAJoin us as we celebrate the 40th anniversary season ofthe Mississauga Symphony! With a stellar line-up ofsoloists, Maestro John Barnum and three guest conductors,you will be treated to wonderful music-makingthroughout the season.October 15: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” withpianist Jamie Parker and guest conductor MatthewKraemer. November 26: “From Bizet to Beethoven”with tubist Ian Feenstra and guest conductor DavidBourque. December 17 (at the special family timeof 4pm): “Voices of Christmas,” a one-hour familyconcert. February 11: “Bohemian Voyage” withcellist Adrian Fung and guest conductor MishaRohac. March 24: “French Connection” with pianistElaine Hou. April 5: Classic Albums Live and theMSO perform “The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s LonelyHearts Club Band” (presented with the Living ArtsCentre). May 5: “The Grand Finale,” Maestro JohnBarnum’s last concert with the MSO, featuring violinistRuth Fazal.Most MSO performances are held on Saturday eveningsin the acoustically state-of-the-art HammersonHall in Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre.Eileen Keown, general manager905-615-4403; Box Office: 905-306-6000symphony.info@livingarts.on.cawww.mississaugasymphony.ca●●ORGANIX CONCERTSORGANIX 12, produced by Glionna Mansell Corp,is an annual music festival presenting a series of concertsand educational events throughout the monthof May. While individual concerts may feature trumpet,strings, percussion or a choir, the common threadthat binds the festival together is always the numberone feature: the pipe organ, “King of Instruments!”ORGANIX 12 (May 7 to June 6) will feature the architectureof great buildings and magnificent organsand performers, including Massimo Nosetti (Italy),Diane Bish (USA) and the winner of the October2011 Canadian International Organ Competitionheld in Montreal. ORGANIX is a music festival unlikeany other.416-571-3680; toll free 1-877-769-5224www.organixconcerts.ca●●ORIANA WOMEN’S CHOIRORIANA celebrates its 40th anniversary seasonthis year. This auditioned choir of 30 to 40 singersis known for its musical excellence, its welcomingand supportive atmosphere, its collaborations withmany brilliant artists and its significant contributionto Canada’s choral repertoire. ORIANA has also releasedfive CDs to critical acclaim.This year we welcome our new artistic directorMitchell Pady. In addition, this season we are refocusingour commitment to the strength of women’svoices by partnering with a women’s organizationfor each of our three season concerts. These will beheld on Saturdays December 10, March 3 and May 12,8pm, at Grace Church on-the-Hill. Join us as we featuretraditional and modern women’s choir music forChristmas, in celebration of International Women’sDay and in honour of Mother Earth. Subscriptionsare available.Auditions are available for each term; contact us toattend a rehearsal or book an audition. Rehearsals areon Wednesdays from 7:30pm to 9:45pm.Samantha Clarke, manager647-466-7673info@orianachoir.comwww.orianachoir.com● ● ORPHEUS CHOIR OF TORONTOFounded in 1964, the 60-voice Orpheus Choir, underartistic director Robert Cooper, takes pride in bringingToronto audiences innovative choral programming.Our mission “to engage and enthral audiencesthrough performances of rarely heard and newly createdchoral music” explores a range of styles fromclassics to jazz, from a cappella miniatures to full orchestralworks, all celebrating our “expect somethingdifferent” motto.Our 2011/12 season includes the Toronto premiere ofI Believe: a Holocaust Oratorio for Today at Roy ThomsonHall; “Christmas with Adrianne” at Koerner Hall, featuringthe stellar soprano Adrianne Pieczonka; thepremiere of No Mortal Business, a dramatic new workby Alberta composer Allan Bevan; and “Light andJazzy,” an exploration of new jazz-flavoured scoresby György Orbán and Vytautas Miškinis.Through our successful Sidgwick ScholarshipProgramme, Orpheus provides invaluable opportunitiesto aspiring professional singers who gain experienceas soloists and section leaders.Orpheus is a vital and inclusive community of singersmeeting Tuesday evenings at Yorkminster ParkBaptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. Rehearsals are openand we are always pleased to audition new singers.Robert Cooper, artistic directorEdward Moroney, accompanistHelen Coxon, manager416-530-4428orpheuschoir@sympatico.cawww.orpheuschoirtoronto.com

●●PAX CHRISTI CHORALEPax Christi Chorale, Toronto’s Mennonite Choir, wasfounded in 1987, inspired by the success of an ad hocchoir assembled for the Toronto celebrations of the1986 Bicentennial of Mennonites in Canada.Under the inspired artistic direction of StephanieMartin since 1997, the 90 members include bothMennonites and singers from various faith traditionsand cultures. Ms. Martin leads the choir in performancesof both a cappella repertoire and masterworkswith full orchestra, showcasing both established andemerging soloists. Pax Christi Chorale celebrates its25th anniversary season in 2011/12 with performancesof the Salieri Mass in D Major, Britten’s Saint Nicolas andElgar’s The Kingdom.The choir has a choral scholarship program as well asthe Pax Christi Chamber Choir and Pax Christi YouthChoir, which is led by Lynn Janes. The choir rehearseson Monday nights in North York. Concerts takeplace at Grace Church on-the-Hill and Koerner Hall.Auditions are held in May and August.Laura Adlers, general managerlaura.adlers@paxchristichorale.orgDaniel Norman, assistant conductor and auditionsdaniel.norman@paxchristichorale.orgwww.paxchristichorale.org●●PAX CHRISTI YOUTH CHOIRPax Christi Youth Choir is Toronto’s newest youthchoir, providing young singers aged 14 to 22 with arich choral education and rewarding performance opportunities,both with Pax Christi Chorale and as anindependent youth choir. (See Pax Christi Chorale.)Led by renowned music educator, conductor andsinger Lynn Janes, PCYC choristers will experiencemusic that draws from the best of classical and contemporarymusical traditions, in both choral masterworksand smaller, more intimate settings. Highlightsof the 2011/12 season will be performances of the SalieriMass in D Major, Britten’s Saint Nicolas and Elgar’s TheKingdom with Pax Christi Chorale.The PCYC rehearses on Monday nights in NorthYork and concerts take place at Grace Church onthe-Hilland Koerner Hall. Auditions are held in Mayand September.Christine Dulude, general manager and auditionschristine.dulude@paxchristichorale.orgwww.paxchristichorale.org●●PENTHELIA SINGERSA vibrant ensemble of women, Penthelia Singers iscommitted to excellence in performing a culturallydiverse and musically sophisticated repertoire spanningthe Renaissance to the 21st century. Founded in1997, the group is named after the ancient Egyptianpriestess-musician, Penthelia. Entering its 15th season,the choir has earned a reputation for presentinginnovative concerts of four to eight-part choral repertoirein a multitude of languages. Costumes, masks,inventive concert venues and unique programmingcreate an original and engaging concert experience.The choir aims to demonstrate the diversity of choralmusic and to cross ethnic and cultural boundariesby reaching out to and connecting with their communitythrough music.Our major concerts for the 2011/12 season will include“Vocal Treasures” (Sunday December 4, 2011,3pm) and “15th Anniversary Gala” (Sunday June 3,2012, 7:30pm). Penthelia Singers rehearse Wednesdaysfrom 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Rosedale PresbyterianChurch (129 Mt. Pleasant Rd).Alice Malach, artistic director416-579-7464pentheliasingers@yahoo.cawww.penthelia.comROY THOMSON HALL●●PLATINUM CONCERTSINTERNATIONALPlatinum Concerts International is delighted topresent the internationally-renowned, award-winningKyiv Chamber Choir and conductor MykolaHobdych as they return to North America to delivertheir unique performances of some of the most belovedUkrainian Christmas music on their 20th anniversarytour.This will be the fourth Kyiv Chamber Choir concerttour that PCI, managed by Ernie McCulloughand Andrew Witer, has presented.The skill and passion with which this choir performsthe classic works of Ukrainian master composersand the entertaining way they present thefavourite Christmas carols of their country with choreographyand instruments are unlike anything else inthe world of music.This hidden treasure of Ukrainian music will be presentedin Toronto’s Koerner Hall, Waterloo’s FirstUnited Church, the Cathedral of St. Catherine in St.Catharines and Ottawa’s Dominion-Chalmers Church,in addition to the choir’s performances in New York,Washington, Philadelphia, Hartford and Rochester.Complete 2011 concert tour information is availableat www.platinumconcerts.com.Christmas with the Kyiv Chamber Choir — a uniquechoral concert not to be missed.416-292-3407; Toll-free 1-877-266-2557www.platinumconcerts.com.●●QUEEN OF PUDDINGS MUSIC THEATREFounded by musicians John Hess and Dáirine NíMheadhra, Queen of PuddingsMusic Theatre is dedicated to original Canadian creationand its aesthetic is a performer based physicalsinging theatre.Spectacular company successes include BeatriceChancy by James Rolfe and George Elliott Clarke, thefirst opera about Canadian slavery; The Midnight Courtby Ana Sokolovic and Paul Bentley (based on thefamous Irish poem of the same name), which wenton tour to Covent Garden in London; and Love Songs, atour-de-force for solo female singer by Ana Sokolovicwhich premiered in 2008 and toured internationally.In June 2011 Queen of Puddings premiered AnaSokolovic’s electrifying new opera for six female singers,Svadba – Wedding to huge critical acclaim. Beckett:Feck It!, premiering in February 2012, in associationwith Canadian Stage, is a wildly provocative showthat juxtaposes Samuel Beckett’s shorter plays withcontemporary classical music from outstanding Irishcomposers inspired by his appreciation for the absurd.Nathalie Bonjour, artistic producer416-203-4149queenofpuddings2@bellnet.cawww.queenofpuddingsmusictheatre.com●●ROY THOMSON HALLThe 2011/12 season welcomes a wide range of internationally-renownedartists and speakers. Seasonhighlights include Renée Fleming, Liza Minnelli, JoanBaez, Compaňia Flamenco José Porcel, The Priests,Bobby McFerrin, Bob Newhart, a presentation by formerU.S. Vice President Al Gore and the inaugural seasonof National Geographic Live, a series bringing theimages and projects of National Geographic to life. Theclassical music series Virtuoso Performances returns,featuring the Mariinsky Orchestra with conductorValery Gergiev, a duo vocal recital from MichaelSchade and Thomas Quasthoff and a very special eveningwith Yundi (formerly known as Yundi Li) on theRoy Thomson Hall stage. Roy Thomson Hall introduces“Canadian Voices,” a new series of four vocalrecitals at Glenn Gould Studio, each recital featuringone of Canada’s brightest stars (Tyler Duncan,Daniel Okulitch, Julie Boulianne and Layla Claire).We also celebrate our 15th season of free “Noon HourChoir and Organ Concerts.” Please check our website(roythomson.com) for details. The Corporationof Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall is a registeredcharitable not-for-profit organization.Stephen McGrath, 416-593-4822 x318stephen.mcgrath@rth-mh.comBox Office: 416-872-4255; www.roythomson.comwww.soundboard.ca@SoundboardTO on Twitter and Facebook● ● ROYAL CANADIAN COLLEGEOF ORGANISTSThe RCCO is Canada’s oldest musicians’ association.Today it represents a nationwide community of professionaland amateur organists, church and synagoguemusicians, choral conductors and those whoshare a love for the “King of Instruments.”The RCCO offers professional examinations annually,circulates its quarterly Organ Canada/Orgue Canada,publishes new compositions (both solo organ andchoral) and organizes annual conventions.The Toronto Centre’s 2011/12 programme openswith two Organ Skills workshops (September 17 andNovember 19). Anyone with keyboard skills and anSTEPHEN CHUNGtheWholeNote 2011-2012 PRESENTER PROFILES

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