Courtesy uclA Livethem in Toronto last summerand was duly mesmerized bytheir music.Finally, on December 3,the Royal Conservatory’sKoerner Hall showcasesfamed Israeli folk singersongwriterChava Alberstein,acclaimed as “the mostimportant female folk singerin Israeli history,” with over50 albums to her credit, in adouble bill with extraordinaryEgyptian-Canadianvocalist Maryem Tollar.Their large band includesOved Efrat, acoustic guitar; Eran Weitz, guitars; Avi Agababa, percussion;Waleed Abdulhamid, bass; Naghmeh Farahmand, tombak;and Michael Ibrahim, nay. Local musicians include Ernie Tollar,saxophone and flutes; Hugh Marsh, electric violin; Ian De Souza,bass; and Levon Ichkhanian, guitar. I’m expecting the Israeli-Egyptian musical forecast in Koerner Hall to be convivial and warm,even though the temperature on Bloor St. might prove rather frigidthat December Saturday night.Andrew Timar is a Toronto musician and music writer.He can be contacted at worldmusic@thewholenote.com.Associates of theTorontoSymphonyOrchestraChava Alberstein.A subscription to the Five Small Concert Series will bean ideal gift for your family, friends and yourself.Price /. Concerts offer a wide range ofcomposers in Chamber settings.Monday, January 30, 2012, 7:30 p.m.Sergei Taneyev String Quintet in G major, Op. 14Franz Schubert String Quintet in C major, D. 956(Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. West)Monday, February 27, 2012, 7:30 p.m.Edvard Grieg String Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27vBedrich Smetana String Quartet #1 in E minor(Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. West)Monday, March 19, 2012, 7:30 p.m.Young Magic – Ensembles from theToronto Symphony Youth Orchestra(Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. West)Monday, April 30, 2012, 7:30 p.m.Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in D, Op. 76 #5Johannes Brahms String Quartet in B flat major, Op 67 #3Jean Sibelius String Quartet in D “Voces Intimae”, Op. 56John Corigliano “Postcard”(Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. West)Monday, May 28, 2012, 7:30 p.m.Franz Schubert Schubert Octet in F major, D. 803(Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. West)Beat by Beat / Classical & BeyondNo Free Lunch, But …Sharna SEARLEIt is said that there’s no such thing as a “free lunch.” Well, for themost part, it’s probably true; and if lunch is free, there’s usuallya catch. But there’s a whole lot of free music being served up atlunchtime, on this month’s classical and beyond menu. The onlystrings attached will be the ones being plucked and bowed as youdiscreetly munch on your tuna wrap (where permitted).And where might one find these free, noonish, musical escapesfrom the daily grind? Mostly in universities (the music facultyor fine arts/music department), often in churches, sometimes intraditional concert halls and in libraries — in downtown Toronto, theGTA and beyond.Here’s a look at several presenters offering regular, free seriesover the noon hour (or shortly thereafter):Noon: Brock University Department of Music, in St. Catharines,presents “Music@Noon” on Tuesdays, featuring both faculty andstudent recitals. You can hear faculty flutist, Patricia Dydnansky,with Erika Reiman on piano, November 1. Piano, voice andinstrumental students perform on November 8.Wilfrid Laurier University’s less snazzy looking (without the “@”)“Music at Noon” — though, musically, just as inviting — offers fourconcerts this month, bookended by Trio Laurier on November 3 andthe Ton Beau String Quartet on the 24th.On most Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the odd Wednesday, inthe Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, the Canadian Opera Companyhosts several noontime series, including chamber music, worldmusic, vocal, jazz, dance and piano virtuosos. They featureemerging artists as well as established ones such as sopranoAdrianne Pieczonka, who performed last season. Concerts start righton the nose at noon and they’re almost always packed. The ticketsare distributed on a first come, first-served basis, so get there early ifyou don’t want to stand. On November 22, pianist Ricker Choi willperform Chopin’s Ballade No.1 and works by Brahms and Scriabinin the “Piano Virtuoso Series” concert titled “Atmospheres.” Andon the 29th, “Postcards from Paris,” part of the “Chamber MusicSeries,” features works by Debussy, Satie, Ravel and Raum, playedby Carson Becke, piano and Nathaniel Anderson-Frank, violin.University of Waterloo Department of Music has Wednesday“Noon Hour Concerts,” and noon is, indeed, the start time. In whatis likely an inadvertent nod to the two guys on our front cover,the November 9 concert is titled “One Piano – Two Players,” andTop of the lunch hour musical clock: Patricia Dydnansky,flute, with Erika Reiman, piano, at Brock.Box Office 416-282-6636www.associates-tso.org14 thewholenote.comNovember 1 – December 7, 2011
Courtesy BAnff centrefeatures the Bergmann Piano Duo. “Honkyoku Duet” is the name ofthe November 16 concert and it features shakuhachi master GerardYun and bass clarinetist Kathryn Ladano performing traditionalJapanese shakuhachi solos and contemporary duets.12:10pm: And just in case you were still of the mind that “freelunchtime music” meant “not world class lunchtime music” — thoughknowing that artists of the stature of Adrianne Pieczonka performat these concerts should have disabused you of such thoughts — theUniversity of Toronto Faculty of Music presents cellist ShaunaRolston and violinist Jacques Israelievitch on November 3, inShaunaRolston.its “Thursdays at Noon” series.Beginning at 12:10pm, the acclaimedRolston and Israelievitch will performHonneger’s Sonatina for Violin andCello and duos for violin and celloby Schulhoff and Kodály. Not what Iwould call a light(weight) lunch!Sticking with the 12:10pm starttime, Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation,in collaboration with Christ ChurchDeer Park, provides a weekly series,“Lunchtime Chamber Music,” withrecitals held on Thursdays. In a delightfulshow of further collaboration(and interconnection), on November10, in the aptly titled “Rising StarsRecital,” students from the U of T’sFaculty of Music will perform.12:15pm and 12:30: Starting five minutes later, also everyThursday, are Music at Metropolitan’s “Noon at Met” recitals,often showcasing the organ and at times other instrumentalistsand vocalists, in downtown Toronto’s Metropolitan United Church.Organists Mark Toews and Sarah Svendsen are featured this monthon November 17 and 24, respectively.McMaster School of the Arts serves up a “Lunchtime ConcertSeries” at 12:30pm, Tuesdays. On November 8, pianist AntoineJoubert, who finishes his doctoral studies this year, performs worksby Fauré, Scriabin, Janáček and Liszt. And on November 29, sopranoLita Classen, a voice teacher at both McMaster and MohawkCollege, will perform a tribute to Gustav Mahler, to mark the 100thanniversary of his death.Somewhat similar to the COC, York University Departmentof Music offers a multi-themed series of concerts, commencingat 12:30pm. From “Music at Midday,” to “Jazz at Noon,” “Worldat Noon” and “R&B Ensemble,” there’s much to drink in. Youcan catch the spirited Cuban Rhapsody Duo of saxophonist JaneBunnett and pianist extraordinaire, Hilario Durán, on November 17.York U Chamber Strings, Jacques Israelievitch, director, performson November 22. And there’s a generically titled “ClassicalInstrumental Recital” on November 14 and 28, featuring studentsoloists in the classical performance program. Emerging-stars-inthe-making,perhaps?The start time for Yorkminster Park Baptist Church’s Wednesdayorgan series, “Noonhour Recitals,” is also 12:30pm. You’d beforgiven for thinking that the concerts are at noon, as the series’title might suggest; we did, and we were. A few issues back, wemistakenly listed them at noon and then were very politely informedthat we goofed. Now we’re back with the programme. Speaking ofwhich, the organists for November are, in order, William Maddox,Simon Walker, Imre Olah, Stephen Boda and Maddox once again.At the University of Western Ontario Don Wright Faculty ofMusic, in London, you can catch the UWO Chamber Orchestra,at 12:30pm, on November 10, performing Strauss’ Serenade forWinds Op.7, Mozart’s Adagio and Rondo for Violin and Orchestra,Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Siegfried Idyll by Wagner. ZacharyPeterson is the violinist and Geoffrey Moull conducts. You canhear the orchestra, again, on December 7, this time with sopranoJackalyn Short, in works by Britten and Respighi.Top of the next hour: “Music at Midday” organ recitals can beheard every Tuesday at 1pm, throughout the year, at Toronto’sDavid Mirvish PresentsThe Marquis Entertainment Inc. & Talking Fingers Inc. Production ofCreated, Performed and Directed byTed Dykstra & Richard Greenblatt“Dramatic Gem. Funny, Clever, insightful & touching!”–The Globe & Mail“A crescendo of pleasure!”–The Washington PostLIMITED ENGAGEMENT!OcT 29–NOv 20651 Yonge Street, Toronto416-872-1212 | mirvish.com | 1-800-461-3333November 1 – December 7, 2011 thewholenote.com 15
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