D. In the Clubs (Mostly Jazz)Beat by Beat | Bandstand(piano), Michael Herring (bass), Jeff Halischuck(drums). March 21 The Murley-Braid-Nordic Project: Mike Murley (sax), DavidBraid (piano), Anders Mogenson (drums),Johnny Aman (bass). March 28 Turboprop:Tara Davidson (sax), Kelly Jefferson (sax),William Carn (trombone), Adrean Farrugia(piano), Jim Vivian (bass), Ernesto Cervini.Poetry Jazz Café224 Augusta Ave. 416-599-5299poetryjazzcafe.com (full schedule) All shows:9pmReposado Bar & Lounge136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474reposadobar.com (full schedule)Reservoir Lounge, The52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887reservoirlounge.com (full schedule).Every Tue 9:45pm Tyler Yarema and hisRhythm. Every Wed 9:45pm Bradley and theBouncers. Every Thu 9:45pm Mary McKay.Every Fri 9:45pm Dee Dee and the Dirty Martinis.Every Sat 9:45pm Tyler Yarema and hisRhythm.Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475therex.ca (full schedule)Call for cover charge info.March 1 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz;3:30pm Club Django; 7pm Bugaloo Squad;9:30pm Tim Hamel Quartet. March 2 6:30pmUniversity of Toronto Student Jazz Ensembles;9:30pm Humber College Student JazzEnsembles. March 3 6:30pm Richard WhitemanGroup; 9:30pm Brooklyn/France’s KandinskyEffect. March 4 6:30pm Scott KempTrio; 9:30pm Brooklyn/France’s KandinskyEffect. March 5 6:30pm Kevin Quain;9:45pm New York’s Joel Harrison Quartetfeat. David Braid. March 6 4pm HogtownSyncopators; 6:30pm Lester McLeanTrio; 9:45pm New York’s Joel Harrison Quartetfeat. David Braid. March 7 12pm DannyMarks and Friends; 3:30pm Chris Hunt Tentet+2; 7:30pm Bacchus Collective; 9:45pmCarn/Davidson 9. March 8 12pm ExcelsiorDixieland Jazz; 3:30pm Red Hot Ramble; 7pmBugaloo Squad; 9:45pm Carn/Davidson 9.March 9 6:30pm University of Toronto StudentJazz Ensembles; 9:30pm Humber CollegeStudent Jazz Ensembles. March 106:30pm Richard Whiteman Group; 9:30pmIsrael’s Ehud Ettun. March 11 6:30pm ScottKemp Trio; 9:30pm Kirk MacDonald Quartet.March 12 6:30pm Laura Hubert Band;9:30pm Kirk MacDonald Quartet. March 134pm Hogtown Syncopators; 6:30pm LesterMcLean Trio; 9:45pm Brian O’Kane. March14 12pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30pmThe T.J.O. Big Band; 7:30 Bacchus Collective;9:45pm Raoul & ‘Bigger’ Time. March15 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 3:30pmDr. Nick & the Rollercoasters; 7pm BugalooSquad; 9:30pm Mackenzie Longpre. March16 6:30pm University of Toronto Student JazzEnsembles; 9:30pm Humber College StudentJazz Ensembles. March 17 6:30pm RichardWhiteman Group; 9:30pm Classic Rex Jamhosted by The Harley Card Quintet. March 186:30pm Kobi Hass Quartet; 8:15pm Guy MintasTrio; 10pm New York’s Anat Cohen Quartet.March 19 6:30pm Kevin Quain; 9:45pmNew York’s Ingrid Jensen & B.C.’s Eli Bennettwith Gray Matter. March 20 4pm HogtownSyncopators; 6:30pm Lester McLeanTrio; 9:45pm New York’s Ingrid Jensen &B.C.’s Eli Bennett with Gray Matter. March 2112pm Danny Marks and Friends; 3:30pm JeromeGodboo; 7:30pm Bacchus Collective;9:45pm Murley/Braid Nordic Project. March22 12pm Excelsior Dixieland Jazz; 3:30pmMr. Rick’s Tin Pan Alley; 7pm Bugaloo Squad;9:45pm Murley/Braid Nordic Project.. March23 6:30pm University of Toronto Student JazzEnsembles; 9:30pm Humber College StudentJazz Ensembles. March 24 6:30pm RichardWhiteman Group; 9:30pm Classic Rex Jamhosted by Chris Gale. March 25 6:30pm ScottKemp Trio; 9:30pm Eric St. Laurent Trio.March 26 6:30pm Kevin Quain; 9:30pm KikiMisumi. March 27 4pm Hogtown Syncopators;6:30pm Lester McLean Trio; 9:45pmNew York’s Matthew Stevens: “Woodwork”CD release. March 28 12pm Danny Marksand Friends; 3:30pm Bob Rice Latin Big Band;7:30pm Bacchus Collective; 9:45pm NewYork’s Matthew Stevens: “Woodwork” CDrelease. March 29 12pm Hart House/JAZZFMYouth; 3:30pm Freeway Dixieland; 7pm BugalooSquad; 9:30pm Barry Romberg’s ThreeBlind Mice. March 30 6:30pm University ofToronto Student Jazz Ensembles; 8:30pmJohn MacLeod’s Rex Hotel Orchestra. March31 6:30pm Richard Whiteman Group; 9:30pmClassic Rex Jam hosted by Chris Gale.Salty Dog Bar & Grill, The1980 Queen St. E. 416-849-5064 (call for fullschedule)Sauce on the Danforth1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376sauceondanforth.comAll shows: No cover.Every Mon 9pm The Out Of Towners: DirtyOrgan Jazz. Every Tue 6pm Julian Fauth.Seven44(Formerly Chick n’ Deli/The People’s Chicken)744 Mount Pleasant Rd. 416-489-7931seven44.com (full schedule)March 2 7:30pm Advocats Big Band No cover.March 9 7:30pm Bob Cary Big Band No cover.March 16 7:30pm George Lake Big Band Nocover.Toni Bulloni156 Cumberland St. 416-967-7676tonibulloni.com (full schedule)No Cover. Saturday shows: 9pm. food/drink minimum. Sunday shows: 6pm. minimum.Tranzac292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137tranzac.org (full schedule)3-4 shows daily, various styles. Mostly PWYC.Every Mon 10pm Open Mic Mondays. EveryThurs 7:30pm Bluegrass Thursdays: Houndstooth.Every Fri 5pm The Foolish Things(folk). This month’s shows include: March 1,15 5pm Monk’s Music. March 3 10pm PeripheralVision. March 8 10pm The Ryan DriverBand, with LUKA. March 10 10pm Stop Time.March 20 7:30 Dust: The Quietest Big Bandin the Known World. March 17 10pm The KenMcDonald Quartet. March 25 7:30pm TrevorGiancola. March 27 10pm The Ryan DriverSextet. March 31 10pm Nick Fraser Presents.Continued from page 31AnOphicleideHarris in 1717. On July 17, 1717, Handel’sWater Music accompanied the king’s excursionon the Thames, and, as horns in both Dand F are called for in the score, this instrumentis likely one that was played during thepremiere performance of Handel’s famouscomposition. The band’s next concert,bearing the clever title “Tsar Trek” (Meredithis good with titles!) takes place April 15 atByron United Church. It’s the continuation oftheir November performance of the “RousingRussian Repertoire Voyage,” a performanceI had also hoped to attend, but once againthe weatherman had different ideas for me.For the April concert we can look forwardto the music of Kabalevsky, Shostakovich,Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and more.A real pressing goal, is the need to establisha museum for this amazing collection ofinstruments and related paraphernalia. Oncethe weather improves, and a trip to Londonbecomes reasonable, I hope to visit with Dr.Hank and come back with enough informationon this treasure for a future featurearticle in The WholeNote.Toronto Concert Band: In last month’s issue I mentioned that Ihoped to attend the inaugural concert of the Toronto Concert Band.Usually when I attend the first concert of a newly formed band, Iam fully prepared to overlook the usual varied problems of a fledglinggroup which has not yet developed the cohesion of a groupwhich has been together for a few years. There was no need forsuch at this concert. A well-polished performance by a tightly knitensemble delighted a full house at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio.Congratulations. Here’s to many more concerts.Long and McQuade: With the resounding success of their manyNew Horizons bands, Long and McQuade have recently announcedthe establishment of the new Ontario Pops Orchestra for those whowould like to learn a string instrument and play in a group. This is yetanother example of the growing trend for adult community musicalensembles at the novice level. Perhaps people have been reading aboutthe benefits of musical participation in later life. An article on thissubject from the Washington Post and another in a recent issue of thejournal of the Retired Teachers of Ontario indicate that more and morestudies are proving that such benefits are significant.Recently, I learned of World Fiddle Day which will be coming upsoon. There are preparatory practices now underway in Torontoleading up to the big day. Toronto participants will all be togetherplaying at historic Old Fort York in a few weeks time. Now howabout world trombone day or world euphonium day? Let’scampaign for that.Uxbridge Community Concert Band: The Uxbridge CommunityConcert Band is a summertime-only band which was formed yearsago to provide a group for students during the summer months.Initially the band was made up mainly of students, but over the yearshas evolved to include a wide range of members from high schooland university students to all ages and occupations. This year, their24th season, they will begin rehearsals on May 20 under the directionof conductor Steffan Brunette. For information email him at uccb@powergate.caDefinition Department: This month’s lesser known musical termis pastorale: The beverage to drink in the country when listening toBeethoven with a member of the clergy. We invite submissions fromreaders. Let’s hear your daffynitions.Jack MacQuarrie plays several brass instruments andhas performed in many community ensembles. He canbe contacted at bandstand@thewholenote.com.52 | March 1 - April 7, 2015 thewholenote.com
ETCetera, ETCeteraMaestro ClassPAUL ENNISMaster classes such as those listed below in Section D: TheEtceteras, are invaluable learning experiences. And not just forthe participating students. Those listening in, be they studentsor other musicians can gain insights into performing that they can usein their own private pursuits; curious music lovers can likewise get abehind-the-scenes glimpse into the ways music that they hear in thecourse of their concertgoing lives is imagined and prepared.TSO music director Peter Oundjian held his second RCM masterclassof the season February 9, teaching students from the Phil andEli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. As the Academy’sdean Barry Schiffman (himself a former student of Oundjian)explained, the Glenn Gould School’s student body ranges in age from18 to 23 whereas the Taylor Academy’s runs from 12 to 17. (Oundjian’sfinal masterclass of the season March 2 from 5pm to 7pm at MazzoleniHall will focus on GGS students.)Alice Lee, a diminutive 14-year-old who’s been playing for tenyears, performed the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concertoin D major, op.35 with piano accompaniment. It was as jaw-droppinga performance as it was unexpected. Oundjian bounded up ontothe Mazzoleni Hall stage all smiles and once he had uttered the singleword “Fabulous!” began a simple Q & A in order to determine her age,how long she had been playing, how many hours she practises, whatroutine her practice session takes, what etudes she plays and whetherthey include those by Jakob Dont.This led to some fun. “For those of you [in the audience] who areunaware, there are violin etudes by Dont, cello etudes by won’t andviola etudes by can’t.”He repeated to her advice his own teacher, Itzhak Perlman, hadgiven him: “If you’re practising more than four hours a day, thenyou’re not practising intelligently.”The maestro then complimented her on her strong right arm whichreminded him of Isaac Stern. Another joke followed about Stern’sleft arm no longer being strong because he had become so busy heno longer had time to practise. Once Oundjian found out how youngshe was, he urged her to develop her musicianship by developingher humanity through reading widely and increasing her breadth ofexperience.He commented on her cadenza being really beautiful and remindedher that as we get older the body gets stronger. “Remember,” he urgedher. “Never work harder; don’t lose clarity.”The next students were a piano and violin duo who performedthe first two movements of Franck’s Sonata in A major for Violinand Piano. Oundjian used a hockey analogy about passing butnot receiving to describe a lack of musical interplay he was seeingbetween the two players. He offered advice about vibrato andextending the right arm fully when bowing. “Become the mood of themusic,” he said.He felt the violinist was looking at her music too intently. Itreminded him of a story about Rostropovich at an airport. The greatcellist glimpsed a friend across the way staring at a letter he appearedto be writing. He walked over, said hello and asked what he waswriting. The friend replied that he didn’t know because he hadn’treceived the letter yet.The final piece was the first movement of Schubert’s great StringQuintet in C. Oundjian’s reaction reminded everyone that prior tobecoming music director of the TSO, he had been first violinist of theTokyo String Quartet for 14 years, the longest tenured first violinist ofthat legendary ensemble “How wonderful it is to discover this music,”the maestro mused. “I remember when I was your age and playing thefirst two notes – Wow! – where did that come from?”“What we love about music,” he continued. “Is that it’s all left tothe imagination without a literary context.” He followed that philosophicalinsight with specific instructions about how the openingnotes have to emerge from nothing but still have a presence, so theyneed to be played piano not pianissimo.And then, describing one ofSchubert’s many take-your-breathawaymoments: “Is this not one of themost remarkable sighs in all of music –if you don’t sigh, then they [points tothe audience] won’t feel it.”Later, when the first cello had thetheme, Oundjian asked the studenthow it feels to play. She answered thatit’s astonishingly beautiful, that it’severy cellist’s dream. “So,” Oundjianinstructed. “Play it that way; draw itout of the instrument.”Still later: “Just as in speech, if youwant to bring emphasis to music,better late, not early.”Then came some thoughts about Schubert’s meaning ofdecrescendo versus diminuendo and how in his music diminuendoalmost always means collando [collapsing], i.e. slowing down.Finally, this insightful nugget – “We think of this piece as grandbut it has moments of great intimacy” – and a telling comparisonbetween two great composers in which Oundjian describedSchubert’s use of intimacy as “very personal but still having universalimpact.” With Beethoven, even at his most intimate moments, “youstill feel he’s telling you what to do.”For several minutes, the maestro had been conducting the fiveyoung string players with the same gusto and commitment he bringsto the TSO.Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote.Galas and Fundraisers●●Mar 07 4:00: Arraymusic. The AnnualArray Party. Dinner, entertainment (singersongwriterMicah Barnes & more) and silentauction. In support of The Array Ensembleand The Array Space. 155 Walnut Ave. 416-532-3019; www.arraymusic.com Cost tba.●●Mar 07 7:00: Toronto All-Star Big Band.3 rd Annual Scotty Scholarship Gala. Dinnerat 7:00; dance at 8:30; silent auction; cashbar. Scholarship goes toward furthering themusical education of a deserving band member.Palais Royale, 1601 Lake Shore Blvd.West. 416-231-5695; http://goo.gl/RD8GLA.●●Mar 07 7:30: VOCA Chorus of Toronto.5th Annual Cabaret/Silent Auction. An eveningof fun & fundraising; choristers’ performances(solos, duets, ensembles ... serious, andnot the least bit serious!), yummy savoury &sweet appetizers, cash bar, silent auction. TheGrand Hall, Estonian House, 958 BroadviewAve. www.vocachorus.ca .●●Mar 09: ORIANA Women’s Choir.2015 Plant Sale: Due date for orders is today!This year we’re offering mixed hangingE. The ETCeterasbaskets, begonias, and (new this year) geraniums.Our supplier grows the seedlingsespecially for ORIANA, and delivers them tothree convenient locations across the city.Order by Monday March 9; delivery date:Saturday, May 23. For order form go to www.orianachoir.com●●Mar 28 7:00: Echo Women’s Choir. MoonlitCity. An Earth Hour fundraiser featuringJUNO-nominated (Rise), multi-instrumentalist,singer-songwriter Annabelle Chvostek;also includes a wine-tasting (courtesy of HarwoodEstate Vineyards, The Solar Winery); asilent auction, an array of delectable nibblies,and a cash bar. Church of the Holy Trinity,10 Trinity Square. 416-278-2968; www.echowomenschoir.ca.●●Mar 29 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.Annual Fundraising Gala. Screening ofthe 1952 classic film Singin’ in the Rain starringGene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and DonaldO’Connor, with the vocals and dialogue intactand soundtrack provided by the KWS. Beginningat the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtownKitchener, guests will enjoy cocktails and agourmet 3-course dinner before attendingthe concert. The evening features specialPASQUALE BROTHERSPURVEYORS OF FINE FOOD“Become themood of themusic”CATERING(416) 364-7397 WWW.PASQUALEBROS.COMJEFF MELANSONthewholenote.com March 1 - April 7, 2015 | 53
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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!).