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.
BLUE PAGES
BLUE PAGES 2015/16 organs in the world and chose it for several important Bach and Pre-Bach DECCA recordings. Gordon Mansell, president and artistic director 416-769-5224 1-877-769-5224 gdmansell@sympatico.ca glionnamansell.com ● Grace Church on-the-Hill There is no sound like the soaring tone of trebles, boys and girls, trained in the English cathedral tradition and singing in the superb acoustics of Grace Church on-the-Hill. The Choir of Gentlemen and Boys and the St. Cecilia Choir of Women and Girls sing the best choral repertoire (15th to 21st century) each week in worship, in concerts and on tour. Girls and boys aged five and up are welcome to participate. Prior musical training is not required for children. Scholarships and subsidies are available to promising students. There is no membership fee and children receive a small stipend for singing. Interested adult choir members should contact the directors of music. We look forward to hearing from you! Stephen Frketic, organist and choirmaster Sarah Hicks, conductor, St. Cecilia Women’s Choir music@gracechurchonthehill.ca gracechurchonthehill.ca ● Grand Philharmonic Choir The Grand Philharmonic Choir, based in Kitchener, Ontario, includes four choirs in one organization: an adult choir, a chamber adult choir, a youth choir and a children’s choir. We perform in large concert halls with audiences of more than 1,500 people, at free public gatherings and in small, intimate settings. Under the direction of Mark Vuorinen, it is our mandate to present choral repertoire of the highest standard, to share our love of music with the public through varied outreach programs and to provide music education to our members and enlightenment to our audiences. We are one of a few large choirs in Canada, outside the major metropolitan areas, with the resources and community support to deliver a full choral season with professional musicians. Mark Vuorinen, artistic director 519-578-6885 info@grandphilchoir.com grandphilchoir.com ● Grand River Chorus The Grand River Chorus of Brantford is a mixed voice concert choir presenting an annual fourconcert series of classical choral music, occasionally singing at community events and performing with other groups. It is a registered non-profit corporation supported through donations. The Grand Fête du Vin, an evening of wine and food, is the annual main fundraising event. Robert W. Phillips founded the chorus in 1999, envisioning one that would offer the community the major choral works of the great masters. Since then the choir has performed works by Handel, Bach, Haydn, Brahms, and Mendelssohn, as well as the music of more contemporary composers and other local composers. The Grand River Chorus produced its first CD, A Grand Christmas, participated in its first partnership venture with the Brantford Symphony Orchestra and presented its very first concert in Norfolk. The chorus has also toured in Europe. Today, under artistic director Richard Cunningham, the chorus exists as a vital part of the arts in the Brant-Brantford-Norfolk area. Continued choral excellence is the driving force behind the success of the Grand River Chorus. info@grandriverchorus.com grandriverchorus.com ● group of 27 What happens when you put a bunch of Canada’s top musicians in a room together and add some of the best music ever written: group of 27. Dubbed “Toronto’s All-Star Classical Band”, this supergroup lives for their thrilling live performances, creating unique experiences each and every time. Whether they’re romping through Stravinsky, wowing with Beethoven, or bringing a new Canadian piece to life, g27 gives everything they have in each moment with electrifying results. And there’s always a little something extra. Want the audience on stage with the performers? Done. Want an actor, dancer or even the audience to participate? Done. Want to see Toronto’s at-risk youth giving it their all side-byside with the professionals? Done. Want a worldclass experience that blows you away? Done and done. group of 27 – The Experience Orchestra. Eric Paetkau 416-323-1292 info@groupof27.com groupof27.com ● Gryphon Trio Recently celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Gryphon Trio has impressed international audiences and has firmly established itself as one of the world’s preeminent piano trios. With a repertoire that ranges from the traditional to the contemporary and from European classicism to modern-day multimedia, the Gryphons are committed to redefining chamber music for the 21st century. They tour regularly throughout North America and Europe, have released 17 recordings, commissioned over 75 new works, and regularly collaborate on projects that push the boundaries of chamber music. Honours include two Juno Awards for Classical Album of the Year, and the prestigious 2013 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts from the Canada Council. The Gryphons frequently conduct masterclasses and workshops at universities and conservatories, and are Artists-in-Residence at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and Trinity College. Gryphon cellist Roman Borys is Artistic Director of Ottawa’s Chamberfest. Annalee Patipatanakoon and Jamie Parker are the festival’s Artistic Advisors in addition to their responsibilities at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, where Mr. Parker is the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance and Ms. Patipatanakoon is Associate Professor of Violin. Sophie Vayro svayro@gryphontrio.com gryphontrio.com ● Hannaford Street Silver Band The Hannaford Street Silver Band is Canada’s award-winning professional brass band and resident company of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Its mission is to honour the traditions of this art form and place it in a contemporary context with a unique, Canadian point of view. We actively facilitate innovative creative projects, collaborate with the best of Canada’s diverse artists and administer the Hannaford Youth Program. “Going Dutch,” on October 18, features Johan de Meij making his HSSB conducting debut with soloist Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic. The Orpheus Choir and Jackie Richardson join us for “Welcome Christmas” on December 15, in the beautiful acoustic of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. “German Brass,” on February 21st, features Canadian horn virtuoso Fergus McWilliam, a member of the Berlin Philharmonic, making his HSSB debut under the baton of James Gourlay. Our season concludes with Festival of Brass, April 15 to 17, showcasing Canadian trumpet virtuoso Stéphane Beaulac, member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and HSSB Principal Guest Conductor, Alain Trudel. Get into Brass! David Archer 416-366-7723 brass@hssb.ca hssb.ca ● Harmony Singers of Etobicoke The Harmony Singers of Etobicoke is a 35 voice women’s chorus that has been entertaining audiences since 1965. It presents concerts at Christmas and in the spring, and often performs at civic functions, private parties, hospitals and retirement homes. They have sung the national anthems at Blue Jays games and appeared in a video with the group Down With Webster. The conductor is arranger and composer Harvey Patterson, and the accompanist is the renowned B10 | theWholeNote 2015/16 PRESENTER PROFILES
professional pianist Bruce Harvey. This fall the Singers will join forces with The Queensmen in a concert entitled “Date Night”. It will take place on Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 in St. Paul’s United Church, Milton. On Sunday, December 13 at 3:00 p.m. the Singers will present their Christmas concert, “Sing A New Song”, in Humber Valley United Church. The Harmony Singers have limited openings for new members. To arrange a simple audition contact the conductor. Harvey Patterson 416-239-5821 jocelynandharvey@ca.inter.net harmonysingers.ca ● I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble is one of the world’s most innovative Baroque ensembles, comprised of four of Canada’s leading early music specialists: soprano Gabrielle McLaughlin, violinists Aisslinn Nosky and Julia Wedman, and cellist/gambist Felix Deak. For over a decade and a half, I FURI- OSI’s Toronto concert series has been revitalising the face of early music in Canada, inspired by the practice of the Baroque era while invoking the “bizarre and unnatural” aesthetic both cherished and despised in its time. Thematic programming allows the performers to present Baroque music in a uniquely relevant way. This season’s concert dates: Friday, October 23, 2015 Saturday, January 9, 2016 Saturday, April 23, 2016 Friday, June 24, 2016 (All concerts are at 8pm at Calvin Presbyterian Church, Toronto) Gabrielle McLaughlin 416-536-2943 ifuriosi@ifuriosi.com ifuriosi.com ● International Resource Centre for Performing Artists The International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA) is a forum for performing artists and their support personnel to come together as a community to exchange ideas, challenges, network and be mentored. Programs aid them to identify and reach their goals through various stages of their careers. The IRCPA Maureen Forrester Centre is proposed as a permanent home for artists in an incubator Community Hub. Membership is free. Sign up and/or donate using the phone number or website listed below. 416-362-1422 ircpa.net I FURIOSI BAROQUE ENSEMBLE ● Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in Kingston ON, the new award-winning Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts brings together exceptional spaces and programs with a captivating sense of place to create a dynamic venue for Queen’s students and the Kingston community. This 90,000 square foot venue includes the 566-seat Concert Hall, 100-seat Studio Theatre, 92-seat Film Screening Room, Rehearsal Hall and Art & Media Lab. The Isabel was designed by Oslo/New Yorkbased firm Snøhetta and Ottawa’s N45, with acoustics and theatre design by ARUP and Theatre Projects Consultants. Anchored by a transformational gift to the Initiative Campaign from Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader, the Isabel was inspired by the Baders’ love – of the arts, of Queen’s, and of each other – and is named in Isabel’s honour. Every season, the Isabel presents dynamic performance series - the Piano Series, Ensemble Series, Jazz Series, and Global Salon series - featuring the best artists in the world. The 2015/16 Season features phenomenal artists such as Angela Hewitt, Emanuel Ax, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Albert Schultz, Tomson Highway and Autorickshaw. Visit our website at theisabel.ca for information on these shows and more! Come explore with us! Tricia Baldwin 613-533-2424 boxoffice@theisabel.ca theisabel.ca ●Jeunesses Musicales Ontario Jeunesses Musicales Ontario (JMO) is a bilingual not-for-profit arts organization that fosters the careers of outstanding young professional musicians, and has enjoyed a presence in Ontario since 1979. JMO promotes the development of the arts in Ontario by touring some of Canada’s leading emerging artists across the province, including an all-inclusive opera production complete with surtitles, sets, costumes, and piano accompaniment. JMO’s concerts and workshops for young audiences feature professionally trained musicians performing in schools and community centres across Ontario. These concerts allow children and families the opportunity to discover the magic of live music. All performances are educational and theatrical in nature and offer exceptional musical encounters between performers and audience, presenting music of various cultures and eras. JMO is a provincial affiliate of Jeunesses Musicales Canada and a part of the Jeunesses Musicales International family, recognized by UNESCO as the largest youth music nongovernmental organization in the world! JMO concerts are available in English and French. Vanessa J Goymour, general manager and artistic advisor 416-536-8649 vgoymour@jmcanada.ca jmontario.ca ●John Laing Singers Founded in 1982 by John Laing, the JLS is a chamber choir of musicians from the Halton and Hamilton regions. Under the direction of Dr. Roger Bergs since 2011, the choir has continued to delight audiences with its diverse repertoire, and performs often in the community and on local television. Composer, conductor, organist and teacher Dr. Roger Bergs is an outstanding musician with a wide range of musical interests, awards and experience. A graduate of the Juilliard School of Music and the University of Toronto, Dr. Bergs also has over 20 years of experience as a church organist and music director, currently serving theWholeNote 2015/16 PRESENTER PROFILES | B11
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!).
