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Volume 22 Issue 2 - October 2016

  • Text
  • October
  • Toronto
  • Choir
  • Jazz
  • Orchestra
  • Symphony
  • Concerts
  • Arts
  • November
  • Musical
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!

BLUE PAGES

BLUE PAGES 2016/17 ● Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra The 60-piece Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra, led by music director Sabatino Vacca, has been presenting classical music for over 55 years and is renowned for its talented musicians and exciting repertoire. The upcoming 2016/17 season will present six exciting concerts - October 21 showcases the young winners of the North York Music Festival plus a performance of An American in Paris by the orchestra. November features the renowned TSO’s concertmaster Jonathan Crow on violin; followed in December by the popular annual Holiday Spectacular. March sees an evening of Spanish passion - Viva Espana! The afternoon children’s matinee, A Karnival For Kidz, is in February 2017 and the season’s close in May is of great past compositions - Masterworks Old and New. Concerts are at Martingrove Collegiate Institute, 50 Winterton Dr., except for the Holiday Spectacular (Humber Valley United Church) and the children’s concert (John English Middle School). Advanced orchestral musicians of all ages interested in joining us are welcome to apply for membership by contacting our personnel manager. We offer student scholarships by audition every spring. Rehearsals begin Wednesday September 7, 2016 at Martingrove Collegiate 7:30pm to 10pm, and continue every Wednesday until mid-May. 416-239-5665 info@eporchestra.ca www.eporchestra.ca ● Exultate Chamber Singers For more than 35 years, the Exultate Chamber Singers have garnered praise from all quarters for sensitive, precise and seamless performances. Founded by conductor John Tuttle, the choir is enriched not only by the excellent musicianship of its members but also by their varied academic and professional backgrounds. Now led by Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, the ensemble continues to share its affinity for Canadian repertoire, as well as other music for chamber choir. Our new CD, Winter Paths, features works for the Christmas season by Canadian composers. We engage audiences through a four-concert subscription series in Toronto, and collaborate with other groups in the community. Elana Harte 416-971-9229 exultate@exultate.net www.exultate.net ● Flute Street Flute Street, Toronto’s Professional Flute Choir, is comprised of first-class musicians performing on the full range of instruments from piccolo through G treble, concert, alto, bass, contrabass and even the subcontrabass flutes. Often featuring the less-explored colours of the rarer-sized flutes, Flute Street members present concerts of refreshing new repertoire balanced with traditional transcriptions and well-crafted settings of folk songs, jazz and popular tunes. World and Canadian premieres and international guest artists such as piccoloist Jean-Louis Beaumadier and low flutes specialist Peter Sheridan continue to be important components of Flute Street concerts. This season, renowned piccoloist and composer Kelly Via will join us November 20 with the Canadian premiere of Russell Nadel’s Butterfly. Flute Street’s December 17 concert will also feature a blend of perennial favorites with premieres. In 2017, leading us in a celebration of Canada at 150 will be Canada’s own international flute icon Robert Aitken. Check with The WholeNote for upcoming concert details. Nancy Nourse, artistic director Lisa Jack, conductor 416-462-9498 airwolf@rogers.com ● Gallery 345 Gallery 345, one of the finest piano and small ensemble salons in Toronto, is now booking concerts for the winter of 2017 (January to March) and spring of 2017 (April to June). I have staged over 490 performances in the past eight years, ranging from intimate solo piano concerts to 20-piece jazz bands. The gallery is known for its great acoustics. The gallery’s focus is solo piano, classical, jazz, art song and contemporary classical performance. Weekends book first, so think about booking Sunday-Thursday. Performers need to get the word out to family and friends to help bring in an audience. While I do what I can to promote events, it is up to the performers to advertise and promote their events as best as possible. Gallery 345 is also an excellent event space to rent for private parties, weddings, photoshoots, recording sessions, fundraisers, CD launches and more. The gallery is a 2500 SF hard loft with 13’ ceilings, a PA system, video projector, two washrooms, prep kitchen and outside patio, and seats 120. The beautiful 9’ concert grand Baldwin is always ready. Edward Epstein 416-822-9781 info@gallery345.com; gallery345@gmail.com www.gallery345.com ● Georgetown Bach Chorale The Georgetown Bach Chorale, now in its 17th season, continues not only to perform choral music at its highest level, but also to present orchestral works and intimate chamber music as experienced by listeners long ago. Rehearsals take place on Tuesday evenings with 24 auditioned choristers circled around a harpsichord, led by their fearless leader Ronald Greidanus. Highlights of this year’s concert program include Vocal Ovations, featuring stunning mezzo-soprano Cassandra Warner in music of Berlioz, De Falla and Rossini, Handel’s Messiah in the newly resurrected St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church, a “Canadian” Christmas, violin sensation Edwin Huizinga, and Bach’s dramatic Passion According to St. Matthew. On Saturday, October 1, the GBC will also be featured in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the Rose Orchestra at the Rose Theatre. This is definitely a choral group and season not to be missed! Ronald Greidanus 905-873-9909 info@georgetownbachchorale.com www.georgetownbachchorale.com ● Glionna Mansell Corporation Glionna Mansell Corporation is a music marketing agency, organ dealer and concert producer in the organ and choral performance genre. As a respected leader in the industry, the company is an active supporter/promoter of emerging artistic talent alongside experienced world-stage performers. The activities operating under the Glionna Mansell banner include: Glionna Mansell Arts Foundation for Performance Excellence, Gordon Mansell Concert Organist, ORGANIX Concerts Inc., Allen Organ Company in Ontario and MOSAIC Canadian Vocal Ensemble. Glionna Mansell is the exclusive Ontario dealer of Allen digital and digital-pipe organs and enjoys a well-established reputation for profound quality – seen and unseen. President and artistic director Gordon Mansell is music director and titular organist at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, where he directs a large music program and presides over a world-renowned Casavant Frères mechanical-action pipe organ, Op.2805. Regarding this organ, famed English organist Peter Hurford pronounced it to be one of the finest Baroque-styled organs in the world and chose it for several important Bach and Pre-Bach DECCA recordings. Gordon Mansell, president, artistic director, organist 416-769-5224; 1-877-769-5224 www.glionnamansell.com B10 | theWholeNote 2016/17 PRESENTER PROFILES

● Grace Church on-the-Hill The Choirs of Grace Church on-the-Hill proudly embrace our excellent Anglican choral tradition while looking towards the future for new music and proud traditions. Our choirs for both adults and children sing weekly from September to June. The Boys and Girls Choirs provide the ideal learning environment for young musicians, and we have funding available to subsidize the cost of music lessons for our children! Choristers of all ages develop lifelong friendships, self-esteem, and the joy of coming together for a shared goal. We hold a wonderful summer music and arts camp for children during the last week of summer before Labour Day, and our choir often goes on tour. In the summer of 2016, we toured to cathedrals in Dublin and Oxford to sing daily services of Evensong and Choral Eucharist. Other recent tours have included Ottawa and Quebec City. We welcome new members (especially tenors and children!) every September. Stephen Frketic 416-488-7884 music@gracechurchonthehill.ca www.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 www.grandphilchoir.com ● Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra Now in its ninth season, the GTPO has become a unique organization, a trusted partner for community groups and a showcase opportunity for young talented musicians. Based in uptown Toronto, our season is presented mainly in two venues: Calvin Presbyterian Church, conveniently located at Yonge and St. Clair, and Columbus Centre on Lawrence W. and Dufferin St. The GTPO continuously strives to reach out and serve other communities outside of its base area. Last season GRYPHON TRIO saw the orchestra performing at George Weston Hall in the Toronto Centre for the Arts and outdoor at Mel Lastman Square. For 2016/17 we have prepared a season of programs that ranges from classical to romantics, pops and movie tunes. Under the baton of principal conductor Jean-Michel Malouf, and with the contribution of a select roster of emerging talent and established guest artists – Michael Bridge, David Fallis, Rocco Rupolo, Kornel Wolak and Robert Michaels – the orchestra will deliver a rich and challenging calendar of eight events within the GTA, an affirmation of its maturity and high artistic standards. Qazim Kallushi, executive artistic director Jean-Michel Malouf, principal conductor 647-238-0015 info@gtpo.ca www.gtpo.ca ● Gryphon Trio Now in its 23rd year, 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 modernday multimedia, the Gryphons are committed to redefining chamber music for the 21st century. The Trio tours regularly throughout North America and Europe, has released 17 recordings, commissioned over 75 new works, and regularly collaborates 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 647-283-3192 gryphontrio@gmail.com www.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. “Havana Nights,” on October 16, features the great Cuban pianist Hilario Durán and his trio, conducted by David Briskin. The Orpheus Choir and Jackie Richardson join us for “Welcome Christmas” on December 13, in the beautiful acoustic of Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. “REWIRED, The Boston Brass is Back,” on February 19, features the Boston Brass under the baton of James Gourlay. This is also the last concert of our Festival of Brass Weekend. Our season concludes on May 7 with “Spring Fling,” showcasing Alain Trudel as conductor and trombone soloist. Get into Brass! David Archer 416-425-2874 Box Office: 416-366-7723 brass@hssb.ca www.hssb.ca theWholeNote 2016/17 PRESENTER PROFILES | B11

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