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.
The WholeNote listings
The WholeNote listings are arranged in five sections: A. GTA (GREATER TORONTO AREA) covers all of Toronto plus Halton, Peel, York and Durham regions. B. BEYOND THE GTA covers many areas of Southern Ontario outside Toronto and the GTA. Starts on page 49. C. MUSIC THEATRE covers a wide range of music types: from opera, operetta and musicals, to non-traditional performance types where words and music are in some fashion equal partners in the drama. Starts on page 53. D. IN THE CLUBS (MOSTLY JAZZ) is organized alphabetically by club. Starts on page 54. E. THE ETCETERAS is for galas, fundraisers, competitions, screenings, lectures, symposia, masterclasses, workshops, singalongs and other music-related events (except performances) which may be of interest to our readers. Starts on page 55. A GENERAL WORD OF CAUTION. A phone number is provided with every listing in The WholeNote — in fact, we won’t publish a listing without one. Concerts are sometimes cancelled or postponed; artists or venues may change after listings are published. Please check before you go out to a concert. HOW TO LIST. Listings in The WholeNote in the four sections above are a free service available, at our discretion, to eligible presenters. If you have an event, send us your information no later than the 8th of the month prior to the issue or issues in which your listing is eligible to appear. LISTINGS DEADLINE. The next issue covers the period from April 1 to May 7, 2018. All listings must be received by Midnight Thursday March 8. LISTINGS can be sent by email to listings@thewholenote.com or by using the online form on our website. We do not receive listings by phone, but you can call 416-323-2232 x27 for further information. LISTINGS ZONE MAP. Visit our website to search for concerts by the zones on this map: thewholenote.com. Lake Huron 6 Georgian Bay 7 2 1 5 Lake Erie 3 4 8 City of Toronto LISTINGS Lake Ontario Thursday March 1 ●●12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Thursdays at Noon: Opera Spotlight. A preview of UofT Opera’s production of Gershwin’s Of Thee I Sing. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. Free. ●●12:30: York University Department of Music. Jazz @ Midday: Faculty Jazz Jam with Mike LeDonne. Martin Family Lounge, Accolade East Building, YU, 4700 Keele St. 416-736- 2100 x20054. Free. ●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. Music by Melnyk, Vivaldi and Belton. Robert Binet, James Kudelka, Crystal Pite, choreographers. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416- 345-9595. -5. Opens Feb 28, 7:30pm. Runs to Mar 4. Wed-Sat(7:30pm), Thurs/Sat/ Sun(2pm). ●●5:00: Piano Moderna/Steinway Piano Gallery Toronto. Beethoven: Late Soloiloquy. Beethoven: Bagatelles Op.126; Sibelius: Killykki, Op.41; Bach: Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother BWV992; Sherkin: Meditations, Books I and II; McPhee: Invention; Hétu: Prelude in f (WoO). Adam Sherkin, piano. Glenn Gould Studio, lobby, 250 Front St. W. 416-535-4612. ; (sr); (35 & under); Adv: ; (sr); (35 & under). Vinyl release with Centrediscs and reception to follow. ●●7:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Lang Lang. Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra); Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2; Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arranged for piano 4 hands). Lang Lang, piano; Maxim Lando, piano; Peter Oundjian, conductor. Guests: Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-872-4255. -9. ●●7:30: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. See Mar 1(2pm). Also Mar 2, 3(2pm & 7:30pm), 4. ●●7:30: York University Department of Music. Faculty Concert Series. Catherine Robbin, mezzo; Vania Chan, soprano; Lillian Brooks, mezzo; Susan Black, piano; Doreen Uren Simmons, piano. Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, YU, 4700 Keele St. 416-736-5888. ; (sr/st). ●●8:00: Small World Music Society. An Evening with Tamar Ilana & Ventanas. Tamar Ilana: vocals, dance; Demetri Petsalakis: oud, baglama, lyra, riqq; Benjamin Barrile: flamenco guitar; Jessica Hana Deutsch: violin, vocals; Derek Gray: percussion; Justin Gray: fretless bass. Small World Music Centre, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St. 416-536- 5439. /(adv). Friday March 2 ●●12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noontime Recital. Scarlatti: Sonata; Mozart: Sonata; Ravel: Toccata; and works by Bach. Melody Chan, piano. St. Andrew’s Church (Toronto), 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x231. Free. ●●7:30: Heliconian Concert Series. Is the Air Not Sacred? Featuring readings from David Suzuki. Francaix: Duo for Flute and Bassoon; Vaughan Williams: Vocalises; Rodrigues: Dos Poems de Juan Ramon Jimenez; Poulenc: Sonata for Clarinet and Bassoon; Marshall: Four Movements for Woodwind Trio A. Concerts in the GTA (premiere). Jaye Marsh, flute; Nadina Mackie Jackson, bassoon; Maria Soulis, mezzo; Wendy Bornstein, oboe; Rita Greer, clarinet/ bass clarinet. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-922-3618. . ●●7:30: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. See Mar 1(2pm). Also Mar 3(2pm & 7:30pm), 4. ●●7:30: Opera York. Marriage of Figaro. Mozart. Geoffrey Butler, artistic director; Renee Salewski, stage director. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-787-8811. -; (st). Also Mar 4(2pm). ●●8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. From Rome to Venice: Sonatas by Corelli, Vivaldi and Tartini. Stradivaria Baroque Ensemble. 24 Spadina Rd. 416-922-2014 x37. ; (sr/ st/member). ●●8:00: Ensemble Vivant. Opening Day CD/ DVD Release: Live in Concert Tribute to Rick Wilkins. Guests: Guido Basso, Mike Murley, Brian Barlow. Yamaha Recital Space, Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu, 310 Davenport Rd. 416- 465-8856. Free but RSVP for reservation at info@ensemblevivant.com. 7:30pm: cocktails. ●●8:00: Fridays @ 8. Trio Désirée and Friends. Works by Bédard, Franck and Saint-Saëns. Désirée Till, soprano; Erica Goodman, harp; Jacques Boucher, organ; Anne Robert, violin; Coenraad Bloemendal, cello. Lawrence Park Community Church, 2180 Bayview Ave. 416- 489-1551. . ●●8:00: I Furiosi Baroque Ensemble. Crazy. Works by Handel, Blow, Arne and others. Calvin Presbyterian Church, 26 Delisle Ave. 416- 923-9030. ; (sr/st/underemployed). ●●8:00: Music Gallery. Emergents II: Duo Holz and VC2. Chelsea Shanoff, curator. Music Gallery at 918 Bathurst, 918 Bathurst St. 416- 204-1080. ; (members). ●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. String Concerts: Nicolas Altstaedt, cello with Fazil Say, piano. Debussy: Cello Sonata; Janáček: Pohádka (Fairy-tale); Shostakovich: Sonata for Cello and Piano; Say: Dört Şehir (Four Cities). Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. -. ●●8:00: Toronto Consort. Illuminations. A multimedia musical experience with sight and sounds from illuminated manuscripts. Naghmeh Farahmand, percussion; Pejman ILLUMINATIONS March 2 & 3 - 8pm Great seats available for only ! Buy online at TorontoConsort.org 38 | March 1 – April 7, 2018 thewholenote.com
Zahedian, voice and Persian setar; Demetri Petsalakis, oud. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964- 6337. -. Also Mar 3. ●●8:00: York University Department of Music. Improv Soiree. An evening of improvisation in a participatory “open mike” set-up, hosted by the improv studios of Casey Sokol. Performers and observers welcome. Sterling Beckwith Studio, 235 Accolade East Building, 4700 Keele St. 416-736-2100 x20054. Free. Saturday March 3 ●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. See Mar 1(2pm). Also Mar 3(7:30pm), 4. ●●3:00: Annex Singers Chamber Choir. Camerata. Works by Byrd, Duruflé, Poulenc, Worthington, Sirett and others. Guest: Mark Chambers, cello. Maria Case, conductor. St. Andrew’s United Church (Bloor St.), 117 Bloor St E. 416-968-7747. ; (sr/st); free(ages 8-12). Also 7:30pm. ●●7:30: Annex Singers Chamber Choir. Camerata. Works by Byrd, Duruflé, Poulenc, Worthington, Sirett and others. Guest: Mark Chambers, cello. Maria Case, conductor. St. Andrew’s United Church (Bloor St.), 117 Bloor St E. 416-968-7747. ; (sr/st); free(ages 8-12). Also 3pm. ●●7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Paul Novotony and Robi Botos Duo and Quartet. Jazz. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. . Series discount available. ●●7:30: Cantemus Singers. Glories of Rome: Sacred and Profane. Motets and madrigals by Palestrina, Victoria, Festa, Anerio and Marenzio. Michael Erdman, conductor. Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. 416-578-6602. ; free(under 12). Also Mar 4(3pm). ●●7:30: Concerts at Scarborough Bluffs. Rising Stars Concert. Six top scholars at the Royal Conservatory’s Taylor Performance Academy will present their best work in piano, violin, guitar and voice. Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. 647-687-6356. ; free(child). Fundraising concert for Springboard to Music. Reception following. ●●7:30: Jazz Performance and Education Centre (JPEC). Hilario Durán Quintet with Carn/Davidson 9. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., North York. 1-855-985-4254. ; (st). ●●7:30: Jubilate Singers. Latin American Rhythms. Music from Cuba, Argentina, Brazil and more. Guests: Rodrigo Chávez and Nano Valverdi. St. Simon-the-Apostle Anglican Church, 525 Bloor St. E. 416-488-1571. ; (sr); (st); free(under 13). ●●7:30: La Revolucion. Space Quartet + 1. 2848 Dundas St. W. 416-766-0746. PWYC. ●●7:30: MCS Chorus Mississauga. Mozart: Great Mass in C Minor. With completions from K139. Jennifer Krabbe, soprano; Laura McAlpine, mezzo; Ryan Downey, tenor; Chamber Orchestra, Mervin Fick, artistic director. First United Church (Mississauga), 151 Lakeshore Rd. W., Mississauga. 905-278- 7059. ; (7-18). Pre-concert talk 7pm. ●●7:30: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. See Mar 1(2pm). Also Mar 4. ●●7:30: Oakville Chamber Orchestra. The Shades of Love. Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben; Tchaikovsky: Waltz from String Serenade. Cassandra Warner, mezzo; Sara Schabas, soprano; Tiffany Young, violin. St. John’s United Church (Oakville), 262 Randall St., Oakville. 905-483-6787. ; (sr); (st); free(12 and under). Also Mar 4(3pm, St. Simon’s Anglican Church). ●●7:30: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera. Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci. Music by Puccini and Leoncavallo. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681- 6000. -. ●●7:30: Tallis Choir. Lenten Treasures. Works by Tallis, Victoria, Palestrina, Sanders, Willan and others. Peter Mahon, conductor. St. Patrick’s Church, 141 McCaul St. 416-286-9798. ; (sr); (st). ●●7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. New Creations Festival: Processions. Fung: Dust Devils; Smith: Symphony No.4 (Canadian premiere); Bjarnason: Processions (North American premiere). Víkingur Ólafsson, piano; Peter Oundjian, conductor and host; Daníel Bjarnason, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-872-4255. .75-7.00. ●●7:30: York Chamber Ensemble. J.S. Bach: The Master. Bach: Art of the Fugue in d Contrapunti 1-4; Brandenburg Concerto No.6 in B-flat; Keyboard Concerto in A; Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G; “Non sa che sia dolore” from Cantata BWV209; “Erbarme Dich, Mein Gott” from the St. Matthew’s Passion. Hilary McLaughlin, piano; Irene Ilic, mezzosoprano; Sasha Weinstangl, guest conductor. Trinity Anglican Church (Aurora), 79 Victoria St., Aurora. 905-727-6101. ; (sr/st). ●●7:30: York University Department of Music. Mozart’s Requiem. York University Chamber Choir; University of Toronto Schola Cantorum; Ottawa Bach Choir; Theatre of Early Music Orchestra and Soloists; Dr. Lisette Canton, conductor. Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. ; (sr); (st). Also Mar 4(St. Basil’s Church). ●●8:00: Gallery 345. Art of the Piano: Victor Lazarov. Rhythms and colours of the Balkans. Works by Slavenski, Maksimovic, Pashu, Sokolovic and Mokranjac. 345 Sorauren Ave. 416-822-9781. ; (st). Cash only. ●●8:00: North York Concert Orchestra. Kara Huber Plays Rachmaninov. Rachmoninov: Piano Concerto No.2; Sibelius: Symphony No.2. Rafael Luz, conductor. Yorkminster Citadel, 1 Lord Seaton Rd., North York. 416-628- 9195. ; (sr); (st). ●●8:00: Royal Conservatory. Quiet Please, There’s a Lady On Stage: Angélique Kidjo. Rhythm and blues, soul, jazz and Beninese melodies. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. -. SOLD OUT. ●●8:00: Toronto Chamber Choir. Bach’s Foundations. Works by Johannes Bach, Johann Christian Bach, and Johann Michael Bach. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. 416-763-1695. ; (sr); .50(under 30). Pre-concert chat at 7:15pm. ●●8:00: Toronto Consort. Illuminations. A multi-media musical experience with sight and sounds from illuminated manuscripts. Naghmeh Farahmand, percussion; Pejman Zahedian, voice and Persian setar; Demetri Petsalakis, oud. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-964- 6337. -. Also Mar 2. Sunday March 4 ●●2:00: National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. See Mar 1(2pm). ●●2:00: Opera York. Marriage of Figaro. Mozart. Geoffrey Butler, artistic director; Renee Salewski, stage director. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-787-8811. -; (st). Also Mar 2(7:30pm). ●●2:00: Royal Conservatory. Sunday Interludes: OKAN. All-female Cuban jazz ensemble. Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. Free. ●●2:00: Visual and Performing Arts Newmarket. Broadsway. Heather Bambrick, Julie Michels and Diane Leah, piano. Newmarket Theatre, 505 Pickering Cres., Newmarket. 905-953-5122. ; (sr); (st). ●●2:30: Dinner and a Song. Russell deCarle. Works by deCarle and Waye. Russell deCarle and Steve Briggs, guitars and vocals. Guest: J. Ryan Waye, guitar and vocals. Miller Lash House, 130 Old Kingston Rd. 416-287-7000. (show plus dinner)/(show only). ●●2:30: Georgetown Bach Chorale. Miserere. Allegri: Miserere; and works by Bruckner, Lotti and Bach. Helson Gallery, Halton Hills Library and Cultural Centre, 9 Church St., Halton Hills. 905-873-9909. ; (st). ●●3:00: Cantemus Singers. Glories of Rome: Sacred and Profane. Motets and madrigals by Palestrina, Victoria, Festa, Anerio and Marenzio. Michael Erdman, conductor. Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. 416-578-6602. ; free(under 12). Also Mar 3(7:30pm). ●●3:00: Durham Chamber Orchestra. A Musical Journey - No Passport Required! Music from various countries around the world. Beethoven: Symphony No.2; Bizet: Habanera from Carmen; Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture; Cohen: Hallelujah; Verdi: La donna è mobile; and other works. Kristine Dandavino, mezzo; Kijong Wi, tenor; Shout Sister Choir. Forest Brook Community Church, 60 Kearney Dr., Ajax. 905-852-1141. ; free(under 12). ●●3:00: Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. Mississauga Symphony Youth Orchestra: Spring Is Near. RBC Theatre, Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905- 306-6000. . ●●3:00: Oakville Chamber Orchestra. The Shades of Love. Schumann: Frauenliebe und -leben; Tchaikovsky: Waltz from String Serenade. Cassandra Warner, mezzo; Sara Schabas, soprano; Tiffany Young, violin. St. Simon’s Anglican Church (Oakville), 1450 Litchfield Rd., Oakville. 905-483- 6787. ; (sr); (st); free(12 and under). Also Mar 3(7:30pm, St. John’s United Church). ●●3:00: Orchestra Toronto. America the Beautiful. Works by Copland, Gershwin and Elfman; modern Hollywood classics; music from Pirates of the Caribbean. Michael Newnham, conductor. George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. 1-855-985-2787. ; (sr); (under 29). ●●3:00: St. Paul’s Bloor Street Anglican Church. Organ Recital. by J.S. Bach, Willan and others. Gerald Loo, organ. 227 Bloor St. E. 416-961-8116. Free. ●●3:00: Syrinx Concerts Toronto. In Concert. Grieg: Lieder; Schumann: Duets; Rudman: The City; Mendelssohn: Rondo Capriccioso Op.14. Adam Harris, baritone; Georgia Burashko, mezzo; Valentina Sadovski, piano. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-654-0877. ; (st). Post-concert reception. ●●3:00: Weston Silver Band. Kaleidoscope. Brubeck: Blue Rondo a la Turk; Lau: Impressions; Mancini: Pink Panther; Graham: Red Novae; Alford: Thin Red Line. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. W. 1-866-908-9090. /(adv); /(sr/adv); /(st/ adv). ●●3:30: St. Anne’s Anglican Church. Mystery Concert. Junction Trio Presents a Little Lake Music: Eine Kleine Lake-musik! Jamie Thompson, flute; Aysel Taghi-Zada, violin; Lucas Tensen, cello. 270 Gladstone Ave. 416-536- 3160. PWYC. ●●3:30: Wychwood Clarinet Choir. Midwinter Sweets. Finzi: Five Bagatelles Op.23 (arr. Greaves); Ireland: Minuet from A Downland Suite (arr. Moore); Carmichael: Georgia on my Mind (arr. Custer, trans. Witkin); Van der Roost: Rikudim “Four Israeli Folk Dances”; and other works. Steve Macdonald, tenor saxophone; Michele Jacot, conductor and clarinet. Church of St. Michael and All Angels, 611 St. Clair Ave. W. wychwoodclarinetchoir. com. ; (sr); (st/child). ●●4:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto). Organ Recital. Works by Franck. Andrew Adair, organ. 477 Manning Ave. 416- 531-7955. Free. ●●4:00: Eglinton St George’s United Church. From Darkness to Light. Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna; Henderson: from Darkness to Light. Eglinton St. George’s United Choir; Cellar Singers; chamber orchestra; Blair Bailey, organ; Shawn Grenke, conductor; Mitchell Pady, conductor. Eglinton St. George’s United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd. 416-481-1141. ; (st). ●●4:30: Christ Church Deer Park. Jazz Vespers. Mike Murley Trio. 1570 Yonge St. 416- 920-5211. Freewill offering. Religious service. ●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Mozart’s Requiem. Ottawa Bach Choir; York University Chamber Choir; Schola Cantorum of the University of Toronto; Theatre of Early Music; Baroque Orchestra; Daniel Taylor, conductor. St. Basil’s Church, University of St. Michael’s College, 50 St. Joseph St. 416-408-0208. ; (sr); (st). Also Mar 3(Church of the Redeemer). Monday March 5 ●●12:30: York University Department of Music. Music @ Midday: Classical Instrumental Recital. Featuring student soloists. Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, YU, 4700 Keele St. 416-736-2100 x20054. Free. ●●7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Chamber Music Series: Cecilia String Quartet with Patricia Parr, Piano. Beethoven: String Quartet Op.18 No.3; Curcin: String Quartet No.3; Dvořák: Piano Quintet No.2 Op.81. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. ; (sr); (st). Tuesday March 6 ●●12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company. Chamber Music Series: Moscow’s Sound. Journey to the Land of the Tsars. Works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Cheng² Duo: Bryan Cheng, cello; Silvie Cheng, piano. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. Free. Firstcome, first-served. Late seating not available. ●●12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation/ Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. Lunchtime Chamber Music. Naoko Sakata, piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge thewholenote.com March 1 – April 7, 2018 | 39
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.
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!).
