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Volume 23 Issue 6 - March 2018

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.

RBC Foundation

RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Students from the Department of Music. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free. Wednesday March 28 ●●12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays at 12:30 Concert Series: Western University Percussion Ensemble. Paul Davenport Theatre, Talbot College, Western University, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661- 3767. Free. ●●7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Choral Celebration 2: Together in Song. First-St. Andrew’s United Church, 350 Queens Ave, London. 519-661-3767. ; (sr/st). ●●8:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Music. Chamber Music Concert. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free. Thursday March 29 ●●12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Music. Music at Noon: Duo Percussion. Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. Free. ●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Camerata RCO. Brahms: String Quintet Op.111; and works by Schumann, Herrmann and others. Members of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. -; -(st). Friday March 30 ●●7:30: Grand Philharmonic Choir. Bach: St. John Passion. Lawrence Wiliford, tenor (Evangelist); Jesse Blumberg, baritone (Christus); Helene Brunet, soprano; Jennifer Enns Modolo, alto; Jean-Philippe Fortier-Lazure, tenor; Dion Mazzerole, bass; Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Centre in B. Concerts Beyond the GTA the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519- 578-5660 x5290. -; (university st/ under 30); (child/high school st). Saturday March 31 ●●3:00: 5 at the First Chamber Music Series. String Extravaganza VII. Arensky: String Quartet No.2 in a for violin, viola and 2 celli; Morlock: Blue Sun for violin and viola; Dohnányi: String Sextet in B-flat. Yehonatan Berick and Csaba Koczo, violins; Caitlin Boyle and Theresa Rudolph, violas; Rachel Desoer and Rachel Mercer, cellos. First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St. S., Hamilton. 905-399-5125. ; (sr); (st/ unwaged); free(under 12). ●●7:30: Guelph Chamber Choir. Brahms’ A German Requiem: “Farewell Concert” for Conductor Gerald Neufeld. Sheila Dietrich, soprano; Daniel Lichti, baritone; Musica Viva Orchestra; Gerald Neufeld, conductor; Alison MacNeill, piano. River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich St., Guelph. 519-763-3000. ; (group of 4 or more); (30 and under/ st); (14 and under). Tuesday April 3 ●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Piano and guitar students from the Department of Music. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905- 688-0722. Free. ●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. The University Wind Ensemble. Zoltan Kalman, conductor. Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. ; (child); (eyeGo); free(Brock students). Wednesday April 4 ●●12:00 noon: Midday Music with Shigeru. Daniel Johnston and Bear Creek Students. Hi- Way Pentecostal Church, 50 Anne St. N., Barrie. 705-726-1181. ; free(st). ●●7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. The University String Orchestra. George Cleland, conductor. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. ; (child); (eyeGo); free(Brock students). ●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western University Symphonic Band: Song and Dance. Paul Davenport Theatre, Talbot College, Western University, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767. Free. Thursday April 5 ●●12:00 noon: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, Brock University. RBC Foundation Music@Noon. Piano and guitar students. Cairns Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-0722. Free. ●●8:00: Encore Performances. Pat & Emilia. Works by Smallman, Bizet, Verdi, Puccini and Gounod. Tara Sievers-Hunt, soprano; Jocelyn Zelasko sopranos; ensemble. Willistead Manor, 1899 Niagara St., Windsor. 519-253- 2365. . Also Mar 23(St. Catharines); Mar 24(Toronto). Friday April 6 ●●8:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western SEARCH: DATE: University Wind Ensemble: Meditation and Exaltation. Paul Davenport Theatre, Talbot College, Western University, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767. Free. ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Cirque de la Symphonie. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. -. Also Apr 7. Saturday April 7 ●●2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Wonderful Winds and Beautiful Brass. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. ; (child). ●●7:00: Barrie Concerts. Sinfonia Toronto and Stewart Goodyear, Piano. Dvořák: Serenade; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5 “The Emperor”. Nurhan Arman, conductor. Hi-Way Pentecostal Church, 50 Anne St. N., Barrie. 705-726-1181. . ●●7:30: Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Genius of John Coltrane. Rémi Bolduc Jazz Ensemble. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. -; -(st). ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society. Robert Dvorkin, Piano. Debussy: Preludes (Books I and II). KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-886-1673. ; (st). ●●8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Cirque de la Symphonie. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. -. Also Apr 6. GO Listings online. JUST ASK| Any time. www.thewholenote.com Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra March 21 Organist Cameron Carpenter April 11 905-681-6000 burlingtonpac.ca 440 Locust Street in Burlington 52 | March 1 – April 7, 2018 thewholenote.com

C. Music Theatre These music theatre listings contain a wide range of music theatre types including opera, operetta, musicals and other performance genres where music and drama combine. Listings in this section are sorted alphabetically by presenter. ●●Alexander Showcase Theatre. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, based on the novel. Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive. 416-324-1259. -. Opens Apr 6, 7:30pm. Runs to Apr 14. Wed- Sat(7:30pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Brampton Music Theatre. Beauty and the Beast. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, Brampton. 905-874-2800. ; (sr/ st). Opens Mar 29, 7:30pm. Runs to Apr 7. Thurs-Sat(7:30pm). ●●Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series: The Monkiest King. Preview of the world premiere. Music by Alice Ping Yee Ho; libretto by Marjorie Chan. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating not available. Mar 8, 12pm. ●●Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series: Opera for All Ages. Kyra Millan, soprano/ opera educator; Christina Faye, piano; artists from the COC Ensemble Studio. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231. Free. First-come, first-served. Late seating not available. Mar 15, 12pm. ●●Canadian Opera Company. Vocal/Dance Series: Highlights from Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses. Atelier Ballet; Opera Atelier; Marshall Pynkoski, co-artistic director. 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. Mar 29, 12pm. ●●Canadian Stage. In This Body. Conceived and sung by Fides Krucker, choreographed and danced by Peggy Baker, Laurence Lemieux and Heidi Strauss. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St. 416-368-3110. - . Opens Mar 14, 8pm. Runs to Mar 18. Wed/Thurs/Sat(8pm), Fri(7pm), Sun(1pm). ●●Canadian Stage. The Overcoat: An Opera. Music by James Rolfe, libretto by Morris Panych. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front the overcoat a musical tailoring MAR 27-APR 14 canadianstage.com St. E. 416-368-3110. and up. Opens Mar 27, 8pm. Runs to Apr 14.Tues/Wed/Thurs/ Sat(8pm), Fri(7pm), Sun(1pm). ●●Choralis Camerata. Gilbert & Sullivan. Trial by Jury; other highlights of Gilbert & Sullivan. Louisa O’Keane, vocals. St. Andrew’s United Church (Niagara Falls), 5645 Morrison St., Niagara Falls. 905-646-9225. ; (sr); (st). Mar 24, 7:30pm. ●●City Centre Musical Productions. Chess: The Musical. Music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, lyrics by Tim Rice. Meadowvale Theatre, 6315 Montevideo Rd. 905-615-4720. ; (sr/st). Opens Mar 16, 8pm. Runs to Mar 25. Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Civic Light Opera Company. They’re Playing Our Song. Music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager. Zion Cultural Centre, 1650 Finch Ave. E. 416-755-1717. . Opens Mar 14, 7pm. Runs to Mar 25. Wed (7pm), Thurs-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Drayton Entertainment. Hairspray. Music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan. Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge. 46 Grand Ave S., Cambridge. 1-855-372-9866. -. Opens Mar 14, 2pm. Runs to Apr 8. Days and times vary. Visit draytonentertainment.com for details. ●●Drayton Entertainment. The Drowsy Chaperone. Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin. St. Jacob’s Schoolhouse Theatre, 11 Albert St. W., St. Jacob’s. 1-855-372-9866. -. Opens Mar 28, 2pm. Runs to Apr 15. Tues-Thurs/Sat/ Sun(2pm), Thurs-Sat(7:30pm). ●●East Side Players. [title of show]. Music and lyrics by Jeff Bowen, book by Hunter Bell. Papermill Theatre, 67 Pottery Rd. 416-425- 0917. ; (st). Opens Feb 23, 8pm. Runs to Mar 10. Wed-Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. Stars of the COC Ensemble Studio. Offenbach: Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour from Les contes d’Hoffman; Mozart: Excerpts from Così fan tutte; Puccini: O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi. Danika Lorèn, soprano; Simone McIntosh, mezzo; Samuel Chan, baritone; Stéphane Mayer, piano. 390 King St. W., Kingston. 613-533-2424. -; - (st). Mar 18, 2:30pm. ●●Lower Ossington Theatre. Cabaret. Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. 1-888-324-6282. .99-.99. Opens Feb 16, 7:30pm. Runs to May 6. Fri/ Sat(7:30pm), Sat(3:30pm), Sun(4pm). ●●Lower Ossington Theatre. Beauty and the Beast. Music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, book by Linda Woolverton. Randolph Theatre, 736 Bathurst St. 1-888-324-6282. .99-.99. Opens Mar 3, 7:30pm. Runs to May 13. Fri/ Sat(7:30pm), Sat(3:30pm), Sun(12pm/4pm). ●●Lower Ossington Theatre. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. 1-888-324-6282. .99-.99. Opens Mar 9, 7:30pm. Runs to May 20. Fri/ Sat(7:30pm), Sat(3:30pm), Sun(12pm, 4pm). ●●Mirvish. Come From Away. Music, lyrics and book by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. 416- 872-1212. and up. Opens Feb 13, 8pm. Runs to Sep 2. Tues-Sat(8pm), Wed(1:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm). ●●Mirvish. Gobsmacked. Created by Ball-Zee. CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St. 416-872-1212. - . Opens Mar 14, 7:30pm. Runs to Mar 25. Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(1:30pm). Also Mar 15,21(1:30pm). ●●Mirvish. An American In Paris. Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, book by Craig Lucas, adapted by Christopher Wheeldon. Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St W. 416-872-1212. -5. Opens Mar 27, 8pm. Runs to Apr 29. Tues-Sat(8pm), Sat/Sun(2pm), Wed(1:30pm). ●●National Ballet of Canada. Made in Canada. Music by Lubomyr Melnyk, Antonio Vivaldi, and Owen 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). ●●National Ballet of Canada. The Sleeping Beauty. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Rudolf Nureyev, choreographer. Karen Kain, staging. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-345-9595. -5. Opens Mar 8, 7:30pm. Runs to Mar 18. Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(2pm). ●●North Toronto Players. Lear Incorporated. Music by Arthur Sullivan, Georges Bizet, Gioachino Rossini, Johann Strauss and others. Paper Mill Theatre, 67 Pottery Rd. 416- 481-4867. . Opens Mar 16, 8pm. Runs to Mar 25. Fri/Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm). ●●Opera by Request. Verdi’s Rigoletto, In Concert. Larry Tozer, baritone (Rigoletto); Amy Dodington, soprano (Gilda); Cian Horrobin, tenor (Duke of Mantua); Lillian Brooks, mezzo-soprano (Maddalena); and others; William Shookhoff, music director and piano. College St. United Church, 452 College St. 416-455-2365. . Mar 10, 7:30pm. ●●Opera by Request. Handel’s Orlando, In Concert. Kinga Lizon, mezzo (Orlando); Vania Chan, soprano (Angelica); Daniela Agostino, mezzo (Dorinda); Shannon Halliwell-McDonald, mezzo (Medoro); and others; William Shookhoff, music director and piano. College St. United Church, 452 College St. 416-455- 2365. . Apr 7, 7pm. ●●Opera York. Marriage of Figaro. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Geoffrey Butler, artistic director; Renee Salewski, stage director. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905- 787-8811. -; (st). Mar 2, 7:30pm. Also Mar 4(2pm). ●●Royal Conservatory. Glenn Gould School Opera 2018: Die Fledermaus. Music by Johann Strauss II, libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Gené. Royal Conservatory Orchestra; Nathan Brock, conductor. Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408- 0208. -. 7pm: pre-concert talk with Gillian Story. Mar 14, 7:30pm. Also Mar 16. ●●Royal Conservatory. Songmasters: You’re Welcome, Rossini. Lucia Cesaroni, soprano; Allyson McHardy, mezzo. Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408- 0208. Mar 18, 2pm. Note: SOLD OUT. ●●Soulpepper Concert Series. A Moveable Feast: Paris in the ’20s. Mike Ross, music director. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane. 416-866-8666. -. Opens Mar 30, 7:30pm. Runs to Apr 10. Days and times vary. Visit soulpepper. ca for details. ●●Southern Ontario Lyric Opera/Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. La Traviata. Music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Cambridge Symphony Orchestra. Knox’s Galt Presbyterian Church, 2 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge. 905-681-6000. -. Mar 1, 7:30pm. ●●Southern Ontario Lyric Opera/Milton Philharmonic. La Traviata. Music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. Milton Philharmonic. First Ontario Centre for the Arts, Milton, 1010 Main St. E., Milton. 905- 681-6000. -. Mar 11, 2pm. ●●Southern Ontario Lyric Opera. Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci. Music by Puccini and Leoncavallo. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681- 6000. -. Mar 3, 7:30pm. ●●Steppin’ Out Theatrical Productions. Celebrate 10. Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. 905-787-8811. -. Mar 23, 7:30pm. Also Mar 24. ●●Toronto City Opera. Fidelio. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven. Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave. 1-800-838-3006. ; (sr/st). Mar 16, 7:30pm. Also Mar 18, 2pm. ●●Toronto City Opera. The Magic Flute. Music by W. A. Mozart. Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave. 1-800-838-3006. ; (sr/st). Mar 23, 7:30pm. Also Mar 25, 2pm. ●●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. Mar 1, 12:10pm. ●●University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Spring Major Opera Production: Of Thee I Sing. Music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Michael Patrick Albano, director; Sandra Horst, conductor. MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. ; (sr); (st). Opens Mar 15, 7:30pm. Runs to Mar 18. Thurs-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(2:30pm). ●●University of Toronto Faculty of Music. From the 19th Century. Works by Donizetti, Delibes, Verdi, Wagner and others. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. ; (st). Apr 3, 5pm. ●●Voicebox: Opera in Concert. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. Music by Victor Davies. Marion Newman, mezzo (Rita Joe); Evan Korbut, baritone; Michelle Lafferty, soprano; Evan Korbut, baritone; Robert Cooper, conductor and chorus director. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723. -. Mar 24, 8pm. Also Mar 25(2:30pm). ●●Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Music. The Tender Land. Music by Aaron Copland; libretto by Horace Everett. Anna Theodosakis, stage director; Leslie De’Ath, conductor. Wilfrid Laurier University, Theatre Auditorium, 75 University Ave. W., Waterloo. 519-884-1970 x2432. ; (sr/st). Mar 2-3(8pm), 4(3pm). thewholenote.com March 1 – April 7, 2018 | 53

Page 1: PRICELESS Vol 23 No 6 MARCH 2018 CO
Page 4 and 5: Sunday April 15, 2017 8:00pm Concer
Page 6 and 7: an Ontario government agency The Wh
Page 8 and 9: FEATURE Geoffrey Sirett GOGOL’S O
Page 10 and 11: throughout). The show is sung throu
Page 12 and 13: FEATURE METROPOLITAN UNITED’S MUS
Page 14 and 15: FEATURE Delving into Why SAM SHALAB
Page 16 and 17: Beat by Beat | On Opera The Reshapi
Page 18 and 19: Beat by Beat | Classical & Beyond S
Page 20 and 21: the Rolstons found a deeper way of
Page 22 and 23: Beat by Beat | In with the New Caut
Page 24 and 25: composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir who w
Page 26 and 27: Beat by Beat | Early Music An Audit
Page 28 and 29: Beat by Beat | Art of Song Whither
Page 30 and 31: Beat by Beat | Choral Scene Sacred
Page 32 and 33: The Choir of Trinity-St. Paul’s p
Page 34 and 35: Beat by Beat | Music Theatre Enjoy
Page 36 and 37: Beat by Beat | Bandstand Rememberin
Page 38 and 39: The WholeNote listings are arranged
Page 40 and 41: St. 416-241-1298. Free; donations w
Page 42 and 43: ●●3:00: Living Arts Centre. Ber
Page 44 and 45: x20054. Free. Wednesday March 21
Page 46 and 47: Takács Quartet SuNDAY, mArCH 25, 3
Page 48 and 49: Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-241-1298
Page 50 and 51: Mar 4(3pm, St. John’s Lutheran Ch
Page 54 and 55: Beat by Beat | Mainly Clubs, Mostly
Page 56 and 57: and keyboard works by Purcell, Hayd
Page 58 and 59: 2018 SUMMER MUSIC EDUCATION DIRECTO
Page 60 and 61: an intensive five-day summer sessio
Page 62 and 63: ●●Lake Field Music Camp Kodály
Page 64 and 65: ●●Progressive Methods in Popula
Page 66 and 67: 20 UKRAINIAN ART SONG SUMMER INSTIT
Page 68 and 69: WE ARE ALL MUSIC’S CHILDREN March
Page 70 and 71: technical challenges, numerous temp
Page 72 and 73: Panayiotis Demopoulos’ latest rec
Page 74 and 75: has a singing quality that suits th
Page 76 and 77: worth a listen. Michael Schulman Al
Page 78 and 79: solos. It’s characterized by this
Page 80 and 81: If I Had the Strength Lemon Bucket
Page 82 and 83: precedents as well, as on Purcell i
Page 84 and 85: FOR THE RECORD JUNO NOMINATIONS FOR
Page 86 and 87: continued from page 84 Andrew Stani
Page 88: Great seats available for ! TRIN

Volumes 21-25 (2015-2020)

Volume 25 Issue 8 - May / June 2020

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"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!

Volume 25 Issue 7 - April 2020

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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!

Volume 25 Issue 6 - March 2020

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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.

Volume 25 Issue 5 - February 2020

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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.

Volume 25 Issue 4 - December 2019 / January 2020

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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!

Volume 25 Issue 3 - November 2019

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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.

Volume 25 Issue 2 - October 2019

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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.

Volume 25 Issue 1 - September 2019

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 9 - June / July / August 2019

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Volume 24 Issue 8 - May 2019

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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!

Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 6 - March 2019

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 5 - February 2019

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 4 - December 2018 / January 2019

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 3 - November 2018

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 2 - October 2018

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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.

Volume 24 Issue 1 - September 2018

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 9 - June / July / August 2018

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 8 - May 2018

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 7 - April 2018

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 6 - March 2018

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Volume 23 Issue 5 - February 2018

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Volume 23 Issue 4 - December 2017 / January 2018

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 3 - November 2017

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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!

Volume 23 Issue 2 - October 2017

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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.

Volume 23 Issue 1 - September 2017

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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!

Volume 22 Issue 9 - Summer 2017

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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.

Volume 22 Issue 8 - May 2017

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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!).

Volume 22 Issue 7 - April 2017

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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!

Volume 22 Issue 6 - March 2017

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Volume 22 Issue 5 - February 2017

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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!

Volume 22 Issue 4 - December 2016/January 2017

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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!

Volume 22 Issue 3 - November 2016

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Volume 22 Issue 2 - October 2016

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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!

Volume 22 Issue 1 - September 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 9 - Summer 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 8 - May 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 7 - April 2016

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Volume 21 Issue 6 - March 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 5 - February 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 4 - December 2015/January 2016

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 3 - November 2015

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"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!

Volume 21 Issue 2 - October 2015

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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.

Volume 21 Issue 1 - September 2015

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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!).