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.
●●Jul 08 4:00:
●●Jul 08 4:00: Minerva’s Cello. Featuring little-known music for early cello. Elinor Frey, cello; Joëlle Morton, viola da gamba/violone; Lucas Harris, theorbo. ●●Jul 12 7:00: Crossroads. Debut of trio of young traditional Québécois musicians. La Croisée d’Antan (Jordan Bélanger, fiddle, foot percussion, voice; David Lefrançois, accordion, harmonica, foot percussion, voice; Anthony Vacchio, keyboard and voice). ●●Jul 19 7:00: To Russia With Love. New Zealand String Quartet. ●●Jul 22 4:00: Mirrored Glass. Taktus Marimba Duo. ●●Jul 26 7:00: Blythwood Winds: Flights of Fancy. ●●Jul 29 4:00: From Baghdad to Brittany. Featuring music from the Middle-Eastern desert, Celtic plains of France and Carpathian Mountains of the Balkans. Moskitto Bar (Tangi Ropars, accordion/voice; Ahmed Moneka, percussion/voice; Nadjem Fethi violin/kora; Demetrios Petsalakis, oud). ●●Aug 02 7:00: Kakki (Spirit). Nagata Shachu. ●●Aug 09 7:00: Satyam (Truth). Classical South Asian story of Savitri, a young woman who fights the Lord of Death to save her beloved. Bageshree Vaze, vocals/Kathak dance; Vineet Vyas, tabla drums; Rajib Karmakar, sitar. ●●Aug 12 4:00: Fiddles and Banjos and Guitars, Oh My! Bombadils (Luke Fraser and Sarah Frank). ●●Aug 16 7:00: Faces of the Violin. Featuring music from the Austrian court to the fjords of Norway to the villages of Eastern Europe. Rebekah Wolkstein and Drew Jurecka, classical and traditional violin, mandolin, 9-string hardanger fiddle. ●●Aug 19 4:00: Sunday Afternoon at the Opera. Cénacle (Karim Nasr, historical clarinets; Jennifer Thiessen, viola; Francis Palma- Pelletier, violone). ●●Aug 23 7:00: Elas mon cuer: Intabulations Summer Festivals of Music of love and hearts from the Middle Ages. Instrumental versions of late medieval love songs. InTabula (Katelyn Clark, clavisimbalum; Esteban La Rotta, lutes). ●●Aug 26 4:00: Baroque Dance in the Garden. Chamber music and dance from the French Baroque. Confluence (Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, dancer; Emma Hannan, soprano). ●●Sep 09 4:00: Luna Nueva. The first new moon of autumn inspires music to reflect on new cycles, harvests, patterns and beginnings. New Flamenco Quartet (Tamar Ilana and Shirlita La Pili, voice/dance; Matt Sellick, flamenco guitar; Jessica Hana Deutsch, violin/voice). ●●Sep 16 4:00: Youth and Passion. Early works by composers who would become renowned masters. Madawaska String Quartet. Summer Opera Lyric Theatre July 27 to August 5 Toronto, ON 416-366-7723 www.solt.ca All performances are at Robert Gill Theatre, University of Toronto, 214 College St. ●●Jul 27 8:00: Manon. Music by Massenet. Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille. Suzy Smith, music director. Also Jul 29(2pm); Aug 1(2pm); 4(8pm). ●●Jul 28 2:00: Così fan tutte. Music by Mozart. Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. Valentina Sadovski, music director. Also Jul 31(8pm); Aug 2(8pm), 5(2pm). ●●Jul 28 8:00: Semele. Music by Handel. Libretto by William Congreve. Christopher Bagan, music director. Also Aug 1(8pm); 3(8pm); 4(2pm). Sun Life Financial Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival July 20 to 23 Waterloo, ON 519-279-0189 www.uptownwaterloojazz.ca Listings not available at time of publication. For general description, see Green Pages. Sweetwater Music Festival September 21 to 23 Owen Sound and Meaford, ON 519-371-2833 www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca Listings not available at time of publication. For general description, see Green Pages. Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Festival June 11 to 23 Toronto, ON 416-964-6337 www.tafelmusik.org/TBSF All concerts are free admission on a firstcome, first served basis with donations appreciated. Seating is subject to the capacity of the venue. GC - Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. TSP - Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. WH - Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. ●●Jun 11 8:00: Opening Night. William Sharp, baritone; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir; Elisa Citterio and Ivars Taurins, directors. TSP. ●●Jun 16 12:30: Baroque Portraits. Members of the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute Faculty. WH. ●●Jun 17 12:30: Many Strings Attached. Viola d’Amore Workshop participants; Thomas Georgi, leader. WH. ●●Jun 20 1:00: Toronto Baroque Summer Institute Orchestras and Choirs. Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute Orchestra and Choir; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir; Elisa Citterio, Jeanne Lamon and Ivars Taurins, directors. WH. ●●Jun 23 7:30: The Grand Finale. Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute Orchestra and Choir; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir; Elisa Citterio, Jeanne Lamon and Ivars Taurins, directors. GC. TD Markham Jazz Festival August 15, 17 to 19 Markham, ON 905-471-5299 www.markhamjazzfestival.com Listings not available at time of publication. For general description, see Green Pages. TD Niagara Jazz Festival July 19 to 29 Niagara-on-the-Lake & St. Catharines, ON 1-844-LIV-JAZZ (548-5299) www.niagarajazzfestival.com F – FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines, 905-688-0722 HP – Henry of Pelham Winery, 1469 Pelham Rd., St. Catharines, 905-684-8423 HW – The Hare Wine Company, 769 Niagara Stone Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake, 905-684-4994 L – Lakeside Park, 1 Lakeport Rd., St. Catharines, 905-688-5601 M – Mahtay Café, 241 St. Paul St., St. Catharines, 905-685-4040 P – Pier 61 Restaurant, 61 Lakeport Rd., St. Catharines, 905-397-7771 SM – St. Mark’s Anglican Church, 41 Byron St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, 905-468-3266 SP – Simcoe Park, Picton St., Virgil, 905-468-3266 W – The Warehouse, 11 Geneva St., St. Catharines, 905-988-5408 ●●Jul 02 8:00: Twilight Jazz in the Clubs: Eric St. Laurent Trio. M. ●●Jul 05 7:00: Dave Brubeck Tribute: Sax in the Vineyard. Bobby Millitello, sax. HP. ●●Jul 19 9:00: Twilight Jazz in the Clubs: Duncan Hopkins Trio. W. ●●Jul 20 9:00: Twilight Jazz in the Clubs: James Bryan Trio. W. ●●Jul 22 11:00am: World Music on the Beach. Live music, children’s activities, food trucks, wine, craft beer and artisan vendors. L.; 8:00: Live Music Jam. Live music, children’s activities, food trucks, wine, craft beer and artisan vendors. TD Niagara Jazz Festival House Band Trio. P. ●●Jul 27 7:30: Jazz in the City: Flagship Event - Singin’ with the Big Band. Indigenous ceremony before the concert. Jim John’s Swing Shift Big Band with Christopher Alan Graves. F.; 9:00: Twilight Jazz in the Clubs: Heillig Manoeuvre. M. ●●Jul 28 11:00am: Jazz in the Park. Live music, children’s activities, food, wine, craft beer and artisan vendors. SP.. Also Jul 29; 8:00: Jazz Masters: Timeless Clarinet. Phil Nimmons and David Braid. SM.; 8:00: Soul Jazz in the Vineyard. HW. ●●Jul 29 11:00am: Jazz in the Park. Live music, children’s activities, food, wine, craft beer and artisan vendors. SP. Also Jul 28; 7:00: Jazz on the Lake: Dixieland Jazz Event. Surprise location. TD Sunfest ’18: Canada’s Premier Celebration of World Cultures July 5 to 8 London, ON 519-672-1522 www.sunfest.on.ca Listings not available at time of publication. For general description, see Green Pages. TD Toronto Jazz Festival June 22 to July 1 Toronto, ON 855-985-5000 www.torontojazz.com C – Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. DMH – Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. DML – Don Mills Library, 888 Lawrence Ave. E. E – Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St. HS – Home Smith Bar, The Old Mill, 21 Old Mill Rd., Etobicoke HT – Horsehoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. K – Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. OLG – OLG Stage on Cumberland. PT – The Pilot, 22 Cumberland St. PX – The Phoenix, 410 Sherbourne St. ROM – Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. S – Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E. T – Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 417 Bloor St. W. ●●Jun 13 7pm: Luis Mario Ochoa Quartet. DML. ●●Jun 22 5:30pm: Hector Quartet. OLG.; 7pm: ROM Friday Night Live: Jazz Club. ROM; 7:30pm, Heather Bambrick & Friends with Russ Little Quartet featuring Guido Basso. HS. Also Jun 23. ●●Jun 23 8pm: Seal. S.; 8pm: Liona Boyd & PRÉGARDIEN & DRAKE in recital July 17 at Walter Hall 50 | June 1 - September 7, 2018 thewholenote.com
Friends - A Tribute to Yorkville in the Sixties. C; 9pm: Toronto Poetry Slam. PT. ●●Jun 24 8:30pm: The Bad Plus. T. ●●Jun 25 7pm: Lake Street Dive. DMH.; 8pm: Alison Kraus. S.; 8pm: Gregory Porter. E.; 8pm: Blues Revue featuring Bettye LaVette. K.; 9pm: ART the Band. PT. ●●Jun 26 7pm: Snarky Puppy. DMH.; 8pm: Savion Glover featuring Marcus Gilmore. K.; 8:30pm: Elise LeGrow. T.; 10pm: KNOWER (Anomalie opening). HT. ●●Jun 27 7pm: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. DMH; 8:30pm: Cécile McLorin Salvant. T.; 9pm: Weaves. PX. ●●Jun 28 8:30pm: Holly Cole. T. ●●Jun 29 7:30pm: Heather Bambrick & Friends with Russ Little Quartet feat. Melissa Stylianou. HS. Also Jun 30; 8pm: Herbie Hancock. S. Toronto Summer Music July 12 to August 4 Toronto, ON 647-430-5699 www.torontosummermusic.com BW - The Bentway, 250 Fort York Blvd. CR - Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W. KH - Koerner Hall, Telus Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. LL - Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. WH - Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. ●●Jul 12 7:30: Opening Night Concert: Borodin Quartet. KH. ●●Jul 13 7:30: Mother Russia. Lukas Geniušas, piano; Borodin Quartet. WH. ●●Jul 14 1:00: reGENERATION. Singers, pianists and chamber musicians from the Toronto Summer Music Academy’s Art of Song program and Chamber Music Institute. Also 4pm. WH.; 7:30: Chamber Music reGENER- ATION. Toronto Summer Music Fellows and Academy mentors. WH. ●●Jul 16 7:30: Tears of Exile. Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal; Andrew McAnerney, conductor. WH. ●●Jul 17 7:30: Prégardien and Drake in Recital. Christoph Prégardien, tenor; Julius Drake, piano. WH. ●●Jul 18 11:00am: Classical Kids Concerts Series: Kinan Azmeh City Band. Presented in English and Arabic for ages 4-10. Kinan Azmeh, clarinet. WH.; 7:30: Kinan Azmeh City Band. Kinan Azmeh, clarinet. WH. ●●Jul 19 7:30: L’Histoire du Soldat. TSO Chamber Soloists; Derek Boyer, narrator; Jennifer Nichols, dancer/choreographer; Alaina Viau, director and designer; Jonathan Crow, violin and leader. KH.; 10:30: TSM Late Night Encore. Jonathan Crow, violin; Julie Albers, cello; Miles Jaques, clarinet; Natasha Paremski, piano. WH. ●●Jul 20 7:30: The Trout. Christoph Prégardien, tenor; Steven Philcox, piano; Scott St. John, violin; Yehonatan Berick, viola; Julie Albers, cello; and others. WH. ●●Jul 21 1:00: reGENERATION. Singers, pianists and chamber musicians from the Toronto Summer Music Academy’s Art of Song program and Chamber Music Institute. Also 4pm. WH.; 7:30: Chamber Music reGENER- ATION. Toronto Summer Music Fellows and Academy mentors. WH. ●●Jul 23 7:30: Sounding Thunder. Text by Armand Garnet Ruffo. James Campbell, clarinet; Musicians from Festival of the Sound. WH. ●●Jul 24 7:30: Different Trains. New Orford String Quartet. LL. ●●Jul 25 11:00am: Classical Kids Concerts Series: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. For ages 4-10. TSM Festival Orchestra; Jonathan Crow, violin; Joanna Kellam, host. WH.; 7:30: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. TSM Academy Fellows; Jonathan Crow, violin. Post-concert reception. CR. ●●Jul 26 7:30: O Happy Day. Gospel favourites. Ben Heppner, tenor; Toronto Mass Choir. KH. ●●Jul 27 7:30: New Orford String Quartet. New Orford String Quartet; Pedja Muzijevic, piano. WH. ●●Jul 28 4:00: Chamber Music reGENERA- TION. Toronto Summer Music Fellows and Academy mentors. Also 7:30pm. WH. ●●Jul 29 2:00: TSM Community Day: Reflections of Wartime. Canadian National Brass Project. Includes Musical Petting Zoo. BW.; 7:30: TSM Community Day: National Youth Orchestra of Canada - Migrations. KH. ●●Jul 30 7:30: A Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin. Jonathan Crow, violin; Philip Chiu, piano. WH. ●●Jul 31 7:30: Angela Cheng. Angela Cheng, piano; Alvin Chow, piano. WH. ●●Aug 01 11:00am: Classical Kids Concerts Series: Music from Wartime. For ages 4-10. Eric Nowlin, viola; Ani Aznavoorian, cello; Philip Chiu, piano; Alexander Kerr, violin. WH.; 7:30: War in the 20th Century. Aaron Schwebel, violin; Alexander Kerr, violin; Barry Shiffman, violin; Stephen Dann, viola; Ani Aznavoorian, cello; and others. WH. ●●Aug 02 7:30: A Big Band Celebration. Ranee Lee, vocals; Gordon Foote, music director. KH. ●●Aug 03 7:30: Brahms Sextet. Aaron Schwebel, violin; Alexander Kerr, violin; Barry Shiffman, violin; Eric Nowlin, viola; Stephen Dann, viola; and others. WH. ●●Aug 04 7:30: TSM Finale. Performances by TSM Artists, Academy Fellows, and Community Academy participants. WH. Westben Concerts at The Barn June 9 to August 5 Campbellford, ON 877-883-5777 www.westben.ca B - The Barn, 6688 County Road 30, Campbellford. C - Clock Tower Cultural Centre, 36 Front St. S., Campbellford. ●●Jun 09 2:00: Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Tim Rice. Adam Fisher (Joseph); Kimberly Dafoe, narrator; Caroline Smith & Brian Finley, co-directors; Brian Finley, music director; Westben Youth, Teen and Festival Choruses. Also Jun 10(2pm); 15(7pm); 16(2pm); 17(2pm). B. ●●Jul 06 7:00: Schumann Liederabend. Sung in German, with English translations. Wallis Giunta, mezzo; Alexander Dobson, baritone; Brian Finley, piano. 6pm: pre-concert chat on Schumann’s Lieder. Concert repeats at 9pm. B. ●●Jul 07 2:00: Don Giovanni in Concert. Joel Allison (Leporello); Leanne Kaufman (Donna Anna); Alexander Dobson (Don Giovanni); Matthew Li (Masetto/Commendatore); Colin Ainsworth (Don Ottavio); Teiya Kasahara (Donna Elvira); Vania Chan (Zerlina); Andrea Grant, music director & pianist. 1pm: preconcert chat. B. ●●Jul 08 2:00: Chopin Celebration - Robert Silverman. Robert Silverman, piano. 1pm: pre-concert chat. B. ●●Jul 12 7:00: New Now: Performer-Composer Showcase Concert. 1pm: pre-concert chat. B. ●●Jul 14 2:00: Vancouver Chamber Choir. 1pm: pre-concert chat. B. ●●Jul 15 2:00: Hannaford Street Silver Band Tentet. B. ●●Jul 18 2:00: Broadway at the Barn: Crazy for Gershwin. Caitlin Wood, soprano; Marjori Maltais, mezzo; Adam Fisher, tenor; Clarence Frazer, baritone; Brian Finley, piano. Also Jul 19, 25, 26. B. ●●Jul 20 7:00: British Invasion. Celebration of the British Invasion & The American Revolution. Andy Forgie and Big Black Smoke. B. ●●Jul 21 2:00: Taste of Scotland. Scotch tasting, a good meal, the sound of the pipes, and a concert featuring Scottish tunes. Donna Bennett, soprano; Colin Ainsworth, tenor; Brian Finley, piano; Port Hope & District Pipe Band; Jamie York, pipe major. B. ●●Jul 22 2:00: John McDermott. John McDermott, tenor; Jason Fowler, guitars; Mark Lama, keyboards, melodia, accordion. B. ●●Jul 25 2:00: Broadway at the Barn: see Jul 18. B. ●●Jul 27 7:00: Sarah Harmer. B. ●●Jul 28 2:00: Marc-André Hamelin with The Danel String Quartet. Marc-André Hamelin, piano; Marc Danel, violin; Gilles Millet, violin; Vlad Bogdanas, viola; Yovan Markovitch, cello. 1:15pm: Pre-concert chat. B. ●●Jul 29 2:00: The StepCrew. Cara Butler, step-dancer; Jon Pilatzke, step-dancer; Nathan Pilatzke, step-dancer; Christine Carr, tap dancer; Alyth McCormack, vocals; and others. B. ●●Aug 02 7:00: New Now: A Little Off the Sides. New sounds coming from the sidestreets of Montreal. Alexia Avina, singer/ songwriter; and others. C. ●●Aug 03 7:00: Turbo Street Funk. Casey Van; vocals, guitar & harmonica; Juan Manuel Arce, alto sax; Joel Eric Szabo; horn; Camilo Gallon, drums; Ian Feenstra, sousaphone. B. ●●Aug 04 2:00: Michael Kaeshammer, Piano. B. ●●Aug 05 2:00: Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir: Celebrate! B. L’HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT July 19 at Koerner Hall KINAN AZMEH CITYBAND July 18 at Walter Hall BEN HEPPNER O HAPPY DAY July 26 at Koerner Hall A BIG BAND CELEBRATION with RANEE LEE August 2 at Koerner Hall thewholenote.com June 1 - September 7, 2018 | 51
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 of what they do alive. And intersecting with all of it, responses to the urgent call for 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!).
