BLUE PAGES 2019/20 SECTION I: PRESENTERS & PERFORMERS ●●Associates of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Who are the Associates of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (ATSO) and what do we do? The ATSO is made up of people who sponsor and organize “The Small Concerts” series, featuring musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, presenting first-class chamber music. With the support of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, ATSO volunteers secure musicians for concerts, publicize concerts through various media, and ensure that events run smoothly. If you would enjoy working with people who appreciate and promote classical music, please consider becoming a volunteer with the ATSO. You can phone 416-221-8342 or visit our website to learn more about volunteer opportunities. Let’s keep “The Small Concerts” going! After a one-year lapse, the Associates have succeeded in reviving the series through the generosity of an audience member and matching crowdfunding, and will be very pleased to present a five-concert, 47th season from January to May! However, ongoing donations are essential to ensure that these fine concerts continue in the future. Please visit the ATSO website, and ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ us on Facebook. Armin Weber 416-221-8342 armweber@gmail.com www.associates-tso.org ●●Attila Glatz Concert Productions “Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert” returns to Toronto (Roy Thomson Hall, January 1 at 2:30pm) and Hamilton (FirstOntario Concert Hall, December 29 at 2:30pm) this holiday season, with a joyous, unforgettable new program and cast of European singers, ballroom dancers, ballet and full orchestra. Also co-produced with Roy Thomson Hall: “Bravissimo! Opera’s Greatest Hits” (New Year’s Eve, 7pm). Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style as acclaimed international opera stars, backed by the colossal power of the Opera Canada Symphony and Chorus, perform the finest arias, choruses, and duets from history’s most famous operas. Glatz Concerts also co-presents the “Cinematic Series with TO Live” - films presented in stunning HD with live orchestra. Upcoming performances: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Concert” (October 31 to November 2); “Skyfall in Concert” (February 21 and 22); and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in Concert” (May 29 to 31). Sarah Dunn 416-323-1403 sarahd@glatzconcerts.com www.glatzconcerts.com www.salutetovienna.com www.meridianhall.ca ●The ● Azrieli Foundation Inspired by Jewish values and the vision and resilience of our founder, the late David J. Azrieli, the mission of Azrieli philanthropy is to improve the lives of present and future generations through education, research, healthcare and the arts, mainly in Canada and Israel. The Foundation has eight priority funding areas: education; music and the arts; fellowships; community; Holocaust education and legacy; science, research and healthcare; neuro-development; architecture, design and engineering. In addition to strategic philanthropic investments in organizations large and small, the Foundation operates a number of programs including: the Azrieli Music Prizes, the Azrieli Prize in Architecture, the Azrieli Fellows Program, the Azrieli Neuro-developmental Research Program, and the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program. Jason van Eyk 416-322-5928 www.azrielifoundation.org ●●Barrie Concert Association The Barrie Concert Association, a charitable non-profit organization, presents 12 live performances of mainly Classical music in two series. The 2019/20 Barrie Concerts: violinist Elisso Gogibedashvili with Sinfonia Toronto – October 19, 2019; “Voices of Angels” (Hamilton Children’s Choir) – Nov 9, 2019; “Beethoven Celebration” (Xiaohan Guo, violin; Zhengyu Chen, piano; Daniel Hass, cello) – January 18, 2020; Gillian MacKay and U of T Brass Ensemble – February 29, 2020; “A Night at the Opera” (soprano Sara Papini and tenor Romulo Delgado, the Kerry Stratton Orchestra) – March 21, 2020; Hannaford Street Silver Band – April 27, 2020. Hiway Pentecostal Church, Barrie. Georgian Music: Mendelssohn and Hummel Trios (flutist Kaili Maimets, cellist Rachel Mercer and pianist Angela Park) – October 6, 2019; Gryphon Piano Trio – Nov 24, 2019; Rolston String Quartet – “Death and the Maiden” – February 9, 2020; “The Trout” (Annette-Barbara Vogel, violin; Raquel Bastos, viola; Katerina Juraskova, cello; Joseph Phillips, bass; and Pieter Grobler, piano) – April 5, 2020; Kawartha Trio (Judy Loman, harp; Linda Umbrico, viola; and Ross Edwards, clarinet) – April 19, 2020. Bethel Community Church, Barrie. 6th “Pianofest” (pianists Younggun Kim and Benjamin Smith) – January 20, 2020. Bethel Community Church. Bruce Owen 705-726-1181 bruceowen@owendickey.com www.barrieconcerts.org ●●Barrie Concert Band Under the direction of their new musical director, Angelik Jones, the Barrie Concert Band is excited to begin their 2019/20 season this fall, starting with the “Salute to the Veterans” concert on Tuesday, October 15. Founded in 1869, the Barrie Concert band is the longest running musical organization north of the Golden Horseshoe and has over 50 members. This year’s concert subscription series will be an exciting mixture of music genres. The series kicks off on December 7 with “A Christmas Chocolate Box” filled with tasty Christmas tunes, followed by a rocking good time on March 7 as the band performs a “Barrie Concert Rock Band”. The series wraps up on June 6 with an afternoon of musical favourites as the “Band Goes Broadway”. Don’t miss a single concert when you buy a subscription! As always, the Barrie Concert Band looks forward to supporting their local community by performing throughout Barrie & Simcoe County as they share their passion for music with enthusiasm and excellence. Denise Near 705-735-0720 info@barrieconcertband.org www.barrieconcertband.org ●●Bel Canto Singers Bel Canto Singers is an auditioned, community four-part choir with singers of various ages. Under the guidance of our accomplished music director Leanne Piller, members enjoy the rewards and challenges of a varied repertoire including popular music, Broadway show tunes, folk songs, opera choruses and classics. Rehearsals are Tuesdays, 7pm to 9:30pm, from early September through May at Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd. at Scarborough Golf Club Road. We perform concerts in December and May, as well as at seniors’ residences throughout the year. While experienced and committed choristers are always welcomed, the choir is actively seeking members to add to its tenor and bass sections. Bel Canto Singers is a non-profit organization financed by ticket sales and annual memberships. Friendships and fun are woven through all of our activities, including the semi-annual workshops that help improve our musical skills. We support several worthy charities. Please join us! Contact us by email or visit our website. Kam belcantomembership@gmail.com www.belcantosingers.ca ●●Borealis Big Band The Borealis Big Band idea was created in the summer of 2017 with our first rehearsals in September 2017 alternating between B4 | theWholeNote 2019/20 PRESENTER PROFILES
the Chartwell Park Place Retirement Residence and the Chartwell Hollandview Trail Retirement Residence, both located in Aurora. Thanks to our friends at both these Chartwell locations for your ongoing hospitality. As the Borealis name suggests, the new band has a very close association with the Town of Aurora, as the five original founders live in or close to Aurora. However, we are especially proud that we have participation from musicians from throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The Borealis Big Band was set up to provide an opportunity for band members to play challenging music in a wide variety of big band jazz styles including: swing, funk, smooth, and Latin/Cuban, and play it to the highest quality possible, with lots of room for improvisation for all those members interested. In our opinion, the best bands are entertaining because the musicians in the band work hard to be the best they can and everyone in the band loves to perform every time they pick up their instrument. The promise we make is that our performance will always be fun for everyone involved and for everyone watching and listening. Gord Shephard 905-717-3319 borealisbigband@gmail.com www.borealisbigband.com ●●Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts Bravo Niagara! is a not-for-profit registered charity dedicated to producing extraordinary concert experiences featuring the world’s leading artists, as well as rising young stars, in Niagara wine country. Concerts take place at the historic St. Mark’s Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines. The 2019/20 season is brimming with Canadian and international treasures and opens with the return of superstar soprano Measha Brueggergosman (October 19). The annual “Voices of Freedom Festival” features a double bill performance: jazz piano legend Monty Alexander and his Harlem-Kingston Express blend the sounds of his native Kingston, Jamaica, with the classic jazz tradition of New York’s Harlem, plus the Larnell Lewis Band (Nov 8). Canadian treasure Ofra Harnoy takes the stage for a rare recital (Nov 30). 2020 programming features legendary jazz vocalist Kurt Elling (February 14), classical guitar sensation MILOŠ (March 15), the Brubeck Brothers Quartet’s “Dave Brubeck Centennial Celebration” (April 5), and “From Broadway, With Love” (May 2). The season finale features two virtuoso musicians, iconic violinist Cho-Liang Lin and pianist Jon Kimura Parker in recital (May 3). Alexis Spieldenner 289-868-9177 music@bravoniagara.org www.bravoniagara.org BARRIE CONCERT BAND ●● Burlington Symphony Orchestra Burlington Symphony Orchestra and newly appointed music director Denis Mastromonaco offer a season of riches in 2019/20. On September 29, the orchestra performs with Sultans of String as part of Burlington’s “Culture Days”. “Russian Treasures” on Nov 3 features Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Jianhan Wu, piano. “A Christmas Spectacular!” on December 8 features family favourites and a sing-along with the Burlington Civic Chorale. “Love at the Opera” on February 16 features favourite works sung by brilliant opera singers from southern Ontario. “In Nature’s Realm” on May 10 features Vivaldi’s Spring, Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane and Dvorak’s joyous Symphony No. 6 – soloists Corey Gemmell, violin, and Kristan Toczko, harp. Burlington Symphony Orchestra (formerly Symphony on the Bay) is a full-size community orchestra serving Burlington, Hamilton and the surrounding areas. Composed of talented amateurs, students and professionals, the Burlington Symphony performs in the magnificent Performing Arts Centre in downtown Burlington. Visit our website for tickets and details. Liz Delaney 905-320-4697 info@burlingtonsymphony.ca www.burlingtonsymphony.ca ●The ● Canadian Arabic Orchestra The CAO is a registered charity dedicated to connecting people through music, celebrating the diversity of Canada’s cultural mosaic with classical Arabic music from all corners of the Arab world, spanning a time period that goes back to early Andalusia, and presented at times with a fusion of classical western and other world music. The CAO organizes a two-week annual celebration of Arabic music and arts in Canada, presenting music concerts, theatre, film and arts exhibitions. Over the last week of October and the first week of November, FAMA presents an array of Canadian and International artists with a wide variety of genres and disciplines. Omar Najjar 647-400-0979 omar@caimusic.ca www.canadianarabicorchestra.ca ●●Canadian Children’s Opera Company Now over 50 years old, the CCOC consists of six chorus divisions of children and youth from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, and is the only permanent children’s opera company in Canada to regularly commission and produce operas for children. Opera is simply storytelling with music, and those are two things that kids and youth love! A unique experience, the CCOC offers members unparalleled performance opportunities and life skills through age-appropriate vocal and dramatic training. Members regularly perform with the Canadian Opera Company and other major professional arts organizations. Rehearsals are weekdays after school in the downtown area. Auditions are held April to June and occasionally during the year. A non-auditioned in- and after-school workshop program was launched in 2008 as part of the OPERAtion KIDS outreach arm of the CCOC. Highlighting the current season is the May 2020 return of Errol Gay and Michael Patrick Albano’s masterful adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Ken Hall 416-366-0467 info@canadianchildrensopera.com www.canadianchildrensopera.com theWholeNote 2019/20 PRESENTER PROFILES | B5
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