Volume 25 Issue 2 - October 2019

BLUE PAGES

BLUE PAGES 2019/20 SECTION I: PRESENTERS & PERFORMERS of Northumberland County two hours east of Toronto, near Campbellford, Westben’s primary performance venue is a custom-built, timberframe barn. The Barn seats 400, and on sunny days from June to September, massive walls and doors roll away – allowing music to waft over the surrounding meadow. Donna Bennett 705-653-5508 donna@westben.ca www.westben.ca ●The ● Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Through its “Music in the Afternoon” concert series, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto (WMCT) presents chamber music concerts, featuring musicians on the threshold of international recognition, as well as established artists and ensembles. Concerts are held Thursday afternoons at 1:30pm at Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park, Toronto. Concerts in the 122nd (2019/20) season include Trio Fibonacci (October 3); soprano Jane Archibald (November 14); Diotima Quartet (February 27, 2020); percussionist Beverley Johnston and Friends (April 2); and the WMCT’s 2018 Career Development Award winner, Blake Pouliot, violin (May 7). Member/subscriber benefits include “Tuning Your Mind,” a free pre-concert lecture series presented in partnership with the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, on a topic related to the day’s concert, and a masterclass, this season by Diotima Quartet. Shannon Perreault, administrator 416-923-7052 wmct@wmct.on.ca www.wmct.on.ca ●Wychwood ● Clarinet Choir Established in 2009, the Wychwood Clarinet Choir is directed by clarinetist and conductor Michele Jacot. Members of the choir include skilled clarinetists who share a love of musicmaking, friendship and fun. The group rehearses weekly and performs on a regular basis in Toronto’s St. Clair and Wychwood area. The instrumentation of the WCC extends from the contrabass clarinet to the E-flat sopranino. The choir’s repertoire includes many compositions and arrangements written by the group’s own Composers’ Collective, and by the choir’s late composer and conductor laureate, Howard Cable. The Wychwood Clarinet Choir embraces the ideal of ‘music for life” and is committed to sharing the musical experience in educational settings and in the wider community. Choir members are admitted by audition and pay a modest annual membership fee. Three concerts are planned for the 2019/20 season. “Creepy Clarinets,” a Halloween themed concert on October 27; “Midwinter Suites” on February 23; and “Sounds of Spring” on May 24. Please visit the choir’s website for all the exciting details! Roy Greaves 647-292-4204 wychwoodclarinetchoir@yahoo.ca www.wychwoodclarinetchoir.com ●York ● Region Chamber Music York Region Chamber Music is a non-profit organization dedicated to presenting chamber music experiences inside and outside the concert hall to inspire both seasoned concertgoers and first-time listeners. Primarily based at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, York Region Chamber Music also presents throughout York Region at venues such as the Aurora Cultural Centre. York Region Chamber Music focuses on featuring exciting, young, professional performers and bringing new works by emerging composers to the stage. As advocates for classical music and the arts, we have strong ties with the community and local organizations through partnerships, including the City of Richmond Hill and the York Region Arts Council. Jessica Tse 905-787-8811 yrcmusic@gmail.com www.yrcmusic.com ●York ● University York University’s Department of Music presents many public events each season. This year, our “Faculty Spotlight Series” showcases jazz bassist, Al Henderson; pianist Dorothy de Val; pianist/composer Michael Coghlan; and The Accolade Trio featuring clarinetist Patricia Wait and cellist Mark Chambers. Classical chamber concerts and performances by the York U Concert and Chamber Choirs are also offered along with electroacoustic explorations and student compositions. Our annual “World Music Festival” celebrates a wide variety of musical practices including Caribbean, West African and Celtic traditions. The “Music at Midday” series offers free lunchtime performances featuring guest artists, faculty, and student talent. Masterclasses by leading Canadian and international artists are frequently open to observers. Each term concludes with showcase performances by the York U Symphony Orchestra, Gospel Choir and Wind Symphony, as well as a four-day jazz festival. Performances take place in the Tribute Communities Recital Hall or in the informal setting of the Martin Family Lounge in the Accolade East Building at York’s Keele campus. Louise Wrazen, chair Stephanie Martin, graduate program director Judy Karacs, events and promotions coordinator 416-736-2100 x20054 Box Office: 416-736-5888 jkaracs@yorku.ca www.music.ampd.yorku.ca/events ●Yorkminster ● Park Baptist Church The Yorkminster Park Baptist Church senior choir, under organist and music director William Maddox, enjoys a reputation as one of the best congregational choirs in the city of Toronto. Yorkminster Park presents a series of free organ recitals at 12:30pm, every Wednesday from September through June, with performers from around the world. We have a wide variety of unique musical events throughout the year, but Yorkminster Park is renowned for its special seasonal concerts. The quality and dedication of the music ministry at YPBC is never more evident than during Advent and Holy Week and these services have become community traditions: “City Carol Sing,” “Carols by Candlelight,” the “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols,” “Passiontide Devotion” during Holy Week and traditional Evensong services three times a year. Our sanctuary is frequently made available to other choral and concert groups, which draw appreciative audiences from all over Southern Ontario. William Maddox 416-922-1167 wcmaddox@yorkminsterpark.com www.yorkminsterpark.com B26 | theWholeNote 2019/20 PRESENTER PROFILES

BLUE PAGES 2019/20 SECTION II: ARTS SERVICES BLUE PAGES SECTION II: ARTS SERVICES ●●Big Picture Communications Luisa Trisi’s lifelong love of arts and culture led her to launch Big Picture Communications in 1999. She has worked with many of North America’s leading figures in classical music, dance, and theatre, and has designed publicity campaigns for major arts hubs, cultural initiatives, national festivals, and conferences. Luisa provides an array of strategic communication services to a broad range of clients, including many high-profile Canadian cultural organizations. Throughout her 20-plus years of experience, she has established an extensive network of media and industry contacts. She works closely with clients to generate noteworthy coverage in a variety of traditional and digital outlets - from mainstream media to niche publications. Passionate about city-building, community, and creativity, Luisa thrives on connecting people and ideas. Prior to launching Big Picture Communications, Luisa held positions with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Dance Umbrella of Ontario, and Theatre Columbus. As director of communications and an instructor at Ryerson Theatre School for almost a decade, Luisa designed and taught courses on entrepreneurship to students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. Luisa Trisi 416-456-0499 luisa@luisatrisi.com www.luisatrisi.com ●The ● Bobolink Agency The Bobolink Agency is a full-service performing arts agency which has represented some of Canada’s finest musical artists, ensembles and attractions for bookings across Canada. These currently include tenor Ben Heppner, the Elmer Iseler Singers, the Men of the Deeps and “Unforgettable: The Nat King Cole Story.” Robert Missen 905-632-6047 rmissen@sympatico.ca ●●Concerts in Care Ontario Concerts in Care Ontario provides live professional music for our senior audiences living in long-term and memory care, assisted, and independent living facilities. We offer classical, jazz, American Songbook, and occasional special event ensembles from solos to quartets. We curate a series of concerts over a 12-month period, starting with a minimum of four concerts, with no upper limit. This way the seniors hear a variety of the best professional musicians in each genre, or from their preferred styles. Narrative and connection with audiences is a huge part of our mandate. We understand that music is a socializing opportunity. So Concerts in Care performances belong to the residents, not to the musicians. Our performers tell stories, describe the music, and spend time after the concert visiting with their audience members. We operate in the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, Sudbury, and London, partnering with the local professional symphonies, top freelancers, and festivals to ensure best quality performances for our aging populations. Fees are on a sliding scale, designed as much as possible to suit the budget of each facility. Debra Chandler or Brenton Chan 416-571-6170 debra@healtharts.org www.concertsincareontario.com ●●Dean Artists Management Dean Artists Management brings over 20 years of excellence and expertise to the management of classically trained singers, conductors, opera directors and choreographers. Committed to integrity and personal attention, the size and structure of our agency enables us to remain responsive to our clients’ needs, while sustaining successful relationships with producers in North America and abroad. Working as a team to strategically broaden the careers of established artists, we are equally known for our ability to nurture and guide emerging careers. Our artists include specialists in both early and contemporary music, carefully chosen “crossover” artists, and those directors and conductors who have a particular knowledge of, and affinity for, opera, choral and vocal orchestral repertoire. After more than two decades in international arts management, we remain competitive and attuned to the trends of the symphonic, opera and choral music markets, and the visions of our colleagues and clients. Henry Ingram 416-969-7300 admin@deanartists.com www.deanartists.com ●●dkpr public relations inc. Celebrating 20 years as an entertainment publicity, promotions and marketing agency, dkpr public relations inc. is known for “getting you noticed, getting you in the news.” With a celebrity client list and experience working in New York, Los Angeles, London and Toronto, dkpr specializes in publicity and marketing for many kinds of music and musical theatre. dkpr’s services include: media relations for small to midsized music organizations; creating social media campaigns; marketing and advertising; and creating cost-effective websites and promotions. We also frequently work with individual artists to assist them in producing their shows to attract new audiences and corporate sponsorships and media partnerships. Principal Deborah Knight has worked personally with Placido Domingo, The Three Tenors (Carreras, Pavarotti, Domingo), Ben Heppner, Michael Schade, Sondra Radvanovsky, several orchestras, Tony Bennett and Diana Krall, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, and Bea Arthur, just to name a few. Media outlets include: CTV, CBC, Star!, Comedy Network, WTN, and HGTV across several television shows. We are a small office, based downtown with rates that are affordable and we will give complementary meetings over coffee for interesting projects. Deborah Knight, public relations 416-200-3577 dknight@dkpr.ca www.dkpr.ca theWholeNote 2019/20 PRESENTER PROFILES | B27