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Volume 28 Issue 4 | February - March 2023

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  • Thewholenotecom
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  • Violin
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Volume 28 no.4, covering Feb, March and into early April '23! David Olds remembers composer John Beckwith; Andrew Timar reflects on the life and times of artistic polymath Michael Snow; Mezzo Emily Fons, in town for Figaro, on trouser roles, the life of a mezzo-soprano on the road and more; Colin Story on the Soft-Seat beat; tracks from 22 new recordings added to our Listening Room. All this and more.

who we feel would bring

who we feel would bring the right flavour to the piece. WZ: Being such an expert on the operatic repertoire and knowing so many wonderful singers, Marie has found some amazing vocal works to showcase as well, such as Jake Heggie’s Into the Fire or Respighi’s Il Tramonto; I’ve also loved some of the crazy things like Black Angels by George Crumb where I got to hit a gong. MB: That was a specific idea that came suggested by a colleague; one of the great things about the collaborative nature of chamber music is the excitement we can give each other in the planning of what journey to take on each program. How were your upcoming concerts of March 12 and May 28 designed? The May 28 concert is filled with unusual repertoire. How did you select it? MB: We’ve long wanted to perform Oliver Knussen’s Cantata as it has at its core a string trio and the composer was a dear friend. The Mozart Oboe Quartet, such a superb example of Mozart’s genius, was a natural companion. We then will complete our March 12 program with trios by Taneyev and Sibelius. The meat of the May 28 program, the Strauss Metamorphosen, is this great reduction for seven players and since we have a bass player among us we looked for a somewhat less-perennially played piece than the Dvořák or Trout quintets, introducing [composer George] Onslow to most of our audience. WZ: We want to always program from our own repertoire of course, so this seemed like a good occasion to include three wonderful smaller pieces that are almost more like encores, but with this program will showcase the eclectic nature of music for string trio. Trio Arkel’s website: trioarkel.com Trio Arkel’s youtube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UC4dvVDRh_Rz1WTbWefYIQvg Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote. Kindred Spirits Orchestra Kristian Alexander | Music Director THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS QUICK PICKS FEB 12, 2PM: British-born pianist Valerie Tryon who has made Canada her home since 1971, has a fondness for the Hamilton Conservatory of the Arts’ Black Box Theatre, giving an annual recital around Valentine’s Day for several years: this year, Chopin in the first half, followed by John Ireland, Ernst von Dohnányi and Franz Liszt. FEB 12, 3:15PM: Mooredale Concerts presents violinist Andrew Wan, concertmaster of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin, silver medalist at the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition. Expect warmth and intimacy in sonatas by Schumann, Medtner and Franck. FEB 17, 7:30PM: The TSO and conductor Gustavo Gimeno return to Massey Hall with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.5 (which the orchestra played in 1923 at their first-ever concert). María Dueñas is the soloist in Bruch’s ever-popular Violin Concerto. The 20-year-old Dueñas, makes her Deutsche Grammophon recording debut in May with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. FEB 18, 2PM: Five at the First’s latest presentation features music scored for an unusual combination of instruments – Susan Hoeppner, flute; Rachel Mercer, cello; and Angela Park, piano. FEB 22, 6:45PM: Louis Lortie will play Berg’s Piano Sonata Op.1 as his contribution to the TSO Chamber Soloists’ pre-concert performance - free to ticket holders for that evening’s 8PM main event. The 8PM program, FEB 22, 24 and 25, features conductor Sir Andrew Davis’ arrangement of the Berg sonata, and Lortie in Mozart’s heavenly Piano Concerto No.23 K488. MAR 5, 3PM: Imogen Cooper’s marvellous Koerner Hall program includes Beethoven’s Sonatas Op.109 and 111 and a handful of Liszt from a pianist Sir Simon Rattle calls “one of the greatest musicians England has produced. Mozart, Schumann, and Schubert could have been written for her.” MAR 22, 23 & 25, 8PM; MAR 26, 3PM: Gustavo Gimeno conducts the TSO in Beethoven’s eternal Symphony No.5 but not before the orchestra joins with Montreal-born cellist Jean-Guihan Queyras in concertos by Schumann and Ligeti. MAR 31, 8PM: The Benedetti Elschenbroich Grynyuk Trio – a “trio of true stars” (Daily Telegraph) – violinist Nicola Benedetti; cellist Leonard Elschenbroich; and pianist Alexei Grynyuk – perform two landmarks of the piano trio canon: Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major, and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Trio in A Minor, Op. 50. At Koerner Hall. SUNDAY MARCH 12, 3PM MOZART KNUSSEN TANEYEV Guest Artist: Alex Liedtke, Oboe Season Sponsors Trinity St. Paul's Centre https://trioarkel.eventbrite.ca 20 | February & March, 2023 thewholenote.com

KOERNER HALL 2022.23 Concert Season Chineke! Orchestra with Stewart Goodyear SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT ONLY The London, England-based orchestra of Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse musicians, on its North American debut tour performing works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price, and a calypso inspired concerto by Royal Conservatory Artist in Residence, Stewart Goodyear. Supported by The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming The Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition Finals WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 7PM KOERNER HALL FREE (TICKET REQUIRED) Hear the talented ensembles of The Glenn Gould School compete for over ,000 in prizes. Presented in honour of R.S. Williams & Sons Company Ltd. Takács Quartet with Jeremy Denk THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT ONLY The world-renowned Takács Quartet is joined by one of America’s foremost pianists Jeremy Denk to perform works by Schumann, Haydn, and Mendelssohn. Supported by The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming Cécile McLorin Salvant THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT ONLY The greatest voice in jazz since Ella! “The beauty of McLorin Salvant and her musical world comes from her curiosity, her depth, and the artists she brings into that world.” (DownBeat) Benedetti Elschenbroich Grynyuk Trio FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT ONLY Monumental trios by Schubert and Tchaikovsky will be performed by this supergroup featuring violinist Nicola Benedetti, cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, and pianist Alexei Grynyuk. Supported by The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming ARC Ensemble: The Music of Alberto Hemsi SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2PM MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL TICKETS ARE ONLY ARC’s concert of works by the Sephardic composer Alberto Hemsi follows the ensemble’s highly-praised Chandos release devoted to premieres of his chamber music. Supported by The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! 416.408.0208 RCMUSIC.COM/PERFORMANCE 237 BLOOR STREET WEST (BLOOR ST. & AVENUE RD.) TORONTO thewholenote.com February & March, 2023 | 21

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