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Volume 30 Issue 4 | December 2024 & January 2025

  • Text
  • Toronto
  • Orchestra
  • Theatre
  • February
  • Symphony
  • Violin
  • Jazz
  • Arts
  • Conductor
  • Faculty
TMChoir's Jean-Sébastien Vallée on large-choir community exchange; Vania Chan on Music and Mindfulness; "From Up Here" looks at Classical Life in "Zone 10"; Jazz jam etiquette; Esprit has you on the edge of your seat; Women from Space; a full slate of record reviews; all this and more.

IN WITH THE NEWIN WITH A

IN WITH THE NEWIN WITH A BANGToronto Children’s Chorus: The TCC is one of the nine choirsparticipating in Ontario Youth Treble Festival, March 1, followingtwo other significant engagements in February.“Come Together in Song” is a three choir pay-what-you-canshowcase, February 7 at Calvin Presbyterian Church, with the TCCjoined by two award-winning youth choirs from Eastern Europe:the St. Stanislav Youth Choir from Ljubljana, Slovenia, conductedby Damijan Močnik, and the Bulgarian Children’s Choir “Orpheus”from Haskovo, Bulgaria, conducted by Elena Cvetkova.And on February 27, the TCC joins the U of T Chamber Choirand Soprano-Alto Chorus in a concert, at Eglinton St. George’sUnited Church, of Latin American choral music, again featuringguest conductor Cristian Grases.And still on the topic of children’s and youth choirs, March 28 -30 the Canadian Children’s Opera Company offers a new productionof Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, at Tapestry Opera’s new theatreat 877 Yonge St..Finally, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir joins Tafelmusik BaroqueOrchestra from March 28 - 30 for Choral Splendours: Bach &Zelenka. Tafelmusik’s sing-along Messiah over the holidaysfeatures choruses by a massed audience in full cry. In contrast, thisspring, you can enjoy the famed Chamber Choir’s signature sound.As always, for full details on these offerings—as well as dozensof other opportunities to get out and hear great choral works—you can browse the listings in the middle of the magazine (inprint or at kiosk.thewholenote.com) or you can visit “Listings/Just Ask” on our website and search by a broad range of musicalcategories or key words.soundstreams.caThe Orpheus Children’s Choir, BulgariaVancouverChamber ChoirFEBRUARY 277:30pm, Christ Church Deer Park“... one of the finestensembles in the world.”—Chorus! Magazine (Atlanta)PERFORMING COMPOSITIONS BY:Rikka Talvitie • Nico Muhly • Tarik O’Regan • T. Patrick CarrabréThe new year’svibrant soundarrayWENDALYN BARTLEYFebruary and March bring a vibrant array of newsounds, kicking off with an energetic start ofmultiple concerts in early February. And right in themiddle, in early March, comes International Women’sDay on March 8 – a time to celebrate progress whileacknowledging the challenges that persist. While onemight hope such a day would no longer be necessary,recent developments south of the border highlightpersistent threats to women’s rights and freedoms,underscoring the continued importance of IWD.In this month’s column, I’ll pay particular attention to how womencomposers and performers are amplifying their creative voices, anda long overdue catch-up conversation with Toronto composer LindaCatlin Smith.Early February brings threenotable performances: a veryspecial tribute to Ann Southamon February 4 at the CanadianMusic Centre; Soundstreams’performance of Poitu Varen bycomposer and curator KalaisanKalaichelvan on February 5;and then, on February 8, fromNew Music Concerts, a concertfeaturing the world premiere ofLinda Catlin Smith’s new workWe have gone forth for dancingalong with a second worldpremiere – by Rashaan Allwood,Composer Kalaisan KalaichelvanNMC’s composer-in-residence.The February 4 concert at the CMC marks the release of pianistChristina Petrowska Quilico’s new album, More Rivers, the title ofa Frank Horvat composition commissioned by Petrowska Quilico,inspired by Ann Southam’s iconic water-themed work Rivers – awork inextricably interwoven with Petrowska Quilico’s own lifetimeof commissioning new work by Canadian composers.The February 5 Soundstreams performance of Poitu Varen isunique. It features music created from four pianos and natural12 | February & March 2025 thewholenote.com

FRANKHORVAT.COMComposer Frank Horvat and pianist Christina Petrowska QuilicoAllison Cameron - Woman From Space?ALLISONCAMERON.COMmaterials interconnected through transducer speakers. Set withinthe club-like atmosphere of Hugh’s Room Live in its new settingon Broadview, between Gerrard and Dundas, the audience will besurrounded by the performers for a “meditative journey exploringthe concept of resonance.”(Later in the month, on February 27, Soundstreams brings theVancouver Chamber Choir to perform the world premieres of sixnew works by participants in their Emerging Composer program.)The February 8 NMC event, along with the Smith and Allwoodpremieres, will also offer audiences a rare opportunity to experienceDanish composer Hans Abrahamsen’s Schnee (Snow) writtenin 2008, and subtitled Ten Canons for Nine Instruments. The venueis an unusual one: beside the windows of St. James Cathedral atChurch and Queen Street, giving the audience, weather cooperating,an evocative backdrop of the hopefully snow-coveredlandscape.Editor’s Note: The recording of Frank Horvat's More RIvers isfeatured in the Editor's Corner. See DISCoveries, p50.Women from SpaceNow in its sixth season, at 918 Bathurst St., home of the MusicGallery, this festival continues to grow and evolve, excelling incelebrating musical innovation and gender diversity. Runningfrom March 7 to 9, it intentionally aligns every year with theweekend closest to International Women’s Day. Everything getsgoing this year with a solo performance by composer and improviserAllison Cameron entitled Small Scale Experimental Machine.This multidisciplinary set blends field recordings, electronics,video, surround sound and audience participation. On the sameevening, vocalists Laura Swankey and Christine Duncan alongwith guitarist Patrick O’Reilly—known as the trio Plastic Babies —will celebrate the launch of their debut recording.One of the distinguishing recurring features of the festival is itsin-house 18-performer large ensemble BIG BANG! Last year, theensemble paid tribute to Björk’s music and this year, in the openingevening’s closing set, the spotlight turns to Nina Simone, whoseiconic songbook will be reimagined with new arrangements by sixdifferent composers.March 8 reflects another hallmark of this festival: collaboration.Guest curated by the Toronto Dance Theatre, and highlighting theconcept of spontaneous encounters, the evening brings togethera fascinating mix of experimental performers with the artistry ofdifferent dancers, including Chantelle Mostacho, celebrated for hermastery of waacking—a street dance style born in the gay clubs ofLos Angeles during the disco era, and TDT member Erin Poole.On March 9, the festival closes with a performance of LA-basedcomposer Meara O’Reilly’s work Hocket for Two Voices and anappearance by the legendary pianist and composer Myra Melfordwith her Fire and Water Trio. In her prolific career, Melford hasthewholenote.com February & March 2025 | 13

Volumes 26-30 (2020- )

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Volumes 16-20 (2010-2015)

Volumes 11-15 (2004-2010)

Volumes 6 - 10 (2000 - 2006)

Volumes 1-5 (1994-2000)