MM;f·1~•Mli#ii;M~!.!~i.kJM COMPOSER COMPANIONS continued teen-year professional relationship between Rolfe and Hannigan, with the first set of eight Illuminations being composed and performed in 1990, followed by a second set in 1991 and now this newest set in 2004. When speaking about the return to composing for this very talented soprano, Rolfe explained, "It is nice to have a sense of circularity to a creative project, not always driving forward to the next new work, but returning to older projects with a fresh perspective. As well, very few people know of Barbara's strong work ethic. This programme is very ambitious, and'it is nice to have my work interpreted by a performer who will match the level of commitment with which I composed this ·new work." For more information visit www.music-toronto.com, or for tickets call 416-366-7723. Starting the same day, and running all weekend long, will be Arraymusic' s second installment of the Scratch! Festival. Inspired by experimental composer Cornelius Cardew's Scrateh Orchestra projects, this year's Scratch! Festival will con- tinue to. celebrate improvised and experimental music, featuring the works of invited Canadian composers who currently work in the tradition of American composer Christian Wolff and Dutch experimentalist Gilius van Bergeijk. Wolff, a former student of John Cage, became widely known as part of the mid-20th-century New York School of composers, and is most noted for his compositions of intricate symbols, which are left open to the musicians' interpretations. Bergeijk is recognized for his work in electronic based music, but is also a jazzmusician, improviser and conductor of his own orchestra 'Gilius' Haagsche Hofje'. This combination of influences should make for an eyeand-ear-opening adventure in Canadian musi!:. For more information call 416-532-3019 or visit www.arraymusic.com. vealed a strong break with any. and all forms of academicism and tradition. Imagination, originality and hum0ur are the hallmarks of his work, which also draw on ·an inexhaustible sense of invention and a wide array of expressive devices to produce provoc- Kagel Bridging the end of January and the beginning of February is the final concert highlight, a Mauricio Kagel mini-festival presented in joint v~nture between the Esprit Orchestra and New Music Concerts. Kagel is one of the more distinctive composers of contemporary music who, throughout an already significant creative output in many genres, has reative results. On January 31st, Esprit Orchestra presents a programme featuring the world premiere of the concert version of Kagel's Das Konzert (an operatic flute concerto), juxtaposed against works by John Rea and Arvo Part. New Music Concerts Artistic Director Robert Aitken joins Esprit as the invited guest soloist. On February 1st, New Music Concerts will present a complete programme of Kagel's music, with the Elmer Iseler Singers as guest artists C1I1d Mauricio Kagel himself as guest composer and conductor. Kagel's personal presence for this mini-festival marks another coup for New Music Concerts, and for the benefit of Toronto's music community, following hot on the heels of renowned composer Helmut Lachenmann's visit just this past November. With so much dynamic contemporary work on offer at the end ofJ anuary, it definitely will be difficult to decide what to see and hear! But with a little ingenuity and careful planning, you can create your own mini new music festival, taking in a wealth of incredible new music by some of Canada's and the world's greatest composers, as performed by this city's best performers, ·and all in a mere four days! Composer Companions will have composer guides available to the public for all of these concerts. To book your composer guide for any concert of new music in the Toronto area, contact the Ontario Region of the Canadian Music Centre at composercompanions@musiccentre.ca, or by phone at 416-961-6601 x.207 Jason van Eyk is the CMC's Ontario Regional Director. He can be reached at 416-961-6601 x. 207 or jasonv@musiccentre.ca. presents The Great Toronto Carol Sing Tuesday, December 16, 2003, 8 p.m. The Cathedral Church of St. James · 65 Churc;h Street, Toronto Richard Bradshaw, the charismatic General Director of the award-winning Canadian Opera Company, will lead our annual Christmas celebration in the acoustic splendour of The Cathedral Church of St. James. Revel in the sounds of the HSSB in combination with the Canadian Children's Opera Chorus under the direction of Ann Cooper Gay. Join in the .heart-felt singing of beloved carols and listen to the world premiere of Bramwell Tovey's new composition for band and choir, entitled Magnificat, commissioned by the HSSB and featuring soprano soloist Laura Whalen. "Silver-plated music making a/I .the way" William Littler, The TorontoStar Call the St. Lawrence Centre Box Office at 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754, or book on-line at www.stlc.com www.hannafordband.com 24 .. •... .,.. _.,,-,. -.-..,_ ... .. vilftlil~lr Y.'irn."lh.1 C.m.id.1 M!Y..i(Ltd . Iii - ~ loog &McQu.>d
NEWS FROM THE COALITION OF NEw Music PRESENTERS The next two months are very busy ones for the members of the Coalition individually and as a group. We have been discussing the (re)creation of a New Music Festival, and will be exploring the possibilities of this over the next few months. It has been two years since the last major new music festival in Toronto, and we are excited by the possibility of remounting this huge undertaking. Another very positive development in the Toronto new music community, and indeed, for new music across this -country, is the creation of a New Music Touring Network. Partners in seven cities across Canada (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver) ·have agreed to participate in the. pilot stage of the development of the network, and we are seeking applications from touring artists for the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons. For the pilot seasons, our activity will be limited to Canadfan artists performing primarily Canadian repertoire, with· a focus on soloists or small ensembles. As the network expands, we anticipate moving into the international arena and taking on more ambitious projects. The lead organization in Toronto is the Music Gallery. If you are a touring artist or ensemble that would like to perform on the network, please contact Jim Montgomery (jim@musicgallery.org), or send an application to the Music Gallery at 197 John Street, Toronto, Ontario, MST 1X6. (You will need to send by Keith Denning along project descriptions, artists' bios, recordings and photos. These can be electronic --i.e. mp3s and high~qi.lality jpegs.) The deadline for applications for the 2004-05 season is very soon, December 1, 2003, so time is of the essence! There are a number of notable concerts coming up over the next two months, with a big crunch at the end of January. On December 16th, the Hannaford Street Silver Band presents its Christmas concert at St. James Cathedral, featuring the world premiere of Magnificat, a new work by Bramwell Tovey. From January 29th through the 31st, Arraymusic presents Scratch II at the Music Gallery. Also on January 29th, Music Toronto presents soprano Barbara Hannigan singing works by Schoenberg, Vivier, Ligeti, Ives and more, and the world premiere of James Rolfe's Rimbaud Songs. Finally, two coalition members have collaborated to
