Volume 28 Issue 5 | April & May 2023

VOLUME 28 NO 5 

APRIL - MAY 2023 

Trash Panda 

Brass Band 

MUSIC! LISTINGS 

live and 

livestreamed 

STORIES 

profiles, previews 

and interviews 

RECORD REVIEWS 

and Listening Room

May 31 – June 4 

Mario Ciferri Eugenio Maria Fagiani Giulia Biagetti 

May 31st, 7:30 pm 

Basilica of Our Lady 

Immaculate, Guelph 

June 3rd, 4:00 pm 

Timothy Eaton Memorial 

Church, Toronto 

June 1st, 7:30 pm 

Basilica of Our Lady 

Immaculate, Guelph 

June 3rd, 8:00 pm 



June 4th, 8:00 pm 



BLACKWOOD 

O 

Peter-Anthony Togni, 

Jeff Reilly 

June 14 12:30 pm 

Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic, 

Toronto (free will offering) 

June 16 7:30 pm 

Lawrence Park Community 


Renée Anne Louprette 

July 22 

7:30 pm 

Order Tickets Early 

General Admission Toronto: $ 45.00, RCCO/CIOC: $ 40.00 

General Admission Guelph: $ 35.00, RCCO/CIOC: $ 30.00 

Tickets and Information: 

www.organixconcerts.ca 

Call/Text:416-571-3680 

Cash only on concert night. 

No debit or credit cards. 

GLIONNA MANSELL PRESENTS 

23 

A Music Series unlike any other 

www.organixconcerts.ca

NEW 

WAVE 

FESTIVAL 

2023 

Festival Sponsors 

7:00 PM Concerts 

TD Music Hall Allied Music Centre, 

178 Victoria St 

Tickets: $20 

Box Office of Massey Hall & 

Roy Thomson Hall 

416 872 4255 

espritorchestra.com 

New Wave 1 

Wed April 12 

Alex Pauk, C.M. 

Music Director & Conductor 

Mark Fewer, violin 

PROGRAMME 

SOPHIE DUPUIS (CA) 

L’histoire que les vague racontent** 

for 14 musicians and live electronics 

ROYDON TSE (CA) 

Mobilize** 

for sinfonietta 

SALVATORE SCIARRINO (IT) 

Brazil 

based on music by Ary Barroso 

CHRIS PAUL HARMAN (CA) 

Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin* 

CLAUDE VIVIER (CA) 

Pulau Dewata arr. JOHN REA (CA) 

AKIRA NISHIMURA (JP) 

Kecak 

for percussion sextet 

New Wave 2 

Sun April 16 

Alex Pauk, C.M. 

Music Director & Conductor 

Ryan Scott, snare drum 

PROGRAMME 

MISATO MOCHIZUKI (JP) 

Chimera 

for 11 players 

JULIUS EASTMAN (USA) 

Gay Guerrilla*** 

arr. JESSIE MONTGOMERY (USA) 

for string septet 

ANDREW STANILAND (CA) 

Orion Constellation Theory 

for snare drum and electronics 

JULIA MERMELSTEIN (CA) 

between walls* 

for orchestra and fixed electronics 

STEPHANIE ORLANDO (CA) 

4-7-8* 

for chamber orchestra 

STEVE REICH (USA) 

Sextet 

for percussion and keyboards 

* World Premiere 

** World Premiere commissioned by 

Esprit with the generous support of 

the Ontario Arts Council *** Canadian Premiere 

2022–2023 40TH ANNIVERSARY 

SEASON FINALE 


Season Sponsor 

Alex Pauk, C.M. Music Director & Conductor 

Eugene Astapov, RBC Associate Composer/Conductor 

Aaron Schwebel, violin 

8:00 PM Concert | 7:15 PM Pre-concert chat with Alexina Louie, O.C. 

Koerner Hall The Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St W 

Tickets: Koerner Hall Box Office 416 408 0208 | rcmusic.com 


PROGRAMME 

MAX RICHTER (DE/UK) 

The Four Seasons Recomposed: Spring 

EUGENE ASTAPOV (CA) 

Burial Rites: In Memoriam Marcus Gibbons** 

MAX RICHTER (DE/UK) 

The Four Seasons Recomposed: Winter 

CHRIS PAUL HARMAN (CA) 

Clementi sottosopra* 

JOHN CORIGLIANO (USA) 

Symphony No. 1 

1. Apologue: Of Rage and Remembrance 

2. Tarantella 

3. Chaconne: Giulio’s Song 

4. Epilogue 

* World Premiere 

** World Premiere commissioned by Esprit with 

generous support from the RBC Foundation, the 

SOCAN Foundation and Sofia Gomez Gibbons 

The Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation The Mary-Margaret Webb Foundation The S.M. Blair Family Foundation 

The Max Clarkson Family Foundation The Charles H. Ivey Foundation Tim and Frances Price Anonymous

2805_AprMay_cover.indd 1 

2023-03-24 9:56 AM 

Volume 28 No 5 | April – May 2023 

ON OUR COVER 

Trash Panda 

Brass Band 

PHOTO: CONRAD GLUCH 




live and 

livestreamed 

STORIES 




and Listening Room 

Bright! Vibrant! Welcoming! These are the words that 

inspired me when I started planning Trash Panda’s first 

formal photo shoot and this is the shot that turned out to be 

most reflective of the band. I’m really into the brass band 

scene – I’m a saxophonist in Big Smoke Brass which started 

six years ago, and music has been my main focus for the 

last 15 years. I’ve always been drawn to photography, but I 

only had the chance to pursue it because of my pandemic 

free time as a musician. As a child, I remember seeing The 

WholeNote at the RCM while taking lessons and it’s fascinating 

to me to think that all these years later, a photo that I 

took is being featured on the cover. It’s fulfilling to have my 

two worlds collide … (See ON OUR COVER, page 9.) 

The Trash Panda Brass Band, clockwise, from top left: Bien 

Carandang, Ray Sun, Ilinca Stafie, Anaïs Kelsey-Verdecchia, 

Charlotte Alexander, Kealan Braden 

ACD2 2454 

ATMA Classique proudly presents 

Jean Sibelius’ Symphonies 

No. 3 & 4 with Yannick 

Nézet-Séguin conducting the 

Orchestre Métropolitain de 

Montréal. 

« Two very contrasting 

symphonies and yet it’s a 

perfect match » 

8 FOR OPENERS | Neighbourhood 

doesn’t mean the same thing 

as community | DAVID PERLMAN 

STORIES & INTERVIEWS 

9 ON OUR COVER | The Brass 

Are Bringing IT | MJ BUELL 

10 MUSIC THEATRE | Bustin’ Out 

All Over | JENNIFER PARR 

14 IN WITH THE NEW | Wave 

After Wave: Esprit Orchestra | 

WENDALYN BARTLEY 

16 CLASSICAL AND BEYOND | 

Q & A: Blake Pouliot, violin | 

PAUL ENNIS 

20 ON OPERA | Show Room 

showcase offers a promising 

start | LYDIA PEROVIĆ 

 

AVAILABLE NOW 

ACD2 2863 

20 

Stéphane Tétreault and 

Olivier Hébert-Bouchard 

present Images oubliées, 

their first volume of music by 

Claude Debussy transcribed 

for cello and piano. 

Never heard before transcriptions 

for cello and piano of 

Debussy’s music 

AVAILABLE NOW 

VISIT OUR 

WEBSITE 

thewholenote.com April & May, 2023 | 5

The WholeNote 


APRIL & MAY, 2023 

EDITORIAL 

Publisher/Editor in Chief | David Perlman 

publisher@thewholenote.com 

Managing Editor | Paul Ennis 

editorial@thewholenote.com 

Recordings Editor | David Olds 

discoveries@thewholenote.com 

DIGITAL MEDIA 

digital@thewholenote.com 

Listings Editor | John Sharpe 

listings@thewholenote.com 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Danial Jazaeri, Colin Story 

social@thewholenote.com 

SALES, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP 

Concert & Event Advertising / Membership | Karen Ages 

members@thewholenote.com 

Production & Operations | Jack Buell 

jack@thewholenote.com 

Advertising Art 

adart@thewholenote.com 

Online classified ads 

classd@thewholenote.com 

WEBSITE / SYSTEMS 

Kevin King 

systems@thewholenote.com 

CIRCULATION 

Sheila McCoy & Chris Malcolm 

circulation@thewholenote.com 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

subscriptions@thewholenote.com 

$64 + HST (8 issues) 

single copies and back issues $8 

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STORIES & INTERVIEWS 

22 CHORAL SCENE | NAGAMO: 

Andrew Balfour & musica 

intima | ANDREW SCOTT 

27 EARLY MUSIC | Toronto Bach 

Festival: True to Its Intents | 

DAVID PERLMAN 

30 THE SOFT SEAT BEAT | 

Welcome to the Aperture 

Room | COLIN STORY 

32 MOSTLY JAZZ | Familiar 

Venues and a Brand New 

Festival | COLIN STORY 

LISTINGS 

34 EVENTS BY DATE 

Live and/or Live Streamed 

51 MAINLY CLUBS 

55 WHO’S WHO? 

The Canary Pages - 

choirs in southern Ontario 

Summer Music Education 

DISCOVERIES: 

RECORDINGS REVIEWED 

56 Editor’s Corner | DAVID OLDS 

58 Strings Attached | 

TERRY ROBBINS 

61 Vocal 

63 Classical and Beyond 

65 Modern and Contemporary 

70 Jazz and Improvised Music 

75 Pot Pourri 

76 Something in the Air | 

KEN WAXMAN 

78 Old Wine, New Bottles | 

BRUCE SURTEES 

78 New to the Listening Room, 

INDEX 

27 

an Ontario government agency 

un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario 

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6 | April & May, 2023 thewholenote.com

The WholeNote 


APRIL & MAY 2023 

IN THIS EDITION 

STORIES AND INTERVIEWS 

Wendalyn Bartley, MJ Buell, Paul Ennis, 

Jennifer Parr, David Perlman, Lydia Perović, 

Andrew Scott, Colin Story 

CD Reviewers 

Stuart Broomer, Max Christie, Sam Dickinson, 

Raul da Gama, Janos Gardonyi, Richard Haskell, 

Tiina Kiik, Kati Kiilaspea, Lesley Mitchell- Clarke, 

Cheryl Ockrant, David Olds, Ted Parkinson, 

Allan Pulker, Ivana Popovic, Terry Robbins, 

Michael Schulman, Andrew Scott, Melissa Scott, 

Sharna Searle, Bruce Surtees, Andrew Timar, Yoshi 

Maclear Wall, Ken Waxman, Matthew Whitfield 

Proofreading 

Paul Ennis, John Sharpe 

Listings Team 

John Sharpe, Gary Heard, Colin Story 

Design Team 

Kevin King, Susan Sinclair 

Circulation Team 

Jack Buell, Carl Finkle, Vito Gallucci, 

Josh Gershateer, James Harris, Bob Jerome, 

Anita Lal, Marianela Lopez, Chris Malcolm, 

Sheila McCoy, Lorna Nevison, Janet O’Brien, 

Tom Sepp, and Dave Taylor 

. 

UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES 

Weekly Online Listings Updates 

6pm every Tuesday for weekend posting 

for Volume 28 No. 6 

Summer 2023 (June | July | August) 

Publication Dates 

Friday, May 26 (digital) 

Tuesday, May 30, (print) 

Print edition listings deadline 

6pm Tuesday, March 14 

Print advertising, reservation deadline 

6pm Tuesday, May 16 

Printed in Canada 

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WholeNote Media Inc. accepts no responsibility or 

liability for claims made for any product or service 

reported on or advertised in this issue. 

FOR OPENERS 

Neighbourhood doesn’t mean 

the same thing as community 

The WholeNote is on the move. Well, sort of. 

We are taking our editorial operations back to 

the neighbourhood where The WholeNote saw 

its beginnings in the summer of 1995. It had 

rapidly outgrown its niche as a column titled 

“Musical Pulse” in the Kensington Market 

Drum, our local newspaper founded in 1989 

in an effort to give the neighbourhood some 

control of the media narrative when it came to 

issues we saw as an imminent threat to “the 

Market’s” survival. 

The biggest such threat, back then, was a 

light rail transit line that Metro and the TTC 

were going to ram down the middle of Spadina 

Avenue – a Scarborough LRT-style train, in 

a protected right-of way, which would have 

turned Spadina’s complex street life, from Bloor 

to Front, into a drive-through corridor.It would 

have had half the number of transit stops, crippled 

restrictions on turns, in and out of adjacent 

neighbourhoods, and eliminated most of the on-street parking along the Avenue’s 

middle stretch.This would have threatened the viability of the street’s hodge-podge of 

small scale business, and the rich mix of residents in the low-rise apartments above – 

residents who provided what urban visionary Jane Jacobs called “eyes on the street.” 

Ears too – tuned to the Avenue’s ever-shifting soundscape: cries for help, shouts of 

laughter or rancor, all the blare of urban life … and, everywhere, music. 

“Wait a minute, cars bad, transit good,” I hear some of you say. Indeed…ish. 

Because the plan also called for drastic sidewalk cuts so the extra space needed 

to protect the transit line could be accommodated without reducing the four-tosix 

lane highway width that Metro Transportation wanted, to serve the commuter 

needs of the massive redevelopments planned south of Front Street – including the 

SkyDome and, if things went as planned, the athletes village for the 1996 Olympics – 

the Games, thank you Coca-Cola, that were awarded to Atlanta. 

Issues like these have the power to galvanize all the interest groups within range, 

instantly turning talk about “the neighbourhood” into talk about “the community” 

– but its a use of the word usually ends with a whimper, once “the community” has 

to decide in whose neighbourhood the agreed solution should go. 

So, neighbourhood is not the same as community, but it is the soil in which 

community either grows and thrives, or withers. So, off we go back to a new office 

in the Market, to re-root what we do, within earshot and direct line of sight of 

where we all started. Meanwhile, back here at the Centre for Social Innovation at 

720 Bathurst St., our home for the past 20 years, Wholenote Media Inc. will keep a 

foothold for the other (and in some ways more useful) core thing we do: seeking out, 

harvesting, and freely sharing information about live music in all its forms everywhere 

we can reach – wherever there are people on the ground willing to assist in 

the task. Because it takes ears tuned to each particular neighbourhood (or community’s) 

soundscape to paint a full picture of all the musical art that is there. There are 

no “arts deserts” someone reminded me after last issue’s editorial, just places where 

outsiders do not have ears tuned to community life. 

David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com 

COPYRIGHT © 2023 WHOLENOTE MEDIA INC 


2805_AprMay_cover.indd 1 

2023-03-24 9:56 AM 

ON OUR COVER 

The Brass Are Bringing It 

MJ BUELL 

Trash Panda 

Brass Band 




live and 

livestreamed 

STORIES 




and Listening Room 

We were all really chill that day, and 

I remember thinking to myself that 

everything was really coming together. 

That section of Spadina just north of 

College where the street splits is an 

iconic spot, hidden in plain sight. We 

all know it but how many of us know 

what it is? I learned that day that 

it’s U of T’s Faculty of Architecture, 

Landscape, and Design, and I think it’s 

one of the most spectacular landscapes 

in the city. 

— Conrad Gluch, photographer 

“Trash Panda” is a made-up name for raccoons - those resiliently 

liminal creatures who have fun playing with anything they think 

might be tasty. Some performers have musical appetites like that. 

Ever since the jazzy, New Orleans-inspired Heavyweights Brass 

Band burst on the Toronto scene around 2009, there’s been a 

delightful emergence of scaled-down, really fun small brass bands 

who can perform unamplified almost anywhere: retooling the art of 

busking into a kind of amazing musical outdoor ambush, or heading 

indoors at the drop of a microphone! These bands include the likes 

of Big Smoke Brass Band, Juicebox Brass Band, the Eighth Street 

Orchestra and Bangerz Brass to name just a few. Typically these are 

ensembles of 5-8 versatile musicians, with a magic combination of 

serious playing chops and huge appetites for fun. 

Enter Trash Panda Brass 

In their own words: “We’re here and we’re Queer! Only having 

hit the streets in June 2022, Trash Panda Brass is a new and exciting 

voice in the Toronto brass band scene. Comprised of six queer U of T 

graduates, Trash Panda Brass is on a mission to diversify the brass 

scene, promote inclusivity and bring welcoming energy to all. In 

an effort to bring music and joy to as wide an audience as possible, 

Trash Panda has primarily focused on busking at various locations 

in and around downtown Toronto, but are also frequently seen 

playing at various festivals and private events …” 

Their members include gay, bi, lesbian and transgender performers, 

who work brilliantly as a unit the way close friends do. Formed during 

the pandemic, and now working on a debut recording, they make a 

splash whenever and wherever they play outdoors - often on Queen 

West or across the street from the ROM. Several of their members also 

work, or have worked, together at Drom Taberna in Toronto where the 

Queen West and Kensington neighbourhoods intersect. Like several of 

these bands currently on the scene their repertoire includes (but is not 

exclusive to) reinventing songs of their generation like Katy Perry’s “I 

Kissed a Girl” and “Firework”, Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Dolly 

Parton’s “9 to 5”. 

In addition to performing in the College Street Jazz Festival’s Grand 

FInale Concert on Sunday, April 23 at Revival Event Venue (see Colin 

Story’s Mainly Clubs on page 32), The Trash Panda Brass Band also has 

Toronto performances (one at the aforementioned Drom Taberna and 

one at Supermarket on Augusta Avenue) on April 1 and April 7 (details 

at trashpandabrass.com). 

puccini 

tosca 

MAY 5 – 27 

ALSO PLAYING VERDI’S 

macbeth 

APRIL 28 – MAY 20 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 

coc.ca 

Production Sponsor 

Puccini’s Tosca 

Production Sponsor 

Verdi’s Macbeth 

The COC Orchestra is generously supported, in part, 

by W. Bruce C. Bailey and The Schulich Foundation 

thewholenote.com April & May, 2023 | 9 

Date: Mar 16, 2023 Approvals: Date: Signature: 

Filename_ Version# 

Studio: 

COC230037_STC_WN_Tosca_Mar28_FNL_300INK_r2

MUSIC THEATRE 

BUSTIN’ 

OUT 

ALL OVER 

JENNIFER PARR 

I have been feeling a very strong sense of déjà vu this 

penultimate week of March, as I go back into rehearsal 

(as fight director with Opera Atelier) for Handel’s 

Resurrection which was shut down mid-rehearsal 

almost exactly three years ago when the pandemic 

began. Of course, this is a rather nice feeling as, fingers 

crossed, all will be well for the show to be performed 

live, at Koerner Hall this April, with the female dancers 

of the Atelier Ballet at last being given the chance to 

wield swords along with their male counterparts! 

OF THE SEA 

Another show igniting my memory, although 

in an entirely different way, is Tapestry Opera 

and Obsidian Theatre’s world premiere Of 

the Sea, opening on March 25 and playing 

through April 1 at the Bluma Appel Theatre 

in Toronto. As readers of my column know, I 

am a great champion of Tapestry’s constantly 

courageous pushing of the opera envelope, via 

their decades-old, hugely productive LibLab 

Chantale Nurse development program and Opera Briefs, their 

showcases of new works. 

Of the Sea began as a LibLab (composer-librettist laboratory) 

experiment in creating an immersive virtual reality experience 

anchored in the mythology of the Caribbean and the tragic history 

of the slave trade. It was then showcased in the 2018 Tasting Shorts. 

Now a large-scale opera with a groundbreaking all-Black cast and 

full orchestral accompaniment by the COC orchestra, this new work 

is creating waves of excitement in the performance community. 

For me, this excitement is enhanced by the presence in the cast 

of Chantale Nurse, a talented soprano who just happened to play 

the leading role of Fiordiligi (in one of the two casts) in Mozart’s 

Cosi fan tutte which I directed for the Glenn Gould School/Royal 

Conservatory of Music back in 2009. Even though the run will be 

well under way by the time this magazine comes out, reaching out to 

Director Philip Akin (right) in rehearsal with Jorell Williams as Maduka, 

who refuses to eat a bowl of gruel infested with weevils. 

Suzanne Taffot, as Dfiza, looks on. 

Chantale to catch up and ask about her experience being part of this 

premiere was an opportunity too good to miss. 

“I had heard even before I auditioned for it that Ian Cusson was 

composing the score and was intrigued by the combination of this 

proudly French-Canadian and Métis composer with (new to me) 

Black Canadian librettist Kanika Ambrose,” she told me. “I thought 

‘wow, this is probably going to be something really interesting’, 

especially during the pandemic when I had a growing desire to be 

able to do something or say something through my art.” 

She had recently created a recital program of all Black Canadian 

composers, for example, and when this new opportunity came up, 

she told me, “I felt I needed to be part of it. Once I got the score and 

libretto, and then did the workshop (last fall) I was blown away. It 

was beyond what I could have imagined and very very exciting.” 

In an inspired amalgam of history and imagined mythology, Of 

the Sea follows the story of Maduka, his daughter Binyelum, and 

fellow Africans thrown overboard during the Middle Passage of 

the infamous Atlantic slave trade route, and who now populate 

underwater kingdoms that span the ocean floor. While some of the 

kingdoms make fiery plans for revenge, one man, Maduka, is blindly 

focused only on finding a way to give his daughter life once more. 

With the opera world finally opening doors to new and 

non-Eurocentric creators, this premiere feels almost political in its 

storytelling ambitions, but as Chantale made clear to me, what is 

much more important is the humanity of the story. “At the heart of 

it, it is people dealing with being in a situation born out of trauma, 

and what they are willing to do to either live in a different better 

way, or to get revenge, or to try and save their children. While it is 

culturally specific, it is also universal and audiences will be drawn to 

sympathize and empathize with their story.” 

With a career that has ranged from classical opera and concert 

repertoire to burlesque, experimental techno opera, and even rock, 

Chantale has always enjoyed using her classical training and art 

form in different ways, and is “beyond overjoyed” to be playing the 

role of Serwa, the Queen of the Enweghi people who are plotting 

revenge on the slave ships. The music of Of the Sea, she says, is more 

classical than experimental, but “easy to listen to, and very beautiful. 

We are also telling a different story that hasn’t been told in this form 

before,” she continued, “I think people who come to the show will 

see something of themselves reflected in the story, and it will speak 

to them in a way that a Mozart opera might not.” 

DAHLIA KATZ 


JOHN JONES/SHERIDAN COLLEGE 

MAGGIE 

It seems this spring that in whatever direction I 

turn there is a new opera or musical opening or, to 

paraphrase the lyric from Seven Brides for Seven 

Brothers, “new musicals are busting out all over.” 

In Hamilton, for example, Theatre Aquarius 

is presenting the world premiere of Maggie, 

a new musical inspired by the life of the 

composer’s grandmother, a Scottish single 

mother who raised three boys in a small mining 

town between 1954 and 1976. Award-winning 

Canadian country music star Johnny Reid has 

joined forces with well-known librettist Matt 

Murray to write the book and lyrics and, with 

Murray and music director Bob Foster, also to 

create the score. Maggie began its development 

process at Sheridan College’s Canadian Musical 

Theatre Project under the aegis of Michael 

Rubinoff who is also associate producer of this 

new production. Like Rubinoff’s most famous 

hit from the CMTP crucible, Come From Away, 

Maggie aims to celebrate the joy and healing 

power of community, including, as quoted in 

the press release, “not just (Johnny Reid’s) Gran 

but also an entire generation of women who 

Dharma Bizier (Maggie) and Wlliam Lincoln (Tommy) fought through some tough times by keeping 

faith, hope, love, family friendship and humour 

close to heart.” Aquarius Artistic Director Mary 

Acclaimed director, and former artistic director of Obsidian, Philip Francis Moore is both dramaturg and director with Maggie playing 

Akin, directs, and Jennifer Tung (who conducted Of the Sea as a in Hamilton from April 9 to May 6, then in Charlottetown from 

short in 2018) is the music director. See www.tapestryopera.com for June 21 to September 2. www.theatreaquarius.org. 

more information. 

 

La Traviata 

G. VERDI 

Love me, Alfredo! Love me as I love you! 

May 13 2023 - 7:30pm 

The beauty and elegance of this timeless masterpiece has forever 

captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere. 

Southern Ontario Lyric Opera presents this fully staged opera with 

Chorus and Orchestra 

Conducted by, Sabatino Vacca 

Burlington Performing Arts Centre 

905 681 6000 burlingtonpac.ca 

southernontariolyricopera.com 


KELLY VS KELLY 

Another long-awaited world premiere 

that had much of its early development at 

Sheridan’s CMTP is Kelly vs Kelly which 

was originally scheduled to premiere 

back in the late spring of 2020. Nurtured 

through the CMTP (which sadly no longer 

exists), this is also the third of acclaimed 

composer Britta Johnson’s (Life After) 

musicals to be developed through the 

Britta Johnson Crescendo program of the Musical Stage 

Company. The book this time, is by Sara 

Farb – perhaps better known to audiences as the exciting actor who 

originated the role of Princess Mary in Kate Hennig’s Last Wife 

trilogy, and is currently playing the devilish character of Delphi in 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Mirvish Theatre. Judging 

by an early showcase of excerpts before the pandemic, Johnson and 

Farb are a powerful team with a great instinct for exciting theatrical 

storytelling. Like Maggie, Kelly vs Kelly is inspired by true events, 

in this case from New York in 1915: When a 19-year-old heiress 

becomes tangled in an affair with a seductive tango dancer, her 

distraught mother has her arrested and charged with incorrigibility, 

sparking a court case that scandalizes the nation. 

The tango dancing at the heart of the story is fully embodied in the 

staging which will be in the hands of director and choreographer 

Tracey Flye. May 26-June 18 www.musicalstagecompany.com 

MACBETH THE MUSICAL 

Not only are more and more new musicals and operas being 

created in Canada but more new creators are popping up all the time 

including 16-year-old composer Laura Nobili who reached out to 

The WholeNote as I was preparing to write this column to alert us 

to the premiere of her musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous 

tragedy. The title says “opera” but listening to an excerpt (which you 

can listen to here: https://youtu.be/X_vLqPSkrZg ) 

it sounds more like a sung-through musical but still ambitious in 

reach and scope. I like the sound of what I heard and am impressed 

by Laura’s chutzpah in reaching out to get coverage for her creation. 

Not only the composer but also the director and producer of her 

show, Laura has gathered a company of young actors, singers and 

musicians from York Region to join her. There is one performance 

only on May 17 at the City Playhouse Theatre in Vaughan. 

https://tickets.cityplayhouse.ca/event/655:117/655:150/. 

MUSIC THEATRE | QUICKPICKS 

As is often now the case there isn’t room to cover all the 

wonderful shows opening over the next two months. Dance 

highlights for me include the world premiere of Homelands, a 

multimedia dance creation from Toronto’s own Kaha:wi dance 

theatre as part of Harbourfront’s contemporary dance series 

Torque on April 14 and 15. 

Theatre Passe 

Never the Last 

Muraille continues 

their championship of 

experimental music 

theatre, April 8-16, 

with Never the Last 

which weaves together 

text and violin solos 

composed by Sophie- 

Carmen Eckhardt- 

Gramatté’ to explore the composer’s love affair and marriage 

with expressionist painter Walter Gramatté. passemuraille.ca. 

May 24-27 will see the return of Junior, the international 

children’s festival taking place at Harbourfront. A wonderful 

multidisciplinary festival including many immersive events as 

well as more traditional staged performances, Junior has been 

reinvented post-pandemic with a new more participatory 

approach to creating theatrical works for young audiences, and 

all outdoor events will be free. www.harbourfront.com 

On May 26-28, following the huge success of Follies in the 

fall of 2021, Richard Ouzounian is directing a staged concert of 

Sondheim’s A Little Night Music at Koerner Hall with a starry 

cast including Eric McCormack, Cynthia Dale, Dan Chameroy, 

and Chilina Kennedy 

May will also see the opening of Gypsy at the Shaw Festival 

starring Kate Hennig in the iconic role of Mama Rose. Luckily 

Gypsy will run into the fall season so there will be many 

chances to see it. 

Jennifer Parr is a Toronto-based director, dramaturge, fight 

director and acting coach, brought up from a young age on a 

rich mix of musicals, Shakespeare and new Canadian plays. 

36 th 

Season 


June 25th L.R. Wilson Concert Hall, McMaster University 

Vivaldi Four Seasons, Canadian Four Seasons 

June 29th FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton 

Carmina Burana 

July 6th L.R. Wilson Concert Hall, McMaster University 

PopOpera 

July 13th & 14th Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre 

Verdi’s La Traviata 

July 19th LIUNA Station, Hamilton 

All Out 80’s with Jeans ‘n Classics 

July 20th LIUNA Station, Hamilton 

Emilie-Claire Barlow 

July 21st LIUNA Station, Hamilton 

Practically Hip 

July 23rd Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery, Jordan 

An Homage to the Noble Grape 

July 27th L.R. Wilson Concert Hall, Hamilton 

Berlioz, H, Symphonie Fantastique 

Ravel, M, Piano Concerto in G (Elisabeth Pion) 

Ravel, M, Bolero, Vivier, O, Orion 

August 3rd FirstOntario Concert Hall, Hamilton 

Jesus Christ Superstar 

August 17th Burlington Performing Arts Centre 

Ichmouratov, A, The Bewitched Canoe 

Tchaikovsky, 9, Violin Concerto (Kerson Leong) 

Rimsky-Korsakov, N, Scheherazade 

905-525-7664 

www.brottmusic.com 


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2023–24 

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Quatuor Danel Thurs. Oct. 12, 2023 

Gryphon Trio Thurs. Dec. 7, 2023 

Verona Quartet Thurs. Jan. 18, 2024 

Aizuri Quartet Thurs. Feb. 22, 2024 

St. Lawrence 

Quartet 

Tues. Mar. 5, 2024 

PIANO 

Duo Turgeon Tues. Nov. 7, 2023 

Maria Thompson 

Corley 

Tues. Feb. 13, 2024 

David Fung Tues. Mar. 5, 2024 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

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COSE 

Celebration of 

Small Ensembles 

May 6, 20 

June 3 

at the Aperture Room 

MAY 6, 2023 / 5pm 

Sounds of Conflict 

Madame Speaker 

Classics, Swing, and 

The American Songbook 

May 20, 2023 / 5pm 

The Earth Has Its Music 

Music From Everyday Life 

Sonder: A String Quartet Act 

June 3, 2023 / 5pm 

Far From Triumphing Court 

Unspoken Poetry 

Colour You Like 

$90 3 Concert Pass 

$40 Single Tickets 

$20 Student / Arts Worker 

www.music-toronto.com

IN WITH THE NEW 

WAVE AFTER WAVE 

Esprit Orchestra 

celebrates 40 years of 

making a difference 

WENDALYN BARTLEY 

Eugene Astapov 

April 2023 will be a busy month for Esprit Orchestra, 

Canada’s only full-sized, professional orchestra 

devoted to performing and promoting new 

orchestral music. First up will be two programs in this 

year’s edition of the New Wave Festival, on April 12 and 

16, followed by their Season Finale concert on April 23, all 

designed to celebrate Esprit’s 40 years of music making. 

The New Wave Festival began in 2002 as a way to support emerging 

Canadian composers. From the beginning the goal was to create 

a more relaxed social environment to facilitate a more casual interaction 

between the composers, performers and the public. For this 

year’s festival, Toronto’s newest concert space – the TD Music Hall, 

which is connected to newly restored Massey Hall – will be the venue. 

The Music Hall has been designed with cutting-edge audio, video and 

lighting technology to create a lounge-like environment that mixes 

both music and the nightlife scene. 

One key feature of the New Wave Festival, consistent since the 

beginning, is Esprit’s three-year Creative Strategy Program which 

gives participating composers the opportunity to premiere a commissioned 

work in each of three years, with each successive work 

gradually increasing the size of the orchestration. These commissions 

are presented in concert, alongside works by other influential 

composers. This year, four composers from the program will have 

their latest premieres programmed: Sophie Dupuis and Roydon Tse on 

April 12, and Julia Mermelstein and Stephanie Orlando on April 16. 

Interestingly, on Esprit’s Season Finale concert April 23, a newly 

commissioned work by Eugene Astapov will be premiered, which 

brings the narrative full circle: Astapov is himself an alumnus of the 

Julia Mermelstein 

Creative Strategy program. I spoke to both Astapov and Mermelstein 

about their cumulative experiences working with Esprit. 

Julia Mermelstein, now in her second year of the program, was very 

enthusiastic about her experience, and emphasized how important 

it was to have so much rehearsal time, comparing it to an experience 

elsewhere that only allowed for ten minutes of rehearsal; with Esprit 

she enjoyed three rehearsals, each one from 45 minutes to one hour in 

duration. In her first commission for Esprit, titled in water suspended, 

which premiered in May 2022, she explored different textures and ways 

of layering the instruments. “I was able to find a groove for myself, what 

I really like to express, and am now able to take it further with this new 

piece,” she said, adding that she likes to work with the musicians on 

the fine details and describing it as “very intimate work, and not something 

that can be rushed.” 

Her latest piece to be premiered at New Wave, between walls, 

includes a harp as part of the instrumentation (a new venture for 

Mermelstein), as well as fixed electronics which will no doubt be 

well suited to the performance venue. She has used recorded samples 

of instrumental sounds and field recordings in the piece, as well as 

her own experiments, such as recording herself playing a stick on a 

wooden counter. Once again, she’s drawn to closeup and intimate 

sounds, with the electronics as an extension of the orchestral. “I’m 

playing with extending the natural resonances of each instrument 

– artificially extending what a piano, harp or wind instrument, for 

example, can do. It’s about blending and creating a seamless interaction 

between the acoustic and electronic sounds.” 

The ideas behind the piece were inspired by a lecture given by 

Buddhist teacher Alan Watts in the 1960s called The Web of Life. 

What fascinated Mermelstein was the way Watts described the duality 

between the micro and macro. In this composition she is working 

with the metaphor of fabric, and how its complex textures made from 

individual threads weave together to create a whole. 

Eugene Astapov has been connected with Esprit since his days 

in the music program at Earl Haig Secondary School, and has been 

heavily involved in past New Wave Festivals since then. During his first 

year as an undergrad at university, he received his first commission 

from Esprit, and in 2017 his piece Hear My Voice was premiered as 

part of that year’s New Wave Festival. Recognizing Astapov’s talent for 

conducting, Esprit’s Alex Pauk invited him to conduct his own piece, 

and also works by other composers who were part of the festival. 

Electronics featured in that piece as well. Hear My Voice has an early 

recording of Alexander Graham Bell, made shortly after the invention 

of the telephone, embedded into the orchestral texture. Astapov’s 

second commission for the festival, Emblem, was premiered in 2019. 

Then, when COVID interrupted things, Astapov was offered a contract 

to serve as Esprit’s associate composer/conductor; part of this contract 


includes his latest Esprit commission, Burial Rites, to be premiered 

during the concert on April 23. The piece was written in memory of 

Astapov’s student Marcus Gibbons who died of cancer when he was 

17. Astapov spoke movingly of this very talented composer whom he 

taught from the age of ten, and of his desire to pay tribute to him and 

his family. “Marcus had a great sense of humour and a very positive attitude, 

even while going through his cancer treatments.” Many memories 

and impressions of their time together are reflected in the composition 

as well as a musical portrayal of Marcus’ courage, strength and philosophical 

personality. Since there was so much to express, the piece is 

written in three movements. “The first movement is the heaviest and is 

meant to have an emotional impact on the audience. The second movement 

is more urgent in character and the third movement is the celebration 

of the positivity that Marcus had. It does not end tragically, 

because I wanted to shine light on his character.” 

As part of his evolving associate composer/conductor role with 

Esprit, Astapov increasingly has input into Esprit’s concert programming. 

Although Esprit regularly performs orchestral music, during the 

New Wave Festival, many of the programmed works are for chamber 

ensembles and soloists, giving the program variety and the opportunity 

to feature various solo performers. In this years festival, there will be an 

arrangement of Vivier’s Pulau Dewata by John Rea, an arrangement for 

string septet of Julius Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla by Jessie Montgomery, 

a performance of Steve Reich’s Sextet for percussion and keyboards, 

a solo work for snare drum by Andrew Staniland performed by Ryan 

Scott, and a solo work for violin by Chris Paul Harman. 

Astapov’s conducting career is every bit as prolific as his composing. 

Upon moving back to Toronto after completing his studies at Juilliard, he 

began teaching composition in various high schools and had the opportunity 

to conduct these student works, all as part of Esprit’s educational 

outreach program. Currently, his conducting is focused on the work of 

contemporary composers, which has had the additional benefit of influencing 

his own approach to composing. “Conducting is not just about 

beating time, but about being involved in the music making,” Astropov 

said. “When the physicality of conducting sits comfortably in the body 

then it’s easier to connect with the players and the music.” 

Both of these New Wave Festival concerts and the April 23 Season Finale 

concert are opportunities to hear a wide range of new compositions, alongside 

classics of the contemporary repertoire written four or five decades 

ago. As such, they are also windows into the profound difference Esprit 

has made in shaping the Canadian contemporary music landscape over 

the past four decades. Astapov’s Burial Rites will be accompanied in 

the April 23 final concert by the world premiere of Chris Paul Harman’s 

sottosopra, along with a performance of Spring and Winter from The 

Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter; and of Symphony No.1 by 

John Corigliano, with whom Astapov studied at Juilliard. 

IN WITH THE NEW | QUICKPICKS 

Apr 14, 7:30pm: Kaha:wi Dance 

Theatre’s Homelands Is an immersive 

multimedia event featuring 

an interplay between three main 

forms: video, live dance, live 

music. Choreographed by Santee 

Smith with music by Pura Fé. 

Homelands, performer Feryn King 

Shane Powless, Katsitsionni Fox, 

Jaiden Mitchell, Ian Maracle, Ami Kokui Tamakloe and Santee 

Smith perform at Harbourfront Centre Theatre in Toronto. Q 

&A immediately following the Apr 15 performance. Part of 

Harbourfront Centre’s contemporary dance series, “Torque”. 

Apr 22, 8pm: Music Gallery. Emergents: Matthew Cardinal + 

Yolande Laroche. Curated by Sara Constant, Matthew Cardinal, 

modular synthesizer & electronics; Yolande Laroche, clarinet/ 

keyboard/ vocalist; Stephanie Kuse, video artist at the Music 

Gallery, Toronto. 

May 07, 11am & 2pm: Xenia 

Concerts/TO Live. Designed to 

be autism- and neurodiversityfriendly. 

Thalea String Quartet 

performs Seven Miniatures for 

String Quartet and Electronics 

by Rory Berk, Anthony Hodgetts, 

Laura LaPeare, Maddux Ma, 

Nathan Neutel, Jamie Petit, and 

Thalea String Quartet 

Thomas Sinclair (transcribed by Bekah Simms) at Meridian Hall in 

Toronto. All listeners are welcome. 

May 13, 2pm: Five at the First presents “ARC Trio: Music for 

Viola, Cello & Piano”: Omar Daniel’s Intermezzi for solo piano; 

Ann Southam: Re-Tuning (1985) for solo viola and tape; Aolphus 

Hailstork: Theme & Variations on “Draw the Sacred Circle Closer” 

for cello; Drigo: Meditazione for viola, cello & piano; Brahms: Trio 

Op.114. Angela Park, piano; Caitlin Boyle, viola; Rachel Mercer, 

cello. First Unitarian Church of Hamilton 

May 27, 6pm: Nordic Perspectives. Canadian premiere of music 

by Ardo Ran Varres and other works. Hamilton Philharmonic 

Orchestra; Kara-Lis Coverdale, piano; Kirke Karja, piano; Triskele, 

voice & traditional instruments. Collective Arts Brewing, in 

Hamilton. One of several events presented by Estonian Music Week. 

Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and electro-vocal 

sound artist. sounddreaming@gmail.com. 

IAN R MARACLE 


CLASSICAL AND BEYOND 

Q & A: 

Blake Pouliot, 

violin 

PAUL ENNIS 

Blake Pouliot 

LAUREN HURT 

“What strikes you instantly is that Pouliot’s sound is 

a beauty: big, rich and warm in the lower registers, 

clean and clear up high, feathery and husky qualities, 

along with sweet and rough, all equally there in his 

colouristic palette.” – Gramophone Magazine 

Toronto-born violinist Blake Pouliot (pronounced pool-YACHT) 

brings his passionate musicmaking to Koerner Hall, where he will 

make his debut on April 21. Winning the Grand Prize at the 2016 

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Manulife Competition – the most 

significant of Pouliot’s early accolades – led to his first recording (for 

Analekta). His 2019 Juno Award nomination was further evidence of 

an ascending career path, leading to this much-anticipated Koerner 

visit. The following email Q&A took place in early March. 

WN: When did you begin your musical education? Was music an 

integral part of your childhood? 

BP: Music has always been a part of my life. My dad was a TV 

producer for the legendary Canadian variety show The Tommy Hunter 

Show and my mom was a singer on the show too. Music, in particular 

country music, was therefore available in my house for as long as I can 

remember. My parents noticed I had perfect pitch when I was about 

two years old, and within two years I took an interest in playing the 

piano. It wasn’t until I was seven, however, that I first picked up a 

violin, and here we are 21 years later and still playing. 

What was the first piece of music you fell in love with? 

The Barcarolle – Belle Nuit, O nuit d’amour by Offenbach. I learned 

a version transcribed for solo piano that enchanted me in my youth. 

It wasn’t until a few years later that I discovered the Opera The Tales 

of Hoffmann and heard the song again in its original state. But once 

I heard it as it was originally composed it only further inspired my 

adoration for the work. To this day I admire it deeply. 

The passion, technique and romantic fervour you brought to your 

approach to Sarasate’s Zigeneurweisen (Gypsy Airs) in Mazzoleni 

Hall a few years ago reminded me of violinists of the Golden Age. 

Who were your musical heroes in your formative years? 

I’m flattered you thought my Zigeneurweisen reminded you of that 

golden era! I haven’t ever thought of being compared to them so I’m really 

honoured. I definitely spent time listening to those legends as a child – 

Heifetz, Perlman, Menuhin, Szeryng etc. They helped expose me to great 

virtuosity on the violin. I really became entranced with the new wave of 

violinists however, whom I believe really influenced my approach. As a 

young Canadian I was of course delighted by all the recordings of James 

Ehnes, the impassioned musicality of Janine Jansen and the mastery of 

period performance and innate creativity from Rachel Podger. I feel like I 

wanted to somehow be a combination of all three of those artists. 

Since winning the Grand Prize at the 2016 Orchestre Symphonique de 

Montréal Manulife Competition and being nominated for a Juno, you’ve 

become a Soloist-in-Residence at the Orchestre Métropolitain working 

with Yannick Nézet-Séguin in Montreal and also appearing with him and 

the Philadelphia Orchestra. What is it like to work with him? 

Yannick is an absolute delight. I’m most impressed by artists who 

display their authentic selves on and off the stage, and he is (in my 

opinion) the gold standard of that. The way he is changing the face of 

classical music by stressing the importance of community engagement 

is so inspiring, and I admire him immensely because of it. 

It can also be daunting to work with an artist of his stature, but 

his compassion and creativity made collaborating for the first time 

nothing but exhilarating and I’ve been very fortunate to work with 

him a handful of times since. He’s a true class act, one of my biggest 

inspirations in the industry and I’m looking forward to getting to 

share the stage with him more in the future. 

How did you construct the program for your April 21 Koerner 

recital? What drew you to Miklós Rózsa’s Variations on a Hungarian 

Peasant Song, Op.4, for example? 

I’m very excited about this program. I wanted to construct a 

program that was musically versatile, harmonically balanced, and true 

to my musical stylings. Classical music is going through a tremendous 

shift, and I think one of the ways to continue this boundary expansion 

is by curating programming that pays homage to the art form’s origins 

as well as where classical music is headed. I also think that the idea of 

thematic programming needs to be more adventurous. Therefore, this 

program will include the Canadian premiere of a commission of mine, 

some not-so common pieces, and some violin standards. 

Miklós Rózsa is a composer I discovered while living in Los Angeles 

for ten years. Like Korngold he was a Jewish composer who moved to 

the United States to escape WWII, and while here he gained critical 

acclaim (including three Oscars) for his film scores. But he was a 

prolific classical composer. His music contains obvious influences 

of folk-based nationalism to his native Hungary and his music has a 

wonderful Bartókesque/early film score flavour. The Variations on a 

Hungarian Peasant Song is an explosive and virtuosic journey, and in 

my opinion a wonderful way to open a program. 


And Clara Schumann’s 3 Romances for Violin and Piano, Op.22? 

The Clara Schumann 3 Romances are a beautiful transition from 

Rózsa’s fiery and rhapsodic character. One of the last things she ever 

composed, romances were one of her favourite forms to compose 

in. It’s quite complex in its structure but that’s what makes it so 

fun to dissect. It’s also quite tricky for the pianist, which is why I’m 

delighted to be able to collaborate with such a wonderful pianist as 

Henry Kramer. 

Please describe Derrick Skye’s God of the Gaps for Violin and 

Electronics which you commissioned. How did that come about? 

I first discovered Derrick’s music at a concert in LA. I found his 

style and musical instincts so unique that I knew I had to find a way 

for us to collaborate. The title God of the Gaps refers to humanity’s 

application of deification to explain the gaps in our understanding of 

the environment around us, and its composition style navigates the 

connections between Persian classical music, West African music, 

Western classical music and experimental electronic music. The piece 

is entirely made up of unmetred cells without a pulse, and combines 

pre-recorded sounds made by Derrick, myself and samples of a lullaby 

written for me by my dad, making it immensely personal. I have 

always been fascinated with Iranian music as well and with everything 

going on in Iran right now, I wanted to share a small part of 

their culture. 

Derrick is immensely talented and the nicest guy; I can’t wait for 

everyone to hear the Canadian premiere of his work. 

Is there a connective thread in the three pieces in the second half 

of your recital – Kaija Saariaho’s Nocturne for Solo Violin; Ernest 

Chausson’s Poème, Op.25; and Brahms’ Sonata for Violin and Piano 

No.3 in D Minor, Op.108? 

The overall theme of the program is romance; exploring every 

meaning of the word and the context for which it can be used. 

Romance towards one’s culture with the connection between Rózsa 

and Derrick Skye, Romance for our surroundings with Saariaho and 

the Chausson; and Romance in its most raw form with Schumann and 

Brahms. I could recite all the intricacies and specific details within the 

program, but in the spirit of saving paper I invite everyone to come 

experience the unity of the program in person on April 21! 

What do you find most satisfying about performing? 

Some days I ask myself that question. I think it changes, and 

continues to change as I get older. But I suppose at the root of it all it’s 

the ability to connect with people over aural art. The ability to stand in 

a concert hall filled with hundreds or thousands of people, and have 

everyone being present and enjoying the same sounds is so special. 

With the technological rise and over-saturation that is the Internet, 

I’m so humbled I get to pursue a vocation that allows an in-person 

connection and brings a healthy escapism to such a chaotic time. It’s 

a blessing, and I’m delighted to be coming to share some music with 

my hometown. 

Violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Henry Kramer perform in 

Koerner Hall on April 21 at 8pm. 

Henry Kramer 


SIMON FRYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 

OCTOBER 5, 2023 | 1.30 PM 

FAURÉ QUARTETT 

Dirk Mommertz, piano; Erika Geldsetzer, 

violin; Sascha Frömbling, viola 

Konstantin Heidrich, cello 

NOVEMBER 16, 2023 | 1.30 PM 

TESLA QUARTET 

Ross Snyder, violin; Michelle Lie, violin 

Edwin Kaplan, viola; Austin Fisher, cello 

MARCH 7, 2024 | 1.30 PM 

DOMINIC DESAUTELS 

AND 

JEAN-PHILIPPE 

SYLVESTRE 

Dominic Desautels, clarinet 

Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano 

with Zsófia Stefán, bassoon 

APRIL 4, 2024 | 1.30 PM 

FRANCINE KAY 

Francine Kay, piano 

INITIAL WINNER OF THE WMCT’S CAREER 

DEVELOPMENT AWARD 

MAY 2, 2024 | 1.30 PM 

JOYCE EL-KHOURY 

AND 

SEROUJ KRADJIAN 

Joyce El-Khoury, soprano 

Serouj Kradjian, piano 

Ticket Orders 

By phone: 416-923-7052 x.1 

Online: www.wmct.on.ca/tickets 

Subscriptions: $200 | Single tickets: $50 

Students Free with ID 

Walter Hall, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music 

80 Queen's Park (Museum Subway) 


2024 

Dominic Desautels 

Joyce El-Khoury 

CLASSICAL & BEYOND | QUICKPICKS 

APR 18, 8PM: The Royal Conservatory 

presents the remarkable 30-year-old 

Beatrice Rana in a solo piano recital. 

It’s been almost nine years since the 

acclaimed, Italian-born pianist made 

her GTA debut during Toronto Summer 

Music’s 2014 season – the pandemic 

postponed a couple of bookings – but 

her upcoming Koerner Hall appearance 

promises to make the wait worthwhile. Bach’s elegant French 

Beatrice Rana 

Suite No.2 in C Minor, BWV 813 and Debussy’s challenging Pour 

le piano make a delightful pairing leading to Beethoven’s postintermission 

colossus, his Piano Sonata No.29 in B-flat Major, 

Op.106 (“Hammerklavier”). MAY 7, 3PM: The Royal Conservatory 

presents Bruce (Xiaoly) Liu in his Koerner Hall debut. In 2021, Liu 

became the first Canadian to win the Chopin Piano Competition 

and interest is high for his first Toronto solo appearance. Only a 

handful of stage seats remain unsold at this writing for Liu’s recital 

of five works by Chopin and one by Liszt. He turns 26 the next day. 

APR 20, 7:30PM: Beethoven’s 

Op.59 String Quartets were dedicated 

to Count Andrey Razumovsky 

and, like most of the composer’s 

quartets, were first performed by 

the Ignaz Schuppanzigh quartet. 

Franz Weiss was the violist in the 

ensemble that for more than 20 

years acted as Beethoven’s house 

band and he was also a composer; 

curiously enough, Weiss dedicated 

his two quartets, written 

in 1813, to the music-loving 

Razumovsky, in whose sumptuous 

palace the quartet worked. Weiss’ 

astonishingly fresh and inventive 

Eybler Quartet 

Op.8 Nos.1&2 Quartets are by turns 

hilarious, heartbreaking, profound, and, for their time, quite 

daring and experimental. The Gallery Players of Niagara present 

the period instrument Eybler Quartet playing these Weiss quartets 

– at Heliconian Hall. APR 22, 3PM: Hammer Baroque presents the 

Eyblers, who specialize in chamber music written up to the time of 

Beethoven’s death, playing these “other Razumovsky quartets” in 

St. John the Evangelist Church, Hamilton. 

APR 21, 8PM: The Chamber Music 

Society of Mississauga presents a 

sparkling program, all inspired by 

dance and topped by Stravinsky’s 

dance with the devil, L’Histoire du 

Soldat. Commissioned in 1938 by 

clarinetist Benny Goodman and 

violinist Joseph Szigeti, Bartók’s 

Contrasts exploited the full range of 

possibilities for both the clarinet and 

violin. Up to this point, Bartók had 

James Campbell 

never composed chamber music that 

included a wind instrument, so instead of blending the diverse 

sounds of the three instruments, he focused on their differences. 

Works by Ravel and Piazzola will also showcase the talented musicians: 

James Campbell, clarinet; Sarah Fraser Raff, violin; and 

Angela Park, piano; in the Erin Mills United Church, Mississauga. 

WARNER CLASSICS 

DAHLIA KATZ 

wmct@wmct.on.ca 

www.wmct.on.ca 

416-923-7052 

MAY 4, 8PM & MAY 5, 7:30: Highlights of a packed Toronto 

Symphony Orchestra lineup as the TSO’s 100th anniversary year 

nears its end. Messiaen’s massive Turangalila Symphony is the 


Everything Everywhere 

All at Once of the orchestral 

repertoire: love song, 

hymn to joy, time, movement, 

rhythm, life and 

death. With Marc-André 

Hamelin (piano); Nathalie 

Forget (ondes Martenot); 

and Gustavo Gimeno 

(conductor). MAY 24, 25 & 

27, 8PM: Jader Bignamini, 

now in his third season as 

Detroit Symphony Orchestra 

Nicola Benedetti 

music director, crosses the 

border to lead the TSO in Ravel’s irrepressible arrangement of 

Moussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and accompany James 

Ehnes in Tchaikovsky’s singular Violin Concerto. MAY 31, JUN 1 

& 3, 8PM: Two months after violinist Nicola Benedetti and her 

trio performed in Koerner Hall, she returns to Toronto to perform 

Wynton Marsalis’ Concerto in D, a piece on which Benedetti and 

Marsalis collaborated for two years. The two worked together, 

often across transatlantic phone lines, for months on end, she told 

NPR. Benedetti would pick up her violin and put her phone on 

speaker – and across the Atlantic in the U.S., Marsalis would do 

the same at the piano. The work, she says, was painstakingly slow. 

Conductor-on-the-rise Elim Chan also takes up the TSO baton for 

Brahms’ lyrical Symphony No.2. 

MAY 13, 7:30PM: Former Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra 

music director James Sommerville returns to conduct the HPO 

in Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67. Earlier 

in the evening Nikki Chooi, formerly concertmaster of the 

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and currently concertmaster of the 

Buffalo Symphony Orchestra, brings his transcendent playing to 

Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.4 in D Major K218. 

MAY 28, 3PM: Trio Arkel’s celebration of the tenth season of 

their concert series continues at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. Violinist 

Marie Bérard told me during my conversation with her and 

RYAN BUCHANAN 

cellist Winona Zelenka 

in the February-March 

WholeNote that “the meat 

of the program, Strauss’ 

Metamorphosen, is this 

great reduction for seven 

players.” 

JUN 4, 3PM: TSO concertmaster 

Jonathan Crow 

is the soloist in Bruch’s 

tuneful Violin Concerto 

No.1 in G Minor. Conductor 

Michael Newnham also 

leads Orchestra Toronto 

in Rachmaninoff’s lush, 

immensely popular 

Symphony No.2 in E 

Minor and a new work 

by the winner of the 

Orchestra Toronto Prize in 

Composition. 

FACTOID: In our recent 

December-January issue, 

we noted the ray of hope a 

perusal of our Listings gave 

us as live music by seven 

large ensembles reasserted 

its presence after being 

completely uprooted by 

the pandemic. Just a few 

months later, a similar 

look at the Listings finds 

17 (count them if you must 

and enjoy their concertizing 

if you can). 

Trio Arkel 

Michael Newnham 

CHUNG LING LO 

BO HUANG 

Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote. 


ON OPERA 

Show Room showcase 

offers a promising start 

In our February/March issue, Wendalyn Bartley 

previewed Rodney Sharman and Atom Egoyan’s 

Show Room, their first operatic collaboration since 

Elsewhereless in 1998. Presented by new music ensemble 

Continuum, Show Room ran for two performances this 

past March 18 and 19, and Lydia Perović was there. 

There’s a dangerous point halfway into the new chamber opera 

Show Room where you are very close to deciding that a) this is clearly 

an absurdist piece, in the style of Ionesco, where characters wrangle 

over the meaning of what’s said, and that b) you’re not really enjoying 

it. You had originally thought that it was a comedy: the recurring 

whining from the period recorders in the orchestra whenever the lady 

visiting the boutique tries on a new gown was actually comic. But 

then things change and you’re in a very different opera. As the two 

principals work out the dramatic conflict, they themselves change, as 

if by a switch in the stage lighting: sympathies travel from one woman 

to another, to neither, and back. Hurt and righteousness switches from 

one to the other. The finale, where the small orchestra under Jennifer 

Tung comes in in full-blown Rosenkavalier mode to lushly underpin 

the shopowner’s emotions, is the final twist. You’ve gone from the 

comic, to absurdist, to realist, to melodramatic, to Romantic to notquite-sure-what-just-happened 

mode. It’s an hour-long opera that 

keeps you guessing about what is going on and leaves you intrigued. 

There is depth there. 

The action – such as it is – is as follows: a lady of means (mezzo 

Andrea Ludwig) comes into a showroom and unhappily tries on 

multiple gowns. Her adult son is there (baritone Nicholas Higgs), 

offering encouraging if concise commentary. The boutique owner/ 

designer (soprano Carla Huhtanen) is trying to be helpful but can’t 

resist remarking how unusual it is for a woman to be accompanied 

LYDIA PEROVIĆ 

Show Room: (L-R) Carla Huhtanen, 

Nicholas Higgs and Andrea Ludwig 

by her son while gown shopping. There is quite a bit of conversation 

which, on the surface at least, is about the meaning of beautiful 

clothes. Ludwig looks spectacular as she comes out in each new 

dress, but is evidently deeply unhappy with what she sees in the 

mirror. The orchestra’s high, whiny, clangy accompaniment both 

takes her sadness seriously, and not. (A marimba-like instrument in 

the orchestra, gently bowed on its edges, adds eerie overtones to the 

violin-recorders-period-trombone chant.) 

It is getting late and the shopowner is hoping to close soon; the 

son, not sure if his mother will be buying anything, writes the shopowner 

a large cheque for her time, and asks her to help his mother 

in the change room. After some time, the shopowner comes out to 

inform him that his mother is crying. Additional awkward exchanges 

ensue and the mother comes out in her regular clothes. The orchestra 

changes gears and densifies for the reading of words which both 

mother and son, reading from letters, release at the shopkeeper, 

phrase by salacious phrase. The sentences are from the letters, it turns 

out, that the husband of the shopper sent to his lover – this very 

fashion designer and boutique owner. Finally, the two women are 

alone on the stage, in a 

tense conversation. 

Atom Egoyan (L), Rodney Sharman 

While the music 

becomes highly 

expressive, the acting 

stays restrained and 

mannered, and the 

libretto remains somewhat 

abstract, with the 

shopowner ending the 

opera alone, repeating 

one of the best lines 

from the letters to 

herself and to us, about 

NICOLA BETTS NICOLA BETTS 


the nature of desire. It’s to the credit of everyone involved – young 

director Chelsea Dab Hilke, composer Rodney Sharman, librettist 

Atom Egoyan – that this unusual mix just somehow works. It’s like 

finding 1950s melodrama film director Douglas Sirk embarked on a 

series of philosophical musings accompanied by a period orchestra. 

There are period instruments in Sharman’s score for a good reason – 

they produce a distinctively mannered sound. (The orchestra in full 

consists of two recorders, two period trombones, violin, cello, bass, 

piano and percussion.) 

Show Room will bring to mind some other recent cultural products 

– the film Phantom Thread, the novel French Exit – but its bizarro 

world is also of its own unique kind. 

Not everything works out, of course. Some of the lines are clunky 

(A “moist, pungent nest” in one of the lovers’ letters? Just no.) and as 

I mentioned, the first part of the opera tests our patience almost to a 

breaking point. But these are fixable issues and everything just might 

run more smoothly with a proper staging. At 918 Bathurst, where the 

opera was performed in concert for two nights in March, the singers 

acted while reading from the music stands and although the gowns 

did help, the staging was minimal. That this new work still managed 

to convince in its concert version in a packed and poorly ventilated 

venue is a great sign. Let’s see it staged soon. 

At The Music Gallery, 918 Bathurst St., Toronto 

ON OPERA | QUICK PICKS 

Apr 28 to May 20: The Canadian Opera Company’s production 

of Verdi’s Macbeth features Quinn Kelsey as Macbeth; 

Alexandrina Pendatchanska and Liudnyla Monastyrska share 

the role of Lady Macbeth; Önay Köse as Banquo; Matthew Cairns 

as Macduff; the COC Chorus & Orchestra; Speranza Scappucci, 

conductor; and Sir David McVicar, director. Plenty of bloodthirsty 

ambition-driven drama to go around! Four Seasons 

Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto 

May 05, 8pm: Toronto Operetta Theatre - 

La Verbena de la Paloma (The Festival of 

the Dove) is classic zarzuela - a fun kind of 

sung and spoken Spanish lyric theatre. It 

premiered in Madrid in 1894, and is set in 

the lively streets of that city during a festival. 

Adapted for the cinema in 1921, 1935, and 

again in 1963, it has great excuses for singing 

and dancing; young love almost thwarted 

by foolish older folks, and a happy ending. 

With Margie Bernal, Rómulo Delgado, Stuart 

Graham. Kate Carver, conductor & piano, 

Guillermo Silva-Marin directs. Jane Mallett 

Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto. 

Poster, 1921 

movie version 

May 05 to May 27: The Canadian Opera Company presents 

Puccini’s Tosca. Sinéad Campbell-Wallace and Keri Alkema share 

the title role, Stefano La Colla as Cavaradossi, Roland Wood as 

Scarpia, Joel Sorensen as Spoletta, and Donato Di Stefano as 

Sacristan. With the COC Chorus & Orchestra; Giuliano Carella, 

conductor, Paul Curran, directs. Love, lust, murder and politics, 

and (SPOILER!) probably NO happy ending. Four Seasons Centre 

for the Performing Arts, Toronto. 

May 13, 7pm: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera’s spring 

production is Verdi’s La traviata, which is based on Alexander 

Dumas’ La Dame aux Camélias. This fully staged production 

with the Southern Ontario Lyric Opera Chorus & Orchestra is 

conducted by Sabatino Vacca. Burlington Performing Arts Centre. 

NICOLA BETTS 

Lydia Perović is a freelance writer in Toronto. Sign up to receive 

her newsletter at longplay.substack.com 

Jimmy Roberts wishes 

Happy Birthday to Johannes Brahms 

May 7 th , 2023 at 3:00 p.m. 

Gala Fundraiser May 9th 

See OffCentreMusic.com 

for more details 

FEATURING: 

Steven Dann, viola; Andrea Ludwig, mezzo-soprano; 

Peter McGillivray, baritone; Jimmy Roberts, piano; 

Kathryn Tremills, piano; Inna Perkis, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano 

Artistic Directors: Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis 

For more details and to purchase tickets 

www.offcentremusic.com 


CHORAL SCENE 

musica intima 

WENDY D 

NAGAMO: Andrew Balfour & musica intima 

ANDREW SCOTT 

The 20th century term “postmodern” is often 

uncritically applied to a whole range of artistic 

expressions that are not easily compartmentalizable 

– wherever influences and traditions whose conceits lie 

on a continuum somewhere between antithetical and 

oppositional are blended together. Sometimes, though, 

it is entirely appropriate, as was the case with Andrew 

Balfour’s beautiful and important piece, NAGAMO 

(Ojibway for “sing”), recently presented on a coast-tocoast 

tour by Balfour and musica intima. 

One of Canada’s most unique vocal ensembles, 

musica intima is a Vancouver-based 

twelve-singer-strong chamber group of 

diverse voices whose raison d’être is relationship 

building through deliberate programming 

and collaboration with Indigenous art in 

the spirit of reconciliation. A shared leadership 

model allows the singers of the conductorless 

vocal ensemble to exchange ideas freely 

Andrew Balfour while exploring their own musical creativity, 

leading to dynamic performances where the ensemble engages with the 

audience directly and spontaneously, and local vocal ensembles can be 

woven into the piece, building a big tent under which a rich panoply of 

styles, languages and traditions can meaningfully co-exist. 

Such was certainly the case this past March 4 at Eglinton-St. George’s 

United Church in Toronto, with Balfour and musica intima presenting 

NAGAMO, along with the Toronto Children’s Chorus (under the 

watchful eye of new artistic director Zimfira Polosz), the Toronto Youth 

Choir and the Earl Haig Secondary School Senior Choir. St. George’s 

acoustically resonant chapel space provided the perfect setting for the 

Toronto debut of a work bravely attempting to reconcile in sound the 

tradition and clear Christian religiosity of Elizabethan choral music 

(William Byrd, Henry Purcell, Orlando Gibbons) with Indigeneity. 

In the hand of 2023 Juno nominee and Sixties Scoop survivor, 

composer Andrew Balfour, original texts have been altered from 

KRISTEN SAWATZKY 

Latin to Ojibway and Cree, and the incorporation of nature vocalizations 

and a staging approach that at times saw the fully expanded 

choir encircle the audience, resulted in an immersive and exhilarating 

performative experience. Most impressively, Balfour manages 

to elegantly strike the fine balance needed to bring greater representation 

and an Indigenous perspective of spirituality to this European 

musical form, while maintaining and respecting the rigour and 

beauty of its original compositional polyphony. 

As a Cree from Fisher River First Nation who grew up a choir boy in 

the adopted home of an Anglican priest in Winnipeg, Balfour is perhaps 

uniquely positioned to author a work so important, and so uniquely 

Canadian. Similar, perhaps, to others whose intersectional identity 

contains the strains of historical conflict, Balfour has spent much of his 

compositional career bringing into congruence his Indigeneity with his 

love of Renaissance choral music. On record, and during such 

performances as the NAGAMO project Toronto debut, Balfour puts out 

the idea of “what if” as a possibility. What if the history of colonialism in 

Canada was different? What if the spirit of reciprocity that first greeted 

the Chiefs and First Nations leaders who travelled to Europe during the 

17th century to form alliances had continued? With NAGAMO, Balfour’s 

provocative questions are not only asked, but brought to a harmonious 

musical conclusion. 

Rosary Spence 

Ably supported by musica intima, Balfour 

has perhaps found the perfect foil for his grand 

compositional ambitions. Over two sets of 

music, bookended by riveting performances 

from Indigenous singer and Song Keeper Rosary 

Spence, a capacity Saturday night audience 

was treated to a truly special performance that 

did not compromise musicality or tunefulness 

in the service of being intentional intellectual 

or provocative. On the contrary, the NAGAMO 

project underscores just how effectively thoughtful consideration and 

a mature handling of traditions otherwise considered contradictory 

can result in philosophical, historical and musical good. 

With valuable contributions and support from the Toronto 

Children’s Chorus, the Toronto Youth Choir, and the Earl Haig 

Secondary School Senior Choir, whose young members will likely 

reflect upon their involvement in this special project for years to 

come, March 4th was indeed an evening in Toronto worth 

remembering. 


SEE What’s on stage 

AT the aga khan museum 

Labyrinth Ensemble 

April 15 | 8 pm 

Tickets from $37.50 

Evgenios Voulgaris joins the 

Labyrinth Ensemble in a captivating 

exploration of 17th-century music and 

contemporary compositions. 

Rumi Nations 

May 13 | 8 pm 

Tickets from $30 

Rumi’s mystical words are set to music 

in an entrancing showcase featuring 

renowned vocalists and musicians, as 

well as the turn of the dervish and 

original poetry in the Sufi tradition. 

Dakh Daughters 

April 30 | 7 pm 

Tickets from $37.50 

An exhilarating theatrical experience 

“... genuinely original – mixing classical 

minimalism with passionate Ukrainian 

folk and a touch of ‘freak cabaret’, 

delivered with punk energy...” 

- The Guardian 

Rhythms of Canada 

June 30–July 3 

Tickets on sale soon 

Four days of unmatched summer fun 

as the Museum turns into a destination 

for world class performances, 

delectable food, and activities for 

all ages. 

For the full schedule of events, visit agakhanmuseum.org

CHORAL SCENE | QUICK PICKS 

Apr 22, 7pm: Singing Together at the.Toronto Korean Presbyterian 

Church. This is an annual multicultural choral event that began 

in 1995 at Toronto’s Columbus Centre, with two Italian choirs, a 

French and a German choir. The event unites local ethnic choirs to 

perform repertoire from their own cultures, with a finale performance 

of common pieces composed by Canadian musicians. This year, 

the common pieces will feature a Cree work and a popular song 

composed by the late Canadian country songwriter Ian Tyson, and 

will include Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Korean and Ukranian choirs. 

Apr 23, 5pm: A Place Fear Can’t Find. The Modern Sound 

Collective’s Concreamus Choir is a 50-voice new music choir dedicated 

to innovation in the choral arts and the creation and performance 

of excellent new works by young composers. The group is 

made up of singers, students, composers and educators from 

around the Greater Toronto Area. This concert will include Sami 

Anguaya’s Lying Awake, Waiting; Nicholas Wanstall’s The River 

of Sleep; Emily Green’s Snowfall, Snowmelt; Ben Keast’s I Reap a 

Long December; and Hirad Moradi’s: Ah, Moon of My Delight; with 

Jennifer Wilson, soprano and; Kai Leung, conductor. At Runnymede 

United Church in Toronto. 

Music Fit for a King is sure to satisfy those among us who 

cannot wait for the May 6 coronation of Britain’s Charles III. Join 

Toronto Classical Singers.on Apr 23 at 4pm as they celebrate 30 

years of presenting great choral masterpieces including Handel’s 

Coronation Anthems, and other celebratory tunes by Parry and 

Elgar, conducted by Jurgen Petrenko at. Christ Church Deer Park 

in Toronto. 

And then on coronation day, May 6 at 7:30pm there’s the 

Gala Concert at St. James Cathedral with the Choir of St. James 

Cathedral in concert with Orchestra, at Cathedral Church of 

St. James in Toronto. 

Apr 29, 10:30am: Ever wondered what it’s like to sing Carmina 

Burana? Find out on Apr 29 at 10:30am. Toronto Mendelssohn 

Choir’s “Singsation Saturdays” are Saturday morning singing workshops, 

led by one of TMChoir’s own conductors. Start your Saturday 

with people who love to sing! The Carmina Burana workshop will 

be led by Jean-Sébastien Vallée. Their May 20 workshop will be led 

Shireen Abu-Khader, TMChoir’s Composer-in-Residence. Both at 

Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto. 

May 06, 7pm: Peterborough Singers will perform Verdi’s 

Requiem. With guest soloists Leslie Fagan, soprano; Laura 

Pudwell, mezzo; Ernesto Ramirez, tenor; Jonathan Liebich, bass; 

with a double choir, and the ‘orchestra’ of Ian Sadler at the pipe 

organ, joined by 12 brass players. At Emmanuel United Church in 

Peterborough. 

May 07, 3:30pm: In collaboration 

with Balance for Blind Adults, 

Toronto Chamber Choir presents a 

program called Musical Vision: A 

Brief History of Music and Blindness. 

In this new Kaffeemusik, the TCC 

and friends feature music by gifted 

artists who did not let their lack of 

sight cloud their musical vision, and 

will welcome some special guests, 

Michelle McQuigge and Lucy 

@MICH_MCG 

ANNURAL FREE NOON HOUR 

CHOIR & ORGAN CONCERTS 

VOCA 

CHORUS OF 

TORONTO 

Shining Night 

FRI APR 28, 2023 

CANTALA 

CHOIR 

The Infinite Beauty of Sound 

THU MAY 25, 2023 

Reserve your Free tickets now at 

ROYTHOMSONHALL.COM 


including distinguished CBC journalist Michelle McQuigge and 

her guide dog Lucy, Michelle will surprise us with true tales 

about blind harpers in Ireland and Wales, the blind pianist Maria 

Theresia von Paradis (for whom Mozart may have written a piano 

concerto), the charlatan surgeon who botched cataract surgery 

on both Bach and Handel, and Louis Braille’s adaptation of his 

writing system to music notation, and much more. Featuring 

a new commission by pianist Michael Arnowitt. At Calvin 

Presbyterian Church in Toronto 

May 28, 7:30pm: the Grand 

Philharmonic Choir concludes their 

season with the world premiere 

of Stephanie Martin’s “Water: An 

Environmental Oratorio”, the story 

of the importance of this precious 

resource and a community’s efforts to 

protect it. Anton Bruckner’s powerful 

Te Deum opens this concert which 

includes Katy Clark, soprano, Marion 

Newman, mezzo-soprano, Jean- 

Stephanie Martin 

Philippe Lazure, tenor, Phillip Addis, 

baritone; with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and combined 

forces of the Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir Grand 

Philharmonic Youth Choir and Grand Philharmonic Choir. 

Mark Vuorinen, conducts. 

Andrew Scott is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist (occasional 

pianist/singer) and professor at Humber College, who contributes 

regularly to The WholeNote Discoveries record reviews. 


2022-2023 Season: A Golden Anniversary Celebration 

CELESTIAL 

REVOLUTIONS 

MAY 3 & 4 AT 8PM 

Artistic Direction by Ben Grossman 

& Alison Melville 

The heavens changed and he was the first 

to notice. Astronomer and alchemist Tycho 

Brahe’s meticulous observations altered our 

understanding of the skies forever. Join us for 

an exploration of Brahe’s fascinating life and 

times, featuring music from the cosmopolitan 

cities of 16th-century Leipzig, Basel, and 

Prague, and the world premiere of a new 

commission on Brahe by Canadian composer 

Alex Eddington, with cymbalom master 

Richard Moore, and director Tyler Seguin. 

Tickets starting at only $20 

TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE 

427 BLOOR ST WEST 

Buy Tickets at TorontoConsort.org

EARLY MUSIC 

TORONTO 

BACH FESTIVAL 

True to Its Intents 

DAVID PERLMAN 

The Toronto Bach Festival taking place this coming 

May 26, 27 and 28, curated by long-time Tafelmusik 

oboist and Bach scholar John Abberger, is the first 

attempt to make an annual festival dedicated to what 

Abberger calls Bach’s “timeless music” a recurring part of 

the city’s musical calendar since the University of Torontobacked 

Toronto International Bach Festival – under the 

direction of Bach luminary Helmuth Rilling – had Bach 

devotees circling their calendars months in advance 

from 2002 to 2006. 

Festivals that are created in a “top-down” way, however, often fall 

victim to the very things that propelled them to almost instant success 

– major institutional support and the presence of an international 

superstar at their helm. When those disappear, the calendar fixtures 

they gave rise to can very quickly follow suit. 

The Concert Hall at Yonge & Davenport: “Zimmermann’s Kaffeehaus” 

This is not to say that growing a festival from the grass roots up is any 

guarantee of success either: it requires fertile soil, grit, and an unwavering 

sense of what the festival is for. With these thoughts in mind, I got in 

touch with Abberger to talk about this year’s TBF and how it got this far. 

WN: On the festival website you call Bach “the consummate artist, 

who channelled the human spirit into music”. Translating that into 

keeping a festival like this going year after year is another matter, 

though, isn’t it. What keeps you going? 

JA: Quite simply, I’ve never met a person 

who isn’t touched by Bach’s music; his ability 

to speak to our common humanity makes his 

art universal. When I think about the astonishing 

quality of pretty much everything he 

wrote, I feel strongly that we should all have an 

opportunity to experience more of his works, 

and a festival is the obvious way to go beyond 

the mere 20 per cent or so that is performed 

John Abberger 

regularly by other musical organizations. Bach 

as an essential community service, you might say – a more reliable 

way to get where we want to go – or need to be – than the TTC. 

DENISE MARIE 


I once worked for a small literacy organization that had a tortoise 

for its emblem, as a reminder that if you can only move slowly, you 

should make sure, from the get-go, that you are heading in the right 

direction. What did you get right, right from the beginning in 2016? 

Above all, that there is a public insatiably eager to experience Bach 

in the diversity that only a festival context can offer. One of our organizing 

principles has been the three pillars of Bach’s compositional 

output: instrumental, vocal and keyboard music. The cantatas are 

particularly important; of the five festivals that we have produced so 

far, only one did not include some cantatas (and that one presented 

two “Lutheran Masses” that include many repurposed cantata movements). 

Many of the keyboard works are seldom performed, and 

they broaden our understanding of Bach’s art. We have also seen, 

right from the beginning, a remarkable enthusiasm for each year’s 

public lecture. 

Part of the narrative of any festival is that bigger audiences and 

more events are markers of success. But there’s also a “right size” 

for audiences for various kinds of musical experience, if they are 

to feel “authentic” (whatever that means)? Can a festival like this 

get too big? 

That’s an excellent question, and one for which I don’t have a definitive 

answer at the moment, although I do have some thoughts. With 

the addition of the Kaffeehaus concert in the 2023 festival, I feel we have 

reached the maximum of what an audience can effectively take in over 

the course of three days. We want to offer an immersive experience, 

and we think very carefully about the timing of our events in terms of 

making the best progression from event to event for our audiences. If 

we were to expand beyond what we are offering this year, we would 

have to radically rethink the nature of what we are offering, and how 

all that works. This is powerful music, and I always consider what 

I think our audiences will be able to absorb in the space of a few days. 

What specifically does the Kaffeehaus concert add to the mix? 

From the very beginning, I have been searching for a way to present 

a less formal concert, loosely modelled on the evenings of music that 

Bach presented at Zimmerman’s coffee house in Leipzig, because 

it gives us the proper forum to present Bach’s secular vocal works. 

Performing them broadens 

our understanding of Bach as a 

composer, and demonstrates to 

the public that Bach’s music can 

be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere 

notably different from the 

standard concert setting. Also, 

producing a concert like this 

follows our mandate of historically 

informed performances, as a 

coffee house setting is where Bach 

Steven Devine 

performed a great deal of instrumental 

music, as well as some of the secular vocal works. 

As for the rest of it, we will continue our tradition of inviting great 

guest artists to perform at the festival – in this case, the harpsichordist 

Steven Devine. Like John Butt last year, Steven has not performed in 

Toronto, and he is a wonderful artist. He’ll be performing the great 

Concerto in D Minor for harpsichord and strings, and his presence 

gives us a great opportunity to program the seldom performed 

Concerto in C Major for two harpsichords together with our own 

Christopher Bagan at the opening concert of the festival. The next day 

Devine will perform the complete first book of the Well-Tempered 

Clavier, an unusual opportunity to hear this iconic work performed in 

its entirety. 

Sacred vocal music will not be neglected. This year we mark Bach’s 

arrival in Leipzig with a performance of the first two cantatas that 

he performed in his new position as Cantor and Director of Music 

for the City of Leipzig. Our festival this year is, by design, a microcosm 

of this important turning point in Bach’s professional life. These 

two cantatas, along with two of his finest concertos on the opening 

concert, and the Well-tempered Clavier, represent some of the high 

points of the astonishing productivity that commenced with his move 

to the city. Our public lecture, by Bach scholar Daniel R. Melamed will 

also focus on this fascinating pivot in Bach’s creative life. 

For full festival details visit torontobachfestival.org 

BO HUANG 

EARLY MUSIC | QUICKPICKS 

Apr 6, 7:30pm: Opera Atelier’s 

Handel: The Resurrection 

Handel: The Resurrection, which 

the COVID-19 pandemic shut down 

in mid-rehearsal three years ago, 

will finally hit the stage at Toronto’s 

Koerner Hall, with all that ravishing 

music in a fully staged production 

that includes: Carla Huhtanen, 

Meghan Lindsay, Alyson McHardy, Colin Ainsworth, Douglas 

Williams, sword-wielding dancers of the Atelier Ballet and more. 

Also April 8, 7:30pm and April 9, 2:30pm. 

Apr 15, 8pm: at the Aga Khan Museum you can hear the Labyrinth 

Ensemble - 14 performers on santur, riqq, bendir, baglama, saxophone, 

clarinet and electric bass. This concert is an exploration 

of 17th-century music composed by Romanian prince Dimitrie 

Cantemir and Ottoman composer, Ali Ufki, led by special guest 

Evgenios Voulgaris on oud & yaylı tambur. Tickets to this concert 

also include same-day admission to the Aga Khan Museum. 

Apr 28, 8pm: In Tafelmusik’s 

Higher Love: Virtuoso Arias, hear 

Samuel Mariño, male soprano, in his 

Canadian debut, performing arias 

from Handel’s Armino, Vivaldi’s Il 

Guistino, and other works. The male 

soprano is probably the world’s rarest 

voice type - with a captivating sound 

Samuel Marino 

BRUCE ZINGER 

OLIVIER ALLARD 

that defies description in words. “My goal is to open up classical 

music and really bring it to everyone,” saysMariño. “Regardless of 

whether someone feels like a man, a woman, or non-binary, I want 

people to make music.” At Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s 

Centre. Also Apr 29, 2pm. 

May 7, 3:30pm: Airs for the 

Seasons is a concert celebrating 

Rezonance Baroque Ensemble’s 

debut recording. Scottish 

composer James Oswald wrote 

the Airs between 1765 and 1761 

as a collection for combinations 

Rezonance Baroque Ensemble 

of flute or violin plus continuo - the Rezonance version includes two 

violins, one flute, cello, harpsichord, lute and theorbo. At St. David’s 

Anglican Church, Toronto 

May 26, 7:30pm: Joseph Haydn’s Orfeo:L’anima del filosofo (The 

Soul of the Philosopher ). This North American premiere is a collaboration 

between the University of Toronto and McGill University, 

with Asitha Tennekoon, Lindsay McIntyre, Parker Clements and 

Maeve Palmer, and The McGill Baroque Orchestra led by Dorian 

Bandy. Nico Krell is the stage director. In the MacMillan Theatre, 

Edward Johnson Building, at the University of Toronto. A symposium 

- “Resurrecting Haydn’s Orfeo”, led by Dr. Caryl Clarke, will be 

held at 10am on May 27, Walter Hall. 

May 28, 7pm: The Oculist. On period instruments, the 

INNERchamber Ensemble follows the path of a questionable eye 

surgeon through Europe, at the dawning of the age of modern 

medicine. Bach, Handel Telemann. At Revival House, in Stratford. 

David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com 

28 | April & May, 2023 thewholenote.com

MAY 26–28, 2023 

TORONTO 

BACH 

FESTIVAL 

John Abberger, 

Artistic Director 

Catch your creative 

spark at the Toronto 

Bach Festival! 

After a joyous return to live performances 

last year, with record-breaking audiences, 

we are delighted to be back on Toronto’s 

stages to present the timeless music 

of Johann Sebastian Bach. There 

is something for everyone with our 

4-concert festival, taking place in three 

iconic locations in the city. 

TORONTOBACHFESTIVAL.ORG 

(416) 466-8241 

Grab your 

Festival Pass 

to see the entire 

line-up for only 

$179! 

Single Tickets 

also now on sale. 

SAVE 

13%

THE SOFT SEAT BEAT 

The Aperture Room 

WELCOME TO 

THE APERTURE 

ROOM 

COLIN STORY 

BO HUANG 

With a fifty-year history producing both traditional 

and contemporary chamber concerts, Music 

Toronto is a mainstay to patrons of classical 

music in the GTA. This year, the organization launches a 

new series: the Celebration of Small Ensembles (COSE), 

a unique concert concept that will take place in an 

unconventional classical-music venue, the Aperture Room, 

an event space on the third floor of the Thornton-Smith 

Building, at 340 Yonge Street, close to Dundas Square. 

Each COSE concert will feature three different ensembles playing 

short, thematically focused programs. Recently announced as Music 

Toronto’s Artistic Director Designate, cellist Roman Borys, who has 

curated this first COSE, is a founding member of the Juno Awardwinning 

Gryphon Trio and has been a presence on the Canadian 

classical scene since the 1990s. 

WN: How did the Celebration of Small Ensembles first come 

about? This series seems to have grown naturally out of Music 

Toronto’s Discovery Series; in what ways is COSE different? 

RB: The direction we’re taking with 

the Celebration of Small Ensembles 

series stems from previous programming 

ventures in Music Toronto’s rich programming 

history – supporting emerging artists 

much like the Discovery Series did, and 

also having much in common with the 

concerts that Gryphon Trio, MTO Artistic 

Roman Borys 

Producer Jennifer Taylor, and musical 

friends from various other genres presented 

at Toronto’s Lula Lounge. Those concerts 

celebrated diverse small ensemble traditions and facilitated collaboration 

among musicians with different musical backgrounds, a direction 

that influenced many programming choices and projects I initiated 

during my 13-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Ottawa Chamber 

Festival. Now working in a new capacity at Music Toronto, I see the 

COSE series re-engaging MTO in an exploration of forward-looking, 

small-ensemble programming trajectory that introduces audiences to 

a roster of very exciting, well defined artistic voices, many of whom 

are just beginning to emerge on the professional concert scene. 

Reading through the individual concert descriptions, there 

seems to be a focus on unique themes and on undertold musical 

stories (e.g. Interro Quartet’s “Compound Quartet”, duo nistwayr’s 

Indigenous-centred readings of repertoire, and KöNG Duo’s unconventional 

musical use of conventional non-musical objects.) What 

were some of the guiding principles behind the programming? 

Every COSE concert will feature three artists, each presenting a 

short, curated set. We’ve prompted the artists to set aside traditional 

classical programming parameters and instead take the audience on a 

short, well-defined musical journey, juxtaposing music in new ways, 

exploring themes rooted in contemporary culture, and allowing artists 

to hone and express their artistic point of view. 

And the Aperture Room as a venue? It’s also somewhat unconventional. 

How did you find it? 

We liked the idea of inviting audiences to discover a new gathering 

space on the top floor of a historic Toronto building in the centre 

of the city, and then to find themselves in the friendly company of 

other curious listeners in an intriguing new space that will feature 

wonderful artists sharing music new and old. 

What else can audiences expect from these concerts? 

These events all take place on Saturday afternoons. Starting at five 

and ending after seven each event will have two short breaks during 

which patrons can chat and purchase refreshments – a little surprise 

and delight to help you make the most of your weekend. 

The Celebration of Small Ensembles takes place on May 6, 20 and 

June 3. For more information, please visit Music Toronto’s website. 

Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. He 

can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and on Twitter. 

The Thornton-Smith Building, circa 1925, and today. 


OAKLAND STROKE 

JAZZ @ LBP HOSTED BY JAYMZ BEE 

Get ready for the Greatest Horn Hits of the 70s! Featuring music by 

Tower of Power, Earth Wind & Fire, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, 

and more! Oakland Stroke is a 10-piece juggernaut of soul and 

good vibes, featuring a 5 piece horn section. Led by Toronto native 

Lou Pomanti, experience them live. 

APRIL 11, 2023 

8:00PM 

THE ROSE ORCHESTRA 

A ROSE FESTIVAL 

The festival of music begins! Truly this has been a year of celebrating 

the return of live music! The Rose Orchestra invites you to a festival of 

sound to commemorate a triumphant season of exquisite orchestral 

entertainment at the glorious Rose Brampton. The night will feature 

an opening piece of the world premier of a song cycle composed by 

Maestro Warren, sung by internationally acclaimed bass baritone 

Daniel Lichti; The Rose Orchestra performing Brahms Symphony no 2; 

and don’t miss The Rosebuds who will perform classical selections. 

BOOK TICKETS 

THEROSEBRAMPTON.CA 


7:30PM 


IN THE CLUBS 

Familiar Venues 

and a Brand 

New Festival 

COLIN STORY 

The Rex: On April 12, guitarist/ 

vocalist Jocelyn Gould plays The 

Rex in a four-night run with her 

quintet. Originally from Winnipeg, 

Gould came to Toronto by way 

of the University of Manitoba, 

where she did her undergraduate 

studies in jazz, and Michigan State 

University, where she earned a 

Master’s of Music. A Benedetto 

endorsee, Gould plays in a traditionalist 

style, with the athletic 

bebop lines, octaves and bluesy 

flourishes of her cited influences 

(Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green) on 

full display. An accomplished vocalist as well as guitarist, Gould has 

a penchant for swinging, nuanced arrangements of both august jazz 

standards and her own original compositions. Gould’s debut album, 

Elegant Traveler, won the 2021 JUNO Award for Jazz Album of the 

Year: Solo, and she has maintained a busy post-pandemic schedule, 

with tours of the US, Canadian jazz festivals, and, most recently, a twomonth 

tour of North America as one of four guitarists participating 

in International Guitar Night, which features four different guitarists 

in both solo and group format. Joining Gould at the Rex are vocalist 

Micaela Rae, pianist Emmet Hodgins, bassist Dan Fortin, drummer 

Ethan Ardelli. 

At Jazz Bistro on April 28 and 29, 

legendary saxophonist George 

Coleman takes the stage, in concert 

with New York-based saxophonist 

Eric Alexander and a Torontobased 

rhythm section composed 

of pianist Bernie Senensky, bassist 

Neil Swainson, and drummer Terry 

Clarke. (Coleman and Alexander 

have been touring in this format 

for years; as a teenager in the 

late 2000s, I remember seeing 

them play in Vancouver with a 

local rhythm section at the nowdefunct 

Cellar Jazz club.) Coleman should be a familiar name to any 

WholeNote reader, most notably because of his involvement in Miles 

Davis’ quintet, with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams, 

with whom Coleman recorded Seven Steps to Heaven, My Funny 

Valentine, Four and Miles Davis in Europe, before leaving the group 

to pursue other projects (after which the late Wayne Shorter took over 

his seat). As a performer, educator, and bandleader, Coleman has had 

a storied career; at the age of 88, his approach to melodic treatment 

and linear invention remains as progressive and rich as ever. 

College Street Jazz: New this 

year, the College Street Jazz 

Festival (CSJF) brings three days 

of programming to six different 

College Street venues from Friday, 

April 21 through Sunday, April 23. 

The CSJF is a Canada Councilbacked 

venture from JazzInToronto, 

a group that runs a website (and 

connected social media accounts) 

that publishes and promotes local 

jazz listings, run by Lina Welch, 

Ori Dagan, Mark Lemieux, and 

Camille Neirynck-Guerrero. The 

CSJF’s stated goal is “to produce highly engaging events which bring 

musicians, venues, and audiences closer together after the challenging 

times we’ve faced.” Last year, of course, was the first year since 

the beginning of the pandemic in which major Canadian festivals 

returned in person; though something akin to real life does indeed 

seem to be reliably back, the very idea of a large-scale gathering of 

patrons and musicians still seems somewhat novel. Revival Bar, The 

Emmet Ray, Free Times Cafe, Bar Pompette, College St. United Church, 

and bookstore-cum-club Sellers & Newel are the festival venues. 

College Street Jazz Festival continues on page 52 

JIMMY KATZ / JAZZ TIMES ANDREW LOUIS / TORONTOIST 

12TH ANNUAL 

MAY 29 - JUNE 4 2023 

NATURALLY 7 

COUNTERMEASURE 

MEZZOTONO 

CELEBRATES THE MUSICAL 

ALL-VOCAL VERSIONS OF FAMOUS BROADWAY SONGS 

FOR INFO AND TICKETS AND MORE, VISIT: 

NO BOUNDARIES 


“Koerner Hall has to be the best acoustic 

hall in the world!” - Lang Lang 

KOERNER HALL 

2022.23 

CONCERT 

SEASON 

BEATRICE RANA 

TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 8PM 

KOERNER HALL 

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with HENRY KRAMER 

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 8PM 

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FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 8PM 

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SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 8PM 

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A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC 

starring 

CYNTHIA DALE, 

ERIC MCCORMACK, 

FIONA REID, 

DAN CHAMEROY 

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MAY 26 - 28, 

KOERNER HALL 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 416.408.0208 rcmusic.com/performance 

273 BLOOR ST. WEST 

(BLOOR ST. & AVENUE ROAD) 

TORONTO

listings@theWholeNote.com 

Event listings are free of charge to 

artists, venues and presenters. 

This issue contains event listings 

from March 28 to June 6, 2023. 

LISTINGS IN THIS ISSUE 

● Beginning on this page you will find live and 

livestream daily listings for events with an announced 

date and time that one could circle on a calendar 

in order to “be there.” Listing requests that were 

received at the time of going to press are included on 

these pages. 

● Our listing requests continue to arrive every day and 

are updated and published each weekend in 

The WholeNote WEEKLY LISTINGS UPDATE e-letter 

(see below for further information). 

How to List 

1. Use the convenient online form at 

thewholenote.com/applylistings OR 

2. Email listings to listings@thewholenote.com. 

Please note, we do not take listings over the phone. 

Deadlines 

Weekly: Eligible listings received by 6pm Tuesday, 

each week, will be included in The WholeNote WEEKLY 

LISTINGS UPDATE e-letter sent to registered readers 

the following Sunday. Listings received for the Weekly 

Listings Update are simultaneously posted to JUST ASK, 

our searchable online listings database. The weekly 

listings update looks two weeks into the future on an 

ongoing basis. 

Print: Our next print issue, Volume 28 no.6 covers June, 

July and August 2023. The print submission deadline for 

that issue will be Tuesday May 16. 

Readers are encouraged to register for the Weekly 

Listings update, or to check our online listings regularly 

for new listings or updates to listings previously submitted. 

Each weekly update looks 5-6 weeks into the future. 

Register for the weekly updates at 

thewholenote.com/newsletter 

LIVE OR ONLINE | Mar 28 to Jun 6, 2023 

Tuesday March 28 

● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company. 

Free Concert Series: The Resurrection. 

Excerpts from Handel: Resurrection. Artists 

of Opera Atelier. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, 

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing 

Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/ 

free-concert-series. Free. 

● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation. 

Lunchtime Chamber Music: Rising Stars 

Recital. Featuring performance students 

from the U of T Faculty of Music. Yorkminster 

Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 

www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations 

welcome. 

● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Organ Recital. 

Matthew Larkin, organ. Cathedral Church of 

St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865 or 

www.stjamescathedral.ca. Free. Donations 

welcome. 

● 3:00: Oriana Singers. Young at Heart. 

Featuring choral music centred around 

hope. Sean Ivory and Paul Caldwell: Hope 

for Resolution; Nancy Telfer: Celebration. 

Guests: St. Mary Catholic Secondary 

School Choirs (Tanya Earle, conductor). 

Trinity United Church, 284 Division St., 

Cobourg. Ticketing information available at 

www.orianasingers.com. 

● 7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Bach: 

Mass in B Minor, BWV 232. Toronto Mendelssohn 

Choir; Baroque Orchestra; Jean- 

Sébastien Vallée, conductor. Koerner Hall, 

TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408- 

0208. $39.95-$89; $36.79-$80.92(sr); 

$24.95(VOXTix). 

● 8:00: Istituto Italiano di Cultura di 

Toronto/Consulate General of Italy in 

Toronto/Istituto Italiano di Cultura Montreal 

and Chicago. Music From the Romantic 

Repertoire to the Great Cinema. Brahms: 

Sonata Op.108; Schumann/ Liszt: Widmung 

from the film “Canto d’amore”; Trovajoli: Serenata 

per Giuditta from the film “Nell’anno 

del Signore”; John Williams: Schindler’s List; 

Paganini: Capriccio No.24 for violin solo from 

the film “Il violinista del diavolo”; Gardel/Williams: 

Por una cabeza from the film “Profumo 

di donna”; A. Bonanno: Italian Movie Music 

by Rota, Morricone, and Piovani. Elena Matteucci, 

piano; Sebastian Zagame, violin. Glenn 

Gould Studio, 250 Front St. W. https://www. 

eventbrite.ca/e/music-from-the-romanticrepertoire-to-the-great-cinema-a-concerttickets-523761754507. 

Free. LIVE & ONLINE. 

● 8:00: Tapestry Opera/Obsidian Theatre 

Company. Of the Sea. Music by Ian Cusson. 

Libretto by Kanika Ambrose. Philip Akin, 

stage director; Jennifer Tung, music director. 

Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre 

for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 437-326-9410 

or www.am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/ofthesea-events. 

From $52. Also Mar 25(8pm); 

29(8pm); 31(8pm); Apr 1(4pm). 

Wednesday March 29 


Free Concert Series: Dvořák - Slavonic 

Dances Book II. Piano students of the Glenn 

Gould School. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, 


Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concert-series. 

Free. 

● 7:00: Glenn Gould Studio. 7th Toronto Artillery 

Royal Canadian Artillery Band Concert. 

Works by Bernstein, Cable, Holst, and others. 

The Band of the 7th Toronto Artillery Regiment 

Royal Canadian Artillery. 250 Front St. 

W. ggsinfo@glenngouldstudio.com. Free. 

● 7:30: Against the Grain Theatre. Bluebeard’s 

Castle. Music by Béla Bartók. English 

libretto and stage direction by Daisy Evans. 

Gerald Finley, baritone (Bluebeard); Charlotte 

Hellekant, soprano (Judith); Stephen 

Higgins, conductor & arranger. Fleck Dance 

Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens 

Quay W. www.harbourfrontcentre.com/ 

event/bluebeards-castle. $50-$150. Also 

Mar 31(7:30pm); Apr 1(1:30pm). 

● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. James Bryan’s 

Big Birthday Revue @ Revival. Revival Bar, 

783 College St. www.hughsroomlive.com. 

$25. 


Company. Of the Sea. See Mar 28. Also 

Mar 31(8pm); Apr 1(4pm). 

● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 

Visions of Spain: Gimeno Conducts Boléro, 

Rodrigo & More. Coll: Aqua Cinerea (North 

American Premiere); Dutilleux: Symphony 

No.1; Falla: Selections from El amor brujo 

(with Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra); 

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar 

& Orchestra; Ravel: Boléro. Juan Manuel 

Cañizares, guitar; Toronto Symphony Youth 

Orchestra; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. Roy 

Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. 

From $35. Mar 31(7:30pm), Apr 1, 2(3pm). 

Thursday March 30 

● 12:00 noon: Music at Met. Thursday Noon 

at Met Concert Series. Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon, 

soprano; Dakota Scott-Digout, piano. 

Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E. 

www.metunited.ca. Free. LIVE & STREAMED. 

● 7:30: Rose Theatre. Brampton Music Theatre: 

Kinky Boots. Music by Cyndi Lauper. 

Book & Lyrics by Harvey Fierstein. 1 Theatre 

Ln., Brampton. 905-874-2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. 

$20-$39. Also Mar 31(7:30pm), 

Apr 1(1pm & 7:30pm), 2(1pm). 

● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Mia Sheard’s 

“Songs Are Like Tattoos”: A Tribute 

to Joni Mitchell. Hugh’s Room, 

3030 Dundas St. W. www.showpass.com/ 


jmia-sheards-songs-are-like-tattoos- 

3030-dundas. $35; $10(livestream). LIVE & 

LIVESTREAM. 

● 8:00: Massey Hall. Buddy Guy. 178 Victoria 

St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. From $63. Also 

Mar 31. 

MARCH 30 at 8 pm 

GRYPHON 

TRIO 

music-toronto.com 

● 8:00: Music Toronto. Gryphon Trio. 

Beethoven: Piano Trio No.2 Op.70 (“Ghost”) - 

1st movement; Robert Rival: Nature Rhythms 

1 (world premiere); Two new works by former 

students of the Earl Haig Collegiate program; 

Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in c Op.66. 

Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for 

the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723 option 2. 

$47.50 or $52; $10(st). 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. 

Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage: Cécile 

McLorin Salvant. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 

273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www. 

rcmusic.com/performance. From $50. 

● 8:00: SING! The Toronto International 

Vocal Arts Festival. Aca-Film Festival. A cappella 

music and renowned short films come 

together. Burlington Performing Arts Centre, 

440 Locust St., Burlington. www.singtoronto. 

com/sing-film-festival. $25; $20(Member); 

$15(Youth (18 & under); $15(arts workers). 

Friday March 31 

● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noontime 

Recital. Brahms: Ballades Op.10 and works 

by Albeniz. Emily Chiang, piano. St. Andrew’s 

Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416- 

593-5600 X231 or www.standrewstoronto. 

org. Free. 

● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music 

Society. Chamber Music Concert. Schubert: 

Piano Quintet in A D.667 (“Trout Quintet”); and 

Piano Quintets by Hummel and Dussek. Francine 

Kay, piano; Magisterra Soloists: Annette- 

Barbara Vogel, violin; Jutta Puchhammer, 

viola; Katerina Juraskova, cello; Travis Harrison, 

double bass. First United Church, 

16 William St. W., Waterloo. 519-569-1809 or 

www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. $35; $20(st). 

● 7:30: Against the Grain Theatre. 

Bluebeard’s Castle. See Mar 28. Also 

Apr 1(1:30pm). 


Kinky Boots. See Mar 30. Also Apr 1(1pm 

& 7:30pm), 2(1pm). 


Visions of Spain: Gimeno Conducts 

Boléro, Rodrigo & More. See Mar 29. Also 

Apr 1(8pm), 2(3pm). 

● 8:00: Etobicoke Community Concert Band. 

Winter’s End. Etobicoke Collegiate Auditorium, 

86 Montgomery Rd., Etobicoke. 416-410- 

1570 or www.eccb.ca. $15; Free(under 12). 

● 8:00: Humber College, Faculty of Creative 

and Media Arts. Laila Biali Trio and the Humber 

50th Anniversary Band. Laila Biali Trio: 

Laila Biali, vocals; Larnell Lewis, drums; and 

George Koller, bass. Guests: Pat Labarbera, 

sax; Kevin Turcotte, trumpet; Kelsley Grant, 

trombone; and Andrew Scott, guitar; and 

Humber 50th Anniversary Band. Humber 

Lakeshore Auditorium, 3199 Lake Shore Blvd. 

W., Etobicoke. www.humber50th.eventbrite. 

ca. $10-$30. 

● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. 

Troupe Vertigo. Troupe Vertigo, circus performers; 

Andrei Feher, conductor. Centre in 

the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519- 

745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also 

Apr 1. 

● 8:00: Massey Hall. Buddy Guy. 178 Victoria 

St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. From $63. Also 

Mar 30. 

● 8:00: Music Gallery. Jasmyn + 

Camille Léon + Shn Shn. Music Gallery at 

918 Bathurst, 918 Bathurst St. Tickets at 

www.musicgallery.org/events/jasmyn or 416- 

204-1080. $15-$20. 

● 8:00: Ontario Pops Orchestra. Hispanic / 

Latin American Heritage Gala Concert 2022. 

Breaking Barriers: Album Release Concert. 

Concertos by Bach and Vivaldi; Holst: St. 

Paul’s Suite; Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik; 

Mozart: Symphony No.40 in g K.550. Tanya 

Charles Iveniuk, violin; Yanet Campbell Secades, 

violin; and Marlene Ngalissamy, bassoon; 

Carlos Bastidas, conductor. Trinity-St. 

Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. www.eventbrite.ca/e/album-release-breaking-barrierstickets-505454677547. 

$20-$30. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. String 

Concerts: Benedetti Elschenbroich Grynyuk 

Trio. Schubert: Piano Trio No.2 in E-flat D.929; 

Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio in a Op.50. Koerner 

Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408- 

0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. 

From $50. 


Company. Of the Sea. See Mar 28. Also 

Apr 1(4pm). 

● 8:00: TD Sunfest Global Music & Jazz Series/The 

Wolf. Lemon Bucket Orkestra. Wolf 

Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St., London. 

www.sunfest.on.ca. $25. 

Saturday April 1 

● 1:00: Rose Theatre. Brampton Music 

Theatre: Kinky Boots. See Mar 30. Also 

Apr 1(7:30pm), 2(1pm). 

● 1:30: Against the Grain Theatre. Bluebeard’s 

Castle. Music by Béla Bartók. See 

Mar 29. 


Symphonic Fairy Tales. Troupe Vertigo, circus 

performers; Andrei Feher, conductor. 

Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 

519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $13; 

$11(child). 


Company. Of the Sea. See Mar 28. 

● 4:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. Cabaret: 

Latin Fiesta. Music from the Hispanic world. 

Edward Jackman Centre, 947 Queen St. E., 

2nd Floor. 416-366-7723 or 1–800-708-6754 

or www.tolive.com. $45. 

● 7:00: Univox Choir. In a Dream. Emily 

Green: Paradise in a Dream; Eric Whitacre: 

Sleep; Eleanor Daley: In Remembrance; Eriks 

Esenvalds: Only in Sleep; Fauré: Libera me 

from Requiem in d Op.48. Univox Choir; Adam 

Kuiack, baritone; Kevin Stoltz, piano; Malcolm 

Cody MacFarlane, conductor. Christ Church 

Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. www.universe. 

com/InADream. $25; $30(with a $5 donation); 

Free(under 12). 

● 7:30: Chroma Vocal Ensemble. Space and 

Time. Featuring works by Canadian composers 

Kathleen Allan, Eleanor Daley, Matthew 

Emery, Marie-Claire Saindon, and 

Peter Togni. St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 

276 Gladstone Ave. 647-828-8782 or www. 

chromavocalensemble.ca. From $10. 

● 7:30: Etobicoke Centennial Choir. On the 

Sunny Side of the Street. Selections from 

The King and I, jazz standards, spirituals 

and folk songs. Karen MacLeod, soprano; 

Mélissa Danis, mezzo; Lauren Halasz, alto; 

David Finneran, baritone; Carl Steinhauser, 

piano; Henry Renglich, conductor. Runnymede 

United Church, 432 Runnymede Rd. 

416-779-2258 or www.etobicokecentennialchoir.ca. 

$30. 

● 7:30: Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and 

Performing Arts, Brock University. Department 

of Music Choral Concert. Sora Singers 

and the Brock University Choir; Rachel Rensink-Hoff, 

conductor; Erika Reiman, piano; 

Gail Poulsen, violin. FirstOntario Performing 

Arts Centre, Cairns Recital Hall, 250 St. Paul 

St., St. Catharines. Tickets: 905-688-0722 or 

1-855-515-0722 or www.firstontariopac.ca. 

$15; $10(st). 

● 7:30: Northumberland Orchestra and 

Choir. In the Moment. A collaborative concert 

of quiet reflection. Fauré: Requiem; 

Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending. Oriana 

Singers; Emily Rocha, soprano; Joseph 

Song Chi, baritone; Victoria Yeh, concertmaster 

& solo violin; Robert Grandy, organ. 


Cobourg. Tickets at www.nocmusic.ca and 

www.orianasingers.com. $10-$30. Also 

Apr 2(3:30pm). 

● 7:30: Rose Theatre. Brampton Music 

Theatre: Kinky Boots. See Mar 30. Also 

Apr 2(1pm). 

● 7:30: The Jeffery Concerts. TorQ Percussion 

Quartet. Wolf Performance Hall, 

251 Dundas St., London. 519-672-8800 

or www.jefferyconcerts.com or jefferyconcerts@gmail.com. 

$40; Free(st with 

ID). Tickets at Grand Theatre Box Office, 

471 Richmond St. 

● 8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. The Four 

Temperaments. Górecki: Concerto for Harpsichord; 

Hindemith: The Four Temperaments; 

Honegger: Symphony No.2. Cornell Recital 

Hall, 3201 Bur Oak Ave., Markham. 905-604- 

8339. $20-$40. 


Troupe Vertigo. Troupe Vertigo, circus performers; 

Andrei Feher, conductor. Centre in 

the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519- 

745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also 

Mar 31. 

● 8:00: Mississauga Symphony Orchestra. 

The Music of Easter. Bach: Sinfonia from 

Easter Oratorio; Haydn: Selections from The 

Seven Last Words of Christ; Delgado: The 

Cross of Christ (world premiere); Stravinsky: 

The Shrovetide Fair from Petrushka; Mascagani: 

Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana; 

and other works. Romulo Delgado, tenor; 

Denis Mastromonaco, conductor. Living Arts 

Centre, 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 

www.mississaugasymphony.ca or 905-306- 

6000. From $40. 


Visions of Spain: Gimeno Conducts 

Boléro, Rodrigo & More. See Mar 29. Also 

Apr 2(3pm). 

Sunday April 2 

● 1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music & Truffles 

for Kids. Mathieu Gaudet, piano. Walter 

Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of 

Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-922-3714 X103 

or 647-988- 2102 (eve & weekends) or www. 

mooredaleconcerts.com. $20. 

● 2:00: Avenue Road Music and Performance 

Academy. De Paris à Moscou. Lili Boulanger: 

Trois morceaux; Ravel: Gaspard 

de la nuit; Rachmaninoff: Selected Études- 

Tableaux; Liam Pond: Improvisation; Nikolai 

Kapustin: Variations Op.41. Liam Pond, 

piano. Avenue Road Music and Performance 

Academy, Gordon Lightfoot Concert Hall, 

460 Avenue Rd. 416-922-0855 or info@avenueroadmusic.com. 

Free. Salon concert setting. 

Reception to follow. 

● 2:00: Canzona Chamber Players. Island 

Concert: Spanish Music for Clarinet and 

Piano. Romero: Primer solo original; Ruera: 

Meditación; Pitt: Concertino Op.22; Monasterio: 

Adiós a la Alhambra; Hurlstone: 

Adagio lamentoso; and Gómez: Lorito-Capricho. 

Pedro Rubio, clarinet; Ana Benevides, 

piano. St. Andrew by-the-Lake Anglican 

Church, Cibola Ave., Toronto Island. reservations@canzona.org 

or www.canzona.org 

or 416-822-0613. $30. Also Apr 3(7:30pm) at 

27 Sherbourne St. N. 

● 2:00: Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts. 

Performing Arts Sunday Series: Dance a 

Mile in My Shoes/Bells. Exploring the connections 

between Flamenco and traditional 

Indian Kathak dance. Carmen Romero and 

Bageshree Vaze, dancers; Vineet Vyas, tabla 

drums; Nicolas Hernandes, guitar. 126 James 

St. S., Hamilton. www.HCADanceTheatre. 

com. $25-$30. 

● 2:30: Barrie Concerts Association. 

Magisterra Soloists Play Schubert’s “The 

Trout”. Bethel Community Church, 128 St. 

Vincent Street, Barrie. www.barrieconcerts.org. 

. 

● 3:00: Syrinx Concerts Toronto. Chamber 

Music Concert. Suk: Elegy for piano, violin 

and cello Op.23; Dolin: Variables for cello 

and piano; Smetana: Aus der Heimat for violin 

and piano; Dvořák: Piano Trio No.3 in f Op.65. 

Laurence Kayaleh, violin; Elizabeth Dolin, 

cello; Meagan Milatz, piano. Heliconian Hall, 

35 Hazelton Ave. 416-654-0877. $30; $20(st). 


Visions of Spain: Gimeno Conducts Boléro, 

Rodrigo & More. See Mar 29. 

● 3:00: West Plains United Church. Live!@ 

WestPlains: Corey Gemmell, Violin & Benjamin 

Smith, Piano. Mozart: Sonata in B-flat 

K.454; Fauré: Sonata No.1 in A Op.13; Bach: 

Partita No.3 in E BWV 1006; Sarasate: Serenata 

Andalusia Op.28. 549 Plains Rd. W., 

Burlington. Tickets: 905-320-4989, www. 

westplains.ca, or westplainsconcerts@gmail. 

com. PWYC to $30. LIVE & LIVESTREAM. 



Livestream video available for a limited time 

following the live performance. 

● 3:15: Mooredale Concerts. Mathieu Gaudet, 

Piano. An all-Schubert program: Twelve 

German Dances D.790; Sonata No.18 in 

c D.958; Two Scherzos D.593; and Four 

Impromptus Op.90 D.899. Walter Hall, 

Edward Johnson Building, University of 



mooredaleconcerts.com. $45; $40(sr); 

$30(under 30). 


Choir. In the Moment. A collaborative concert 

of quiet reflection. Fauré: Requiem; 

Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending. Oriana 

Singers; Emily Rocha, soprano; Joseph 

Song Chi, baritone; Victoria Yeh, concertmaster 

& solo violin; Robert Grandy, organ. 


Cobourg. Tickets at www.nocmusic.ca and 

www.orianasingers.com. $10-$30. Also 

Apr 1(7:30pm). 

● 4:00: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto. 

Vespers. A collaboration with the Guelph 

Chamber Choir. Ian Cusson: New Work 

(world premiere); Rachmaninoff: All-Night 

Vigil; and works by Larysa Kuzmenko and 

Uģis Prauliņš. St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 

276 Gladstone Ave. www.eventbrite.ca/e/vespers-tickets-501286981857. 

From $12. 

● 4:00: The Edison Singers. Rachmaninoff 

Vespers. Noel Edison, conductor. St. Thomas’s 

Anglican Church, 99 Ontario St., St. Catharines. 

Tickets at www.theedisonsingers.com/ 

performances. $45; $25(st 18 and under). 

Also Apr 7(Guelph at 7:30pm), 8(Toronto at 

1:30 pm). 

● 7:00: INNERchamber Inc. Early. 

Beethoven: String Quartet Op.18 No.1; Grieg: 

String Quartet No.1 Op.27. INNERchamber 

String Quartette (Julie Baumgartel, violin; 

Andrew Chung, violin; Jody Davenport, 

viola; Ben Bolt-Martin, cello). Revival House, 

70 Brunswick St., Stratford. tickets@innerchamber.ca. 

$50; $10(arts workers/st). LIVE 

& LIVESTREAM. A light meal is available to 

patrons in Stratford. 


Society. Chamber Music Concert. Program 

to be announced. Cicchillitti-Cowan Guitar 

Duo: Adam Cicchillitti and Steve Cowan. 

First United Church, 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 

519-569-1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/ 

kwcms. $35; $20(st). 

● 7:30: Free Times Cafe. Sam Broverman 

Trio. Sam Broverman, vocals; Jordan 

O’Connor, bass; Stu Harrison, piano. 

320 College St. Reservations: 416-967-1078. 

$15 cover. 


Kinky Boots. See Mar 30. 

Monday April 3 

● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. The Broadway 

Boys. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon 

Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 

1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. Runs 

Apr 3-6. 

● 7:30: Canzona Chamber Players. City Concert: 

Spanish Music for Clarinet and Piano. 

Romero: Primer solo original; Ruera: Meditación; 

Pitt: Concertino Op.22; Monasterio: 

Adiós a la Alhambra; Hurlstone: Adagio 

lamentoso; and Gómez: Lorito-Capricho. 

Pedro Rubio, clarinet; Ana Benevides, piano. 

Canzona Music Studio, 27 Sherbourne St. N. 

reservations@canzona.org or www.canzona. 

org or 416-822-0613. $30. Also Apr 2(2pm) 

at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church, Toronto 

Island. 

Tuesday April 4 

● 4:00: Peripheral Vision. We’ve Got Nothing: 

Peripheral Vision Featuring Aline’s étoile 

magique. Peripheral Vision (Trevor Hogg, 

saxophone; Don Scott, guitar; Michael Herring, 

bass, Nick Fraser, drums); Aline’s étoile 

magique (Aline Homzy, violin; Thom Gill, guitar; 

Dan Fortin, bass; Michael Davidson, vibraphone; 

Marito Marques, drums. Tranzac Club, 

292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137. PWYC. $10 

suggested. 



of Music Big Band Concert: Latin Flair. 

Bernstein: West Side Story; Holst: “Jupiter” 

from The Planets; Grainger: Molly on 

the Shore; Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony 

No.5; Fritz Neubock: Rhapsody. Brock 

Big Band; Zoltan Kalman, conductor; Rebecca 

Heathcote, alto saxophone. FirstOntario 

Performing Arts Centre, Cairns Recital Hall, 

250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. Tickets: 905- 

688-0722 or 1-855-515-0722 or www.firstontariopac.ca. 

$15; $10(st). 

● 8:00: Rose Theatre. Big Wreck. Bombs 

Away, Fields, High on the Hog. 1 Theatre Ln., 

Brampton. 905-874-2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. 

$15-$54. 

Wednesday April 5 


Society. Chamber Music Concert. Program 

to be announced. Valencia Baryton Trio. Canadian 

Clay and Glass Gallery, 25 Caroline St. 

N., Waterloo. 519-569-1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. 

$35; $20(st). 



of Music Concert: A Spiritual Journey. 

Bernstein: West Side Story; Holst: “Jupiter” 

from The Planets; Grainger: Molly on the 

Shore; Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony 

NINE SPARROWS ARTS FOUNDATION 

PRESENTS 

THE GOOD FRIDAY 

CONCERT 

Music and Readings for a Most Holy Day 

FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023 | 4:00 PM 

SPECIAL GUESTS: 

Anne Lindsay, Celtic fiddle 

Sharlene Wallace, Celtic harp 

FEATURING: 

Lark Popov, piano 

Stephen Boda, organ 

The Hedgerow Singers 

Eric N. Robertson, conductor 

Rev. Peter Holmes and 

Colleen Burns, narrators 

YORKMINSTER PARK BAPTIST CHURCH 

1585 Yonge Street | 416-922-1167 | ADMISSION FREE 

BEHOLD, HE CARRIED 

OUR SORROWS 

FRIDAY APRIL 15, 7:30PM 

Metropolitan Festival Choir 

Period Instrument Orchestra 

Michael Colvin, Evangelist 

Jacqueline Woodley, Tochter Zion 

Geoffrey Sirett, Jesus 

Jonathan Bach: Cantata Oldengarm, #23 direction and continuo 

St. John Passion (Selections) 

Buxtehude: Fürwahr 

HANDEL 

Brockes Passion 

Friday, April 7 

Tickets: $30 / $15 

Festival Choir, Soloists & Orchestra 

6:30 p.m. pre-concert talk 

Recognizing 7:30 p.m. concert Dr. Patricia Wright 

Conductor & Minister of Music 

metunited.ca/Handel 

LIVESTREAM/IN-PERSON metunited.ca/music 


No.5; Fritz Neubock: Rhapsody. University 

String Orchestra; George Cleland, conductor; 

Jacob Gill, viola. FirstOntario Performing Arts 

Centre, Cairns Recital Hall, 250 St. Paul St., 

St. Catharines. Tickets: 905-688-0722 or 

1-855-515-0722 or www.firstontariopac.ca. 

$15; $10(st). 

Thursday April 6 

● 11:00am: Encore Symphonic Concert 

Band. Monthly Concert. 35-piece concert 

band performing band concert music, 

pop tunes, jazz standards (2 singers) and 

the occasional march. Trinity Presbyterian 

Church York Mills, 2737 Bayview Ave. www. 

encoreband.ca. $10. 

WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO 

APRIL 6 | 1.30 PM 

MARION NEWMAN 

with Melody Courage, 

Evan Korbut, and Gordon Gerrard 

416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca 

● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto. 

Music in the Afternoon: Marion Newman - 

Indigenous Artists Interrogate the Western 

Canon. Music by Mozart, Puccini, Cusson, 

and Highway. Marion Newman, mezzo; Melody 

Courage, soprano; Evan Korbut, baritone; 

Gordon Gerrard, piano. Walter Hall, Edward 

Johnson Building, University of Toronto, 

80 Queen’s Park. 416-923-7052 X1. $45; 

free(st with ID). 

● 7:30: Opera Atelier. Handel: The Resurrection. 

Carla Huhtanen, soprano (Archangel); 

Meghan Lindsay, soprano (Mary Magdalene); 

Alyson McHardy, mezzo (Cleophas); Colin 

Ainsworth, tenor (St. John); Douglas Williams, 

bass-baritone (Lucifer) and others. 

Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. 

W. 416-703-3767 x700 or OperaAtelier.com. 

From $49. Also Apr 8, 9(2:30pm). 

● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. John Pizzarelli. 

171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 

www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca or 905-305- 

7469 or boxoffice@markham.ca. $15-$88. 

● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Caribbean Jazz 

Collective (CJC). Hugh’s Room, 3030 Dundas 

St. W. www.showpass.com/caribbean-jazzcollective-3030. 

$25(Live); $10(Livestream). 

LIVE & LIVESTREAM. 

● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mahler 

5. Kokken: “Adagio religioso” (North 

American Premiere); Grime: Violin Concerto 

(North American Premiere); Mahler: 

Symphony No.5. Leila Josefowicz, violin; 

John Storgårds, conductor. Roy Thomson 

Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35. 

Also Apr 8. 

Friday April 7 


The Good Friday Concert: Music and Readings 

for a Most Holy Day. Anne Lindsay, 

Celtic fiddle; Sharlene Wallace, Celtic harp; 

Lark Popov, piano; Stephen Boda, organ; 

The Hedgerow Singers; Eric N. Robertson, 

conductor; Rev. Peter Holmes and Colleen 

Burns, narrators. Yorkminster Park Baptist 

Church, 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or 


welcome. 

● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. Songs of Syria. 

Andrew Downing curates a program of the 

rich and beautiful music of Syria, featuring 

members of the Canadian Arabic Orchestra. 

Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. info@confluenceconcerts.ca. 

Also Apr 8. 

● 7:30: Grand Philharmonic Choir. Bach: 

Mass in B Minor. Sherezade Panthaki, soprano; 

Julia Dawson, mezzo; Lawrence 

Wiliford, tenor; Jonathon Adams, baritone; 

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony; 

Mark Vuorinen, conductor. Centre in the 

Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Tickets 

& info: www.grandphilchoir.com. 

$27-$81; $19(st/under-30); $9(child/highschool 

st). 

● 7:30: Metropolitan United Church. Handel: 

Brockes Passion, HWV 48. Libretto by Barthold 

Heinrich Brockes. Metropolitan Festival 

Choir; Period Instrument Orchestra; Michael 

Colvin, tenor (Evangelist); Jacqueline Woodley, 

soprano (Tochter Zion); Geoffrey Sirett, 

baritone (Jesus); Jonathan Oldengarm, 

direction & continuo. 56 Queen St. E. www. 

metunited.ca/handel. $15 & $30. Pre-concert 

talk(6:30pm). 


Vespers. Noel Edison, conductor. St. Thomas’s 

Anglican Church (St. Catharines), 99 Ontario 

St., St. Catharines. Tickets: www.theedisonsingers.com/performances. 

$45; $25(st/18 

and under). Also Apr 2(4pm - St. Catharines), 

8(1:30pm - Toronto). 

● 8:00: Georgetown Bach Chorale. The Passion 

According to St. Matthew. Bach: St. 

Matthew Passion. Michael Taylor, tenor (Evangelist); 

Georgetown Bach Chorale Chamber 

Choir, Soloists, and Baroque Orchestra. Knox 

Presbyterian Church, 116 Main St. S., Georgetown. 

www.georgetownbachchorale.com or 

905-873-9909. $45; $15(st). 



Vespers. Noel Edison, conductor. Hart House, 

Great Hall, 7 Hart House Circle. Tickets: www. 

theedisonsingers.com/performances. $45; 

$25(st/18 and under). Also Apr 2(4pm - St. 

Catharines), 7(7:30pm - Guelph). 

● 2:00: Five at the First. String Extravaganza 

XII. Glick: Suite Hebraique for solo cello; 

Nokuthula Ngwenyama: Primal Message for 

viola quintet; Brahms: Sextet in B-flat. Scott 

St. John & Csaba Koczo, violins; Caitlin Boyle 

& Theresa Rudolph, violas; Rachel Desoer & 

Rachel Mercer, cellos. First Unitarian Church 

of Hamilton, 170 Dundurn St. S., Hamilton. 

905-399-5125 or www.5atthefirst.com. 

$5-$20; Free(under 12). 


Andrew Downing curates a program of the 

rich and beautiful music of Syria, featuring 

members of the Canadian Arabic Orchestra. 

Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. info@confluenceconcerts.ca. 

Also Apr 8. 


See Apr 6. Also Apr 9(2:30pm). 

● 8:00: Burlington Symphony Orchestra. 

The Music of John Williams. Music from 

Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, The 

Cowboys, 1941, and other films. Burlington 

Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 

905-681-6000 or www.burlingtonsymphony.ca. 

$12-$46. 

● 8:00: Small World Music/Massey Hall. 

Zakir Hussain’s Masters of Percussion. Massey 

Hall, 178 Victoria St. www.masseyhall. 

mhrth.com/tickets/zakir-hussain. From $45. 

● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mahler 

5. Kokken: “Adagio religioso” (North 

American Premiere); Grime: Violin Concerto 

(North American Premiere); Mahler: 

Symphony No.5. Leila Josefowicz, violin; 

John Storgårds, conductor. Roy Thomson 


Also Apr 6. 

● 9:00: Church of St. Mary Magdalene. 

Easter Vigil Procession and Solemn Mass. 

Gregorian chant and polyphony. Ritual and 

Gallery Choir. 477 Manning Ave. Freewill offering. 

LIVE & LIVESTREAM. Religious service 

followed by a Resurrection Party. 

● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Pitbull. 

Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage, 

6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877- 

833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. . 



See Apr 6. 



Instrumental Series: Chamber Connections. 

Rising stars of The Glenn Gould Chamber 

Music Competition. Richard Bradshaw 

Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the 

Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc. 

ca/free-concert-series. Free. 


Lunchtime Chamber Music. Jayne Sakurako 

Abe, piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 

1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. 

Free. Donations welcome. 

● 8:00: Rose Theatre. Jazz at LBP: Oakland 

Stroke. Music by Tower of Power, Earth 

Wind & Fire, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, 

and others. Jaymz Bee, host. Rose Theatre, 

Lester B. Pearson, 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 

905-874-2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. 

$15-$29. 

Wednday April 12 


Instrumental Series: Songs in Time of War 

- Revisited. Alec Roth: Songs in Time of War. 

PhoeNX Ensemble; Lawrence Wiliford, tenor. 

Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four 

Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 

145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries. 

Free. 

● 12:00 noon: Princess Margaret Cancer 

Centre. Atrium Concerts. A free concert of 

jazz standards. Rebecca Enkin, voice; Mike 

Allen, guitar; Edi Castro, bass. Princess Margaret 

Cancer Centre Atrium, 610 University 

Ave. Tickets: 647-464-9749. Free. 

● 12:30: ORGANIX Concerts. Christopher 

Dawes, Organ. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic 

Church, 3055 Bloor St. W. 416-571-3680 

or organixconcerts.ca. Freewill offering ($20 

suggested). 

● 12:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church. 

Noonday Organ Recital. Joshua Duncan Lee, 

organ. 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark. 

com. Free. Donations welcome. 

Wed April 12 

SOPHIE DUPUIS 

L’histoire que les 

vague racontent 

for 14 musicians and live 

electronics 

NEW WAVE 

FESTIVAL 2023 

April 12 & 16 


● 7:00: Esprit Orchestra. New Wave Festival: 

New Wave 1. Sophie Dupuis: L’histoire que 

les vague racontent, for 14 musicians and live 

electronics; Roydon Tse: Mobilize, for sinfonietta; 

Salvatore Sciarrino: Brazil (arrangement 

based on music by Ary Barroso); Claude 

Vivier: Pulau Dewata (arr. John Rea); Chris 

Paul Harman: Partita No.2 for Solo Violin; 

Akira Nishimura: Kecak, for percussion sextet. 

Mark Fewer, violin; Alex Pauk, conductor. 

TD Music Hall, 178 Victoria St. 416-872-4255 

or www.espritorchestra.com. $20. 

● 7:30: Canadian Music Centre. Pursuit 

Grooves & Masahiro Takahashi. 20 St. Joseph 

St. Tickets: 416-961-6601. General admission: 

$20/$15(adv); CMC Members and Arts Workers: 

$15/$12(adv). Students: $10. 

● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. 

Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert. Mazzoleni 

Concert Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor 

St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/ 

performance. Free. 

● 8:00: Browntasauras Records. Nick Maclean 

Quartet. Featuring Brownman Ali. Nick 

Maclean, piano; Brownman Ali, trumpet; Bennett 

Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. La 

Revolucion, 2848 Dundas St. W. 416-389-2643 

or www.eventbrite.ca/e/nick-maclean-quartet-feat-brownman-ali-toronto-tickets-587856413357. 

$20/$15(adv). 



Instrumental Series: Franz² = Poetry, Drama 

and the 19th-Century Piano. Schubert: 

Impromptus; Liszt: Piano Sonata in b S.178; 

and other works. Rudin Lengo, piano. Richard 

Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre 

for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 

www.coc.ca/free-concert-series. Free. 



Maclean, piano; Brownman Ali, trumpet; 

Bennett Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. 

Simcoe Blues and Jazz, 926 Simcoe St. N., 



Oshawa. 416-389-2643 or www.tournmq. 

brownman.com. PWYC. 

● 8:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Terry Fator: 

On The Road Again. Fallsview Casino Resort, 

OLG Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara 

Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster. 

ca. . 


Quartet. Featuring Brownman Ali. 

Nick Maclean, piano; Brownman Ali, trumpet; 

Bennett Young, bass; Davide Corazza, 

drums. Duffy’s Tavern, 1238 Bloor St. W. 

416-389-2643 or www.eventbrite.ca/e/ 

nick-maclean-quartet-feat-brownman-alitoronto-tickets-533012423507. 

$20; $15(adv). 


● 11:00am: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Talk & Tea: An Evening with Schubert. 

Abigail Richardson-Schulte, host. Stage Door 

@ FirstOntario Concert Hall, 10 MacNab St. 

S., Hamilton. 905-526-7756. $10-$20. Talk 

with light refreshments & sneak peek at HPO 

rehearsal. 


Recital. Carina Shum, piano. St. Andrew’s 

Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416- 

593-5600 X231 or www.standrewstoronto. 

org. Free. 

● 7:00: Jazz at Durbar. Matt Pines Jazz Trio. 

Matt Pines, piano; Edi Castro, bass, and Rebecca 

Enkin, vocals. Durbar Indian Restaurant, 

2469 Bloor St. W. 416-762-4441. 

● 7:30: Harbourfront Centre. Kaha:wi 

Dance Theatre’s Homelands. Choreographed 

by Santee Smith. Music by Pura Fé. Shane 

Powless, Katsitsionni Fox, Jaiden Mitchell, 

Ian Maracle, Ami Kokui Tamakloe, and 

Santee Smith. Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 

235 Queens Quay W. www.harbourfrontcentre.com. 

From $20. Also Apr 15. 

Torque Q&A immediately following the Apr 15 

performance. 

● 7:30: Humbercrest United Church. Voice 

and Piano Recital. Frank Horvat: Fractures - 

An Environmental Song Cycle. Meredith Hall, 

soprano; Brahm Goldhamer, piano. 16 Baby 

Point Rd. Tickets & info: www.humbercrest. 

ca or 416-434-7870 or www.frankhorvat.com. 

Donate what you can. All funds raised benefit 

Ecojustice. 

● 8:00: Folk Under The Clock. Harry 

Manx. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 

140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749- 

1146 or www.folkundertheclock.ca. $49. 

● 8:00: Grand River Jazz Society. Nick Maclean 



Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. Jazz 

Room, Huether Hotel, 59 King St N., Waterloo. 

416-389-2643. $18. 

● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Tchaikovsky & 

Mendelssohn. Sunabacka: Born by the River; 

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in d; Tchaikovsky: 

Album for the Young Op.39. Julia Mirzoev, 

violin; Johannes Rieger, conductor. Jane Mallett 

Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the 

Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-499-0403 or info@ 

sinfoniatoronto.com. $44; $37(sr); $17(st); 

$17(virtual). 


● 10:30am: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. 

Sorcerer’s Apprentice. KWS Woodwind Quintet. 

Stork Family YMCA, 500 Fischer-Hallman 

Rd. N., Waterloo. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745- 

4717. $14; $12(child). Also Apr 29(Conrad Centre 

for the Performing Arts). 

● 2:00: Rose Theatre Brampton. Reggae 

Roots. Toronto Symphony Orchestra; 

Jah’Mila, vocalist; Daniel Bartholomew- 

Poyser, conductor. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre 

Ln., Brampton. www.tickets.brampton.ca. 

$20; $15(st). 

● 7:00: Remenyi House of Music. An 

Intimate Concert. Martín García García, 

piano. Remenyi House of Music, Unit 15, 

109 Vanderhoof Ave. www.eventbrite.com/e/ 

an-intimate-concert-with-martin-garcia-garcia-tickets-551506299187. 

$25. 

● 7:30: Alibi Room/Jazz Sudbury. Nick Maclean 

Quartet - Featuring Brownman Ali. Nick 


Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. Alibi 

Room, 113 Durham St., Sudbury. Tickets: 416- 

389-2643. $30/$25(adv). 

● 7:30: Chorus York, Richmond Hill. Spring 

Sing: A Tribute to Rosetown. Celebrating 

the 150th anniversary of Richmond Hill formerly 

called “Rosetown”. Richmond Hill 

Presbyterian Church, 10066 Yonge St., Richmond 

Hill. www.chorusyork.ca or 905-884- 

7922. $25; Free(child under 12). 

● 7:30: Flute Street. Home From Away. 

Works by Victoria, Bartok, Piazzola, Isaac 

Page, and Leonard Cohen. Christ Church 

Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-462-9498. $25; 

$20(sr/arts workers); $10(st). 

● 7:30: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

An Evening with Schubert. Mozart: Overture 

to Don Giovanni (arr. Busoni); Schubert: 

Ave Maria; Di Castri: Dear Life; Schubert: 

Symphony No.9 in C “The Great”. Alexander 

Smither, soprano; Sarah Ioannides, guest 

conductor. Boris Brott Great Hall, FirstOntario 

Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton. 

905-526-7756. $20-$80. Pre-concert talk at 

6:30pm. 

● 7:30: Harbourfront Centre. Kaha:wi 

Dance Theatre’s Homelands. Choreographed 

by Santee Smith. Music by Pura Fé. Shane 

Powless, Katsitsionni Fox, Jaiden Mitchell, 

Ian Maracle, Ami Kokui Tamakloe, and 

Santee Smith. Harbourfront Centre Theatre, 

235 Queens Quay W. www.harbourfrontcentre.com. 

From $20. Also Apr 14. 

Torque Q&A immediately following the Apr 15 

performance. 

● 8:00: Aga Khan Museum/Labyrinth 

Ontario. Labyrinth Ensemble With Evgenios 

Voulgaris. An exploration of 17th-century 

music and contemporary compositions. 

Evgenios Voulgaris, oud & yaylı tambur. The 

Labyrinth Ensemble: 14 performers on santur, 

riqq, bendir, baglama, saxophone, clarinet, 

and electric bass. Aga Khan Museum Auditorium, 

77 Wynford Dr. 416-646-4677 or www. 

agakhanmuseum.org/programs/evgeniosvoulgaris. 

$40; $36(Friends); $30(sr/st). Tickets 

include same-day Museum admission. 

● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. 

Apotheosis of the Dance. Emily Doolittle: 

...and some fireworks; Massenet: Ballet 

Music from Le Cid; Johann Strauss II: Wiener 

Blut Op.354; Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A 

Op.92. Martin MacDonald, conductor. P.C. Ho 

Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater 

Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough. 

416-879-5566. From $25. Free for children 

under 12. Pre-concert talk: 7:15pm. 

● 8:00: Rose Theatre. This Is Brampton: 

Drivewire. 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-874- 

2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. $15. 

● 8:00: St. Jude’s Celebration of the Arts. 

Quartetto Gelato Presents Tasty Tunes. Quartetto 

Gelato. St. Jude’s Anglican Church, 

160 William St., Oakville. 905-844-3972 or 

www.eventbrite.ca/e/quartetto-gelato-tastytunes-tickets-389945125367?aff=ebdssbcat 

egorybrowse. . 


● 11:00am: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 

Relaxed Performance: Reggae Roots. 

Jah’Mila, vocalist; Daniel Bartholomew- 

Poyser, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 

60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $23. 

Designed to be welcoming to neurodiverse 

patrons. 

● 1:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. YPC: 

Reggae Roots. Jah’Mila, vocalist; Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, 

conductor. Roy Thomson 


Also 4pm. 

● 2:00: Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts. 

Performing Arts Sunday Series: Sheng Cai, 

Piano. André Mathieu: Primptemps Canadien; 

and works by Morawetz, Beethoven, Couperin, 

and Tchaikovsky. 126 James St. S., Hamilton. 

www.HCADanceTheatre.com. $25-$30. 

● 3:00: Gallery Players of Niagara. Tafelmusik 

Presents La Stravagante! Patricia Ahern 

& Christopher Verrette, violin; Patrick G. 

Jordan, viola; Keiran Campbell, violoncello; 

Lucas Harris, lute; Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord. 

FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 

Cairns Recital Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 

www.galleryplayers.ca/shop/tickets. 

From $10. 

● 3:00: Orchestra Toronto. Afternoon at the 

Opera. Verdi: Selections from La traviata and 

La forza del destino; Puccini: Selections from 

Gianni Schicchi and Manon Lescaut; Wagner: 

Selections from Tannhäuser and Lohengrin; 

Saint‐Saëns: Selections from Samson et 

Dalila; Elizabeth Raum: Romance of the Gods 

(world premiere). Michael Newnham, conductor. 

George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian 

Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St. 416-467-7142 

or www.ticketmaster.ca. $52. Pre-concert 

chat at 2:15pm. 

● 4:00: Church of St. Peter and St. Simonthe-Apostle. 

Handel’s Messiah: Parts 2 and 

3. Choir of St. Peter and St. Simon-the-Apostle 

and Instrumentalists from Arcady; Sophie 

Knowles, Katherine Jones, Maria Milenic, 

Mekhriban Mamedova, Ian Corlett, Greg Carpenter, 

Alan MacDonald, James Coole-Stevenson, 

Kieran Kane; David Smith, continuo; 

Robin Davis, director. 525 Bloor St. E. 416- 

923-8714. $30; Free(under 12). 

● 4:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. YPC: 

Reggae Roots. Jah’Mila, vocalist; Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, 

conductor. Roy Thomson 


Also 1:30pm. 


JULIUS EASTMAN 

Gay Guerrilla 

arr. JESSIE MONTGOMERY 

for string septet 

NEW WAVE 

FESTIVAL 2023 

April 12 & 16 


● 7:00: Esprit Orchestra. New Wave Festival: 

New Wave 2. Misato Mochizuki: Chimera, 

for 11 players; Julius Eastman: Gay Guerrilla 

(arr. Jessie Montgomery), for string septet; 

Andrew Staniland: Orion Constellation 

Theory, for solo snare drum and electronics; 

Julia Mermelstein: between walls, for 

chamber orchestra and electronics; Stephanie 

Orlando: 4-7-8, for chamber orchestra; 

Steve Reich: Sextet, for percussion and 

keyboards. Ryan Scott, snare drum; Alex 

Pauk, conductor. TD Music Hall, 178 Victoria 


St. 416-872-4255 or www.espritorchestra. 

com. $20. 

● 7:30: Algoma Conservatory. Nick Maclean 

Quartet. Featuring Brownman Ali. Nick Maclean, 

piano; Brownman Ali, trumpet; Bennett 

Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. The 

Loft, 75 Huron St., Sault Ste. Marie. 416-389- 

2643. $35. 


7:30PM 

Bach: The Musical Offering BWV 1079. LARK 

Ensemble: Members of Canadian Opera Company 

Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, 

and National Ballet of Canada Orchestra; 

Christopher Bagan, harpsichord. Richard 





Lunchtime Chamber Music: Rising Stars 

Recital. Featuring students from the Glenn 

Gould School. Yorkminster Park Baptist 

Church, 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. 


● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Piano 

Recitals: Beatrice Rana. Bach: French Suite 

No.2 in c BWV 813; Debussy: Pour le piano 

L.95; Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.29 in B-flat 

Op.106 (“Hammerklavier”). Koerner Hall, 

TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. Tickets: 416- 

408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance. 

$45-$100. 


Frank & Ella. Capathia Jenkins, vocalist; Tony 

DeSare, vocalist/piano; Steven Reineke, conductor. 

Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 

416-598-3375. From $62. Also Apr 19(2pm 

& 8 pm). 


& The Sentimentals. Paradise Theatre, 

1006 Bloor St. W. www.hughsroomlive.com. 

$40. 

● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Frank 

& Ella. See Apr 18. 



Dance Series: Stories for Ballet. Highlights 

from Anne of Green Gables — The Ballet® and 

Cinderella. Ballet Jörgen. Richard Bradshaw 

Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the 

Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc. 

ca/free-concert-series. Free. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. String 

Concerts: Blake Pouliot with Henry Kramer. 

Rózsa: Variations on a Hungarian Peasant 

Song Op.4; Clara Schumann: 3 Romances for 

Violin and Piano Op.22; Derrick Skye: God 

of the Gaps for Violin and Electronics (Canadian 

premiere); Kaija Saariaho: Nocturne for 

Solo Violin; Chausson: Poème Op.25; Brahms: 

Sonata for Violin and Piano No.3 in d Op.108. 


W. 416-408-0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. 

$45-$85. 


● 7:30: Amici Chamber Ensemble. From 

Strauss to the Orient. R. Strauss: Duet Concertino 

for clarinet, bassoon, strings, and harp; R. 

Strauss: Lieder (arr. Serouj Kradjian); Ravel: 

Shéhérazade; Najib Hankash-Kahlil Gibran: 

Give Me the Flute (Aateny el Nay); Wadih El Safi: 

Swear to Me, Little Bird (Rah halfak bel ghosn 

ya asfour); Zaki Nassif: Enamored of Roses (Ya 

Aashikata el wardi); Farid el Atrache: Flower 

of My Dreams (Ya zahratan fee khayalee). 

Guest Artists: Joyce El-Khoury, soprano; Timothy 

Ying, violin; Kathleen Kajioka, violin; Barry 

Shiffman, viola; Michael Sweeney, bassoon; 

and Naghmeh Farahmand, percussion. Amici 

Chamber Ensemble: Joaquin Valdepeñas, 

clarinet; David Hetherington, cello; Serouj 

Kradjian, piano. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 

427 Bloor St. W. www.amiciensemble.com. 

$50; $30(under 30); $100(donor/VIP). 


● 7:30: Bobolink Concerts. Joe Trio: Unstuff 

the Classics. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 

www.Eventbrite.ca or 905-632-6047. $35. 



Instrumental Series: The Musical Offering. 


Dance Series: Preview of DanceWeekend - 

30th Anniversary Edition. Dance Ontario’s 

flagship event is a sumptuous multi-day 

dance festival chock-full of talent, performance, 

innovation, education, companies, 

culture, and exceptional opportunities featuring 

ballet, flamenco, hip hop, Indian classical, 

Egyptian, Chinese, contemporary, and 

everything in between and unfolding. Richard 





Noonday Organ Recital. TBA, organ. 




Frank & Ella. See Apr 18. Also Apr 18(8pm), 

19(8 pm). 

● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. The 

Birds Concert. Evoking, through the fascination 

of men for birds, a certain vision of music 

in the 17th and 18th centuries, between science, 

nature and culture. Florence Bolton, 

viola de gamba; Benjamin Perrot, theorbo 

& baroque guitar; Sébastien Marq, recorders; 

Clément Geoffroy, harpsichord. Spadina 

Theatre, Alliance Française de Toronto, 

24 Spadina Rd. www.alliance-francaise. 

ca/. $18. 

● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Stephen Fearing 

THE “OTHER” 

RAZUMOVSKY 

QUARTETS 

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 7:30PM 

eyblerquartet.com 

● 7:30: Gallery Players of Niagara. The 

“Other” Razumovsky Quartets. Weiss: String 

Quartet in G Op.8 No.1; Weiss: String Quartet 

in c Op.8 No. 2. Eybler Quartet: Julia Wedman 

and Patricia Ahern, violins; Patrick Jordan, 

viola; Margaret Gay, cello. Heliconian Hall, 

35 Hazelton Ave. 905-468-1525. PWYC. $40 

suggested. Also Apr 22, 3pm(Hamilton). 



Recital. Norman Brown, baritone. St. 

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St. 

416-593-5600 X231 or www.standrewstoronto.org. 

Free. 

● 6:30: TYT Theatre. The Princess and 

the Pea. An interactive, whimsical, musical 

experience for the whole family. For ages 5 

and up. Wychwood Barns Park, 76 Wychwood 

Ave. www.tickets.ticketwise.com/event/princess-and-the-pea-panto. 

From $33. Runs 

Apr 21-May 13. 


Society. Sheng Cai, Piano. Morawetz: Fantasy, 

Elegy and Toccata; Mathieu: Primptemps 

canadien; Beethoven: Sonata Op.31 No.3 “The 

Hunt”; Couperin: Pièces de clavecin (selections); 

Tchaikovsky: Grande Sonata Op.37. 

First United Church, 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 

519-569-1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/ 

kwcms. $30; $20(st). 

● 8:00: Chamber Music Society of Mississauga. 

Dances. James Campbell, clarinet; 

Sarah Fraser Raff, violin; Angela Park, piano. 

Erin Mills United Church, 3010 The Collegeway, 

Mississauga. 647-892-8251 or www. 

chambermusicmississauga.org. PWYC. 

THE “OTHER” 

RAZUMOVSKY 

QUARTETS 

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 3PM 

eyblerquartet.com 

● 3:00: Hammer Baroque. The “Other” 

Razumovsky Quartets. Weiss: String Quartet in 

G Op.8 No.1; Weiss: String Quartet in c Op.8 No. 

2. Eybler Quartet: Julia Wedman and Patricia 

Ahern, violins; Patrick Jordan, viola; Margaret 

Gay, cello. St. John the Evangelist Church 

(Hamilton) - The Rock on Locke, 320 Charlton 

Ave. W., Hamilton. 905-468-1525. PWYC. $40 

suggested. Also Apr 20, 7:30pm(Toronto). 

● 3:00: Neapolitan Connection. Musical 

Matinees at Montgomery’s Inn: Romani 

Romances. Lucia Barcari, violin; Sabatino 

Vacca, piano. Montgomery’s Inn Museum, 

4709 Dundas St. W. www.neapolitanconnection.com. 

$25. Historical Museum tours at 

2:15pm. Concerts at 3pm. 

● 7:00: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Spring Renewal. Guests: Ventanas 

(Tamar Ilana, vocals & dance; Jessica Hana 

Deutsch, violin & vocals; Tyler Emond, double 

bass; Benjamin Barrile, flamenco guitar; 

Demetrios Petsalakis, oud; Derek Gray, percussion); 

Corey Gemmell, violin; Ronald Royer, 

conductor. Salvation Army Scarborough 

Citadel, 2021 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough. 

647-482-7761 or www.spo.ca/Concerts. 

$15-$35. 

● 7:00: Toronto Korean Presbyterian 

Church. Singing Together. Multicultural 

choral event featuring Spanish, Chinese, 

Italian, Korean and Ukranian choirs. 

67 Scarsdale Rd., North York. Information at 

colladaniel@hotmail.com. 

● 7:00: Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church. 

Mass for the Endangered. A celebration of 

the Christian mass and lament for the mistreatment 

of Creation. Sarah Kirkland Snider: 

Mass for the Endangered. Trinity-St. Paul’s 



Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. Viva Singers and full 

orchestra; www.eventbrite.com/e/in-concert-with-creation-tickets-538039850677. 

$25. Religious service. 

● 7:30: Avanti Chamber Singers. Considering 

Matthew Shepard. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, 

director; Lesley Kingham, piano. FirstOntario 

Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. 

Catharines. www.avantisingers.com/tickets. 

From $16.93. Also Apr 23(3pm). 


Choir. Season Finale. Franck: Symphonic 

Variations; Beethoven: Symphony No.1 in C 

Op.21. Christopher Goodpasture, piano. Trinity 

United Church (Cobourg), 284 Division St., 

Cobourg. Tickets at www.nocmusic.ca or 

289-251-1191. $19-$30. 

● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Discovery 

Series: The Glenn Gould School Piano 

Showcase. Mazzoleni Concert Hall, TELUS 

Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or 

rcmusic.com/performance. $20. 

● 7:30: Toronto Beach Chorale. Choral Concert. 

Fauré: Requiem in d Op.48; Morten 

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna. Toronto Beach Chorale; 

Soprano and Bass Soloists & Chamber 

Orchestra; Mervin W. Fick, conductor. Knox 

Presbyterian Church, 630 Spadina Ave. Tickets: 

www.torontobeachchorale.com. $30; 

$15(youth under 18). 

● 8:00: Aga Khan Museum. Refugee in the 

Sea by Tarek Ghriri. Featuring a short screening 

of a film directed by Amer Barzawi on the 

making of the album. Tarek Ghriri, guitar and 

13 performers, guitar, oud, percussion, cello, 

violin, bass, Spanish vocals, sitar, indian tabla. 

Aga Khan Museum Auditorium, 77 Wynford 

Dr. 416-646-4677 or www.agakhanmuseum. 

org/programs/refugee-in-the-sea. $45; 

$40.50(Friends); $35(sr/st). Tickets include 

same-day Museum admission. 


Elegance & Innovation. Mozart: Symphony 

No.31 “Paris”; Maimets: Double Concerto for 

Flute, Harp & Orchestra; R. Strauss: Le bourgeois 

gentilhomme. Lori Gemmel, harp; Kaili 

Maimets, flute; Alexander Shelley, conductor. 


519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29- 

$87. Also Apr 23(2:30pm). 

● 8:00: Music Gallery. Emergents: Matthew 

Cardinal + Yolande Laroche. Curated by Sara 

Constant,. Matthew Cardinal, modular synthesizer 

& electronics; Yolande Laroche, 

clarinet/keyboard/vocalist; Stephanie Kuse, 

video artist. Music Gallery at 918 Bathurst, 

918 Bathurst St. Tickets at www.musicgallery.org/events/jasmyn 

or 416-204-1080. $10. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Jazz 

Concerts: The Great Composers: Joshua 

Redman 3X3 plays Ellington, Shorter & Monk. 

Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 

416-408-0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. 

$50-$105. 

● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mandolin 

Magic: The Artistry of Avi Avital. Vivaldi: 

Mandolin Concerto in D RV93; Bach/arr. 

Avital: Violin Concerto in g BWV 1056R; Vivaldi: 

Mandolin Concerto in C RV425; Bach/ 

arr. Avital: Violin Concerto in a BWV 1041 

and others. Avi Avital, mandolin/leader. Roy 


From $35. Also Apr 23(3pm-George Weston 

Recital Hall). 

Trinity-St. Paul’s 

United Church 

presents 

MASS FOR THE ENDANGERED 

by 

Sarah Kirkland Snider 

with VIVA SINGERS, Toronto 

and full orchestra 

April 22, 2023 

7 pm 

$25 registration, eventbrite.ca 

https://inconcertwithcreation.eventbrite. 

427 Bloor St. West 

Toronto, Ontario 

trinitystpauls.ca 

● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Carly 

Pearce. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage, 




● 2:00: Chamber Music Hamilton. The Hungarian 

Sound with Michael Schulte and 

Friends. Works by Liszt, Dohnányi, Maros, 

Kodály, Bartók, and others. Michael Schulte, 

violin/viola; Aaron Schwebel, violin; Patrick 

Goodwin, violin; Drew Comstock, cello. Art 

Gallery of Hamilton, 123 King St. W., Hamilton. 

chambermusichamilton@gmail.com or 905- 

627-1627 or at the door. $35; $15(st). Free 

admission to the Art Gallery of Hamilton. 


Elegance & Innovation. Mozart: Symphony 

No.31 “Paris”; Maimets: Double Concerto for 

Flute, Harp & Orchestra; R. Strauss: Le bourgeois 

gentilhomme. Lori Gemmel, harp; Kaili 

Maimets, flute; Alexander Shelley, conductor. 


519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29- 

$87. Also Apr 22(8pm). 

● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. The 

Rite of Spring. Tate: Chokfi’; Mozart: Piano 

Concerto No.24; Stravinsky: The Rite of 

Spring. Jarred Dunn, piano; Bradley Thachuk, 

conductor. Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing 

Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. 

Catharines. 905-687-4993. $68; $60(sr); 

$39(arts worker with valid ID); $15(studentuniversity 

or college with valid ID); $15(youth- 

18 and under with valid ID). 

● 3:00: Avanti Chamber Singers. Considering 

Matthew Shepard. Rachel Rensink-Hoff, 

director; Lesley Kingham, piano. FirstOntario 

Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. 

Catharines. www.avantisingers.com/tickets. 

From $16.93. Also Apr 23(7:30pm). 

● 3:00: Oakville Chamber Orchestra. 

Beethoven & The Wheel of Life. Beethoven: 

Turkish March (Marcia alla turca); 

Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Op.61; and 

music by Charles Demuynck. David Rehner, 

violin; Emily Bosenius, violin; Charles 

Demuynck, conductor. St. John’s United 

Church (Oakville), 262 Randall St., Oakville. 

1-877-532-6787. $35. 

● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Mandolin 

Magic: The Artistry of Avi Avital. Vivaldi: 

Mandolin Concerto in D RV93; Bach/arr. 

Avital: Violin Concerto in g BWV1056R; Vivaldi: 

Mandolin Concerto in C RV425; Bach/ 

arr. Avital: Violin Concerto in a BWV1041 and 

others. Avi Avital, mandolin/leader. George 

Weston Recital Hall, Meridian Arts Centre, 

5040 Yonge St. 416-598-3375. From $54. Also 

Apr 22(8pm-RTH). 

● 3:00: Weston Silver Band. 100th Anniversary 

Gala. Featuring a new commission by 

Toronto Beach Chorale • Mervin W Fick - Conductor 

Gabriel Fauré 

REQUIEM 

Morten Lauridsen 

LUX AETERNA 

Kevin Norbury. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front 

St. W. Tickets: 905-691-2744. From $15. 

Weston Silver Band 

100 TH Anniversary Gala 

CELEBRATING 

A CENTURY OF MUSIC 

Flute Street 

presents 

Creatively 

Canadian 

AN ALL CANADIAN 

PROGRAMME! 

Sun. April 23, 4pm 

www.flutestreet.ca 

● 4:00: Flute Street. Creatively Canadian. 

Works by Charke, Desilets, Lavallée, Willan, 

David Foster, and others. Isaac Page, conductor. 

Church of St. Peter and St. Simon-the- 

Apostle, 525 Bloor St. E. 416-462-9498. PWYC 

- $20 suggested. 

● 4:00: Toronto Classical Singers. Music Fit 

for a King. Join us as we celebrate 30 years 

of presenting the great choral masterpieces 

in Toronto. Handel: Coronation Anthems, and 

Saturday, April 22, 2023 7:30pm 

Knox Presbyterian Church - 630 Spadina Ave. Toronto 

www.torontobeachchorale.com 


other celebratory tunes by Parry and Elgar. 

Jurgen Petrenko, conductor. Christ Church 

Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 416-986-8749 or 

www.torontoclassicalsingers.ca. $30. 

● 5:00: Modern Sound Collective - Concreamus 

Choir. A Place Fear Can’t Find. 

Sami Anguaya: Lying Awake, Waiting; Nicholas 

Wanstall: The River of Sleep; Emily Green: 

Snowfall, Snowmelt; Ben Keast: I Reap a Long 

December; Hirad Moradi: Ah, Moon of My 

Delight. Concreamus Choir; Jennifer Wilson, 

soprano; Nicholas Wanstall, accompanist; 

Kai Leung, conductor; Katie Hatanaka, assistant 

conductor. Runnymede United Church, 

432 Runnymede Rd. Tickets: 647-391-5241 or 

www.tickets.choralnation.com. $25; $20(st). 

● 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Chamber 

Music Concert. Works by Suk, Martinů, 

Dvořák, and Marko Ivanović. Tomas Jamnik, 

cello; Eva Jamnikova, violin; Isabel Keleti, 

piano. St. Wenceslaus Church, 496 Gladstone 

Ave. 416-481-7294. $25. 

● 7:30: Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club/TD Sunfest. 

April Verch & Cody Walters. Chaucer’s Pub, 

122 Carling St., London. Tickets: 519-319-5847 

or folk@iandavies.com. $25. 


JOHN CORIGLIANO 

Symphony No. 1 

1. Apologue: Of Rage and 

Remembrance 

2. Tarantella 

3. Chaconne: Giulio’s Song 

4. Epilogue 

40TH ANNIVERSARY 

SEASON FINALE 


● 8:00: Esprit Orchestra. Season Finale. 

Max Richter: Spring from The Four Seasons 

Recomposed; Eugene Astapov: Burial 

Rites - In Memoriam Marcus Gibbons; 

Max Richter: Winter from The Four Seasons 

Recomposed; Chris Paul Harman: Clementi 

sottosopra; John Corigliano: Symphony 

No.1. Aaron Schwebel, violin; Eugene Astapov, 

associate conductor; Alex Pauk, conductor. 

Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 

416-408-0208 or www.espritorchestra.com. 

$45; $45(sr); $26(under 30); $25(st). Preconcert 

talk moderated by composer Alexina 

Louie (7:15pm). 

● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. The Small Glories. 

Paradise Theatre, 1006 Bloor St. W. www. 

showpass.com/small-glories/. $25. 


● 8:00: Rose Theatre. Jesse Cook. 1 Theatre 

Ln., Brampton. 905-874-2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. 

$15-$59. 



Vocal Series: Quivering Woods, Starry Sky. 

Queen Hezumuryango and Alex Hetherington, 

mezzos; Liz Upchurch, piano. Richard Bradshaw 

Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for 

the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www. 

coc.ca/free-concert-series. Free. 


Lunchtime Chamber Music. Carina Shum, 

piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 





Instrumental Series Rebanks Family Fellowship 

Showcase. Artists from the Rebanks 

Family Fellowship and International Performance 

Residency Program at The Royal Conservatory’s 

Glenn Gould School. Richard 





Noonday Organ Recital. Michelle Chung, 

organ. 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark. 

com. Free. Donations welcome. 

● 6:00: Classical Concerts at Knox. Violin & 

Piano Chamber Music Recital. Gloria Yip, violin; 

Tristan Savella, piano. Knox Presbyterian 

Church, 630 Spadina Ave. 416-921-8993. Free. 

Donations welcome. 


Toronto/Villa Charities. Jazz Series at the 

Columbus Centre: Fabrizio Mocata Trio. Fabrizio 

Mocata, Gianmarco Scaglia, and Paul 

Wertico. Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence 

Ave. W. www.eventbrite.ca. $20. 

● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Tim 

Baker with the KWS. Centre in the Square, 

101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 

1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. 


Tchaikovsky & Ravel. Pépin: Laniakea (North 

American Premiere); Tchaikovsky: Variations 

on a Rococo Theme; Stravinsky: Song 

of the Nightingale; Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé 

Suite No.2. Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; 

Fabien Gabel, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 

60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35. Also 

Apr 28(7:30pm), 29. 



Dance Series: to be here. Katherine Semchuk, 

dancer. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, 


Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concert-series. 

Free. 

● 7:00: Magisterra Soloists. Masterworks: 

Piano Flash. Mozart: Piano Quartet; Juliusz 

Zarebski: Piano Quintet; and other works. 

Guest: Yui-Lien The, piano. Museum London, 

421 Ridout St. N., London. www.magisterra. 

com. $35; $30(sr); $15(st); $10(child). 


Drivewire. 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-874- 

2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. $15. 

● 8:00: Rose Theatre. Red Baraat & Sunny 

Jain. 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905-874-2800 

or www.therosetheatre.ca. $15-$29. 

● 8:00: Roy Thomson Hall. Evgeny Kissin, 

Piano. 60 Simcoe St. www.tickets.mhrth. 

com. From $70. 

Friday April 28 

● 12:00 noon: Roy Thomson Hall. Noon Hour 

Choir & Organ Concert Series: VOCA Chorus 

of Toronto. 60 Simcoe St. Reserve tickets at 

www.tickets.mhrth.com. Free. 


Recital. The Ezra Duo (Jacob Clewell, viola; 

Sasha Bult-Ito, piano). St. Andrew’s Presbyterian 

Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 

X231 or www.standrewstoronto.org. Free. 

● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Macbeth. 

Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Quinn Kelsey, 

baritone (Macbeth); Önay Köse, bass (Banquo); 

Matthew Cairns, tenor (Macduff); Sarah 

Cambridge, soprano (Lady-in-waiting); and 

others; Canadian Opera Company Chorus & 

Orchestra; Speranza Scappucci, conductor; 

Sir David McVicar, director. Four Seasons 

Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. 

W. 416-363-8231 or 1-800-250-4653 or tickets@coc.ca. 

From $35. Also Apr 30(2pm), 

May 6, 12, 14(2pm), 17, 20(4:30pm). At 7:30pm 

unless otherwise noted. 

● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Tchaikovsky 

& Ravel. Pépin: Laniakea (North American 

Premiere); Tchaikovsky: Variations on a 

Rococo Theme; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale; 

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2. 

Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; Fabien Gabel, 

conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 

416-598-3375. From $35. Also Apr 26(8pm), 

29(8pm). 


iskwē with the KWS. iskwē, vocals; Holly 

Mathieson, conductor. Centre in the Square, 

101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 

1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. 

TORONTO CLASSICAL SINGERS 

AND TORONTO CLASSICAL PLAYERS 

Jurgen Petrenko, Conductor 

30th 

ANNIVERSARY CONCERT 

MUSIC FIT FOR A KING 

HANDEL’S 

CORONATION 

ANTHEMS 

AND OTHER 

CELEBRATORY TUNES 

SUNDAY APRIL 23, 2023 4PM 

TICKETS $30.00 

torontoclassicalsingers.ca 


QueeriAHcity. 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 905- 

874-2800 or www.therosetheatre.ca. $10. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Temerty 

Orchestra Program: William Eddins Conducts 

the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. 


W. 416-408-0208 or rcmusic.com/performance. 

$25-$60. 

● 8:00: Tafelmusik. Higher Love: Virtuoso 

Arias. Arias from Handel’s Armino, Vivaldi’s 

Il Guistino, and other works. Samuel Mariño, 

male soprano. Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity- 

St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 1-833-964- 

6337. From $25. Also Apr 29(2pm). NOTE 

DATE CHANGE. 


● 10:30am: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. 

Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Music by Dukas & Mussorgsky. 

KWS Woodwind Quintet. Conrad Centre 

for the Performing Arts, 36 King St. W., 

Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $14; 

$12(child). Also Apr 15(Stork Family YMCA). 

● 3:00: Tafelmusik. Higher Love: Virtuoso 

Arias. Arias from Handel’s Armino, Vivaldi’s 

Il Guistino, and other works. Samuel Mariño, 

male soprano. Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity- 

St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 1-833-964- 

6337. From $25. Also Apr 28(8pm). NOTE 

DATE CHANGE. 

● 7:30: VOCA Chorus of Toronto. Shining 

Night. An eclectic celebration of the 

night sky. Works by Andrew Balfour, Eleanor 

Daley, Nicholas Ryan Kelly, Richard Rodgers, 

Frode Fjellheim, Morten Lauridsen, and 

others. Jenny Crober, artistic director; Elizabeth 

Acker, collaborative pianist. Guests: 



Shining Night 

An eclectic celebration of the night sky, featuring a recently 

commissioned work by JUNO-nominated composer Andrew Balfour 

Jenny Crober, Artistic Director 

Elizabeth Acker, Collaborative Pianist 

Colleen Allen, sax Shawn Grenke, organ 

Jamie Drake, percussion 

Saturday, April 29, 2023 * 

7:30 pm ! 

Eastminster United Church, 

310 Danforth Ave. (Chester subway), Toronto 

$30 General Admission; $15 Students 

416-947-8487; www.vocachorus.ca 

Robert Cooper, Artistic Director 

Tickets at orpheuschoirtoronto.com 

Colleen Allen, sax; Shawn Grenke, organ; 

Jamie Drake, percussion. Eastminster United 

Church, 310 Danforth Ave. 416-947-8487 or 

www.vocachorus.ca. $30; $15(st). 

● 7:30: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. 

Yellowjackets. Russell Ferrante, piano & 

synths; Bob Mintzer, woodwinds; William Kennedy, 

drums; Dane Alderson: bass. FirstOntario 

Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 

250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 289-868- 

9177. From $25. 

● 7:30: Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra. 

New Beginnings: Into the Sun. Mendelssohn: 

Symphony No.4 in A Op.90 “Italian”. 

Yemel Chorus; Sharon Lee, conductor. 

St. Giles Kingsway Presbyterian Church, 

15 Lambeth Rd. www.kcso.ca. $25; $15(st). 

● 7:30: Mississauga Chamber Singers. Handel 

and Bach. Bach: Mass in g BWV 235; Handel: 

Chandos Anthem No.9 (O Praise the Lord 

with One Consent). Mississauga Chamber 

Singers; Chamber Orchestra; Soloists. Christ 

First United Church, 151 Lakeshore Rd. W., 

Mississauga. 647-549-4524. $30; $15(7-18); 

free(under 7). 

● 7:30: Opera by Request. Caught in the Act: 

An Evening of One-Act Monologues. Hugo 

Weisgall: The Stronger with Sharon Tikiryan, 

soprano. Frank Martin: Six Monologues from 

Jedermann with Michael Robert-Broder, 

baritone. Lee Hoiby: Bon Appetit with Meghan 

Symon, mezzo. William Shookhoff, piano. College 

St. United Church, 452 College St. 416- 

455-2365. $20. 

● 7:30: Rose Theatre. The Rose Orchestra: 

A Rose Festival. Brahms: Symphony No.2 in 

D Op.73; Maestro Warren: New Work, a song 

Elmer 

Iseler 

Singers 

cycle (world premiere); and other works. 

Daniel Lichti, baritone. 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. 

905-874-2800 or www.therosetheatre. 

ca. $15-$34. 

● 7:30: The Jeffery Concerts. Viano String 

Quartet. Dvořák: Allegro scherzando from 

Cypresses for string quartet B152; Bartók: 

String Quartet No.3 Sz85; Shaw: The Evergreen; 

Dvořák: Piano Quintet in A Op.81. Wolf 

Performance Hall, 251 Dundas St., London. 

519-672-8800 or www.jefferyconcerts.com 

or jefferyconcerts@gmail.com. $40; Free(st 

with ID). Tickets at Grand Theatre Box Office, 

471 Richmond St. 

● 7:30: Toronto Concert Choir. Glorious 

and Jazzy Spring Concert. Vivaldi: Gloria; 

Völlinger: Latin Jazz Mass. Katelyn Bird, soprano; 

Alex Hetherington, mezzo; Toronto 

Concert Choir (formerly Oakham House 

Choir); Toronto Sinfonietta. Calvin Presbyterian 

Church, 26 Delisle Ave. 416-453-3343. 

$30/$25(adv); Free(under 12/TMU st). 

● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. April Verch and 

Cody Walters. St. Paul’s United Church (Scarborough), 

200 McIntosh St., Scarborough. 

www.acousticharvest.ca or 416-729-7564. 

$30(adv) or cash at door. 


The Music of Star Wars. Arrive dressed as 

your favourite character from the film series 

and immerse yourself in the music of this 

iconic space-opera. Denis Mastromonaco, 

conductor. Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living 

Arts Dr., Mississauga. www.mississaugasymphony.ca 

or 905-306-6000. From $40. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Music 

Mix Series: Brel! The Show. Koerner Hall, 

Spirit in Song 

the Spring Wind Whispers 

Lydia Adams, Conductor 

Sun. Apr 30, 2023 @ 4:00pm 

Eglinton St. George’s United Church 

Featuring the stunning 

Requiem by John Rutter 

and three Premieres by Matthew Emery, 

Nicholas Kelly & Matthew-John Knights 

Narrator, Benedict Campbell 

Concordo Ensemble 

Sidgwick Scholars 

416-217-0537 elmeriselersingers.com 



0208. $50-$117. 


& Ravel. Pépin: Laniakea (North American 

Premiere); Tchaikovsky: Variations on a 

Rococo Theme; Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale; 

Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2. 

Jean-Guihen Queyras, cello; Fabien Gabel, 


416-598-3375. From $35. Also Apr 26(8pm), 

28(7:30pm). 

● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Eli Young 

Band. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon Theatre, 

6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 

1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. 

From $50. 



See Apr 28. Also May 6, 12, 14(2pm), 

17, 20(4:30pm). At 7:30pm unless otherwise 

noted. 

● 2:00: Tafelmusik/Toronto Botanical 

Garden. It Takes Two. Telemann: Gulliver 

Suite; Guignon (arr.): Rameau’s Les Sauvages; 

and duos by Morley, Leclair, Bologne, 

and Madame Lombardini de Sirmen. Christopher 

Verrette & Julia Wedman, violins. 

Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence 

Ave. E. www.eventbrite.ca/e/tafelmusik-thegarden-of-harmony-tickets-520086451577 

or 1-833-964-6337 or tickets@tafelmusik. 

org. $31.59(General Public); $29.19(Toronto 

Botanical Garden Members or Volunteers); 

$25.83(Tafelmusik Subscriber). 

● 3:30: Orpheus Choir of Toronto. Sound 

Mind. Allan Bevan: Perfectly Mad. Concordo 

Ensemble; Benedict Campbell, narrator. 

Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. 

416-530-4428. $45; $35(sr); $20(st). 

● 4:00: Elmer Iseler Singers. Spirit in Song: 

The Spring Wind Whispers. John Rutter: 

Requiem and works by Matthew Emery, Matthew-John 

Knights, and Nicholas Kelly. Elmer 

Iseler Singers; Lydia Adams, conductor. Eglinton 

St. George’s United Church, 35 Lytton 

Blvd. Info and tickets: 416-217-0537 or www. 

elmeriselersingers.com/events/spirit-insong. 

$45; $40(sr); $25(under 30). 

● 7:00: Aga Khan Museum. Dakh Daughters. 

Aga Khan Museum Auditorium, 77 Wynford 

Dr. www.ticketing.agakhanmuseum. 

org/20177/20302. From $37.50. Includes 

same-day Museum admission. 

● 7:00: INNERchamber Inc. Late. Brahms: 

Quintet for Clarinet and Strings Op.115; 

Haydn: Quartet Op.77 No.2. Peter Shackleton, 

clarinet; Julie Baumgartel, violin; Andrew 

Chung, violin; Jody Davenport, viola; Ben Bolt- 

Martin, cello. Revival House, 70 Brunswick St., 

Stratford. tickets@innerchamber.ca. $50; 

$10(arts workers/st). LIVE & LIVESTREAM. A 

light meal is available to patrons in Stratford. 

● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Academy 

Chamber Orchestra. Koerner Hall, 


0208. FREE. 

Tuesday May 2 


Lunchtime Chamber Music. Performer TBA. 

Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge 

St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations 

welcome. 

● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Herman’s 

Hermits Starring Peter Noone. 

Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon Theatre, 


833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. . Also 

May 3(3pm & 8:30pm). 

Wednesday May 3 

● 6:00: Classical Concert at Knox. Cello & 

Piano Chamber Music Recital. Beethoven: 

Cello Sonata No.1 in F Op.5 No.1; Transcriptions 

of songs by Brahms and Schubert 

for cello and piano. Song Hee Lee, cello; 

Joonghun Cho, piano. Knox Presbyterian 

Church, 630 Spadina Ave. 416-921-8993. Free. 







May 2(3pm), 3(3pm). 

● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. All 

Haydn. Haydn: Symphony No.22 in E-flat “The 

Philosopher”; Cello Concerto in C; Symphony 

No.44 in e “Trauer”; String Quartet No.3; 

Symphony No.60 in C “Il Distratto”. Catherine 

Anderson, cello; David Fallis, conductor; 

Bruce McGillivray, curator. First United 

Church, 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 519-745- 

4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $37. Also May 5(Harcourt 

Memorial United, Guelph), 6(Central 

Presbyterian, Cambridge). 

2022-2023 Season: 

A Golden Anniversary Celebration 

CELESTIAL 

REVOLUTIONS 

MAY 3 & 4, 2023 AT 8PM 

Tickets starting at only $20 

Live at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre 

TorontoConsort.org 

● 8:00: Toronto Consort. Celestial Revolutions: 

The Life and Times of Tycho Brahe. 

Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 

427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org 

or 416-964-6337. From $33. Also May 4. Also 

available on EarlyMusic.TV on demand. 

Thursday May 4 








● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto. 

Music in the Afternoon: Mark Fewer with 

Thalea String Quartet, Chris Whitley and 

Jeanie Chung. Schulhoff: String Quartet; 

John Rea: Schattenwerk; Chausson: Concerto 

for violin, piano, and string quartet, 

WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO 

MAY 4 | 1.30 PM 

MARK FEWER 

with Thalea String Quartet, 

Chris Whitley, and Jeanie Chung 

416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca 

plus a new work by Carmen Braden for this 

ensemble. Mark Fewer, violin; Thalea String 

Quartet (Christopher Whitley, violin; Kumiko 

Sakamoto, violin; Lauren Spaulding, viola; 

Alex Cox, cello); Jeanie Chung, piano. Walter 


Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-923-7052 X1. 

$45; free(st with ID). 


Intimate & Immersive: Undreaming 

Sleep’s Bright Land. The Cotton Factory, 

270 Sherman Ave. N., Hamilton. 905-526- 

7756. $35. 


Mix & Recovered Concerts Series: Ukulele 

Orchestra of Great Britain. Koerner Hall, 

TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 

or rcmusic.com/performance. $35-$90. 

● 8:00: Toronto Consort. Celestial Revolutions: 

The Life and Times of Tycho Brahe. 

Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall, 

427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org 

or 416-964-6337. From $33. Also May 3. Also 

available on EarlyMusic.TV on demand. 


Gimeno Conducts Messiaen’s Epic 



Turangalîla. Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie. 

Marc-André Hamelin, piano; Nathalie 

Forget, ondes Martenot; Gustavo Gimeno, 


416-598-3375. From $35. Also May 5(7:30pm). 

Friday May 5 


Recital. Julia Tom, cello; Megan Chang, piano. 

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe 

St. 416-593-5600 X231 or www.standrewstoronto.org. 

Free. 

● 7:00: Freesound. Music for Violin & Electronics. 

Works by James O’Callaghan, Christina 

Volpini, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, and Taylor 

Brook. Aysel Taghi-Zada, violin. Society Clubhouse, 

967 College St. 647-354-4244. $15, 

$10(arts workers/sr/st). 

● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Tosca. 

Music by Giacomo Puccini. Stefano La 

Colla, tenor (Cavaradossi); Roland Wood, 

baritone (Scarpia); Joel Sorensen, tenor 

(Spoletta); Donato Di Stefano, bass (Sacristan); 

and others; Canadian Opera 

Company Chorus & Orchestra; Giuliano 

Carella, conductor; Paul Curran, director. 


Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231 or 

1-800-250-4653 tickets@coc.ca. From 

$35. Also May 7(2pm), 11, 13, 19, 21(2pm), 

23, 27(4:30pm). At 7:30pm unless otherwise 

noted. 

● 7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Take the 

Podium: Conducting Symposium. Free concert 

led by Jean-Sébastien Vallée, Artistic 

Director. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 

1585 Yonge St. www.tmchoir.org. Free admission 

with reservation. 


Gimeno Conducts Messiaen’s Epic Turangalîla. 

Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie. 

Marc-André Hamelin, piano; Nathalie Forget, 

ondes Martenot; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. 

Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598- 

3375. From $35. Also May 4(8pm). 

● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Billy Idol. 


833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. From $40. 

● 8:00: Folk Under The Clock. The Ennis Sisters. 

Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 

140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749- 

1146 or www.folkundertheclock.ca. $40. 


All Haydn. Haydn: Symphony No.22 in E-flat 

“The Philosopher”; Cello Concerto in C; Symphony 

No.44 in e “Trauer”; String Quartet 

No.3; Symphony No.60 in C “Il Distratto”. 

Catherine Anderson, cello; David Fallis, conductor; 

Bruce McGillivray, curator. Harcourt 

Memorial United Church, 87 Dean Ave., 

Guelph. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $37. 

Also May 3(First United, Waterloo), 6(Central 

Presbyterian, Cambridge). 

● 8:00: Masterworks of Oakville Chorus 

& Orchestra. A New Beginning. Mozart: 

Requiem in d K.626; Handel: Zadok the Priest 

HWV 258; Charles Demuynck: Joy (world premiere). 

Gillian Grossman, soprano; Diana 

di Mauro, mezzo; Corey Arnold, tenor; Daniel 

Hambly, bass; Masterworks of Oakville 

Chorus & Orchestra. Oakville Centre for the 

Performing Arts, 130 Navy St., Oakville. 905- 

399-9732. $55; $50(sr). 

● 8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. La Verbena 

de la Paloma (The Festival of the Dove). 

Music by Tomás Bretón. Margie Bernal, 

soprano; Rómulo Delgado, tenor; Stuart Graham, 

baritone; Kate Carver, conductor & 

piano; Guillermo Silva-Marin, stage director. 

Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre 

for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723 or 

1–800-708-6754 or www.tolive.com. $75-$95. 

Also May 6(8pm) & 7(3pm). 

Saturday May 6 

● 2:00: Achill Choral Society. Sing Your 

Song. A vibrant array of selections that celebrate 

the many joys in life. Includes works by 

Canadian composers Matthew Emery, Paul 

Halley, Sherryl Sewepagaham, Jenny Crober, 

and Larry Nickel. Nancy Dettbarn, collaborative 

pianist; Saskia Tomkins, violin/fiddle/ 

viola/nyckelharpa; Shawn Grenke and Jenny 

Crober, conductors. Westminster United 

Church (Orangeville), 247 Broadway Ave., 

Orangeville. www.achill.ca. $30; $15(st). 

● 2:30: Bel Canto Singers. Can’t Mask 

the Music. Music of the Night; If Music be 

the Food of Love; Singing in the Rain; I Got 

Rhythm; Here’s to Song. Scarborough Bluffs 

United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. 

Tickets: 647-831-3245 or www.belcantosingers.ca. 

$20; $5(child). Also at 7:30pm. 

● 4:00: The Edison Singers. Sweet Expressions: 

Folksongs & Spirituals. Noel Edison, 

conductor. St. Mark’s Anglican Church, 

41 Byron St., Niagara-on-the-Lake. Tickets: 

www.theedisonsingers.com/performances. 

$45; $25(st/18 and under). Also May 7(4pm - 

Elora), 10(7:30 pm - Toronto). 

May 6 at 5pm 

Sounds of Conflict 

Madame Speaker 

Classics, Swing, and 

The American Songbook 


accompanist. Acton Heritage Town Hall, 

19 Willow St. N., Acton. www.facebook.com/ 

Georgetown.Choral.Society. $25. 

● 7:00: Peterborough Singers. Verdi’s 

Requiem. Leslie Fagan, soprano; Laura Pudwell, 

mezzo; Ernesto Ramirez, tenor; Jonathan 

Liebich, bass; Ian Sadler, organ. 

Emmanuel United Church, 534 George St. N., 

Peterborough. 705-745-1820 or www.peterboroughsingers.com. 

$35; $10(st). 

● 7:00: Toronto Northern Lights. 

25 Years of TNL. Neil Aitchison, master 

of ceremonies. Islington United 

Church, 25 Burnhamthorpe Rd. www. 

eventbrite.com/e/25-years-of-tnl-tickets-579546377817. 

$30. A portion of the 

proceeds will support the Islington United 

Church youth music program. 

● 7:30: Bel Canto Singers. Can’t Mask 

the Music. Music of the Night; If Music be 

the Food of Love; Singing in the Rain; I Got 

Rhythm; Here’s to Song. Scarborough Bluffs 

United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. 

Tickets: 647-831-3245 or www.belcantosingers.ca. 

$20; $5(child). Also at 2:30pm. 


See April 28. Also May 12, 14(2pm), 17, 

20(4:30pm). At 7:30pm unless otherwise 

noted. 

● 7:30: Opera by Request. L’elisir d’amore. 

Music by Donizetti. Brittany Stewart, soprano 

(Giannetta); Alvaro Vasquez Roble, 

tenor (Nemorino); Douglas Tranquada, bassbaritone 

(Dulcamara); Sebastian Belcourt, 

baritone (Belcore); Diana DiMauro, mezzo 

(Adina); Claire Harris, pianist and music director. 

College St. United Church, 452 College 

St. 416-455-2365. $20. 

COSE 

HANDEL’S 



● 5:00: Music Toronto. Celebration of Small 

Ensembles. (1) Sounds of Conflict: Works 

by Poulenc, Suk, Ravel, and Janáček. Daniel 

Dastoor, violin & Brian Woods, piano. 

(2) Madame Speaker: The Phonating Pianist. 

Madeline Hildebrand, piano and voice. 

(3) Classics, Swing, and the American Songbook. 

Jurecka, Farrugia, Johnston Trio (Drew 

Jurecka, violin; Adrean Farrugia, piano; Clark 

Johnston, bass). Aperture Room, Thornton-Smith 

Building, 340 Yonge St. www. 

music-toronto.com. $90(3-concert pass); 

$40(single); $20(st/arts). 

● 7:00: Georgetown Choral Society. United 

We Sing: Songs of Love and Hope for Humanity. 

Georgetown Choral Society; Eleanor 

Wallace, interim director; Mark Peterson, 

● 7:30: Pax Christi Chorale. Beethoven’s 

Silence. Jake Runested: A Silence Haunts 

Me; Beethoven: Halleluia from Christ on the 

Mount of Olives; Beethoven: Mass in C. Pax 

Christi Chorale; Ellen McAteer, soprano; Timothy 

Wong, countertenor; Nicholas Nicolaidis, 

tenor; Dion Mazerolle, bass-baritone; Toronto 

Concert Orchestra; Elaine Choi, conductor. 


St. Tickets: www.paxchristichorale.org. $60; 

$55(sr); $35(young adult); $20(st). 

● 7:30: St. James Cathedral. Gala Concert 

at St. James Cathedral. The Choir of St. 

James Cathedral in concert with Orchestra. 

Cathedral Church of St. James, 106 King 

St. E. 416-364-7865 or www.eventbrite.ca/e/ 

gala-concert-at-st-james-cathedral-tickets-536126969197. 

$25. 

● 7:30: The Tallis Choir. A Celebration of William 

Byrd. Commemorating the 400th anniversary 

of Byrd’s death. St. Patrick’s Catholic 

Church, 131 McCaul St. www.tallischoir.com/ 

ticketing. $30, $25, $10. 

● May 6 8:00: Choir! Choir! Choir!”We Will 

Choir You!”: An Epic Queen Sing-along. Nobu 

Adilman and Daveed Goldman, creative directors. 

Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. 

N., Kitchener. www.centreinthesquare.com/ 

event/choirchoirchoir. $34.50-$38.50. 

● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. All 

Haydn. Haydn: Symphony No.22 in E-flat “The Philosopher”; 

Cello Concerto in C; Symphony No.44 in 

e “Trauer”; String Quartet No.3; Symphony No.60 

in C “Il Distratto”. Catherine Anderson, cello; David 

Fallis, conductor; Bruce McGillivray, curator. Central 

Presbyterian Church, 7 Queens Square, 

Cambridge. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $37. 

Also May 3(First United, Waterloo), 5(Harcourt 

oronation 

Anthems 


Memorial, Guelph). 


Mix Series: The Shuffle Demons with Special 

Guests. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 

273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $35-$75. 

● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Verdi & Franck. 

Franck: Piano Quintet in f (orchestra version); 

Toews: Mu-Qu-La (Moonlit Cake) (world 

premiere); Verdi: Symphony for Strings in 

e. Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano; Nurhan 

Arman, conductor. George Weston Recital 

Hall, Meridian Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St. 

416-499-0403 or info@sinfoniatoronto.com. 

$44; $37(sr); $17(st); $17(virtual). 



Music by Tomás Bretón. Margie Bernal, soprano; 

Rómulo Delgado, tenor; Stuart Graham, 

baritone; Kate Carver, conductor & piano; 

Guillermo Silva-Marin, stage director. Jane 

Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the 

Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723 or 1–800- 

708-6754 or www.tolive.com. $75-$95. Also 

May 5(8pm) & 7(3pm). 

Sunday May 7 

● 11:00am: Xenia Concerts/TO Live. 

Thalea String Quartet. Designed to be autism- 

and neurodiversity-friendly. Seven 

Miniatures for String Quartet and Electronics 

by Rory Berk, Anthony Hodgetts, Laura 

LaPeare, Maddux Ma, Nathan Neutel, Jamie 

Petit, and Thomas Sinclair (transcribed by 

Bekah Simms). Meridian Hall, 1 Front St. 

E. 647-896-8295 or www.eventbrite.ca/e/ 

xenia-concerts-presents-in-partnershipwith-to-live-thalea-quartet. 

$5. Meridian Hall 

is a wheelchair-accessible venue. All listeners 

are welcome. 

● 1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music & Truffles 

for Kids. TSO Chamber Soloists. Walter 




mooredaleconcerts.com. $20. 


See May 5. Also May 11, 13, 19, 21(2pm), 23, 

27(4:30pm). At 7:30pm unless otherwise 

noted. 

● 2:00: Xenia Concerts/TO Live. Thalea 

String Quartet. A dementia-friendly concert 

live and in person at Meridian Hall. Meridian 

Hall, 1 Front St. E. 647-896-8295 or www.alz. 

to/event/xenia-concert-the-thalea-quartet/. 

Free. In association with the Alzheimer Society 

of Toronto and Baycrest@Home. All listeners 

are welcome. 

● 3:00: Off Centre Music Salon. Jimmy Roberts 

Wishes Happy Birthday to Johannes 

Brahms. Steven Dann, viola; Andrea Ludwig, 

mezzo; Peter McGillivray, baritone; Jimmy 

Roberts, piano; Kathryn Tremills, piano; Inna 

Perkin, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano. Trinity-St. 

Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. /www. 

eventbrite.ca/e/jimmy-roberts-wisheshappy-birthday-to-johannes-brahms-tickets-404752685177. 

$50; $40(sr); $15(st/ 

young adult/child). 

● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Piano 

Recitals: Bruce Xiaoyu Liu. Works by Chopin 

and others. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 

273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or rcmusic. 

com/performance. $35-$85. 

● 3:00: Syrinx Concerts Toronto. The Art of 

the Art Song. Learn about “art song” -- poems 

set to music -- through explorations with performed 

examples. Program to be announced. 

Featuring a new art song cycle by Cecilia 

Livingston based on poetry by Anne Michaels. 

Linda and Michael Hutcheon, speakers; Lawrence 

Wiliford, tenor; Steven Philcox, piano. 

Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-654- 

0877. $30; $20(st). 



See May 5. 

● 3:15: Mooredale Concerts. TSO Chamber 

Soloists. All-Brahms concert. Walter 

Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University 

of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-922-3714 

X103 or 647-988- 2102 (eve & weekends) or 

www.mooredaleconcerts.com. $45; $40(sr); 

$30(under 30). 

● 3:30: Rezonance Baroque Ensemble. Airs 

for the Seasons (CD Release Concert). James 

Oswald: Airs for the Seasons (selections). St. 

David’s Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Ave. 

www.RezonanceAirsConcert.eventbrite.com. 

$25(concert only); $45(plus CD); $25(st); 


● 3:30: Toronto Chamber Choir. Musical 

Vision: A Brief History of Music and Blindness. 

Cabezon: De la Virgen; J. Rodrigo: 

Ave Maria; Vierne: Tantum ergo; Maria 

Theresia von Paradis: Selection from 

Zwölf Lieder; Bach: Vor deinen Thron; 

Handel: How dark, O Lord, are thy decrees 

from Jephte. Toronto Chamber Choir; 

Lucas Harris, artistic director. Guests: 

Balance for Blind Adults. Calvin Presbyterian 

Church, 26 Delisle Ave. 416-763-1695. 

$20-$40. 

● 4:00: Bach Children’s Chorus. Cry Out! 

Eastminster United Church, 310 Danforth 

Ave. Tickets at www.eventbrite.ca. $25. 

● 4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. Charles 

and the Crown. Begins with Coronation Evensong 

(Religious Service) followed directly by 

words and music with a Royal connection, 

presented by St. Olave’s Arts Guild to celebrate 

His Majesty’s life, on the day after being 

crowned as Canada’s King. 360 Windermere 

Ave. 416-769-5686 or www.stolaves.ca. Contributions 

appreciated. 

SUNDAY 7 MAY AT 4 

Coronation Evensong 

plus a special feature about 

CHARLES AND 

THE CROWN 

Words and music to celebrate the 

life of Canada’s King, on the day 

after His Majesty’s Coronation 



conductor. Knox Presbyterian Church, 

51 Church St., Elora. Tickets: www.theedisonsingers.com/performances. 

$45; $25(st/18 

and under). Also May 6(Niagara-on-the-Lake, 

4pm), 10(Toronto, 7:30pm). 



Lunchtime Chamber Music. Charlotte 

McIntosh, trumpet. Yorkminster Park Baptist 

Church, 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. 



Jonathan Oldengarm, organ. Cathedral 

Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364- 

7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca. Free. 


● 7:30: Toronto Community Orchestra. Bluster, 

Bravado, and Hope for Spring. Schubert: 

Symphony No.8 in b D.759 ("Unfinished"); 

Verdi: Overture to Nabucco; Vaughan Williams: 

English Folk Song Suite. Eastminster 

United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. torontocommunityorchestra@gmail.com. 

Free. 

Donations gratefully accepted at door. 




conductor. Hart House, Great Hall, 7 Hart 

House Circle. Tickets: www.theedisonsingers.com/performances. 

$45; $25(st/18 

and under). Also May 6(Niagara-on-the-Lake. 

4pm), 7(Elora, 4pm). 


● 1:30: Serenata Singers. Songs for a New 

World. Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 

3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. Tickets: 

www.serenatasingers.ca. $25/$20(adv); 

Free(12 and under). Also May 12(7pm). 

● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Tosca. See 

May 5. Also May 13, 19, 21(2pm), 23, 27(4:30pm). 

At 7:30pm unless otherwise noted. 


Star Wars: The Last Jedi - In Concert. Steven 

Reineke, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 


May 12, 13(12:30 & 7:30pm). 

Join Rezonance Baroque Ensemble 

as they celebrate the launch of their debut album 

James Oswald: Airs for the Seasons 

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 3:30pm 

St David’s Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Avenue, Toronto 


GREAT CANADIAN 

BRASS BAND FESTIVAL 

Canadian, Community 

and Collaboration 

MAY 12 & 13 - 2023 

FACULTY OF MUSIC, 

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO 

Visit GCBBF.CA for 

Gala Concert tickets 

& Festival passes! 

GALA CONCERT 

MAY 13, 2023 

7:30PM 

With works by Canadian 

Composers Kelly-Marie 

Murphy, Kristofer Maddigan 

& Marcus Venables. 

FEATURING 

PHILIP SMITH 

Guest Conductor 



● 11:00am: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Talk & Tea: Beethoven 5. Abigail Richardson-Schulte, 

host. Stage Door @ FirstOntario 

Concert Hall, 10 MacNab St. S., Hamilton. 

905-526-7756. $10-$20. 


Recital. Jordan Klapman, jazz piano. St. 

Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St. 

416-593-5600 X231 or www.standrewstoronto.org. 

Free. 

● 7:00: Serenata Singers. Songs for a New 

World. Scarborough Bluffs United Church, 

3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. Tickets: 

www.serenatasingers.ca. $25/$20(adv); 

Free(12 and under). Also May 11(1:30pm). 

● 7:00: Sinfonia Ancaster. Pivot! Respighi: 

Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No.1; Anna 

Clyne: Pivot; Wojciech Kilar: Orawa; Schreker: 

Valse lente; Schumann: Symphony No.4 in d 

Op.120. Jeffrey Pollock, conductor. Ancaster 

Memorial Arts Centre, 357 Wilson St. E., 

Ancaster. www.sinfoniaancaster.com or 

905-648-3232. $25; $20(sr); $15(14 years and 

younger). 

● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Springtime 

Live. Brahms: Scherzo in c for Violin & 

Piano; Brahms: Intermezzi Op.118 Nos.1 and 2; 

Brahms: Rhapsody in g Op.79 No.2; Ravel: Tzigane; 

and Franck: Sonata for Violin and Piano. 

Edwin Huizinga, violin; Philip Chiu, piano. 

Historic Leith Church, 419134 Tom Thomson 

Lane, Leith. Tickets: www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. 

$40. 


See Apr 28. Also May 14(2pm), 17, 20(4:30pm). 


● 7:30: Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet. 

Genera. Works by Byrd, Schein, Lacorcia, 

Lusitano, and Tomkins. Jane Fingler, soprano; 

Peter Koniers, countertenor; Alexander Cappellazzo, 

tenor; Jonathan Stuchbery, tenor 

& plucked strings; Martin Gomes, bass. St. 

Olave’s Anglican Church, 360 Windermere 

Ave. Tickets: 514-378-2558. Pay What You 

Want ($30 suggested). Also May 13(4pm). 


Star Wars: The Last Jedi - In Concert. Steven 

Reineke, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 


May 11, 13(12:30 & 7:30pm). 

● 7:30: Upper Canada Choristers/Cantemos. 

Our Voices Together: Corazones al Unísono. 

Cesar Alejandro Carrillo: El pajaro que espero 

(The Bird I Await) (world premiere) and “La 

Rosa de los Vientos”; Stephen Hatfield: Cantando 

Flores; Steven Chatman: “Voices of 

Earth” and “Teasdale Love Songs”; and other 

works. Upper Canada Choristers; Cantemos; 

Hye Won (Cecilia) Lee, piano; Laurie Evan Fraser, 

conductor. Visual creations by Camila Salcedo. 

Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale 

Rd. www.uppercanadachoristers.org or info@ 

uppercanadachoristers.org or 416-256-0510. 

$25 via Eventbrite; Free(under 16 accompanied 

by an adult). Livestreamed free at www.uppercanadachoristers.org. 

LIVE & STREAMED. 

● 8:00: Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Power and Passion. Mahler: Symphony No.1 

in D “Titan”; Kevin Lau: Sea of Blossoms; and 

arias by Mozart, Delibes, Puccini and Lehár. 

Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra; Christine 

Haldane, soprano; Matthew Jones, conductor. 

Martingrove Collegiate Institute, 

50 Winterton Dr., Etobicoke. Tickets: www. 

eventbrite.ca/e/power-and-passion-tickets- 

399608759557?aff=ebdsoporgprofile. $30; 

$25(s); $15(st). 

● 8:00: Exultate Chamber Singers. To the 

Future: Inspired by Youth. Shining the spotlight 

on young composers in collaboration 

with Concreamus under the direction of Kai 

Leung. Calvin Presbyterian Church, 26 Delisle 

Ave. 416-971-9229 or www.exultate.net/eventdetails/to-the-future-inspired-by-youth. 

$40 or PWYC from $5. Pre-concert chat at 

7:15pm. 

● 8:00: Tafelmusik. Grand Voyage: The 

French Baroque. Rebel: Les Élémens; 

Rameau: Suite from Les Indes galantes, Chaconne 

from Dardanus. Leila Schayegh, violin/ 

director. Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s 

Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 1-833-964-6337. Also 

May 13(2pm). 


● 12:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Star 

Wars: The Last Jedi - In Concert. See May 11. 

Also May 13(7:30pm). 

● 2:00: Five at the First. ARC Trio: Music for 

Viola, Cello & Piano. Omar Daniel: Intermezzi 

for solo piano; Southam: Re-Tuning (1985) 

for solo viola and tape; Aolphus Hailstork: 

Theme & Variations on “Draw the Sacred 

Circle Closer” for cello; Drigo: Meditazione 

for viola, cello & piano; Brahms: Trio Op.114. 

Angela Park, piano; Caitlin Boyle, viola; Rachel 

Mercer, cello. First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, 

170 Dundurn St. S., Hamilton. 905- 

399-5125 or www.5atthefirst.com. $5-$20; 


● 2:00: Tafelmusik. Grand Voyage: The 

French Baroque. Rebel: Les Élémens; 

Rameau: Suite from Les Indes galantes, Chaconne 

from Dardanus. Leila Schayegh, violin/ 

director. Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s 

Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. 1-833-964-6337. Also 

May 12(8pm). 

GARY CURTIN 

Euphonium Soloist 

HANNAFORD 

STREET SILVER 

BAND 

GCBBF.CA 

EXULTATE 

CHAMBER 

SINGERS 

INSPIRED 

BY YOUTH 

Friday, May 12, 8 PM 

www.exultate.net 

Power and 

Passion 

Arias 

Christina Haldane 

Soprano 

FRIDAY, MAY 12 

www.eporchestra.ca 

● 3:00: Toronto Children's Chorus. Reflections 

of Light. Celebrating all our choristers 

have accomplished this year and looking back 

at the past 45 years of the Toronto Children’s 

Chorus. George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian 

Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St. www.torontochildrenschorus.com/performances. 

● 4:00: Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet. 

Genera. Works by Byrd, Schein, Lacorcia, 

Lusitano, and Tomkins. Jane Fingler, soprano; 

Peter Koniers, countertenor; Alexander Cappellazzo, 

tenor; Jonathan Stuchbery, tenor 

& plucked strings; Martin Gomes, bass. St. 

Olave’s Anglican Church, 360 Windermere 

Ave. Tickets: 514-378-2558. Pay What You 

Want ($30 suggested). Also May 12(7:30pm). 

● 7:00: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera 

(SOLO). La traviata. Music by Giuseppe Verdi. 

Fully staged opera with Soloists. Southern 

Ontario Lyric Opera Chorus & Orchestra; 


Sabatino Vacca, conductor. Burlington Performing 

Arts Centre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 

www.southernontariolyricopera.com 

or www.burlingtonpac.ca or 905-681-6000. 

$69; $49(sr 65+); $20(ages 13–18); $10(12 & 

under). 

● 7:30: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts. 

Piazzolla Trio: Chloé Dominguez, Louise Bessette, 

and Marc Djokic. Louise Bessette, 

piano; Marc Djokic, violin; Chloé Dominguez, 

cello. ONLINE, . www.bravoniagara.org. Suggested 

donation: $20. Available May 13-20. 


May 5. Also May 19, 21(2pm), 23, 27(4:30pm). 


● 7:30: Great Canadian Brass Band Festival. 

Gala Concert. With works by Canadian 

composers Kelly-Marie Murphy, Kristofer 

Maddigan, and Marcus Venables. Hannaford 

Street Silver Band; Philip Smith, conductor; 

Gary Curtin, euphonium. MacMillan Theatre, 

Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s 

Park. www.eventbrite.ca/e/great-canadian-brass-band-festival-gala-concert-tickets-492056423007. 

$18-$25. 


Beethoven 5. Composer Fellow: New Work; 

Mozart: Violin Concerto No.4 in D; Habibi: 

Jeder Baum spricht; Beethoven: Symphony 

No.5 in c. Nikki Chooi, violin; Matthew Halls, 

guest conductor. Boris Brott Great Hall, 

FirstOntario Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., 

Hamilton. 905-526-7756. $20-$80. Pre-concert 

talk at 6:30pm. 

● 7:30: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The Romantic Spirit. Dvořák: Three Slavonic 

Dances - Op.46 No.7 in c, Op.46 No.8 in g, 

and Op.72 No.15 in C; Samuel Bisson: Epitaph, 

for string quartet and orchestra; Daniel Mehdizadeh: 

Koozeh (Two Thousand Silent Pots 

of Clay); Brahms: Symphony No.2 in D Op.73. 

Guests: Odin Quartet (Alex Toskov, violin; 

Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin; Matt Antal, viola; 

Samuel Bisson, cello); Ronald Royer, conductor. 

Salvation Army Scarborough Citadel, 

2021 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough. 647- 

482-7761 or www.spo.ca/Concerts. $15-$35. 

● 7:30: The Annex Singers. Voices of Earth. 

Celebrating the polyphony of the natural 

world. Works by Josquin, Elgar, Britten, 

Shaw, and The Beatles. Annex Singers; 

MAY 13, 2023 | 7:30 PM 

ANNEXSINGERS.COM 

Stephen Boda, guest organist; Maria Case, 

artistic director. Grace Church on-the-Hill, 

300 Lonsdale Rd. www.annexsingers.com. 

$15-$30. LIVE & STREAMED. 

● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Star 

Wars: The Last Jedi - In Concert. See May 11. 

● 7:30: Victoria Hall Volunteers. A Hall So 

Grand: A Celebration of 160 Years of Victoria 

Hall in Words, Images, and Song. Created by 

Hugh Brewster with Brigitte Robinson, Oriana 

Singers, and guest soloists; James Bourne, 

accompanist. Victoria Hall, 55 King St. W., 

Cobourg. 905-372-2210 or www.concerthallatvictoriahall.com. 

$50. Light refreshments. 

● 8:00: Aga Khan Museum. Rumi Nations. 

Tawhida Tanya Evanson, poetry & sema 

(sufi whirling); Pooria Pournazeri, tanbur 

& vocals; Reza Abaee, ghaychak; Mahbod 

Zamani, percussion. Aga Khan Museum 

Auditorium, 77 Wynford Dr. www.ticketing.agakhanmuseum.org/20177/20326 

or 

www.agakhanmuseum.org/programs/ 

rumi-nations. From $30. Includes same-day 

Museum admission. 

● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. 

ILAM. Songs in Wolof, Peulh, French, and 

English. Spadina Theatre, Alliance Française 

de Toronto, 24 Spadina Rd. www. 

Saturday, May 13, 8:00 pm 

Glenn Gould studio, 250 Front Str. W. 

$30-35, www.gtpo.ca 

alliance-francaise.ca. $18. 

● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Sweet Soul 

Music: Soul Hits of the 60s, 70s and 80s. 

171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca 

or 905-305-7469 or 

boxoffice@markham.ca. $60-$65. 

● 8:00: Greater Toronto Philharmonic 

Orchestra. Tangorium Show. Tango, Rock, 

Cabaret, and Classics. Piazolla: Nuevo Tango; 

and other works. Michael Bridge, accordion; 

Kornel Wolak, clarinet; Charles Cozens, conductor. 

Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. W. 

www.gtpo.ca or 647-238-0015. $30-$35. 

● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Fast 

& Furious. Adams: The Chairman Dances; 

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.3 in C; Shostakovich: 

Symphony No.10 in e. Andrei Feher, 

conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen 

St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745- 

4717. $29-$87. Also May 14(2:30pm). 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Jazz 

Concerts: The Great Composers: Kellylee 

Evans & Jackie Richardson. Koerner Hall, 

TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 

or rcmusic.com/performance. $45-$100. 



See Apr 28. Also May 17, 20(4:30pm). At 

7:30pm unless otherwise noted. 

● 2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Fast 

& Furious. Adams: The Chairman Dances; 

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.3 in C; Shostakovich: 

Symphony No.10 in e. Andrei Feher, 

conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen 

St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745- 

4717. $29-$87. Also May 13(8pm). 

● 2:30: Waterloo Regional Police Chorus. 

50th Anniversary Concert. Trinity Lutheran 

Church, 23 Church St., New Hamburg. 519- 

662-1810. Admission by donation. 

● 8:00: Burlington Symphony Orchestra. 

A Mediterranean Voyage. Chabrier: España; 

Sarasate: Carmen Fantasy; Berlioz: Roman 

Carnival Overture; Mendelssohn: Symphony 

No. 4 (“Italian”). Corey Gemmell, violin. Burlington 

Performing Arts Centre, 440 Locust 

St., Burlington. 905-681-6000 or www.burlingtonsymphony.ca. 

$12-$46. 



Lunchtime Chamber Music. Lisa Tahara & 

Emily Chang, piano 4-hands. Yorkminster Park 

Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. 



John Paul Farahat, organ. Cathedral Church 

of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865. 


● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Dancing 

in the Street: The Music of Motown. 

Shayna Steele, Chester Gregory, Michael 

Lynche, vocalists; Jeff Tyzik, conductor. Roy 


From $62. Also May 17(2pm & 8pm). 


● 12:30: ORGANIX Concerts. Richard 

Heinzle, Organ. Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic 

Church, 3055 Bloor St. W. 416-571-3680 

or organixconcerts.ca. Freewill offering ($20 

suggested). 






From $47. Also May 16(8 pm), 17(8pm). 

● 7:00: City Playhouse Theatre. Macbeth 

the Musical. Music by Laura Nobili. 1000 New 

Westminster Dr., Thornhill. 905-303-2000 or 

905-832-2281 or www.tickets.cityplayhouse. 

ca/event/655:117/655:150/. $20-$28. 


See Apr 28. Also May 20(4:30pm). At 7:30pm 


● 8:00: Corktown Chamber Orchestra. e 

minor. Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto; Rachmaninoff: 

Symphony No.2. Ivanka Ivicevic, 

violin; Paul McCulloch, music director. Little 

Trinity Church, 425 King St. E. www.corktownorchestra.ca. 

PWYC (suggested $25). 






From $62. Also May 16, 17(2pm). 

● 8:00: Vesuvius Ensemble. So You Wanna 

Be Americano?: Intro to Italian Swing. Heliconian 

Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. www.bemusednetwork.com/events/detail/978. 

$30. 



Recital. Lisa Tahara, piano and students from 

the Faculty of Music. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian 

Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 X231 

or www.standrewstoronto.org. Free. 


May 5. Also May 21(2pm), 23, 27(4:30pm). At 




See Apr 28. 

COSE 



May 20 at 5pm 

The Earth Has Its Music 

Music From Everyday Life 

Sonder: A String 

Quartet Act 



Ensembles. (1) The Earth Has Its Music: Ancient 

Melodies for Plucked Strings. Lute Legends Collective 

(Lucas Harris, lute; Diely Mori Tounkara, 

kora; Wen Zhao, pipa). (2) Music From Everyday 

Life: Contemporary Classical Music for Percussion. 

Köng Duo (Bevis Ng, percussion; Hoi 

Tong Keung, percussion). (3) Sonder: A String 

Quartet Act. Dior Quartet (Noa Sarid, violin; Toby 

Elser, violin; Caleb Georges, viola; Joanne Yesol 

Choi, cello). Aperture Room, Thornton-Smith 

Building, 340 Yonge St. www.music-toronto. 



com. $90(3-concert pass); $40(single); $20(st/ 

arts). 

● 7:00: Small World Music/The Tawoos 

Initiative. Fareed Ayaz & Abu Muhammad 

Qawwali. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 

73 Simcoe St. www.eventbrite.ca. $40. 

● 7:30: Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. In Recital. 

Works by Dvořák, Poulenc, and Mahler. Stuart 

Graham, baritone; Narmina Afandieva, piano. 

427 Bloor St. W. 416-927-9105 or www.stuartgraham.ca/in-concert/in-recital 

or info@ 

stuartgraham.ca. $35. 

● 8:00: Calvin Presbyterian Church. Dreamland. 

A night of dreamy and whimsical music. 

Works by Chopin, Beethoven, Debussy, Kravtchenko, 

and others. Jonathan Kravtchenko, 

piano. 26 Delisle Ave. Tickets at www.eventbrite.ca 

or at the door. 

● 8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Fervor, 

Flair & Fandango. Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio 

espagnol; Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No.2; 

Bruckner: Symphony No.2. Richmond Hill Centre 

for the Performing Arts, 10268 Yonge St., 

Richmond Hill. 905-604-8339. $20-$40. 



See May 5. Also May 23, 27(4:30pm). At 







May 21(7pm), 22(3pm), 23(3pm). 

● 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Piano Recital. 

Works by Janáček, Chopin, and Brahms. 

David Kalhous, piano. St. Wenceslaus Church, 

496 Gladstone Ave. 416-481-7294. $25. 






May 21(3pm), 22(3pm), 23(3pm). 



Lunchtime Chamber Music: Ragtime. Angus 

Kindred Spirits Orchestra 

Kristian Alexander | Music Director 

FERVOR, FLAIR AND FANDANGO 

Sinclair & Autumn Debassige. Yorkminster 

Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge St. 


welcome. 






May 21(3pm & 7pm), 22(3pm). 

● 7:00: Midtown Stage. Nick Maclean 



Bennett Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, 

drums. Dryden Regional Training and Cultural 

Centre, 100 Casimir Ave., Dryden. 

416-389-2643 or www.eventbrite.ca/e/ 

midtown-stage-presents-nick-macleanquartet-feat-brownman-ali-dryden-tickets-531450180797. 

$20. 


See May 5. Also May 27(4:30pm). At 7:30pm 



● 7:30: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts/ 

Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. Kyohei 

Sorita, Piano. Chopin: Ballade No.1 Op.23, 

Ballade No.2 Op.38, Ballade No.3 Op.47, Ballade 

No.4 Op.52; Scriabin: Fantasy in b Op.28; 

Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D Op.23 No.4, Piano 

Sonata No.2 Op.36. Japanese Canadian Cultural 

Centre, Kobayashi Hall, 6 Garamond Ct. 

www.bravoniagara.org/sorita and www.jccc. 

on.ca. $25-$60. 


Violin Concerto + Pictures at an Exhibition. 

RBD Affiliate Composer: New Work 

(World Premiere/TSO Commission); Tchaikovsky: 

Violin Concerto; Mussorgsky/orch. 

Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition. James Ehnes, 

violin; Jader Bignamini, conductor. Roy Thomson 

Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From 

$35. Also May 25, 27. 


● 12:00 noon: Roy Thomson Hall. Noon Hour 

Choir & Organ Concert Series: Cantala Choir 

- The Infinite Beauty of Sound. 60 Simcoe 

St. Reserve tickets at www.tickets.mhrth. 

com. Free. 

● 7:00: Magisterra Soloists. Masterworks: 

Glorious Clarinet. Coleridge-Taylor: Clarinet 

Quintet; Brahms: Clarinet Quintet; Helmut 

Lisky: Fiesta! Guest: Chad Burrow, clarinet. 

Museum London, 421 Ridout St. N., London. 

www.magisterra.com. $35; $30(sr); $15(st); 

$10(child). 










● 8:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Sarah 

McLachlan. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG 

Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 

1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. . 


● 7:30: Apocryphonia. A Cabinet of Curiosities. 

The order of the concert will be determined 

at random with the audience’s help. 

Works by Blumenfeld, Abelardo, Hopekirk, 

Yamada, and Lewandowski. Alexander Cappellazzo, 

tenor; Cecilia Nguyen Tran, Piano. Cecil 

Community Centre, 58 Cecil St. Tickets: 514- 

378-2558. Pay What You Want. Suggested: $25. 


The Confluence artistic team comes together 

for a season finale featuring words and music 

inspired by the night sky. Heliconian Hall, 

35 Hazelton Ave. info@confluenceconcerts. 

ca. Also May 27. 

● 7:30: The Loft. Brownman Akoustric 

4-Tet. Featuring Brownman Ali. Nick Maclean, 

piano; Brownman Ali, trumpet; Bennett 

Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. 

75 Huron St., Sault Ste. Marie. 416-389- 

2643. $35. 

● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of 

Music. Joseph Haydn’s Orfeo: The Soul of 

the Philosopher. Asitha Tennekoon, tenor 

(Orfeo); Lindsay McIntyre, soprano (Euridice); 

Parker Clements, baritone (Creonte); 

Maeve Palmer, soprano (Genio); McGill Baroque 

Orchestra; Dorian Bandy, conductor; 

Nico Krell, stage director. MacMillan Theatre, 

Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s 

STUART GRAHAM baritone 

NARMINA AFANDIYEVA piano 

Antonin DVOŘÁK | Francis POULENC | Gustav MAHLER 

Saturday May 20, 2023 7:30pm | JEANNE LAMON HALL 

www.stuartgraham.ca 416.927.9105 


Park. 416-978-3750 or www.music.utoronto.ca/concerts-events.php?eid=3804. 

Free. A symposium on Resurrecting 

Haydn’s Orfeo will be held on May 27 at 

10am, Walter Hall. 

● 8:00: Massey Hall. Choir! Choir! Choir! 

Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, creative 

directors. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth. 

com/. $45.40. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. A Little 

Night Music. Music & Lyrics by Stephen 

Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Orchestrations 

by Jonathan Tunick. Suggested by 

a Film by Ingmar Bergman. Originally Produced 

and Directed on Broadway by Harold 

Prince. Cynthia Dale (Desiree Armfeldt); Eric 

McCormack (Frederick Egerman); Fiona Reid 

(Madame Armfeldt); Dan Chameroy (Count 

Carl Magnus); Chilina Kennedy (Charlotte 

Magnus); and others; Richard Ouzounian, 

stage director; David Briskin, music director. 

Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor 

St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/ 

performance. From $65. Also May 27(3pm & 

8pm), 28(3pm). 

VIRTUOSO 

CONCERTO 

May 26 | 8pm 

TorontoBachFestival.org 

● 8:00: Toronto Bach Festival. Virtuoso Concerto. 

All-Bach program. Harpsichord Concerto 

No.1 in d BWV 1052; Italian Concerto in 

F after BWV 971; Concerto for Two Harpsichords 

in C BWV 1061. Steven Devine, harpsichord; 

Christopher Bagan, harpsichord; 

Julia Wedman, violin; John Abberger, oboe; 

Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra. Church of 

the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq. Tickets: 416- 

466-8241 or www.torontobachfestival.org. 

$49. 


THE WELL- 

TEMPERED 

CLAVIER 

May 27 | 12pm & 2pm 


● 12:00 noon: Toronto Bach Festival. The 

Well-Tempered Clavier (Part I). All-Bach program. 

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1. Steven 

Devine, harpsichord. Eastminster United 

Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Tickets: 416-466- 

8241 or www.torontobachfestival.org. $49. 

Part II(2pm). 


Nîpîy’s Songwalks. Chris Derksen: New Work 

(world premiere); and other works. Toronto 

Botanical Gardens, 777 Lawrence Ave. E. 

www.amadeuschoir.com. $40; $35(sr). Also 

at 7pm. 

● 2:00: Toronto Bach Festival. The Well-Tempered 

Clavier (Part II). All-Bach program. 

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2. Steven 

Devine, harpsichord. Eastminster United 

Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Tickets: 416-466- 

8241 or www.torontobachfestival.org. $49. 

Part I(12noon). 


Night Music. See May 26. Also May 28(3pm). 


See May 5. 

● 6:00: Estonian Music Week. Nordic Perspectives. 

Canadian premiere of work by 

Ardo Ran Varres and other works. Hamilton 

Philharmonic Orchestra; Kara-Lis Coverdale, 

piano; Kirke Karja, piano; Triskele, voice 

& traditional instruments. Collective Arts 

Brewing, 207 Burlington St. E., Hamilton. 416- 

925-9405 or emw@vemu.ca or www.estonianmusicweek.ca. 

$35-$50. Free artist talks 

and more. 


The Confluence artistic team comes together 

for a season finale featuring words and music 

inspired by the night sky. Heliconian Hall, 

35 Hazelton Ave. info@confluenceconcerts. 

ca. Also May 26. 


Nîpîy’s Songwalks. Chris Derksen: New Work 

(world premiere); and other works. Toronto 

Botanical Gardens, 777 Lawrence Ave. E. 

www.amadeuschoir.com. $40; $35(sr). Also 

at 2pm. 

● 7:30: Stratford Symphony Orchestra. 

Organ Symphony. Jean Coulthard: Music 

on a Quiet Song; Jan Koestier: Concertino 

Op.77; Saint-Saëns: Symphony No.3 in c Op.78 

“Organ”. Laurel Swinden, flute; Jonathan 

Rowsell, tuba; Owen Spicer, organ; William 

Rowson, conductor. Avondale United Church, 

194 Avondale Ave., Stratford. www.stratfordsymphony.ca. 

$45; $15(st); Free(under 12). 

● 7:30: The Cellar Singers. Cantatas New 

and Old. Bach: Cantata 150; Ian Cusson: Cantata; 

Ben Keast: A newly commissioned 

work. Choir, soloists, and small orchestra. St. 

James Anglican Church, 58 Peter St. N., Orillia. 

905-830-3039. $25. 

● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra. 

Elgar’s Passion & Brahms’s Splendour. 

Elgar: Cello Concerto in e Op.85; Brahms: 

Symphony No.2 in D Op.73. Rachel Mercer, 

cello; Martin MacDonald, conductor. P.C. Ho 

Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater 

Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough. 

416-879-5566. From $25. Free for children 

under 12. Pre-concert talk: 7:15pm. 

● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Cheap 

Trick. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage, 




The Planets. Holst: The Planets. Denis Mastromonaco, 

conductor. Living Arts Centre, 

4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. www.mississaugasymphony.ca 

or 905-306-6000. 

From $40. 

● 8:00: Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Still We Sing 

… Lift Every Voice. Damien Geter: Cantata for 

a More Hopeful Tomorrow (Canadian premiere); 

R. Nathaniel Dett: The Chariot Jubilee; 

Adolphus Hailstork: I Lift Up Mine Eyes Adolphus 

Hailstork: Shout for Joy. Grace Church 

on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. www.nathanieldettchorale.org. 


Night Music. See May 26. Also May 28(3pm). 

● 8:00: SoundCrowd. Happy Together. 

A cappella renditions of hits from Shawn 

Mendes, P!nk, Imagine Dragons, The Beatles, 

Cyndi Lauper, and others. SoundCrowd, 

a cappella ensemble. Guests: Jordana Talsky, 

singer/songwriter & vocal looper; David 

Lane, vocal percussion. Isabel Bader Theatre, 

93 Charles St. W. www.soundcrowd.ca. $30. 

KAFFEEHAUS 

May 27 | 8pm 


● 8:00: Toronto Bach Festival. Kaffeehaus. 

Bach: Coffee Cantata BWV 211; Telemann: 

Concerto for Violin and Oboe; Vivaldi: Concerto 

for Four Violins Op.3 No 7. RH Thomson, 

narrator; Rebecca Genge, soprano; James 

Gilchrist, tenor; Jonathon Adams, bass; The 

Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra. The Concert 

Hall, 888 Yonge St. Tickets: 416-466-8241. 

Limited seating available!. $49. 










Sunday May 28 

● 2:00: Elmer Iseler Singers. Strawberries 

and Champagne. Includes a spring silent auction 

and performance. Elmer Iseler Singers; 

Lydia Adams, conductor. Toronto Hunt 

Club, 1355 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. Info 

and tickets: www.elmeriselersingers.com/ 

events/strawberries-champagne2023. . 


Night Music. See May 26. 

● 3:00: Syrinx Concerts Toronto. Chamber 

Music Concert. Haydn: Trio No.40 for 

piano, violin and cello in f-sharp; Omar Daniel: 

Work TBA; Shostakovich: Trio No.1 for violin, 

cello and piano in c Op.8; Schubert: Trio No. 2 

for violin, cello and piano in E-flat D929. Tom 

Wiebe, cello; Erika Raum, violin; and Mathieu 

Gaudet, piano. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton 

Ave. 416-654-0877. $30; $20(st). 

● 3:00: Trio Arkel. Chamber Music Concert. 

Kernis: Mozart En Route; Enescu: Aubade; 

Kodály: Intermezzo; Onslow: String Quintet; 

R. Strauss: Metamorphosen for String 

Septet. Marie Bérard, violin; Rémi Pelletier, 

viola; Winona Zelenka, cello. Guests: Michael 



Chiarello, double bass; Emmanuelle Beaulieu 

Bergeron, cello; Theresa Rudolph, viola; Luri 

Lee, violin. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor 

St. W. www.eventbrite.ca or admin@trioarkel.com 

or 647-229-6918. $40. 

LEIPZIG 

CANTATAS 

May 28 | 4pm 


● 4:00: Toronto Bach Festival. Leipzig Cantatas. 

All-Bach program. Die Elenden sollen essen, 

BWV 75; Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes 

BWV 76. Ellen McAteer and Sinéad White, sopranos; 

Daniel Taylor and Nicholas Burns, altos; 

James Gilchrist and Cory Knight, tenors; Jonathon 

Adams and Adam Kuiack, basses; The 

Toronto Bach Festival Orchestra. Eastminster 

United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. Tickets: 416- 

466-8241 or www.torontobachfestival.org. $49. 

● 4:00: Wychwood Clarinet Choir. Sounds of 

Spring. Alfred Reed: Havana Moon; Richard 

Rodgers: It Might As Well Be Spring; Richard 

Rodgers (arr. Howard Cable): Bewitched; 

Paul Saunders: Clarifunkation; Rossini: Overture 

to L’italiana in Algeri. Heather Bambrick, 

vocals; Wychwood Clarinet Choir; Michele 

Jacot, director. St. Michael and All Angels 

Anglican Church, 611 St. Clair Ave. W. www. 

wychwoodclarinetchoir.ca. $25; $15(sr/st). 

● 7:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Tom Jones: 

Ages & Stages Tour. Fallsview Casino Resort, 

OLG Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 

1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. . 

● 7:00: INNERchamber Inc. The Oculist. 

Bach: Jagen ist die Lust der Götter from Cantata 

BWV 208; Bach: Sonata No.2, for Violin 

and Obbligato Harpsichord BWV 1015; Handel: 

Trio Sonata Op.2 No.4 HWV 389; Handel: 

“Total Eclipse” from Samson; Handel: “Mirth, 

admit me of thy crew” from L’Allegro; Telemann: 

Concerto for Recorder (violin), Horn and Continuo. 

Julie Baumgartel, baroque violin; Andrew 

Chung, baroque violin; Derek Conrod, natural 

horn; Borys Medicky, harpsichord; Margaret 

Gay, baroque cello. Revival House, 70 Brunswick 

St., Stratford. tickets@innerchamber.ca. $50; 

$10(arts workers/st). LIVE & LIVESTREAM. A 

light meal is available to patrons in Stratford. 

● 7:30: Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club. Kitty 

Donohoe. Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling St., London. 

Tickets: www.ticketscene.ca/events. $25. 

● 7:30: Grand Philharmonic Choir. Water: 

An Environmental Oratorio and Bruckner Te 

Deum. Grand Philharmonic Children’s Choir; 

Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir; Katie Clark, 

soprano; Marion Newman, mezzo; Jean- 

Philippe Lazure, tenor; Phillip Addis, baritone; 

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony; Mark 

Vuorinen, conductor. Centre in the Square, 

101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Tickets & info: 

www.grandphilchoir.com. $27-$81; $19(st/ 

under-30); $9(child/high-school st). 



Lunchtime Chamber Music. Katie Kirkpatrick, 

flute. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 



● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ 

Recital. Richard Hansen, organ. Cathedral 






Toronto/Villa Charities. Jazz Series at the 

Columbus Centre: Francesco Cafiso, Saxophone. 

Columbus Centre, 901 Lawrence Ave. 

W. www.eventbrite.ca. $20. 

● 7:30: ORGANIX Concerts/Istituto Italiano 

di Cultura Toronto. Italian Arts Festival. 

Mario Ciferri, organ. Basilica of Our Lady 

Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St., Guelph. 416- 

571-3680 or www.organixconcerts.ca. $35; 

$30(RCCO/CIOC). Also Jun 3(4pm) - Timothy 

Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto. 


Brahms 2 + Benedetti Plays Marsalis. Marsalis: 

Violin Concerto (Canadian Premiere); Brahms: 

Symphony No.2. Nicola Benedetti, violin; Elim 

Chan, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe 

St. 416-598-3375. From $35. Also Jun 1, 3. 

Thursday June 1 










Eugenio Maria Fagiani, organ. Basilica of Our 

Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St., Guelph. 416- 


$30(RCCO/CIOC). Also Jun 3(8pm) - Timothy 

Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto. 

● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto. Virtuosi 

by the Leleu Brothers. Thomas Leleu, tuba; 

Romain Leleu, trumpet. Spadina Theatre, Alliance 

Française de Toronto, 24 Spadina Rd. 

www.alliance-francaise.ca. $18. 



Violin Concerto (Canadian Premiere); 

Brahms: Symphony No.2. Nicola Benedetti, 

violin; Elim Chan, conductor. Roy Thomson 


Also May 31, Jun 3. 

Friday June 2 




Bennett Young, bass; Jacob Wutzke, drums. 

Contxt, 254 Lansdowne Ave. 416-389-2643 

or www.eventbrite.ca/e/nick-macleanquartet-feat-brownman-ali-toronto-tickets-545543724967. 

$20; $15(adv). 

● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Pomegranate. 

Music by Kye Marshall. Libretto 

by Amanda Hale. Canadian Opera Company 

Chorus & Orchestra; Rosemary Thomson, 

conductor; Jennifer Tarver, director. Canadian 

Opera Company Theatre, 227 Front St. 

E. 416-363-8231 or 1-800-250-4653 or tickets@coc.ca. 

From $24. Also Jun 3, 4(2pm). At 


Saturday June 3 

● 2:00: Barrie Concert Band. Barrie Concert 

Band Goes Broadway. Collier Street United 

Church, 112 Collier St., Barrie. 705-735-0720 

or www.barrieconcertband.org/product-category/tickets. 

$25; $10(st). 



Mario Ciferri, organ. Timothy Eaton Memorial 

Church, 230 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-571-3680 

or www.organixconcerts.ca. $45; $40(RCCO/ 

CIOC). Also May 31(7:30pm) - Basilica of Our 

Lady Immaculate, Guelph. 

COSE 



June 3 at 5pm 

Far From Triumphing Court 

Unspoken Poetry 

Colour You Like 


SUNDAY MAY 28, 3PM 

KERNIS 

ENESCU 

KODÁLY 

ONSLOW 

STRAUSS 

Guest Artist: 

Michael Chiarello, Double Bass 

Emmanuelle Beaulieu Bergeron,Cello 

Theresa Rudolph, Viola 

Luri Lee, Violin 

Sunday, May 28th, 4pm 

SOUNDS OF 

SPRING 

with special guest soloist 

HEATHER BAMBRICK 

Season Sponsors 

Trinity St. Paul's Centre 

https://trioarkel.eventbrite.ca 

St Michael & All Angels Church, 611 St Clair Ave. West 

WYCHWOODCLARINETCHOIR.CA 



Ensembles. (1) Far From Triumphing Court: Renaissance 

and Contemporary Songs Centred in 

Indigenous Storytelling. duo nistwayr (Jonathon 

Adams, baritone; Jesse Plessis, piano; Lucas 

Harris, lute). Works by Dowland, Purcell, Crumb 

and Plessis. (2) Unspoken Poetry. Interro Quartet 

(Steve Sang Koh, violin; Eric Kim-Fujita, violin; 

Maxime Despax, viola; Sebastian Ostertag, 

cello). Works by Fanny Mendelssohn, Grażyna 

Bacewicz, Hildegard von Bingen, and Rebecca 

Clarke. (3) Colour You Like. Radia (Ryan Davis, 

viola) with the Gryphon Trio (Ryan Davis, viola; 

Annalee Patipatanakoon, violin; Roman Borys, 

cello; Jamie Parker, piano). Aperture Room, 

Thornton-Smith Building, 340 Yonge St. www. 

music-toronto.com. $90(3-concert pass); 

$40(single); $20(st/arts). 


See Jun 3. Also Jun 4(2pm). At 


Etobicoke Centennial Choir 

Saturday, June 3, 7:30 pm 

etobicokecentennialchoir.ca 

musica 

borealis 

music of northern lands 

● 7:30: Etobicoke Centennial Choir. Musica 

Borealis: Music of Northern Lands. Sibelius: 

This Is My Song (from Finlandia); Northern 

Lights; Eriks Esenvalds: Northern Lights; 

Lloyd Pfautsch: The Snow White Messenger; 

Stephen Chatman: Selections from Six Canadian 

Folk Songs; and other works. Karen 

MacLeod, soprano; Mélissa Danis, mezzo; 

Lauren Halasz, alto; David Finneran, baritone; 

Carl Steinhauser, piano; Henry Renglich, 

conductor. Runnymede United Church, 

432 Runnymede Rd. 416-779-2258 or www. 

etobicokecentennialchoir.ca. $30. 

● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. 25th Anniversary 

Celebration Fundraiser. St. Paul’s United 

Church (Scarborough), 200 McIntosh St., 

Scarborough. www.acousticharvest.ca or 

416-729-7564. $30(adv) or cash at door. 



Eugenio Maria Fagiani, organ. Timothy Eaton 

Memorial Church, 230 St. Clair Ave. W. 416- 


$40(RCCO/CIOC). Also Jun 1(7:30pm) - Basilica 

of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph. 

● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Show 

One Presents: Polina Osetinskya - Baroque 

Music from the Greatest Movies of All Time. 

Bach: Italian Concerto in F; Bach: Chorale 

Prelude “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ” (“I 

cry to you, Lord”); Bach: Toccata in e; Bach: 

Siciliano from Sonata No.2 in E-flat for flute 

and harpsichord (attributed to Bach); Bach: 

Passacaglia and Fugue in c; Handel: Sarabande 

from Suite No.4 in d; and other works 

by Handel, Purcell, and Rameau. Polina 

Osetinskya, piano. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 

273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www. 

rcmusic.com. From $48. 



Violin Concerto (Canadian Premiere); 

Brahms: Symphony No.2. Nicola Benedetti, 

violin; Elim Chan, conductor. Roy Thomson 


Also May 31, Jun 1. 

Sunday June 4 


See Jun 3. 

● 3:00: Orchestra Toronto. Crow and Rachmaninoff. 

A performance of a new work by 

the winner of the Orchestra Toronto Prize in 

Composition; Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 in 

g; Rachmaninoff: Symphony No.2 in e. Jonathan 

Crow, violin; Michael Newnham, conductor. 

George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian 

Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St. 416-467-7142 or 

www.ticketmaster.ca. $52. Pre-concert chat 

at 2:15pm. 

● 3:00: Toronto Choral Society. Songs 

From the Sea. Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony 

(excerpts) and other works. Eastminster 

United Church, 310 Danforth Ave. www. 

torontochoralsociety.org. 

● 5:00: Nocturnes in the City. Piano Recital. 

Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 988. Radka 

Hanakova, piano. St. Wenceslaus Church, 

496 Gladstone Ave. 416-481-7294. $25. 



Giulia Biagetti, organ. Timothy Eaton Memorial 

Church, 230 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-571-3680 

or www.organixconcerts.ca. $45; $40(RCCO/ 

CIOC). 

Lunchtime Concerts 

Mondays at 12:15 

June 5 - A Celebration 

of Persian Music 

June 12 - Warren 

Nicholson, guitar 

June 19 - Odin 

Quartet with pianist 

Alex Panizza 

June 26 - Ezra Duo 

July 3 - Conrad Gold, 

organ 

Admission: PWYC 

Church of the Holy Trinity 

www.musicmondays.ca 

Tuesday June 6 


Lunchtime Chamber Music. Bedford Trio. 


St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations 

welcome. 

3030 Dundas West 

3030 Dundas St. W. 416-769-5736 

3030dundaswest.com 

A large, airy space that plays hosts to concerts, 

events, and more, 3030 Dundas is 

home to a wide variety of music and a topnotch 

Trinidadian-Canadian food menu. 

Burdock 

1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033 

burdockto.com 

A sleek music hall with exceptional sound 

and ambience, featuring a draft list of housemade 

brews. 

BSMT 254 

254 Landsdowne Ave. 416-801-6325 

bsmt254.com 

A cozy music venue with an underground 

vibe, BSMT 254 has a wide variety of shows, 

from jazz to hip-hop to DJ nights. 

Cameron House 

408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811 

thecameron.com 

An intimate, bohemian bar with ceiling 

murals & nightly performances from local 

roots acts on 2 stages. 

Capone’s Cocktail Lounge 

1573 Bloor St. W. 416-534-7911 

caponestoronto.com 

A self-described perfect marriage of an 

intimate cocktail den and comfortable neighbourhood 

bar, with live music Wednesday 

through Sunday. 

Castro’s Lounge 

2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272 

castroslounge.com 

Featuring an ever-changing selection of specialty 

beers, Castro’s hosts a variety of local 

live music acts, including bluegrass, jazz, 

rockabilly, and alt-country. 

C’est What 

67 Front St. E. 416-867-9499 

cestwhat.com 

A haven for those who appreciate real cask 

ale, draught beer from local Ontario breweries, 

and live music. 

Drom Taberna 

458 Queen St. W. 647-748-2099 

dromtaberna.com 

A heartfelt homage to the lands that stretch 

from the Baltic to the Balkans to the Black 

Sea, with a wide variety of music. 

Emmet Ray, The 

924 College St. 416-792-4497 

theemmetray.com 

A whisky bar with a great food menu, an everchanging 

draft list, and live jazz, funk, folk and 

more in the back room. 

MAINLY CLUBS 

● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ 

Recital. Nathan Jeffrey, organ. Cathedral 




Grossman’s Tavern 

379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000 

grossmanstavern.com 

One of the city’s longest-running live music 

venues, and Toronto’s self-described “Home 

of the Blues.” 

Hirut Cafe and Restaurant 

2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560 

hirut.ca 

A major destination for delicious and nutritious 

Ethiopian cuisine, with monthly jazz 

residencies and jam sessions. 

Home Smith Bar – See Old Mill, The 

Hugh’s Room 

296 Broadview Ave. 416-533-5483 

hughsroom.com 

A dedicated listening room with an intimate 

performing space, great acoustics, and an 

attentive audience. 

Jazz Bistro, The 

251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299 

jazzbistro.ca 

In an historic location, Jazz Bistro features 

great food, a stellar wine list, and world-class 

jazz musicians in airy club environs. 

Jazz Room, The 

Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N., 

Waterloo. 226-476-1565 

kwjazzroom.com 

A welcoming music venue dedicated to the 

best in jazz music presentations, and home to 

the Grand River Jazz Society, which presents 

regular series throughout the year. 

Lula Lounge 

1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307 

lula.ca 

Toronto’s mecca for salsa, jazz, afro-Cuban, 

and world music, with Latin dance classes 

and excellent food and drinks. 

Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club 

951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440 

manhattans.ca 

An independently owned neighbourhood restaurant 

boasting a unique dining experience 

that features live music almost every night 

of the week. 

Mezzetta Restaurant 

681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687 

mezzettarestaurant.com 

With a cozy atmosphere and a menu of Middle-Eastern 

cuisine, Mezzetta hosts music on 

Wednesday evenings. 

Monarch Tavern 

12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833 

themonarchtavern.com 

With a café/cocktail bar on the main floor and 

a pub with microbrews upstairs, Monarch 


IN THE CLUBS 

Ongoing, On Demand & Other 

CONRAD GLUCH 

College St. Jazz Festival, continued from page 32 

Trash Panda Brass Band 

The inaugural CSJF is “focused on gender representation, cultural 

diversity, and emerging artists,” and its lineup is reflective of this 

mandate. Day 1 begins with pianist Jennifer Lo, appearing with 

her trio at Free Times Cafe. Day 2 features the vibraphonist Racha 

Moukalled’s trio at Sellers & Newell, as well as bassist/vocalist Carlie 

Howell’s group, saxophonist Alison Young’s trio, and vocalist Chloe 

Watkinson, all at The Emmet Ray. (Also of note: Carlie Howell will 

moderate a panel on gender representation in jazz at Sellers & Newell 

in the afternoon, prior to the start of the day’s performances.) On day 

3, Grapevine Duo (trombonist/vocalist Charlotte McAfee-Brunner and 

guitarist Jared Higgins) appears at Bar Pompette, the vocalist Laila 

Biali’s trio plays the College Street United Church and the festival 

closes with a triple bill at Revival, as Trash Panda Brass Band, vocalist 

Tara Moneka’s Diljah Sextet, and vocalist Queen Pepper all take 

the stage. 

Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in Toronto. 

He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram and 

on Twitter. 

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS 

● Azrieli Music Prizes. Focus on Choral 

Music. Performance partner: Orchestre 

symphonique de Montréal Chorus. Deadline: 

May 5, 2023. No entry fee. Visit www. 

appgetacceptd.com/azrielifoundation. 

FESTIVALS 

● Estonian Music Week 2023, May 25 & 

27. May 25: Mari Kalkun, Triskele, Kirke 

Karja Trio, and others at multiple venues 

in Toronto. See daily listings for details of 

the May 27 concert, Nordic Perspectives, 

by the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra; 

Kara-Lis Coverdale, piano; Kirke Karja, 

piano; and Triskele, voice & traditional 

instruments in Hamilton. Further information 

at emw@vemu.ca or www.estonianmusicweek.ca. 

● Open Ears Festival of Music and Sound, 

Jun 1–4. Registry Theatre (Thurs, Fri, Sat, and 

Sun). THEMUSEUM (Fri). KPL Theatre (Sat). 

Trillium Lutheran (Sat). Victoria Park (Sun). 

AOK Craft Beer and Arcade (Sun). Featured 

performers: The Returned by Portal Dance, ce 

qui nous traverse, Yang Chen, Medusa, Peter 

Hatch, Lithophonica, Earth Ether Ensemble; 

Melody McKiver, Counterstasis Trio with special 

guest Kathryn Ladano, Erin Donovan with 

her company Hear Here Productions, and the 

finale concert with Daniel Ramjattan. Festival 

also includes workshops for local students and 

community engaging with Erin Donovan and 

guests from Hear Here Productions involving 

music, movement, and the written word. For 

information, visit www.openears.ca. 

● SING! The Toronto International Vocal 

Arts Festival, May 29-Jun 4. Performers 

include Naturally 7, Countermeasure, Mezzotono, 

and others. For information and tickets, 

visit www.singtoronto.com. 

IN-PERSON GROUPS 

● Apr 01 7:00: Toronto Gilbert & Sullivan 

Society. April Fool’s Day Celebration. 

Excerpts from The Yeomen of the Guard, 

humorous anecdotes, a tricky quiz, a singalong, 

refreshments, and more. St. Andrew’s 

United Church (Bloor St.), 117 Bloor St E. 

Free(members); $5(non-members). All 

welcome. 

LECTURES & SYMPOSIA 

● Apr 24 10:00am: Beach United Church. 

Lecture Series: Joni Mitchell - Words and 

Music. Six-week lecture series with Dr Mike 

Daley. 140 Wineva Ave. www.eventbrite.ca/e/ 

joni-mitchell-words-music-lecture-serieswith-dr-mike-daley-tickets-530653728587. 

From $30. Also Apr 17, May 1, 8, 15, 29. 

● May 28 1:30: Toronto Bach Festival. 

Annual Bach Lecture - J.S. Bach: Cantor, 

Capellmeister, Director. Presented by Daniel 

R. Melamed. Eastminster United Church, 

310 Danforth Ave. Tickets: 416-466-8241. $10. 

MAINLY CLUBS continued from page 51 

Tavern regularly hosts indie, rock, and other 

musical genres on its stage. 

Old Mill, The 

21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641 

oldmilltoronto.com 

The Home Smith Bar: 

With a stone-lined room and deep, plus seating, 

the Home Smith Bar provides elevated pub food 

and cocktails along with straightahead live jazz. 

Oud and the Fuzz, The 

21 Kensington Ave. 647-283-9136 

theoudandthefuzz.ca 

An Armenian bar and live music venue, The 

Oud and the Fuzz features an excellent menu 

of Armenian food, inventive cocktails, and a 

rotating cast of top-notch musicians. 

Pamenar Café 

268 Augusta Ave. 416-840-0501 

http://cafepamenar.com 

Café by day, bar by night, Pamenar serves 

some of the best coffee and cocktails in the 

city, with a rotating cast of musicians playing 

both recurring gigs and one-off shows. 

Pilot Tavern, The 

22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716 

thepilot.ca 

With over 75 years around Yonge and Bloor, 

the Pilot is a multi-level bar that hosts live jazz 

on Saturday afternoons. 

Poetry Jazz Café 

1078 Queen St West. 

poetryjazzcafe.com 

A sexy, clubby space, Poetry hosts live jazz, 

hip-hop, and DJs nightly in its new home on 

Queen Street West. 

Reposado Bar & Lounge 

136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474 

reposadobar.com 

A chic, low-light bar with top-shelf tequila, 

Mexican tapas, and live music. 

Reservoir Lounge, The 

52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887 

reservoirlounge.com 

Toronto’s self-professed original swingjazz 

bar and restaurant, located in a historic 

speakeasy near St. Lawrence Market, with 

live music four nights a week. 

Rev, La 

2848 Dundas St. W. 416-766-0746 

https://larev.ca 

La Rev offers their guests an authentic taste of 

comida casera (Mexican homestyle-cooking), 

and a welcoming performance space featuring 

some of Toronto’s most talented musicians 

Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The 

194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475 

therex.ca 

With over 60 shows per month of Canadian and 

international groups, The Rex is Toronto’s longestrunning 

jazz club, with full bar and kitchen menu. 

Sauce on Danforth 

1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376 

sauceondanforth.com 

With Victorian lighting, cocktails, and an 

extensive tap and bottle list, Sauce on Danforth 

has live music Tuesday through Saturday 

(and sometimes Sunday). 

The Senator Winebar 

249 Victoria St 416 364-7517 

thesenator.com 

An intimate, upscale French-inspired bistro 

with live music serving hearty, delicious comfort 

food alongside a curated selection of 

wine and cocktails. 

Smokeshow BBQ and Brew 

744 Mt. Pleasant Rd 416-901-7469 

Smokeshowbbqandbrew.com 

A laid-back venue with an emphasis on barbecue 

and beer, Smokeshow hosts cover artists 

and original music Thursday through Sunday, 

with Bachata lessons on Tuesdays and Karaoke 

on Wednesdays. 

Tranzac 

292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137 

tranzac.org 

A community arts venue dedicated to supporting, 

presenting, and promoting creative 

and cultural activity in Toronto, with live shows 

in multiple rooms every day of the week. 


TORONTO 

BACH 

FESTIVAL 

ANNUAL 

BACH 

LECTURE 

May 28 | 1:30pm 


● Jul 4-7. University of Toronto. Choral Conducting 

Symposium. Dr. Jamie Hillman, Elmer 

Iseler Chair in Conducting, University of 

Toronto; Dr. Felicia Barber, Associate Professor 

of Choral Conducting, Adjunct, Yale University; 

Dr. Darryl Edwards, Professor, Voice 

Studies, University of Toronto; Dr. Joy Lee, Collaborative 

Pianist, University of Toronto. For 

information, visit www.UofT.me/conducting. 

MASTERCLASS 

● Apr 14 7:30: Remenyi House of Music. 

Piano Masterclass. Martín García García, 

piano. Remenyi House of Music, Unit 15, 

109 Vanderhoof Ave. www.eventbrite.com/e/ 

masterclass-with-martin-garcia-garcia-tickets-548005829187. 

$25. 

MUSICAL THEATRE 

● Luminato Festival/TO Live. Treemonisha: 

A Musical Reimagining. Music by Scott Joplin. 

Book & Libretto adapted by Leah-Simone 

Bowen. Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence 

Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. www. 

am.ticketmaster.com/tolive/treemonishaevents. 

Previews: from $21. Regular: from $30. 

Previews Jun 6, 7 & 8. Runs Jun 10, 11, 14-17. 

● Musical Stage Company/Canadian Stage. 

Kelly v. Kelly. Book by Sara Farb. Music & Lyrics 

by Britta Johnson. Berkeley Street Theatre, 

26 Berkeley St. www.canadianstage.com. From 

$29. From May 26 to Jun 18. Start times vary. 

● Scarborough Music Theatre. Godspell. Music 

and New Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by 

John Michael Tebelak. Scarborough Village Theatre, 

3600 Kingston Rd., Scarborough. 416- 

267-9292 or www.theatrescarborough.com/ 

scarborough-music-theatre/productions/godspell/. 

$30; $27(sr/st); $25(group rate). Runs 

May 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20. 

● Theatre Myth Collective. Inge(new) – In 

Search of a Musical. Music by Rosalind Mills. 

Lyrics by Julia Appleton. Book & Additional 

Lyrics by Evan Tsitsias. Tracy Michailidis, 

Astrid Van Wieren, Cory O’Brien and Elora 

Joy Sarmiento, performers; Evan Tsitsias, director; 

Kieren MacMillan, music director. Red 

Sandcastle, 922 Queen St. E. Tickets: www. 

ticketscene.ca/events/43966 or www.redsandcastletheatre.com/tickets. 

. From May 24 

to June 4, 2023, every evening at 8pm, with 

2:30pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. 

University of Toronto Choral Conducting Symposium 

July 4-7, 2023 

Dr. Jamie Hillman 

Elmer Iseler Chair in 

Conducting, University 

of Toronto 

Dr. Felicia Barber 

Associate Professor 

of Choral Conducting, 

Adjunct, Yale University 

Dr. Darryl Edwards 

Professor, Voice 

Studies, University of 

Toronto 

Dr. Joy Lee 

Collaborative Pianist, 

University of Toronto 

UofT.me/conducting 


Ongoing, On Demand & Other 

ONLINE DISCUSSION 

● Apr 12 7:00: Tafelmusik. Tafel Talk: The Sopranos, 

Princes of the Opera World. Online conversation 

examining the unique timbres of countertenors 

and male sopranos, while exploring what these 

voices tell us about the full range of human expression. 

Moderated by Matthew White, CEO, Victoria 

Symphony, with Michael Maniaci, American 

male soprano; Krisztina Szabó, Canadian mezzo, 

and Darryl Taylor, American countertenor. www. 

tafelmusik.org. $5. ONLINE. 

OPEN REHEARSAL 

● Apr 27 11:00am: Tafelmusik. Open Rehearsal 

with Samuel Mariño and Tafelmusik. Arias 

from Handel’s Armino, Vivaldi’s Il Guistino, and 

other works. Samuel Mariño, male soprano. 

Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 

427 Bloor St. W. www.tafelmusik.org. $5. 

REHEARSAL OPPORTUNITIES 

● Apr 02 1:30: Toronto Early Music Players 

Organization (TEMPO). A Trip to Venice. 

Works by Gabrieli, Legrenzi, and Vivaldi. 

Singsation 

Come Sing With Us 

Reserve your spot 

in our community 

singing workshop 

at tmchoir.org 

Saturday 

April 29 

10:30 am 

TORONTO 

STRIKES 

BACK! 

Casting two men 

& one woman who 

can sing and do 

comedy sketches. 

Rehearsals start early July, 

for a November production 

in south Etobicoke. 

Non-Equity (some remuneration) 

Caroline Tremblay, flute & presenter. Grace 

Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. www. 

tempotoronto.net or info@tempotoronto.net. 

WORKSHOPS 

● Apr 24 5:00: Canadian Opera Company. 

Youth Opera Lab: The Art of the Sword. For ages 

16-28. Focused on the COC’s upcoming production 

of Verdi’s Macbeth and involving interactive 

discussion and masterclass with Macbeth Fight 

Director Nick Sandys and COC Teaching Artist 

Renée Salewski before attending the dress 

rehearsal. Four Seaons Centre for the Performing 

Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. $15. 

● Apr 29 10:30am: Toronto Mendelssohn 

Choir. Singsation: Carmina Burana. An SATB 

reading of excerpts from Carl Orff’s Carmina 

Burana. Choral workshop led by Jean-Sébastien 

Vallée. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 

1585 Yonge St. www.tmchoir.org. $10. 

● May 20 10:30am: Toronto Mendelssohn 

Choir. Singsation: Choral Workshop. Led by Dr. 

Shireen Abu-Khader, TMChoir’s Composer in 

Residence. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 

1585 Yonge St. www.tmchoir.org. $10. 

Singsation 

Come Sing With Us 

Reserve your spot 

in our community 

singing workshop 

at tmchoir.org 

Saturday 

May 20 

10:30 am 

A BRAND NEW 

MUSICAL COMEDY 

REVUE. 

Contact harveypatterson@gmail.com or call 416-239-5821 to audition. 

If you can read this, 

thank a music teacher. 

(Skip the hug.) 

MosePianoForAll.com 

A vacation 

for your dog! 

Barker Avenue Boarding 

in East York 

call or text 416-574-5250 

A SHARPER EDGE 

machetes, 

scythes & axes 

clippers, scissors 

and knives 

ALSO 

tree felling, 

trail-making, 

and chainsaw 

maintenance 

fdmroz@icloud.com 416-705-8427 

CLASSIFIEDS – ONLINE! 

FREE online classifieds: if you’re offering immediate paid employment 

opportunities for musicians. 60 word limit. 

All other online classifieds: $50 for 60 words for up to two months. Discounts 

for ongoing bookings. Promote skills and services | buy & sell. 

Recruit members for choirs, bands, orchestras. 

Find a music director, or a music teacher | Advertise a venue. 

INQUIRIES BY EMAIL ONLY: classad@thewholenote.com 

JOIN US IN 

JULY FOR 

MUSIC 

CAMPS! 

coc.ca/Camps 

BUSINESS 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Economical and visible! 

Promote your services 

& products to our 

musically engaged readers, 

in print and on-line. 

BOOKING DEADLINE: MAY 16 

classad@thewholenote.com 

DO YOU DRIVE? 

Do you love The WholeNote? 

Share the love and earn a little 

money! Join our circulation team, 

and deliver 6 times a year. 

Currently seeking GTA 

circulation associates in the 

M4 and M6 postal code areas; also the U of T campus. 

Interested? Contact: circulation@thewholenote.com 


Welcome to Who's Who thewholenote.com 

our online directories of choirs, summer music, presenters, venues and more 

A warm April welcome (with teasers to their profiles online!) to: 

● Achill Choral Society 

www.achill.ca 

“We welcome diversity in our membership 

and in the broad range of contemporary, classical, 

and traditional music we perform. We 

value learning and growing musically and are 

committed to excellence.” 

● Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto 

Amadeuschoir.com 

“Entering our 50th year, the award-winning, 

semi-professional Amadeus Choir champions 

the best of choral music and premieres 

works of Canadian and international 

composers.” 

● Bel Canto Singers 

www.belcantosingers.ca 

“We are a four-part adult community choir, 

performing two concerts per year (spring 

and Christmas) from a repertoire of classical 

masters, Broadway and movie tunes, opera 

choruses and pop songs.” 

● Cantabile Chamber Singers 

www.cantabilechambersingers.com 

“A welcoming choral community that has an 

emphasis on informed interpretation, innovative 

programming and social awareness. We 

welcome composers to submit new works.” 

● Chorus York 

Chorusyork.ca 

“Come Sing With Us.” 

● City Choir 

Citychoir.ca 

“Launched in 2010, City Choir is an exciting 

non-auditioned SATB choir. Repertoire 

includes original compositions and is very 

diverse.” 

● Cummer Avenue United Church Choir 

www.cummeravenueuc.ca 

“Cummer Ave. United Choir provides musical 

leadership Sunday mornings, offering a wide 

variety of musical styles.” 

● Echo Women’s Choir 

www.echochoir.ca 

“Echo is a 40-voice, non-auditioned community 

choir in the heart of downtown Toronto, 

with a strong, varied, and vibrant singing culture 

accessible to all.” 

● The Edison Singers 

theedisonsingers.com 

“The Edison Singers is an outstanding ensemble 

of professional singers whose energy, 

spirit and commitment to this choir is 

remarkable and truly inspiring.” 

● Etobicoke Centennial Choir 

www.etobcokecentennialchoir.ca 

“Etobicoke Centennial Choir offers singers 

a rewarding community choir experience 

- diverse repertoire and high musical standards 

in a fun, warm and welcoming community 

of music lovers.” 

● Exultate Chamber Singers 

www.exultate.net 

“A welcoming group of skilled, musical singers 

with a wide-ranging repertoire and a 

commitment to the development of singers, 

CHOIRS 

composers, and conductors both within Exultate 

and in the larger choral community.” 

● Georgetown Choral Society 

https://www.georgetownchoral.ca/ 

“Proud of its community choir history of over 

a half century, the GCS always welcomes new 

members.” 

● Incontra Vocal Ensemble 

www.incontravocalensemble.com 

“Encounter something unique with Incontra 

Vocal Ensemble.” 

● Leaside United Church Choirs 

https://www.leasideunited.org/ 

“Music is central to worship at Leaside United 

Church. The rich music program includes the 

Chancel Choir and the Junior Choir.” 

● Metropolitan United Choir 

www.metunited.ca 

“We’re a fun-loving, semi-professional and 

family-like liturgical and concert choir, who 

sing rep from Lassus to Bach to Lady Gaga.” 

● Milton Choristers 

www.miltonchoristers.com 

“4-part Community Choir in Milton, Halton 

Region” 

● Oriana Women’s Choir 

Orianachoir.com 

“Oriana explores the possibilities in choral 

music for upper voices, and fosters the 

creation of new Canadian choral music. 

New singers are welcome to join us at any 

rehearsal!” 

● Pax Christi Chorale 

www.paxchristichorale.org 

“Experience the deep joys of choral singing in 

a diverse and welcoming community with Pax 

Christi Chorale.” 

● Peterborough Singers 

www.peterboroughsingers.com 

“For 2023-2024 we will be performing a Yuletide 

Cheer concert, Handel’s Messiah, The 

Songbook of Elton John, and Bach’s St. Matthew 

Passion.” 

● Serenata Singers 

Serenatasingers.ca 

“Enjoy singing in harmony? Please join our 

warm and welcoming choir. We rehearse on 

Wednesday mornings in Scarborough.” 

● Tafelmusik Baroque Choir 

https://tafelmusik.org/ 

“The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, specializing 

in historically informed performances of baroque 

and classical repertoire, was formed 

in 1981 as a complement to the Tafelmusik 

Orchestra.” 

● Toronto Chamber Choir 

www.torontochamberchoir.ca 

“Shining new light on early music.” 

● Toronto Children’s Chorus 

Torontochildrenschorus.com 

“The Toronto Children’s Chorus is recognized 

worldwide as a leading choral organization 

for children and youth.” 

● Toronto Choral Society 

torontochoralsociety.org 

“Please come aboard to our next concert “A 

Sea Symphony”, on June 4, 2023. Sail along 

with The Toronto Choral Society, as we take 

you on a musical journey on the high seas, at 

Eastminster United Church.” 

● Toronto Classical Singers 

Torontoclassicalsingers.ca 

“Great composers, good tunes, complex 

sonorities, the full range of musical possibilities 

and a very good time.” 

● Toronto Mendelssohn Choir 

www.tmchoir.org 

“The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir is proud to 

be one of Canada’s oldest, largest, and most 

recognized choral ensembles, renowned for 

over 125 years for delivering the highest standard 

of musical performance.” 

● Toronto Welsh Male Voice Choir 

www.welshchoir.ca 

“Fantastic choir that brings the joy of song to 

many people of all ages. To learn more, please 

visit our website.” 

● Upper Canada Choristers 

Uppercanadachoristers.org 

● CAMMAC Music Centre 

June 25 - August 20, 2023 

www.cammac.ca/ 

en/2023-summer-music-retreats/ 

“Pair your summer vacation fun with a unique 

musical experience in the heart of the Laurentians. 

Eight one-week immersive programs 

feature a wide variety of classes & 

activities for amateur musicians of all ages 

and levels.” 

● COC Summer Music Camp 

July 4 - July 28, 2023 

https://www.coc.ca/learn/summercamps 

“The COC is thrilled to launch Summer Music 

Camps! Young artists are immersed in a 

world of music & performing arts, working 

with teaching artists to hone creative 

skills, explore singing, composition, drama, 

& design, in a creative & non-competitive 

environment.” 

● Interprovincial Music Camp 

August 20 - 25; August 26 - Sept 3, 2023 

www.campimc.ca 

“You belong at IMC - the highlight of a young 

musician’s summer!” 

● JazzWorks Jazz Camp 

August 21 - 27, 2023 

https://www.jazzworkscanada.com/ 

“Open to adult community and professional 

musicians: join us at beautiful Lac MacDonald 

to study and perform - small ensembles, 

workshops, jazz theory & history, masterclasses, 

original composition combos, faculty-led 

jam sessions, concerts and more!” 

● Kodály Certification Program 

Levels I & II 

July 3 - 14, 2023 

https://music.uwo.ca/outreach/ 

“We are a diverse, inclusive mixed-voice community 

choir, committed to excellence, whose 

mandate is to nurture the love and appreciation 

of singing choral music in a relaxed and 

friendly atmosphere.” 

● Vesnivka Choir 

www.vesnivka.com 

“We are a friendly inclusive community choir 

that performs Ukrainian classical, sacred 

and traditional folk repertoire. Join us for a 

unique singing experience.” 

● VOCA Chorus of Toronto 

www.vocachorus.ca 

“The VOCA Chorus of Toronto is a dynamic, 

auditioned ensemble which performs eclectic 

repertoire, including Canadian premieres, 

in collaboration with some of Canada’s finest 

artists.” 

● West Toronto Community Choir 

www.facebook.com/groups/ 

westtorontocommunitychoir 

“Our vibe is fun and social, with a focus on 

community engagement and shared musicmaking. 

There are no auditions. We value 

diversity of gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, 

ability, sexual orientation, education, and 

political perspective and are open to all.” 

SUMMER MUSIC EDUCATION 

music-education/kodaly-certification-program.html 

“In this intensive program, participants will 

strengthen their personal musicianship and 

pedagogical skills, with content grounded in a 

contemporary understanding of the philosophy 

inspired by Zoltán Kodály.” 

● Lake Field Music 

August 6 - 13, 2023 

www.lakefieldmusic.ca 

“A music camp for adults: play, sing, and be 

inspired in a collegial environment. Stay on 

campus and immerse yourself in workshops, 

ensembles, choirs, and performances.” 

● Music at Port Milford 

July 9 - August 6, 2023 

Musicatportmilford.org 

“Chamber Music Academy in Prince Edward 

County. Music at Port Milford enters its 37th 

Season” 

● No Strings Theatre SummerStage 

- CARMEN 

July 22 - August 20 

www.nostringstheatre.com 

“Announcing No Strings Theatre’s Summer- 

Stage 2023 YAP opera intensive at a rural 

farm near Orangeville, featuring George 

Bizet’s Carmen.” 

● Stratford Summer Music 2023 Jazz 

Academy 

July 31 - August 5, 2023 

www.stratfordsummermusic.ca 

“If you are an emerging artist 22 years of 

age and under, please join us for this exciting 

week which will include daily workshops, 

combo sessions and guided practice sessions 

by some of the country’s most recognized and 

active jazz musicians.” 

For more information, or to join, contact Karen Ages at 

416-323-2232 x26 or karen@thewholenote.com 


DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED 

DAVID OLDS 

As a folk singer of sorts I was intrigued to 

read somewhere that Franz Schubert sometimes 

accompanied his songs on guitar. For 

several issues now I’ve meant to write about 

a new version of Die schöne Müllerin but 

each time I’ve run out of space, or it just 

didn’t seem appropriate to the theme of the 

column. Guitarist David Leisner has adapted 

the original piano score for guitar and is 

joined by baritone Michael Kelly in a compelling performance (Bright 

Shiny Things BSTC-0175 brightshiny.ninja). I wrote back in December 

that the lack of texts for Victoria Bond’s song settings on the album 

Blue and Green Music was not an issue due to Kelly’s clear diction. I’m 

sure if I were conversant in German the same would be true in the 

case of the current recording, but as I’m not I’m glad that there is a QR 

code linking to full lyrics and translations. Leisner’s clever adaptation 

of the accompaniment and his clear and fluent playing provide a 

transparent, yet supportive framework for Kelly’s nuanced interpretation. 

The sparser textures produced by the guitar allow Kelly to really 

shine, especially in the tender, quieter moments, without compromising 

the effect of the more dramatic sturm und drang aspects of the 

song cycle. 

It seems that, like me, David Leisner got his 

start singing folk and pop songs, accompanying 

himself on guitar as a teenager. 

As his horizons expanded through choral 

singing and composition studies, he established 

himself as an accomplished classical 

guitarist and composer, with a focus 

on art song. On Letters to the World (Azica 

ACD-71353 davidleisner.com/composition-recordings) 

we are presented with four examples of this spanning 

the 1980s to 2011. The disc opens with Confiding, a cycle of ten 

songs for soprano and piano, featuring Katherine Whyte and Lenore 

Fishman Davis, with texts by Emily Dickinson and Emily Brontë, four 

each, and single offerings from Elissa Ely and Gene Scaramellino. The 

disc’s title is taken from the final song of the cycle, Dickinson’s This 

is my letter to the World (That never wrote to Me). Dickinson is also 

the source of the texts of Simple Songs from 1982, for baritone and 

guitar featuring Michael Kelly and the composer. Leisner chose (and 

rendered into English for the programme booklet) five selections from 

Richard Wilhelm’s German translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao te Ching for 

the cycle Das Wunderbare Wesen (The Miraculous Essence) for baritone 

and cello. Leisner says, “The songs emerged less out of deference 

to the melodic line and more in response to a structure established in 

the cello part, e.g., a repeated alternating metric pattern or a melodic 

theme that is repeated in the fashion of passacaglia throughout a 

movement.” Once again Kelly shines, in equal partnership with cellist 

Raman Ramakrishnan. The final track is the powerful Of Darkness 

and Light, written in response to the 9/11 tragedy. Leisner says, “To 

‘know the light’ and ‘know the dark’ is essential, especially in times 

of trouble.” Of Darkness and Light uses five poems by Wendell 

Berry written between 1968 and 1970 which the composer found to 

“have special resonance in 2002 as well.” Set for tenor, violin, oboe 

and piano, this moving performance features Andrew Fuchs, Sarah 

Whitney, Scott Bartucca and Dimitri Dover respectively, drawing this 

intimate composer-portrait disc to a successful close. 

Schubert’s songs have been subjected to many 

diverse interpretations and adaptations over 

the past two centuries. One of the most 

effective that I have had the pleasure to 

witness was Chimera Project’s Winterreise 

featuring bass baritone Philippe Sly as staged 

during the 21C festival at Koerner Hall just a 

couple of months before the COVID lockdown 

in 2020. I have just encountered another 

intriguing evening-long production conceived 

and staged by Christof Loy for Theater Basel. 

Eine Winterreise (A Winter Journey) features 

soprano Anne Sofie von Otter accompanied 

by pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout and a sparse cast of silent characters 

representing various aspects of the drama (Naxos DVD 2.110751 naxos. 

com/Search/KeywordSearchResults/?q=Eine%20Winterreise). Loy 

writes, “Anne Sofie plays the soul of Schubert in a kind of fictionalized 

account of the composer if he had lived to grow old rather than dying so 

young. Other characters gather round her, played by non-speaking actors 

and dancers. Like shadows from the past, inspired by Schubert’s biography. 

There is a double who is kind of a younger mirror image of the 

‘mature Schubert’ – a melancholy soul for whom life is complex in its 

beauty but also in its difficulty. The other man, Schober, is based on 

Schubert’s friend, a reckless young man with a freewheeling lifestyle who 

[…] a number of biographers even accuse of having taken Schubert to the 

prostitute who gave him the syphilis infection that killed him. In this 

sense, the courtesan in A Winter Journey is associated with death though 

conversely she’s also full of vitality. The other female character, whom we 

christened Viola, imparts a gentle, hopeful strength to the whole production.” 

Stand alone songs – the play opens with Die Sommernacht – and 

selections from the cycles Schwanengesang and Winterreise, are interspersed 

with solo piano works and text fragments taken from Schubert’s 

Mein Traum, often with dramatically choreographed accompaniment. 

The evening ends quietly and mournfully with the beautiful Des Baches 

Wiegenlied (The Brook’s Lullaby) from Die schöne Müllerin as snow falls 

on the darkened set and the cast slowly disperses into the night. There is a 

momentary respite from the gloom as von Otter steps out of character 

and recites Wilhelm Müller’s sardonic epilogue from that cycle of poems 

arresting the audience’s suspension of disbelief and bidding them a safe 

journey home. A stunning performance. 

One of the most striking usages of Schubert’s 

music in another medium is Ariel Dorfman’s 

play Death and the Maiden which he later 

adapted for Roman Polanski’s 1994 mysterydrama 

film. But it was Schubert himself who 

first reinterpreted his 1817 song Death and 

the Maiden and used it as the theme for a 

set of variations in the slow movement of 

his 1826 String Quartet No.14 in D Minor. It 

is this work which is the cornerstone of a new (digital only) release by 

Brooklyn Rider, a New York-based string quartet, titled The Wanderer 

(In A Circle Records ICR025 brooklynrider.com). The title refers to 

another Schubert lied that the composer incorporated into a late work, 

the devilishly difficult Wanderer Fantasy for solo piano. The album is 

“bound together by the dualities of memory and remembrance, melancholy 

and bliss, old and new, and life and death” made all the more 

poignant by the fact that the disc is a recording of a live performance 


in eastern Lithuania shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

It opens with Aroma a Distancia, a work composed for the quartet 

by Gonzalo Grau. The composer lived the first 20 years of his life in 

Venezuela before moving to the United States. He says, “the aroma, the 

remembrance of my past, is what makes me who I am today. After all, 

it often happens when I am in Venezuela, I miss Madrid or New York, 

or if I’m in Boston I miss Caracas.” The brief work incorporates flavours 

from these various influences. Another South American transplant, 

Argentinian Osvaldo Golijov’s Um Dia Bom (A Good Day) “depicts the 

story of a life from morning to midnight and beyond, but as told to a 

child” with movements titled Hovering in the Cradle, While the Rain, 

Around the Fire, Riding with Death and Feather. Acknowledged influences 

include a traditional Yiddish song, a sparse painting by Basquiat 

of a horse carrying the Death Rider, Blind Willie Johnson’s song Dark 

was the Night and the spirit of the late Chick Corea. The crowning glory 

is a stunning performance of Schubert’s masterpiece, his penultimate 

contribution to the string quartet genre, especially nuanced during the 

variations on the tune that gives the work its name and the flamboyance 

of the breakneck galloping horse-like finale. 

Banjo is the glue that binds the remaining discs in this column. When 

I was preparing for retirement from my day job at New Music Concerts 

four years ago, I began to collect instruments I thought I would enjoy 

getting to know better, including mountain dulcimer, accordion and 

banjo. Although I did gather some instruction books, took a few 

lessons and even learned a few banjo songs, I must admit that when 

COVID hit and my work at The WholeNote expanded into a near-fulltime 

job organizing CD reviews to fill the void left by the empty 

concert halls, my best laid plans fell by the wayside. 

All that is to say that I’m envious of guitarist 

and singer Kate Weekes who took advantage 

of her isolation in the Gatineau Hills 

during the pandemic to learn how to play 

clawhammer (old-timey, rather than bluegrass 

style) banjo and pursue new directions 

in song writing. The result is a new 

CD, Better Days Ahead (kateweekes.com), 

featuring ten original songs all penned by 

Weekes. Although not flashy, there is nothing 

about Weekes’ banjo playing to indicate her neophyte status; the banjo 

provides rhythmic and harmonic structure to the quirky songs and 

supports her simple soprano voice lines. She is accompanied by a trio 

of accomplished musicians who play nearly two dozen instruments, 

primarily sousaphone and other brass (Brian Sanderson), fiddles, bass 

and mandolin (James Stephens, who also produced and engineered 

the disc) and various exotic percussion instruments (Rob Graves). The 

arrangements are simple and straightforward, always complementing 

Weekes’ singing and not interfering with the clarity of the lyrics. I 

particularly enjoy the use of sousaphone (marching tuba) for the bass 

line on most songs. Highlights for me include Liminal Space about 

sheltering in place; the haunting title work co-written with Brenda 

Berezan; Floating Face Down, a cryptic and surprisingly upbeat, quasi- 

English ballad about the narrator’s drowning in the Thames “wearing 

my mother’s dress”; and Time by the Moon, a song written during a 

month-long banjo tune writing workshop hosted by Chris Coole during 

the late fall of 2021. Videos for these last two can be seen at youtube. 

com/results?search_query=kate+weekes. It’s well worth the visit. 

One of my problems with the traditional five-string banjo is trying 

to get my head around the counterintuitive fact the highest sounding 

string is on top, whereas on every other stringed instrument I’ve 

played it’s on the bottom. One day about five years ago I found myself 

at the corner of Danforth and Broadview where I was met by the 

intriguing sight of a young man playing a banjo with six strings. I 

asked if it was tuned like a guitar, and he said yes. Well, I thought 

to myself, that’s cheating! I’d also like to think that I’m not too old 

to learn a new trick or two, so it was a five-string banjo I eventually 

bought. I’m still stymied though because when my ear knows a 

high note is called for, I instinctively pluck the first string instead of 

the fifth… 


My mother is a big fan of the late Leon Bibb, 

folksinger, actor and civil rights activist – he 

marched at Selma with Dr. Martin Luther 

King Jr. – and through her interest I became 

familiar with his son, renowned bluesman 

Eric Bibb. Eric’s youth was spent immersed 

in the Greenwich Village folk scene. Bob 

Dylan, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger were 

visitors to his home, and he was deeply 

influenced by Odetta, Richie Havens and Taj Mahal. Mom and I had 

the pleasure of seeing him perform at Hugh’s Room some years ago 

and my biggest takeaway from that evening was his statement “I just 

need one guitar… more!” Imagine my surprise when I watched a video 

from his new album Ridin’ (Stony Plain SPCD1472 stonyplainrecords.com) 

and saw him playing a six-string banjo (aka banjitar). Bibb 

plays it more like a blues guitar than a traditional banjo, but the snare 

drum-like membrane of the banjo head and the hollow round body 

give it a very distinctive sound. 

It this sound that opens the disc in a paeon to kith and kin, aptly 

titled Family, the lyrics of which nicely sum up the overall message of 

the album: “I am like you – born of a woman | I am like you – a child 

of God | You are like me – here to learn from History | You are like me 

– Family.” Bibb says, “As a songwriter, studying African American 

history has always been a deep well of inspiration. The true stories of 

my ancestors and their communities are at the heart of many of the 

songs on my new album. Together with co-writer/producer Glen[vin 

Anthony] Scott, we’ve created a concept album focusing on the 

ongoing task of understanding systemic racism and purging it from 

our world.” The history lessons include songs about the 14-year-old 

Emmett Till, kidnapped, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 

(the title track); another about the white author who underwent skin 

pigment transformation to write Black Like Me, and the persecution 

he faced from his own community as a result in The Ballad of John 

Howard Griffin; and the destruction of “Black Wall Street” by white 

mobs in 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma in Tulsa Town, among others. These 

are interspersed with traditional folk songs like 500 Miles and Sinner 

Man. I cannot find credits for the backup band, but there are a 

number of identified cameos throughout the album including star 

turns by Taj Mahal and Jontavious Willis on Blues Funky Like Dat. 

Bookending the disc is People You Love (People you love pass on, but 

they’re not gone | the ones who love you, stay by your side…) bringing 

a bittersweet but hopeful portrait of a troubled land to a gentle close. 

I see I have not left myself much space 

for the final disc, TumbleWeedyWorld, 

the latest from Canadian country icon 

Lynn Miles (True North Records TND802 

lynnmiles.ca). On this, her 16th studio 

album, the Juno Award-winning and 

three-time Canadian Folk Music Awards 

Songwriter of the Year is accompanied by 

an outstanding band featuring Michael Ball 

(bass), Joey Wright (mandolin/acoustic guitar), Stuart Rutherford 

(dobro), Rob McLaren (banjo) and James Stephens (violin). Wright’s 

mandolin is front and centre on one of my favourite tracks Cold, Cold 

Moon which features Miles’ signature octave breaks in the moving 

melody line. Although at times during the disc I felt that this vocal 

effect was a little overused, it is particularly moving and effective on 

Moody, where it borders on yodelling. Julie Corrigan and Dave Draves 

contribute harmonies on the upbeat Sorry’s Just Not Good Enough 

This Time and dobro and banjo come to the fore in All Bitter Never 

Sweet with Rebecca Campbell providing duet vocals. This traditional 

country-flavoured disc comes to a poignant conclusion with Miles in 

fine voice on the ballad Gold in the Middle. 

We invite submissions. CDs, DVDs and comments should be sent 

to: DISCoveries, WholeNote Media Inc., The Centre for Social 

Innovation, 503 – 720 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4. 

David Olds, DISCoveries Editor 

discoveries@thewholenote.com 

STRINGS 

ATTACHED 

TERRY ROBBINS 

With Mendelssohn Complete String 

Quartets Vol.2 the Quatuor Van Kuijk 

complete the cycle of the composer’s string 

quartet output. Included here are the String 

Quartets No.4 in E Minor Op.44 No.2, No.5 

in E-flat Major Op.44 No.3 and No.6 in F 

Minor Op.80 (Alpha Classics ALPHA931 

outhere-music.com/en/albums/mendelssohn-complete-string-quartets-vol-2). 

Both Op.44 quartets receive outstanding performances, but the real 

gem is Op.80, the last work Mendelssohn completed before his death 

and written in an outburst of grief following the death of his beloved 

sister Fanny. Described as “a confrontation with grief” it’s a striking 

work in which the composer’s pain is palpable, the performance here 

being one of quite stunning emotional impact and remarkable sensitivity 

and intensity. 

The CD runs to a commendable 83 minutes, giving Quatuor Van 

Kuijk an edge over competing sets, many of which run to three 

volumes. Not that they need any advantage – it’s difficult to imagine 

any playing coming close to this. 

Three late works by the masters of Viennese 

classicism are presented on Haydn & 

Mozart, the new CD from Canada’s Rosebud 

Quartet and violist Steven Dann (Leaf Music 

LM252 leaf-music.ca). 

The CD has been getting frequent airplay 

on CBC Radio, and with good reason, all 

aspects of the release being of exceptional 

quality. The Haydn works are his two String 

Quartets in G Major Op.77 No.1 and F Major Op.77 No.2, apparently 

originally intended as part of a set of six. They are his last complete 

works in the medium, two later middle movements of an unfinished 

D minor quartet being published as Op.103. 

Dann joins the quartet for Mozart’s String Quintet in E-flat Major 

K614, the last of his six and from April 1791, just eight months before 

his death. 

Beautifully recorded at Quebec’s Domaine Forget, it’s an 

outstanding disc. 

Fine performances of the two Haydn Op.77 

quartets are also featured on Haydn String 

Quartets Opp.42, 77 & Seven Last Words, a 

two-for-the-price-of-one CD set with which 

The London Haydn Quartet complete their 

much-admired survey of the composer’s 

mature quartets using the original published 

editions (Hyperion CDA68410 hyperionrecords.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W13661_68410). 

The String Quartet in D Minor Op.42 completes the first disc, with 

the second CD filled by the lengthy – over 75 minutes – Seven Last 

Words of our Saviour on the Cross Op.51, Haydn’s own arrangement 

of his orchestral original. Described as a fitting testimonial to the 

composer’s deep, enduring faith it compensates for the inevitable loss 


of orchestral colour and power by an increased sense of intimacy. 

Given the subject matter it’s not always an easy listen, but its 

emotional impact is considerable. 

In the booklet notes for the new CD Haydn 

Almeida Beethoven on the Spanish Eudora 

label the Protean Quartet members say that 

since 2018 they have focused their activity 

on historical performance on period instruments, 

and that one of their major creative 

engines is the recovery of Spanish music 

heritage and its dissemination. Their contribution 

here is the first recording of the 

String Quartet in G Minor Op.7 No.1 by the Portuguese-born Juan 

Pedro Almeida Mota (1744-c.1817), who developed his career in Spain 

(EUD-SACD-2301 eudorarecords.com). 

Haydn’s String Quartet in D Major Op.33 No.6 is a lovely opening 

to the disc, the freshness and elegance of the work conveyed perfectly 

through light and sensitive playing. The same performing qualities 

are evident in the Mota quartet – again, a light but attractive and not 

insubstantial work. 

The beautifully clean and articulated performance of Beethoven’s 

String Quartet in F Major Op.18 No.1 gives the whole CD a decided 

consistency, with a delightfully playful touch mixed with sensitivity 

and insight. 

The Ruisi Quartet make their Pentatone 

label debut with Big House, featuring music 

by Joseph Haydn, Matthew Locke and 

the young British composer Oliver Leith 

(Pentatone PTC 5187040 pentatonemusic. 

com/product/big-house). 

Finely judged performances of two Haydn 

works – the String Quartet No.11 in D Minor 

Op.9 No.4 and the String Quartet No.23 

in F Minor Op.20 No.5 – open and close the disc. The brief Fantasie 

from Locke’s Consort of 4 Parts: Suite No.3 in F is paired with Leith’s 

equally brief 2020 reworking of A different Fantasie from Suite No.5 

in G Minor (After Locke’s Consort of 4 Parts). 

The central and largest work is Leith’s seven-movement string 

quartet The Big House, inspired by the 1980 book In Ruins: The Once 

Great Houses of Ireland by photographer Sir Simon Marsden, who 

specialized in black-and-white photographs of allegedly haunted 

houses. There’s certainly an eerie air of decay in the slow, distinctive 

and unusual but effective writing, albeit with very little variation. 

John Wilson leads the Sinfonia of London in 

simply outstanding performances of English 

string music on Vaughan Williams, Howells, 

Delius, Elgar: Music for Strings (Chandos 

CHSA 3291 chandos.net/products/ 

catalogue/CHAN%205291). 

Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a 

Theme by Thomas Tallis for Double String 

Orchestra was written for the 1910 Three 

Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral and designed to exploit the 

cathedral’s acoustics. The antiphonal forces – the smaller second 

orchestra and a featured string quartet – are captured here in stunning 

detail. 

Herbert Howells was an organ student at Gloucester and present 

at the Fantasia premiere. A few weeks later he heard Elgar’s 

Introduction and Allegro for Strings (Quartet and Orchestra) Op.47, 

calling the events “two intensely timely, kindling, formative experiences.” 

His own Concerto for String Orchestra from 1938 was begun 

in 1934 as a tribute to Elgar, who had died that year, but the middle 

movement became an In Memoriam tribute to both Elgar and 

Howells’ own nine-year-old son, who died suddenly in 1935. Using 

the same forces as the Elgar, it’s an impressive and impassioned work 

that should really be much better known. 

The Delius work is Late Swallows, the slow movement of his 

1916-1917 String Quartet arranged by Eric Fenby in 1962-63. A rich 

and glorious reading of the Elgar work concludes a superb disc. 

Violinist Ellinor D’Melon is outstanding 

on her debut album on the Rubicon 

Classics label, pairing the Tchaikovsky 

Violin Concerto in D Major Op.35 with 

Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole in D Minor 

Op.21, ably supported by the RTÉ National 

Symphony Orchestra under Jaime Martin 

(RCD 1106 rubiconclassics.com/release/ 

rteso-ellinor-dmelon-tchaikovsky-lalo). 

From the lush, glowing tones of the opening of the Tchaikovsky 

it’s obvious that this is a player with complete technical command 

and a fine sense of phrasing and shaping, and nothing in the rest of 

the concerto or in the Lalo does anything to challenge that assumption. 

There is a link between the two works – Tchaikovsky’s playing 

through the Lalo with violinist Iosif Kotek in early 1878 led directly to 

Tchaikovsky composing his own concerto. 

The spacious recorded sound perfectly showcases the tonal quality 

of the two Guarneri “Del Gesù” violins D’Melon plays here: the c.1744 

“Sainton” in the Tchaikovsky and the c.1724 “Caspar Hauser” in 

the Lalo. 

Dream Catcher, the latest release in the 

ongoing survey of the works of American 

composer Augusta Read Thomas is the 

debut album by the young violinist Clarissa 

Bevilacqua, who was instrumental in 

devising the program after getting to know 

Read Thomas and performing her violin 

compositions. The complete works for solo 

violin are here, along with the 2008 Violin 

Concerto No.3 “Juggler in Paradise” with the BBC National Orchestra 


of Wales conducted by Vimbayi Kaziboni (Nimbus Records NI8109 

wyastone.co.uk). 

The nine solo works to date range from 1995’s Incantation to three 

works from 2016. The CD’s title track from 2008 is intimately linked 

with the concerto, being essentially the opening and closing violin 

sections without the orchestra. 

Bevilacqua says that this album is the first of “hopefully many 

projects” championing works that reflect our present instead of our 

past. Certainly her technical prowess and interpretative skills promise 

great things ahead. 

The Norwegian violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing 

makes her Sony Classical label debut with 

Arctic – A Musical Journey with the Arctic 

Philharmonic Orchestra (19439936082 

eldbjorgmusic.com/album/arctic). 

Celebrating the matchless beauty of 

the largely unexplored regions of Norway 

and acknowledging the threat posed by 

climate change, the CD is full of exhilarating 

melodies and impressively scored soundscapes, combining elements 

from American film music and European neo-classical music. 

The former is certainly covered by the one substantial work on the 

disc, the lush, cinematic six-part Arctic Suite by Los Angeles-based 

film composer Jacob Shea. The remaining nine tracks, mostly in 

arrangements by Ben Palmer, are short pieces by Henning Sommero, 

Frode Fjellheim, Ola Gjeillo, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Selim Palmgren, 

Ole Bull and James Newton Howard, with Grieg’s The Last Spring 

closing the disc. 

It’s all beautifully played and recorded, with Hemsing in 

superb form. 

Put two superb musicians together and 

three standard repertoire sonatas suddenly 

become anything but routine. So it is on 

Beethoven, Schumann, Franck: Violin 

Sonatas, where violinist Renaud Capuçon 

joins pianist Martha Argerich in thrilling 

performances of Schumann’s Sonata No.1 in 

A Minor Op.105, Beethoven’s Sonata No.9 

in A Major Op.47 “Kreutzer” and the Franck 

Sonata in A Major (Deutsche Grammophon 486 3533 deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/beethoven-schumann-franckrenaud-capucon-martha-argerich-12809). 

The two have performed together for many years, with Capuçon 

saying that Argerich makes him play “like nobody else makes me 

play.” Certainly this recital, recorded live in concert at the Aix-en- 

Provence Easter Festival in April 2022, more than bears that out, with 

a remarkable final movement of the Franck in particular bringing a 

stellar recital to an electrifying close. 

Violinist Manon Galy and pianist Jorge 

González Buajasán perform an engrossing 

recital of French music on nuits parisienne, 

with works by Debussy, Ravel, Poulenc and 

Milhaud (Aparté AP306 apartemusic.com). 

Debussy’s Beau soir and 1917 Violin 

Sonata open the disc, followed by Ravel’s 

Pavane pour une infante défunte and the 

lush and expansive early Violin Sonata M.12 

from 1897, not published until 1975. 

It’s Poulenc and Milhaud who steal the show however, with the 

former’s 1934 Presto and a welcome reappearance of his fascinating 

1942 Violin Sonata setting the stage for Milhaud’s 1937 Brazileira 

(Scaramouche) and the tour-de-force Cinéma-fantasie (after Le 

boeuf sur le toit) Op.58b from 1919, a dazzling work that uses fragments 

of Brazilian songs in a rondo-like structure and includes 

a huge solo violin cadenza in the middle, apparently contributed 

by Arthur Honegger. It draws simply fabulous playing from both 

performers. 

On the digital-only release Mozart Sonatas 

for Piano and Violin Vol.2 violinist Claudio 

Cruz and pianist Olga Kopylova perform six 

of the mature sonatas Mozart wrote between 

1778 and 1781 (Azul Music AMDA1813 azulmusic.com.br). 

The title reflects the developmental stage 

of the sonata at the time, with the violin not 

yet the main protagonist. The piano is 

certainly much to the fore here, with a warm tone and minimal resonance, 

but the balance never suffers; more importantly, there is beautifully 

judged playing from both performers, with crystal-clear, 

sensitive and unaffected performances of the Sonatas No.17 in C Major 

K296, No.24 in F Major K376, No.25 in F Major K377, No.26 in B-flat 

Major K378, No.27 in G Major K379 and No.28 in E-flat Major K380. 

Cellist Lionel Handy and pianist Jennifer 

Walsh are building an impressive discography 

of British works for cello and piano, 

their previous CDs of British Cello Music 

and works by Ireland, Delius and Bax being 

followed by their latest CD British Cello 

Works Volume 2 (Lyrita SRCD.412 wyastone.co.uk). 

The works here range from Ethel Smyth’s 

1887 Sonata in A Minor Op.5, written in her post-Leipzig study period 

but not premiered until 1926 in London, to Britten’s Sonata in C Major 

Op.65 from 1960-61, its five individually-titled movements – Dialogo, 

Scherzo-Pizzicato, Elegia, Marcia and Moto Perpetuo – giving the 

work the feel of a suite of characteristic studies. 

In between are Delius’ 1916 three-part single-movement Sonata 

and the Armstrong Gibbs Sonata in E Minor Op.132 from 1951, a 

lovely work that draws particularly attractive playing. 

On Album for the Lute – Music from the 

former library of Dr. Werner Wolffheim the 

lutenist Bernhard Hofstötter has selected a 

number of characteristic pieces – all but one 

first recordings – from the handwritten and 

bound manuscript collection sold at auction 

in Berlin in 1929, the original context and 

ownership of which remains unknown 

(TYXart TXA22172 tyxart.de/en/txa22172_ 

album-for-the-lute.html). 

All pieces in the collection are in D major (the “Käyserliche 

Stimmung” or imperial tuning) as opposed to the characteristic D 

minor tuning of the Baroque lute. Hofstötter has created three groups 

of selections – or “partitas” – and separated them with chaconnes 

in different keys and from other manuscripts. Most of the pieces are 

anonymous, but composers represented are Achaz Casimir Hültz, 

Esaias Reusner the Younger, Germain Pinel, Ennemond Gaultier, 

Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and the wonderfully named but otherwise 

untraceable Jean Berdolde Bernard Bleystein de Prague. 

Hofstötter’s warm, rich tone and superb technique, together with 

the clean and beautifully resonant recording, make the 73 minutes of 

a fascinating recital simply fly by. 

The free-born African American, Justin 

Holland (1819-1887), was not only an 

important figure in the anti-slavery and civil 

rights movements but also the most influential 

and significant American guitarist of the 19th 

century, writing the country’s first published 

guitar method and publishing some 35 original 

works and 300 arrangements and variations 

on popular European and American themes. 

On Justin Holland Guitar Works and Arrangements the American guitarist 

Christopher Mallett gives us a fascinating look at a seldom-heard musician 

(Naxos Classics 8.559924 naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=8.559924). 

Only two of the 14 tracks – An Andante in C Major and Variations 

on L. Mason’s “Nearer My God, to Thee” – are Holland originals, 


with arrangements varying from standards like ‘Tis the Last Rose 

of Summer and Henry Bishop’s Home Sweet Home, to traditional 

pieces and works by little-known names like Alfred Humphreys 

Pease, Ferdinand Beyer, W. H. Rulison, Alphons Czibulka, Tekla 

Badarzewska-Baranowska and Alphonse Leduc. Seven tracks are 

world-premiere recordings. 

Mallett’s idiomatic playing makes for an immensely enjoyable disc. 

Vienna was the centre of European musical life in the late-18th and 

early-19th centuries, and while there were hardly any original works 

for the rapidly emerging classical guitar there were many arrangements 

and transcriptions for the instrument. New arrangements of 

three emblematic works of the period are presented on Mozart Haydn 

Schubert, with the Bosnian lutenist Edin Karamazov and the Czech 

guitarist Pavel Steidl playing Karamazov’s 

transcriptions for two guitars of two 

keyboard works – Haydn’s Sonata in E-flat 

Major Hob.XVI:49 from around 1790 and 

Mozart’s Fantasia in C Minor K475 from 

1785 – and Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata 

D821 from 1824 (Aparté AP309 apartemusic.com). 

Both players use modern copies of 

contemporary instruments, Steidl, a Bernd 

Kresse guitar after Johann Anton Stauffer and Karamazov, a Gabriele 

Lodi guitar after René Lacôte. The soft, warm sounds create beautiful 

and interesting tone colours, and the very effective transcriptions 

make for a delightful CD. 

VOCAL 

William Byrd 

Stile Antico 

Decca 485 3951 (stileantico.co.uk/ 

recordings/william-byrd) 

! England under 

Elizabeth I was a 

dangerous place 

for Catholics. 

William Byrd 

was fined for not 

attending Anglican 

services, his movements 

monitored 

and restricted owing to his connections 

with known Catholic dissidents. Yet there’s 

evidence he received official dispensation 

to practise his faith, albeit covertly, perhaps 

because Elizabeth loved music and was a 

keyboard player herself. 

Most of the music on this richly rewarding 

CD comes from Byrd’s later years, all 

composed for small groups of singers. The 

main offering is the 26-minute Mass for Four 

Voices, printed in the late 1590s with no title 

or composer identified, intended for secret 

services in clandestine chapels. This gorgeous 

music is gorgeously sung, from the tender, 

affectionate Kyrie and Gloria to the earnest, 

complex Credo, fervently reverent Sanctus- 

Benedictus and, most strikingly, the haunting 

Agnus Dei. 

The CD concludes with the grandiose, 

13-minute Tribue Domine for six voices, a 

work from Byrd’s younger years. The nine 

shorter selections include examples from 

Byrd’s publicly issued songbooks, music 

that appealed to singers and listeners of all 

persuasions, widely performed and appreciated. 

I particularly enjoyed the elegiac Retire, 

my soul, the jubilant Gaudeamus omnes, 

the prayerful Turn our captivity (Psalm 126) 

and the celebratory Laudate Dominum 

(Psalm 117). 

The 12-member, London-based Stile Antico, 

performing without a conductor, has won 

raves from its worldwide tours and numerous 

awards for its recordings; this latest CD will 

RAPHAËL FEUILLÂTRE 

VISAGES BAROQUES 

New Album | Available March 31 

LISTEN 


add to its well-deserved laurels. Texts and 

translations are included. 

Michael Schulman 

Nicola Porpora – L’Angelica 

Ekaterina Bakanova; Teresa Iervolino; 

Paola Valentina Molinari; La Lira Di Orfeo; 

Federico Maria Sardelli 

Dynamic 37936 (naxos.com/ 

CatalogueDetail/?id=DYN-37936) 

! I’ve enjoyed 

my CDs of Karina 

Gauvin, Cecilia 

Bartoli and Franco 

Fagioli singing 

arias by Nicola 

Porpora (1686- 

1768), wondering 

why hardly any 

of Porpora’s 

50-plus operas are 

being performed 

or recorded. 

After watching 

this DVD of L’Angelica from the 2021 Valle 

d’Itria Festival, I’m even more perplexed. 

Porpora’s score provides nearly two-and-ahalf 

hours of affecting melodies, enlivened 

by frequent changes of tempi, rhythms and 

instrumentation, expressing moods from 

despair and anger to delight. Here, it’s all brilliantly 

sung by a superb cast and energetically 

propelled by the orchestra – La Lira di Orfeo – 

conducted by Federico Maria Sardelli. 

Pietro Metastasio’s libretto tells of the 

amatory anxieties of two couples: Princess 

Angelica (soprano Ekaterina Bakanova) 

and Saracen soldier Medoro (soprano Paola 

Valentina Molinari); shepherdess Licori 

(mezzo Gaia Petrone) and shepherd Tirsi 

(soprano Barbara Massaro). The Christian 

knight Orlando (mezzo Teresa Iervolino), in 

pursuit of Medoro, lusts for Angelica; the old 

shepherd Titiro (baritone Sergio Foresti) offers 

sage advice. (At L’Angelica’s 1720 premiere, 

Tirsi was sung by a 15-year-old student of 

Porpora who would go on to become the most 

celebrated of all operatic castrati – Farinelli!) 

Less pleasing were this production’s 

visual aspects: the single set, dominated by a 

banquet table; the singers’ unattractive, eraambiguous 

costumes; meaningless masks; a 

large, grotesque sculpture of a bloody heart; 

inscrutable antics of four bizarrely attired 

dancers. Nevertheless, L’Angelica’s many 

musical felicities argue strongly that renewed 

attention to Porpora’s long list of forgotten 

operas is well overdue. 


Albertine en cinq temps – L’opéra (play by 

Michel Tremblay; music by Catherine 

Major) 

Collectif de la lune rouge 

ATMA ACD2 2875 (atmaclassique.com/en) 

! Filmed partially 

in Toronto, 

Norman Jewison’s 

amazing 1987 film 

Moonstruck deals 

with what once was 

(still is?) the truism 

that opera is, in fact, 

not the sole province 

of the wellheeled 

elites who frequent the Metropolitan 

Opera and Lincoln Center, but a big-tentaccepting 

musical genre whose aficionados 

can include Brooklyn bookkeepers (Cher) and 

one-handed bakers (Nicolas Cage). In other 

words, there is a folk quality to opera’s history 

and appeal that, despite its more recent classification 

as European classical music, blurs 

hierarchical boundaries of class, status and 

earning potential. 

How nice, then, it is to encounter 

a uniquely Canadian, and specifically 

Québécois opera that beautifully and 

sonically charts the life of the decidedly 

regular, but no less intriguing, Albertine, as 

she reflects back on her life cycle through five 

decades from her present perch in a retirement 

home. With each decade represented by 

a unique female voice – Chantal Lambert (age 

70), Monique Pagé (age 60), Chantal 

Dionne (age 50), Florence Bourget (age 

40) and Catherine St-Arnaud (age 30) – 

Albertine’s life in reflection (best listened to 

in a single session, of course) demonstrates 

both the banalities and unique challenges 

that we all endure in this captivating musical 

realization of National Order of Quebec 

recipient Michel Tremblay’s play of the same 

name. In addition to the acknowledgment 

given to the fine aforementioned singers, the 

accompanying all-female instrumentalists, 

musical score by Catherine Major, and 

libretto by Collectif de la lune rouge all 

factor significantly in making this recording 

a fine 2022 addition to our expanding 

canon of meaningful and vital Canadian 

original music. 

Andrew Scott 

Valentin Silvestrov – Silent Songs 

Konstantin Krimmel; Hélène Grimaud 

Deutsche Grammophon 486 4104 

(deutschegrammophon.com) 

! The fact that 

Hélène Grimaud 

is not simply a 

prodigiously gifted 

pianist, but a great 

artist was never in 

any doubt. But to 

be confronted with 

her considerable 

attributes in this recording of modern lieder 

is to be beholden to her elegant pianism in 

a completely new light. Even though these 

pieces from Silent Songs by the Ukrainian 

composer, Valentin Silvestrov, have been part 

of her repertoire for almost two decades, she 

helps us experience them in a completely new 

context, thanks in part to another Ukrainian – 

the formidable baritone Konstantin Krimmel. 

Throughout, Grimaud’s piano, of necessity, 

often inhabits the shadows until the music 

calls upon her instrument to advance into the 

limelight. When it does, Grimaud’s dainty 

fingers seem to make balletic moves over the 

melodies, almost as if she likes her Silvestrov 

lieder unhurried and stoic, bejewelled with 

judiciously applied ornamentation. While no 

one song may be singled out from this brilliant 

cycle for special attention, Grimaud’s 

playing on Mandelstam’s poem I will tell you 

with complete directness is stunning. 

This recording also reaches dizzying heights 

because of the ardent nobility of Krimmel’s 

silken baritone as he navigates his way 

through these songs, inhabiting the music 

and poetry as if both were written expressly 

for him. In Krimmel’s voice and Grimaud’s 

hands we experience real lyric generosity 

and warmth – like sliding glass panels of 

melodies and harmonies constantly and delicately 

navigating truly damask-upholstered 

Romanticism. 

Raul da Gama 

These Distances Between Us – 21st Century 

Songs of Longing 

Emily Jaworski Koriath; Tad Koriath 

Naxos 8.559908 (naxos.com/Search/Keyw 

ordSearchResults/?q=8.559908) 

! On this rather 

remarkable, multidisciplinary 

recording, the 

significant works of 

four American “Art 

Song” composers is 

explored – both as 

lyricist/poets and 

composers. All of the contemporary artists 

here are award-winning – and in addition to 

the thrilling vocals of famed mezzo-soprano 

Emily Jaworski Koriath, Tad Koriath performs 

on piano and has also created the stunning 

arrangements for the collection. The concept 

stems from Jessica Rudman, composer of 

the title track. It has been said that, “These 

Distances Between Us charts a cycle that 

recognizes the precarious nature of personal 

connections.” Joining the Koriaths on this CD 

are Jonathan Santore and Craig Brandwein, 

who are not only composers, but also magicians 

of computer-generated electronics. 

Included here are Edie Hill’s The Giver of 

Stars: Six Poems of Amy Lowell. Each of the 

six movements is lovingly imbued with the 

majesty of the composition and the beauty of 

the poetry. Jaworski Koriath’s vocal instrument 

is both supple and salient – embodying 


the cornucopia of emotions arising from the 

material. Hill’s music has been described 

as “full of mystery,” which is self-evident 

in the other aptly titled poetic movements 

such as Vernal Equinox (which feels like a 

summoning of the spirts of lost lovers in the 

moist Spring). The innate lyricism of Lowell’s 

poetry meshes perfectly with the enchanted 

piano work of Tad Koriath throughout the 

final three poetic movements. 

Next up is Santore’s mind-opening Two 

Letters of Sulpicia (version for voice and 

electronics), which utilizes the technology 

to enhance and support – such as digital 

creation of highly realistic pipe organ stops 

and tubular bells. Also of note is the almost 

unbearable beauty of Brandwein’s Four Songs 

of John Charles McNeill. Of particular note 

is Rudman’s four-movement title piece, in 

which Jaworski Koriath’s voice easily reaches 

into the nearly unplumbable depths of human 

longing. The collection closes with Emmynominated 

Brandwein’s breathtaking Three 

Rilke Songs, gilded by perfectly placed and 

executed electronica. 

Lesley Mitchell-Clarke 

Carols after a Plague 

The Crossing; Donald Nally 

New Focus Recordings FCR357 

(newfocusrecordings.com) 

! During the long 

global pandemic of 

2020/21, our existential 

states were 

so fraught with 

death, that rarely 

did we think of 

ourselves as inhabiting 

a living planet 

teeming with a thriving humanity. We may 

have lived our lives together, yet we were 

hopelessly alone. And though the deadly 

virus may not quite be in the rearview mirror, 

communities of artists like The Crossing – 

led by Donald Nally – continue to challenge 

us to move forward, beyond the ubiquitous 

facemask; beyond our omnipresent fear of 

death by pandemic. 

A title such as Carols after a Plague calls 

for us to return to joyfulness. The carol 

is, after all, associated with communal 

singing after darkness falls, albeit to usher 

in thoughts of the brightness and joys of the 

Christmas season. 

This 12-song repertoire is woven into the 

three movements of Shara Nova’s Carols after 

a Plague, I - Urgency, II - Tone-policing, and 

III - Resolve. This song becomes the artistic 

canvas for the whole album. It describes the 

interconnectedness of human life and is eerily 

reminiscent of Nova’s song from her baroque 

chamber opera, You Us We All. The 11 other 

songs come from the crème de la crème of 

contemporary composers, each of which 

thematically examines the impact of the 

pandemic on global society. 

Through the soaring, hour-long repertoire 

The Crossing, itself a living embodiment of an 

interconnected community superbly directed 

by Nally, shines as always, one glorious 

harmonious progression after the other. 

Raul da Gama 

CLASSICAL AND BEYOND 

Viva Piccolo 

Jean-Louis Beaumadier; Véronique Poltz 

Calliope-indeSENS CAL22104 

(indesensdigital.fr/?s=viva+piccolo) 

! The cover 

photo of the 

artists, incongruously 

standing in 

a field of poppies, 

Beaumadier holding 

his flauto piccolo 

in front of his left 

shoulder and Poltz 

with her bright red Schroeder-esque “pianoforte 

piccolo” resting on her right shoulder, 

suggests the spirit of fun lying behind this 

recording. The wildly varied repertoire indicates 

that there are no limits to where the 

fun can be had or to the capabilities of these 

highly accomplished musicians! 

The opening tracks, Four Hungarian 

Dances by Brahms for example, sound so 

right that you could assume that they had 

been written by the composer himself! The 

fifth track, Théobald Boehm’s Capriccio 16, 

Op.26, a study for flute students, has been 

transformed into a charming recital piece, 

with the piano accompaniment composed by 

Poltz herself, as is the piano part of Joachim 

Andersen’s Moto Perpetuo. Beaumadier’s 

virtuosity in this is staggering, as it is in 

Benjamin Godard’s Valse, the third movement 

of his Suite of Three Pieces, Op.116. 

The great French flutist, Philippe Gaubert, 

carried the French School of flute playing 

into the 20th century not only through his 

students, most notably Marcel Moyse, but also 

through his compositionsrepresented on this 

disc by Deux Esquisses. Beaumadier plays 

these elegiac soliloquies with a tenderness 

that reveals both another side of his artistry 

and the capabilities of his instrument. 

This is a most engaging recording, to be 

recommended to all flutists and everyone 

else interested in expanding their musical 

horizons. 

Allan Pulker 

Schumann – Symphonies 3 & 4 

(reorchestrated by Mahler) 

Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien; Marin 

Alsop 

Naxos 8.574430 (naxos.com/Search/Keyw 

ordSearchResults/?q=8.574430) 

! Leonard 

Bernstein’s erstwhile 

student and 

disciple, Marin 

Alsop, has certainly 

taken a big step 

since I reviewed 

her in June 2018 

with the Sao Paolo 

Symphony, to that holy shrine of classical 

music, the city of Beethoven, Mozart, 

Schubert, Bruckner and Mahler: Vienna. At 

present she is regarded, as The New York 

Times put it, not only “a formidable musician 

and a powerful communicator” but also 

“a conductor with a vision.” Having appeared 

as guest conductor with the Vienna Radio 

Symphony in 2014, in 2019 she became the 

orchestra’s first woman chief conductor. 

This new issue completes their cycle of 

Schumann’s symphonies. 

Although much maligned for their orchestration 

as being weak and uneven, typically 

by Wagner (but not by Brahms), the 

symphonies were reorchestrated by Mahler. 

Expanding to the size of a modern orchestra, 

increasing the strings, strengthening the 

winds and the brass, now, in stereo and digital 

splendour, they sound as never before. 

Schumann having just moved from Leipzig 

to Dusseldorf for a well-paying job, the 

“Rhenish” Symphony No.3 in E-flat Major is 

an exclamation of sheer joy, greeting that city 

on the Rhine River. Alsop drives it beautifully 

and we can watch her on YouTube having 

a lot of fun with the great outburst of the 

Vienna brass at the finale of the exuberant, 

horn-dominated first movement. This optimism 

carries through in the lovely Scherzo 

(Landler) second movement and that resplendent 

fourth movement, inspired by the 

magnificent Cologne cathedral. 

With the Fourth Symphony I cherish 

the memory of the legendary Georg Solti 

conducting it here in Massey Hall c.1964. 

It is the most innovative of Schumann’s 

four. No doubt influenced by Liszt and 

Wagner it is composed as one single movement, 

the sections blending into each other 

with one theme cropping up like a leitmotif 

throughout. Alsop’s tempo is perfect and with 

a slight accelerando, the cycle ends triumphantly 

on a high note. 

Janos Gardonyi 


Soirée de Vienne 

Rudolf Buchbinder 


(deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/ 

products/soiree-de-vienne-rudolfbuchbinder-12855) 

! Vienna reveres 

her composers. I 

remember strolling 

along the beautiful 

chestnut tree-lined 

Ringstrasse with 

a statue of Johann 

Strauss playing the 

violin and others of 

Schubert, Bruckner and more. Now imagine 

five of your favourite composers namely 

Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and 

Johann Strauss having been invited to some 

music-loving aristocrat’s Salon to fill the 

evening with piano playing. 

Rudolph Buchbinder is the very accomplished 

Viennese pianist who takes us into 

such an evening. The pieces that follow show 

the light side of each composer; the purpose 

is to entertain, not compete. And who should 

we begin with if not the quintessential 

Viennese: Johann Strauss II to set the tone – 

a Concert paraphrase or potpourri from Die 

Fledermaus followed by the Pizzicato Polka, 

the very essence of good humour played 

with infinite charm and delicacy. Schubert is 

next with the March Militaire, again a rather 

humorous piece I last heard played by 100 

teenagers collected from all over Berlin and 

conducted by none other than Lang Lang. 

Schubert is further represented by Four 

Impromptus, which are mandatory for any 

aspiring piano student. My big accomplishment 

was playing No.4 in A-flat Major with 

those rather difficult cascading runs and a 

grand melody emerging in between. I loved 

playing my heart out with the passionate 

middle part. These impromptus are easy 

compared to those of Chopin, particularly the 

magnificent Fantasie-Impromptu in C-sharp 

Minor Op.66. And so it goes. Chopin Waltzes 

and Nocturnes, a Beethoven Bagatelle and 

Schumann’s Liebeslied. Oh, then my favourite 

Strauss waltz: Voices of Spring – I wish it 

comes soon! 


Liszt – Harmonies Patriotiques et 

Religieuses 

Eva Polgar 

Hunnia Records HRCD2101 

(evapolgar.com) 

! In contrast to 

Liszt-the-magicianof-the-keyboard’s 

turbulent side of 

his heyday, this 

interesting new 

recording shows his 

quiet and contemplative 

persona. It 

came about that the aging Liszt, disappointed 

that by order of Pope Pius IX he was unable 

to marry his beloved Princess Carolyne, a 

divorcee, he took religious vows and withdrew 

to a monastery near Rome. He actually 

lived in a cell with minimal furnishings and 

an old beat-up piano with the middle D 

key missing. 

Eva Polgar, a very talented and celebrated 

Hungarian pianist praised for her intelligent 

interpretations and emotional power, 

here performs pieces that resonate with the 

deep-seated Catholicism and patriotic aspect 

of Liszt’s late works. This new style is most 

noticeable by strange unearthly harmonic 

progressions bordering on the atonal, like 

the very first piece, Sursum Corda Erhebet 

eure Hertzen (Lift up your Hearts) and the 

Coronation Mass, composed for the coronation 

of Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria and 

King of Hungary. Religion notwithstanding, 

his love for his homeland is manifest in the 

Hungarian Rhapsodies, here represented 

(and gracefully performed) by No.11 a quiet, 

gentle piece that only turns into a lively 

Hungarian dance at the very end. 

Liszt’s wandering around the Eternal City 

inspired some works I love most on this 

album, namely Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa 

d’Este, an impressionistic piece depicting the 

play of water of the hundreds of beautiful 

fountains of the unbelievable Baroque 

gardens of Villa d’Este in Tivoli. Another 

lovely piece, Legend No.1, is where St. Francis 

of Assisi preaches to the birds, an exercise of 

trills and a real test for the flying fingers of 

our master pianist. 


Consolations 

Antoine Malette-Chénier 


! There are 

perhaps no more 

beautiful sounds 

in European art 

music then the classical 

pedal harp, 

particularly so 

when the instrument 

is masterfully 

played, exquisitely 

recorded and gorgeously captured 

within a naturally resonant acoustic environment 

such as the Église St-Benoît in Mirabel, 

Quebec. Further, there are few more intimate 

musical experiences than the solo performance. 

Here, with the artist alone and exposed, 

one traverses a performative tightrope as 

both artist and listener, edging on the precipice 

of exhilarating beauty and potential 

pitfall. Thankfully, it is the former, rather 

than the later, that is the case on this fine 

2022 recording from the Quebec-based 

harpist, Antoine Malette-Chééénier. 

Principal harpist for the l’Orchestre 

Symphonique de Trois-Rivières and a 

graduate of McGill, the University of 

Montreal, Yale and the Conservatoire National 

Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de 

Lyon, France, Malette-Chénier brings experience, 

considerable education and training, 

as well as valuable artistic interpretation 

to Consolations, his first disc of solo harp 

pieces for the ATMA Classique label. In addition 

to achieving his “central desire… to touch 

souls, to communicate heart to heart” by 

prefiguring music that resides at the nexus of 

romance, Christian spirituality and beauty, 

Malette-Chénier has also used this platform 

to shine a light on the compositions of 

fellow harpists Albert Zabel, Charles Schuetze 

and Henriette Renié, programming their 

exquisite (and new to me) music alongside 

such better-known 19th-century composers 

as Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt. The 

album’s title, Consolations, comes from the 

1830 Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve poetry 

collection, Les consolations, which provides 

the needed conceit for Malette-Chénier to 

delve into the themes of romantic spirituality 

and divine power that he mines so gracefully 

here. 

Andrew Scott 

Things Lived and Dreamt 

Francine Kay 

Analekta AN 2 9004 (analekta.com/en) 

! There are relatively 

few Czech 

composers regularly 

featured within the 

Classical canon, 

and the majority of 

these are renowned 

for their largescale 

orchestral 

and choral works. Antonín Dvořák’s 

symphonies, Bedřich Smetana’s Má vlast and 

Leoš Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass are all examples 

of such composers and their expansive, 

oft-performed music. 

In addition to these great works, each of 

these composers also wrote a variety of piano 

music, featured here on Canadian Francine 

Kay’s Things Lived and Dreamt. With repertoire 

by Dvořák, Smetana and Janáček, as well 

as Josef Suk and Vítězslava Kaprálová, this 

recording provides a comprehensive overview 

of 19th- and 20th-century Czech piano music. 

Each selection on this disc is notable 

for its expressive power and poignancy, 

from Janáček’s solemn and profound 

Sonata 1.X.1905 – written after the composer 

witnessed the killing of an unarmed Czech 

protester by a German soldier – to the levity 

of Dvořák’s Humoresques, which are both 

delightful and ingenious little pieces. Suk’s 

Things Lived and Dreamt is a Schumannesque 

diary portraying people, places and 

events through lyrical movements that 

express far more in three or four minutes 

than some composers can in 30 or 40. 

Kaprálová’s April Preludes is a highlight of 

this recording, a stunning suite of pieces by a 

quite unknown composer. Kaprálová studied 


in Prague and Paris, passing away at the 

age of 25 while fleeing the Nazi occupation. 

Despite her young age, the April Preludes 

are strikingly mature and complete, demonstrating 

a mastery of late-Romantic technique 

that stretches the limits of tonality through 

dissonance and bitonality. 

A testament to the greatness of Czech 

music, Kay’s recording is fertile ground 

for those who are interested in the Czech 

symphonic tradition – from Dvořák’s 

Humoresques to Kaprálová’s April Preludes, 

this disc goes from strength to strength. 

Matthew Whitfield 

Sonatas by Medtner; Rachmaninov; 

Scriabin 

Kenny Broberg 

Steinway & Sons 30198 

(kennybroberg.com) 

! The music of 

three Russian 

composers – 

Rachmaninov, 

Scriabin and 

Medtner – all of 

whom worked 

against the backdrop 

of a particularly 

turbulent political scene, and each 

with dissimilar ideals, are presented 

here on this Steinway & Sons recording 

featuring American pianist Kenny 

Broberg. Born in Minneapolis, he was the 

silver medalist at the 2017 Van Cliburn 

International Piano Competition and won 

bronze at the International Tchaikovsky 

Competition in 2019. 

Rachmaninov completed his Piano Sonata 

No.2 in 1913 and although the piece was 

well received, he revised it in 1931, shortening 

the length and simplifying many of 

the difficult passages. The original must have 

been daunting indeed, as technical challenges 

still abound from the very beginning. 

Nevertheless, Broberg demonstrates a formidable 

technique, delivering a polished and 

exuberant performance. 

No less daunting is the Scriabin Sonata 

No.5 Op.53 from 1907. Scriabin, a piano 

virtuoso, infused his music with mysticism 

resulting in a thoroughly modern style which 

closely paralleled Symbolist literature of the 

period. The one-movement piece – barely 12 

minutes in length – has long been regarded as 

among his most difficult. 

A younger contemporary of Rachmaninov 

and Scriabin, Medtner was born in Moscow 

in 1880. His Sonata Op.25 No.2 “Night Wind” 

written in 1912 is his most extended of the 

genre. The score is archly Romantic with a 

second movement Allegro molto sfrenatamente 

which is no less demanding than the first – the 

night wind never ceases. The third movement 

Danza Festiva proves a rousing conclusion that 

Broberg performs with great bravado. 

In all, a fine recording by a young artist 

from whom we can hope to hear again. 

Richard Haskell 

Arc II: Ravel; Brahms; Shostakovich 

Orion Weiss 

First Hand Records FHR1128 

(firsthandrecords.com) 

! This FHR 

CD titled Arc II 

featuring American 

pianist Orion Weiss, 

is the second in a 

projected three-disc 

set, all of which aim 

to address the ways 

composers come 

to grips with the emotion of grief. A native 

of Cleveland, Weiss studied at the Cleveland 

Institute and the Juilliard School and has an 

impressive list of awards including winner of 

the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young 

Artist of the Year. 

The disc opens with Ravel’s Tombeau de 

Couperin, an homage not only to the French 

Baroque tradition, but to fallen friends in 

the First World War. Weiss’ playing is elegant 

and thoughtfully nuanced where he artfully 

captures the spirit of the early clavecinists. 

Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by 

Schumann from 1854 was written when 

the composer was all of 20, shortly after 

his introduction to the Schumann family 

and just four months prior to Schumann’s 

attempted suicide. The piece is very much a 

study in contrasts which ultimately lead to a 

gentle finale. 

In complete contrast is the Piano Sonata 

No.2 by Dmitri Shostakovich, composed in 

1943 and dedicated to the composer’s teacher 

and friend Leonid Nikolaev who perished that 

year in the mass evacuation from Leningrad. 

The opening movement is raw and emotional 

with Weiss easily handling the formidable 

technical demands, while the second movement 

largo is clearly a haunting epitaph for 

his late friend. The finale opens with a sombre 

theme followed by nine variations and a quiet 

conclusion. 

The final two choral preludes from Brahms 

Preludes Op.122 written shortly after the 

funeral of Clara Schumann round out a wellchosen 

program, masterfully performed 

– we can look forward to the third disc in 

the series. 

Richard Haskell 

MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY 

Mahler | Guđnadóttir | Elgar – Music from 

and inspired by the Motion Picture Tár 

Cate Blanchett; Sophie Kauer; Dresdner 

Philharmonie; London Contemporary 

Orchestra; London Symphony Orchestra 


(deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/ 

products/tar-hildur-gunadottir-12805) 

Hildur Guđnadóttir – Women Talking 

Various Artists 

Decca B0037031-02 (shop.decca.com/ 

artist.html?a=hildur_gudnadottir) 

! Listening to and critiquing music written 

for film – in other words, a “soundtrack-only” 

What we're listening to this month: 

thewholenote.com/listening 

The WholeNote 

Listening Room 

Hear tracks from any of 

the recordings displayed in 

this section: 

Plus 

Watch Videos 

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Better Days Ahead 

Kate Weekes 

For her fourth album Better Days 

Ahead, Kate Weekes unearths 

10 original songs ranging from 

Appalachian-influenced murdersuicide 

ballads to anthemic folkpop 

to whimsical waltzes. 

Haydn Op. 77 & Mozart K. 614 

Rosebud String Quartet 

Performed with remarkable 

chemistry and depth, these late 

quartets were recorded at the 

Domaine Forget International 

Music Festival in Saint-Irénée, 

Charlevoix, Quebec 

Albertine en cinq temps - L'opéra 

Catherine Major, multi-interprètes 

In this opera, based on the 

eponymous play by Michel 

Tremblay, 6 great Quebec lyrical 

voices portray Albertine at various 

stages of her life. 


compact disc – 

especially without 

having seen the 

film(s) in question 

– comes with 

not insignificant 

challenges. This is 

something score 

composers and 

film directors think about; certainly directors 

Todd Field (Tár) and Sarah Polley (Women 

Talking), and Hildur Guđnadóttir (who is 

credited with composing both soundtracks). 

Why, even eager record labels think about 

this. Field knows this all too well and alludes 

to it in his booklet notes for Tár, positing that 

listening to the music for the film without 

having it seen it can, indeed, be an altogether 

unforgettable experience: “Simply sit back 

and listen to the wonderful artistry on these 

tracks” he beckons. For the record, Polley 

hasn’t offered an opinion on booklet notes to 

the disc relating to Women Talking, but it is 

highly unlikely that she would disagree. 

Moreover, it is difficult enough to compose 

music; to put together a truly great soundtrack 

for one film, let alone two. However, the 

inimitable Icelandic composer Guđnadóttir 

has done just that. Leonard Bernstein, who 

would know what composing for film was 

like, once used the words: “most awesome” to 

describe a celebrated effort by Igor Stravinsky 

for the film Oedipus Rex. He might have 

handed down the same judgement for 

Guđnadóttir’s too, for she has succeeded in 

conveying astute ideas and observations about 

humanity with exacting drama and in truth 

I, for one, would go further and suggest that 

this is exactly what Aristotle demanded of 

art and artists in his Poetics: he regarded this 

exact kind of artistic integrity as a model of 

formal dramatic perfection. Guđnadóttir’s 

soundtracks bring out that (Aristotelian) truth 

of both films with uncommon perfection. 

In the case of the soundtrack for Tár, 

riveting drama is maintained throughout, 

thanks to snippets of dialogue from the film 

that are interspersed with the music. This is 

enhanced by cutting into a musical sequence, 

or better still, taking Cate Blanchett’s 

dialogue relating to musical direction during 

rehearsals and overlaying it on the score – 

particularly poignant in the rehearsals of 

Mahler’s Symphony No.5 in C-sharp Minor. 

This device is also repeated to great effect in 

the recording of Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E 

Minor Op.85. The use of this during poignant 

bits of dallying, repeated phrases in the Largo 

movement of Tár is similarly affecting. 

Meanwhile, for ardent lovers of the cello, 

the genius of the young cellist, Sophie 

Kauer shines bright everywhere, suggesting 

that she could hold court with the finest – 

Misha Maisky, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Isserlis and 

Jacqueline du Pré, notwithstanding the fact 

Du Pré’s high watermark recording of the 

Elgar occupies so prominent a place (in cello 

literature and) on this recording. Kauer’s 

dolorous lines in the performance of Mahler’s 

Symphony No. 5 is 

further proof of her 

prodigious craft. 

And then there are 

the choice bits of 

Blanchett (as actor) 

during the Bach 

piece and Elisa 

Vargas Fernandez’s 

beautifully forlorn Cura Mente. I could go on 

ad infinitum. 

The ingenuity of Guđnadóttir’s score for 

Polley’s film Women Talking is of quite 

another kind. Here the composer uses a more 

contemporary musical vernacular – enhanced 

by a sweeping colour palette – to alternatively 

darken and brighten the despair contained 

within the film. For instance, Guđnadóttir 

makes particularly emotional use of the 

radiant sound of bells, contrasting this with 

the lonesome sound of pizzicato guitar lines. 

This music provides us with a sense of time 

and place, and setting for the unfolding 

drama, just as (once again) the use of a desolate 

sounding cello takes us to a place of loneliness 

and foreboding. 

Clearly the challenge here is not only to 

provide colour and context in cinematic 

proportions, but in two or three minutes – 

or sometimes in mere seconds – to express 

a nuanced mood or emotion and to do it 

in a manner that is almost symphonically 

dramatic and trance-like. Guđnadóttir’s 

compositional style does all these things in 

both scores. Finally, both films are unmissable 

and so experiencing these soundtracks whilst 

watching them would almost certainly take 

you into whole new worlds. But that is quite 

another story. 

Raul da Gama 

Maxime Goulet – Symphonie de la tempête 

de verglas (Ice Storm Symphony) 

Orchestre Classique de Montréal; Jacques 

Lacombe 


! January 1998 – 

a meteorological 

disaster leaves 

millions across 

eastern Ontario, 

southern Quebec, 

New Brunswick and 

Nova Scotia without 

power, many for 

weeks. It’s recalled 

now in the 40-minute Ice Storm Symphony 

by Maxime Goulet (b. Montreal 1980). (Titles 

appear in French and English; I’ll give 

the English.) 

Turmoil describes the storm with icy 

crackles, surging rhythms, crescendoing 

dissonances and pounding percussion. In 

Warmth, a raucous Quebec folk dance represents 

people finding refuge with others 

having access to fireplaces or electricity. 

Goulet wants the lights off during performances 

of the sombre, spookily pulsating music 

of Darkness to evoke “the feeling of ultimate 

vulnerability that seized us during those 

dark nights.” Returning lights, fanfares and 

tolling bells in Light celebrate the restoration 

of “normal life,” a happy ending to this vivid, 

colourful symphony. 

Two shorter works by Goulet employ theatrical 

visual effects, described in the booklet. 

The cinematically scored, 13-minute What 

a Day, using ticking clocks, conflates one 

day with an entire lifetime, from Joyful 

Morning (birth) to Long Day at Work, Têteà-Tête 

Evening and Serene Night (death). 

The nine-minute Fishing Story for clarinet 

(here, Kornel Wolak) and strings, inspired 

by Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, 

veers from moody waves and seagull cries to 

repeated slapstick splashes. 

These works, all commissioned by 

Orchestre classique de Montrėal, are spiritedly 

conducted by Jacques Lacombe. Goulet 

dedicates this CD to the late Boris Brott, who 

conducted the premieres of What a Day and 

Fishing Story. 


Steve Reich – The String Quartets 

Mivos Quartet 

Deutsche Grammophon 486 3385 (store. 

deutschegrammophon.com/ 

p51-i0028948633852) 

! Influential 

American composer 

Steve Reich’s portfolio 

contains 

three string quartets 

– Different 

Trains, Triple 

Quartet and WTC 

9/11 – completed 

between 1988 and 2010. Reich recently 

suggested the Mivos Quartet revisit them for 

this album. Working in close collaboration 

with the composer, they make a powerful 

case for fresh interpretation of these quartets, 

bringing admirable clarity and taut precision 

to their performance. 

The masterful Different Trains is a deeply 

biographical work. The title refers both to 

the American trains the young Reich took 

shuttling between separated parents, before 

the USA entered World War II and also the 

“different trains” destined for European 

death camps. 

The fast, motoric first movement effectively 

captures the exciting, abruptly shifting energy 

of Reich’s train rides. Judiciously interspersed 

with recordings of voices (porters, 

his governess), and of train horn blasts, they 

imbue the string quartet with a compelling 

narrative and sense of geography and time. 

A key feature of this quartet, as well as of 

WTC 9/11, is Reich’s “speech melody” technique. 

In it he crafts melodic phrases and 

metric structures mimicking the tonal 

contours and rhythms of sampled voices, 

turning them into instrumental motives, then 

superimposing them on the spoken word 


passages. 

In movement II, train horns transform into 

a polyphonic shriek of sirens. Human voices 

here are survivors of the Holocaust describing 

their train trips to the death camps. 

The final movement, set after the War, 

interweaves European and American voices 

aiming to recap previous stories and musical 

elements, valiantly trying to make sense of 

what happened – as many of us also are. 

Andrew Timar 

Éliane Radigue – Occam Delta XV 

Quatuor Bozzini 

Collection Quatuor Bozzini CQB 2331 

(actuellecd.com) 

! French composer 

Éliane Radigue has 

for much of her 

long career made 

electronic music, 

but 2004 marked 

a turning point. 

She has dedicated 

herself since then to 

composing for acoustic instruments, resulting 

most notably in over 80 (!) works for various 

forces in her extended Occam cycle. These 

compositions were inspired by William of 

Ockham’s (c.1287-1347) Occam’s razor principle, 

which in its most succinct form states 

that the simplest proposition is very likely 

the best. Premiered by Montréal’s Quatuor 

Bozzini in 2018, Delta XV for string quartet 

is among the latest in Radigue’s Occam series. 

For over two decades Bozzini has been a 

staunch advocate for contemporary string 

quartet music. They’re known for cultivating 

experimentation and collaboration, fearlessly 

nurturing an impressively large and diverse 

repertoire including those on the 2015 album 

Higgs Ocean with Toronto’s Evergreen Club 

Contemporary Gamelan. 

Fascinatingly, Radigue developed Occam 

Delta XV through a collaborative “oral 

composition process” with the quartet. 

Dispensing with a fully notated score and 

relying on its oral transmission may well have 

been the most straightforward approach here 

– in the spirit of Occam’s razor – especially for 

a composer steeped in synthesizer music. 

This premiere recording of Occam Delta 

XV offers two distinct Bozzini interpretations. 

Seemingly a slowly unfolding series of stacked 

chords sustained throughout, the music tests 

the four musicians’ skills in ensemble intonation, 

microtonal beating, string harmonics 

and group dynamics. Bozzini’s deeply attentive 

performance reaches through the 

recording, touching this listener. As for 

Radigue’s work, it effectively challenges 

expectations of music creation, performance 

and listening. 

Andrew Timar 

Ascenso 

Santiago Cañón Valencia 

Sono Luminus SLE-70028 

(sonoluminus.com) 

! Cellist Santiago 

Cañón-Valencia 

is no stranger to 

the world stage, 

being an awardwinning 

performer 

beyond his native 

Colombia. This is an 

artist from whom 

sound and texture flow with ease and authenticity. 

Ascenso is a fantastical album filled 

with scenic tours through countrysides, 

congested cities, mountain regions and flightpaths 

of monarch butterflies. The album is 

solo cello but feels full and rich, due in part to 

the compositions themselves, but mainly in 

response to Cañón-Valencia’s chameleon-like 

ability to inhabit the culture and place of each 

piece and execute them with stunning skill. 

La ruta de la Mariposa, commissioned 

from Damián Ponce de León, is a piece in 

three movements describing a reverence 

for the flight of the butterfly, the murder 

of an environmentalist devoted to protection 

of monarch butterflies in Mexico and 

the discovery of the shape of the thyroid 

gland. Mesonoxian (relating to midnight) is 

a melodic study of dark and light, commissioned 

by the cellist from Jorge Humberto 

Pinzón Malagón, followed by the only 

“vintage” composition on the album, Asturias 

by Isaac Albéniz, originally written for piano 

and transcribed for cello by the artist. 

Urban Rhapsody, inspired by the city 

of Bogota (which the composer Leonardo 

Frederic Hoyos describes as “Heaven and 

Hell”) is simply stunning. Using a scordatura 

tuning, meaning the cello is retuned in 

this case to A, D, F, B-flat, this already difficult 

piece brings new challenges but rewards us 

with an openness to the sonority of the cello 

and new possibilities for chord structures. The 

result is a breathless account of a single day 

within this major city, a closeup of microcultures 

full of contrasts between classes, social 

structures and people. 

The final track Ascenso Hacia Lo Profundo, 

composed by Cañón-Valencia, has an improvisatory 

feel, with energetic, cascading 

rhythmic flow, rounding out a beautiful and 

accessible album and letting us down gently. 

Cheryl Ockrant 

[in]verse 

Arlen Hlusko; Fall for Dance North 

Bright Shiny Things (brightshiny.ninja) 

! How does one 

create a singularly 

audio dance project 

in isolation? [in] 

verse, by Grammyaward 

winning 

and current Bang 

on a Can Canadian 

cellist Arlen Hlusko, 

was conceived in lockdown and produced by 

Toronto’s Fall for Dance North dance festival. 

Hlusko’s dream collaboration delivers an 

album beautifully paired between dance 

artists, poetry and compositions. The texts 

were chosen and thoughtfully delivered by 

Canadian and international dance artists, 



Carols after a Plague 

The Crossing 

A collection of works that 

responds to our experience 

navigating the pandemic, as well as 

grappling with the fraught issues 

of our time. 

Harmonies patriotiques et 

religieuses 

Éva Polgár 

Éva Polgár’s delivers Franz Liszt’s 

piano music with passion and 

authenticity on her new album 

including spiritual and patriotic 

works in character. 

Consolations 


This debut solo recording 

introduces original and 

transcribed works for harp in a 

program concerned with all that 

can console and enhance human 

experience. 

Things Lived and Dreamt 

Francine Kay 

Francine Kay featured on 

RadioFrance, Album of the week 

in Ireland; Gramophone writes, 

‘ardent lyricism…idiomatic and 

imaginative…impassioned …highly 

recommendable’. 


merged with classical and contemporary 

selections curated and performed by Hlusko 

and a select few musical contributors. There 

are so many wonderful readings and performances, 

the collection of 26 tracks takes time 

to fully appreciate, and though the text and 

music are paired like wine to food, they each 

stand out on their own. 

The reading of Blue Head by Asisipho 

Malunga with dancer/choreographer 

Mthuthuzeli November is a standout moving 

tribute to loneliness and the self as home. 

Pairing it with the Sarabande from J.S. Bach’s 

fifth solo cello suite makes an interesting 

and introspective communion, and provoked 

thoughts on home through a colonialist 

lens, (whether intended or not). Another 

standout for me was transgender choreographer 

Sean Dorsey’s reading of his original 

poetry, excerpted from the sound score of 

his full-evening production Uncovered: The 

Diary Project. This powerful work is both 

heartbreaking and illuminating and was 

informed and inspired by a year-and-a-half 

long community research process researching 

diaries of transgender and queer people, with 

original music composed by Alex Kelly. This 

track is so perfectly delivered it’s worth the 

album alone. 

With readings chosen by the movement 

artists themselves, from dance legend Peggy 

Baker and a long list of award-winning 

dancers and choreographers, each selection is 

thoughtfully tied to wonderful music, reimagined 

as if walking through the text while 

listening. Whether or not you delve deeper, 

it’s a beautiful album. 

One caveat: the album notes included do 

not seem to contain more than the basic 

credits or tracklists; for full notes, including 

the composers and text translations, you will 

need to go to the album’s website. It is worth 

the time to check them out properly. 


I and Thou 

VC2 

Leaf Music LM255 (leaf-music.ca) 

! Toronto 

cellists Amahl 

Arulanandam and 

Bryan Holt have 

been the busy and 

well-loved duo 

V2 since meeting 

in 2008 while at 

the University of 

Toronto; after both completed their master’s 

degrees at McGill, they reconvened to 

continue their musical partnership. 

Their latest album I And Thou sets out to 

explore what has become the post-pandemic 

theme of relationships between humans 

and the world around us. Including several 

Canadian commissions, the album opens 

with composer Jocelyn Morlock’s (2016’s 

Juno for My Name Is Amanda Todd) Violet 

Hour, a lush and picturesque sound painting 

of the time just before sunset, written in 

three short movements for cello quartet 

and featuring guests Andrea Stewart and 

Paul Widner. Vincent Ho’s Heist 2, a motoperpetuo 

duet inspired by the duo’s improvisations, 

was expressly written to highlight 

the individual characteristics of both cellists 

and is dynamically accompanied by drummer 

Ben Reimer. Laura Sgroi’s Discord paints a 

painful portrait of not belonging in one place, 

beautifully depicted by blending classical, jazz 

and pop sensibilities with pianist Stephanie 

Chua. Chris Paul Harman’s Suite for Two 

Cellos, with seven powerful movements 

styled after Bach, is a subtly organic and energetic 

re-interpretation of traditional early 

harmonies that solidly anchors the middle 

section of the album. Followed by Duet for 

Two Cellos by Youell Domenico, and the final 

duet I And Thou by Kati Agócs, based on a 

book by Martin Buber, a fusion of both cellos 

spun into a single, tightly wound rope. 

My favourite track is Kelly-Marie Murphy’s 

challenging Final Glimpse, a fantastical 

exploration of the 1937 crash of the 

Hindenburg. Her experimental addition of 

recorded materials and sounds flows seamlessly 

with the duo’s interpretation and 

personal style, creating one of the strongest 

pieces on the album. 


Frank Horvat – From Oblivion to Hope 

Odin Quartet 

I Am Who I Am Records (frankhorvat.com) 

! Frank Horvat has 

been successfully 

exploring states of 

the human condition 

in contemporary 

times; 

with each new 

album this exploration 

takes on a 

different musical form/genre. This prolific 

composer keeps surprising us with diversity 

and an extent of musical expression, language 

and themes. From Oblivion to Hope, as 

performed by the Odin Quartet, is a gorgeous 

collection of Horvat’s string quartet music 

and his ideas. Here his message is clear: music 

is an important tool in raising the level of 

positivity and hope on this planet as well as 

in our individual lives. Change is possible. 

Horvat’s string quartet music, covering a 

span of over 20 years, features compelling 

rhythmical elements and engaging melodies. 

The album follows a trajectory of personal 

growth – from oblivion and anxiety through 

awareness of the preciousness of time and 

love of nature to the final destination of hope. 

Each piece tells a story, and none has a traditional 

form. String Quartet No.2 is a percussive, 

textural ball of high energy seeking 

more stable expression. Four Seasons…in 

High Park, inspired by the seasons in High 

Park in Toronto and Vivaldi’s iconic Four 

Seasons, contains many literal quotes but 

its strength lies in dismantling the original 

ideas into building blocks of unique compositional 

language. The album closes with 

Hope, a peaceful, harmonious rhapsody with 

bright colours. 

Odin Quartet, a strong ensemble with 

close-knit synergy, is a perfect collaborator. 

Their sensible interpretation of Horvat’s 

music highlights the composer’s ingenuity. 

Ivana Popovic 

Theory of Becoming 

Evgueni Galperine 

ECM New Series 2744 (ecmrecords.com) 

! Minimalist in 

nature and deeply 

personal, Theory of 

Becoming reveals 

a turn in Evgueni 

Galperine’s musical 

direction. Primarily 

known for his 

gorgeous film music, Galperine turns inward 

on this album, shifting from compositions 

inspired by cinematic images and stories 

to music that brings in focus shades of the 

human condition through inner experience. 

This new world is grandly rich in depth and 

variety of ideas. Galperine uses both real and 

virtual instruments to create an architecture 

of sound, expanding colours, textures 

and possibilities of acoustic instruments and 

establishing a mixture of textural, exciting 

and somewhat oracular elements with electronic 

and manipulated sounds. This world is 

so visceral that each composition feels like a 

minimalist diorama. It is rare to hear such a 

strong emotional expression in the realms of 

electronic music and Galperine recognizes the 

power of that rarity. 

There is a strong imaginative element in 

all compositions and threads that involve 

magical settings supported by electronic 

sounds. In Loplop im Wald, inspired by Max 

Ernst’s paintings, we meet a magical bird 

called Loplop that inhabits a mystical forest 

humans cannot cross. Oumuamua, Space 

Wanderings is a sonic exploration of travelling 

through space in search of answers. This 

Town Will Burn Before Dawn, describes the 

aftermath of a war, destruction embedded in 

deep ominous sounds coming from the belly 

of the beast (war) and hope floating above in 

the string’s layers. 

While Galperine creates and directs the 

electronics and sampling, the guest artists, 

Sergei Nakariakov (trumpet), Sébastien 

Hurtaud (cello) and Maria Vasyukova (voice), 

each leave their signature marks. In some 

aspects, Theory of Becoming is a musical/ 

philosophical treatise on the depth of the 

human experience. 

Ivana Popovich 


Susurrus 

Anthony Tan 

gengseng records GS004 (anthonytan. 

bandcamp.com/album/susurrus) 

! How does one 

listen to music that 

is not meant to be 

listened to? This 

question may seem 

rhetorical, if not 

absurd, but it is one 

that is presented 

to us when faced with the genre of ambient 

music. To many, ambient music is equivalent 

to elevator music, easy listening pop or 

soft jazz that pads the other ambient sounds 

of shopping malls, elevators and airports. 

In fact, the concept of ambient music was 

first used by Brian Eno in his 1978 album 

Ambient 1: Music for Airports and has since 

grown to encompass a range of electroacoustic 

compositions. 

According to Wikipedia, ambient music “is 

a genre of music that emphasizes tone and 

atmosphere over traditional musical structure 

or rhythm.” Anthony Tan’s Susurrus 

embodies this description very well, 

augmenting fragmented pianistic passages 

with real-time electronics. This is atmospheric 

music at its finest, and is simultaneously 

foreboding and calm, never resolving, 

but also never developing the tension that 

necessarily needs a resolution. 

Both pieces on this recording, endlessnessnessness 

and sublime subliminal sublimate 

are constant paradoxes, the net result being 

equal to the effort put in by the listener: 

focusing on the small scale reveals minute 

repetitions and rhythmic patterns, while 

listening to the larger forms provides a rather 

vague overview of works that forgo conventional 

structures in favour of constantly 

shifting acoustic events. 

If this review appears inconclusive, that 

is because ambient music, much like the 

minimalist works of Glass, Reich and others, 

is so highly subjective and the experience of 

it so dependent on the individual. I encourage 

everyone to explore Tan and Susurrus, 

whether one is familiar with this genre or 

not, and explore how you listen to and experience 

music that is not meant to be listened to. 

Matthew Whitfield 

I Had a Dream About This Place 

No Hay Banda 

No Hay Discos NHD 002 (nohaybanda.ca) 

! Love of language 

but incapacity in 

more than two 

meant I had to look 

up a translation of 

this disc title, and 

guess what? No Hay 

Banda means “there 

is no band.” Their 

two-disc release from No Hay Discos is titled 

I Had a Dream About This Place. 

No Hay Banda is made up of five instrumentalists 

and a soprano (apparently they 

exist as individuals) from Montreal. Their 

debut recording features four works, and 

you’re on your own in terms of liner notes. No 

Hay Discos chose instead to provide poems in 

French and English respectively, by Françoise 

Major and Donato Mancini. I suppose they 

are responses to the music, but I dare not 

attempt further parsing. Mancini’s text is 

also featured, often indistinctly in Andrea 

Young’s A Moment or Two of Panic, which 

at 32 minutes is more like several moments 

of ennui and angst. Anthony Tan’s half-hour 

is curiously titled An Overall Augmented 

Sense of Well-Being. I only get the augmented 

part. Also included are the somewhat briefer 

Rubber Houses by Sabrina Schroeder and 

Mauricio Pauly’s The Difference is the 

Buildings Between Us. A large letter “O” goes 

rogue on the playfully designed CD jacket, 

displaced from titles and composers’ names. 

That adds some sorely needed fun, but maybe 

it’s intended as a serious meditation on the 

difference between an oval and a circle, as 

suggested by the granite-shaded cover art. 

There’s an average of 25 somewhat static 

minutes per cut. Whew. No hay tiempo. As 

the saying goes, less is sometimes more, but 

the reverse can also be true. Were we a civilization 

where meditation was taught from 

the cradle, perhaps this would be the music 

we all craved. Or rather preferred, since in 

that society there’d be no craving? Perhaps 

we wouldn’t be headed for environmental 

collapse. Perhaps the length of these pieces 

would evoke a kind of joy, like what one feels 

at the prospect of a free summer afternoon or 

a hot bath on a cold night. I admit to none of 

these responses. Instead, I become astoundingly 

furious as I listen to the patient clouds 

of sound drift out of my stereo. 

I’ve performed music by some of this 

compositional cadre, not these four but others 

of a similar school. Some folks like it. It takes 

great focus to do well, as the players do here. 

And even so, there will be those who, like me, 

would like their two hours back. 

Max Christie 

Eren Gümrükçüoğlu – Pareidolia 

Conrad Tao; JACK Quartet; Mivos Quartet; 

Ensemble Giallo; Deviant Septet 



! Two suppositions: 

music is only music 

to the extent that it 

elicits recognition 

and response, and 

not all music (not all 

art) is good for one. 

Consider these as you 

read why I recommend 

this disc. Think catharsis. Composer Eren 

Gümrükçüoğlu makes brilliant use of acoustic 

and electronic media, with strong collaborators 

including the excellent JACK Quartet. His ideas, 

once you settle into the terrain, make sense. 

There is pitch and sound contoured into melody, 

and there is rhythm, lots of it. 

The opening track is frankly scary. 

Pandemonium comes to us via Milton 



Symphonie de la tempête de verglas 

Maxime Goulet, Orchestre classique 

de Montréal, Jacques Lacombe 

Commemorating the 25th 

anniversary of one of the worst 

natural disasters in Quebec’s history, 

the album takes the listener into a 

whirlwind of music. 

I and Thou 

VC2 Cello Duo 

I and Thou is a pensive rumination 

on the power of relationships to 

undergird the foundation for a 

person’s well-being; the need for 

meaning. 

Pareidolia 

Eren Gumrukcuoglu 

Turkish born composer Eren 

Gümrükçüoğlu's Pareidolia 

presents seven of his kinesthetic 

works for chamber ensembles, 

with and without electronics, as 

well as fixed media. 

Killdeer 

Guy Barash 

Composer/performer Guy Barash 

teams up with poet Nick Flynn 

for this affecting work featuring 

spoken word and structured 

improvisation 


in Paradise Lost. Not a good place, to say 

the least. A demonic gathering place ain’t 

peaceful, it’s a harrowing funhouse! 

I found myself beating time to the title 

track, Pareidolia, even during the intervals 

where metre and rhythm seem absent; rather 

they are partially submerged in silences 

that allow only some of the contours to 

show. When “time” is introduced explicitly, 

at various points in the piece (at nearly 24 

minutes, by far the longest single track), the 

material is taut and jazzy, the silences filled, 

the pulse revealed. Track four, Ordinary 

Things, pits a small wind band with bass and 

percussion against fragments from speeches 

made by Recep Erdoğan, composed as 

mimicry, a satiric chorus riffing alongside the 

autocrat’s overblown rhetoric, forming a kind 

of sonic haze around the vocals. Mesmerizing. 

Those step-dancing squirrels in your attic 

crawl space have spotted a canary, who calls 

out from various places as they scutter about 

chasing the hapless bird. That describes the 

spatial and rhythmic fun of the final track, 

Asansör Asìmptotu. 

Kudos to all the performers and especially 

to the composer. 

Max Christie 

Guy Barash – Killdeer 

Guy Barash; Nick Flynn 



! The marriage 

of text and music, 

like other pairings, 

can be problematic. 

This is especially 

true in the spoken 

word subgenre, as is 

featured on Killdeer. 

The poetry of Nick 

Flynn haunts its way through “structured 

improvisation” conceived by Guy Barash, with 

Kathleen Supové on piano, Frank London on a 

very threadbare trumpet and Eyal Maoz filling 

in on guitar. Barash handles the electronic 

manipulations, and the product winds its way 

into ever darker places. Flynn, let it be known, 

has seen the darkness stare back at him, and 

his text invites you to look into the same 

mirror. Clearly recited, prosaic, brooding, even 

angry, the text does not appear in the booklet 

aside from two brief excerpts. When you hear 

the thoughts uttered in track seven, Poem to 

be Whispered by the Bedside of a Sleeping 

Child, maybe you’ll be glad. I was. 

This makes one grateful for the music. 

London’s insinuating whispers and cries 

match the mood, a pale shadow of the 

shadowy poetry, while Supové’s powerful 

sparks draw our ears away from the poet’s 

voice towards some kind of brightness. 

Still, this is essentially a textual work, 

fascinating and disturbing. I will listen again, 

because I know there’s redemption of a kind 

proffered by Flynn. The text takes most of my 

attention, and second listening might change 

that or might not. The text is why I hesitate, 

and yet recognize: these are powerful 

poems. Killdeer meditates on death, and on 

the demons that would have us wish it on 

someone else. The matter is dark, the music 

affecting. 

Max Christie 

Felipe Téllez – Evocations 

Canadian Studio Symphony 

Centrediscs CMCCD 30922 

(centrediscs.ca) 

! Featuring the 

talents of Ron 

Cohen Mann on 

oboe d’amore, 

violinist Lynn Kuo 

and the Canadian 

Studio Symphony, 

the newly released 

album Evocations 

comprises new 

works by Colombian-Canadian composer, 

Felipe Téllez. Led by Lorenzo Guggenheim, 

the Canadian Studio Symphony was founded 

in 2022 for the sole purpose of performing 

new and engaging repertoire, making this a 

perfect pairing. 

Originally written in 2014 and revised 

in 2022, the Suite Concertante for Oboe 

d’Amore is a five-movement suite of dances 

in Baroque style. In keeping with the period, 

Téllez uses harpsichord and oboe d’amore but 

mixes them with modern ideas like extensive 

key modulations and orchestral colours with 

clarinets and more prominent low brass. The 

technical capabilities and full range of tonal 

colours of the oboe d’amore are imaginatively 

explored, showcasing the warm tone and brilliant 

virtuosity of Cohen Mann. 

Lovers at the Altar and Impromptu are 

small pieces for string orchestra used to 

bridge the Baroque style of the first piece 

with the more Romantic writing of Corita 

and Romanza. Corita is an orchestration of a 

guitar piece composed by Téllez’s mentor and 

counterpoint teacher in Colombia, Manuel 

Cubides Greiffenstein. 

Romanza for solo violin and orchestra 

reveals Kuo’s beautiful, expansive phrasing 

and expressive musicality. With something 

for every musical taste, Evocations is sure 

to satisfy. 

Melissa Scott 

Valentin Silvestrov 

Boris Berman 

Le Palais des Degustateurs PDD030 

(lepalaisdesdegustateurs-shop.com/ 

boutique) 

! In March 2022, 

just days after 

Russia’s invasion, 

Ukraine’s preeminent 

composer, 

Valentin Silvestrov 

(b.1937) left his 

native Kyiv for Berlin. Three months later, 

Boris Berman, following in-person consultations 

with Silvestrov, recorded this two-CD set 

spanning 60 years of Silvestrov’s piano music. 

Triade (1962) and Elegy (1967) reflect 

what the young Silvestrov called “lyrical 

dodecaphony,” to my ears Webern crossed 

with Debussy. Sonata 2 (1975) juxtaposes serialism, 

aleatorism and late-Romantic chromaticism, 

including extended passages of 

pensive lyricism. The five-movement Kitsch- 

Music (1977) contains allusions to Schumann, 

Chopin and Brahms, all to be played, wrote 

Silvestrov, “as if from afar.” It’s indeed slightly 

“kitschy” – precious with prettiness and 

sentimentality, lovely nonetheless. The three 

movements of Sonata 3 (1979) are slow, 

inward-looking and disturbingly beautiful, 

their unsettled tonality suggesting to me 

an aimless, solitary stroll through a dark, 

deserted cityscape. 

Three 21st -century works were recorded 

with the piano lid closed, Silvestrov desiring 

a soft, distant sonority. Postludium (2005) is 

a slow, bittersweet processional. Five Pieces, 

Op.306 (2021) – three Pastorals, Serenade 

and Waltz – are all gentle and sweetly dreamy. 

Heartfelt simplicity imbues the Three Pieces 

(March 2022, Berlin), Silvestrov’s musical 

response to the invasion. The sorrowful 

Elegy is followed by Chaconne, described by 

Silvestrov as “accepting death with dignity.” 

The final Pastoral ends in a mood of serenity, 

perhaps even hope. 

Doubtlessly, these performances by Berman 

(b. Moscow 1948), head of Yale University’s 

piano department, pleased Silvestrov. They 

certainly pleased me. 


JAZZ AND IMPROVISED 

Montreux 1988 

Eye Music 

Independent (markduggan1.bandcamp. 

com/album/montreux-1988) 

! Toronto-based 

band Eye Music’s 

superb 2023 

debut album is an 

actual throwback: 

it was recorded 

live in 1988 at 

the Montreux 

Jazz Festival, 

Switzerland. To my ears this 35-year-old 

novel take on folk-inflected jazz still sounds 

compellingly fresh today. 

Eye Music featured the late, great violinist 

Oliver Schroer, guitarist Don Ross, percussionist 

Mark Duggan and bassist David 

Woodhead, all gifted musicians at the brink 

of substantial careers. Their inspired music 

on Montreux 1988 is a snapshot of a made-in- 

Southern Ontario musical moment. 

Booked on the strength of their Portastudio 

cassette demo, they were reportedly the 


only Canadian act to play Montreux that 

year. Impressive enough to land a spot sightunseen 

at a major European festival, why 

haven’t we heard of Eye Music? Part of the 

answer is that the group was active only 

between 1987 and 1989. 

We finally get a chance to hear what the 

excitement was about on this album, their 

Montreux concert artfully distilled into 

seven tracks digitalized from aging original 

analogue tapes. 

Five titles were composed by Ross – his 

use of alternate guitar tunings and unique 

“fingerstyle” was an essential part of the 

group’s sound – plus one each by Duggan and 

Schroer. Each tune has its own character and 

charm, the album filled with spiky rhythms, 

lush harmonies and a lighthearted feel, 

further enlivened by imaginative virtuoso 

solos. The cherry on top is the sensitive 

ensemble musicianship of all four members. 

More good news: Eye Music is reforming 

with a new violinist and planning live 

performances for the 2023 summer 

festival season. 

Andrew Timar 

Kirk Lightsey – Mark Whitfield; Santi 

Debriano; Victor Lewis 

Live at Smalls Jazz Club 

Cellar Music CLSMF003 (cellarlive.com) 

! Legendary 

pianist, Detroitnative 

Kirk Lightsey, 

has been gracing 

the ears of listeners 

around the world 

for nearly 70 

years. The same 

energy that the 

stellar musician started out with has carried 

on within this latest release, a special live 

recording at New York City’s Smalls Jazz Club 

that highlights the fantastic work of this 

jazz great. As a little aside, the Smalls LIVE 

Mastering Series is a great set of recordings, 

showcasing the best of jazz musicians that 

are still with us. Joining Lightsey is a stellar 

backing band featuring renowned musicians 

such as Mark Whitfield on guitar, Santi 

Debriano on bass and Victor Lewis on drums. 

The album is chock-full of great renditions 

of classic tunes, such as In Your Own Sweet 

Way by Dave Brubeck and Lament by J.J. 

Johnson. Scintillating talent is present on 

this record; it’s an all-encompassing musical 

journey that draws the listener right in. 

The musicianship and thought put into 

detail throughout these pieces and renditions 

is just marvellous. A perfect example of this 

is Freedom Jazz Dance, featuring rhythmically 

tight piano riffs, a moving bass line that 

underpins soaring solos and keeps the energy 

constantly brewing and an intricate guitar 

melody that just pulls you in and captivates 

you with those tiny nuances. In these tunes, 

magical feeling develops where the music 

completely envelops you and everything else 

disappears. For new and seasoned jazz lovers 

alike, this is one record to check out. 

Kati Kiilaspea 

Mi Hogar 

Rachel Therrien Latin Jazz Project 

Outside In Music OiM2307 

(outsideinmusic.com) 

! Wanting a minivacation 

from 

these dark and 

dreary winter days, 

imagining sunny 

beaches and a 

sparkling blue sea? 

Montreal native, 

star flugelhornist, trumpeter and bandleader 

Rachel Therrien’s newest album is for 

you. Sultry rhythms and mellow melodies 

instantly transport the listener to a far-away 

world where the sun shines and the balmy 

breeze blows. Therrien has gathered top musicians 

who have been involved with the Latin 

jazz world over the years, including Michel 

Medrano Brindis on drums, Miguel de Armas 

on piano, Roberto Riveron on bass… the list 

goes on. The record features fresh takes on 

classic tunes by greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, 

John Coltrane and Francisco Tarrega with a 

few of Therrien’s own compositions thrown 

into the mix. 

The impressive bandleader has always been 

inspired by the world of Latin jazz, which 

led to the eventual recording and release of 

this album. Therrien describes her travels to 

Cuba: “The experience changed my life and 

is probably the reason why I am still a musician 

today. I always felt good playing Latininfluenced 

music, it is where I feel I can 

express myself the most musically.” A couple 

of pieces that stand out are Moment’s Notice, 

a rhythmically charged, spicy little ditty that 

instantly raises the spirits of the listener and 

Mojo, featuring a fiery piano solo and funky 

bass line underpinning a soaring horn solo 

that gets you moving and grooving. A truly 

worthy addition to any jazz connoisseur’s 

collection. 

Kati Kiilaspea 

Being Five 

Dimitriadis/Dörner/Freedman/Parkins/ 

Williams 

Relative Pitch RPR 1181 

(relativepitchrecords.com) 

! Collectively 

creating an essay 

in forceful improvisation, 

the Being 

Five quintet is 

as international 

as its five-part 

program is intense. 

Percussionist Yorgos 

Dimitriadis is Greek; bassist Christopher 

Williams and accordionist Andrea Parkins, 

American; clarinetist Lori Freedman is 

Canadian; and trumpeter Axel Dörner, 

German. Adding understated but effective 

electronic trappings throughout, the quintet 

members achieve a notable balance between 

the spontaneous and the synthesized. 

Additionally, intervallic pauses distinguish the 



Felipe Téllez – Evocations 


Hear the oboe d'amore, tackling 

bespoke repertoire to show off 

the instrument's exotic tone, 

a romanza for solo violin and 

orchestra, and more. 

Birdlike 

THERMO 

THERMO is a new & exciting jazz 

project co-led by jazz piano player, 

Mike Manny and jazz guitarist, 

Nathan Hiltz. 

Conspiracy 

Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra 

Contemporary music for jazz 

orchestra with a huge variety of 

styles, moods and timbres 

Songs of the Doomed: Some 

Jaded, Atavistic Freakout 

Dan McCarthy 

Grab a pint of whiskey and let the 

vibes wash over you. Once the 

initial waves of fear and loathing 

pass, madness will ensue. 


astute alternations between luminous solos 

and the shaded, sometimes menacing, group 

wave-form expositions. 

As the session evolves, Dimitriadis stays in 

the background with an occasional drum slap 

or cymbal plink, affirming slippery clarinet 

peeps, or pressurized bass string slices that 

can be distinguished in the midst of intermittent 

crackling voltage that is also strengthened 

by tremolo accordion pulses. Other 

times, as on Amusik Bis, Freedman’s pedal 

point clarinet and Dörner’s portamento 

squeezes outline a variant of tandem lyricism. 

But it’s the concluding Freeze that 

most precisely defines the program. With 

only the occasional clarion reed bite cutting 

through the machine-generated buzz and 

hiss at first, continuous voltage drones 

become louder, more concentrated, strident 

and synthesized, so that by the penultimate 

sequenced sound concatenation seems 

almost impenetrable. That is until chalumeau 

clarinet purrs and inflating accordion pumps 

reassert the session’s acoustic side before a 

collective finale. 

An exemplary interpretation of electro/ 

acoustic improvising, Being Five also 

demonstrates that musicians’ geographic 

origins mean little when creating a vivid 

group project. 

Ken Waxman 

Face à Face 

Barre Phillips; György Kurtág Jr. 

ECM New Series ECM 2736 

(ecmrecords.com) 

! More of a realized 

experiment 

than a full-fledged 

program, the 

dozen brief tracks 

here mark veteran 

American bassist 

Barre Phillips’ first 

accommodation 

with the electronics produced by Hungarian 

keyboardist György Kurtág Jr. Using three 

stand-alone synthesizers and digital percussion, 

Kurtág burbles, drones and vibrates 

ever-evolving oscillations with textures 

ranging from the daunting to the delicate. 

All the while the bassist, whose improvisational 

experience goes back to the early 

1960s, crafts parallel constructs that involve 

every part of his instrument during tracks 

that are timed from 90 seconds to nearly four 

and a half minutes. Phillips uses techniques 

such as col legno string bounces or pressurized 

sul ponticello bow slices to cut through 

the often-confined density from the machinegenerated 

programming. Occasionally, as on 

Sharpen Your Eyes and Ruptured Air, more 

melodic suggestions are introduced with 

woody slaps from the bass meeting recorderlike 

peeps from the synthesizer on the former, 

and low-pitched string twangs evolving 

alongside high-pitched synthesized wriggles 

on the album describing the second title. 

Overall, since Phillips can also finesse 

textures among other motifs encompassing 

measured violin-like runs and banjo-like 

clangs, the expanding programmed pressure 

never becomes oppressive. Genuinely 

fascinating, at points the disc also clarifies 

how acoustic and electronic timbres can 

unfold face à face with each prominent in its 

own space. 

Ken Waxman 

Opera of the Unspoken: Island of Unrest 

Jeanette Lambert 

Independent 

(jeannettelambert.bandcamp.com) 

! This significant 

and ambitious 

project is 

best described by 

the composer/ 

creator herself as 

“an experimental 

jazz opera that 

is also a musical 

investigation into the mysteries of an ancestral 

tragedy from World War II, as revealed 

through vocal rituals, ancestral tarot, free jazz 

and dreaming.” Jeanette Lambert was seeking 

a way to honour her forbearers, and also tell 

the horrific story of her multi-racial ancestors 

who passed through the horrors of the war, 

and their ultimate survival, achieved through 

the spiritual strength of her female ancestors. 

The tragedy originates with Lambert’s 

German grandfather – a civilian interned 

(along with his Javanese wife) by the Dutch 

in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) 

during the war. In order to manifest this epic, 

Jeanette called upon her own family as well 

as vocalists, poets and descendants of those 

who had also suffered the horrors of war and 

captivity. 

In the construction of this large-scale piece, 

Lambert has used the structure of the Tarot 

to explore the truth of the Van Imhoff tragedy 

(the violence in Banten), and to ultimately 

instigate the dream-laden ancestral healing of 

all. The opera begins with Three of Pentacles 

– comprised of ancient, dreamy, diatonic a 

cappella chants that begin the journey. Ace 

of Wands follows… descriptive and poetic, 

and punctuated by percussive (Michel 

Lambert) and guitar (Reg Schwager) motifs. 

Lambert’s potent vocal instrument begins to 

relate the story through the infrastructure 

of the tarot, and with Dreaming of Pomelo a 

portrait of Indonesia begins to emerge as the 

tragedies loom. 

On Four of Wands, gamelans and spoken 

word rail against the immoral incidents while 

military drum tattoos and vocal distortion 

plumb the horror. On Sorrow Unleashed, the 

weeping, wailing and keening of the mothers 

– reaching back into the mists of time – is 

underscored by heartrending string and flute 

lines. Lambert’s potent opera ends with the 

dream of hope and healing. This is a multidisciplinary 

master work, and a journey 

that is essential for all free-thinking human 

beings. Brava. 


BirdLike 

Thermo 

GB Records (thermomusic.com) 

! This exquisite 

jazz recording is 

the result of the 

creative pairing of 

pianist/composer 

Mike Manny and 

guitarist/composer 

Nathan Hiltz. Their 

duo, Thermo, manifested 

during the 

pandemic by playing/performing “together” 

in separate places, through the use of lowlatency 

recording technology. Both gentlemen 

wear producer’s hats here, and not only 

have they assembled a dazzling program of 

tunes, but they have also created the ultimate 

jazz quartet with the addition of bassist Neil 

Swainson and drummer Morgan Childs. In 

addition to two of their individual compositions, 

Manny and Hiltz have also served up a 

sumptuous jazz buffet, featuring works from 

icons Hank Mobley, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny 

Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, Cedar Walton, 

Wayne Shorter and Horace Silver. 

Things kick off with Avita and Tequila by 

Mobley. Manny and Hiltz dig in here with a 

solid bop sensibility, and their unison lines 

morph into the full, satisfying quartet sound. 

Swainson and Childs lock in immediately and 

propel the action, with elegant solos from all. 

Next up is Betty’s Buns – a groovy, swinging 

original by Manny dedicated to the Cape 

Breton piano player and baker of delicious 

buns, Betty Lou Beaton. Big fat chords and a 

cooking melodic line define this delightful 

tune featuring an effortless solo by Swainson. 

Of special beauty is Carmichael and Mercer’s 

Skylark. One of the loveliest ballads ever 

written is performed here with sensitivity, 

skill and deep emotion. Manny seemingly 

channels the great Bill Evans without ever 

being derivative. 

Hiltz’s composition, Fountain Scenery, is 

a guitar feature and a bit of a nod to Richard 

Rodgers’ Mountain Greenery. His sound here 

is warm, succinct and utterly pure, reminiscent 

of Jim Hall. Although every track on 

this project is a shining bebop bauble, other 

highlights include Wayne Shorter’s This is for 

Albert, where Manny and Hiltz soar through 

the arrangement in synchronous motion and 

the listener gets dipped into some serious jazz 

juice! A triumph! 


Concert note: Thermo will release BirdLike 

with a performance at Jazz Bistro on April 21. 


Conspiracy 

Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra 

Mons Records MR874757 

(tobiashoffmannmusic.com) 

! Tobias 

Hoffmann’s 2019 

recording was 

the celebrated 

Retrospective, 

featuring repertoire 

for nine musicians. 

The almost 

nonchalant manner 

in which he declared that he couldn’t express 

his new music unless he had his “…own band 

to make sure that my music was performed 

on the highest possible level” belies the enormous 

undertaking of leading an ensemble as 

large as this expanded Jazz Orchestra. 

Hoffmann calls the disc Conspiracy, which 

is a title filled with both whimsy and the very 

real suggestion that the artist – by nature a 

(cultural) guerrilla – engages in conspiracy to 

manoeuvre his way into his listeners’ sensibilities. 

Using a language that is informed as 

much by classical symphonic idioms, devices 

and gestures, and the enormously popular, 

contemporary jazzy vernacular, Hoffmann 

has created a recording which fuses the styles 

with a naturalness and authenticity that 

eludes many ensembles of this size and scope. 

Moreover, Hoffmann’s recording is 

not only conspiratorial, but also compelling. 

In particular, the extended narratives 

– Conspiracy, Trailblazers, Importer 

Syndrome and Awakening – are tone poems 

rich in imagery. In each of these works – as in 

the rest of the repertoire – we come face-toface 

with performers who have interiorized 

Hoffmann’s singular mind and the poetics of 

his work, and go on to interpret it with idiomatic 

power and all the attendant drama, 

throughout the length of the disc. 

Raul da Gama 

Black to the Roots 

Joe Bowden Project 

Independent (joebowden.bandcamp.com/ 

album/Black-to-the-roots) 

! The Joe Bowden 

Project is actually 

a quartet that 

expands to a quintet 

on two songs. 

However, thanks in 

part to the elegant 

high jinks from 

behind a battery 

of rumbling drums and hissing, splashing 

cymbals, percussion colourist and leader 

Bowden makes his Project’s music sound as 

if it were a much larger ensemble. But that is 

not the best part of the album. 

What makes Black to the Roots an 

unforgettable experience is the quality of the 

repertoire. As a composer Bowden imbues his 

songs with vibrant drama and fierce urgency 

that makes their musical narratives utterly 

compelling listening. The word Black in the 

title may suggest a cultural awakening and 

while the often martial-sounding rattle and 

roll of the snare drums may raise its percussive 

head, the temptation to add unsavoury 

fire to the music’s pulse and timbre is largely 

eschewed. In fact, Bowden’s work – and his 

playing – is eminently poised. 

An interesting aspect of his work is that he 

approaches Black music from the – almost 

parallel – perspectives of the American and 

Caribbean tributaries that flow out of the 

proverbial African river. The presence of the 

incomparable Cuban pianist Manuel Valera 

certainly energizes the musical excursion. 

Valera is an erudite composer himself and his 

presence and singular artistry have certainly 

impacted the expression of this music. Bassist 

Mike Downes, saxophonist Jesse Ryan and 

vibraphonist Dan McCarthy add their distinguished 

artistry to this disc. 

Raul da Gama 

Operator 

Avi Granite 6 

Pet Mantis Records PMR016 

(avigranite6.com) 

! This Avi 

Granite 6 recording, 

Operator, opens 

with two songs 

that ripple with 

a chugging pulse 

suggesting a discfull 

of funky tunes. 

But the guitarist 

Avi Granite soon shows that his mellifluous 

aesthetics and wide-ranging stylistic tastes are 

born of an emphasis on melody and colour – 

with a little bit of off-the-wall humour baked 

into wholesome musical patty-cakes. 

The repertoire on the album is frontloaded 

with opportunities for brass and 

reeds. Trumpeter Jim Lewis, trombonist Tom 

Richards and clarinetist (and saxophonist) 

Peter Lutek respond with vim and vigour, and 

virtuosity. 

Granite occupies the chordal chair, his 

guitar an endless source of surprise as he 

pumps both volume and pedals throughout 

– literally and metaphorically. The wonder 

of his playing is how engagingly, articulately, 

flowingly and idiomatically he pours himself 

into his music that is uniformly good and also 

quite different sounding. He leads a rhythm 

section that includes bassist Neal Davis and 

drummer Ted Warren and the three horn 

players in a lustrous exposition of mercurial 

work, full of slashing and nostalgic ideas that 

make this 37-minute musical romp a quite 

gripping experience. 

Between such puckishly titled – and 

performed – works such as Crushing Beans, 

Voracious, Misanthropic Vindaloo and Many 

Bowls, these musicians come together for a 

performance vivid in interplay and keenly 

attentive to these charts that appear to 

resonate with mysteries and wonders seemingly 

unique to colourful Canada in general – 

and Toronto in particular. 

Raul da Gama 

Dave Liebman 

Live at Smalls 

Cellar Music CMSLF004 (cellarlive.com) 

! Dave Liebman, 

éminence grise of 

the saxophone, 

holds court on 

Live at Smalls, 

a dizzying freely 

improvised (sometimes 

modal excursion) 

quintet 

recording on which he leads a group of 

younger acolytes – including pianist Leo 

Genovese, bassist John Hébert, drummer 

Tyshawn Sorey and trumpeter Peter Evans. 

And while each performer is his own man, 

so to speak, they are all musically speaking 

doppelgangers of Liebman. Evans is always 

closest, shadowing the soprano- and tenorplaying 

saxophonist down twisting paths and 

labyrinthine harmonic alleys as the pianist, 

bassist and drummer clear rhythmic paths for 

the two horn men. 

Liebman himself plays wonderfully well, 

his vibrato characteristically vocal in its 

speed and intensity. The veteran saxophonist 

inspires fiery virtuosity from his younger 

journeymen. Each musician gives of himself 

with enormous generosity, making Live at 

Smalls an epic musical voyage. 

By the second movement of this pistondriven 

set the musicians are firing on all 

cylinders. Liebman, long since having 

unbolted the proverbial guardrails, keeps the 

door open for the rest of the musicians to 

jump into the fray. The result is a free-flowing 

palimpsest, super-charged in almost every 

musical respect: texture, tempo relations and 

phrasing throughout the vortex-like threepart 

suite. 

Furious fluid dynamics occur, one breathless 

variation to the next. The energy is 

unrelenting. An occasional low, crackling 

musical flame occurs when the overall 

volume drops to barely above a whisper 

before Liebman’s stuttering soprano in the 

final movement foreshadows the ensemble’s 

incandescent sprint to the finish. 

Raul da Gama 

Atlas 

Matt Greenwood 

Independent (matt-greenwood.com) 

! Unencumbered 

listening seems 

to have gotten 

trickier in recent 

years, despite 

the myriad new 

methods available 

to access music. As 


an antidote to this phenomenon, I now make 

a point to absorb albums in their entirety at 

least once or twice before reading any liner 

notes or one sheets. 

With Atlas by Zimbabwe-born Torontobased 

guitarist Matt Greenwood, all written 

material pertaining to it felt more like an 

affirmation than a barrage of new info. This is 

not because Greenwood wears his influences 

on his sleeve, or that any of his music falls 

short of unique, but more that it profoundly 

resonates with this writer’s musical tastes. 

Contemporary guitar in the 2020s can 

resemble anything from futuristic effects 

and textures to a neo-traditional renaissance 

of aesthetics from the 1950s and 60s. I can 

appreciate either of these extremes, which 

are far from mutually exclusive, but it is 

refreshing to hear a modern mélange of influences 

from across the board in Greenwood’s 

playing and writing. 

Atlas’ opening and closing tracks 

Constellations and Commitment are tasteful 

vignettes that bookend the album, adding 

a sense of continuity when listening from 

start to finish. While the recording has the 

arching flow of a great concept album, each 

of its original tracks function on their own 

too. Dehyah and the album’s title track are 

cerebral yet heartfelt, and ballads like From 

Sunshine and Campfire Ghosts are unique 

enough to remain neighbours on the tracklist 

without sounding redundant. 

This album is an awesome offering of art 

for art’s sake, eschewing causes and homages 

in favour of focused, sophisticated, contemporary 

playing. Have a listen; I trust you will 

find Atlas as refreshing as I do. 

Sam Dickinson 

The Sixth Decade from Paris to Paris 

The Art Ensemble of Chicago 

RogueArt ROG-0123 (roguart.com) 

! After almost a 

decade of evolution 

in their hometown, 

The Art Ensemble of 

Chicago arrived in 

Paris in 1969, their 

combination of free 

jazz and theatricality 

(their slogan – 

Great Black Music: 

Ancient to the Future) was greeted as the 

embodiment of the incendiary protests that 

had rocked the city in the previous year. The 

band was welcomed with frequent performances 

and multiple recording offers. Five 

decades later most of the original members 

– saxophonist Joseph Jarman, trumpeter 

Lester Bowie and bassist Malachi Favors – 

are deceased. Only multi-instrumentalist 

Roscoe Mitchell and percussionist Famoudou 

Don Moye remain. They’ve chosen to reinvigorate 

the band’s legacy by expanding it with 

a substantial number of young musicians and 

an even broader musical lexicon, entering 

their sixth decade with a 20-member 

ensemble for this 100-minute Paris concert 

from 2020. 

It’s alive with potent moments, including 

brilliant individual instrumental performances 

from Mitchell and Moye, trumpeter 

Hugh Ragin, flutist Nicole Mitchell, 

cellist Tomeka Reid and trombonist Simon 

Sieger. True to the band’s history, however, 

it continues to press the envelope – musically, 

lyrically and culturally. The ensemble 

includes chamber musicians who can execute 

Mitchell’s Webern-esque scores; a mixed 

improvising ensemble that suggests Tibetan 

ritual music; and three percussionists and 

three bassists who can launch a polyrhythmic 

maelstrom. There is also a self-explanatory 

track called Funky AECO. There are 

concert vocalists and the spoken word calls 

to consciousness of Moor Mother, activistorator 

with such groups as Sons of Kemet and 

Irreversible Entanglements. 

Mitchell and Moye have made of their longstanding 

collaboration a gift to contemporaneity 

and the possibilities of the future. It’s as 

much about that promise as it is a platform 

for two celebrated senior warriors of music. 

Stuart Broomer 

Si tu partais 

Trio Derome Guilbeault Tanguay 

ambiences magnetiques AM 272 CD 

(actuellecd.com) 

! Saxophonist/ 

flutist/vocalist 

Jean Derome, 

bassist Normand 

Guilbeault and 

drummer Pierre 

Tanguay have 

been playing 

together as a trio 

for over 20 years, embracing a broad repertoire 

and becoming an essential component 

of Canadian jazz in the process. Here they 

play 11 compositions, handily supplying dates 

to mark the range from 1917 (The Original 

Dixieland Jazz Band’s Tiger Rag) to 1963 

(Eric Dolphy’s Iron Man). Throughout, the 

trio is polished and intense, engaging, yet 

fully engaged. 

On the first track, Ornette Coleman’s The 

Disguise, Derome manages to be at least as 

buoyantly joyous as Coleman himself might 

have been, while Guilbeault and Tanguay 

provide ideal support, balancing intensity and 

lilt. Love Me or Leave Me, a standard, is fused 

with Lennie Tristano’s variant, the boppish 

Leave Me. On Sy Oliver’s ‘Taint What You 

Do, Derome’s vocal, rich in comic inflection, 

frames a virtuosic duet of bass and drums. 

While Derome is not a great singer in any 

conventional sense, there’s a special combination 

of musicality and wit at work here 

that illuminates the performance of Duke 

Ellington’s Mood Indigo, achieving a consummate 

elegance in the contrast between the 

rough-hewn vocal and the refined invention 

of the instrumentalists. 

An anthology of recordings from Jelly 

Roll Morton to Anthony Braxton can serve 

as an excellent introduction to jazz, but this 

might serve as well: Trio Derome Guilbeault 

Tanguay fully share the abundant joy that 

they take in adding their own spontaneous 

dimensions to this far-flung repertoire. 


The New Syntax 

Matthew Shipp; Mark Helias 

RogueArt ROG-0124 (roguart.com) 

! Pianist Matthew 

Shipp and bassist 

Mark Helias are 

distinguished 

veterans of the New 

York City free jazz 

community, and 

this program of 

improvised duets 

is the embodiment 

of both their craft and their commitment. 

The very match of their instruments 

might suggest a contrast between the florid 

and fundamental, but that couldn’t be further 

from the reality. A few years ago, Shipp 

published an essay on “Black Mystery School 

Pianists” linking Thelonious Monk with a 

handful of other, mostly African-American 

musicians such as Randy Weston, Cecil Taylor 

and Andrew Hill, pointing to their rhythmic 

complexity and layering of harmonic 

systems. Shipp himself might be considered 

a member: here his rhythmic insistence and 

chorded density often conjoin with Helias to 

create music that’s both forceful and precise. 

At other times, the surgical precision of 

Shipp’s runs can suggest Bud Powell. 

Even gentler passages are often arrived 

at through passages of combined rhythmic 

force, witness Psychic Ladder or Acoustic 

Electric, in which taut figures give way to a 

spare lyricism. Conversely, Bridge to Loka 

moves from random dialogue to rhythmic 

unison. The effect can resemble shifting 

weather patterns, sunshine breaking through 

storm clouds and vice versa. The most lyrical 

moments, like The Mystic Garden, arise 

when Shipp’s melodic probes combine with 

Helias’s arco passages in a cello register, while 

The New Syntax has the two matching one 

another’s patterns so closely that they might 

be reading a score. It’s music that’s as consistently 

rewarding as it is demanding. 


Sun Ra’s Journey featuring Marshall Allen 

Tyler Mitchell Octet 

Cellar Music CMSLF001 (cellarlive.com) 

! Sun Ra (born 

Herman Poole 

Blount) was a jazz 

composer, keyboard 

player and bandleader 

who was 

active from the 


1950s to the 1980s. He was known for his 

claims of being an alien and many mystical 

allusions about space and time which could 

also be viewed as commentary on world 

politics and race. 

Sun Ra’s music included the history of 

jazz (ragtime, swing, fusion etc.) and many 

avant-garde elements. I was lucky enough 

to see him live in Toronto in the 80s and 

can confirm that each performance was an 

event. He combined melodic jazz tunes with 

great ensemble playing and solos that often 

went outside the traditional jazz sound; he 

also introduced synthesizers to provide some 

“other worldly” sonics. 

Both Tyler Mitchell and Marshall Allen 

played with Sun Ra for many years and Sun 

Ra’s Journey is a homage to their bandleader 

and his music. Care Free is a very swinging 

opener which showcases some excellent 

trumpet work from Giveton Gelin. Free 

Ballad begins with electronic sounds and 

works into a gorgeous alto sax solo from 

Allen that swoops between tonal and experimental. 

Sun Ra’s Journey is a delightful 

album that celebrates Sun Ra’s legacy by 

proving it is still alive and inspiring. 

Ted Parkinson 

Unwalled 

François Carrier; Alexander von 

Schlippenbach; John Edwards; Michel 

Lambert 

Fundacja Sluchaj FSR 22/2022 

(francoiscarrier.bandcamp.com) 

! What an incredible 

ensemble. 

Altoist François 

Carrier is a tornado 

of concepts, ideas 

and interjections 

that refuses to 

cease, providing 

galvanizing directionality 

to the music. Drummer Michel 

Lambert provides textural structures and 

contrapuntal formations that expand skyward 

while building laterally. Living legend pianist 

Alexander von Schlippenbach is a maestro 

and a master, who injects the music with 

adrenaline shots into every orifice, while 

weaving improvisational narratives one can 

almost tangibly see. Bassist John Edwards 

cannot help constantly being at the right 

place, at the right time, armed with thunderbolts 

of his own. 

What makes Unwalled flourish as a 

descriptor of this music, is that everybody 

seems to consider themselves a percussionist. 

Halfway through the title track, Edwards 

challenges the listener to guess whether he or 

Lambert are hitting things, with an incredible 

display of tuneful string-slapping that 

multiplies in density. Later on, Schlippenbach 

seems to predict Lambert’s lines before 

they’re played, while simultaneously opening 

and closing the door for Carrier to provide 

a rebuttal. The never-ending means Carrier 

finds to manipulate note duration is probably 

the most infectiously danceable aspect of 

this album. Who’s making the warbly glitchin-the-matrix 

sounds on Open End feels 

as relevant as how they’re being made. The 

functional roles society assigns to specific 

instruments may be insurmountable parameters 

for most, but this marvellous group 

refuses to acknowledge their existence. 

Yoshi Maclear Wall 

POT POURRI 

Both Sides of Joni 

Janiece Jaffe; Monika Herzig 

Acme Records JM001 (acmerecords.com) 

! There is no 

question that 

Joni Mitchell is 

a member of a 

small coterie of 

artists who have 

contributed to the 

very ethos of 21st 

century music itself (in all of its splendid 

diversity). Mitchell’s synesthesiac blendings 

of unconventional melodies, chordal structures 

and contemporary poetry have touched 

our hearts and minds, and it’s the eclectic 

nature of Mitchell’s work that has lent itself 

to a variety of tributes. With this posthumous 

release from award-winning vocalist Janiece 

Jaffe and pianist/arranger Monika Herzig, 

Mitchell’s work is interpreted with a fresh, 

jazz-oriented perspective, which includes 

stalwart performances from noted jazz artists 

Greg Ward on saxophone, Jeremy Allen on 

bass, Carolyn Dutton on violin and Cassius 

Goens on drums. 

Included in this compelling recording are 

Herzig’s innovative arrangements of Mitchell’s 

most commercially successful songs, as well 

as some lesser-performed gems. First up 

is Help Me, which features a melodious, a 

cappella sax intro which then segues into a 

rhythmic, swinging musical tapestry replete 

with stunningly beautiful multi-track vocals 

from Jaffe. Jaffe’s voice is a delight to the 

ear. Her clear, pitch-perfect tones embrace 

the melody and charge it with meaning and 

Goens’ relentless drums and Ward’s improvisational 

choices propel this superb track. 

The title track is rife with emotional content 

– exploring the nature of hindsight and regret, 

and Mitchell’s melancholy River (from Blue) 

has been cleverly arranged by Herzig. My 

Old Man is a total delight, warm and ebullient 

with well-chosen chord substitutions, 

fully embracing jazz motifs and featuring a 

solid electric bass solo from Peter Kienle and 

lighter-than-air soprano work from Ward. 

The Hissing of Summer Lawns is a triumph in 

every way – transporting Mitchell’s intent to 

a whole new dimension of free jazz featuring 

an energizing piano solo by Herzig. Also of 

special note is The Circle Game – presented 

here with a profound innocence and pristine 

vocal. Although Jaffe died suddenly prior to 

this release, her vision and musicality will 

be celebrated with extensive tours in the U.S. 

and Europe featuring New York City chanteuse 

Alexis Cole. 


Absence of You 

Tina Hartt 

Independent (tinahartt.com) 

! The instrumentation 

hooks 

you, the arrangements 

reel you in 

and Tina Hartt’s 

passionate performance 

catches you. 

Trust Your Heart 

is an arresting 

original composition, with Jonathan D. Lewis’ 

wistful strings cascading over Hartt’s evocative 

lyricism; equal parts yearnful and 

triumphant. The relationship between form 

and substance shines through in every note 

Hartt sings. Every once in a while, when the 

band employs silence or coordinates hits for 

emphasis, Hartt shapes her phrases in a way 

where profundity takes center stage. In lines 

like “I can’t touch but I can dream” from I 

Can Look but I Can’t Touch, that hesitation 

adds an exclamation point to the echo effect 

the music creates, bringing the idea home 

with great clarity. 

Aside from Hartt’s consistent ingenuity as 

a vocalist and limitless creativity, this album 

is tied together by how incredible it sounds. 

Credit is due to Steve Dierkens for the mixing, 

because it adds a great feeling of intimacy and 

closeness to the album. There are no effects 

imposed on any musicians present and yet 

the sound is recorded with startling detail. 

Every element of the music feels like the most 

prominent aspect at any given moment, and 

it is this kind of clarity that lends to Hartt’s 

voice perfectly. From the very first track to the 

end, there is a singular directness of Hartt’s 

approach to her music, and the effectiveness 

of said approach cannot be overstated. 


Wildwood 

Harry Bartlett Trio 

Independent (harrybartlettmusic.com) 

! Harry Bartlett, 

an accomplished 

jazz guitarist and 

composer with a 

music degree from 

the University 

of Toronto, has 

played in festivals 

and venues 

across Canada and has also toured public 

schools to provide improvisation workshops. 

Although currenting living and playing in 

Toronto, he grew up in the Pacific Northwest 

and the music for Wildwood was composed 


while living on Gambier Island (approximately 

50 km northwest of Vancouver). Titles 

like Snowfall on Sword Ferns and Circle 

of Moss and Fire Smoke evoke the landscapes 

which inspired Bartlett’s music. 

Wildwood was recorded over three days on 

that same Island. 

All the tunes have an atmospheric quality 

that is enhanced by the trio’s empathic 

playing. Burgess Falls is hauntingly melodic, 

and the guitar work combines a Bill Frisellfeel 

with a few country-ish riffs. Sailing 

Over Troubled Waters features a distorted 

and atonal guitar line along with swirling 

and bashing drums to mimic an occasionally 

violent storm. Wildwood is an engaging 

and beautiful album with Caleb Klager (bass) 

and Harry Vetro (drums) providing nuanced 

support to Bartlett’s superb guitar work. 

Ted Parkinson 

Blink Twice 

Jackson Welchner 

Plutoid Records (jacksonwelchner.com) 

! “Let’s go grab 

a coffee/and 

talk about every 

moment since/since 

we had last crossed 

paths.” Blink Twice 

is comfort music. 

The harmony is 

warm, the strings 

are soft, the rhythms are sweet, the lyrics are 

reassuring. The five-pattern-synth ostinato 

on the title track will bounce around your 

skull for hours as it soothes you into a heightened 

state of being. Sum of All Strings feels 

like the chamber movement to end all others, 

as it meditates on its final figure, with an 

abrupt fade leaving the listener time to 

recompose themselves. Sarah Thawer’s ride 

cymbal shimmers, Michael Davidson’s vibes 

intrigue, Thom Gill’s arpeggios envelop, while 

Patrick Smith, Kae Murphy and Anh Phung’s 

countermelodies positively delight. 

Contemporary music that commands 

perhaps the most respect is the kind that 

treats the low end with the same respect it 

treats the mids and highs. Jackson Welchner’s 

arrangements are an exercise in perfect, 

immensely cathartic balance. The music 

is progressive, stylistically well-versed 

while being astonishingly easy to move to. 

Welchner’s voice is absolute velvet, while 

being able to consume the cosmos on The 

Distance. The versatility is in the consonants, 

and in the consonance. Nary a second 

of music doesn’t feel cared for and nurtured. 

It would be easy to come across as hyperbolic 

saying it, but at this point in the year, it’s 

hard to find many first (or second, or third…) 

listens more holistically gratifying than this. 


Silent Tears – The Last Yiddish Tango 

Payadora Tango Ensemble 

Six Degrees 657036132924 (payadora.com/ 

silent-tears) 

! This Payadora 

Tango Ensemble 

project features 

guest musicians and 

vocalists, and executive 

producer/ 

English text adapter 

Dan Rosenberg. 

It is comprised 

of tango-flavoured song settings of heartwrenching 

memoirs, poems, testimonials 

and writings by female Holocaust survivors 

in Canada about the traumatizing violence 

women and children experienced during the 

Nazi occupation of Poland. The main lyric 

sources are from Dr. Paula David’s Terrace 

Holocaust Survivors Group Poetry Project at 

Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 

and from Toronto-based Holocaust survivor 

Molly Applebaum. All arrangements are by 

Payadora’s Drew Jurecka. 

Something in the Air 

KEN WAXMAN 

These songs are based on the inter-war 

tangos which were popular in the Jewish 

Central European communities such as 

four here composed by Artur Gold (1897- 

1943) who was murdered in the Treblinka 

Death Camp. Gold’s last tango composition 

Nie Wierze Ci is arranged into A Prayer for 

Rescue, based on two 1942 Applebaum diary 

entries. Marta Kosiorek’s moving heartbreaking 

vocals, Rebekah Wolkstein’s violin 

and Jurecka’s bandoneon countermelodies, 

with steady tango grooves by Robert Horvath’s 

piano and Joseph Phillips’s double bass are an 

intriguing uplifting/sad mix. Four songs are 

composed by Wolkstein. Her The Numbers on 

My Arm features Aviva Chernick’s colourful 

emotional vocals with words from the Terrace 

Group about wearing long sleeves in Canada 

to hide the numbers branded on Auschwitz 

prisoners is given tight ensemble support. The 

release also features guests Lenka Lichtenberg 

and Olga Avigail Mieleszczuk (vocals), and 

Sergiu Popa (accordion). 

This is the most memorable release I have 

ever had the privilege to listen to and review. 

Tiina Kiik 

Exploring the Vibraphone’s Multiple Identities 

Ever since the J.C. Deagan company perfected the modern vibraphone in the late 1920s, 

decisions as to whether it should be used as a rhythm or a solo instrument have divided 

musicians. Some, like Lionel Hampton, emphasized the percussion functions, others, like 

Milt Jackson, perfected its melodic use. Improvised music accepts each of these functions 

– and a few more – as reflected on these discs. 

Taking a cue from the subtle melodicism perfected by Chick Corea 

and Gary Burton on their series of duo discs are vibraphonist Martin 

Pyne and keyboardist David Beebee. But on Ripples (DISCUS 145 CD 

discus-music.co.uk) the two up the ante on the disc’s dozen selections 

by using electric piano tones to blend with vibe sonorities. 

The resulting improvisations involve elastic note vibrations from the 

plugged-in keyboard alongside sustained aluminum bar resonations. 

Some tracks are balladic, taking full advantage of the ingenuity of 

the pianist, who also recorded the session, as he cushions the vibist’s 

languid, perfectly shaped single notes with tremolo comping. This is emphasized most clearly 

on the extended Seeking Refuge, where lyrical interludes from the vibist are backed with 

sympathetic piano chording. Modernity is emphasized as well since Pyne’s single notes ring as 

well as relate. The vibist’s ability to create perfectly rounded notes that can almost be visualized 

as teardrop shaped are then hardened into sustained accents when the two play staccato 

and presto. Glissandi created by mallet slides are sometimes as prominent as keyboard smears. 

The vibist’s sustain pedal pressure and firmer strokes also frequently confirm the instrument’s 

idiophone heritage with concise, powerful strokes. Still these instances as on Night 

Music and Peg Powler are never completely percussive since the latter includes stop-time 

interludes and the former a sand-dance-like solo from Pyne. With neither partner exclusively 

soloist nor accompanist the intersectional connection is always maintained. The duo defines 

each sequence effectively and frequently leaves a timbral ripple in the air after the selection is 

completed. 


More percussion is featured on Patricia 

Brennan’s More Touch (Pyroclastic Records 

PR22 pyroclasticrecords.com), where the 

Mexican-born New Yorker adds electronics to 

her vibraphone and marimba narratives as she 

meets textures from Cuban percussionist 

Mauricio Herrera, and Americans, bassist Kim 

Cass and drummer Marcus Gilmore. Imagine 

Latin Music-leaning Cal Tjader amplifying his 

sound with electronics. At the same time, except for the final two tracks 

which are built around ratcheting Afro-Cuban repercussions and a solid 

Batá drum pulse respectively, influences far removed from the Southern 

Hemisphere are interpreted by what could be called a post-Modern Jazz 

Quartet. Brennan’s compositions touch on reggae and contemporary 

notated music and can sound as Arcadian as African and relate Mexican 

son jarocho to American swing. Textures are tweaked with electronic 

drones and oscillations and Cass’ supple string stops sometimes bend 

notes to blend with electronic wheezes and washes. Crucially though, he 

and Gilmore always retain the jazz groove. Extended tracks such as 

Robbin and the nearly 15-minute Space For Hour are treated as minisuites. 

The first moves from emphasizing adagio raps from the vibist to 

downshifting to a silent interlude that gradually inflates with synthesized 

wriggles and whooshes. These join emphasized vibe slaps to build a livelier 

but still moderato connection. Silences separate sequences in Space 

For Hour, as Brennan’s skittering metal plinks start off unaccompanied 

until conga drum plops and cymbal clanks join them to outline the 

theme. As acoustic and electronic timbres are stretched, a vibe-bass duet 

limns a secondary theme at half the speed of the first. The subsequent 

multi-mallet pressure from the vibist is mirrored by bass string pops and 

drum ruffs to toughen the line. Finally, as the resulting stop-time exposition 

is intensified with drum and percussion reverb, a reprise of the 

vibes-bass duet preserves the original melody. 

Except for guitars and drums there’s no 

overt electronics or percussion on Toronto 

vibist Dan McCarthy’s Songs of the 

Doomed’s Some Jaded, Atavistic Freakout 

(TPR Records TPR 014 tprrecords.ca). But 

his disc aims to reflect the writing and overthe-top 

life of US Gonzo journalist Hunter 

S. Thompson (1937-2005). Probably less 

programmatic than McCarthy intended, the 

compositions and arrangements crafted for this 13-track CD, mix hints 

of Metal, pop, chromatic serialism and improv, adding up to a clever 

package of near-swinging lyricism. Negotiating the changes, besides 

the vibraphone’s chiming aluminum bars, are intersecting guitar riffs 

from Don Scott and Luan Phung, steadfast bass accents from Daniel 

Fortin and drummer Ernesto Cervini’s cooperative rhythms. Tracks 

like Some Jaded, Atavistic Freakout and Kingdom of Fear are more 

cinematic than others. The first includes rounded vibraphone plops 

that colour the exposition as the guitars turn from drones to harmony 

that almost suggest a string section. On the second, an intermingling 

of stentorian bass stops, percussion rubs and expanded guitar string 

jabs create vamps that are as menacing as those on any thriller soundtrack. 

Others, such as Owl Farm, are more concerned with the groove. 

While Fortin’s recurrent bass thumps and Cervini’s paradiddle shuffles 

create a continuum, string stabs slide the expressive theme out 

further and further as McCarthy emphasizes prestissimo clanks and 

echoes, with cadences as rhythmic as anything produced by Lionel 

Hampton. A throwback, only as far as Thompson’s early 1970s heyday, 

buzzing guitar flanges, double bass slaps and idiophone accents 

throughout the session maintain equivalence between the strident 

and the song-like. So, an exposition such as The High-Water Mark is 

as straight ahead as any soundtrack, but slightly twisted with interludes 

of rainstorm-like resonating notes. One 1960s recasting does 

misfire though with a vocal version of White Rabbit that is more plodding 

than psychedelic. However the quintet redeems itself by the 

concluding Evening in Woody Creek as McCarthy and Cervini provide 

appropriate pops and clatters to highlight Scott’s and Phung’s tolling 

Jimi Hendrix-like flanges, which relate back to the pressurized guitar 

feedback on the introductory Morning in Woody Creek. 

Adding horns and choral instruments, two European sessions position 

the vibraphone within the jazz continuum. All Slow Dream Gone 

(Moserobie MMPIP 128 moserobie.com) features Norwegian bassist 

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten with Swedes, clarinetist Per Texas Johansson, 

drummer Konrad Agnas and vibraphonist Mattias Ståhl. Meanwhile 

Windows & Mirrors | Milano Dialogues (Leo Records CD LR 931 

leorecords.com) is even more pan-European with a quartet of two 

Finns: soprano/sopranino saxophonist Harri Sjöström and accordionist 

Veli Kujala and two Italians, trombonist Giancarlo Schiaffini 

and vibraphonist Sergio Armaroli. 

Contrapuntal sounds, the Scandinavian 

session All Slow Dream Gone contains 

enough unselfconscious swing to be reminiscent 

of a Benny Goodman small group 

session of the 1940s or ones with Terry 

Gibbs in the 1950s. But while these Northern 

Europeans have internalized hot and cool 

jazz, the airy sounds they produce include 

an undertow of studied toughness. Sure the 

bassist provides an unwavering pulse and there are frequent drum 

breaks, but when he solos, Flaten explores techniques unknown 

decades ago. As for the front line, whether it’s chalumeau register 

scoops or clarion twitters, Johansson’s tone is never forced and 

produces narrative advances in high, low or middle registers. Creating 

a woody marimba-like sound Ståhl turns off his instrument’s motor 

during the selection so that the notes project a hollow sustain, more 

earthy than elaborate. Skin is an instance of this. Played andante and 

vivace with never a note out of place, the vibe resonations and clarinet 

slurs and slithers maintain discerning motion in spite of hocketing 

pauses and individual interchanges with Agnas. Among the foottapping 

rhythms, maintained by the bassist’s walking, other tracks 

such as Slow – which isn’t – make room for the vibist’s swift, rolling 

glissandi and pinpointed clanks, while Gone lets the clarinetist snore 

and snarl his most ferocious low-pitched timbres as drum breaks and 

metal bar ringing keep the narrative symmetrical. 

Coming from a completely antithetical 

perspective is Windows & Mirrors | Milano 

Dialogues since its ten tracks are completely 

improvised. Also it’s the only disc here 

that doesn’t include a chordophone. This 

leaves expression and connection calculated 

through repetitive accordion tremors 

and resonating vibraphone clanks. For 

their part, the trombonist and saxophonist extend dissonant textures 

such as elephantine roars from Schiaffini and calculated peeps and 

slithers from Sjöström, as the non-horns maintain andante footing 

with knowing segues. If the trombonist unleashes a series of elongated 

plunger stutters and the saxophonist replies with biting howls or 

slippery bites, resonating metal pitter-patter and mid-range squeeze 

box shudders create a stabilizing continuum. The accordion and vibes 

aren’t relegated to mere background work either. Throughout the two 

related groups of free music tropes, each instrument asserts itself for 

solo introductions or in duet or trio form. A track such as Windows 5 

for instance, is set up with Armaroli’s metallic pops, as the theme is 

kept moving with plunger brass portamento and irregularly vibrated 

reed slithers. Another distinct strategy is displayed on Mirrors 4, as 

Kujala‘s accordion squeezes create a beginning-to-end allegro pulse 

even as Schiaffini rumbles half-valve slurs that widen and shake the 

exposition. Sound summation comes on Mirrors 5, the extended 

concluding track. Emphasized vibe mallet splatters and malleable 

accordion judders join with gravelly brass breaths and reed vibrations 

for a climax that moves from tension-ridden to temperate, reflecting 

both the innovative and integral sides of the improvisations. 

The conception and expression of vibraphone playing has come a long 

way in 100 years. On the evidence here it’s sure to keep evolving. 


Old Wine, 

New Bottles 

Fine Old Recordings Re-Released 

BRUCE SURTEES 

Many of you will be familiar with the epic series of operas, Der 

Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner. Also known simply 

as The Ring Cycle, it’s a spellbinding 15 hours that took 

Wagner over 25 years to compose. With inspiration derived from Norse 

legend and German mythology it is full of gods and goddesses, giants, 

dwarves, magic mermaids, a dragon, heroes and heroines. With 

these operas, we are gifted with some of the most beautiful music 

ever written. 

Four operas comprise the complete Ring cycle and while these 

operas are inextricably connected, they more than admirably stand 

alone as autonomous works. The first two of the newly remastered 

Solti Ring Cycle from Decca have now been released in Canada, Das 

Rheingold and Die Walküre and with Siegfried and Götterdämmerung 

to follow this summer. 

The Solti Ring was recorded in Vienna between 1958 and 1965 and 

in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Sir Georg Solti’s death 

Decca has spared no expense and remastered the original recordings 

for this outstanding reissue. According to Gramophone Magazine 

in 1999 and BBC Music Magazine in 2011, the Solti Ring is “The 

Greatest Classical Recording of All Time.” The original recording was 

an immense undertaking; it was the very first studio recording of the 

complete set and represented the first stereo recording of the Ring 

Cycle. Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra completed the 

final recording in November of 1965. 

The cast was assembled by John Culshaw, a producer for Decca, and 

with the release of the first opera in 1958, it appeared that the Ring 

Cycle would be a commercial success. Each opera was well received 

and fueled the production of the next one until all four had been 

recorded. This amounted to a whopping 19 LPs meticulously produced 

by a team of sound engineers led by Gordon Parry. 

Contributing to the overwhelming success of Decca’s recordings 

was the stellar cast of singers. For Das Rheingold, Kirsten Flagstad was 

cast as Fricka, and Canada’s own George London as Wotan. They are 

joined by a cast of singers considered the very best Wagnerian voices 

of 1958. Each new opera that was recorded was newly cast with the 

most outstanding singers available at the time. Perhaps that is what 

is so appealing about these recordings. We are stepping back in time 

to hear extraordinary performances the likes of which are simply no 

longer feasible or possible. For Die Walküre, we have Birgit Nilsson 

as Brünnhilde and Christa Ludwig as Fricka among a stellar cast. This 

certainly contributed to the overwhelming success at that time and 

explains why this recording endures today. 

The sound staging is a feat unto itself. I was fortunate enough to 

listen to a couple of the CDs through the Avantgarde Horn Speakers 

and tube pre- and power-amplifiers. I wanted to experience the music 

with the kind of gear that was considered the norm in the 50s and 

60s. For my ears, this setup brought the singers right into the room 

and brought home what Decca was trying to achieve with these 

remastered recordings. Is the sound perfect? One cannot expect it to 

be, but it is as close as technologically possible based on the original 

recordings. 

It has been a wonderful week of listening and immersing myself in 

the incredible world Wagner created. We have love and loss, passion, 

betrayal, revenge, ambition and a little incest. From the lovely and 

mischievous magical Rhinemaidens to Wotan’s singing Brünnhilde to 

sleep in an enchanted ring of fire, the first two operas are spellbinding. 

Many years ago I travelled to Bayreuth, Germany to hear the Ring 

cycle at the Festspielhaus, the opera house that was commissioned 

specifically for this work. Completed in 1876, to this day the Bayreuth 

Festspielhaus is used solely for annual performances of Wagner 

operas. But I digress. Wagnerians will have much to celebrate and look 

forward to there again this summer. 

What we're listening to this month: New to the Listening Room 

57 Better Days Ahead 

Kate Weekes 

58 Haydn Op. 77 & 

Mozart K. 614 

Rosebud String Quartet 

62 Albertine en cinq 

temps - L'opéra 

Catherine Major, 

multi-interprètes 

63 Carols after a Plague 

The Crossing 

64 Harmonies patriotiques 

et religieuses 

Éva Polgár 

64 Consolations 


64 Things Lived and Dreamt 

Francine Kay 

66 Symphonie de la tempête 

de verglas 

Maxime Goulet, Orchestre 

classique de Montréal, 

Jacques Lacombe 

68 I and Thou 

VC2 Cello Duo 

69 Pareidolia 

Eren Gumrukcuoglu 

70 Killdeer 

Guy Barash 

70 Felipe Téllez – Evocations 


72 Birdlike 

THERMO 

73 Conspiracy 

Tobias Hoffmann 

Jazz Orchestra 

77 Songs of the 

Doomed: Some Jaded, 

Atavistic Freakout 

Dan McCarthy 

Read the reviews here, then visit 



Editor’s Note: I’m delighted to see that Bruce was so enthralled by the 

performances and pristine sound on these historic recordings that 

this was the focus of his review. However, I think it worthy to note the 

packaging of these Hybrid SACD reissues, which will also be available 

in limited edition 3-LP Deluxe vinyl pressings. Each edition includes 

lavishly illustrated booklets featuring technical information on the new 

HD remastering and the original recording techniques, an introduction 

to each opera by producer John Culshaw, synopses and libretti in 

English & German, plus many original session photographs and rare 

facsimiles. You can find full details at store.deccaclassics.com. 

Decca Classics has also recently released Renée Fleming – Greatest 

Moments at the Met (store.deccaclassics.com). These are all live 

performances, some of her greatest moments packed into a 2-CD set. 

The incomparable Fleming formally retired from the Met in 2017 at 

58 years old, and this CD includes many 

of the incredible highlights from her illustrious 

career. 

I’m not sure I understand how retirement 

works, as Fleming will sing Tosca at the Santa 

Fe Opera later this year and will return to the 

Met this spring in La Traviata. Her voice now 

at 64 sounds better than many sopranos half 

her age. But I digress again… 

The chosen arias highlight her distinctive lyric soprano voice and 

spotlight some of her greatest vocal roles. It’s very exciting that some 

of these performances have never been previously released. The duets 

include Cecilia Bartoli, Samuel Ramey, Massimo Giordano, Susan 

Graham and Dmitri Hvorostovsky among others. Some 16 composers 

are featured including some of her best known and most beloved 

roles, Violetta in Act II of Verdi’s La Traviata from March, 2004 and 

Manon in Act III of Massenet’s opera of the same name recorded in 

2006 and in 2008 accompanied by Massimo Giordano. 

I’m very partial to Franz Lehár’s Merry Widow recorded in January 

of 2016. Happily, I saw it in February of the same year through the Live 

from The Metropolitan Opera HD transmissions. 

I’d like to mention the outstanding performance as Marguerite in 

Gounod’s Faust. This recording from a performance at the Met in 

1997 is one of the last times she performed this part despite it being 

one of her much-admired roles. In her own words, “I stopped singing 

Marguerite… it disturbed me that she was a victim from the first note – 

she never had a chance. It’s so much more interesting to me to portray 

women who have agency, some say in their own fate.” 

The results of the Met’s outstanding orchestra and chorus, the 

terrific acoustics and great conductors are definitely some of The 

Greatest Moments at the Met. Admittedly two CDs are not enough to 

capture the sheer number of Fleming’s outstanding performances, but 

this set is an excellent addition to her discography. 

BRUCE LIU 

Bach: French Suite No. 5, BWV 816 

New Album | Available April 14 

LISTEN 

ON 

TOUR 

NOW 


Jonathan Crow, Artistic Director 

Opening 

Night – 

An all-star 

lineup 

JULY 6 – 29 

Jon Kimura Parker 

and friends 

July 6 at Koerner Hall 

Angela Hewitt 


Sondra Radvanovsky 


Book your vacation in August – we’ve got your July covered. 

7 Toronto venues, incredible artists, kids concerts, free events, and more! 

tosummermusic.com 416.408.0208

Volume 28 Issue 5 | April & May 2023

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