September 2009 - The Wholenote Magazine

Mervon Mehta, executive director,RCM performing arts.Continued from page 8Mehta’s eclectic musical experiences seem tohave rubbed off on the programme he’s puttogether for Koerner Hall. In the 2009/10season, performers range from classical no-tables such as pianist András Schiff, violinistJames Ehnes and the Emerson Quartet, tojazz pianist Chick Corea, sitar virtuoso RaviShankar and the Gypsy ddler Roby Laka-tose.“We wanted to show that the Conservatory’sopen to all kinds of music,” says Mehta.“Thirty to forty percent of what we’re doingis classical, but we also have jazz and worldmusic. I hope that when people see the total-ity of the season, they’ll give themselves achance to hear many different things. Myfeeling is that people are more open thesedays. It used to be that if people loved clas-sical music – or jazz, or rock – they hatedeverything else. There’s great music in everygenre, and there’s mediocrity in every genre.We certainly won’t book an artist who is ba-nal, or has nothing to say.”He also points out that he’s trying not to of-fend or harm any of Toronto’s establishedconcert presenters. On the contrary, he’sanxious to avoid the impression that the RCMis taking a hard-edged competitive stance –reminiscent of Garth Drabinsky’s Livent,which aggressively promoted its concertsin the George Weston Recital Hall until thecompany collapsed in 1998.“I’m in constant contact with Roy ThomsonHall,” Mehta says, “and with other groups,like Luminato and the Toronto Jazz Festival.We’ve talked about the things we could dotogether.”As Mehta explains, some of the concerts inKoerner Hall will be entirely presentationsof the RCM, some will be co-presentationswith other organizations, and sometimes thehall will simply be rented out for a variety ofpurposes (weddings and bar mitzvahs includ-ed). But whatever the nancial arrangements,all concerts will be single-ticket events: it’snot possible to subscribe to a series in KoernerHall. As a result, attendance will uctu-ate from one concert to another in ways thatMehta can’t predict. “If I knew for sure whatwould happen, I’d be a genius! But with ahall this size, we don’t have to hit a home runevery time.”Simon and Mehta speak condently andreassuringly about the RCM’s new hall andconcert series. Yet these are risky times forambitious enterprises, and Koerner Hall isnothing if not ambitious. So why, exactly, isthe Conservatory – which is rst and fore-most an educational institution – getting intothe concert business, on a scale not seen inToronto since Livent crashed and burned?Simon has a ready answer. “If Canada isto have a great music school, then we haveto offer what other great institutions haveto offer. The Juilliard School in New Yorkis part of Lincoln Center, and the studentsbenet from that association. With this hall,we’re able to provide students with that kindof experience. You can’t divorce educationfrom performance. Any artists we engage aregoing to give a masterclass – and anythingelse we can get them to do for our students.Koerner Hall is a terric tool: it makes theConservatory a focal point of the musi-cal community in a way that a smaller hallcouldn’t.”Great Concerts.09.10 KOERNER HALLINAUGURAL CONCERT SEASONMore than 70 concerts now on sale!Highlights include:SEPT 25 Grand Opening of Koerner Hall withthe Royal Conservatory Orchestra& special guests, conductedbyJean-Philippe TremblayOCT 1 Emerson String Quartet withpianist Menahem PresslerOCT 10 Frederica von Stade &Friends Farewell TourFOR THE COMPLETE09.10 SEASONLINEUP VISIT RCMUSIC.CAORDER TICKETS NOW!Purchase at rcmusic.ca, call 416.408.0208,or visit our Box Office at 273 Bloor St. W.OCT 22OCT 29OCT 30JAN 16APR 25APR 29MAY 9rcmusIc.caThe Royal Conservatory is located at 273 Bloor Street West,just west ofthe ROMArt of Time Ensemble:The Songbookwith Sarah SleanNico’s ChoiceMidori with Robert McDonaldQuartetto Gelato & EthelChristian TetzlaffSteve Reich Live!Gerald FinleyTICKETS FORGRAND OPENINGFESTIVALCONCERTSSTILLAVAILABLE09.10 Season Sponsor:09.10SeasonMedia Partner:THE FINEST INSTRUMENTIS THE MIND ṬMClockwise, topleft:QuartettoGelato,Midori, Frederica von Stade,Christian Tetzlaff.