Volume 16 Issue 9 - June 2011

A Crossroads of SoundRemembering David PecautJANICE PRICEIT IS A PLACE where commerce, government, and the arts meet.An acre of grass just west of Roy Thomson Hall surrounded by high-the civic entrepreneur whose life reached into so many sectors.On April 12, Toronto City Council voted unanimously to rename-would be a permanent reminder to all citizens of our obligation to notonly enjoy living in Toronto but to actively engage in giving of ourtime and energy to make this city great.Pecaut wasborn in SiouxCity, Iowa, wherehis family werestockbrokers. Hestudied philosophyat Harvardand Oxford, beforejoining therenowned BostonConsulting Group,and being chargedwith establishingLike so manyTorontonians, heHe chose Toronto,and for that weloved him.If you stand injust the right spot Square you canhear the lick offlames from theEternal Flame ofHope blendingrespite, where you can hear conversations and discussions. It is a placefor a stroll after dinner and meeting friends before the show.“If you stand in just the right spot in DavidPecaut Square, you can hear the lick offlames ... blending with the trickle of water” push people to explore how they could make a difference in their city.Luminato had begun plans to move its signature outdoor concertsto the square before it was re-named after our co-founder. This serendipitousunion is particularly appropriate as the Festival celebratesits 5th anniversary this June.days of free events at a single hub location. Every day from June 10where all rhythms converge ... from a quirky family-friendly afternoonelectronic Arabic funk born on the streets of Egypt; from the very latestopera by acclaimed contemporary music composer Mikel Rouse, tothe ancient rhythms from Central Asia; from Broadway to Bollywoodand everything in between that refuses to be categorized!The City of Toronto is a crossroads of ideas, cultures, and traditions.Luminato wants to embody this idea with diverse artists, sounds, andaudiences sharing the same space and inspir-ing one another. You may not know Malkitcingjust the same.Janice Price andDavid Pecaut.If you give them ajust a matter oftime until MarcoCalliari or Hakimor Nitin Sawhneyare playing on youriPod. This is whatcontinues to inspireLuminato each year.free creativity andsee where it takes us.The tempo webegin will continueall summer long asfestivals, marathonsand tourists bringnew energy and lifeto one of the leastutilizedspaces inthe downtown core.And between the parties and concerts, you cana quiet place for a conversation. and improve whatever was around him. Perhapshis presence and leadership was most acutely feltfollowing the SARS crisis of 2004. His blend of private sector credibilityand social consciousness was able to bring the right people togetheraround the table to have non-partisan solution-based conversations. II was invited to Toronto in May 2006 to hear about a new Festival heand Tony Gagliano were launching. Like everyone, I was skeptical atfeel their passion, and realise that what they were proposing was onepart of a larger city-wide renaissance.I have linked to a couple of articles that came out shortly after histhe city understood and felt his loss. For us at Luminato, it was veryimmediate and personal – as I think it was for so many who had thehttp://spacingtoronto.ca/2009/12/14/remembering-david-pecaut-and-his-love-of-toronto/www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/738499Toronto-born arts administrator Janice Price was CEO of theKimmel Center in Philadelphia before returning to Toronto in 2006LUMINATO58 thewholenote.comJune 1 – July 7, 2011