October 22 – 31 2015

Tafelmusik Baroque ORCHESTRA
About Opera Atelier
Opera Atelier holds a unique place in the North American theatre community,
specializing in opera, ballet and drama from the 17 th , 18 th and 19 th centuries. These
productions draw upon the aesthetics and ideals of the period, featuring soloists
of international acclaim, period ballet, original instruments, elaborate stage decor,
exquisite costumes and an imaginative energy that sets Opera Atelier apart.
Opera Atelier is not in the business of “reconstruction,” rather, each production is a
new creative effort and takes its own place in history. Opera Atelier strives to create
productions that would have been recognized and respected in their own time while
providing a thrilling theatrical experience for modern audiences.
Under the direction of founders Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse
Zingg, Opera Atelier has been acclaimed throughout Canada, Houston, Cleveland,
Columbus, New York, Stuttgart, Halle, Bremen, London (BBC Proms), Paris, Versailles,
Montreux, Citta di Castello, Singapore, Japan and Seoul, Korea. Opera Atelier has
collaborated with some of early music’s most distinguished artists including Andrew
Parrott, Trevor Pinnock, Hervé Niquet, Marc Minkowski and many others.
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Cast Members of Lully’s Persée in the Hall of
Mirrors, Versailles. Photo by Bruce Zinger.
Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra
& Chamber Choir
Hailed as “one of the world’s top baroque orchestras”
by Gramophone Magazine, Tafelmusik was
founded in 1979 by Kenneth Solway and Susan
Graves. At the heart of this Toronto-based ensemble
is a group of talented and dynamic permanent
members, each of whom is a specialist in historical
performance practice.
The Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, specializing in
baroque and classical performance practice and
vocal technique, was formed in 1981 as a complement
to the Tafelmusik Orchestra. Under the direction
of Ivars Taurins, the choir has been described
as “the best period-performance choir anywhere in
the world” by The Globe and Mail.
Delighting audiences worldwide for more than three
decades, Tafelmusik reaches millions of people
through its touring, critically-acclaimed recordings,
broadcasts, new media, and artistic/community
partnerships. The vitality of Tafelmusik’s vision
clearly resonates with its audiences in Toronto,
where the orchestra performs more than 50 concerts
every year. For 35 years Canada’s most active
touring orchestra has maintained a strong presence
on the world stage, performing in over 350
cities in 32 countries.
Tafelmusik has released over 80 CDs and has been
awarded numerous international recording prizes,
including nine JUNO Awards. Tafelmusik has created
its own label, Tafelmusik Media, and has
released a number of new and past recordings.
Tafelmusik’s 2015/2016 season highlights include
Bach Christmas Oratorio (Dec 3–6), Beethoven 9th
Symphony with Bruno Weil at Koerner Hall (Feb
4–7), Bach’s Goldberg Variations with Benjamin
Alard (Mar 31–Apr 3, 5), Zelenka and Bach with
German soprano Dorothee Mields (Apr 28–May
1), and a new multi-media creation from Alison
Mackay, Tales of Two Cities: The Leipzig-Damascus
Coffee House (May 19, 20, 22 and 24). And of
course, don’t forget the Messiah at Koerner Hall
(Dec 16–19) and the Sing-Along Messiah (Dec 20)!
The Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber
Choir have enjoyed collaborating with Opera
Atelier since its very first production in 1985.
Visit www.tafelmusik.org
for more concert information.
Jeanne Lamon,
Chief Artistic
Advisor
Music Director of Tafelmusik
from 1981 to 2014, Jeanne
Lamon has been praised
by critics in Europe and North America for her
strong musical leadership. She has won numerous
awards, including honorary doctorates from York
University, Mount Saint Vincent University, and
University of Toronto, and the prestigious Molson
Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. Jeanne
Lamon was appointed a Member of the Order of
Canada in 2000, and a Member of the Order of
Ontario in 2014. She is in demand as guest director
of symphony orchestras in North America
and abroad. She is passionate about teaching
young professionals, which she does as Adjunct
Professor at the University of Toronto and through
Tafelmusik’s artist training programmes. Jeanne
Lamon stepped down as full-time Music Director of
Tafelmusik in 2014. She is currently serving as Chief
Artistic Advisor, and will direct various Tafelmusik
season programmes and tours until her successor
is appointed.
Ivars Taurins,
Director,
Tafelmusik
Chamber Choir
Equally at home conducting
symphonic and choral repertoire,
Ivars Taurins is the founding director of the
Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, and was also violist
of the Tafelmusik Orchestra for its first 23 years.
Under his direction, the choir has been praised for
its clarity, nuance, and brilliance. He appears as
guest director with orchestras and choirs across
Canada, from Victoria to Halifax, and works regularly
with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, with
whom he was Principal Baroque Conductor from
2001–2011. A sought-after lecturer and teacher,
Ivars Taurins teaches orchestral conducting and
directs the Collegium Musicum at the University
of Toronto, and teaches at the Glenn Gould School,
where this year he will be directing Handel’s Alcina.
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