Volume 25 Issue 2 - October 2019
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
Long promised, Vivian Fellegi takes a look at Relaxed Performance practice and how it is bringing concert-going barriers down across the spectrum; Andrew Timar looks at curatorial changes afoot at the Music Gallery; David Jaeger investigates the trumpets of October; the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution (and the 20th Anniversary of our October Blue Pages Presenter profiles) in our Editor's Opener; the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at 125; Tapestry at 40 and Against the Grain at 10; ringing in the changing season across our features and columns; all this and more, now available in Flip Through format here, and on the stands commencing this coming Friday September 27, 2019. Enjoy.
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BLUE PAGES <strong>2019</strong>/20<br />
SECTION I: PRESENTERS & PERFORMERS<br />
●●Canadian Men’s Chorus<br />
The Canadian Men’s Chorus is on a mission<br />
to redefine low-voice choral music in Toronto.<br />
Under the leadership of Greg Rainville, the CMC<br />
brings to life the finest works from a wide range<br />
of material: contemporary choral, theatre, jazz,<br />
pop, barbershop, and new commissioned works.<br />
Lynn McMurray<br />
416-996-2159<br />
lmcmurray@canadianmenschorus.ca<br />
www.canadianmenschorus.ca<br />
●●Canadian Music Centre<br />
The Canadian Music Centre is the catalyst<br />
that connects you to the ever-evolving world<br />
of musical creation in Canada through performance,<br />
education and promotion. The<br />
CMC provides unique resources for exploring,<br />
discovering, and performing Canadian<br />
music. We are passionate about nurturing a<br />
musical community that honours our legacy<br />
and supports the professional development<br />
of Canadian musicians and composers.<br />
The CMC has been supporting, preserving, and<br />
celebrating the works of Canadian composers<br />
since 1959. As proud and passionate advocates,<br />
we offer innovative resources for discovering,<br />
exploring, listening to and playing Canadian<br />
music online and in five regional hubs across<br />
Canada. These resources include library services,<br />
music services (sales and rentals of scores, books<br />
and recordings), distribution services (Centrediscs,<br />
Centrestreams and support to Indie labels),<br />
education and outreach, “CMC Presents” concert<br />
series and workshops, Associate Composer<br />
program, and communications tools to promote<br />
contemporary musical creation in Canada and<br />
abroad. Founded in 1983, CMC Ontario Region<br />
works province-wide in collaboration with artists,<br />
educators and organizations to present performances,<br />
workshops, and other activities.<br />
Holly Nimmons<br />
416-961-6601<br />
holly.nimmons@cmccanada.org<br />
www.cmccanada.org<br />
●●Canadian Opera Company<br />
Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company<br />
is the largest producer of opera in Canada and<br />
one of the largest in North America. The company<br />
enjoys an international reputation for artistic<br />
excellence and creative innovation. The<br />
company presents six fully-staged productions<br />
at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing<br />
Arts annually. The COC’s repertoire spans the history<br />
of opera from the Baroque to the 21st-century<br />
and includes several commissioned works<br />
and Canadian premieres. Professional opera<br />
artists from all over the world are engaged for<br />
COC productions, including a significant number<br />
of Canadian singers, directors, conductors and<br />
designers. The company performs with its own<br />
professional chorus and orchestra. The company<br />
also fosters emerging Canadian talent through its<br />
Ensemble Studio, Orchestra Academy and company-in-residence<br />
programs.<br />
Alexander Neef, general director<br />
416-363-8231<br />
info@coc.ca<br />
www.coc.ca<br />
●●Canadian Sinfonietta<br />
Founded in 1998, the Canadian Sinfonietta is a<br />
chamber orchestra led by conductor Tak-Ng<br />
Lai and concertmaster Joyce Lai. The orchestra<br />
is comprised of <strong>25</strong> professional musicians<br />
who perform at the Glenn Gould Studio (<strong>25</strong>0<br />
Front St. W), and the Markham People’s Theatre<br />
for the Performing Arts (22 Esna Park Dr.).<br />
Chamber concerts are held with a wine and finger<br />
food reception at the Heliconian Hall (35<br />
Hazelton Ave.), the Tran-Baker Centre (2<strong>25</strong><br />
Geary Ave.) and Infiniti Music Hall in Markham.<br />
The mission of the Canadian Sinfonietta is to<br />
attract a new generation of concert-goers<br />
by presenting concerts that have a balance<br />
of traditional and newly composed or culturally<br />
interesting programs. Concerts are both<br />
accessible as well as new and fresh. Programs<br />
often feature interdisciplinary artistic presentations,<br />
multicultural music, non-western instruments<br />
and highlight diverse Canadian artists.<br />
CS is a community conscious group and plays an<br />
active role through partnership with local community<br />
groups. A Youth Mentorship Program<br />
encompasses the 2 youth orchestras and the<br />
annual young artist competition and concert. CS is<br />
also a recipient of the New Horizons Grant, which<br />
enables them to outreach in the senior community.<br />
Benjamin Lau<br />
647-812-0839<br />
ben@canadiansinfonietta.com<br />
www.canadiansinfonietta.com<br />
●●Cantemus Singers<br />
Cantemus Singers was established in 2008 by<br />
our conductor, Michael Erdman, to help expand<br />
Toronto’s exposure to and appreciation of Renaissance<br />
and early Baroque secular vocal music.<br />
Our 14-voice a cappella ensemble focuses mainly<br />
on the interesting and evocative madrigals, lieder,<br />
chansons and villancicos of the 16th century. We<br />
also perform religious works, often the five- to<br />
eight-part compositions less often heard by<br />
Toronto audiences.<br />
Our <strong>2019</strong>/20 season begins Nov 23 and 24,<br />
as we perform Christmas music from England,<br />
including Thomas Tallis’ magnificent Mass Puer<br />
natus est nobis for 7 voices. In mid-March, “Good<br />
Queen Bess” explores the music of the Elizabethan<br />
period, featuring works by Morley, Byrd,<br />
Weelkes and Wilbye. In late May, our program,<br />
“Not So Serious”, focuses on light-hearted, humorous<br />
madrigals and joyful motets that send our<br />
spirits soaring. Performances at Church of the<br />
Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square - Eaton Centre) and<br />
St. Aidan’s Anglican Church (70 Silver Birch Ave.<br />
at Queen St. E.). Check out the website for times.<br />
Michael Erdman, conductor<br />
416-578-6602<br />
cantemus.ca@gmail.com<br />
www.cantemus.ca<br />
●●Canzona Chamber Players<br />
Entering our 17th season, the Canzona Chamber<br />
Players series presents two performances of each<br />
of our programs, one on Sunday afternoon with<br />
optional brunch at Toronto Island’s St. Andrew bythe-Lake<br />
Church, and on Monday evenings at St.<br />
George the Martyr Anglican Church, 197 John St.<br />
This year’s line up can be found on our website or<br />
on Facebook at Canzona Chamber Players.<br />
416-822-0613<br />
reservations@canzona.org<br />
www.canzona.org<br />
●●Cathedral Bluffs<br />
Symphony Orchestra<br />
Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is<br />
a volunteer community orchestra that has been<br />
based in Scarborough since 1986. The orchestra<br />
is presenting eight concerts this season,<br />
including a subscription series of six concerts.<br />
Led by artistic director Norman Reintamm in<br />
his final season with Cathedral Bluffs Symphony<br />
Orchestra, we will bring to life some of the greatest<br />
musical masterpieces, including favourite<br />
works by Beethoven, Brahms, Gershwin, and<br />
Mahler, and we will introduce you to some of Canada’s<br />
rising stars, including pianist Lauren Esch<br />
and violinist Eva Lesage. We also look forward to<br />
new collaborations with Iranian-Canadian classical<br />
guitarist Bahar Ossareh and Odawa First<br />
Nations composer Barbara Croall. This season<br />
will also feature the finals of the biennial Clifford<br />
Poole Vocal Competition – showcasing talented<br />
young singers. Looking for an orchestra to play<br />
in? Send your inquiries to us via email.<br />
Peggy Wong<br />
416-879-5566<br />
info@cathedralbluffs.com<br />
www.cathedralbluffs.com<br />
●The ● Cellar Singers<br />
The Cellar Singers is a 40-voice mixed choir<br />
based in Orillia. For over 50 years, the choir<br />
has delighted audiences in Simcoe and Muskoka<br />
with choral masterpieces grand and<br />
intimate. Under the direction of gifted choral<br />
specialist Mitchell Pady, the choir presents four<br />
main concerts each season. Rehearsals are<br />
open to all and are held Wednesday evenings,<br />
7:15pm, at St. James’ Anglican Church, Orillia.<br />
During the <strong>2019</strong>/20 season, The Cellar Singers<br />
will present Haydn’s The Creation, Britten’s<br />
B6 | theWholeNote <strong>2019</strong>/20 PRESENTER PROFILES
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