Volume 30 Issue 2 | October & November 2024

VOLUME 30 NO 2
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room
25th Annual
BLUE
PAGES
PRESENTER
PROFILES
2024/25

Directed by Amandine Beyer
Savour the multi-layered subtleties of French baroque music
with Amandine Beyer. Her highly anticipated return features
Lalande’s Symphonie pour le souper du roi, Muffat’s musical
bouquets, chamber music by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre,
and a vibrant suite of dances by Rameau, evoking the
elegance and grandeur of Versailles and Paris.
October 18–20, 2024
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
tafelmusik.org/feast
FEAST FOR
THE SENSES:
Lalande & Rameau
Ring in the Yuletide season with
a jubilant burst of music by Bach.
BACH
CHRISTMAS
ORATORIO
Directed by Ivars Taurins
Hélène Brunet soprano
Cecilia Duarte mezzo-soprano
Charles Daniels tenor
Jesse Blumberg baritone
A masterpiece of choral and orchestral brilliance,
this timeless work tells the nativity story through
spirited choruses, poetic arias, and jubilant trumpets,
capturing the wonder and joy of Christmas.
November 22–24, 2024
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
tafelmusik.org/christmas-oratorio

An agency of the Government of Ontario
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
Hallelujah! Handel’s
Messiah makes the
season even brighter!
HANDEL
MESSIAH
Directed by Ivars Taurins
Myriam Leblanc soprano
Krisztina Szabó mezzo-soprano
Jacob Perry tenor
Philippe Sly bass-baritone
Performed in the style and spirit of 1742, it just
wouldn’t be the holiday season without Tafelmusik’s
Messiah! Ivars Taurins directs the Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra and Chamber Choir performing Handel’s
enduring and uplifting work.
December 20 & 21, 2024
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre
for Performance and Learning
tafelmusik.org/messiah
SING-ALONG
MESSIAH
Toronto’s favourite
holiday tradition
returns to Massey Hall!
Directed by Mr. Handel
Myriam Leblanc soprano
Krisztina Szabó mezzo-soprano
Jacob Perry tenor
Philippe Sly bass-baritone
Mr. Handel makes his triumphant return to Massey
Hall! Whether you’re an avid singer, an occasional
crooner, or just want to join the festivities to “listen
along,” this is a Toronto tradition that you won’t
want to miss!
December 22, 2024
Massey Hall
tafelmusik.org/sing-along

EDGE OF
YOUR SEAT
ALEX PAUK / MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR
PRELUDE CONCERTS
F(X) =
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
KOERNER HALL
Gabriella Smith, Bent Sørensen & Maki Ishii
Michael Bridge Accordion
RUNNER
FEBRUARY 23, 2025
KOERNER HALL
Steve Reich, Hans Abrahamsen,
Henryk Gorecki & Alex Pauk
Kevin Ahfat Piano, Mark Fewer Violin,
Wesley Shen Harpsichord & Erica Goodman Harp
The Clearwater
Foundation
THANKS TO
OUR SPONSORS
The Mary-Margaret
Webb Foundation
The Michael & Sonja
Koerner Charitable
Foundation
Anonymous
TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
ESPRITORCHESTRA.COM
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL
CHASING VITO
MARCH 4, 2025
KOERNER HALL
Vito Žuraj, Keiko Abe & Caroline Shaw
Ryan Scott Percussion & Vito Žuraj Guest Composer
ICEFIRE, DO-RE-MI
& CARING FOR
THE EARTH
MARCH 27, 2025
KOERNER HALL
Lisa Streich, Peter Eötvös & Andrew Norman
Akiko Suwanai Violin, Lisa Streich &
Andrew Norman Guest Composers
CARROT
REVOLUTION
APRIL 2, 2025
TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE
Gabriella Smith, Keiko Abe, Mark Duggan, Ivan Trevino,
John Rea, Roydon Tse & Julia Mermelstein
IMAGINARY
PANCAKE
APRIL 6, 2025
TRINITY-ST. PAUL’S CENTRE
Quinn Jacobs, Bernhard Lang, Gabriella Smith,
Chris Paul Harman & Ben Nobuto
COSMIC
HEARTBEATS
APRIL 17, 2025
KOERNER HALL
Unsuk Chin, Claude Vivier,
James O’Callaghan & Nicholas Ma
Sophia Burgos Soprano

3002_OctNov2024_cover.indd 1
2024-09-24 7:59 AM
Volume 30 No 2 | October & November 2024
ON OUR COVER
VOLUME 30 NO 2
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room
25th Annual
BLUE
PAGES PRESENTER
PROFILES
2024/25
PHOTO: ALAMY
Here at The WholeNote we don’t often turn to abstract or
semi-abstract images for our covers. Readers look at a
cover and either recognize who’s on it or, best case
scenario, are curious enough about the person looking
back out at them to want to find out.
But sometimes it’s not the individual but an idea that we
need to be reminded of – that the desire to make music,
alone or collectively, in private or in public, endures
everywhere.
See page 6
Bronze: “The flute player”, Ernst Steinacker
Hear rarely performed work by
Henri-Joseph Rigel in this new album
by Arion Orchestre Baroque, Mathieu
Lussier, the soprano Magali Simard-Galdès,
thr tenor Nicholas Scott
and the pianist Mélisande McNabney.
6 FOR OPENERS | Renewals,
urban(e) and otherwise |
DAVID PERLMAN
STORIES & INTERVIEWS
9 ,ART OF THE ARC | A concert
curator”s Q&A |
(1) Alexander Cappellazzo
(2) Wonny Song
(3) Jean-Sébastien Vallée
(4) Chris Friesen
14 IN WITH THE NEW | Immersive
journeys in stories and sound |
WENDALYN BARTLEY
16 MUSIC THEATRE | London’s
Grand Theatre, and beyond! |
JENNIFER PARR
Montréal-based ensemble Paramirabo
makes its ATMA Classique debut with
Voix jetées, a daring album devoted
to favourite works by contemporary
Canadian and American composers
17
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and
their conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée
celebrate their 130th anniversary
with a doucle CD featuring pieces of
Canadian choral music history that
have a special meaning for them.
ALL ALBUMS ARE AVAILABLE,
DISCOVER THEM NOW
VISIT OUR
WEBSITE
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 5

The WholeNote
VOLUME 30 NO 2
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
EDITORIAL
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STORIES & INTERVIEWS
18 CHORAL SCENE | Music as
medicine | ANGUS MACCAULL
22 MAINLY JAZZ | Death, devils
and … elections? | COLIN STORY
24 CLASSICAL AND BEYOND |
Categorically speaking |
DAVID PERLMAN
26 ROUNDUP | Early Music and
Opera | WHOLENOTE STAFF
86 FROM UP HERE | Touring to see
“A Tour”? | SOPHIA PERLMAN
LISTINGS
30 EVENTS BY DATE
Live and/or online
48 MAINLY CLUBS
49 MUSIC THEATRE
50 UNDATED EVENTS &
ETCETERAS
18
DISCOVERIES:
RECORDINGS REVIEWED
66 Editor’s Corner | DAVID OLDS
68 Strings Attached | TERRY ROBBINS
71 Vocal
73 Classical and Beyond
75 Modern and Contemporary
79 Jazz and Improvised Music
82 Pot Pourri
84 Something in the Air |
KEN WAXMAN
86 What we’re listening to this
month
BLUE
PRESENTER PROFILES
PAGES
51 25th Annual Blue Pages
- music presenter profiles
6 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Roman Borys,
Artistic & Executive Director
CREATING COMMUNITY
THROUGH
CHAMBER MUSIC
QUARTETTO DI CREMONA
OCTOBER 24, 2024 | 7:30 PM
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT? ®
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MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN
NOVEMBER 19, 2024 | 7:30 PM
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The WholeNote
VOLUME 30 NO 2
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2024
IN THIS EDITION
STORIES AND INTERVIEWS
Wendalyn Bartley, Angus MacCaull, Jennifer Parr,
David Perlman, Sophia Perlman, Colin Story
CD Reviewers
Larry Beckwith, Max Christie, Sam Dickenson,
Daniel Foley, Raul da Gama, Richard Haskell,
Tiina Kiik, Kati Kiilaspea, Pamela Margles,
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, Cheryl Ockrant, David Olds,
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DEADLINES
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PUBLICATION DATES
OUR 30th ANNIVERSARY SEASON
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April & May (Apr 1);
Summer (June 3)
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FOR OPENERS
Renewals,
urban(e) and
otherwise
For once I had this Opener carefully planned. It was going to be called Sankofa – at the
crossroads. But, something came up just yesterday (September 25) – the announcement
of profound organizational change at Toronto Consort, one of Toronto’s flagship
musical presenters. So now I have something extra to talk about.
Renewals, urban and urbane
“Urban renewal,” was a catch phrase here and elsewhere from a few years after WW2 to
around 1970, with housing initiatives, public and private, as a major component. It became
synonymous in the sixties with the attempted or actual erasure of whole neighbourhoods,
and has now graduated to the status of subject of earnest academic debate on topics such as
“Public endeavour as a means of urban improvement.”
With this city, for the first time in decades, getting directly back into the business of
building affordable housing, it’s worth taking note of those italics, especially if your own
definition of “public endeavour” and “urban improvement” include funding for the arts.
The current out-of-control rise in cost of housing and workspace, is the “no-one-to-blame,”
velvet glove equivalent of the bulldozers of the ’50s and ’60s.
Sankofa and the art of social renewal
Very few readers of this magazine will be unaware of recent City of Toronto efforts to
rename Yonge-Dundas Square, with many opinions on the subject, and lots of people trying,
or refusing, to wrap their minds and tongues around the name proposed as a replacement.
Just remember that the SAN- in Sankofa is like the KAM- in Kamala, and you’ll be ok.
Pronunciation isn’t the main problem here. Observably the loyalists doing the complaining
about tampering with the Yonge-Dundas name, were also the chief complainers about how
changing “all our sons” to “all of us” in the National anthem was an erasure of “our” history.
The irony is that the Ghanaian saying in which the word sankofa is embedded translates as
“It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten” i.e. permission for all of us to do
that, before it’s too late to pass it on. It’s what you do with it when you have recovered it that
counts. Make it food for thought? Or wait till it rots?
The fundamental question is how long will it be before a city like Toronto starts signalling
to its people that our street and park names, overwhelmingly reflective of colonial heritage,
are not sacrosanct: and that renaming them (when a beautiful and inclusive name is put
forward) can be an act of reconciliation?
Sankofa and the art of time
The upcoming performances of Sankofa: the Soldier’s Tale Retold take Stravinsky’s 1918
work, dripping with relevance in its own time, out of the realm of sacrosanct classical
safety. “I believe in this project with all my heart,” says Andrew Burashko, founder of Art of
Time Ensemble, “Re-envisioning Stravinsky’s work with a new narrative and staging that
speaks directly to one of the most pressing social and political movements of today allows
for new ownership, new authorship, and new audiences. It is an important and opportune
T'KARONTO
The Sankofa
symbol:
A bird
with its
head turned
backwards
while its feet face
forward, carrying
a precious egg in
its mouth.
For thousands of years before European settlement, T’karonto (The Meeting Place) was
part of the traditional territory of many Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit
River, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples,
and remains their home to this day, as it now is for many diverse First Nations, Inuit and
Metis peoples.
This Meeting Place lies within the territory governed by the Sewatokwa’tshera’t (Dish
with One Spoon) treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee
– a Treaty which bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent
Indigenous Nations and Peoples, and all newcomers are invited into this treaty in the spirit
of peace, friendship, respect and reconciliation. We are grateful to live and work here,
helping spread the word about the healing power of music in this place.
8 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

moment for such creative and radical experimentation.”
The project also embodies Burashko’s philosophy in regard to what
art councils like to call “succession planning.” Art of Time announced
right from the start of their 2023/24 season that it would be their
last, and that Sankofa would be the organization’s final show – not
“passing the torch” but using the opportunity to fire up other people’s
dreams: poet Titilope Sonuga who has interwoven a new libretto
around Stravinsky’s work; director Tawiah M’Carthy; and each of the
musicians from The Glenn Gould School who will now have this show
in their memory banks as an example of what can happen when the
classical “before” is carried into the “beyond.”
Toronto Consort
By contrast, “passing the torch” is sometimes the right way to go,
especially for an ensemble labelling itself as a consort, where the
whole is always creatively more than the sum of all its parts. I never
knew the ensemble in its early years in a U of T setting, but I relished
its work under David Fallis after severing its academic ties. Fallis
always wore his learning lightly, relishing the startlingly relevant
range of music – from the sacred to the naughty – in the Medieval,
Renaissance and Early Baroque music the group explored. He also
delighted in collaborative curation – a delight evident in the work of
the seven or eight core artistic associates of the Consort who remained
after Fallis stepped away in 2017/18, and shepherded the Consort
through the COVID years, and the difficult pandemic aftermath.
Late last year Consort suspended the latter half of its 2023/24 season
to regroup. Mid-September we became aware of an unsigned open
letter jointly written by seven members of that 2018-2024 group of
associates, indicating that they had stepped away from the Consort
and wishing the organization well in its future endeavours. Then came
the September 25 announcement, by Andrew Adridge, the Consort’s
Executive Director and Heather Turnbull, Board Chair, stating: that
countertenor Daniel Taylor, who spearheads the U of T’s Early Music
Program, has been appointed General and Artistic Director with Dame
Emma Kirkby as Honorary Patron; that the Consort will re-establish
close ties with the U of T; that a full 2024/25 season will take place,
commencing with a Renaissance program “The Muses Garden” on
October 11; and that a new roster of Consort artists and associates is
now in place. None of the seven associates who co-authored the open
letter is part of that new roster.
On our cover
We at The WholeNote don’t often turn to abstract or semi-abstract
images for our covers. Readers look at a cover and either recognize
who’s on it, or best case scenario, are curious enough about the
person looking back out at them to want to find out.
But sometimes it’s not the individual but the idea that we need to be
reminded of – that the desire to make music, alone or collectively, in
private or in public, endures everywhere. It’s always a force. So how do
we make it a force for the good?
publisher@thewholenote.com
THE ART OF THE ARC
ARCS
A CONCERT
CURATORS’ Q & A
Barely a week before going to press, we wrote to a
handful of individuals responsible for planning concert
seasons in our neck of the woods. We explained that we
were thinking of launching this feature, ARCS, and were
hoping to get enough of a response within the next few
days to get it going in this Oct/Nov print issue and then
continue it online over the course of the fall.
As we explained in our letter the premise of the feature is to
explore some of the ways in which the work of composing an individual
piece of music parallels the work of putting together a whole
concert, and even a whole season. And we offered the same three
questions to all the individuals we invited to respond:
QUESTION 1: As a rule, an individual piece of music has some
kind of composed arc to it (beginning, middle, ending, for example).
Is there a piece of music in your first/next show that is either a good
example of this “rule”, or refutes it in an interesting way?
QUESTION 2: Similarly putting together a whole concert could
be seen as composing an event – the choice of works that will be
presented, and the sequence in which they will be presented. Using
the same concert you referenced for your first answer, or some other,
speak to this. Note: not all reasons have to be highfalutin’. Lots of
curatorial decisions are pragmatic and these also offer interesting
insights for readers.
QUESTION 3: Looking back at your responses to questions 1 and 2,
how would you say the answers you gave there pertain to your whole
season now getting underway, in terms of some overarching idea or
guiding principle?
Here’s how the first few individuals we contacted responded.
SANKOFA:THE
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TALE RETOLD
A uniquely Canadian reimagining
of Igor Stravinsky’s iconic score –
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thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 9

THE ART OF THE ARC ( 1 )
emotional arc of the poetry was chosen in a way to keep things varied
throughout the concert.
In past Apocryphonia concerts, I have played with splitting up
sonatas between other works, or switching the order of the movements
in order to achieve a desired effect based on the concert’s overarching
musical narrative. Also this season we’re doing our second
iteration of our Cabinet of Curiosities concert in June, which takes
several multi-movement musical works and completely randomizes
them on the night of the show. I find that especially fun because
it highlights musical contrasts in a way only complete randomization
could do.
SAM GAETZ ALEXANDER CAPPELLAZZO
Diapente Vocal Quintet, clockwise from back left: Peter Koniers,
countertenor; Martin Gomes, bass; Jonathan Stuchbery, tenor &
plucked strings; Jane Fingler, soprano; Alexander Cappellazzo, tenor
(1) Alexander Cappellazzo: Apocryphonia
Alexander Cappellazzo
Q1: One particular work?
Our upcoming Amor Con Fortuna:
Songs of 16th Century Spain concert on
October 15th has this piece by Mateo Flecha
the Elder called El Fuego. It’s this tenplus
minute song from a genre during the
16th Century called an ‘ensalada’ (salad).
Essentially, they’re these epic, long disaster
stories set to different little tunes that
culminate with the day being saved by the
appearance of the Virgin Mary or some
angels, and perhaps some sort of raucous celebration afterwards. In
this specific case everything is on fire (the aforementioned fuego)
until it is not, and then a fellow named Joan plays the bagpipes while
people sing praises to the Virgin. The music shifts here and there from
these frantic rhythms to more “church-like” motet sections as the
story progresses; the word painting is quite spectacular!
Interestingly enough, since the ensalada genre is a mish–mash
of smaller works of music, there’s a sort of chaotic continuity to
the overall musical journey even while the textual narrative is relatively
straightforward. There are no reprises of past material, and the
musical styles shift depending on the text, so as a listener the whole
beginning~middle~end cycle is slightly refuted by not knowing what
exactly is next to come.
Q2: The concert as a whole?
This is the most exciting part about concert curation; creating something
brand new from the sum of its parts. I wonder what would
happen if you gave two different people the same music to program;
how different would those two concerts feel depending on their order?
Each Apocryphonia concert featuring Renaissance vocal quintet,
Diapente, is programmed by a different member of the quintet; “Amor
Con Fortuna” is the creation of our lutenist/tenor Jonathan Stuchbery.
I know he took a particular effort in programming this concert to have
both the poetic texts and the musical styles have a sort of continuity to
them as the concert progresses. Specifically, he took an interest in the
linguistic shift occurring in Spain at that time, so the concert reflects
both a linguistic and musical evolution of thought. Beyond that, the
Q3: Shaping the season?
The joy of vocal/chamber programmation is that unlike larger
scale works like symphonies or operas you get to play with different
combinations. I take multiple factors into consideration when
programming a full season: time period, nationality, instrumentation,
etc. The big thing is making sure the year feels varied and that
no two concerts are too similar or too close to each other. I am a fan
of creating narratives through programming; each concert has a story
to tell, literally or conceptually. How that relates to the overall season
is a bit more abstract however; my overarching aim is that if someone
came to every show in the season they would feel like they saw something
unique each time.
Tenor Alexander Cappellazzo is Diapente and Apocryphonia’s
founding artistic director. Amor Con Fortuna plays at the
Heliconian Hall October 15 at 7:30pm.
THE ART OF THE ARC ( 2 )
(2) Wonny Song: Mooredale Series
Benedetto Lupo
Wonny Song
Q1: The opening work?
In our upcoming Mooredale Series
program, pianist Benedetto Lupo will
take us on a captivating journey through
Nino Rota’s 15 Preludi. Each piece is
imbued with its own distinct character
and mood, together crafting an evolving
narrative that flows through a range of
tempos and emotions. We begin with the
vibrant “Allegro molto,” transition through
contrasting feelings – such as the introspective
“Andante sostenuto ed espressivo,” and culminate in the vigorous
“Allegro robusto,” creating a satisfying narrative arc.
In contrast, Aleksandr Scriabin’s 24 Preludi, Op.11 presents a fascinating
departure from traditional storytelling. While showcasing a wide
COURTESY ORFORD MUSIC
CARLO COFANO
10 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

spectrum of emotions, many of these preludes, like Preludes No.4 and
No.18, tend to feel more episodic or fragmented. Rather than adhering
to a clear progression, they capture fleeting moments of expression,
offering an intriguing contrast to Rota’s cohesive narrative. This
approach reflects a broader understanding of musical storytelling,
where the absence of a defined arc can evoke a unique emotional
experience, inviting the audience to engage in a more impressionistic
way
Q2: The concert as a whole?
Starting the concert with Rota’s preludes sets a tone of accessibility
and elegance, offering a light and engaging introduction. As
the program shifts into Scriabin’s preludes, the atmosphere deepens,
becoming more reflective, intense and emotionally rich, which
heightens the listener’s involvement. This order works effectively
because it creates a natural progression, both emotionally and technically,
allowing the concert to gradually build toward Scriabin’s
profound, almost mystical sound world.
From a practical viewpoint, this structure benefits the performer as
well. Rota’s preludes, while musically expressive, are less demanding
compared to Scriabin’s. This makes them an excellent way to ease
into the performance before tackling Scriabin’s more challenging and
emotionally charged pieces. The flow of the concert feels organic, with
the music growing in complexity and emotional weight.
In essence, pairing Rota’s and Scriabin’s preludes offers a wellrounded
journey that moves from neoclassical simplicity and grace to
the Romantic intensity and depth of Scriabin’s music.
Q3: Shaping the season?
Looking at the season as a whole, a clear guiding principle emerges:
a blend of innovation, tradition, and cross-cultural dialogue. The
concert series emphasizes diversity in programming, both in terms
of repertoire and instrumental combinations, creating a season that
spans multiple musical worlds and styles. The overarching principle
is one of balance between contrast and cohesion. Each concert
creates its own emotional and stylistic narrative while contributing
to a larger season-long exploration of different musical traditions and
emotional arcs. Across the season, the audience is taken on a journey
through different musical landscapes, from classical and neoclassical
to Romantic, contemporary and Latin American influences. The
programming invites listeners to experience both the familiar and the
new in an engaging, progressive arc.
Wonny Song is Mooredale Concerts’ Artistic Director.
Benedetto Lupo, piano is at Walter Hall, University of Toronto,
on October 20, at 3:15pm.
(3) Jean-Sébastien Vallée:
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Jean -Sébastien Vallée
THE ART OF THE ARC ( 3 )
Q1: The opening work?
Our upcoming concert, The Love Affair,
illustrates how an entire program can be a
carefully constructed arc, guiding the audience
through different aspects of love, all
tied together by the theme of dance.
We begin with Brahms’ Liebeslieder
Walzer, which sets a light, joyful tone with
its charming waltzes. This serves as the
“beginning” of the concert’s emotional
journey, evoking the simplicity of romantic
love. Brahms’ Drei Quartette then deepens the narrative, moving into
more contemplative and introspective territory, adding complexity to
the emotional arc.
After the intermission, the program shifts with Aaron Manswell’s
Poverty. This piece stands in stark contrast to the romanticism of
Brahms, introducing a modern, socially conscious reflection on
different forms of poverty—spiritual, social, mental, health, and
economic. Opening with a reference to Matthew 11:28, the piece uses
double entendres to explore how poverty manifests in more abstract
ways, like loneliness and feelings of inadequacy. Musically, Poverty
draws from Romantic Classical, Gospel and R&B influences, and its
slow, unhurried tempo invites the audience to sit with its emotional
and social message.
Finally, the program culminates with
Martín Palmeri’s Misa a Buenos Aires
(Misatango), where the sacred meets the
secular in a fusion of liturgical music
and tango. The use of the bandoneon in
this work adds a uniquely passionate
and sensuous texture, bringing the
intensity of the tango to life. This final
piece serves as the emotional climax
of the evening, merging love, faith and
dance in a powerful conclusion.
Overall, The Love Affair as a
concert creates its own arc, taking
the audience on a journey from lighthearted
romance to deeper, more
Aaron Manswell is the TMC’s
2024/25 Composer-in-Residence.
The program supports
innovation in choral music and
nurtures Canadian talent.
ENSEMBLE FAENZA
Un Bestiaire Fabuleux, a Tribute to Jean de La Fontaine
Ancient Music
OCTOBER 17, 8 PM
SPADINA THEATRE
Tickets available online at www.alliance-francaise.ca
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 11

complex reflections on love, before reaching an explosive and moving
finale with the tango-infused Misatango.
Q2: The concert as a whole?
For The Love Affair, several pragmatic factors influenced the
programming. The first half features the TMSingers, our professional
chamber choir, accompanied by piano, which allows us to focus on
more intimate, lighter works like Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer and
Drei Quartette. These pieces don’t require a large ensemble, making
them perfect for our chamber forces and easier to rehearse efficiently.
In contrast, the second half brings in the full power of the 160
voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, accompanied by a chamber
orchestra. This shift is both thematic and practical: it allows for
the performance of Martín Palmeri’s Misatango, a larger, more
demanding work that requires the depth and intensity of a full choir
and instrumental ensemble. This progression from smaller forces to
full choir also gives the concert a natural build in energy and impact.
Q3: Shaping the season?
Similar to the concert I just discussed, the idea of Dare to Discover
permeates the entire 2024-2025 season, encouraging audiences to
experience both the familiar and the new. Visionaries: Vivaldi & Da
Vinci blends music and multimedia to explore genius across disciplines,
while Festival of Carols offers a fresh take on holiday traditions with
surprising musical selections this year. The season balances innovation
with timeless works, inviting both performers and audiences to explore
bold interpretations and premieres, like those by Aaron Manswell.
Each concert, much like *The Love Affair,* is a carefully curated
journey, blending discovery with tradition. The season itself forms an
arc, with Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis at its centre. That concert is not
only a tribute to the choir’s storied past but also a bold, forward-looking
statement in choral artistry. Revisiting this monumental work, first
performed in Canada by TMChoir nearly a century ago, honours our
history while showcasing our ongoing commitment to artistic excellence
and innovation. It reflects the culmination of our anniversary
season and our dedication to pushing choral boundaries into the future.
Jean-Sébastien Vallée is Artistic Director of the Toronto
Mendelssohn Choir. The Love Affair takes place at Koerner Hall,
Royal Conservatory of Music at 3pm, November 3.
Chris Friesen
THE ART OF THE ARC ( 4 )
(4) Chris Friesen:
Trinity Bach Project
Q1: The opening work?
The opening work of TBP’s first program
of the season, Henry Purcell’s 1685 anthem,
I Was Glad, is constructed as a lovely little
musical triptych. It’s a vocal painting of
Psalm 122 existing in three hinged panels,
as it were. The first panel shimmers with
trilling rhythms evocative of laughter and
bright conversation as the ensemble sings of ascending the Temple
Mount alongside one’s spiritual and familial relations. The middle
panel drops a minor third to a new key and more solemn tone, with
the injunction to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and those who live
there. Then the third panel resumes the initial setting and buoyant
mood in a polyphonic doxology that has great fun tangling up the
words, “as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world
without end” (a phrase that envisions all time and eternity as a wellcomposed
triptych!).
Q2: The concert as a whole?
Following the introduction provided by Purcell, the main event of
our season opener is a pair of Bach’s cantatas linked by significant
references to roses. One of them, BWV 72 (“Everything according to
God’s will”), leaps into action with dramatic urgency from the strings
and oboes at a vigorous tempo in A minor. The other, BWV 182 (“King
of heaven, welcome”), begins with a sweet, stately processional duet
between solo violin and baroque recorder in G Major.
I listened to these two cantatas a lot over the summer in both possible
orders, often while jogging, tracking the progression of their energy
and trying to put myself in the ears of an imaginary audience who
might be hearing them for the first time. Both sequences had features
that recommended them. In the end BWV72 won out as first in line
due to the intensity of its opening (we launch the boat of the season by
crashing it directly into the waves), its shorter length and the flow from
its final stalwart hymn tune into the natural instrumental interlude
provided by the opening of cantata BWV182. Even more importantly,
this order allows us to conclude the entire program with the blissful
dance of BWV182’s final movement. Like Purcell’s anthem at the outset,
it sings of delighted communal entry into a cherished home, with
recorder, strings and choir trading a melody back and forth like revelers
holding hands in a circle. It never hurts to leave one’s audience in a state
of musical euphoria at the end of a concert, right?
TBP has also been developing a tradition over the past two seasons
of wrapping things up with the functional equivalent of a benediction.
After the euphoria of the concluding applause, we typically lean to a
place of reflection and rest as a final send-off. In this program, we do
so with Maurice Duruflé’s gentle a cappella classic, Ubi Caritas, which
gives the assurance, “Where charity and love are, God is there.”
Q3: Shaping the season?
Season planning for Trinity Bach Project has tended to look less like
an executive blueprint and more like a path laid down by walking.
This season is no exception, as we continue to tweak repertoire decisions,
line up venues, and settle performance and rehearsal dates for
programs February through May. That caveat aside, there have been a
couple of implicit principles guiding construction of the season. In the
recent past we’ve presented a lot of pairings of Bach with other choral
composers (“Bach and Mendelssohn,” “Bach and Rheinberger,” “Bach
and Tallis,” etc.). This year we’re venturing more into curation along
thematic lines, as with our season opener, “Bach and Roses.” There’s a
program coming up in the new year, still to be officially titled, which
will be along the lines of “Bach and Life Passages,” since it includes
both a wedding and a funeral cantata. We’re also planning an instrumental-only
program in early January, “Bach and Epiphany,” which
conceives of three concertos as the gifts of the Magi. Six or seven
months from now we’ll aim to conclude the trajectory of 2024-25
with another joyful dance, in a program built around the exultant
cantata BWV117, “Praise and honour to the highest good.”
Trinity Bach Project: rehearsing Brahms’ Geistliches Lied,
Op. 30, before the May 13, 2023 concert, Bach and Brahms.
Chris Friesen is Executive Director of Trinity Bach Project. Bach
and Roses will be performed Oct 3, 1pm at Trinity College Chapel;
Oct 4, 8pm at Little Trinity Church, Nov 13, 8pm, at Grace Church
on-the-Hill, and Nov 17, 3pm, at Metropolitan United Church.
SIMON REMARK
12 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

2024 GALA
CONCERT
Monday October 28 – 7:30 pm
Maison symphonique de Montréal / Livestreamed globally on Medici TV
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal Chorus
Musicians of the OSM
Andrew Megill, Chorusmaster
Featuring Premieres by AMP Laureates
Josef Bardanashvili, Yair Klartag,
Jordan Nobles and Juan Trigos
azrielifoundation.org/gala
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 13

IN WITH THE NEW
IMMERSIVE
JOURNEYS
in stories
and sound
WENDALYN BARTLEY
Alice Ping Yee Ho
CATHY ORD
Alice Ping Yee Ho’s Dark Tales
On November 9, right after you thought all
the pumpkins, goblins and spider webs had
been put away for another season, Toronto
composer Alice Ping Yee Ho and New Music
Concerts will present an innovative evening of
ghost stories, with a new work entitled Dark
Tales: An Immersive Journey into Music, Light
and Legend. During a recent conversation, Ho
described this new work, commissioned by Duo
Concertante, as a music drama in five movements
based on five stories from Tom Dawe’s
book An Old Man’s Winter Night.
Tom Dawe’s An Old Man’s
Winter Night illustrated
by Veselina Tomova
Dawe, one of Newfoundland
and Labrador’s most distinguished
writers, collected these
stories, which are accompanied by
woodcut illustrations created by
Veselina Tomova, from various local
communities.
The opening story in Ho’s composition,
which shares the title of the
book, evokes spirits in animal form
and explores how hunters can be
pursued by the animals they’ve
killed. The second movement,
Landwash Spirits, shifts the scene to
a cliff by the sea, evoking the images
of a flying woman searching for her
fingers, an improperly buried dog
and a ghost ship looming out on
the water. The final movement, The
House in the Dark, draws from local
tales about a haunted house built
on a fairy ring. It also incorporates
quotations from old folk tunes, referencing the spirits who play in a
ghostly band. Duncan Major has animated the book’s illustrations
for the performance, which will be projected onto the wall to create
an immersive environment. The composition allows the music and
visuals to evoke the narrative, leaving the story to unfold through
sound and imagery.
Ho reflected on how ghost stories preserve traditions and can
even serve as moral lessons to keep people’s behaviour in check.
“The stories are about desire, grief, love and longing” she explained,
touching on themes of regret and the hardworking lives many have
led. Ghost stories also harken back to her own childhood in Hong
Kong, and the tales her grandmother told her when she was young.
The piece will be performed by Duo Concertante (violinist Nancy
Dahn and pianist Timothy Steeves), who premiered the work in
January 2024 at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s. This marks
the third collaboration between Ho and the Duo, following their 2018
Juno-nominated piece Cœur à Cœur. This new work, Ho told me,
can also be performed as a concert piece without the visuals, though
experiencing it with the images adds a more evocative and spinetingling
dimension. Preceding the concert will be a performance of
Ho’s Dark Waters for wind quintet and string quartet performed by
members of the Glenn Gould School. This piece offers a menacing
interpretation of the power of water, making it a perfect prelude to the
main event that follows.
Duo Concertante’s teaser video for Dark Tales
14 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

KATE SMITH
Earlier in the fall on October 5, New Music Concerts brings together
the work of American composer Julius Eastman and Architek Percussion.
Eastman’s Gay Guerrilla, originally composed for four pianos in
1980, was one of his bold statements on race and sexual orientation.
Unfortunately, these efforts were not well received at the time, and he
struggled to maintain his creative career. The October performance will
be a version for four percussionists and two pianos, part of a program
that includes works by composers Julia Wolfe and Philippe Leroux.
Esprit Orchestra
Esprit Orchestra is structuring their upcoming season in an
intriguing way. Two Prelude Concerts are programmed for November
and February, laying the groundwork for their Edge of Your Seat
International Festival that will take place in March. More on that in
the new year, but for now, the November 27 concert titled F(X)=; will
feature works for three different composers from diverse continents.
The composition by American composer Gabriella Smith poses
the question: “What would f(x)=sin2x-1/x sound like?” If you draw a
blank, you’re not alone. I had to approach the internet intelligences
to help me understand the significance of the formula. In very simple
language, these mathematical elements combine a wave or oscillating
motion with a sudden sharp turn, all leading towards an understanding
of change over time or distance. That’s the concept, but imagining the
sound of such behaviour is what Smith’s piece will shed light upon.
Composer Gabriella Smith
Accordionist Michael Bridge
Danish composer Bent Sørensen’s piece, titled It is pain flowing
down slowly on a white wall, is inspired by the same words penned
by an unknown Hungarian poet. After listening to one of Sørensen’s
works, an audience member wrote those words on a piece of
paper and handed it to him. The piece will be brought to life by the
renowned accordionist Michael Bridge.
Completing the concert will be a 1989 work by Japan’s Maki Ishii
entitled Fu-Shi (Shape of the Wind). Ishii incorporates the Japanese
principle of jo-ha-kyū, a three-part structure that features a smooth
preparation, a dynamic and varied development, and a fast rushing
finale – a form inspired by Noh theatre.
The Fujii Family Percussion Ensemble: Haruka Fujii, Rika Fujii, Mutsuko Fujii
MICHAEL BRIDGE
Three from Soundstreams
Soundstreams is hosting two notable parallel events for October
exploring ideas and beliefs about God. The main concert takes place
on October 24 and will feature a performance of Japanese composer
Akira Miyoshi’s Letters to God composed in 1985. Miyoshi was
inspired by the well-known 1975 children’s book of the same name
by Eric Marshall and Stuart Hample which is a collection of short
letters to God written by children from hospitals, orphanages, camps
and Sunday schools throughout the USA. Back in 2013, Soundstreams
recorded a performance of the work featuring the Toronto Children’s
Chorus, Chorale and percussionist Riika Fujii. The October 2024
concert reunites some of the original performers, expanding to
include Japan’s “First Family” of percussion: Riika Fujii, her mother
Mutsuko and her sister Haruki. The program also includes performances
of R. Murray Schafer’s 17 Haiku, Toru Takemitsu’s Seasons,
Melody McKiver’s river woman and Claude Vivier’s Pulau Dewata.
As a prelude to this concert, a special event on October 15 will
feature a Soundstreams commission by composer Chris Pruden
entitled P.S I (don’t) believe in you. This piece is based on answers
to the question: “If you had a direct line to god, mother nature, your
ancestors, the universe, – your something bigger – what would you
say?” The anonymously submitted letters reflect the diverse ways
people approach their beliefs about a higher power. In addition, audience
members will have the opportunity to submit their own answers
which will be improvised upon live during the concert by performers
Ky Brooks and Tara Kannangara. This interactive element adds a spontaneous
dimension to the performance, allowing the audience to
engage directly with the themes of belief and connection.
Finally, on December 5, Soundstreams will partner with Music
Toronto to present a concert centred on the theme of Invocation,
exploring it as both a call for help and a plea for inspiration and
guidance. The concert includes a performance of the Israeli-born
composer Avner Dorman’s Nigunim which won the 2018 Azrieli
Prize for Jewish Music, alongside the world premiere of James Rolfe’s
Narrow Bridge. Performers for the evening include the Gryphon Trio,
violinist Lara St. John and singer Aviva Chernick.
New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA)
This fall marks the 23rd edition of NAISA’s SOUNDplay festival
which explores the intersection of sound and new media. This year’s
theme, Reimagine, calls on participating artists to reinterpret places,
actions and objects. A festival highlight is a 48-hour weekend intensive
where participants create sound art miniatures based on the
Reimagine theme in the idyllic setting of Warbler’s Roost, a 14-acre
forested and lake-side property in the Almaguin Highlands. The
festival also features a screening of Canadian videos by diverse artists,
blending sound, image and language, as well as a new audiovisual
version of the Wetland Project by Brady Marks and Mark Timmings.
This piece will be the centrepiece of a 12 hour event titled Water
(Deshkan Ziibi) taking place at the artLAB Gallery in London, Ontario
and streamed on YouTube.
Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and electro-vocal
sound artist. sounddreaming@gmail.com
SMQC
Dark Tales:
An Immersive Journey
into Music, Light,
and Legend
Nov. 9th, 2024 | Meridian Arts Centre
newmusicconcerts.com
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 15

MUSIC THEATRE
MATILDA The Musical: The cast of The Grand Theatre’s 2024
High School Music Project, directed by Megan Watson.
A joy-filled and music-fuelled season
at London’s Grand Theatre and beyond
JENNIFER PARR
DAHLIA KATZ
KRISTINE COFSKY
There is a particular joy to watching music theatre,
arising from the story being told in both words
and music: a natural exuberance, another level of
emotion, music as an international language that can
carry us further than words alone can do. The Grand
Theatre in London understands and celebrates this,
giving us a 2024/25 season, under the title “A Time for
Play,” with even more music theatre content than usual,
anchored by four major musical productions as well as
the always sold out Jeans ‘n Classics concert series.
The first Grand Theatre season to be programmed by new Artistic
Director Rachel Peake, the
production choices reflect her
own varied and eclectic résumé
as an award winning director
of experimental new plays,
theatre classics, opera and
large scale musical theatre.
It’s interesting therefore that
Peake’s directing debut with
the Grand will be with Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s perennial
Rachel Peake
favourite, The Sound of Music,
this year’s holiday production
running from November 19 to
December 22 – something that could be seen as a “safe choice.” But
she received rave reviews for previous productions of the show at the
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Citadel Theatre, so giving weight
to her statement that “the Grand’s 2024/25 Season is about moments
where joy, where play, bring about real change in the world,”
suggests that her take on the show will be an interesting one. After
all, at the core of The Sound of Music it is the “power of song”
introduced by Maria that brings much needed harmony, joy and the
promise of a bright future to the von Trapp family, giving them the
courage to make the right choices in a time of great political unrest.
Music also fuels confidence and a drive for change in the fourth
musical of the Grand’s season, playing in March and April, which
will also be directed by Peake. It’s the Broadway sensation Waitress
– a significantly darker, quirkier show – with songs by Grammywinner
Sarah Bareilles that lift the story of small town pie maker,
Jenna, to another level.
Another significant musical will already have kicked off the
Grand’s season before Peake’s debut, with the 26th edition of their
famous high school musical project, this year’s offering being Roald
Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical, a tale of necessary rebellion against
oppression. With a book by Dennis Kelly and raucous yet melodic
music by Tim Minchin, it features such songs as Revolting Children
and When I Grow Up. Megan Watson who directed Mary Poppins
for the Grand a few years ago helms this year’s project featuring 58
London-and-area students in performing, production and orchestra
roles, mentored by theatre professionals in all departments. The
show only runs until September 29.
And also ahead of Peake’s debut, from mid October to early
November, The Grand offers a full company musical opener at the
Grand – Shakespeare’s popular romantic comedy As you Like It, but
with a musical twist. It is set in the 1960s and infused with songs
that speak of that era – the early songs of the Beatles. As You like It is
already one of the most music-filled of Shakespeare’s plays but this
choice of music and adaptation by director Daryl Cloran, originally
for the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, takes it deep into fullblown
music-theatre territory with music director Ben Elliot creating
16 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

new solo, duet and ensemble arrangements for
22 Beatles songs such as She Loves You, Fool on
the Hill and All You Need Is Love.
The songs, performed by the actors, are
integrated fully into the story, continuing the
journey of the characters through song, with a
live band onstage as part of the storytelling. A
hit at Bard on the Beach in Vancouver where
it began, this production has since been
delighting audiences in Edmonton, Calgary,
Chicago, Milwaukee and Washington D.C.,
and now makes its Ontario debut. Continuing
the theme of the season, director Daryl Cloran
says in a promotional video for the show “if
audiences can walk away with a song in their
heart and a belief in humanity, then we have
done our job.” www.grandtheatre.com
SAM GAETZ
Evil Dead the Musical
Back in Toronto a fun musical highlight
of the upcoming fall season, just in time for
Halloween, is the return of Evil Dead The
Musical inspired by the Sam Raimi cult
classic horror films The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2. While I am not
personally a horror movie fan, I do take occasional pleasure in the
subgenre of “comedy horror” and – to my enjoyment when I saw
it in 2017 – this musical is much more comedy than horror. With
the full permission of film director Sam Raimi, and Bruce Campbell
– who played the leading role of Ash in the movies, Evil Dead The
Musical first saw the light of day on August 13, 2003 at the Tranzac
Club in Toronto … but famously performed outdoors with car
headlamps and flashlights for lighting as this was the night of the
famous city-wide “blackout of 2003.”
The cast’s intrepidity lent even more energy to the debut, setting
off a run of productions that has not stopped yet. With book and
lyrics by George Rheinblatt and music by Christopher Bond, Frank
Cipolla, Melissa Morris and George Rheinblatt, this irreverent
adaptation of already irreverent material became an instant hit,
spawning over 500 productions to date around the world, including
an off-Broadway run in 2006, as well as several runs in Toronto,
winning the Audience Choice Dora Award in Toronto in 2007.
The story itself is simple: five college students go to an abandoned
cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force that turns
them all into demons. It’s all up to Ash (a housewares employee, turned
demon-killing hero) and his trusty chainsaw to save the day. What
takes this into the territory of comedy gold is the way music fuels the
comedy. The script is funny but the songs – such as All the Men in My
Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons – take the absurdity and
outright silliness to another level, making this show a very enjoyable
escape from the everyday. There is even a splatter zone for those who
enjoy being up close when the stage blood starts to fly. Original director
Christopher Bond returns to lend his sharp eye and wicked timing to
this new remount. At the Randolph Theatre, just five short blocks away
from where the show first saw the light of day, Evil Dead runs from
October 5–November 24. www.eviliscoming.ca
https://new.starvoxent.com/evil-dead/
Musical Stage
Company’s
Kevin Wong
Evil Dead the Musical returns for a 20th anniversary production. Pictured here, the Toronto 2017 cast.
Uncovered
The end of October (22-25)
will see the return of one of my
favourite annual musical events,
the latest edition of the Musical
Stage Company’s always popular
Uncovered theatrical concert
series. This year’s edition,
Uncovered: U2 & The Rolling
Stones, focuses on exploring the
stories within the songs and the
influence the composers had on
each other’s creative work. The
scripted concert will feature new arrangements by composer Kevin
Wong, now in his second year as Music Director for the series, and
will be interpreted onstage by some some of Toronto’s top music
theatre performers including Hailey Gillis, Andrew Penner and
Jackie Richardson. www.musicalstagecompany.com (video trailer
on the website)
The Lion King
November will see the return of one of the most joyful of stage
musicals, Disney’s The Lion King, in a new “sit down” production
Introducing Jacob Abrahamse as
THE STUDENT
PRINCE
by Sigmund Romberg
Kate Carver, Conductor
November 1, 2024 I 8pm
November 2, 2024 I 8pm
November 3, 2024 I 3pm
25% DISCOUNT
Early Bird Discount
50% DISCOUNT
FOR YOUTH 16 years old
and under
20% DISCOUNT
Family & Friends Discount –
Purchase 4 or more tickets
together
30% DISCOUNT
For Groups of 10+
www.TOLIVE.com
416-366-7723 I 1-800-708-6754
Bedolfe Foundation
Dalglish Family Foundation
The Estate of Silvia McPhee
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 17

CHORAL SCENE
MUSIC AS MEDICINE
COLIN MEDLEY
The Flin Flon Cowboy runs Oct 19-Nov 2 at Theatre Passe Muraille.
This photo of ( l-r) Johnny Myrm Spence and Ken Harrower
was taken during the trailer shoot.
(i.e. with an open-ended run) under the Mirvish banner at the
Princess of Wales Theatre. I will never forget the first time I saw The
Lion King at the Princess of Wales in 2000. As the lights dimmed, the
drumming started. And the theatre was transformed through the
hauntingly rhythmic music and magical puppetry of The Circle of Life.
The stage and the auditorium filled with animals, and children’s (and
adults’) faces filled with delight as antelope, leopards and cheetahs,
and even an elephant passed by their seats on their way to the stage.
The unique score combines the original Elton John and Tim
Rice songs from the animated movie with the distinctive sounds
and rhythms of Africa in the rich choral numbers by Lebo M,
immediately creating the world of the story, and pulling you in to
be further enchanted by Julie Taymor’s puppets and staging. This
new production has a largely Canadian cast (41 Canadians, 10 South
Africans) and features some well-known performers including
Jewelle Blackman (who starred in Hadestown on Broadway) as
Shenzi and Camille Eanga-Selenge (who was a beautiful Sonya in
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 at Crow’s Theatre last
season) as Nala. One of the three boys playing young Simba, Lucien
Duncan-Reid will also be familiar as the boy from both Room
(Mirvish) and Chris, Mrs (Elgin Theatre, 2023). Performances begin
November 2, 2024. www.mirvish.com
The healing
powers of a
song-filled life
ANGUS MACCAULL
Renowned neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin paused as
he sang the word “strings” and looked over the neck
of his guitar to the audience in the University of
Toronto’s Desautels Hall. The
air felt charged. Instinctively,
we knew what he wanted. For
a brief moment, many of the
two-hundred-plus gathered
began singing along, some
harmonizing at the end of a
song we’d all just heard for
the first time.
Daniel Levitin
Other musical theatre shows to keep an eye out for:
– The Flin Flon Cowboy with a live country band onstage at that
champion of new and experimental work, Theatre Passe Muraille.
Runs October 19-November 2. www.passemuraille.ca;
– a work-in-progress musical, I Was Unbecoming Then, at
the Toronto Fringe’s Next Stage Festival, October 16 - 26, www.
fringetoronto.com;
– and a collection of new multidisciplinary works at Native
Earth’s Weesageechak Begins to Dance Festival at the Aki Studio,
November 21-December 1. www.nativeearth.ca
And finally, if you haven’t already seen it, grab a ticket to
Something Rotten at the Stratford Festival. Equally fun for
aficionados of Shakespeare and musical theatre – and those
who know little of either – this production, expertly directed
and choreographed by Donna Feore, is ridiculously funny and
wonderfully performed by a talented cast. It has been extended to
November 26. www.stratfordfestival.ca.
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.
18 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

IAN MACCREADY
We’d come out on a Monday evening
in September to hear Levitin talk about
the therapeutic and healing powers of
music – the subject of his new book, I
Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music
as Medicine. Levitin, who has also
researched critical thinking, has long
been interested in music. He has written
two previous books about music and
the brain, and collaborated with many
high-profile musicians, including Bobby
McFerrin, Sting and Joni Mitchell.
Levitin talked to us about how music is
neuroprotective. He explained scientists’
emerging understanding of how listening
to and making music can reduce degeneration in the brain or improve
impaired functioning. Music, as long as the listener enjoys it, produces
serotonin and dopamine. It acts like a mild opioid. It can encourage
the brain to recruit complex pathways, some long forgotten by the
more conscious mind.
One video clip Levitin showed at the book
launch demonstrated how music enables
those with Parkinson’s to walk. Another,
from ABC News, detailed music’s ability
to bring combat veterans out of PTSD. Yet
another gave the story of someone with
severe Alzheimer’s, and how music enabled
them, if briefly, to remember their identity.
All of these findings are documented in
Levitin’s new book, as are the specific benefits
of singing. In addition to how it helps
our brains, singing together brings us social
meaning. “Participating in musical activities
with others has become increasingly
popular,” Levitin writes, “especially group
singing in communities or choirs.”
One great time to sing is after major life
events, like moving or getting married or
divorced. Even if these changes are positive,
they cause stress. For those moving
as refugees and asylum seekers, the losses
involved can result in emotional disorders,
anxiety, and general grief. Singing in group
therapy “empowers them to use their individual
voices and deepens their sense of a
shared cultural identity,” Levitin writes. The endorphins released by
singing help people overcome emotional challenges. When songs are
slow and soothing, singing literally calms people down, slowing down
breathing and heart rates.
After Levitin gave his presentation and sang a couple of his own
original songs, he opened the floor for questions. The last question
was about his advice for people who want to bring music into their
lives and the lives of their families.
Instead of any fancy applications, Levitin urged us to simply listen
to more music, and to play it! He noted there’s a barrier in our society
against learning an instrument, which would include singing. “People
feel as though if they can’t perform on the biggest stages in the world,
what’s the point?” he said. But the truth is, we should do it for the
sake of doing it – because it’s fun, it’s good for our health and good for
our society.
RESOUND Choir - see Personal Picks, pg 21
Turn the page for some upcoming opportunities to get out and
listen or sing in Toronto. Be sure to check the listings for times, locations
and ticketing details.
Join us for Carols in the
Lobby at 1:15pm,
performed by TCC's
Alumni Choir, conducted
by Dr. Darryl Edwards!
Enjoy a festive blend of carols
and innovative choral works,
featuring guest artists from the
Toronto Symphony Youth
Orchestra, and emerging Bass-
Baritone, Owen Phillipson.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 19

CHORAL ROUNDUP
CHOIRS AND ORCHESTRAS
As noted in my profile of choral conductor Elaine Choi last
month, Pax Christi Chorale joins forces with Voices Chamber Choir
and Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra October 5 to present
Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. The concert also features two Canadian
composers, Joel Toews and Matthew Emery. Toews grew up in
Alberta and is currently based in Toronto. He composes a wide
range of music, including pop songs with the duo X62. The concert
marks the world premiere of his new work Fanfare and March.
Emery grew up in Ontario and is currently based in Waterloo,
where he teaches at Wilfrid Laurier. His compositions have been
performed and published widely, with CBC Music noting they are
“profoundly beautiful and moving.”
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra brings back former music
director Jukka-Pekka Saraste to conduct Mozart’s Requiem on
October 9, 10 & 12. Members of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir,
prepared by their Artistic Director Jean-Sébastien Vallée, add their
voices this powerful and moving lament. You know you want to
be there when the basses enter with the first notes of “Requiem
aeternam dona est,” asking for eternal rest. The TSO also collaborates
with TMChoir on November 21, 22 & 23 for a work by
Bartók, The Miraculous Mandarin. In addition, the concert
features Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and Canadian composer
Emilie Cecilia LeBel’s the sediments. LeBel’s work, which was
a TSO commission, “depicts the interconnectedness of natural
elements and their enduring presence throughout history.” When I
listened to an excerpt online, I was struck by instrumentation that
reminded me of the sound of rain.
The Toronto
Mendelssohn Choir
offers two “Singsations”
community workshops
this fall. The first, on
September 28, features
their greatest hits. It’s also
a chance to be among
the first to hear their
new recording under the
label ATMA Classique,
Remember: 130 Years
of Canadian Choral
Music. The second, on
November 23, will be led
New from ATMA: The Toronto
by Brainerd Blyden-Taylor,
Mendelssohn Choir’s Remember: 130
founder of The Nathaniel
Years of Canadian Choral Music.
Dett Chorale, which he
created 25 years ago as Canada’s first professional choral group
dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles. Blyden-Taylor’s session
with TMChoir is a special opportunity to immerse yourself in a
dynamic celebration of Afrocentric cultural heritage and musical
excellence.
Another on-going opportunity to sing is the Toronto Shape
Note Singers, who invite all comers in Toronto on October 16
and November 20. The Sacred Harp tunebook uses four shapes
to help singers find pitches. The focus is on the joy and benefits
of singing.
G.F. HANDEL
THE CHOIR OF ST. JAMES CATHEDRAL WITH THE CHAPEL
CHOIR OF TRINITY COLLEGE, U OF T, AND ORCHESTRA
Emilie Cecilia LeBel
The Niagara Region, home to one of Canada’s enduring natural
phenomena, is also lucky to have the Niagara Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus Niagara. On November 23 & 24, both will be on stage
at Partridge Hall in St. Catharines. The program is comprised of
two large works, Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side
Story and UK composer Tolga Kashif’s The Queen Symphony.
The latter is inspired by the band, not the monarch, and includes
melodic references to songs including Who Wants to Live Forever
and Bohemian Rhapsody.
USE YOUR VOICE
If you’ve been thinking of joining a choir, but aren’t quite sure
or can’t yet make the time commitment, why not start with a
single session?
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2024
7:30 P.M.
SCAN HERE:
EARLY BIRD
& REGULAR
TICKETS
AVAILABLE
LOCATION: ST. JAMES CATHEDRAL
106 KING ST E, TORONTO
DETAILS: stjamescathedral.ca/
messiahconcert2024
20 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

CHORAL ROUNDUP
CHRISTMAS ALREADY?
I realize you may be reading this well before Halloween, but our
October/November issue already contains many wonderful listings
for Christmas. Consider this an early heads up to save some dates for
the Holiday season.
On November 30, Pax Christi Chorale offers two afternoon
sessions of Handel’s Messiah focused on children. These are hourlong
interactive music education experiences. Children and youth
of all ages can learn about a beloved masterpiece through stunning
solo arias and powerful choruses. That same evening, the Milton
Choristers present A Sacred Christmas, featuring traditional French
carols in Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noël, plus other
Christmas choral favorites.
On the evening of December 6, you may want to head out to Music
at St. Andrew’s for Come Home for Christmas. Or to the North
Halton Community Singers’ Christmas Concert. Or Pax’s second
Christmas offering, Christmas Through the Ages.
Pax presents that same concert the next afternoon, on
December 7. And that evening the Etobicoke Centennial Choir
invites the public to Baroque Noël, which includes another version
of the Charpentier classic.
PERSONAL PICKS
On car rides as a kid on the East Coast, I learned many songs
by the Rankin Family by heart. My mom grew up not too far from
them on Cape Breton Island, and I grew up a short drive across the
causeway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. On October 19, you can hear a
rousing performance of their music by RESOUND Choir at Oshawa’s
LVIV Hall. The concert also includes songs by Canadian folk legends
Ian & Sylvia and Stan Rogers, as well as by Canadian composers
Andrew Balfour, Sherryl Sewepagaham and Beverly McKiver. The
evening is called Sips & Shanties. Head on over and raise a pint
while you listen!
Another event this fall reminds me of a different kind of music
from my youth. I played clarinet as a young person, both as a soloist
and in many ensembles. The Wychwood Clarinet Choir joins the
Jubilate Singers on November 30 for Choir Meets Choir. The concert
features seasonal music and works by Brahms, Fauré, Dvořák and
Gershwin, as well as by Canadian composers Timothy Corlis and
Donald Patriquin. (Fun fact: the Guinness World Record for largest
clarinet choir was set by 367 clarinetists in 2019 at The University of
Tennessee during ClarinetFest.)
SPECIAL NOTE
The Russia-Ukraine war is heading into yet another winter. Reports
this fall highlighted the strain it may put on Ukraine’s energy grid. On
November 3, Vesnivka Choir, the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber
Choir, and St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir continue to
build awareness of the war with Prayer for Ukraine. The concert will
feature Ukrainian sacred music, including works by contemporary
Ukrainian and Ukrainian-Canadian composers.
Angus MacCaull is a Toronto-based journalist and poet.
He is currently at work on a memoir about coming to terms
with tinnitus as a promising young clarinetist
Songs
of Hope
& Peace
NOV
02
2024
3PM
7:30PM
EGLINTON ST. GEORGE’S UNITED CHURCH
HOSTED BY TOM ALLEN
CONDUCTED BY
LYDIA ADAMS
AMADEUSCHOIR.COM
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 21

MAINLY JAZZ
DEATH,
DEVILS AND …
ELECTIONS?
COLIN STORY
I
was going to start this column with a joke about
October being the scariest month of the year. “A time
to contemplate death, devils, and diminished chords,”
I wrote in an earlier draft, perhaps trusting that it would
have been cut in editing. But then I was reminded that
this is in fact a double issue, and that the U.S. election
is happening in November, so I have changed my tune;
nothing is scarier than a federal election or two (save
perhaps going in for major surgery, or pursuing a career
in music, depending on one’s tolerance for pain.)
Whatever’s haunting you, there are plenty of opportunities to exorcise
your demons by checking out some heart-warming (or bonechilling)
live music, in a season replete with exciting performances.
Fortune, Kelsey McNulty’s bilingual
vocal project. Later in the
month, October 24, catch Card,
Hennessy and Paul Kolinski at
Sellers & Newel.
Recently at the Emmet Ray, Harley Card (centre) with
Don Scott (l) and Rebecca Hennessy (r).
The Old Mill’s Jazz Lounge
also has a number of vocal
acts appearing in October and
November. On October 18, Caity
Gyorgy (it is pronounced “George”)
performs, with her regular trio
of pianist Anthony D’Alessandro,
bassist Thomas Hainbuch and
Caity Gyorgy
drummer Jacob Wutzke. Gyorgy has
been a strong presence on the North American vocal jazz scene for the
past few years, since her debut EP, Now Pronouncing: Caity Gyorgy
ORI DAGAN HARRISON WEINSTEIN
Harley Card
On October 3, Toronto guitarist Harley Card appears at Burdock Music
Hall with his singer-songwriter project Two Tomorrows, with Matt
Newton on keys and woodwinds, Dan Fortin on bass and Jeff Luciani
on drums. Card has long been a presence on the Toronto music scene,
both leading his own projects (his albums Hedgerow and The Greatest
Invention are certified Toronto jazz guitar classics) and in collaboration
with groups such as Stop Time, Hobson’s Choice and God’s Gift to Yoda.
Card’s first singer-songwriter release was in 2020, during the
pandemic; Unconfined Invisible is a nine-song album featuring
Newton, Fortin, and Luciani, as well as Joseph Shabason on synths
and Michael Herring on double bass (Herring also has a co-writing
credit). In 2022, Card released the single Two Tomorrows, featuring
Toronto’s favourite guest singer Alex Samaras, as well as the same core
band. Another 2022 release: Our Canopy, a joint-effort EP from both
Card and Rebecca Hennessy. Card’s songwriting is unique, both lyrically
and emotionally, but in many ways is directly in line with his
guitar playing: thoughtful, melodic and inventive, with a yearning
quality that feels instantly affecting as it blurs the lines between jazz,
rock, folk and other influences. (Card sees his music as containing
both moments of Wilco and moments of Weather Report.)
If you are in the audience at Burdock on October 3, you’ll also
have the pleasure of hearing opening sets by Hennessy and by Good
22 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Monty Alexander, at the 2024 Nice Jazz Festival with
Luke Sellick on bass and Jason Brown on drums.
won a JUNO Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. Two years older
and a second JUNO Award richer, for her album Featuring, Gyorgy is a
confident singer of standards and originals in a traditionalist style.
Also at The Old Mill, on November 1, catch the Blackburn Brothers,
a blues group that incorporates funk, jazz, and soul to create a special
musical blend that honours their legacy as descendants of Elias Earls.
(Earls was born in Kentucky in 1833, and escaped slavery through the
underground railroad, eventually settling in the Owen Sound area.)
The Blackburn Brothers is fronted by Duane (keyboards/vocals),
Brooke (guitar/vocals), and Cory (drums), who are joined by Neil
Braithwaite on tenor sax, Ted Peters on trombone and Andrew Stewart
on bass. Inspired by seminal American artists such as BB King, Ray
Charles and Miles Davis, as well as their father, famed Toronto musician
Bobby Dean Blackburn, the Blackburn Brothers have shared the
stage with icons such as Mavis Staples, Dr. John and Cedric Burnside.
With a penchant for exciting, high-energy shows, they play with a
warmth and groove that is sure to appeal to Old Mill audiences.
Coming to Koerner: On October 19, Jamaican-American jazz
pianist Monty Alexander graces the stage of Koerner Hall, at the
Royal Conservatory of Music. At 80 years old, Alexander has been a
major force on the jazz scene since the 1960s, when he released his
first album, Alexander the Great. A deft, dynamic pianist with technique
for days, Alexander tends to favour the blues, standards, and
the music of Jamaica, with an especial fondness for the songs of Bob
Marley. Underpinning this is an unerring sense of time, joy and interactivity
that’s sure to be on display in trio format with bassist Luke
Sellick and drummer Jason Brown.
The Blackburn Brothers
When I was in high school, I had the opportunity to hear Alexander
in Vancouver at the now-defunct Cellar Jazz Club, and it remains a
formative experience; it was illuminating to witness how musical
prowess, commitment to phrasing and a sense of real fun could come
together. (Attending music school temporarily dispelled this notion,
though eventually one recovers.)
Opening the show at Koerner will be reggae musician Jay Douglas,
a vocalist who, like Alexander, was also born in Jamaica. Douglas has
been a mainstay of the Toronto music scene since his debut in the
late 1960s, and was a major part of the introduction of ska, reggae
and rock steady to Canada. Douglas will appear with alto saxophonist
Bobby Hsu, keyboardist Eddie Bullen, keyboardist Dave de
Launay, bassist Don Stewart, drummer Everton Pablo Paul and vocalist
Wendy Irvin.
At the University of Toronto’s Walter Hall – just a few steps south
on Philosopher’s Walk from the RCM – the Jim Lewis 12tet plays
the music of Terry Promane on November 6. The Lewis 12tet is an
ensemble that runs yearly in the U of T Jazz Program, led, as the name
implies, by trumpeter and longtime U of T faculty member Jim Lewis.
Terry Promane is also on faculty at U of T and is a formidable arranger
and composer whose work follows the tradition of major largeensemble
artists such as Phil Nimmons, Rob McConnell, the Boss
Brass, Kenny Wheeler, and more.
Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in
Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, and on
Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
ENSEMBLE MISTRAL
Dans l’univers d’Astor
A Tribute to the Music and Inspirations of Astor Piazzolla
Jazz & Classical Music
DECEMBER 7, 8 PM
SPADINA THEATRE
Tickets available online at www.alliance-francaise.ca
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 23

CLASSICAL & BEYOND
TSO’s Daniel
Bartholomew Poyser
Categorically
speaking
DAVID PERLMAN
So, the question of the day, for me, anyway, is
what’s a writer supposed to do?
I mean, really. Out of the twenty tags of “Music types” in the
WholeNote listings database I have used the four most relevant to the
beat I am supposed to be covering here. I have dutifully downloaded
the resulting document. And I am now staring at 212 concert listings
relevant to the area we call “Classical & Beyond” for the 68 days
(October 1 to December 7) that this issue of the magazine covers.
And the answer is … well maybe don’t try to deal with all four
categories at once.
Orchestras: I repeat the search just for orchestras and I still end
up with 112 concerts for the same 68 days. Hmmm. OK, I say, but a
bunch of these are events where the orchestra is just the hired help for
something that some other beat writer here is going to be covering.
Such as opera or ballet company orchestras, for example. Good point.
Tafelmusik as orchestra for Opera Atelier’s production of Acis and
Galatea bites the dust. So does the Canadian Opera Orchestra for the
remaining performances of Faust and Nabucco.
I do however keep the handful of special occasions where the indentured
orchestra in question gets to strut its stuff on the stage instead
of in its usual spot in the pit, or it could be argued is more like an
equally partner in the event – special occasions like the Azrieli Music
Prizes 2024 Gala Concert on October 28, or Centre Stage on October 30
– the final round of the Canadian Opera Company’s ensemble studio
competition finals. And November 15, when the U of T Symphony
Orchestra puts in an appearance, so the graduate conductors for whom
the concert has been arranged have something to shake a stick at.
And then I say to myself, hold on a minute you are asking for
trouble keeping any concerts on your list, where the orchestra in
question is guaranteed to show up in some other writer’s story. Like
Esprit Orchestra for new music (November 27) or Tafelmusik for the
category we call Early/Baroque.
Good call! Because if there’s anything my editor hates most, it’s
when two writers in different beats end up covering the same story,
especially when they both plagiarized the same press release for their
stories. So, very reluctantly, I cross Tafelmusik off my list altogether.
Why reluctantly? because for audiences accustomed to listening to
Beethoven, for example, delivered on modern instruments by very
big orchestras in very large halls, it can be a revelation to hear the
same music on period instruments in smaller settings. Where before
you only heard armies of chords thundering along, you start to hear
conversational murmurings. Very interesting.
But right now, that’s beside the point. My unmanageable list is the
point. So, Tafelmusik. Gone. And all of a sudden we are down to 77
from 112.
RILEY SMITH
Ages & Stages
October 27, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
FEATURING:
Sheila Jaffé, violin; Mira Kardan, cello;
Andrea Ludwig, mezzo soprano (OCMS Artist-in-Residence);
Inna Perkis, piano; Ernesto Ramirez, tenor;
Micah Yui, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano;
Artistic Directors: Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis
For more details and to purchase tickets
www.offcentremusic.com
24 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Programs vs. performances: my next big “aha!” moment in
mastering the art of list control? Realizing that 77 performances
doesn’t mean 77 different programs. Presenters, especially the big
ones in the large halls, tend to do more than one performance of the
same program. Bingo! Another 22 performances bite the dust. All but
two of the 22 are Toronto Symphony Orchestra repeats of 14 distinct
programs they will be presenting within our 68 day timeframe.
And the other two? Niagara Symphony Orchestra does two
performances of The Queen Symphony (the band, nor Her Majesty)
on November 23 and 24; and the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra
(welcome aboard, guys!) does its Classical Mega-Hits program twice
on the same day (October 5) at 2 and 7:30pm.
Note to self, though: be careful how you define a repeat performance.
An example: November 3 the TSO does three performances of
Peter and the Wolf with conductor Daniel Bartholomew Poyser as
genial host. But the 11am performance is also a Relaxed Performance
geared to a neurodiverse audience, so it needs to stay in its own
right, as an example of a new and in my view welcome examination
of what constitutes “proper” audience behaviour. But again that’s
beside the point.
After the cull: The very good news is that, after this latest cull, my
Orchestras list is down to 55 events to look at, by 25 different orchestras,
and is starting to feel like an almost manageable assignment.
I could, for example start by putting the orchestras themselves
into categories: student orchestras at places like Western, the RCM,
U of T and Wilfrid Laurier; bona fide community orchestras like the
Rose Orchestra in Brampton (Oct 19), Cathedral Bluffs Orchestra in
Scarborough (Oct 5 & Nov 11), Milton Philharmonic Orchestra (Nov 2),
Oakville Chamber Orchestra (Oct 6 & Nov 10), the Greater Toronto
Philharmonic Orchestra (Oct 5) ….
But once again I am getting ahead of myself. For one thing, classifying
orchestras by type (e.g. community, regional, semi-professional, professional)
is rushing in where angels fear to tread, as the folks at Orchestras
Canada will confirm. Their beautifully simple directory of orchestras
classifies member orchestras by budget size these days in order not to
offend anyone by implying that they are the same as anyone else in terms
of “professionalism” or lack thereof. So that too is a story for another day.
Right now I still have to do the same pruning job for the other three
“Classical” categories I’m supposed to cover: chamber (104 listings);
organ (28), piano (80).
Yikes.
this monstrously unmanageable beat. For “chamber” I note with
pleasure that Jan Narveson’s Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music
Society, long a fixture in the region, seems to have found its postpandemic
feet again, with the acquisition of a couple of reliable new
venues. They will be offering up 13 distinct programs over our 68 day
period – only one fewer than the Toronto Symphony Orchestra over
the same period! They offer an attentive performing environment,
and a remarkable network of chamber musicians – including, on
October 20, a concert at First United Church in Waterloo by the KWS
Musicians String Trio/Quartet.
The KWS in the trio/quartet name is of course the Kitchener
Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps from such small beginnings
one of Canada’s finest fully professional orchestras will reseed itself,
bottom up rather than top down. That’s how London Symphonia
(Oct 5, Nov 2 & Nov 30) did it.and
And, speaking of chamber music, if the topic of relaxed and
adaptive performance caught your eye when I was talking about
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser the TSO, then check out Xenia Concerts
(Nov 2 & Nov 24). ….
And that, dear reader, is where my energy fails.
Coda: As for the point of all this? The categorizing, sorting and
filtering I have been doing here is freely available to you as well.
Go to the WholeNote website. Click on the listings tab. Select Just
Ask. Curious about the ball I unceremoniously dropped a couple of
paragraphs ago? Select Organ or Piano as an advanced search and
away you go!
Every system for categorizing music listings is going to be arbitrary,
flawed and annoyingly repetitive. But no more annoying than having
someone try to read your mind in terms of what pushes your musical
buttons. Give it a try!
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com.
Chamber, organ, and piano: I won’t ask you to follow my
reasoning line by line as I break down the other three categories in
What Makes it Great?
with Rob Kapilow and the Cheng² Duo
Nov
10
Meridian Arts Centre
George Weston Recital Hall
North York
Buy tickets now at tolive.com
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 25

ROUNDUP
The Lute Legends Collective, introducing their instruments
at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Arts.
EARLY MUSIC ROUNDUP
The Butter Quartet and Lute Legends Collective
“Stop the presses” is not something we have the clout to do at The
WholeNote, but “Is it too late?” even at the last minute, is sometimes
just as good. Which is what we did when lutenist Lucas Harris
brought to our attention a fortuitous upcoming remount of a project
developed for the prestigious Amsterdam String Quartet Biennale, the
largest string quartet gathering in the world, and performed there to
great acclaim this past January. The project in question is a collaboration
between the Lute Legends Collective of which Harris is a member
(an association of specialists in ancient plucked-string traditions – in
this case lute/pipa/oud/sarod) and “a brilliant young Netherlandsbased
period-instrument group called the Butter Quartet.”
“It was years in the planning,” Harris says, “and it’s being
remounted in Toronto for only a single performance – by luck there
was a hole in the schedule of the Butter Quartet’s North American
tour! We’re being presented on November 5 by Friends of Music at
St. Thomas’s Church on their new series.” Luck indeed.
Fall feast
It’s a veritable banquet of Early Music around these parts.
Tafelmusik: fresh off their late September all-Mozart seasonopening
concerts at Koerner Hall under guest director Rachel
Podger, they are back at it with two mainstage programs: Oct 18,
19, 20 (Feast for the Senses: Lalande & Rameau led by Amandine
Beyer, violin); and Nov 22, 23, 24 (Bach Christmas Oratorio led by
PIANO PIANO OPERA
World-Class Artists, Live in Hamilton
Tickets available at hcadancetheatre.com
PASS
PERFORMING ARTS SUNDAY SERIES
126 James Street South, Hamilton, Ontario | 905-528-4020 | @hcadancetheatre
Ivars Taurins, conductor.) And in between (Oct 25 to Nov 5) the
orchestra, under Podger makes a six-concert tour of South Korea.
And that’s not all: Oct 5 they visit Brantford Music Club with
works by Purcell, Muffat, and Bach; Oct 24, 26 and 27, those of the
orchestras members not on tour in Korea will be backing Opera
Atelier’s production of Acis and Galatea at the Elgin Theatre; and
some of them will make a foray to the Don Wright Faculty of Music
at University of Western Nov 8 and 9 for a Friday noon concert, and
to work with students in the Western Early Music Studio.
Royal Conservatory: The RCM has a couple of notable concerts
featuring Baroque repertoire. Oct 11, Les Violons du Roy with
Karina Gauvin & Marie-Nicole Lemieux offers up Handel arias
and duets with Jonathan Cohen conducting. And then Nov 9 and
10 Leonidas Kavakos performs the complete Bach Sonatas and
Partitas for solo violin.
And there’s more: Oct 3, Trinity Bach Project’s 2024 campaign
gets underway with the first of its new thematic programs for
the season, titled Bach and Roses; additional performances
are already scheduled for Oct 4, Nov 13, Nov 17. Oct 25, North
Wind Concerts continues its fast start to the season with Pop-Up
Pot-Pourri: An Evening of Eclectic Musical Performances and
Conversations, followed Nov 9 by Encircling the World – Drums.
Nov 10, U of T Faculty of Music has Schola Cantorum and
the Theatre of Early Music presenting Historical Performance:
One World United - Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Nov 17,Rezonance
Baroque Ensemble’s The Galant Cello offers C. P. E. Bach,
Boccherini, Dall’Abaco and other works, with guest cellist Elinor
Frey added to their regular mix.
And completing our dizzying ride from fall feast to holiday
fare: Nov 30, London Symphonia and the Elora Singers present
Handel’s Messiah; Dec 1, Magisterra Soloists present Magisterra
Christmas Baroque; and Dec 7, Etobicoke Centennial Choir offers
us a Baroque Noël.
One more things to note
Details of all of these concerts are in our daily listings; so if your
fingers tire of flipping back and forth, you can generate detailed
listings for everything here, and a whole lot more, by going to
JUST ASK under the LISTINGS tab on our website and selecting
Early/Baroque from the advanced options.
Compiled by Wholenote staff
OPERA ROUNDUP
Opera Atelier’s triple threat mandate
Opera Atelier’s website describes the company as “North
America’s leading opera/ballet company dedicated to creating
period productions realized as complete artistic statements – with
equal attention given to music, dancing, acting, and design.” The
first of two mainstage productions in their 2024/25 season lives
up to the boast.
Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Oct 24, 26 and 27, is a show ideally
suited to showing off the “equal attention to music, dancing, and
acting” aspect of how OA does things. Based on a story in Ovid’s
Metamorphoses, it’s a star-crossed-lovers tale, with a bit of a
reverse twist; in this case (spoiler alert) it’s the young man, Acis,
who achieves immortality by getting turned into a river after
being bashed on the head with a rock.
Part of the reason OA succeeds at what they do is the symbiotic
way co-directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse
Zingg bring their respective passions for drama and ballet to bear
on core Baroque repertoire like this. Even more likely in this case
because, of all Handel’s operatic works, this is the one where his
penchant for “triple threat” showmanship is on full display.
Another strength of OA as a company at this point is the
number of Baroque operatic warhorses they now have in the stable,
and that they have the sense not to trot them out too often. They
26 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Opera Atelier Co-Artistic Directors
Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg and
Marshall Pynkoski in Versailles.
last staged Acis in 2010 –
long enough ago that we
will get not just a revival
but a revisioning – both in
Zingg’s choreography and
Pynkoski’s direction.
Another company
strength is their
enthusiasm for searching
out new repertoire: operas
lost in the fog of fashion or
the mists of time; works
that push the boundaries
of of the Baroque; and
repertoire that, while not
opera in the strict sense,
pushes their keen sense of
the operatic.
The company’s spring offering is the North American premiere
of Marc Antoine Charpentier’s David and Jonathan a mere 356
years after its first performance – a perfect case of fog of fashion/
mist of time. It won’t be their first staging of the work, though.
That was in the Royal Chapel in Versailles in 2017 – one of several
successful sorties, starting with Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Armide the
previous year, into the inner sanctum of the French Baroque.
The ongoing Versailles relationship illustrates another key to
OA’s resilience: deep loyalty to a core ensemble of players, supplemented
by a keen instinct for how and when to bring in new
blood. In this case, French tenors Antonin Rondepierre (Acis) and
Blaise Rantoanina (Damon), came to OA via the Versailles relationship,
and will team up with long-time OA audience favourite,
soprano Meghan Lindsay, making a role debut as Galatea, and
bass baritone Douglas Williams in the role of the lovesick, rockwielding
cyclops, Polyphemus.
Toronto City Opera (TCO)
Under three different names, TCO has been around for 77 years,
managing the difficult balancing act of staying true to a spirit of
come-one-come-all community building while at the same time
taking its art seriously enough. Giuseppe Macina saw that clearly
in 1967, when he took Toronto’s oldest opera workshop, founded
in 1947, and turned it into Toronto Opera Repertoire. And it is a
spirit that continues to this day.
Their 2024-25 season offers two mainstage productions
(Gaetano Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Aaron Copland’s The
Tender Land) along with their annual Viva Voce Gala Fundraiser
and the return of the Macina Voice Competition for a second year.
Emerging artists are offered leading roles; and the community at
large gets to participate enthusiastically as choristers in fully staged
operas. “The community chorus is the heart of TCO, so I ensure
there is ample chorus involvement in the operas we select,” says
TCO Artistic Director Jennifer Tung.
The season kicks off November 13,16, and 17 with Donizetti’s
wonderfully comedic L’elisir d’amore at the Al Green Theatre at
Bloor and Spadina. Tung conducts, with Ivan Estey Jovanovich at
the piano, and Jessica Derventzis, directing the production. “I am
thrilled to return to TCO,” Derventzis says. “L’elisir offers performers
the opportunity for vocal brilliance and for stretching their acting
and comedic muscles!”
Copland’s The Tender Land (June 18, 21, and 22), also at the Al
Green Theatre, is also an astute choice. Set on a family farm in
1930s Midwestern America, it revolves around the choices a young
woman faces on the brink of graduation. “June is the perfect time
to perform this work,” says Tung, “as many students are nearing
graduation and facing pivotal choices in their lives.”
The Macina Voice Competition showcases emerging artists
competing for monetary prizes and future performance opportunities,
and will be held on February 23, at Church of the Redeemer.
Readers take note!
Back in our listings section for the first time in many months, is a
section, on page 49 titled Music Theatre Listings by Presenter. (Music
Theatre by our definition is a “big tent” term encompassing opera,
operettas, musicals and a fair bit of dance). So instead of replicating
that list here, we encourage you to have a look at that section.
Opera Roundup was compiled by David Perlman
2025 SEASON
ACIS AND GALATEA
Oct 24–27, 2024
Elgin Theatre
On Sale Now!
operaatelier.com
G.F. HANDEL
NEW VENUE
Jeanne Lamon Hall
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
427 Bloor St W,
ALCESTE
by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Sunday, January 12, 2025 | 2:30 pm
Suzy Smith, Music Director & Pianist
LA RONDINE
by Giacomo Puccini
Thursday, March 20, 2025 | 8 pm
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 8 pm
Narmina Afandiyeva,
Music Director & Pianist
ROBERT LE DIABLE
by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Friday, April 25, 2025 | 8 pm
Helen Becqué, Music Director & Pianist
For ticket information:
OPERAINCONCERT.COM
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 27

KOERNER HALL 2024.25 CONCERT
Ali Velshi:
Small Acts of Courage
TUES., OCT. 15, 7PM KOERNER HALL
Award-winning journalist and Chief
Correspondent for MSNBC Ali Velshi
offers his take on Trump, Harris,
America, and the world, and discusses
his recent book Small Acts of Courage
with CBC senior correspondent
Susan Ormiston.
Presented in partnership with
David Louie, harpsichord
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2024 2PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL TICKETS: $25
Hailed as a “pianistic sensation”
(Rhein-Zeitung), distinguished soloist
and harpsichordist David Louie returns
to the series with a program focusing
on Bach’s monumental Keyboard Partitas
Nos. 2, 4, and 6.
Generous support provided from The Michael and Sonja
Koerner Fund for Classical Programming
Thandiswa Mazwai
and special guest Kunle
SAT., NOV. 16, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT $45
One of South Africa’s most influential
singers brings her unique blend of
traditional Xhosa rhythms,
mbaqanga, kwaito, and jazz to
Koerner Hall. Acoustic guitarist and
singer-songwriter Kunle opens the evening.
Presented in association with Batuki Music Society
Taylor Academy
Showcase Concert
SAT., OCT. 19, 4:30PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL
FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE
STARTING FROM 10AM ON
FRI., OCT. 11, 2024.
The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance
Academy for Young Artists presents
a concert by the leading young
classical musicians in Canada.
Hear the stars of tomorrow!
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
FRI., NOV. 8, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT $50
Called “one in a million” by The Independent, Grosvenor
is regarded as one of the most important pianists to
emerge in several decades. He will perform works
by Brahms, Mussorgsky, and Schumann in his
Koerner Hall debut.
Series generously supported by Michael Foulkes
& Linda Brennan and an anonymous donor
Concert generously sponsored by Alexanian Carpet & Flooring
With generous additional support provided from
The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming
Taylor Academy Showcase Concert
SAT., NOV. 16, 4:30PM MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL
FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE STARTING FROM
10AM ON FRI., NOV. 8, 2024.
The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy
for Young Artists presents a concert by the
leading young classical musicians in Canada.
Hear the stars of tomorrow!
Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert
WED., NOV. 20, 7:30PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL
FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE STARTING
FROM 10AM ON WED., NOV. 13, 2024.
Solo and chamber works are performed
by young artists on the cusp of
major careers, who are enrolled in
The Rebanks Family Fellowship and
International Performance Residency
Program at The Glenn Gould School.
Presented with the generous support of the
Rebanks Family and the Weston Family Foundation
237 BLOOR STREET WEST
(BLOOR ST. & AVENUE RD.) TORONTO
Royal Conservatory Orchestra
with conductor Earl Lee
Anna Štube, violin
FRI., NOV. 22, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT $25
Renowned conductor Earl Lee leads violinist
Anna Štube (winner of The Robert W. and
G Ann Corcoran Concerto Competition) and
the Royal Conservatory Orchestra in a program
of works by Richard Strauss, Benjamin Britten,
and Sergei Rachmaninov.
Part of the Temerty Orchestral Program
TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS
ON SALE NOW!

SEASON
SEASON SPONSOR:
Monty Alexander 80th
Birthday Celebration
Concert
and the Jay Douglas All-Stars
SAT., OCT. 19, 8PM KOERNER HALL
The legendary pianist and composer
performs music from his latest release
D-Day to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Local reggae legend Jay Douglas
opens the show.
Kavakos plays Bach #1 and #2
SAT., NOV. 9, 8PM, SUN., NOV. 10, 5PM
KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT $55
“Astoundingly virtuosic and blazingly
insightful” (The Guardian) violinist
Leonidas Kavakos performs the
complete Bach Sonatas and Partitas
for Solo Violin over two days.
Contact our box office at 416.408.0208 for special two-concert
packages.
Generous support provided from The Michael and Sonja
Koerner Fund for Classical Programming
Viano Quartet with MILOŠ, guitar
SUN., NOV. 17, 3PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT $50
One of the world’s most celebrated classical guitarists
performs Baroque to Piazzolla to Broadway to
The Beatles with the winners of the 2019 Banff
International String Quartet Competition.
Generously supported by Nancy Lockhart
and The Murray Frum Foundation
With generous additional support provided
from The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for
Classical Programming
The Glenn Gould School
Chamber Opera
Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges
and Claude Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue
FRI., NOV. 1, 7:30PM, SAT., NOV. 2, 7:30PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL TICKETS: $20
Students from The Glenn Gould School’s vocal program
present a double bill of Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et
les sortilèges and Claude Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue.
Conducted by Connor O’Kane and directed by Mabel Wonnacott.
Part of the Price Opera Program
ARC Ensemble: Czech Mates
SUN., NOV. 10, 2PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL
The three-time Grammy Award nominated
ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal
Conservatory) performs works by the
Czech-American Walter Kaufmann and
Dvořák’s spirited Piano Quartet No. 2.
Generous support provided from
The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund
for Classical Programming
Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity
A Film by Larry Weinstein
TUES., NOV. 19, 7PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT $40
Celebrate Beethoven’s iconic last symphony with Emmy
Award-winning filmmaker Larry Weinstein, Music Director of
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Gustavo Gimeno, and
Canadian journalist and author Steve Paikin, along with
thrilling performances by the Rebanks Fellowship Quartet.
Barbara Hannigan, soprano,
with Bertrand Chamayou,
piano
THURS., NOV. 28, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT $50
The sensational Barbara Hannigan returns to
Koerner Hall to perform works by Scriabin, Messiaen,
and John Zorn with pianist Bertrand Chamayou.
Series generously supported by an anonymous donor
Concert generously sponsored by an anonymous donor
With generous additional support provided from
The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund for Classical Programming
Joaquin Valdepeñas
Conducts
THURS., DECEMBER 5, 7:30PM
MAZZOLENI CONCERT HALL TICKETS: $20
Royal Conservatory Orchestra Resident
Conductor and former principal clarinetist
of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
Joaquin Valdepeñas will lead
Glenn Gould School students
in a performance of Mozart’s
Serenade No. 10 in B flat Major
for Winds, K. 361 (“Gran Partita”).
416.408.0208
RCMUSIC.COM/PERFORMANCE

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
Tuesday October 1
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music: Rising Stars
Recital. Featuring performers from the
Glenn Gould School. Yorkminster Park Baptist
Church (Toronto), 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-
1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: Jim & Charlotte
Norcop Prize in Song Finals. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.
music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Andre Knevel, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
● 7:30: Hugh’s Room Live. Dan Hill. A benefit
for Journey Home Hospice in Support of the
Saint Elizabeth Foundation. 296 Broadview
Ave. www.showpass.com/dan-hill-a-benefitfor-journey-home-hospice.
$50.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Commemorate the National Day of Truth
and Reconciliation. Falen Johnson, host;
Tanya Tagaq, vocalist; Manitou Mkwa Singers;
Emma Pennell, soprano; David Eliakis,
piano; Royal Conservatory Orchestra; Jennifer
Tung, conductor; and others. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. www.rcmusic.com/tickets.
From $45.
Wednesday October 2
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Dance Series: Meet the Artists of Fall for
Dance North’s 10th Anniversary Festival. Dive
deeper into two of FFDN’s 10th Anniversary
festival season mainstage productions: Big
Time Miss by Rock Bottom Movement and-
Night Shift, a late-night performance series
co-presented by Citadel +Compagnie and
Fall For Dance North. The performance is followed
by a discussion with the artists about
their creative process. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca. Free.
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
(Kitchener). Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas
Legacy Concerts. Darielle Chomyn-Davison,
mezzo; Kyla Altrogge, vocalist & piano; Jack
Wyndham, piano. 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener.
519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10 at 11:30am or
bring your own.
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmers’ Market.
Music in the Market: Days of Grace. 300 Borden
St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm. Rain
or shine.
● 7:30: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera
(SOLO). La Bohème. Music by Giacomo Puccini.
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/
la-boheme-2 or www.burlingtonpac.ca or
905-681-6000. $74; $69(sr 65+); $25(13-18);
$10(12 & under). Also Oct 5 at McIntyre Performing
Arts Centre at Mohawk College.
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Palatable Gay Robot. Starring Stephen
Brower and Naomi Snieckus (Oct 2), Aurora
Brown (Oct 3), Linda Kash (Oct 4), and Sherry
Miller (Oct 5). Streetcar Crowsnest - Crows
Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave. www.crowstheatre.
com. $35. Also Oct 3, 4, 5.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Tom Paxton and
The Don Juans. 296 Broadview Ave. www.
showpass.com/tom-paxton-and-the-donjuans.
$50.
● 8:00: Stratford Festival. Something
Rotten! Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John
O’Farrell; Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick
& Karey Kirkpatrick; Directed by Donna
Feore. Stratford Festival Theatre, 55 Queen
St., Stratford. 1-800-567-1600. $39-$216.42.
Runs until Nov. 17th. Visit stratfordfestival.ca
for tickets and info.
Thursday October 3
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Dance/Instrumental Series: A Musical and
Dance Journey Through Latin America.
Embark on a captivating journey with Latinx
Ensemble 2024 through the vibrant dance
and melodies of Latin America. From Mexico
toArgentina, this performance celebrates
the rich cultural tapestry of this diverse continent,
encompassing Central America, the
Caribbean, and the Andean nations. Join us
for an exhilarating celebration of LatinAmerican
rhythms and traditions! Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.
coc.ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University
Faculty of Music. Music at Noon
- Glenn Buhr & Keenan Reimer-Watts. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 1:00: Trinity Bach Project. Bach and
Roses. Bach: Cantata BWV 72 “Alles nur nach
Gottes Willen”; Bach: Cantata BWV 182 “Himmelskönig,
sei willkommen”; and works by
Purcell and Duruflé. Nicholas Nicolaidis,
conductor, with 13 voices; Alison Melville,
recorder; Gillian Howard, oboe; Valerie Gordon,
violin; Jonathan Oldengarm, organ. University
of Toronto - Trinity College Chapel,
6 Hoskin Ave. 306-250-4256. Free. Also Oct 4
@ 8pm: Little Trinity Anglican Church; Nov 13
@ 8pm: Grace Church-on-the-Hill; Nov 17 @
3pm: Metropolitan United Church.
● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
Music in the Afternoon: Campbell Fagan
Park Trio. Schubert: Der Hirt auf dem Felsen
D.965 (Shepherd on the Rock); Glick: Images
at Nightfall, Georgian Bay. James Campbell,
clarinet; Leslie Fagan, soprano; Angela Park,
piano. University of Toronto - Edward Johnson
Building - Walter Hall, 80 Queen’s Park.
416-923-7052 X1 or www.wmct.on.ca. $50;
free(st with ID at door).
● 7:00: Estonian Music Week. Kristjan Randalu,
Piano. Schumann: Dichterliebe Op.40.
Cotton Factory, The, 270 Sherman Ave. N.,
Hamilton. www.eventbrite.ca/e/emw-concert-series-kristjan-randalu-hamilton-tick-
WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO
OCTOBER 3, 2024 | 1.30 PM
CAMPBELL
FAGAN PARK
TRIO
James Campbell, clarinet
Leslie Fagan, soprano
Angela Park, piano
416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca
ets-1000380243237. $35; $25(st). Also Oct 6
@ 2pm. Hugh’s Room, Toronto.
● 7:30: Flato Markham Theatre. Tom Thomson’s
Wake - An Original Folk Musical. Shipyard
Kitchen Party Band. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $70.
● 8:00: Burdock Music Hall. Two Tomorrows
and Good Fortune with Special Guest
Rebecca Hennessy. Two Tomorrows: Harley
Card, vocals & guitar; Good Fortune:
Kelsey McNulty, vocals & keyboards; Rebecca
Hennessy, trumpet & voice. Burdock -
Music Hall, 1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033.
$20/$15(adv).
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Palatable Gay Robot. See Oct 2. Also Oct 4
& 5.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Melanie Doane
& Special Guests. A benefit for Doane Music
School. 296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.
com/melanie-doane. $30.
Friday October 4
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital: Shades of Blue. Beethoven: Piano
WHOLENOTE Event Listings are free of charge
and can be submitted by artists, venues or presenters at any time.
WE INCLUDE
Daily listings for date-specific events such as live and/or livestream
performances, workshops, etc.
A directory of alternative venues - mainly clubs, mostly jazz.
Listings for ongoing, on-demand and other music-related activities not
tied to a specific date.
HOW TO LIST
Use the convenient online form at thewholenote.com/applylistings
or email listings to listings@thewholenote.com.
Changes to listings already submitted can usually be accommodated.
Please note, we do not take listings over the phone.
Inquiries about WholeNote listings should be addressed to
John Sharpe, Listings Editor at listings@thewholenote.com
DEADLINES
Weekly Listings Update (our e-letter)
& JUST ASK (our searchable online listings)
Eligible listings received by 6pm Tuesday, each week, will be included
in the following Sunday’s e-letter, and simultaneously posted to our
searchable online listings database.
Please note: the weekly listing e-letter typically looks one week ahead. The
Just Ask database is searchable as far into the future as we have listings.
The WholeNote, print magazine
Our next print issue, Volume 30 no. 3 covers December & January 2024.
The print listings submission deadline is Tuesday November 12.
See page 6 for a list of publication dates.
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advertising@thewholenote.com
REGISTER TO RECEIVE THE WEEKLY LISTINGS UPDATE at thewholenote.com/newsletter
30 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Sonata Op.27 No.2; Debussy: Claire de lune;
Ravel: Jeux d’eau; Gershwin: Rhapsody in
Blue. Irina Bazik, piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600
x220. Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays
at 12:30 Concert Series. Jonathan
Rowsell, tuba; Denis Jiron, trombone; Kyung
Kim, piano. Western University - Music Building
- Von Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N.,
London. 519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free. LIVE & LIVESTREAM.
● 7:00: Bingemans. Oktoberfest KoolHaus
2024: The Sheepdogs. 425 Bingemans Centre
Dr., Kitchener. Ticket prices vary by
event. Please visit www.bingemans.com/
Oktoberfest/events.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Roland Wood
(Nabucco); Mary Elizabeth Williams (Abigaille);
Rihab Chaieb (Fenena); Matthew
Cairns (Ismaele); and other soloists. Canadian
Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra;
Paolo Carignani, conductor; Katherine M.
Carter, 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 $45. Also Oct 6(2pm), 17, 19(4:30pm),
23, 25. At 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
Celebration! Ronald Royer: Four Seasons
of Canada for String Sextet; Mozart: Allegro
maestoso (Mvmt 1) from Sinfonia Concertante
for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat
K.364; Charles Liu: New Work for String
Quartet (SPO Commission and Premiere);
Daniel Mehdizadeh: Dialectics, for String
Quartet (Premiere); Zhiqi (Jimmy) Lin: Rotating
Lantern (SPO New Generation Composer
– Premiere); Massimo Guida: The Burning
Cove, for String Quartet (SPO New Generation
Composer - Premiere); Beethoven:
Presto from String Quartet Op.131; Dvořák:
Allegro con fuoco from String Quintet No.2
in G Op.77. Odin Quartet: Alex Toskov, violin;
Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin; Matt Antal, viola;
Samuel Bisson, cello. Scarborough Bluffs
United Church, 3739 Kingston Rd., Scarborough.
647-956-1182 or www.spo.ca. $35;
$30(sr); $15(st); Free(under 14 when accompanied
by parents).
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Spirited Overtures. Rossini: Overture to The
Barber of Seville; Stravinsky: Jeu de cartes;
Mozart: Violin Concerto No.5 K.216; J. Strauss
II: Overture to Die Fledermaus. Renaud Capuçon,
violin; Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375
or www.tso.ca. From $30. Also Oct 5(RTH
@ 8pm) & Oct 6(George Weston Recital Hall
@ 3pm).
● 8:00: 3030 Dundas West Live Music
Venue. Ron Korb Global Canvas CD Launch.
Ron Korb, flute; Victoria Yeh, violin; Xiaoqiu
Lin, erhu; Bill Evans, piano; Steve Lucas, bass;
Rick Shadrach Lazar, percussion; Ray Hickey
Jr., guitar & koto. 3030 Dundas St. W. www.
ronkorb.com/globalcanvas. $35/$30(adv).
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The Box. Burlington Performing Arts
Centre - Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member) - $69.50($64.50 member).
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Palatable Gay Robot. See Oct 2. Also Oct 5.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Any Dream
Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Includes songs such as Memory, Don’t Cry
for Me Argentina, The Phantom of the Opera,
Sunset Boulevard, and The Music of the Night.
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-
7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca. From
$15. Limited availability.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Twin Flames.
296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/
twin-flames-3. From $27.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge: Masters
of Old School Blues - Diana Braithwaite
& Chris Whiteley. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020
or www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/dianabraithwaite-chris-whiteley.
$20. Minimum
$30 food & beverage spend. Restricted to
ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show at 8pm.
● 8:00: Trinity Bach Project. Bach and
Roses. See Oct 3. Also Nov 13 @ 8pm: Grace
Church-on-the-Hill; Nov 17 @ 3pm: Metropolitan
United Church.
Saturday October 5
● 10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. Wychwood Theatre
(Toronto), 76 Wychwood Ave. tyttheatre.com.
$37.49; $35.49(under 12); $33.49(group of 4 or
more); $42.49(front row). Also Oct 5(12:30pm),
6(12:30pm), 12(12:30pm), 13(12:30pm),
19(12:30pm), 20(12;30pm) Any person in theatre
space, regardless of age, must hold a valid
ticket; recommended age 4+.
● 2:00: Brampton Festival Singers. Popular
Songs of the 60’s and 70’s Sing-Along.
Enjoy the music with the community and
a coffee/tea with some light snacks to fill
the afternoon. Barry Mann: Who Put the
Bomp?; The Mammas & the Papas: California
Dreaming; The Beatles: I Want to Hold Your
Hand; Roger Miller: King of the Road; and
other songs. Snelgrove Community Centre,
11692 Hurontario St., Brampton. Visit www.
bfschoir.org. Free.
● 2:00: Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.
Classical Mega Hits. Rossini: Overture
to The Barber of Seville; Beethoven: 1st
Mvmt of Symphony No.5; J. Strauss Jr.: An
der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful
Blue Danube); Pachelbel Canon in D; Sibelius:
Finlandia; Brahms: Allegro spirito from
Symphony No.2. William Rowson, conductor.
Sheridan Auditorium, 154 College St., Sudbury.
www.ci.ovationtix.com/36875/production/1211023.
$30; $15(under 30). Also
7:30pm.
● 3:00: Canadian Music Centre. Robert
Nathaniel Dett Album Release Concert:
Northern Magnolias. Works by Robert
Nathaniel Dett. Luke Welch, piano. Canadian
Music Centre, Chalmers Performance Space,
20 St. Joseph St. www.on.cmccanada.org.
Free. Limited seating on a first-come/firstserved
basis. Post-concert reception and
meet-and-greet.
● 3:00: Friends of Music at St. Thomas’s.
Hymn Festival. Ravel: Histoires naturelles;
Poulenc: Le Bestiaire; and other works.
Hosted by John Fraser. Elizabeth Anderson,
Manuel Piazza, and John Tuttle, organ.
St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, 383 Huron St.
www.stthomas.on.ca or 416-483-5488. Pay
What You Wish ($25 suggested).
● 4:30: Beach United Church. Jazz &
Reflection Featuring David Occipinti &
String Trio. David Occipinti, guitar; Carol
Lynn Fujino, violin; Catherine Gray, viola; and
Mary-Katherine Finch, cello. Beach United
Church, 140 Wineva Ave. 416-691-8082.
Pay-what-you-can (suggested minimum of
$10). No tickets required and you may just
show up at the door.
● 7:00: Bingemans. Oktoberfest KoolHaus
2024: The Reklaws. 425 Bingemans Centre
Dr., Kitchener. Ticket prices vary by
event. Please visit www.bingemans.com/
Oktoberfest/events.
● 7:00: Evergreen Club Contemporary
Gamelan/Consulate General of Indonesia.
Fortieth Anniversary Celebration. Works by
Andrew Timar, Mark Duggan, Bill Parsons,
John Wyre, and Nano Surato. Guest artists
and Maxine Heppner, choreographer. Consulate
General of Indonesia, 129 Jarvis St.
www.eventbrite.ca/e/concert-celebrating-
40-years-evergreen-club-contemporarygamelan-tickets.
Free.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Holman & Hasnova. Program
to be announced. Petr Holman, viola; Marie
Hasonova, violin. Keffer Memorial Chapel,
Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave.
W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.com/concerts.
$30; $10(st).
● 7:00: Starvox Entertainment. Evil Dead
the Musical. Book and lyrics by George Reinblatt;
Music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher
Bond, Melissa Morris, George Reinblatt. Randolph
Theatre, 736 Bathurst St. . $30-$50.
Runs until Nov. 24th. Visit evildeadthemusical.
com for tickets.
● 7:30: Brantford Music Club. Tafelmusik.
Works by Purcell, Muffat, and Bach. Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra. Sanderson Centre
for the Performing Arts, 88 Dalhousie
St., Brantford. 519-752-7453 or www.
brantfordmusicclub.com. $45; $10(st);
Free(elementary st).
● 7:30: Greenbank Folk Music Society.
Jenie Thai. Jenie Thai Trio plus special guest
Rory Thaillon. Greenbank Hall, 19965 Highway
#12, Greenbank. 905-985-8351. $35.
● 7:30: London Symphonia. Opening Night:
Tchaikovsky and Good. Tchaikovsky: Symphony
No.6 “The Pathetique”; Scott Good:
Trumpet Concerto “Between the Rooms”,
which is full of drama and colour, rounds out
the program. Adam Zinatelli, trumpet; Daniel
Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor. Metropolitan
United Church, 468 Wellington St.,
London. 226-270-0910 or www.londonsymphonia.ca.
$$55 General Admission,
$75 Reserved Seating, and $55 for unlimited
Video On Demand 21-day access.
● 7:30: Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
Salaam Rahman. Sampradaya Dance Creations.
Features Rahman’s scores, accompanied
by live music from the Mississauga
Symphony Orchestra and an Indian Orchestra,
melding eastern classical with contemporary
sounds. 4141 Living Arts Dr.,
Mississauga. 905-306-6000. From $30.
● 7:30: Music at the Toronto Oratory. Complete
Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part II: Bach
Goes to School. Includes the chorale partitas
“Sei gegrusset” and “Ach, was soll ich
sunder machen,” and Prelude and Fugue in
b. Aaron James, organ. Holy Family Roman
Catholic Church (Toronto) - Oratory, 1372 King
St. W. 416-532-2879. Free admission. Donations
accepted.
● 7:30: Southern Ontario Lyric Opera
(SOLO). La Bohème. See Oct 2.
● 7:30: Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.
Classical Mega Hits. See 2pm.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Wind Ensemble: Brief Incarnations.
Mendelssohn: Overture; Lili Boulanger: D’un
matin de printemps; Schulhoff:- Hot-Sonate;
David Gillingham: Waking Angels; Gershwin:
Prelude No.2; Steven Stucky: Music for Queen
Mary. Gillian MacKay, conductor; Kannan
Bloor, saxophone - Winner of the 2024 Winds
Concerto Competition. York University -
Accolade East Buildinng - Tribute Communities
Recital Hall, 4700 Keele St. www.music.
utoronto.ca. $30; $20(sr); $10(st).
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Black Gold. Disco, Soul, Rock’n’Roll,
Rhythm and Blues. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre - Main Theatre, 440 Locust St.,
Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member) - $69.50($64.50 member).
● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony
Orchestra. Ode to Joy. Joel Toews: Fanfare
401; Matthew Emery: Hymn of Praise;
Beethoven: Symphony No.9 in d Op.125
“Choral”. Martin MacDonald, conductor;
Rachel Krehm, soprano; Danielle MacMillan,
mezzo; Daevyd Pepper, tenor; Alex Halliday,
bass-baritone; Pax Christi Chorale
HYMN
FESTIVAL
HOSTED BY JOHN FRASER, CM
ORGANISTS
ELIZABETH ANDERSON,
MANUEL PIAZZA & JOHN TUTTLE
OCTOBER 5 AT 3:00 PM
ST. THOMAS’S CHURCH, 383 HURON ST.
PAY WHAT YOU WISH ($25 SUGGESTED)
STTHOMAS.ON.CA
FRIENDS OF MUSIC AT ST. THOMAS’S
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 31

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
(Elaine Choi, conductor); Voices Chamber
Choir (Ron Cheung, conductor). P.C. Ho Theatre,
Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater
Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough.
416-879-5566 or www.cathedralbluffs.
com. From $25.
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Palatable Gay Robot. See Oct 2.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. The Hot
Sardines. Led by Evan Palazzo and Elizabeth
Bougerol. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.
ca. From $15. Limited availability.
● 8:00: Greater Toronto Philharmonic
Orchestra. Viva La Musica: Celebrating Latin
America and Spain. Esteban Fioroni: Fantasia
Tango Agentina; Arturo Marques: Danzon
No.2; Nestor Guestrin: Guitar Concerto - Cuadros
de Salta; Adelmaro Romero: Fuga con
Pajarillo; Bernstein: West Side Story; Falla:
El sombrero de tres picos. Soloists: Ana Isabella
Castro, soprano; Luis Angel Medina, guitar;
Lorenzo Guggenheim, conductor. Isabel
Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W. www.gtpo.
ca or 647-238-0015. From $32.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Luke & The Apostles.
Mike McKenna; Luke Gibson; drummer
Ed Hamm, drums; Jeff Ham, bass.
296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/
luke-and-the-apostles-60th-anniversary.
$30.
● 8:00: New Music Concerts. Gay Guerrilla:
Architek Percussion and the Legacy of
Julius Eastman. Julia Wolfe: Dark Full Ride
for Four Drum Sets; Philippe Leroux: Les Uns
II for Three Percussionists; Julius Eastman:
Gay Guerilla, version for Four Percussions
and Two Pianos. Architek Percussion: Noam
Bierstone, percussion; Ben Duinker, percussion;
Alexander Haupt, percussion; Alessandro
Valiante, percussion. Guest artists:
Daniel Añez, piano; Pamela Reimer, piano. St.
George’s Grange Park Church (formerly St.
George the Martyr Church), 30 Stephanie
St. www.newmusicconcerts.com/concert/
gay-guerrilla-architek-percussion-and-thelegacy-of-julius-eastman.
$35; $30(sr/arts
workers); $20(st). 7:15pm Pre-Concert Chat,
7:45pm Young Artist Overture, 8pm Concert.
8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
●
Spirited Overtures. See Oct 4(RTH @ 7:30pm)
& Oct 6(George Weston Recital Hall @ 3pm).
Sunday October 6
● 10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. See Oct 5. Also
Oct 6 (12:30pm), 12(12:30pm), 13(12:30pm),
19(12:30pm), 20(12;30pm).
● 2:00: Avenue Road Music & Performance
Academy. Marbin Matinees Concert Series:
Solo Stylings - Anthony Kubelka, Piano. Repertoire
will include interpretations of jazz
standards, original compositions, as well
as exploring the depths of free improvisation.
Anthony Kubelka, piano. Avenue Road
Music and Performance Academy - Gordon
Lightfoot Concert Hall, 460 Avenue Rd. www.
avenueroadmusic.com/events/2024/10/06/
solo-piano-anthony-kubelka-marbin-matinees-series
or info@avenueroadmusic.
com or 416-922-0855. Pay what you can or
donation.
● 2:00: Estonian Music Week. Kristjan Randalu,
Piano. Schumann: Dichterliebe Op.40.
Hugh’s Room Live, 296 Broadview Ave. www.
eventbrite.ca/e/emw-concert-series-kristjan-randalu-toronto-tickets-1000389350477.
$35; $25(st). Also Oct 3 @ 7pm. Cotton Factory,
Hamilton.
● 2:30: Canadian Opera Company.
Nabucco. See Oct 4, 17, 19(4:30pm), 23, 25. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 3:00: Amici Chamber Ensemble. Maestro
Bernstein. Bernstein: Variations on an Octatonic
Scale; Duo for Clarinet and Cello; Clarinet
Sonata; West Side Story Medley (arr. by
Serouj Kradjian); and other works. Guest Artists:
Beste Kalender, mezzo; violinist Erika
Raum, violin; and Students of the Glenn Gould
School; Amici Chamber Ensemble: Joaquin
Valdepeñas, clarinet; David Hetherington,
cello; Serouj Kradjian, piano. Trinity St. Paul’s
United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor
St. W. www.amiciensemble.com/maestrobernstein.
$50; $30(under 30); $100(donor/
VIP).
● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Emanuel Ax, Piano. Beethoven: Piano Sonata
No.8 in c Op.13 “Pathétique”; Schoenberg:
Drei Klavierstücke Op.11; Beethoven: Piano
Sonata No.2 in A Op.2 No.2; Schoenberg: Drei
Klavierstücke (1894); Schoenberg: Sechs
kleine Klavierstücke Op.19; Beethoven: Piano
Sonata No.23 in f Op.57 “Appassionata”.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $75.
● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Spirited Overtures. See Oct 4(RTH @
7:30pm).
● 3:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. PSQ Presents: Elliot Madore. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 3:30: North York Concert Orchestra.
Prize Winners Concert 2024. Liszt: Hungarian
Rhapsody No.2; Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
(Mvt 1); Moszkowski: Piano Concerto
No.2 (Mvt 1); Chopin: Rondo a la Krakowiak.
Frederick Huang, piano; Joey Machin, violin;
Leping Ho, piano; Rafael Luz, conductor.
Toronto Public Library - Fairview Branch -
Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Dr. www.nyco.ca.
$40; $35(sr); $20(under 30).
● 4:00: Lavinia Ensemble. Mozart in the Sun
– Music and Words for Our Climate. Mozart:
Clarinet Concerto; Walker: Lyric for Strings;
Beethoven: Cavatina Op.130; Grieg: Prelude
from The Holberg Suite. The Lavinia Ensemble;
Mark Whale, violin & director. With
Gavin Warren, clarinet. St. Olave’s Anglican
Church, 360 Windermere Ave. 647-268-9216
or www.eventbrite.ca/e/mozart-in-thesun-music-and-words-for-our-climate-tickets-933478949667?aff=oddtdtcreator.
$25;
$10(st).
● 7:30: Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club. Ryan
Young with Alanna Jenish, Guitar. Chaucer’s
Pub, 122 Carling St., London. 519-319-5847
or folk@iandavies.com or www.ticketscene.
ca. $25.
● 7:30: Oakville Chamber Orchestra. Your
Baroque Favourites. Telemann: Suite from La
Changeante; Handel: Concerto Grosso; Bach:
Suite No.2 in b. Susan Somerville, flute solo;
Oakville Chamber Orchestra. Oakville Centre
for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St.,
Oakville. www.oakvillechamber.org/program-1-your-baroque-favourites
or 905-815-
2021. $45(regular); $60(premium); $20(st);
$15(child).
Tuesday October 8
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental/Jazz Series: Confluencias. Lara
Wong, flute & bansuri; Melón Jimenez, guitar;
Chendy Leon, percussion. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.
coc.ca. Free.
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music. Freddy Abu Sido,
trumpet. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: Master Class -
Alain Coulombe, bass. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.
utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Nathan Jeffery, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Tom Cochrane: Songs & Stories. Burlington
Performing Arts Centre - Main Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$69.50($64.50 member) - $89.50($84.50
member).
Wednesday October 9
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Vocal Series: L’Amour und Liebe. Opera Division
at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of
Music presents a concert of beloved operatic
treasures from the French and Germanrepertoire.
Sandra Horst & Michael Patrick
Albano, co-directors. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca. Free.
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
(Kitchener). Noon Hour Series: Douglas
Haas Legacy Concerts. Koichi Inoue, piano.
54 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430
or www.standrewskw.com. Free. Lunch
available for $10 at 11:30am or bring your
own.
● 2:00: Bloor/Borden Farmers’ Market.
Music in the Market - Andrea Kuzmich. 300
Borden St. 613-475-4769. Free. 2pm-7pm.
Rain or shine.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Campbell, Fagan, Park: The
English Folk Song. Schubert: Shepherd on
the Rock; Falla: Seven Spanish Popular Songs;
Ravel: Pièce en forme de Habanera; and other
works including popular opera arias to be
announced from the stage. James Campbell,
clarinet; Leslie Fagan, voice; Angela
Park, piano. Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,
Waterloo. www.k-wcms.com/concerts. $40;
$10(st).
● 7:30: Music at First-St. Andrew’s United
Church. FSA Strings: Shades of the Baroque.
Works by Telemann, Biber, and others.
Soloists: Margaret Trethewey, flute; Peter
Bartley, violin; Isaac Lee, cello; FSA Strings;
Igor Saika, director. First-St. Andrew’s United
Church, 350 Queens Ave., London. 519-679-
8182 or www.fsaunited.com/music-concerts.
Freewill admission.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Sarasate Conducts Mozart’s Requiem.
Brahms: Symphony No.3; Mozart: Requiem
K.626. Siobhan Stagg, soprano; Karen Cargill,
mezzo; Frédéric Antoun, tenor; Dashon
Burton, bass-baritone; Toronto Mendelssohn
Choir (Jean-Sébastien Vallée, artistic director);
Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or
www.tso.ca. From $30. Also Oct 10 & 12.
Thursday October 10
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Student Recital - Community
Music. Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,
Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/
faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.html.
Free.
● 12:00 noon: Metropolitan United Church.
Noon at Met: Organ Recital. Jonghee Yoon,
organ. Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen
St. E. 416-363-0331 x226. Freewill donation.
● 3:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Neville Austin Graduate Colloquium
Series: Marjoris Regus (Rutgers University).
Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free. Room 130.
● 7:30: FirstOntario Arts Centre (Milton).
Classic Troubadors Live - The Songs
of James, Joni, Jackson, and Carole. Jacob
Moon, singer & songwriter. 1010 Main St.,
Milton. 905-878-6000. $55.
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Solid Gold - An Evening with Tynomi Banks.
Streetcar Crowsnest - Crows Theatre,
345 Carlaw Ave. www.crowstheatre.com.
$35. Also Oct 11 & 12.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Sarasate Conducts Mozart’s Requiem. See
Oct 9. Also Oct 12.
Friday October 11
● 12:15: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital. Jonathon Oldengarm, organ. St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe
St. 416-593-5600 x220. Free. Donations
welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
32 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Faculty of Music Fridays at 12:30 Concert Series.
Alma (guitar and vocal duo). Western
University - Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free. LIVE &
LIVESTREAM.
● 7:00: Bingemans. Oktoberfest KoolHaus
2024: Dorfrocker. 425 Bingemans Centre Dr.,
Kitchener. Ticket prices vary by event. Please
visit www.bingemans.com/Oktoberfest/
events.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
Music by Charles Gounod. Long Long (Faust);
Kyle Ketelsen (Méphistophélès); Guanqun Yu /
Ariane Cossette (Marguerite); Szymon Mechlinski
(Valentin); Alex Hetherington (Siebel);
Megan Latham (Marthe); and other soloists.
Canadian Opera Company Chorus & Orchestra;
Johannes Debus, conductor; Amy Lane,
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
$45. Also Oct 13(2pm), 16, 18, 24, 26, Nov 2. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Flato Markham Theatre. Kathleen
Edwards. Led by Evan Palazzo and Elizabeth
Bougerol. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.
ca. From $15. Limited availability.
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Solid Gold - An Evening with Tynomi Banks.
See Oct 10. Also Oct 12.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Tania Miller Conducts the Royal Conservatory
Orchestra. Program to be announced
in June. Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS
Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-
408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $25.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Les
Violons du Roy with Karina Gauvin & Marie-
Nicole Lemieux. Handel arias and duets.
Jonathan Cohen, music director. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $60.
● 8:00: Vesuvius Ensemble. Otterville,
with Andrew Downing & Friends. Works by
Weill, Billy Strayhorn, Satie, Bill Frisell, and
Nino Rota. Andrew Downing, cello; Tara
Davidson, alto saxophone; Michael Davidson,
vibraphone; Paul Mathew, bass; Nick
Fraser, drums. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton
Ave. www.bemusednetwork.com/events/
detail/1026. $40.
Saturday October 12
●
10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. See Oct 5. Also
Oct 12(12:30pm), 13(12:30pm), 19(12:30pm),
20(12;30pm).
● 7:00: Bingemans. Oktoberfest KoolHaus
2024: Dorfrocker. 425 Bingemans Centre Dr.,
Kitchener. Ticket prices vary by event. Please
visit www.bingemans.com/Oktoberfest/
events.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Michael Lewin. Arvo Pärt:
Für Alina; Liszt: Sonata in b; Menotti: Ricercare
and Toccata; Debussy: Three Préludes,
Book Two; Moszkowski: Caprice espagnol
Op.37. Michael Lewin, piano. Keffer
Memorial Chapel, Wilfrid Laurier University,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo. www.kwcms.com/concerts.
$40; $10(st).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
See Oct 4. Also Oct 17, 19(4:30pm), 23, 25. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 8:00: Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret:
Solid Gold - An Evening with Tynomi Banks.
See Oct 10.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Sarasate Conducts Mozart’s Requiem. See
Oct 10.
Sunday October 13
● 10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. See Oct 5. Also
Oct 13(12:30pm), 19(12:30pm), 20(12;30pm).
● 2:00: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11. Also Oct 16, 18, 24, 26, Nov 2. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:00: Untitled Ensemble Chamber Music
Society. A Fundraiser for New Music. An
exclusive evening of micro classical music
performed by members of the Untitled
Ensemble and friends, conversation with our
musicians and board members, a silent auction,
and light snacks and beverages in the
cozy Annette Studios located in the Junction
area of Toronto to raise funds to commission
a new work by one of our Land of Lakes
Emerging composer winners, Neva Tesolin.
Annette Studios, 566 Annette St. www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-spectacular-fundraiser-for-newmusic-tickets-932559629957.
$35; $25(sr).
● 8:00: Opera Revue. Trills, Chills and Frills
- A Spooky Masquerade Opera Show. Handel:
Selections from Acis and Galatea; Schubert:
Der Dopplegänger; Donizetti: Selections
from Lucia di Lammermoor; Handel: Selections
from Giulio Cesare. Danie Friesen, soprano;
Benjamin Done, tenor; Alexander
Hajek, baritone; Claire Elise Harris, piano.
Redwood Theatre, The, 1300 Gerrard Ave.
E. 647-637-7491 or www.operarevue.com/
trills-chills-and-frills. From $20. Costumes
are highly encouraged to be worn by our
audiences and a prize will be given to the best
in show.
Tuesday October 15
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Dance/Instrumental Series: MITWA. Mitwa,
presented by Parul Gupta Dance Works,
illuminates the vibrant spirit of Kathak, a classical
dance from North India, alongside tabla
and sitar, traditional North Indian percussion
and melody. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music: Rising Stars
Recital. Featuring performers from the
Glenn Gould School. Yorkminster Park Baptist
Church (Toronto), 1585 Yonge St. 416-922-
1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: 3rd Year Undergraduate
Singers in Performance. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free. Room 130.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Jonas Hellesøe, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
● 7:00: Apocryphonia. Amor Con Fortuna:
Songs of 16th-Century Spain. Works
by Flecha, Encina, Vasquez, Gombert, Fuenllana,
and Pisador. Diapente Renaissance
Vocal Quintet: Jane Fingler, soprano; Peter
Koniers, countertenor; Alexander Cappellazzo,
tenor; Jonathan Stuchbery, tenor/guitar/vihuela;
Martin Gomes, bass. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 514-378-2558. Pay What
You Can: suggested $20 or $30. Free refreshments
at intermission.
● 7:30: Grand Theatre. Shakespeare’s ‘As
You Like It’. Adapted and Directed by Daryl
Cloran; Conceived by Daryl Cloran and Bard
on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Featuring
music of The Beatles. Grand Theatre
(London), 471 Richmond St., London. 519-
672-8800. $24-$96. Runs until Nov. 2nd. Visit
grandtheatre.com for full performance dates
and pricing.
● 7:30: Soundstreams. TD Encounters: Letters
to God - P.S. I (Don’t) Believe in You. Chris
Pruden: P.S. I (don’t) Believe in You (Soundstreams
commission). Ky Brooks and Tara
Kannangara, performers. Hugh’s Room Live,
296 Broadview Ave. www.soundstreams.ca/
events/td-encounters-letters-to-god-p-s-idont-believe-in-you.
Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Contemporary Music Ensemble: At
First Light. Johannes Maria Staud: Par là!;
Magnus Lindberg: Jubliees; Anna Clyne:
Fractured Time; George Benjamin: At First
LightTicket Prices: $30 Adult, $20 Senior,
$10 Student. University of Toronto students
with a valid T-Card are admitted free at the
door (space permitting, some exceptions
apply). No ticket reservation necessary. Wallace
Halladay, conductor. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.
utoronto.ca. $30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T students
with a valid T-Card are admitted free at
the door (space permitting, some exceptions
apply). No ticket reservation necessary.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Pops: Simply the Best - A Tina Turner Tribute
with Adrienne Warren. Adrienne Warren,
vocalist; Steven Reineke, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375
or www.tso.ca. From $41. Also Oct 16(2pm
& 8pm).
Wednesday October 16
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: Games of the Night
Wind. New music by David Jaeger. Christina
Petrowska Quilico, piano. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.
coc.ca. Free.
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy
Concerts. Elizabeth Lepock, soprano; Mike
Lepock, bass; Heidi Gallas, piano. 54 Queen St.
N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10
at 11:30am or bring your own.
● 2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Pops: Simply the Best - A Tina Turner Tribute
with Adrienne Warren. See Oct 15. Also
Oct 16(8pm).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11. Also Oct 18, 24, 26, Nov 2. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Toronto Shape Note Singers.
Sacred Harp Singing. Shape note music
selections from the Sacred Harp tunebook.
Singing is participatory, not a performance.
No experience necessary. All are welcome
and there are books to borrow. Friends
House, 60 Lowther Ave. 647-838-8764. Pay
what you can. Also Nov 20 & Dec 18.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. University of Toronto Symphony
Michael Kim
Mozart
Piano Concerto D minor
Dvorak Symphony #7
Erika Raum
Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto
Beethoven Eroica
Gavin Warren
Rietz
Clarinet Concerto
Seasonal Favourites
Brahms
Tragic Overture
Shostakovich
Symphony #10
Jennifer Taverner
Soprano Arias
Schumann
Spring Symphony
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 33

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
Orchestra (UTSO) Graduate Conductors.
York University - Accolade East Building -
Tribute Communities Recital Hall, 4700 Keele
St. www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Pops: Simply the Best - A Tina Turner Tribute
with Adrienne Warren. See Oct 15.
Thursday October 17
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: La Joie de Vivre. Works
by Poulenc and Offenbach. COC Orchestra.
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Metropolitan United Church.
Noon at Met: Recital by Collegium Regale
(early music choir & instruments). Metropolitan
United Church, 56 Queen St. E. 416-363-
0331 x226. Freewill donation.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Thursdays at Noon: Snježana
Pavićević, flute and piccolo. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.
music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 3:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Neville Austin Graduate Colloquium
Series: Moe Touizrar. Edward Johnson Building,
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free. Room 130.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
See Oct 4. Also Oct 19(4:30pm), 23, 25. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto.
Faenze Ensemble: Un bestiaire fabuleux - A
Tribute to Jean de la Fontaine (A Fabulous
Bestiary, a Tribute to Jean de La Fontaine).
Music by Marin Marais, François Campion,
Nicolas de Chédeville, Ennemond Gautier,
François Couperin, Jacques-Martin Hotteterre,
and the Manuscrit Boerez. Olga
Pitarch, vocals/spinet/castanets; Marco Horvat,
vocals/guitar/theorbo; Francisco Mañalich,
vocals/bass viol/guitar. Alliance Français
de Toronto - Spadina Theatre, 24 Spadina Rd.
www.alliance-francaise.ca. $18.
● 8:00: Folk Under The Clock. Miscellany
of Folk. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre,
140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749-
1146 or www.markethall.org. $45.
Friday October 18
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital: Harvest Jazz - Afternoon Melodies.
Tanya Wills Quartet: Tanya Wills, vocals; Bill
Bridges, guitar; Ron Johnston, bass; Kevin
Coady, drums. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:00: Resound Choir. Sips & Shanties.
Works by The Rankin Family, Ian and Sylvia,
Stan Rogers, as well as living composers
Andrew Balfour, Sherryl Sewepagaham, and
Beverly McKiver. Lviv Banquet Hall, 38 Lviv
Blvd., Oshawa. Visit www.eventbrite.ca/e/
resound-choir-presents-sips-shanties-tickets.
$35; $15(post-secondrary st) $5(under
18).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11. Also Oct 24, 26, Nov 2. At 7:30pm
unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Special Performance: Tim Burton’s The
Nightmare Before Christmas - In Concert.
Sarah Hicks, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca.
From $30. Also Oct 19(2pm & 7:30pm).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Chamber Choir & MacMillan Singers.
Kathleen Allan & Dr. Jamie Hillman, conductors.
Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St.
W. www.rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/358001.
$30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T students with
a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door
(space permitting, some exceptions apply).
No ticket reservation necessary.
● 8:00: Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra.
Autumn Radiance. Christine Donkin:
Three Autumn Scenes; Mozart: Piano Concerto
No.20 in d; Dvořák:Symphony No.7 in d
Op.70. Michael Kim, piano; Matthew Jones,
conductor. Martingrove Collegiate Institute,
50 Winterton Dr., Etobicoke. www.eporchestra.ca/season/2425/autumn-radiance/.
$30.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Caity Gyorgy.
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/caity-gyorgy.
$34.
Minimum $30 food & beverage spend.
Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show
at 8pm.
● 8:00: Small World Music. Reflections on
Khusau and Kabir Featuring Ustaad Saami
and Ramneek Singh. Aga Khan Museum -
Auditorium, 77 Wynford Dr. www.ticketing.
agakhanmuseum.org. From $45.
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Feast for the Senses: Lalande & Rameau.
Lalande: Symphonie pour le souper
du roi; Rameau: Suite of Dances; Muffat:
“Graditudo” and “Laeta Poesis”; and
music by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre.
Amandine Beyer, violin; Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra. Trinity St. Paul’s United
Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St.
FEAST FOR
THE SENSES:
Lalande & Rameau
Directed by Amandine Beyer
Oct 18–20
Jeanne Lamon Hall,
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
tafelmusik.org
W. www.tafelmusik.org. From $45. Also
Oct 19(8pm), 20(3pm).
Saturday October 19
● 10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. See Oct 5. Also
Oct 19(12:30pm), 20(12;30pm).
● 2:00: Theatre Passe Muraille/The Flin
Flon Cowboy Collective. The Flin Flon Cowboy.
By Ken Harrower, Erin Brandenburg,
Johnny Spence, and The Flin Flon Cowboy
Collective. Ken Harrower, Greg Campbell,
Mona Nesrallah, Steven Foster, Kate Palumbo;
Johnny Spence, music director; Erin Brandenburg,
stage director. Theatre Passe
Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. Visit www.passemuraille.ca.
From $15. Also Oct 22(7:30pm),
23(7:30pm), 24(7:30pm), 25(7:30pm),
26(2pm), 29(7:30pm), 30(7:30pm),
31(7:30pm), Nov 1(7:30pm), 2(2pm).
● 2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special
Performance: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare
Before Christmas - In Concert. See
Oct 18. Also Oct 19(7:30pm).
● 2:30: Heliconian Club. Helle’s Belles II.
Works by Jana Skarecky, Maria Soulis, Kye
Marshall, Taivi Lobu Alexander, and Julia
Cleveland. Louise Morley, piano; Lyse Ward,
piano; Maria Soulis, mezzo; Taivi Lobu, singersongwriter.
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave.
416-922-3618. $30; $25(members); Free(child
12 and under accompanied by an adult).
● 4:30: Canadian Opera Company.
Nabucco. See Oct 4. Also Oct 23, 25. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 4:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Taylor
Academy Showcase Concert. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Mazzoleni
Concert Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208
or www.rcmusic.com/performance. Free.
● 7:00: Trinity Anglican Church. Concert
of the Senses with Nadine & Friends. Doors
open at 6:30pm. Works by Franck, Bach, Chopin,
Sarasate, and others. Nadine Bargout,
violin; Alexander Panizza, piano; Grace KyungRok
Moon, viola. 79 Victoria St., Aurora.
437-324-9324 or www.eventbrite.ca/e/concert-of-the-senses-with-nadine-friends-tickets-997151355547?aff=oddtdtcreator.
$35.
● 7:30: Brampton On Stage. The Rose
Orchestra: Fall for Romance. Music from
Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and other
works. Andrew Fu, piano. Rose Theatre, The
(Brampton), 1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. www.
tickets.brampton.ca/online or 905-874-2800.
From $20.
● 7:30: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Music of the Movies: Tribute to John Williams.
John Williams: Star Wars Suite for Orchestra;
John Williams: Flight to Neverland from
“Hook”; John Williams: Harry’s Wondrous
World; John Williams: Suite from “Jaws”; John
Williams: Excerpts from “Close Encounters
of the Third Kind”; and other works. Hamilton
Philharmonic Orchestra; Evan Mitchell,
conductor. FirstOntario Concert Hall - Boris
Brott Great Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton.
www.hpo.org/music-of-the-movies-tributeto-john-williams.
From $20. 6:30pm: Preconcert
talk.
● 7:30: Royal Canadian College of Organists.
INTERSTELLAR 10. Original soundtrack
arrangements by Roger Sayer; and
music from 2001: A Space Odyssey as well
as selections Holst: The Planets. Includes a
short documentary about the creation of the
“Interstellar” soundtrack followed by an audience
Q&A with Sayer. Roger Sayer, organ.
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
Visit www.rcco.ca/Interstellar. $40; $30(st).
● 7:30: Tallis Choir of Toronto. Requiem.
Fauré: Requiem Op.48; Duruflé: Requiem
Op.9. Andrea Ludwig, mezzo; Nathan Jeffry,
organ. St. Patrick’s Catholic Church,
131 McCaul St. www.tallischoir.com or 416-
286-9798. $30; $25(sr - 60+); $10(st - with
ID).
● 7:30: Theatre Passe Muraille. Flin Flon
Cowboy. Ken Harrower croons original tunes
alongside a live country band revealing his
real life story of self-discovery and defiance.
16 Ryerson Ave. 416-504-7529. $15-$65. Runs
until Nov. 2nd. Visit passemuraille.ca for
FALL FOR ROMANCE
THE ROSE ORCHESTRA
OCTOBER 19, 2024 / 7:30PM
OPULENT OVERTURES. BEAUTIFUL BALLETS.
CAPTIVATING CONCERTOS.
Fall for the eternal charm of exquisite melodies
from Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet and more.
Join The Rose Orchestra and special guest
pianist, Brampton’s own Andrew Fu, as they
open their season with timeless music that is
sure to stir the romantic in all of us.
34 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

tickets and info.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special
Performance: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare
Before Christmas - In Concert. See
Oct 18.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Wind Symphony: Airs & Dances. Allan
Gordon Bell: From Chaos to the Birth of a
Dancing Star; Jodie Blackshaw: Terpsichorean
Dances; Andrew Boysen, Jr.: Three Folk
Song Settings; Conni Ellisor: Keepers of the
House; Ron Nelson: Courtly Airs and Dances;
John Weinzweig: Round Dance. Pratik Gandhi,
director. York University - Accolade East
Building - Tribute Communities Recital Hall,
4700 Keele St. www.rcmusic.com/tickets/
seats/358001. $30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T
students with a valid T-Card are admitted free
at the door (space permitting, some exceptions
apply). No ticket reservation necessary.
● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. Aleksi
Campagne. St. Paul’s United Church,
200 McIntosh St., Scarborough. www.
acousticharvest.ca or www.ticketscene.ca/
events/48737 or 416-729-7564. $40/$35(adv).
● 8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Dances
and Dreams: Opening Night Gala. Tchaikovsky:
Suite from The Sleeping Beauty; Dvořák:
Cello Concerto; Lalo: Symphony in g. Winona
Zelenka, cello; Daniel Vnukowski, host; Kristian
Alexander, conductor. Flato Markham
Theatre, 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469. $50-$40 (adult); $40-$30
(senior) $30-$25 (youth). 7:10pm: Prélude
(pre-concert recital). 7:20 pm: Pre-concert
talk. Intermission discussion and Q&A with
Winona Zelenka, Teresa Suen-Campbell and
Daniel Vnukowski.
● 8:00: Orchestra Toronto. Resilience in
Harmony. Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D
Op.61; Shostakovich: Symphony No.10 in e
Op.93. Julia Mirzoev, violin; Michael Newnham,
conductor. Meridian Arts Centre -
George Weston Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St.
416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754 or boxoffice@tolive.com.
From $14. Pre-concert chat
at 7:15pm.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Monty Alexander Trio and The Jay Douglas
All-Stars. A Jamaican jazz jam in honour
of Alexander’s 80th birthday. Royal
TallIs
ChoIr
www.tallischoir.com
Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre -
Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208
or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From
$60.
● 8:00: Small World Music. Saami Brothers
Qawwali. Qawwali music, traditional music,
world Music. Toronto Metropolitan University
- Chrysalis at the Creative School, 43 Gerrard
St. E. www.eventbrite.ca/e/saami-brothersqawwali-tickets
or 437-422-9461. From $33.
RE-SCHEDULED FROM MAY 18.
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Feast for the Senses: Lalande & Rameau. See
Oct 18. Also Oct 20(3pm).
Sunday October 20
● 10:00am: T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George
and the Golden Meatball. See Oct 5. Also
Oct 20(12;30pm).
● 1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music and
Truffles Kids. Benedetto Lupo, piano. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s
Park. 416-922-3714 x103; 647-988-2012 (eve/
wknd). $25.
● 2:00: Avenue Road Music & Performance
Academy. Marbin Matinees Concert Series:
“Geniuses (re)Discovered” - Dane Ko. Works
by Mozart, Enescu, and Debussy. Dane Ko,
piano. Avenue Road Music and Performance
Academy - Gordon Lightfoot Concert Hall,
460 Avenue Rd. www.venueroadmusic.com/
events/2024/10/20/geniuses-rediscovereddane-ko-marbin-matinees-concert-series
or info@avenueroadmusic.com or 416-922-
0855. Pay what you can or donation.
● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. All
Gershwin. Jay Dref, tenor; Daniel Clarke Bouchard,
piano. FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre - Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St.
Catharines. 905-688-0722 or boxoffice@
firstontariopac.ca. From $39; $52(arts workers);
$46(under 35); $29(st); $24(18 and under).
● 2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Soprano-Alto Chorus & Tenor-Bass
Chorus. Thomas Burton & Maria Conkey, conductors.
Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St.
W. www.rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/358001.
$30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T students with
a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door
(space permitting, some exceptions apply). No
ticket reservation necessary.
Peter Mahon
Artistic Director
Requiem: Fauré and Duruflé
JointheTallisChoiras
wepresent,forthefirst
time, two of the bestloved,
intimate settings
of the Requiem Mass by
Gabriel Fauré and Maurice Duruflé.
With guest artist, Andrea Ludwig, Mezzo Soprano
Saturday, October 19, 7:30pm
St. Patrick's Church: 141 McCaul St.
Order tickets online: tallischoir.square.site
ORGAN CONCERT TOUR
ROGER SAYER
the Interstellar organist
plays hits from the
movie soundtrack
and more!
TORONTO, OCTOBER 19, 2024
Metropolitan United Church
56 Queen Street East, 7:30 p.m.
$40/$30
interstellar-toronto.eventbrite.ca
and at the door
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 35

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
● 3:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Feast
for the Senses: Lalande & Rameau. See Oct 18.
● 3:00: The Jeffery Concerts. Esme Quartet.
Kui Dong: “Spring” from Spring, Summer,
Autumn, and Winter; Juri Seo: “Fall - Winter” from
Infinite Season; Mendelssohn: String Quartet in f
Op.80; Schumann: String Quartet in A Op.41 No.3.
St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 280 St.
James St., London. www.grandtheatre.com or
519-673-8102. $40; Free(st).
● 3:15: Mooredale Concerts. Benedetto
Lupo, piano. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. 416-922-3714 x103;
647-988-2012 (eve/wknd). $30-$55.
● 4:00: Elora Singers. Songs of Sanctuary:
Du Fay, Allegri, Berko. St. Matthew’s Centre,
54 Benton St., Kitchener. 519-846-0331 or www.
elorasingers.ca/events/songs-of-sanctuary-dufay-allegri-berko.
$55; $20(st); $10(12 and under).
● 4:00: Folk Under The Clock. Breabach.
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre,
140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749-
1146 or www.markethall.org. $45.
● 4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. Choral
SUN 20 OCT AT 4
Choral Evensong
for St. Luke
plus at 5 p.m.
STANFORD’S
CENTENARY
with Robert Busiakiewicz
O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing • Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
Praise and Thanksgiving • God, whose giving knows no ending
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Lobe Den Herren)
Great is Thy Faithfulness • Touch the Earth Lightly
Let All Creation Dance • Go to the World
Evensong for St. Luke. Opens with Choral
Evensong for St. Luke, a religious service. Followed
at 5pm by an illustrated music feature
entitled Standford’s Centenary: Victoriana
Revisited presented by Robert Busiakiewicz.
St. Olave’s Anglican Church, 360 Windermere
Ave. www.YouTube.com/StOlavesAnglican-
Church or 416-769-5686. Contributions
appreciated.
● 4:00: St. Philip’s Recital Series. Northern
Magnolias. Solo piano works by Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor and others. Luke Welch,
piano. St. Philip’s Anglican Church, 31 St. Phillips
Rd., Etobicoke. 416-247-5181. Admission
by donation.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. KWS Musicians String
Trio/Quartet. Mozart: Divertimento K.563;
Janáček: String Quartet No.1. Jung Tsai, violin;
Xueao Yang, violin; Jody Davenport, viola;
Rebecca Morton, cello. First United Church,
16 William St. W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.
com/concerts. $30; $10(st).
● 7:00: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Home, Harvest and Healing: Autumn Hymn
Festival. O for a thousand tongues to sing;
Come ye faithful people come; Praise and
thankgsiving; God whose giving knows no
ending; Praise to the Lord; and other hymns.
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge
St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations
welcome.
Monday October 21
● 7:30: Kingston Baroque Consort. The
Dragon of Wantley. A retelling of the story
with incidental music by John Frederick
Lampe,narration by Matthew Davis, and original
artwork by Colton Fox. Isabel Bader
Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King St.
W., Kingston. www.eventbrite.com/e/baroque-tapestry-kingston-baroque-consortseason-2024-2025-tickets-981833619787
or
legerek@queensu.ca or 613-217-5099. $25;
$10(st); Free(under 17).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Wilma and Clifford Smith Visitor in
Music: Celso Machado, guitar. Walter Hall
(University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Tuesday October 22
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Student Recital - Voice. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: Romancing the
Rock. Luís Ramirez: Iridescence; and works
by César Franck and Amanda Maier. Duo
Concertante: Nancy Dahn, violin; Timothy
Steeves, piano. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music. Hannah Silverberg,
flute. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Tuesday Voice Series: 2nd Year
Undergraduate Singers in Performance. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s
Park. www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Ian Sadler, organ. Cathedral Church
of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865
or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals. Free.
Donations encouraged.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Student
Composers Concert. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Tranzac Club. Micah Schroeder &
Stéphane Mayer: Everlastingness. Danika
Loren: Recuerdo; Jocelyn Morlock: Involuntary
Love Songs; Mary Kouyoumdjian (text
by Royce Vavrek): Everlastingness; Poulenc:
Banalités; Stéphane Mayer: Anabel Lee.
Micah Schroeder, baritone; Stéphane Mayer,
piano. Featuring Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh.
292 Brunswick Ave. www.everlastingness.
eventbrite.com. $30.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Student Composers Concert. Featuring
works by students in the Composition
program. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 8:00: Musical Stage Company. UnCovered:
U2 & The Rolling Stones. Created
by Kevin Wong and featuring award-winning
Canadian artists. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall,
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $64-$139.
Also on Oct. 23, 24, 25 8pm. Visit musicalstagecompany.com
for tickets and info.
Wednesday October 23
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
KW Woodwind Quintet. 54 Queen St.
N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10
at 11:30am or bring your own.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
See Oct 4. Also Oct 25. At 7:30pm unless
otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Music at the Toronto Oratory. Complete
Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part III: Bach
and the Italian Tradition. Includes Canzona
in d, Fugue on a theme by Corelli, Concerto in
C, Concerto in a. Aaron James, organ. Holy
Family Roman Catholic Church (Toronto) -
Oratory, 1372 King St. W. 416-532-2879. Free
admission. Donations accepted.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Jazz Presents Nimmons 101. A concert
in celebration of Phil Nimmons. Program
details will be available soon. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. Registration
required for this event. Registration
details available soon. Free.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Celine:
The Tribute. Catherine Pearson, vocalist; Victoria
Yeh, solo violin. 171 Town Centre Blvd.,
Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $58.
● 8:00: Musical Stage Company. UnCovered:
U2 & The Rolling Stones. See Oct 22.
Also Oc 24 & 25.
Thursday October 24
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Student Recital - Strings. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
36 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: Poetic Mystery and
Lucid Freshness. Works by Debussy and
Haydn. COC Orchestra. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Metropolitan United Church.
Noon at Met: Organ Recital. Michelle Chung,
organ. Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen
St. E. 416-363-0331 x226. Freewill donation.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Laureates - Aljoša
Jurinić, winner of the Lilian Goh Piano Competition
Recital Prize. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. Livestream
available at www.youtube.com/uoftmusic.
Free.
● 1:00: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Brass Chamber Music Master Class:
Brandon Ridenour & Patrick Sheridan. Program
details will be available soon. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free. Also at 6pm.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Duo Concertante. Amanda
Maier: Sonata in b; Luis Ramirex: Iridescence;
Alice Ho: Dark Tales; Franck: Sonata
for Violin and Piano. Nancy Dahn, violin; Timothy
Steeves, piano. First United Church,
16 William St. W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.
com/concerts. $30; $15(st).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11. Also Oct 26, Nov 2. At 7:30pm
unless otherwise noted.
QUARTETTO DI
CREMONA
OCTOBER 24, 2024
7:30 PM
music-toronto.com
● 7:30: Music Toronto. Quartetto di Cremona.
Malipiero: String Quartet No.2 “Stornelli
e Ballate”; Ravel: String Quartet in F;
Schumann: String Quartet No.1 Op.41 No.1.
Cristiano Gualco, violin; Paolo Andreoli, violin;
Simone Gramaglia, viola; Giovanni Scaglione,
cello. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Jane
Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. E. 1-800-708-
6754 or tickets@music-toronto.com. From
$55. $20(arts workers).
● 7:30: Opera Atelier. Acis and Galatea.
Music by Georg Frideric Handel. Antonin
Rondepierre, tenor (Acis); Blaise Rantoanina,
tenor (Damon); Meghan Lindsay,
soprano (Galatea); Douglas Williams,
bass (Polyphemus); Artists of Atelier Ballet;
Tafelmusik Baroque Choir; Nathaniel
Dett Chorale; Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra;
Christopher Bagan, conductor. Elgin and
Wintergarden Theatre Centre - Elgin Theatre,
189 Yonge St. 416-703-3767 x700 or
www.Opera Atelier.com. From $55. Also
Oct 26(7:30pm) & 27(2:30pm).
● 7:30: Soundstreams. Letters to God. Akira
Miyoshi: Letters to God; R. Murray Schafer:
17 Haiku; Toru Takemitsu: Seasons; Melody
McKiver: river woman; Claude Vivier: Pulau
Dewata. Fujii Percussion (mother Mutsuko
Fujii, and daughters Haruka Fujii and Rika
Fujii); Soundstreams Choir 21; Canadian Children’s
Opera Company; Gregory Oh, piano;
and Ryan Scott, percussion. Trinity St. Paul’s
United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor
St. W. www.rcmusic.com/events-and-performances/soundstreams-presents-lettersto-god.
From $27.60.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Chamber Orchestra. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Art of Time Ensemble/Royal Conservatory
of Music Glenn Gould School/Koffler
Arts. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold.
Stravinsky: L’Histoire du soldat. Graham
Lumsden, trumpet; Ken Kagawa, trombone;
Anne Murdoca, clarinet; Wolfgang Scheitinger,
bassoon; Julia Mirzoev, violin. Harbourfront
Centre - Theatre, 235 Queens Quay W.
416-973-4000. From $25. Also Oct 25(8pm),
26(2pm & 8pm), 27(2pm).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. The Fabulous
Thunderbirds 50th Anniversary. Opening
act: Steve Strongman. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15. Limited
availability.
● 8:00: Musical Stage Company. UnCovered:
U2 & The Rolling Stones. See Oct 22.
Also Oct 25.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2. Petrassi: Concerto
for Orchestra No.2; Bruch: Violin Concerto
No.1; Rachmaninoff: Symphony No.2.
Timothy Chooi, violin; Gianandrea Noseda,
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.
416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca. From $30. Also
Oct 26(8pm) & 27(3pm).
Friday October 25
● 11:00am: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Low Brass Master Class: Patrick
Sheridan. Program details will be available
soon. Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free. Room 217.
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital: Contemporary Australian Piano Four
Hands Sonatas. Carl Vine: Sonata for Piano
Four Hands; Stuart Greenbaum: Sonata for
Piano Four Hands. Ryan Baxter, piano; Connor
O’Kane, piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays
at 12:30 Concert Series. Duo Concertante.
Western University - Music Building
- Von Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free. LIVE & LIVESTREAM.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
See Oct 4.
● 7:30: North Wind Concerts. Pop-Up Pot-
Pourri: An Evening of Eclectic Musical Performances
and Conversations. Works by
William Byrd, Papineau-Couture, George
Fiala, Ben Grossman, and others. Improvisations
on haiku and more. Alison Melville,
traverso & recorder; Colin Savage,
Romina Abadi and Yasuchika Suzuki, recorders;
Louise Hung, virginals. Heliconian Hall,
35 Hazelton Ave. 416-588-4301 or www.
bemusednetwork.com/events/detail/1023
or www.northwindconcerts.com. Pay-What-
You-Can. Suggested amount $20.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Wind Orchestra.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre Auditorium,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Art of Time Ensemble/Royal Conservatory
of Music Glenn Gould School/
Koffler Arts. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale
Retold. See Oct 24. Also Oct 26(2pm & 8pm),
27(2pm).
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
The Lightfoot Band. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre - Main Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$69.50($64.50 member) - $89.50($84.50
member).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Radio
Rush: The Moving Pictures Story. 171 Town
Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or
www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca. From $60.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Tom Rush.
296 Broadview Ave. www.showpass.com/
tom-rush. From $65. Also Oct 26.
● 8:00: Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
Tribute to the Legends of Reggae: Bob Marley
Edition. A live musical rockumentary featuring
Sean Jones, Ammoye, Steele, Omega
Mighty, Justice Kumari and DJ Joshua Lucas
all paying homage to the life and music of
a reggae legend. Hosted by MC Bondé.
4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-
6000. From $65.
● 8:00: Musical Stage Company. UnCovered:
U2 & The Rolling Stones. See Oct 22.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Adi Braun. 21 Old
Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or www.oldmilltoronto.
com/event/adi-braun. $20. Minimum $30
food & beverage spend. Restricted to ages
19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show at 8pm.
● 8:00: Royal Canadian College of Organists
Toronto. Phantoms of the Organ: Halloween
Spooktacular. Toronto’s finest young
organists playing spine-tingling selections
on Canada’s largest pipe organ. Metropolitan
United Church, 56 Queen St. E. Visit www.
metunited.org/music-arts/music-at-met-concerts.
Free. Donations gratefully accepted.
Costumes encouraged!
Saturday October 26
● 9:00am: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Breathing Gym Clinic with Patrick
Sheridan. Program details will be available
soon. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 10:15am: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Trumpet Master Class: Brandon
Ridenour. Program details will be available
soon. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 2:00: Art of Time Ensemble/Royal Conservatory
of Music Glenn Gould School/
Koffler Arts. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale
Retold. See Oct 24(8pm), 25(8pm), 26(8pm),
27(2pm).
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Western University Wind Ensemble and
Symphonic Band. Western University - Talbot
College - Paul Davenport Theatre,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 3:00: Toronto Children’s Chorus. Can You
See Me? Toronto Children’s Chorus Training
Choirs, Cantare and special guests, and
Choral Scholars; Zimfira Poloz, artistic director.
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St.
E. www.torontochildrenschorus.com. $25.
● 7:00: New Adventures in Sound Art
(NAISA). Reimagined Realities. A screening
of video works that treat sound, image and
language with equal importance. Peinture
Noire by Laura De Decker, Stefan A. Rose &
Herménégilde Chiasson; Postcard by Edgardo
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 37

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
Moreno; Hydra by Véro Marengère; and
Lake Composition by April Martin and Ben
McCarthy. Warbler’s Roost, 6785d Eagle Lake
Rd., South River. 705-386-0880. $12.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11. Also Nov 2. At 7:30pm unless
otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Dundas Conservatory of Music.
Hexenlied: Tunes of Terror. Works by Bach,
Chopin, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff,
and others. Michaela Chiste, soprano;
Benjamin Paul Schmalz, piano. St. Paul’s
United Church, 29 Park St. W., Dundas. www.
dundasmusic.eventbrite.ca. $25; $20(sr/st),
$12(child).
● 7:30: Opera Atelier. Acis and Galatea. See
Oct 24. Also Oct 27(2:30pm).
● 7:30: Orpheus Choir of Toronto. The
Lamb White Days. John Corigliano: Fern Hill
and works by Mozart, Fauré, Katerina Gimon,
George Chung, Stephanie Martin, and others.
Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd.
416-420-9660 or www.orpheuschoirtoronto.
com or tickets@orpheuschoirtoronto.com.
$50; $40(sr 60+); $25(st/arts workers).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. PSQ Presents: Jane Bunnett and
Friends. Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre
Auditorium, 75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Art of Time Ensemble/Royal Conservatory
of Music Glenn Gould School/Koffler
Arts. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold.
See Oct 24. Also Oct 27(2pm).
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Tom Rush.
296 Broadview Ave. https://www.showpass.
com/tom-rush-night-two. From $65. Also
Oct 25.
● 8:00: Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
Matt Dusk Sings Tony Bennett. 4141 Living
Arts Dr., Mississauga. 905-306-6000. From
$45.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage: Mariza.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS
Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-
408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $70.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2. See Oct 24.
Also Oct 27(3pm).
Sunday October 27
● 1:45: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. TSO
Chamber Soloists. Repertoire and artists to
be announced. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe
St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca/chamber
soloists. Access included with TSO concert
ticket for Oct 27.
● 2:00: Art of Time Ensemble/Royal Conservatory
of Music Glenn Gould School/Koffler
Arts. Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold.
See Oct 24.
● 2:30: Opera Atelier. Acis and Galatea.
See Oct 24.
● 2:30: Peterborough Concert Band. Bringing
People Together: Peterborough Concert
Band Fundraiser Supporting the New Canadians
Centre. Please join us for a celebratory
reception hosted by the New Canadians
Centre, working with local Peterborough
restaurants. Classical and contemporary
works. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre,
140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. www.
markethall.org or www.peterboroughconcertband.ca
or www.nccpeterborough.ca or
Ken Abraham at manager@peterboroughconcertband.ca.
$34; $15(streaming).
● 3:00: Hannaford Street Silver Band.
Brassology. Brandon Ridenour, trumpet;
Patrick Sheridan, conductor. St. Lawrence
Centre for the Arts - Jane Mallett Theatre,
27 Front St. E. www.hssb.ca.
● 3:00: Off Centre Music Salon. Ages &
Stages. Shostakovich: Piano Trio Op.67;
Debussy: Sonata for Cello and Piano
L.135;Shostakovich: From Jewish Folk Poetry
Op.79; J. Strauss: Polka-Pizzicato & Tritsch-
Tratsch Polka, for piano six hands; Schubert:
Lieder. Sheila Jaffé, violin; Mira Kardan, cello;
Andrea Ludwig, mezzo (OCMS Artist-in-Residence);
Inna Perkis, piano; Ernesto Ramirez,
tenor; Micah Yui, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano.
Trinity St. Paul’s United Church. Jeanne
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.offcentremusic.com.
$50; $40(sr); $15(ages 13-25);
$15(ages 12 and under).
● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Les
Violons du Roy With Karina Gauvin and Marie-
Nicole Lemieux. Jonathan Cohen, conductor.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $60.
● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Rachmaninoff Symphony No.2. See Oct 24.
● 4:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Bridge & Wolak. Michael Bridge, digital
accordion; Kornel Wolak, clarinet & piano.
Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Community
Studio Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $49.50($44.50
member).
Flute Street
PRESENTS
Beyond the
Night Sky
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 4PM
www.flutestreet.ca
● 4:00: Flute Street. Beyond the Night Sky.
Peter Senchuk: Beyond the Night Sky; Avinée:
Le Château hanté; Rubén Flores: The Weeping
Witch; Alexandra Molnar-Suhajda: Paths
of Deeper Gold; Mussorgsky: Night on Bare
Mountain. Church of St. Peter and St. Simonthe-Apostle,
525 Bloor St. E. 416-462-9498 or
www.flutestreet.ca. $25; $20(sr); $15(fulltime
st).
Monday October 28
● 7:30: Azrieli Music Arts & Cultural Centre.
Azrieli Music Prizes 2024 Gala Concert.
Josef Bardanshvili: Light to My Path, choral
fantasy for mixed choir, saxophone, percussion
and piano; Yair Klartag: The Parable of
the Palace, a work for choir and four double
basses; Jordan Nobles: Kanata for Large
Choir; Juan Trigos: Simetrías Prehispánicas.
2024 AMP Laureates: Josef Bardanashvili,
Yair Klartag, Jordan Nobles, and Juan
Trigos; Orchestre symphonique de Montréal
Chorus; Orchestre symphonique de Montréal;
Andrew McGill, conductor. Maison Symphonique
de Montreal, 1600 Saint-Urbain, Montreal.
music@azrielifoundation.org. LIVE &
LIVESTREAM.
Tuesday October 29
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Student Recital - Keyboard.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: Cantus Ensemble - Contemporary
Croatian Music. Works by Boris
Papandopulo, Sara Jaković, David Batinić,
and Berislav Šipuš. Berislav Šipuš, conductor.
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Christopher Dawes, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
Wednesday October 30
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
Hallowe’en Special. Program includes:
Danse Macabre, This Is Hallowe’en, Monster
Mash, The Phantom of the Opera. Amanda
Jeffreys, soprano; Darielle Chomyn-Davison,
alto; Morgan Ballantyne, tenor; Stuart Bergstra,
bass; KW Woodwind Quintet. 54 Queen St.
N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10
at 11:30am or bring your own.
● 7:00: Canadian Opera Company. Centre
Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition - Lights,
Camera, Opera! Canadian Opera Company
Orchestra; Johannes Debus, conductor. Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. 416-363-8231 or 1-800-250-
4653 or tickets@coc.ca. From $60. Cocktails
and Competition Tickets: $250.
● 7:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Artists
in Residence - New Orford String Quartet.
Western University - Music Building
- Von Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free.
Thursday October 31
● 12:00 noon: Metropolitan United Church.
Noon at Met: Voices of Prague - A Celebration
of Czech Opera. Grace Quinsey, soprano;
John Holland, bass-baritone; and William
Shookhoff, piano. Metropolitan United
Church, 56 Queen St. E. 416-363-0331 x226.
Freewill donation.
● 12:00 noon: Wilfrid Laurier University
Faculty of Music. Music at Noon - Penderecki
String Quartet. Wilfrid Laurier University -
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University
Ave., Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.
html. Free.
● 5:30: Canadian Opera Company. Jazz
Series: Forward Motion. Modern jazz works.
Young jazz artists at Humber College; Rich
Brown, leader. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Symphony Orchestra: Halloween.
Western University - Talbot College - Paul
Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free. Also Nov 2(3pm).
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge:
Haunted Memories - We All Scream for Gelato:
Quartetto Gelato. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-
2020 or www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/
quartetto-gelato. $30. Minimum $30 food &
beverage spend. Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner
at 6pm. Show at 8pm.
Friday November 1
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital. Beethoven: Sonata in d Op.31 No.2;
Fauré: Nocturne No.6 in D-flat Op.63; Fauré:
Barcarolle No.5 in f-sharp Op.66; Balakirev:
Islamey (Oriental Fantasy). Koichi Inoue,
piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,
73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Fridays at 12:30 Concert Series. Hocheol
Shin, cello; Kyung Kim, piano. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free. LIVE &
LIVESTREAM.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Kodak Quartet. Program to be
announced. Edgar Donati, violin; Martin Noh,
violin; Daniel Spink, viola; and Blake Kitayama,
cello. Keffer Memorial Chapel, Wilfrid Laurier
University, 75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.k-wcms.com/concerts. $40; $15(st).
● 7:00: Small World Music Music Series.
Rastak. Exploring a range of folk styles from
various traditions and interpreting them for
a modern, global audience combining traditional
and contemporary Iranian folk music.
Toronto Pavilion, 190 Railside Rd, North York.
www.https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rastaktickets
or www.smallworldmusic.com/
shows/rastak. From $60.
● 7:30: Aurora Cultural Centre. Old Man
Luedecke + Mehdi Rostami. Nova Scotia folk
banjo with support from Kurdish tar virtuoso.
22 Church St., Aurora. 905-713-1818 or info@
auroraculturalcentre.ca or www.auroraculturalcentre.ca/performing-arts.
$4050.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Choral
Concert: Chorale, Les Choristes, and Western
University Singers. Western University
- Talbot College - Paul Davenport Theatre,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Glenn
Gould School Chamber Opera. Ravel: L’Enfant
et les sortilèges; Debussy: L’Enfant prodigue.
Connor O’Kane, conductor; Mabel Wonnacott,
stage director. Royal Conservatory of
Music - TELUS Centre - Mazzoleni Concert
38 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $20. Also
Nov 2.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Jazz Orchestra.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre Auditorium,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Classic Albums Live - Led Zeppelin - Led
Zeppelin II. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $69.50($64.50 member)
- $89.50($84.50 member).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Matt Dusk
Sings Tony Bennett. 171 Town Centre Blvd.,
Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge:
Blackburn Brothers. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-
2020 or www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/
blackburn-brothers. $30. Minimum $30 food
& beverage spend. Restricted to ages 19+.
Dinner at 6pm. Show at 8pm.
● 8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. The Student
Prince. Music by Sigmund Romberg.
Soloists: Jacob Abrahamse (The Student
Prince); Kate Carver, conductor. St. Lawrence
Centre for the Arts - Jane Mallett Theatre,
27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723 or 1–800-708-
6754 or www.tolive.com. From $75. Also
Nov 2(8pm), 3(3pm).
Saturday November 2
● 11:00am: Xenia Concerts. An Adaptive
Concert with the Thalea Quartet. To eliminate
financial barriers to attendance, we will
refund your ticket when you arrive at the concert.
If you wish to donate to Xenia Concerts,
please select the “donation” option and enter
the amount you would like to contribute. Featuring
interactive storytelling through music
and song, the performance will display the
fun and energy of Yiddish music and beyond!
Thalea Quartet: Christopher Whitley, violin;
Kumiko Sakamoto, violin; Lauren Spaulding,
viola; Alex Cox, cello. Meridian Hall, 1 Front St.
E. 647-896-8295. $5. Also 2pm.
● 3:00: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.
Cantabile Chamber Singers
Songs of Hope & Peace. Includes two world
premieres. Amadeus Choir; Tom Allen, host &
storyteller; Lydia Adams, conductor. Eglinton
St. George’s United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd.
www.amadeuschoir.com/songs-of-hopeand-peace.
From $49. Also 7:30pm.
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Symphony Orchestra: Halloween.
Western University - Talbot College - Paul
Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free. Also Oct 31(7:30pm).
● 7:00: TO Live. Ricker Choi: The People
United. Works by Rachmaninoff, Chopin,
and music about freedom from Hong Kong,
Iran, China, and Ukraine. Ricker Choi, piano;
Loretta Lau, performance art; Antonina
Ermolenko, soprano; Oksana Hahn, piano;
Chloe Sun, piano. Meridian Arts Centre,
5040 Yonge St., North York. 416-366-7723
or www.tolive.com. $21.45, $38.40, $61.00,
$83.60.
● 7:30: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.
Songs of Hope & Peace. See 3pm.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Faust.
See Oct 11.
● 7:30: Cantabile Chamber Singers. Human
Connections Through the Ages. A choral concert
that connects us to the different facets
of life’s journey. Works by Brahms, Reger,
Shahi, and others. Church of the Redeemer,
162 Bloor St. W. www.cantabilechambersingers.com.
$30; $15(youth 13-18); Free(12
& under).
● 7:30: London Symphonia. Kindness. Featuring
stories and songs about kindness by
Leonard Cohen, Stephen Sondheim, Edith
Piaf, and others. Mike Nadajewski, singer &
actor; Glynis Ranney, singer & actor; Ben Bolt-
Martin, arranger & conductor. Metropolitan
United Church (London), 468 Wellington
St., London. 226-270-0910 or www.londonsymphonia.ca.
$$55 General Admission,
$75 Reserved Seating, and $55 for unlimited
Video On Demand 21-day access.
● 7:30: Milton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Remembering. Elgar: Cello Concerto in e;
Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin; Smetana: The
Moldau; and other works. Anna Jarvis, cello;
Pratik Gandhi, conductor. FirstOntario Arts
Centre, 1010 Main St., Milton. 905-875-5399.
HUMAN CONNECTION
THROUGH THE AGES
$30; $25; $15(st/child).
● 7:30: Mirvish Productions. Disney’s The
Lion King. Directed by Julie Taymor. Princess
of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W.
1.800.461.3333. $59-$259. Runs until Apr.
27th 2025. Visit mirvish.com for tickets.
● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Glenn
Gould School Chamber Opera. See Nov 1.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Student Composer Concert.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen
Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University Ave.,
Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/
faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.html.
Free.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Quiet
Please, There’s a Lady on Stage: Pilar With the
Royal Conservatory Strings and Bria Skonberg
Quintet. Royal Conservatory of Music
- TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St.
W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $50.
● 8:00: That Arts Group. That Choir. A cappella
performance of contemporary choral
music by great composers like Eric Whitacre
and Anton Bruckner. Central Presbyterian
Church (Hamilton), 165 Charlton Ave.
W., Hamilton. www.thatartsgroup.com/
thatchoir. From $10.
● 8:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. The Student
Prince. See Nov 1. Also Nov 3(3pm).
Sunday November 3
● 11:00am: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Young People’s Concert: Peter and the
Wolf (Relaxed Performance). Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser,
conductor. Roy Thomson
Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.
Songs
of Hope
& Peace
ca. From $30. Also Regular Performances at
1:30pm & 4pm.
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Faculty
Concert: Leslie Kinton, Piano. Western
University - Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 3:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
The Love Affair: Waltz & Tango. Brahms:
Liebeslieder-Walzer Op.52; Palmeri: Misatango;
Aaron Manswell: New Work (premiere).
Charlotte Siegel, soprano; Toronto
Mendelssohn Choir; Toronto Mendelssohn
the
LOVE AFFAIR
WALTZ & TANGO
Conducted by
Jean-Sébastien Vallée
November 3, 2024
Koerner Hall
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
tmchoir.org
November 2, 2024
162 Bloor Street West,
Toronto, ON at 7:30 pm
NOV
02
2024
3PM
7:30PM
EGLINTON ST. GEORGE’S UNITED CHURCH
HOSTED BY TOM ALLEN
CONDUCTED BY
LYDIA ADAMS
www.cantabilechambersingers.com
AMADEUSCHOIR.COM
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 39

There Is a Season:
A Musical Mosaic
Lute Legends Collective & Butter Quartet
Music of the four seasons from
Austria, Italy, China, Turkey and India
Tuesday, November 5 at 7 pm
St. Thomas’s Church, 383 Huron Street
Pay what you wish ($40 suggested, $20 students)
Scan code or visit stthomas.on.ca
Elmer
Iseler
Singers
FRIENDS OF MUSIC AT
ST. THOMAS’S CHURCH
Lydia Adams, Conductor
Fri. Nov 8, 2024 @ 7:30pm
St. Basil’s Catholic Parish
Fall Mysticism
With special guests
The Elora Singers
Premiere by composer
Peter-Anthony Togni
The Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
416-217-0537 elmeriselersingers.com
LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
Singers;Jonathan Goldman, bandoneon;
Instrumental Ensemble; Jean-Sébastien Vallée,
conductor. Royal Conservatory of Music
- TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St.
W. www.tmchoir.org/event/the-love-affair.
From $25.
● 3:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. The Student
Prince. See Nov 1.
● 3:30: Vesnivka Choir. Prayer for Ukraine.
Featuring Ukrainian sacred music, including
works by contemporary Ukrainian and
Ukrainian-Canadian composers. Vesnivka
Choir; Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber
Choir. Guests: St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic
Church Choir. All Saints Kingsway Anglican
Church, 2850 Bloor St. W. Contact
Nykola Parzei at 416-246-9880. Tickets available
through Eventbrite or at the door. $25;
Free(child under 16).
● 4:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Young People’s Concert: Peter and the Wolf.
See 11am.
Monday November 4
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Chamber Music. HAAS, cello and fiddle duo.
Western University - Music Building - Von
Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events.
Free.
Tuesday November 5
● 11:10am: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: John R. Stratton
Visitor in Music Masterclass - Edith Wiens,
soprano. Opera Arias and Art Song. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free. Livestream
available at www.youtube.com/uoftmusic.
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music. Emily Chiang,
piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Ondrej Hornas, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
Wednesday November 6
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
Ian Sadler, organ. 54 Queen St. N.,
Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10 at
11:30am or bring your own.
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Christina
Petrowska Quilico, Piano. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Brahms Chamber Music, Part
1. Brahms: Clarinet Sonata Op.120 No.1; Selections
from Ops.116-119; Trio for Clarinet, Cello,
and Piano Op.114. James Campbell, clarinet;
Leo Erice, piano; Penderecki String Quartet.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.k-wcms.com/concerts. $40; $10(st).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Lewis Jazz 12tet: The Music of Terry
Promane. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
$10. U of T students with a valid T-Card are
admitted free at the door (space permitting,
some exceptions apply). No ticket reservation
necessary.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
John Adams Returns. Ravel: Alborada del
gracioso; Debussy (arr. John Adams): Le Livre
de Baudelaire; John Adams: “This is prophetic!”
from Nixon in China; John Adams:
Frenzy (Canadian première/TSO Co-commission).
Anna Prohaska, soprano; John Adams,
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe
St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca. From $30.
Also Nov 9.
Thursday November 7
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Student Recital - Winds, Brass
and Percussion. Wilfrid Laurier University -
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University
Ave., Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.
html. Free.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Lyon Conservatoire
- Side-by-Side. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free. Livestream at www.youtube.
com/uoftmusic.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Brahms Chamber Music, Part
2. Brahms: Clarinet Sonata Op.120 No.2; Clarinet
Quintet Op.115. James Campbell, clarinet;
Leo Erice, piano; Penderecki String Quartet.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.k-wcms.com/concerts. $40; $10(st).
● 7:30: Elgin Wintergarden Theatre Centre.
Esencia Flamenca. Elgin and Wintergarden
Theatre Centre - Elgin Theatre,
189 Yonge St. www.ticketmaster.ca/
event/100060CE8F76192D. From $47.
● 7:30: Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy:
A Musical Fable. Book by Arthur Laurents,
Music by Julia Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
4th Street Jazz Project Band, Finnie
Jesson, Olivia Everett, Ted Powers, Musical
ensemble. Orillia Opera House, 20 Mississaga
St. W., Orillia. 705-326-8011. $35. Recommended
for ages 14+. Also Nov 8(7:30pm),
9(7:30pm), 10(2pm), 15(7:30pm), 16(7:30pm),
17(2pm).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. FMUA Benefit Concert. Walter Hall
(University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Friday November 8
● 12:15: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital. Debusssy: Syrinx; Marais, Les Folies
d’Espagne; Telemann: Fantasia No.8; Bach:
Partita; Ibert, Pièce pour flute seule; Aitken:
Icicle. Caara Yeung, flute. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600
x220. Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays
at 12:30 Concert Series - Members of
Tafelmusik. Western University - Music Building
- Von Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N.,
London. 519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free. LIVE & LIVESTREAM.
● 7:00: Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy: A
Musical Fable. See Nov 7. Also Nov 9(7:30pm),
10(2pm), 15(7:30pm), 16(7:30pm), 17(2pm).
● 7:30: Elmer Iseler Singers. Fall Mysticism.
Peter-Anthony Togni: The Divine Liturgy
40 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

of St. John Chrysostom (world premiere).
Guests: The Elora Singers (Mark Vuorinen,
artistic director); Elmer Iseler Singers (Lydia
Adams, conductor). University of Toronto - St.
Michael’s College - St. Basil’s Church, 50 St.
Joseph St. Visit www.bit.ly/fallmysticism or
416-217-0537 or www.elmereislersingers.
com. $45; $40(sr); $25(under 30).
● 7:30: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation. A
Concert of Remembrance. Al Kay, trombone;
George Koller, bass; Rob Crabtree, piper; The
Hedgerow Singers; Eric N. Robertson, conductor.
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Opera Excerpts. Wilfrid Laurier
University - Theatre Auditorium, 75 University
Ave. W., Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/
faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.
html. Free. Also Nov 9.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Michael Dunston.
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/michael-dunston-jazz.
$20. Minimum $30 food & beverage spend.
Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show
at 8pm.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Benjamin
Grosvenor, Piano. Works by Schubert,
Barber, and Schumann. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $50.
● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Chopin & Shostakovich
/ Slavic Gems. Chopin: Polish Songs;
Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in g Op.57
(orchestra version). Dominika Zamara, soprano;
Anya Alexeyev, piano; Sinfonia Toronto;
Nurhan Arman, conductor. Trinity St. Paul’s
United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor
St. W. 416-499-0403 or www.sinfoniatoronto.
com. $52; $40(sr); $20(st).
Saturday November 9
● 6:45: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. TSO
Chamber Soloists. Repertoire and artists to
be announced. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe
St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca/chamber
soloists. Access included with TSO concert
ticket for Nov 9.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Mercer, Park, St. John Trio.
Rebecca Clarke: Piano Trio in E-flat; Darren
Sigesmund: New Work; Schumann: Trio
No.1 in d Op.63. Rachel Mercer, cello; Angela
Park, piano; Scott St John, violin. Keffer
Memorial Chapel, Wilfrid Laurier University,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo. www.kwcms.com/concerts.
$40; $10(st).
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Western University Early Music Studio
with Musicians of Tafelmusik. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Feher Conducts Brahms. Rachmaninoff:
Vocalise; Ian Cusson: Songs From the
House of Death; Brahms: Symphony No.2 in
D Op.73. Rebecca Cuddy, mezzo; Hamilton
Philharmonic Orchestra; Andrei Feher, conductor.
FirstOntario Concert Hall (Hamilton)
- Boris Brott Great Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton.
www.hpo.org/feher-conducts-brahms.
From $20. 6:30pm: Pre-concert talk.
● 7:30: Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy: A
Musical Fable. See Nov 7. Also Nov 10(2pm),
15(7:30pm), 16(7:30pm), 17(2pm).
● 7:30: Music at the Toronto Oratory. Complete
Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part IV:
Glory to God in the Highest. Includes settings
of “Allein Gott in der Hoh sei Ehr,” Toccata,
Adagio, and Fugue, and Trio Sonata No.6.
Aaron James, organ. Holy Family Roman
Catholic Church (Toronto) - Oratory, 1372 King
St. W. 416-532-2879. Free admission. Donations
accepted.
● 7:30: North Wind Concerts. Encircling
the World – Drums. Marilyn George,
voice/dehwehgun/Nimkii dehwehgun;
Hooman Tootoonchian, daf; Graham Hargrove,
bodhrán & rhythm bones. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-588-4301 or www.
bemusednetwork.com/events/detail/1030
or www.northwindconcerts.com. Pay-What-
You-Can. Suggested amount $20.
● 7:30: Shoreline Chorus. Time After Time.
Cole Porter: Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye; As
Time Goes By from Casablanca; Seize The Day
from Newsies; Billy Joel: The Longest Time;
Come What Ma from Moulin Rouge. Stephen
NINE SPARROWS ARTS FOUNDATION
A CONCERT
OF REMEMBRANCE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2024 | 7:30 PM
Yorkminster Park Baptist Church 1585 Yonge Street at Heath Street
SPECIAL GUESTS:
Al Kay, Trombone
George Koller, Bass
FEATURING:
Rob Crabtree, Piper
The Hedgerow Singers
Eric N. Robertson, Conductor
ADMISSION FREE | DONATIONS WELCOME | WWW.9SPARROWSARTS.ORG
Wood, percussion; Shoreline Chorus; Ann-
Marie MacDairmid, director. St. George’s
Anglican Church (Clarksburg), 166 Russell
St., Clarksburg. 519-599-2710. $25.
● 7:30: Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.
Beethoven’s Snuffbox. Beethoven: Selections
from the complete String Quartets.
Beth Schneider-Gould, violin; Melissa Schaak,
violin; Geoff McCausland, viola;Dobrochna
Zubek, cello. St. Andrew’s United Church
(Sudbury), 111 Larch St., Sudbury. www.
ci.ovationtix.com/36875/performance/11512437.
$35; $20(under 30).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Opera Excerpts. See Nov 8.
● 8:00: New Music Concerts. Dark Tales:
An Immersive Journey Into Music, Light, and
Legend. Please be advised that this event
includes the use of projections. These visual
effects may be intense and could potentially
trigger discomfort in individuals with photosensitivity,
epilepsy, or other related conditions.
Viewer discretion is advised. Alice Ho:
Dark Tales, for Violin, Piano and Immersive
Digital Animation (Duncan Major). Duo Concertante:
Nancy Dahn, violin; Tim Steeves,
piano; and musicians from The Glenn Gould
School. Meridian Arts Centre - Studio Theatre,
5040 Yonge St. 416-366-7723. From $26.
7:15pm Pre-Concert Chat, 7:45pm Young Artist
Overture, 8pm Concert.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Leonidas Kavakos, Violin. Complete Bach
Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. Royal
Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre -
Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208
or www.rcmusic.com/performance. From
$55. Also Nov 10(5pm).
● 8:00: That Arts Group. That Choir
Remembers. A cappella performance of contemporary
choral music as we come together
to honour and remember those we’ve loved
and lost weaving emotions into storytelling
through song, creating a space for reflection
and connection. Church of the Holy Trinity,
19 Trinity Sq. www.thatartsgroup.com/
thatchoir. From $10. Also Nov 10(3pm).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
John Adams Returns. See Nov 8.
Sunday November 10
● 2:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Jeremy Fisher (Family Show). Funky
Freeze Dance, You Can Be Anything, Turtle
and Guy and others. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre, Community Studio Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$14.00($10.00 member).
● 2:00: Mariposa Arts Theatre.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable. See Nov 7. Also
Nov 15(7:30pm), 16(7:30pm), 17(2pm).
● 2:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. ARC
Ensemble: Czech Mates. Dvořák: Piano Quartet
No.2 and works by Walter Schumann.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Mazzoleni Concert Hall, 273 Bloor St. W.
www.rcmusic.com/tickets. $40.
● 3:00: Amici Chamber Ensemble. Was
Brahms a God? Brahms: Clarinet Quintet;
Dohnányi: Piano Quintet; Brahms: Hungarian
Dances (arr. for cello and piano). Guest Artists:
Jonathan Crow, violin; Hezekiah Leung,
violin; Amici Chamber Ensemble: Joaquin
Valdepeñas, clarinet; David Hetherington,
cello; Serouj Kradjian, piano. Trinity St. Paul’s
United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor
St. W. www.amiciensemble.com/maestrobernstein.
$50; $30(under 30); $100(donor/
VIP).
● 3:00: Magisterra Soloists. Magisterra
at the Museum: Diversity in Music. Works
by Florence Price, Wynton Marsalis, Samuel
Coleridge-Taylor, and others. Guest: Anya
Alexeyev, piano. Museum London, 421 Ridout
St. N., London. www.magisterra.com. $35;
$30(sr); $15(st); $10(under 10).
WHAT MAKES IT GREAT? ®
with ROB KAPILOW
& CHENG 2 DUO
NOVEMBER 10, 2024
3:00 PM
music-toronto.com
● 3:00: Music Toronto/TO Live. What Makes
It Great?® with Rob Kapilow and the Cheng²
Duo. Beethoven: Sonata for Piano and Cello in
A Op.69. Meridian Arts Centre - George Weston
Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. www.tolive.
com or 416-366-7723 or 1-800-708-6752. $40.
● 3:00: That Arts Group. That Choir
Remembers. See Nov 9.
● 4:00: Elora Singers. Blessed are the
Peacemakers: The Elora Singers with the
Elmer Iseler Singers. Peter-Anthony Togni:
A Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Basilica
of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk
St., Guelph. www.elorasingers.ca/events/
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 41

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
blessed-are-the-peacemakers-the-elorasingers-with-the-elmer-iseler-singers.
$45;
$20(st); $10(12 and under).
● 5:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Leonidas Kavakos, Violin. See Nov 9.
● 7:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Jeremy Fisher. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre, Community Studio Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$39.50($34.50 member).
● 7:30: Oakville Chamber Orchestra. Everybody
Loves Mozart. Mozart: Symphony No.32 in
D “Paris”; Mozart: Piano Concerto No.10 in E-flat
(arr. for two pianos); Mozart: Symphony No.39
in E-flat. Michael Berkovsky and Coral Solomon,
pianos; Oakville Chamber Orchestra. Oakville
Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St.,
Oakville. www.oakvillechamber.org/program-
2-everybody-loves-mozart/ or 905-815-2021.
$45(regular); $60(premium); $20(st); $15(child).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of Music.
Historical Performance: One World United - Handel’s
Dixit Dominus. Handel: The Choice of Hercules
(Canadian premiere); Handel: Dixit Dominus.
Schola Cantorum and the Theatre of Early Music
with Daniel Taylor; Laurence Lemieux, choreographer.
Trinity St. Paul’s United Church. Jeanne
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.music.utoronto.ca.
$40; $25(sr); $10(st). U of T students
with a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door
(space permitting, some exceptions apply). No
ticket reservation necessary.
● 8:00: North York Concert Orchestra.
Bassoon Magic. Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in
B-flat K.191; Beethoven: Symphony No.2 in D.
Zsofia Stefan, bassoon; Rafael Luz, conductor.
Toronto Public Library - Fairview Branch -
Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Dr. www.nyco.ca
or 416-671-1477. $30; $25(sr); $15(under 30);
$10(under 12).
Monday November 12
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music: Rising Stars Recital.
Featuring performers from the Glenn Gould
School. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: 1st Year Undergraduate
Singers in Performance. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Michael Capon, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations encouraged.
Tuesday November 13
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: The Many Sounds of the
Guitar - From Bach to the Present Day. African,
Balkan, and South American works. Tommy
Dupuis, guitar. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Downing Hybrid Ensemble. Directed
by Andrew Downing. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.
utoronto.ca. $10. Livestream tickets at www.
rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/363001.
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
Joonghun Cho, piano. 54 Queen St. N.,
Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10 at
11:30am or bring your own.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Chamber Music Showcase #1. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:00: Toronto City Opera. L’elisir d’amore.
Music by Gaetano Donizetti. Fully staged and
sung in Italian with English supertitles. There
is no dress code. Dress for comfort and flair to
enjoy the special magic of live opera. Casts to be
announced. Jennifer Tung, conductor; Jessica
Derventzis, stage director; Ivan Estey Jovanovic,
piano. Miles Nadal JCC - Al Green Theatre,
750 Spadina Ave. www.torontocityopera.com/
tickets. From $35. Also Nov 16(2pm) & 17(2pm).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Chamber Music Concert - Strings.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Trinity Bach Project. Bach and
Roses. See Oct 3. Also Nov 17 @ 3pm: Metropolitan
United Church.
Wednesday November 14
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University
Faculty of Music. Student Recital. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Vocal Series: The Voices of Prague. Works by
Mozart, Dvořák, and Smetana including arias
and scenes from The Jakobin, Rusalka, Don
Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, Prodaná,
Nevĕsta, and other operas. Grace Quinsey,
soprano; John Holland, bass-baritone; William
Shookoff, piano. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Chamber Music Showcase #2. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO
NOVEMBER 14, 2024 | 1.30 PM
JULIAN RACHLIN
& FRIENDS
Julian Rachlin, violin
Sarah McElravy, viola
Karen Ouzounian, cello
Sheng Cai, piano
416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca
● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
Music in the Afternoon: Julian Rachlin &
Friends. Bach: Goldberg Variations (arr. for
string trio); Brahms: Piano Quartet No.2;
Penderecki: Ciaccona for solo violin and viola.
Julian Rachlin, violin; Sarah McElravy, viola;
Karen Ouzounian, cello; Sheng Cai, piano. University
of Toronto - Edward Johnson Building
- Walter Hall, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-923-7052
X1 or www.wmct.on.ca. $50; free(st with ID
at door).
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Opera
at Western: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). Western
University - Talbot College - Paul Davenport
Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events.
$35/$25 in advance ($40/$30 at door). Also
Nov 15(7:30pm), 16(2pm), 17(2pm).
MÍRO QUARTET
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
7:30 PM
music-toronto.com
● 7:30: Music Toronto. Miro Quartet. Haydn:
String Quartet in G Op.77 No.1; Caroline Shaw:
Microfictions Vol. 1; Debussy: String Quartet
in g Op.10. Daniel Ching, violin; William Fedkenheuer,
violin; John Largess, viola; Joshua
Gindele, cello. St. Lawrence Centre for the
Arts - Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. E.
1-800-708-6754 or tickets@music-toronto.
com or www.musictorontoconcerts.com/
concerts/miro-quartet. From $55. $20(arts
workers).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Instrumentalis I. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.
utoronto.ca. Free.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Rhapsody
in Blue: A Gershwin Celebration. Jonelle
Sills, vocalist; Justin Welsh, vocalist; Daniel
Vnukowski, piano. 171 Town Centre Blvd.,
Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15. Limited availability.
Friday November 15
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital: Chopin - Preludes, Etudes, Nocturnes.
Cecilia Chow, piano. St. Andrew’s
Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-
5600 x220. Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. Robert
Burns: A Passion for Freedom. Curated by
Alison Mackay. Pre-concert chat at 6:45pm.
The exquisite beauty of the poetry of Robert
Burns with its profound expression of the
worth of each human being. Featuring the
renowned actor R.H. Thomson and curated
by special guest Alison Mackay. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. www.confluenceconcerts.ca/store/robert-burns-a-passion-forfreedom.
$30. Also Nov 16.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Opera
at Western: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). See
Nov 14. Also Nov 16(2pm), 17(2pm).
● 7:30: Mariposa Arts Theatre.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable. See Nov 7. Also
Nov 16(7:30pm), 17(2pm).
● 7:30: The Jeffery Concerts. Miró Quartet.
Haydn: Quartet in G Op.77 No.1 Hob.III:81;
Ginastera: Quartet No.2; Debussy: String
Quartet in g Op.10. St. John the Evangelist
Anglican Church, 280 St. James St., London.
www.grandtheatre.com or 519-673-8102.
$40; Free(st).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. University of Toronto Symphony
Orchestra (UTSO) Graduate Conductors. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s
Park. www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of
Music. Improvisation Convergence Ensemble
(ICE) Concert. Wilfrid Laurier University -
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University
Ave., Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.
html. Free.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Jim Witter: The Piano Men. Burlington
Performing Arts Centre - Main Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$59.50($54.50 member) - $79.50($74.50).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Social
Tango. Social Tango Project; Agustina Videla,
choreographer. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge: Red
Hot Ramble. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or
www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/red-hotramble.
$20. Minimum $30 food & beverage
spend. Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm.
Show at 8pm.
Saturday November 16
● 2:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Opera
at Western: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). See
Nov 14. Also Nov 17(2pm).
● 2:00: Toronto City Opera. L’elisir d’amore.
See Nov 13. Also Nov 17(2pm).
● 2:30: Heliconian Club. Wondrous Journeys.
Schumann: Piano Quartet in E-flat
Op.47; Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock;
Schmitt: Feuillets de voyages; Kye Marshall:
Pinery for Violin and Piano. Kathryn Rose
Johnson. soprano; Joyce Lai, violin; Catherine
Sulem, violin; Kye Marshall, cello; Rita
Greer, clarinet. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton
Ave. 416-922-3618 or www.torontoheliconianclub.wildapricot.org/event-5794989.
$30;
Free(child 12 and under accompanied by an
adult).
● 4:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Taylor
Academy Showcase Concert. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Mazzoleni
Concert Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208
or www.rcmusic.com/performance. Free.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Anita Graef, cello. Reena
Esmail: Varsha; Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson:
Lamentations - Black/Folk Song Suite; Britten:
Suite No.1 Op.72; Andrea Casarrubios: SEVEN;
42 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Bach: Suite No.4 in C BWV 1009. Keffer
Memorial Chapel, Wilfrid Laurier University,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo. www.kwcms.com/concerts.
$35; $10(st).
● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. Robert Burns:
A Passion for Freedom. See Nov 15.
● 7:30: Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy: A
Musical Fable. See Nov 7. Also Nov 17(2pm).
● 7:30: Stratford Symphony Orchestra.
Double Bass Legend Joel Quarrington. Koussevitzky:
Concerto for Bass Op.3; Bottesini:
Passione amoroso; Dvořák: Symphony No.9 in
e Op.95. Joel Quarrington, double bass; William
Rowson, conductor. Avondale United
Church (Stratford), 194 Avondale Ave.,
Stratford. 519-271-0990 or www.stratfordsymphony.ca/Double_Bass_Legend_Joel_
Quarrington. $50; $15(st); Free(under 12).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Choirs Concert.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre Auditorium,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts
Centre. Social Tango Project. Burlington
Performing Arts Centre - Main Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
$59.50($44.50 member) - $79.50($74.50).
● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony
Orchestra. Affairs of the Heart. Jocelyn
Morlock: My Name Is Amanda Todd; Marjan
Mozetich: Affairs of the Heart; Tchaikovsky:
Symphony No.6 in b Op.74 “Pathétique”. Martin
MacDonald, conductor; Tanya Charles, violin.
P.C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre
of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E.,
Scarborough. 416-879-5566 or www.cathedralbluffs.com.
From $25.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Thandiswa Mazwai. Presented in association
with Batuki Music Society. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $45.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Fire & Ice: Shostakovich & Sibelius. Ana
Sokolović: Concerto for Orchestra; Shostakovich:
Violin Concerto No.1; Sibelius: Symphony
No.1. Julian Richlin, violin; Gustavo Gimeno,
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.
416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca. From $30. Also
Nov 17(3pm).
● 9:30: MRG Live. Mars Hotel’s Cosmic
Crossroads - A Grateful Dead Party. Annabel’s,
200 Princes Blvd. www.admitone.com/
events/mars-hotel-toronto-9610447 or www.
marshotelband.com. $27.50. Early bird price:
$20 until Jul 25. Ages 19+.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $50.
● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Fire
& Ice: Shostakovich & Sibelius. See Nov 16.
● 3:00: Trinity Bach Project. Bach and
Roses. See Oct 3.
● 3:15: Mooredale Concerts. Aeolus String
Quartet. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. 416-922-3714 x103; 647-988-
2012 (eve/wknd). $30-$55.
Auld Lang Syne. RH Thomson; Beau Dixon,
Suba Sankaran, vocalists. Burlington Performing
Arts Centre, Community Studio
Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-
6000. $49.50($44.50 member).
Monday November 18
● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. Bill Garrett &
Sue Lothrop. St. Paul’s United Church (Scarborough),
200 McIntosh St., Scarborough.
ticketscene.ca; acousticharvest.ca; acousticharvest@proton.me(for
e-transfer).
$40(door cash only); $35(advance). Fully
accessible venue.
Tuesday November 19
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Instrumental Series: Chopin and His
Fans. Works by Chopin, Scriabin, Shostakovich,
and Rebecca Clarke. Anthony Ratinov,
piano. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. 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. 416-
922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Peter Bayer, organ. Cathedral Church
of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865
or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals. Free.
Donations encouraged.
● 7:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity. Film
presentation. Royal Conservatory of Music
- TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St.
W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $40.
● 7:30: Grand Theatre. The Sound of
Music. Music & Lyrics by Rodgers & Hammerstein;
Book by Howard Lindsay & Russel
Crouse; Directed by Rachel Peake. Grand
Theatre, 471 Richmond St., London. 519-672-
8800. $24-$101. Runs until Dec, 29th. Visit
grandtheatre.com for full performance dates
and pricing.
● 7:30: Music Toronto. Marc-André Hamelin.
Haydn: Sonata in D Hob.XVI.37; Frank
MARC-ANDRÉ
HAMELIN
NOVEMBER 19, 2024
7:30 PM
music-toronto.com
Zappa: Ruth Is Sleeping; Stefan Wolpe: Passacaglia;
Medtner: Improvisation in b-flat
(in variation form) Op.31 No.1; Rachmaninoff:
Piano Sonata No.2 Op.36 (1931 version).
Marc-André Hamelin, piano. St. Lawrence
Centre for the Arts - Jane Mallett Theatre,
27 Front St. E. 1-800-708-6754 or tickets@
music-toronto.com or www.musictorontoconcerts.com/concerts/marc-andre-hamelin.
From $55. $20(arts workers).
Wednesday November 20
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Vocal Series: That Choir - 2024/25 Season
Preview. Craig Pike, artistic director. Richard
Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.
www.coc.ca. Free.
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
Peter Nikiforuk, organ. 54 Queen St.
N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com.
Free. Lunch available for $10
at 11:30am or bring your own.
● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert. Royal
Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre -
Mazzoleni Concert Hall, 273 Bloor St. W.
Sunday November 17
● 1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music and
Truffles Kids. Aeolus String Quartet. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s
Park. 416-922-3714 x103; 647-988-2012 (eve/
wknd). $25.
● 2:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Opera
at Western: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). See
Nov 14.
● 2:00: Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy: A
Musical Fable. See Nov 7.
● 2:00: Toronto City Opera. L’elisir d’amore.
See Nov 13.
● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Viano
Quartet with MILOŠ, guitar. Works from Baroque
to Piazzolla to Broadway to The Beatles.
● 3:30: Rezonance Baroque Ensemble. The
Galant Cello. C. P. E. Bach: Cello Concerto;
Boccherini: String Quintet; Dall’Abaco: Cello
Duo; and other works. Guest: Elinor Frey,
cello. Rezan Onen-Lapointe, Kailey Richards,
violins; Erika Nielsen, cello; David Podgorski,
harpsichord; Benjamin Stein, theorbo. St.
David’s Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Ave.
www.RezonanceEnsemble.com or 647-779-
5696. $30; $20(st).
● 4:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Robert Burns - A Passion for Freedom.
My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose, Ae Fond Kiss,
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 43

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
Free.
● 7:30: Toronto Shape Note Singers.
Sacred Harp Singing. Shape note music
selections from the Sacred Harp tunebook.
Singing is participatory, not a performance.
No experience necessary. All are welcome
and there are books to borrow. Friends
House, 60 Lowther Ave. 647-838-8764. Pay
what you can. Also Dec 18.
Thursday November 21
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Jazz Ensemble Concert.
Western University - Talbot College - Paul
Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. U of T Opera: Three Islands — Castaway,
Tempest Songbook, Riders to the
Sea. York University - Accolade East Building
- Sandra Faire and Ivan Fecan Theatre,
4700 Keele St. www.music.utoronto.ca. $40;
$25(sr); $10(st). U of T students with a valid
T-Card are admitted free at the door (space
permitting, some exceptions apply). No ticket
reservation necessary. Also Nov 22(7:30pm),
23(7:30pm), 24(2:30pm).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Chamber Music Concert
- Winds & Brass. Wilfrid Laurier University -
Maureen Forrester Recital Hall, 75 University
Ave., Waterloo. www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-2024-2025-concert-season.html.
Free.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Rhapsody in Blue - A Gershwin Celebration.
Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano; Jonelle
Sills, soprano; Justin Welsh, baritone; Daniel
Vnukowski, piano; Stéphane Mayer,
piano. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $59.50($54.50 member) -
$79.50($74.50 member).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Brilliant
Bartók. Emilie LeBel: the sediments
(TSO Commission); Bartók: Concerto for
Orchestra; Bartók: The Miraculous Mandarin.
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir (Jean-Sébastien
Vallé, artistic director); Gustavo Gimeno,
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.
416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca. From $30. Also
Nov 22(7:30pm) & 23(8pm).
Friday November 22
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital: Transcriptions for Piano Four Hands.
Milhaud: Scaramouche; Mendelssohn: 1st
mvmt from Octet Op.20; Barber: Souvenirs
Op.28. Tristan Savella, piano; Jean-Luc
Therrien, piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays
at 12:30 Concert Series – The Light of
East Ensemble. Western University - Music
Building - Von Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St.
N., London. 519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.
ca/events. Free. LIVE & LIVESTREAM.
● 1:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. International
Week Concert: Songs of Many Lands.
Western University - Music Building - Von
Kuster Hall, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events.
Free. LIVE & LIVESTREAM.
Erika Raum
Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto
Beethoven Eroica
● 7:30: Aurora Cultural Centre. Canadian
Brass. 22 Church St., Aurora. 905-713-1818 or
info@auroraculturalcentre.ca or www.auroraculturalcentre.ca/performing-arts.
$50.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Percussion Ensemble. Western
University - Talbot College - Paul Davenport
Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-
661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Brilliant
Bartók. See Nov 21. Also Nov 23(8pm).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. U of T Opera: Three Islands — Castaway,
Tempest Songbook, Riders to the Sea.
See Nov 21. Also Nov 23(7:30pm), 24(2:30pm).
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Wind Orchestra.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre Auditorium,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra.
Greatness Unveiled. Bizet: Overture to
Les Pêcheurs de perles; Tchaikovsky: Violin
Concerto in D Op.35; Beethoven: Symphony
No.3 in E-flat Op.55 “Eroica”. Erika Raum, violin.
Martingrove, 2850 Bloor St. W. www.
eporchestra.ca/season/2425/greatnessunveiled.
$30.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge: Jay
Douglas. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or
www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/jay-douglas.
$20. Minimum $30 food & beverage spend.
Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show
at 8pm.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music.
Earl Lee Conducts the Royal Conservatory
Orchestra. R. Strauss: Till Eulenspiegels
lustige Streiche Op.28; Britten: Violin
Concerto Op.15; Rachmaninoff: Symphonic
Dances Op.45. Anna Stuke, violin. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $25.
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Bach Christmas Oratorio. Hélène Brunet,
soprano; Cecilia Duarte, mezzo; Charles Daniel,
tenor; Jesse Blumberg, baritone; Tafelmusik
Chamber Choir; Tafelmusik Baroque
Orchestra; Ivars Taurins, conductor. Trinity
BACH
CHRISTMAS
ORATORIO
Directed by Ivars Taurins
Nov 22–24
Jeanne Lamon Hall,
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
tafelmusik.org
St. Paul’s United Church. Jeanne Lamon Hall,
427 Bloor St. W. www.tafelmusik.org. From
$20. Also Nov 23(8pm) & 24(3pm).
Saturday November 23
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Salsa Band Concert. Western
University - Talbot College - Paul Davenport
Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-
661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 4:00: Toronto Operetta Theatre. TOT
Cabaret Series: Vienna, The City of Dreams.
Edward Jackman Centre, 947 Queen St. E.,
2nd Floor. 416-366-7723 or 1–800-708-6754
or www.tolive.com. $45.
● 7:00: Music at the Toronto Oratory. Complete
Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part V: Bach
and the French Connection. Includes Fantasia
in G, Aria in F, Passacaglia in c, Trio Sonata
No.3. Aaron James, organ. Holy Family
Roman Catholic Church - Oratory, 1372 King
St. W. 416-532-2879. Free admission. Donations
accepted.
● 7:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. The
Queen Symphony. Bernstein: Symphonic
Dances from West Side Story; Kashif: The
Queen Symphony. Chorus Niagara, guest artists.
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
- Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
905-688-0722 or boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca.
From $39; $52(arts workers);
$46(under 35); $29(st); $24(18 and under).
Also Nov 24(2:30pm).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. U of T Opera: Three Islands — Castaway,
Tempest Songbook, Riders to the Sea.
See Nov 21. Also Nov 24(2:30pm).
● 8:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Bach Christmas Oratorio. See Nov 22. Also
Nov 24(3pm).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Brilliant
Bartók. See Nov 21.
Sunday November 24
● 11:00am: Xenia Concerts. An Adaptive
Concert with the PhoeNX Ensemble. To eliminate
financial barriers to attendance, we
will refund your ticket when you arrive at the
concert. If you wish to donate to Xenia Concerts,
please select the "donation" option and
enter the amount you would like to contribute.
PhoeNX Ensemble: Sanya Eng, harp; Patty
Chen, erhu. Flato Markham Theatre, 171 Town
Centre Blvd., Markham. 647-896-8295. $5.
● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. The
Queen Symphony. See Nov 23.
● 2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. U of T Opera: Three Islands — Castaway,
Tempest Songbook, Riders to the Sea.
See Nov 21.
● 3:00: Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.
Bach Christmas Oratorio. See Nov 22.
● 3:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra: High
Spirits - Brahms, Borodin & Dvořák. Lavallé
(arr. Allan Gilliland): “O Canada”; Brahms:
Academic Festival Overture; Borodin: Polovtsian
Dances from Prince Igor; Dvořák:
Symphony No.8. Toronto Symphony Youth
Orchestra; Trevor Wilson, TSO RBC Resident
Conductor & TSYO Conductor. Meridian
Arts Centre - George Weston Recital Hall,
5040 Yonge St. 416-598-3375 or www.tso.ca.
$35; $22(35 and under).
SUN 24 NOV AT 4
Choral Evensong
plus at 4.45 p.m.
LET IN
THE LIGHT
Drama, poetry and music
with St. Olave’s Arts Guild
● 4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. Choral
Evensong featuring St. Anne’s Church Choir.
Opens with Choral Evensong. Followed at
4:45pm by Let in the Light, with drama, music,
and poetry presented by St. Olave’s Arts Guild
to lighten your mood as we prepare for the
season ahead. St. Olave’s Anglican Church,
360 Windermere Ave. www.YouTube.com/
StOlavesAnglicanChurch or 416-769-5686.
Contributions appreciated.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Savella-Therrien Piano Duo.
Works by Milhaud, Franck, Debussy, Barber,
and others. Jean-Luc Therrien and Tristan
Savella, piano duo. Keffer Memorial Chapel,
Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Ave.
W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.com/concerts.
$30; $10(st).
Monday November 25
● 12:00 noon: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Lobby Concert: Steel Pan Ensemble.
Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
Tuesday November 26
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Rebanks Family Fellowship Showcase: Sensational
Strings. Solo, duo, and chamber
works for strings. David Balk, violin; Matthew
44 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Hakkarainen, violin. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca. Free.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Voice Series: Dichterliebe -
Whose Love? Robert Schumann’s song cycle,
including works by his contemporaries, is
re-told with a gender-expansive lens by performers
and co-curators Teiya Kasahara 笠 原 貞
野 and David Eliakis, who explore this central
question: “Whose love is important, valid, and
celebrated?”. Performers and Co-Curators
Teiya Kasahara 笠 原 貞 野 and David Eliakis. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Contemporary Music Ensemble –
Re:SPECT(ral) III. Noriko Baba: Au clair d’un
croissant; Ondrej Adámek: Sinuous Voices;
Philippe Leroux: Masse(s)...Mémo(ire). Wallace
Halladay, conductor. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.
rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/353202. $30;
$20(sr); $10(st). U of T students with a valid
T-Card are admitted free at the door (space
permitting, some exceptions apply). No ticket
reservation necessary. Livestream: $10.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Community Music Concert.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
Wednesday November 27
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy Concerts.
Waterloo County Carollers. 54 Queen
St. N., Kitchener. 519-578-4430 or www.
standrewskw.com. Free. Lunch available for
$10 at 11:30am or bring your own.
● 2:00: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Master Class: Barbara Hannigan, soprano
& conductor. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 5:30: Canadian Opera Company. Instrumental
Series: Through the Looking Glass
- Music for Guitar and String Trio. Music
inspired by Dadaist art. David Occhipinti, guitar;
Carol Fujino, violin; Cate Grey, viola; Mary-
Katherine Finch, cello; Alex Heatherington,
mezzo. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca. Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Guitar Ensembles & Flute/Guitar
Duos. A variety of guitar ensembles and
flute/guitar duos performing early, classical
and modern repertoire from around the
world. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 8:00: Esprit Orchestra. Prelude Concert
#1: f(x)=. Gabriella Smith: f(x)=sin2x-
1/x (Canadian premiere); Bent Sorensen: It
is pain flowing down slowly on a white wall
(North American premiere); Maki Ishii: Fū Shi
“Shape of the Wind”. Michael Bridge, accordion;
Alex Pauk, music director & conductor.
Royal Conservatory of Music - TELUS Centre
- Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208 or www.espritorchestra.com or www.
rcmusic.com/events-and-performances.
From $20. 7:15pm - Musical Insights with
Alexina Louie and guests.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker: Land of
Sweets. Borodin: Polovtsian Dances from
Prince Igor; Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a
Theme of Paganini; Tchaikovsky: Act II from
The Nutcracker. Behzod Abduraimov, piano;
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (Trevor
Wilson, RBC Resident Conductor & TSYO Conductor);
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375 or
www.tso.ca. From $30. Also Nov 28 & 30.
Thursday November 28
● 11:45am: Wilfrid Laurier University
Faculty of Music. Student Recital. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Thursdays at Noon: Laureates - Innovators.
Daniel J. Choi: Kelele Nje for singing
marimbist; Fish Yu: “I. Black and White”
and “III. Sevens” from Frolic; Cait Nishimura:
Golden Hour; Clara Schumann: Six Lieder;
Gina Gillie: Escapade. KöNG Duo (Hoi Tong
Keung & Bevis Ng, percussion); Piper Shiels,
horn. Walter Hall (University of Toronto),
80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free. Livestream available at www.youtube.
com/uoftmusic.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Quatuor Magenta. Program
to be announced. Ida Derbesse, violin; Elena
Watson, violin; Claire Pass-Lanneau, viola;
Fiona Robson, cello. First United Church,
16 William St. W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.
com/concerts. $40; $10(st).
● 7:30: Folk Under The Clock. David Francey.
Market Hall Performing Arts Centre,
140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749-
1146 or www.markethall.org. $45.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Woodwind Chamber Music. Walter
Hall (University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. A Very
Merry Motown Christmas. George St Kitts,
Toni Anderson, Robyn Black, Kenni Hite Jivaro
Smith. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-
305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Barbara
Hannigan, Soprano, With Bertrand
Chamayo, Piano. Works by Scriabin, Messiaen,
and John Zorn. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall,
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $50.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker: Land of
Sweets. See Nov 27. Also Nov 30.
Friday November 29
● 12:00 noon: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Lobby Concert: West African Drumming
& Dancing. Edward Johnson Building,
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. www.
music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noon Time
Recital. Violin sonatas by Respighi and Prokofiev.
Adam Diderrich, violin; Lisa Tahara,
piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,
73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600 x220. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 12:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Fridays
at 12:30 Concert Series – Contemporary
Canadian Repertoire. Western
University - Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free. LIVE &
LIVESTREAM.
● 2:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine - Swan
Lake. Burlington Performing Arts Centre -
Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $69.50($64.50 member) -
$89.50($89.50 member); $35(Youth).
● 7:00: Jazz at Durbar. Rebecca Enkin Trio:
Swinging Holiday. Durbar Indian Restaurant,
2469 Bloor St. W. 416-762-4441. No cover.
Reserve a table for dinner or come by for a
drink at the bar.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Wind Ensemble Concert.
Western University - Talbot College - Paul
Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. PianoFest I. PianoFest is a multi-day
event showcasing Piano Performance students
at U of T. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 7:30: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Laurier Symphony Orchestra.
Wilfrid Laurier University - Theatre Auditorium,
75 University Ave. W., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. The Wonderful
World of Christmas: Graceland Edition.
Steve Michaels, vocalist. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $68.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge: John
Amato. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or www.
oldmilltoronto.com/event/john-amato-music.
$20. Minimum $30 food & beverage spend.
Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm. Show
at 8pm.
Saturday November 30
● 2:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine - The Nutcracker.
Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Main Theatre, 440 Locust St., Burlington.
905-681-6000. $69.50($64.50 member) -
$89.50($89.50 member); $35(Youth). Also
7pm.
● 2:00: Pax Christi Chorale. Children’s Messiah.
Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq.
Visit www.paxchristichorale.org or 416-733-
9388. Admission by donation. Also 4pm.
● 2:00: Peter Margolian and Friends. Music
for Voice, Winds, Strings, Brass, and Piano.
Works by P. D. Philidor, Frank Martin, and Alex
Wilder. Canadian Music Centre, 20 St. Joseph
St. peter.margolian@gmail.com or 437-237-
5304. Free.
● 2:00: Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.
Christmas Kick-off. Music includes The Messiah,
Home Alone, The Nutcracker and a few
surprises to kick off Sudbury’s most wonderful
time of the year. William Rowson, conductor;
Young Sudbury Singers; Bel Canto
Chorus; Sudbury Chamber Singers. Sheridan
Auditorium, 154 College St., Sudbury.
www.ci.ovationtix.com/36875/performance/11512437.
$30; $15(under 30). Also
7:30pm.
● 2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. PianoFest II. PianoFest is a multi-day
event showcasing Piano Performance students
at U of T. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Symphonic Band Concert.
Western University - Talbot College - Paul
Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London.
519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/
events. Free.
● 4:00: Pax Christi Chorale. Children’s Messiah.
Church of the Holy Trinity, 19 Trinity Sq.
Visit www.paxchristichorale.org or 416-733-
9388. Admission by donation. Also 2pm.
● 7:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine - The Nutcracker.
See 2pm.
● 7:30: Jubilate Singers/Wychwood Clarinet
Choir. Choir Meets Choir. Seasonal music
and works by Brahms, Fauré, Dvořák, Gershwin,
Timothy Corlis, and Donald Patriquin.
Isabel Bernaus, conductor; Michele Jacot,
conductor. St. Matthew’s United Church,
729 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-485-1988 or www.
jubilatesingers.ca. $35; $25(sr/st/arts
workers).
● 7:30: London Symphonia. Messiah with
The Elora Singers and London Symphonia.
Handel: Messiah. Elora Singers; Mark Vuorinen,
conductor. Metropolitan United Church,
468 Wellington St., London. 226-270-0910
or www.londonsymphonia.ca. $55 General
Admission, $75 Reserved Seating, and $55 for
unlimited Video On Demand 21-day access.
● 7:30: Milton Choristers. A Sacred Christmas.
Charpentier: Messe de Minuit pour Noel
plus other Christmas choral favorites. First
Ontario Arts Centre, 1010 Main St. E., Milton.
info@miltonchoristers.com or www.miltonchoristers.com.
$30; $25(sr); $20(st and
ages 1-17). Everyone entering the theatre
requires a ticket.
Jubilate
singers
&
WYCHWOOD
CHOIR
Isabel Bernaus Michele Jacot
artistic directors
BRAHMS
DVOK
FAURÉ
GERSHWIN
CORLIS
PATRIQUIN
HABLEWITZ
Choir
meets
Choir
Sat Nov. 30, 7:30
St. Matthews United Church
729 St. Clair Ave W
www.jubilatesingers.ca
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 45

LIVE OR ONLINE | Oct 1 to Dec 7, 2024
● 7:30: Showplace Performance Centre.
ABBA Revisited Christmas Concert.
290 George St. N., Peterborough. 705-738-
1666. $59.
● 7:30: Sudbury Symphony Orchestra.
Christmas Kick-off. See 2pm.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Michael
Kaeshammer: The Spirit of Christmas.
Michael Kaeshammer, piano. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
● 8:00: Greater Toronto Philharmonic
Orchestra. An Evening of Masterpieces. Berlioz:
Le carnival romain - Overture; Mozart:
Mvmt 1 from Violin Concerto No.3 in G K.216;
Dvořák: Mvmt 1 from Cello Concerto Op.104;
Brahms: Symphony No.4 in e. Soloists: Chelsea
Gu, violin; Ethan Hyo Jeon, cello; Oliver
Balaburski, conductor. Calvin Presbyterian
Church, 26 Delisle Ave. www.gtpo.ca or 647-
238-0015. From $25.
● 8:00: Mississauga Living Arts Centre.
Sister Sledge. 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga.
905-306-6000. From $69.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Rufus
Wainwright. Royal Conservatory of Music -
TELUS Centre - Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St.
W. 416-408-0208 or www.rcmusic.com/performance.
From $65.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker: Land of
Sweets. See Nov 27.
● 8:00: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. University of Toronto Symphony
Orchestra (UTSO): Nielsen – Symphony
No. 4. Smetana: Overture to The Bartered
Bride; Debussy: Iberia; Nielsen: Symphony
No.4 Op.29. Uri Meyer, conductor. Metropolitan
United Church, 56 Queen St. E. www.
music.utoronto.ca. $30; $20(sr); $10(st).
U of T students with a valid T-Card are admitted
free at the door (space permitting, some
exceptions apply). No ticket reservation
necessary.
● 8:00: TO Live. Cécile McLorin Salvant.
Meridian Arts Centre - George Weston
Recital Hall, 5040 Yonge St. 416-366-7723 or
www.tolive.com. $45-$85.
● 3:00: Off Centre Music Salon. Mozart’s
13-25); $15(ages 12 and under).
●
Cécile McLorin Salvant
NOV Meridian Arts Centre
2024-2025-concert-season.html. Free.
30
George Weston Recital Hall
North York
Buy tickets now at tolive.com
Sunday December 1
● 12:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Alex Sousa Fraga, Percussion. Details
to be announced. Walter Hall (University of
Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.utoronto.ca.
Free.
● 2:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Choral Concert. Chamber Chorus,
MacMillan Singers, Soprano-Alto Chorus, and
Tenor-Bass Chorus;Kathleen Allan, Thomas
Burton, Maria Conkey, and Dr. Jamie Hillman,
conductors. Grace Church on-the-Hill,
300 Lonsdale Rd. www.rcmusic.com/tickets/
seats/364601. $30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T
students with a valid T-Card are admitted free
at the door (space permitting, some exceptions
apply). No ticket reservation necessary.
● 3:00: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Pop Band Concert. Western
University - Talbot College - Paul Davenport
Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-
661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 3:00: TO Live. The Kingdom Choir. Meridian
Arts Centre - George Weston Recital Hall,
5040 Yonge St. 416-366-7723 or www.tolive.
com. $40-$85.
The Kingdom Choir
DEC
1
Meridian Arts Centre
George Weston Recital Hall
North York
Buy tickets now at tolive.com
Formula: Smart-Aging? Mozart: String Quartet
K. 458 “The Hunt”; Sonata in D for four
hands K.123a; selected concert arias and
operatic duets; and Piano Quartet K.478.
Jonathan Crow, violin; Sheila Jaffé, violin;
Elina Kelebeev, piano; Andrea Ludwig, mezzo;
(OCMS Artist-in-Residence); Rémi Pelletier,
viola; Inna Perkis, piano; Giles Tomkins,
bass-baritone; Boris Zarankin, piano; Winona
Zelenka, cello. Trinity St. Paul’s United Church.
Jeanne Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.
offcentremusic.com. $50; $40(sr); $15(ages
3:00: Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Percussion & Alumni Concert. Wilfrid
Laurier University - Maureen Forrester
Recital Hall, 75 University Ave., Waterloo.
www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-
of-music/news/2024/summer/lauriers-
● 4:00: Magisterra Soloists. Magisterra
Christmas Baroque. Enjoy festive Baroque
tunes and special performances by the winners
of our Young Performers Award as
we ring in the holidays together. First St.
Andrew’s United Church, 350 Queens Ave.,
London. www.magisterra.com. $35; $30(sr);
$15(st); $10(under 10).
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Penderecki String Quartet
and Francine Kay. Haydn: Quartet in D
Op.64 No.5 “The Lark”; Chopin: Ballade No.4
in f Op.52; Brahms: Piano Quintet in f Op.34.
Francine Kay, piano; Jerzy Kapłanek, violin;
Jeremy Bell, violin; Christine Vlajk, viola;
Katie Schlaikjer, cello. First United Church,
16 William St. W., Waterloo. www.k-wcms.
com/concerts. $50; $10(st).
Monday December 2
● 12:00 noon: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Lobby Concert: Japanese Taiko
Drumming Ensemble. Edward Johnson Building,
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Contemporary
Music Studio Concert. Western
University - Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Brass Chamber Music. Walter Hall
(University of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park.
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Tuesday December 3
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Classical Feuds. Explore classical music’s
most infamous composer rivalries. Artists
of the COC Ensemble. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: University of Toronto Faculty
of Music. Lobby Concert: Brazilian Music
Ensemble. Edward Johnson Building, University
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. www.music.
utoronto.ca. Free.
● 12:10: Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation.
Lunchtime Chamber Music. Bryn Blackwood,
piano. Yorkminster Park Baptist Church,
1585 Yonge St. 416-922-1167 or www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Electroacoustic
Composers Concert. Western
University - Music Building - Studio 242,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Festival
of Carols. Aaron Manswell: New Work;
and other holiday classics. Toronto Mendelssohn
Choir; Jonathan Oldengarm, organ;
Jean-Sébastien Vallée, conductor. Yorkminster
Park Baptist Church, 1585 Yonge
St. www.tmchoir.org/event/festival-of-carols-2024.
From $25. Also Dec 4.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Collegium Musicum. Walter Hall (University
of Toronto), 80 Queen’s Park. www.
music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Wednesday December 4
● 12:15: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
Noon Hour Series: Douglas Haas Legacy
Concerts. Christmas. Ann-Marie MacDairmid,
organ. 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-
578-4430 or www.standrewskw.com. Free.
Lunch available for $10 at 11:30am or bring
your own.
● 7:00: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Festival
of Carols. See Dec 3.
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Choral
Concert: Chorale and Western University
Singers. Western University - Talbot College
- Paul Davenport Theatre, 1151 Richmond St.
N., London. 519-661-3767 or www.music.uwo.
ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Music at the Toronto Oratory. Complete
Organ Works of J. S. Bach, Part VI:
Music for Advent. Includes Schubler Chorales,
Fugue on the Magnificat, Fugue in c, and
other chorale preludes. Aaron James, organ.
Holy Family Roman Catholic Church - Oratory,
1372 King St. W. 416-532-2879. Free admission.
Donations accepted.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Wind Symphony: Big City Lights. Brian
Balmages: Midnight on Main Street; William
Bolcom: Concerto Grosso for Sax Quartet;
Marie A. Douglas: Big City Lights; Kelijah Dunton:
City Knights; Adam Gorb: Adrenaline City;
and other works. U of T Wind Symphony featuring
The Nameless Quartet (Kannan Bloor,
Min Gu Kang, Blake Smith, Yunfei Xie, saxophone;
Pratik Gandhi, director. York University
- Accolade East Buildinng - Tribute
Communities Recital Hall, 4700 Keele St.
www.rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/353401.
$30; $20(sr); $10(st). U of T students with
a valid T-Card are admitted free at the door
(space permitting, some exceptions apply).
No ticket reservation necessary.
Thursday December 5
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music.
Choral Concert: Les Choristes. Western University
- Music Building - Von Kuster Hall,
1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-661-3767
or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Royal Conservatory of Music. Joaquin
Valdepeñas Conducts. Mozart: Serenade
No.10 in B-flat for Winds K.361 “Gran Partita”.
Students of the Glenn Gould School; Glenn
Einschlag, bassoon. Royal Conservatory of
Music - TELUS Centre - Mazzoleni Concert
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $20.
● 7:30: Soundstreams/Music Toronto.
Invocations. James Rolfe: Narrow Bridges
for Gryphon Trio and Aviva Chernick (World
premiere); Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat
Op.44; Beach: Invocation; Copland: Vitebsk
- Study on a Jewish Theme; Avner Dorman:
46 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

GRYPHON TRIO
with LARA ST. JOHN
& AVIVA CHERNICK
DECEMBER 5, 2024
7:30 PM
music-toronto.com
Nigunim for solo violin and piano quintet.
Lara St. John, violin; Aviva Chernick, vocalist;
Gryphon Trio: Annalee Patipatanakoon,
violin; Roman Borys, cello; Jamie Parker,
piano. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts -
Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front St. E. 1-800-
708-6754 or tickets@music-toronto.com or
www.musictorontoconcerts.com/concerts/
gryphon-trio-lara-st-john-aviva-chernick.
From $55. $20(arts workers).
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Special Performance: Elf - In Concert. Film
screening. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375
or www.tso.ca. Single tickets on sale in July
starting from $30. Also Dec 6(7:30pm),
7(2pm & 7:30pm) 8(2pm).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Classic
Albums Live Performs Pink Floyd - The
Dark Side of the Moon. 171 Town Centre Blvd.,
Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
Friday December 6
● 7:30: Don Wright Faculty of Music. Western
University Symphony Orchestra. Western
University - Talbot College - Paul Davenport
Theatre, 1151 Richmond St. N., London. 519-
661-3767 or www.music.uwo.ca/events. Free.
● 7:30: Music at St. Andrew’s. Come Home
for Christmas. Jordan Klapman’s Quintet; St.
Andrew’s Gallery Choir: Diane English, Elizabeth
Forester, Carrie Wiebe, Keith Klassen,
Bradley Christiansen, and Mark Wilson. St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St.
416-593-5600 x220. Pay what you can at the
door. Donations welcome. Proceeds for the
St. Andrew’s Refugee Sponsorship Program.
● 7:30: North Halton Community Singers.
Christmas Concert. Members of the North
Halton Community Singers. Holy Cross Catholic
Church (Georgetown), 14400 Argyll Rd.,
Georgetown. 647-203-7795. $25.
● 7:30: Pax Christi Chorale. Christmas
Through the Ages. Eglinton St. George’s
United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd. Visit www.
paxchristichorale.org or 416-733-9388. $45;
$40(sr); $20(ages 19-35); $10(st 18 and
under). Also Dec 7(4pm).
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special
Performance: Elf - In Concert. See Dec 5.
Also Dec 7(2pm & 7:30pm) 8(2pm).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Holly Cole:
A Swinging Christmas. 171 Town Centre Blvd.,
Markham. 905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
From $15.
● 8:00: Old Mill Toronto. Jazz Lounge: Melissa
Lauren. 21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020 or
www.oldmilltoronto.com/event/melissa-lauren.
$20. Minimum $30 food & beverage
spend. Restricted to ages 19+. Dinner at 6pm.
Show at 8pm.
● 8:00: Sinfonia Toronto. Virtuosity / Keys
and Reeds. Mozart: Divertimento in d K.136
“Salzburg Symphony No.1”; Kevin Lau: Prayer
in a Green Cathedral Oboe Concerto (Ontario
premiere); Bach: Piano Concerto No.5 in f
BWV 1056; Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat
Op.44 (orchestra version). Marianna Shirinyan,
piano; Caitlin Broms-Jacobs, oboe; Sinfonia
Toronto; Nurhan Arman, conductor.
St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - Jane Mallett
Theatre, 27 Front St. E. 416-499-0403
or www.sinfoniatoronto.com. $52; $40(sr);
$20(st).
Saturday December 7
● 2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special
Performance: Elf - In Concert. See Dec 5.
Also Dec 7(7:30pm), 8(2pm).
● 4:00: Pax Christi Chorale. Christmas
Through the Ages. See Dec 6.
● 7:30: Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto.
Holiday Serenade. Seasonal music including
music by Howard Cable, John Rutter, Stuart
Calvert, and Sir David Willcocks. Sing along to
your favourite songs and carols as the music
takes you on a journey to celebrate the magic
of the holidays. Amadeus Choir; Hannaford
Street Silver Band; Bach Children’s Choir;
Lydia Adams, conductor. Eglinton St. George’s
United Church, 35 Lytton Blvd. www.amadeuschoir.com/holiday-serenade.
From $30.
● 7:30: Etobicoke Centennial Choir. Baroque
Noël. Charpentier: Messe de Minuit
pour Noël; Buxtehude: Magnificat; Morten
Lauridsen, O Magnum Mysterium; Walford
Davies: The Holly and the Ivy. Baroque
Orchestra. Humber Valley United Church
(Etobicoke), 76 Anglesey Blvd., Etobicoke.
416-779-2258 or www.etobicokecentennialchoir.ca.
$35; Free(12 and under when
accompanied by an adult).
● 7:30: Tallis Choir of Toronto. Hodie Christus
Natus Est. Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Op.28; and other seasonal favourites by
Whitacre, Biebl, Lauridsen, and others. St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church, 131 McCaul St.
www.tallischoir.com or 416-286-9798. $30;
$25(sr - 60+); $10(st - with ID).
● 7:30: The Annex Singers. Stargazers.
Works by Mendelssohn, Poulenc, Dove,
Ešenvalds, Balfour, and others. Guest artist:
Stephen Boda; Maria Case, artistic director.
Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd.
www.annexsingers.com. From $15. LIVE &
STREAMED. Pre-concert talk by astronomer
Renée Hložek including guided outdoor stargazing,
weather permitting.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special
Performance: Elf - In Concert. See Dec 5.
Also Dec 8(2pm).
● 8:00: Alliance Française de Toronto.
Dans l’univers d’Astor. A musical and narrative
show that immerses the audience in the
music and inspirations of Astor Piazzolla.
Ensemble Mistral: Nadia Monczak, violin; Benjamin
Deschamps, saxophone; Hugo Larenas,
JUSTASK HELPS YOU
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LIVE CONCERT LISTINGS
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S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 7, 2 0 2 4
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45 OF SINGING
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guitar; Jean Félix Mailloux, double bass. Alliance
Français de Toronto - Spadina Theatre,
24 Spadina Rd. www.alliance-francaise.
ca. $18.
● 8:00: Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Impressions
of the Sea. Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
Suite; Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No.5
“The Egyptian”; Debussy: La Mer. Vanessa Yu,
piano; Daniel Vnukowski, host; Kristian Alexander,
conductor. Flato Markham Theatre,
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-
7469. $50-$40 (adult) $40-$30 (senior) $30-
$25 (youth). 7:10pm: Prelude (pre-concert
recital). 7:20 pm: Pre-concert talk. Intermission
discussion and Q&A with Vanessa Yu and
Daniel Vnukowski.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Special
Event Concert. Celebrating the 200th
birthday of Smetana, the 100th anniversary
of the Czech Music Festival, and 40 years
since the Philharmonic’s last Toronto visit.
Dvořák: Piano Concerto; Smetana: Má vlast.
Daniil Trifonov, piano; Czech Philharmonic;
Semyon Bychkov, conductor. Royal Conservatory
of Music - TELUS Centre - Koerner
Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208 or www.
rcmusic.com/performance. From $100.
●
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thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 47

ORI DAGAN
Bar Pompette
607 College Street.
pompette.ca @barpompette_to
An upscale cocktail bar with live jazz on
Thursdays and Sundays
Black Bear Pub
1125 O’Connor Drive
blackbearpub.ca @blackbearpubonoconnor
A neighbourhood pub and family restaurant
with instrumental jazz on Tuesday nights
BSMT 254
254 Lansdowne Ave. 416-801-6325
bsmt254.com @bsmt254toronto
A cozy music venue with an underground
vibe, BSMT 254 has a wide variety of shows,
from jazz to hip-hop to DJ nights.
Bluebird Bar, The
2072 Dundas St. W. 416-535-0777
bluebirdbarto.com @thebluebirdto
A friendly spot for drinks and local beers, featuring
live music every Thursday including
jazz, folk, blues and country.
Burdock
1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033
burdockto.com @burdockbrewery
A sleek music hall with exceptional sound
and ambience, featuring a draft list of housemade
brews.
Cameron House, The
408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811
thecameron.com @the.cameronhouse
An intimate, bohemian bar with ceiling
murals & nightly performances from local
roots acts on 2 stages.
Castro’s Lounge
2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272
castroslounge.com @castroslounge
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 @cestwhatto
A haven for those who appreciate real cask
ale, draught beer from local Ontario breweries,
and live music.
MAINLY CLUBS
The unique pairing of intimate live music and authentic Mexican cuisine is
best served at La Rev (2848 Dundas Street West, at Keele). This charming
and satisfying Junction neighbourhood gem features live jazz every
Friday night with the Tak Arikushi Trio and a variety of other musical
offerings throughout any given week. In this photo: Denielle Bassels
sings with Julien Bradley-Combs on guitar and Russ Boswell on bass.
Communist’s Daughter, The
1149 Dundas Street W.
@thecommunistsdaughtertoronto
Beloved intimate dive bar with live music on
Saturday and Sunday afternoons
Drom Taberna
458 Queen St. W. 647-748-2099
dromtaberna.com @dromtaberna
A heartfelt homage to the lands that stretch
from the Baltic to the Balkans to the Black
Sea, with a wide variety of music 7 nights a
week.
Duke Live, The
1225 Queen Street East. 416-466-2624
theduketoronto.com @theduketoronto.
com_
An assuming destination with casual pub fare
with live music including a big band series on
Sundays.
Emmet Ray, The
924 College St. 416-792-4497
theemmetray.com @theemmetray
A whisky bar with a great food menu, an everchanging
draft list, and live jazz, funk, folk and
more in the back room; live music 7 nights
a week.
Free Times Cafe, The
320 College St. 416-967-1078
freetimescafe.com @freetimescafeofficial
Home of the world’s longest-running weekly
Klezmer series, every Sunday afternoon with
brunch.
Function Bar + Kitchen
2291 Yonge St. 416-440-4007
functionbar.ca @functionbarto
Friendly atmosphere with open mic Tuesdays
& Sundays and mostly Soul and R&B on Fridays
and Saturdays.
Golden Pigeon Beer Hall, The
424 Parliament St. 416-392-1039
goldenpigeonbar.com @
goldenpigeonbeerhall
A classic beer hall with sophisticated food
offerings, Golden Pigeon features a weekly
Tuesday jazz night, as well as other special
events.
Grossman’s Tavern
379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000
grossmanstavern.com @grossmanstavern
One of the city’s longest-running live music
venues, and Toronto’s self-described “Home
of the Blues.”
Handlebar
159 Augusta Ave. 647-748-7433
thehandlebar.ca @handlebar_to
Ahip night spot with a variety of entertainment
including open mic Tuesdays and a
monthly jazz jam.
Hirut Cafe and Restaurant
2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560
hirutjazz.ca @hirutcafe
A major destination for delicious and nutritious
Ethiopian cuisine, with monthly jazz
residencies and jam sessions.
Hugh’s Room Live
296 Broadview Ave. 647-960-2593
hughsroomlive.com @hughsroomlive
A dedicated listening room with an intimate
performing space, great acoustics, and
an attentive audience, Hugh’s Room recently
made the move to their new permanent home
on Broadview Avenue.
Jazz Bistro, The
251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299
jazzbistro.ca @jazzbistroto
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 @thejazzroom
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.
Jean Darlene Piano Room, The
1203 Dundas Street West.
jeandarlene.ca @jeandarlenepianoroom
An intoxicating atmosphere, cool cocktails
and great talent including “karaoke with a live
band” on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays.
Linsmore Tavern, The
1298 Danforth Ave. 416-466-5130
linsmoretavern.com @linsmoretavern
An old-school tavern with rock, cover bands
and a weekly Sunday blues night.
Local, The
396 Roncesvalles Ave 416-535-6225
@thelocaltoronto
Neighbourhood bar with pub fare, local beers
and live music
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307
lula.ca @lulalounge
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 @manhattans_guelph
An independently owned neighbourhood restaurant
boasting a unique dining experience
that features live music almost every night
of the week.
Mekan Toronto
817 Queen St. W. 647-901-6280
mekantoronto.com @mekantoronto
A new Queen St. spot with an emphasis on
lively music, good times, and Turkish culture,
Mekan features world music, jazz, swing,
and more.
Monarch Tavern
12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833
themonarchtavern.com @monarchtavern
With a café/cocktail bar on the main floor and
a pub with microbrews upstairs, Monarch
Tavern regularly hosts indie, rock, and other
musical genres on its stage.
Motel Bar
1235 Queen Street W. 416-399-4108
@motelparkdale
Casual spot for drinks, laid back atmosphere
and up-close live music
My House in the Junction
2882 Dundas Street W. 416-604-4555
myhouseinthejunction.com @
myhouseinthejunction
Unique bar, lounge, restaurant, event space
and live music venue, including jazz every
Friday.
Noonan’s Pub
141 Danforth Ave. 416-778-1804
noonanspub.ca @noonansirishpub
Traditional Irish pub with casual atmosphere
and live music including swing, blues, rock
and country.
Old Mill, The
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641
oldmilltoronto.com @oldmilltoronto
Jazz Lounge:
An updated space in the Old Mill’s main dining
room, the Jazz Lounge features an updated
sound system, a new shareable menu, and listenable
straight ahead jazz.
Only Cafe, The
962 Danforth Ave. 416-463-3249
theonlycafe.com @theonlycafe
A casual backroom of a friendly bar with a
wide variety of music programmed including
weekly jam sessions and young artist
showcases..
Pamenar
307 Augusta Ave.
cafepamenar.com @pamenar_km
One of the city’s best third-wave coffee shops
by day and bar by night, Pamenar hosts live
music, DJs, comedy, and more.
Pilot Tavern, The
22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716
thepilot.ca @thepilot_to
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 W. 416-599-5299
poetryjazzcafe.com @poetryjazzcafe
A sexy, clubby space, Poetry hosts live jazz,
hip-hop, and DJs nightly on Queen St. West.
48 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Redwood Theatre, The
1300 Gerrard Street East. 647-547-4410
theredwoodtheatre.com @
theredwoodtheatre
A multi-disciplinary space for music, dance,
circus, comedy, theatre and more.
Reposado Bar & Lounge
136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474
reposadobar.com @reposadobar
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 @reservoirlounge
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
larev.ca @la.rev.toronto
La Rev offers their guests and 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 @therextoronto
With over 60 shows per month of Canadian
and international groups, The Rex is Toronto’s
longest-running jazz club, with full bar and
kitchen menu.
Sauce on Danforth
1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376
sauceondanforth.com @sauceondanforth
With Victorian lighting, cocktails, and an
extensive tap and bottle list, Sauce on Danforth
has live music Tuesday through Saturday
(and sometimes Sunday).
Sellers & Newel
672 College Street. 647-778-6345
sellersandnewel.com @sellersandnewel
Intimate bookstore that doubles as a live
music venue in the evenings.
Smokeshow BBQ and Brew
744 Mt. Pleasant Rd 416-901-7469
smokeshowbbqandbrew.com @
smokeshowjohn
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.
Tapestry
224 Augusta Ave.
@tapestry_to
In the space formerly occupied by Poetry,
Tapestry features jazz, electronic music, soul,
and more.
Tranzac
292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137
tranzac.org @tranzac292
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.
For details of short-run productions, see
daily listings; for extended runs (8 shows or
more) consult presenter websites for more
information.
● Amici Chamber Ensemble. Maestro Bernstein.
Guest Artists: Beste Kalender, mezzo;
violinist Erika Raum, violin; and Students of
the Glenn Gould School. Oct 6 3pm.
● Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Rhapsody in Blue - A Gershwin Celebration.
Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano; Jonelle
Sills, soprano; Justin Welsh, baritone; Daniel
Vnukowski, piano; Stéphane Mayer, piano.
Nov 21 8pm.
● Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine - Swan Lake,
Nov 29 2pm; The Nutcracker, Nov 30 2pm
and 7pm.
● Canadian Opera Company. Dance Series:
Meet the Artists of Fall for Dance North’s 10th
Anniversary Festival. Oct 2 12_noon.
● Canadian Opera Company. Dance/Instrumental
Series: A Musical and Dance Journey
Through Latin America. Oct 3 12_noon.
● Canadian Opera Company. Nabucco.
Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Oct 4 7:30pm,
Oct 6 2:30pm, Oct 12, 17 (7:30); Oct 19 (4:30);
Oct 23, 25 (7:30).
● Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series:
L’Amour und Liebe. Oct 9 12:00_noon.
● Canadian Opera Company. Faust. Music
by Charles Gounod. Oct 11 (7:30); 13 2pm; 16,
18, 24, 26, Nov 2 (7:30pm).
● Canadian Opera Company. Dance/Instrumental
Series: MITWA. Oct 15 12_noon.
● Canadian Opera Company. Centre Stage:
Ensemble Studio Competition - Lights, Camera,
Opera! Oct 30 7pm.
● Canadian Opera Company. Vocal Series:
The Voices of Prague. Nov 14 12_noon.
● Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret: Palatable
Gay Robot. Stephen Brower and Naomi
Snieckus (Oct 2), Aurora Brown (Oct 3), Linda
Kash (Oct 4), and Sherry Miller (Oct 5). 8pm.
● Crow’s Theatre. Crow’s Cabaret: Solid
Gold - An Evening with Tynomi Banks.
Oct 10,11,12 8pm.
● Don Wright Faculty of Music. Opera at
Western: Die Fledermaus (The Bat). Nov 14,
15 (7:30pm); Nov 16, 17(2pm).
● Elgin Winter Garden Theatre Centre.
Esencia Flamenca. Nov 7 7:30.
● Flato Markham Theatre. Tom Thomson’s
Wake - An Original Folk Musical. Shipyard
Kitchen Party Band. Oct 3 7:30pm.
● Flato Markham Theatre. Any Dream
Will Do: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Oct 4 8pm.
● Flato Markham Theatre. Social Tango.
Social Tango Project; Agustina Videla, choreographer.
Nov 15 8pm.
● Grand Theatre (London). Shakespeare’s
‘As You Like It’. Adapted and Directed by Daryl
Cloran. Featuring music of The Beatles. Oct 15
7:30: Runs until Nov 2. Visit grandtheatre.com
for full performance dates and pricing.
OPERA, MUSIC THEATRE, DANCE | By Presenter
Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah (centre) with members of the company in the
2024 Stratford Festival's official trailer for Something Rotten!, 2024
● Grand Theatre. The Sound of Music.
Music & Lyrics by Rodgers & Hammerstein.
Nov 19 7:30: runs until Dec 29. Visit
grandtheatre.com for full performance
dates and pricing.
● Mariposa Arts Theatre. Gypsy: A Musical
Fable. Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by
Julia Styne, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
Nov 7, 8, 9 (7:30pm); 10 (2pm); 15,16,17 (2pm).
● Metropolitan United Church. Noon at
Met: Voices of Prague - A Celebration of
Czech Opera. Oct 31 12_noon.
● Mirvish Productions. Disney’s The
Lion King. Directed by Julie Taymor. Princess
of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W.
1.800.461.3333. $59-$259. Nov 2 7:30; runs
until Apr 27 2025. Visit mirvish.com for full
performance dates and pricing.
● Mississauga Living Arts Centre. Salaam
Rahman. Sampradaya Dance Creations.
Oct 5 7:30.
● Musical Stage Company. UnCovered: U2
& The Rolling Stones. Oct 22, 23, 24, 25 8pm.
● Opera Atelier. Acis and Galatea. Music by
Georg Frideric Handel. Oct 24, 26 (7:30pm);
Oct 27 (2:30pm).
● Opera Revue. Trills, Chills and Frills - A
Spooky Masquerade Opera Show. Oct 13
8pm.
● Royal Conservatory of Music. Glenn
Gould School Chamber Opera. Ravel: L’Enfant
et les sortilèges; Debussy: L’Enfant prodigue.
Nov 1, 2 7:30:
● Southern Ontario Lyric Opera (SOLO).
La Bohème. Music by Giacomo Puccini. Oct 2,
5, 7:30pm.
● Starvox Entertainment. Evil Dead the
Musical. Book and lyrics by George Reinblatt;
Music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond,
Melissa Morris, George Reinblatt. Oct 5 7:00;
runs until Nov 24. Visit evildeadthemusical.
com for full performance dates and pricing.
● Stratford Festival. Something Rotten!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell;
Music & lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick & Karey
Kirkpatrick; Oct 2 8pm; runs until Nov 17. Visit
stratfordfestival.ca for full performance
dates and pricing.
● Theatre Passe Muraille. Flin Flon Cowboy.
Ken Harrower and the Flin Flon Cowboy
Collective. Oct 19 7:30; Runs until Nov 2. Visit
passemuraille.ca for for full performance
dates and pricing.
● Toronto City Opera. L’elisir d’amore. Music
by Gaetano Donizetti. Jennifer Tung, conductor;
Jessica Derventzis, stage director;
Ivan Estey Jovanovic, piano. Nov 13 (7pm):
Also Nov 16,17(2pm).
● Toronto Operetta Theatre. The Student
Prince. Music by Sigmund Romberg. Nov 1,2
(8pm); Nov 3 (3pm).
● Toronto Operetta Theatre. TOT Cabaret
Series: Vienna, The City of Dreams. Nov 23
4pm.
● T.Y.T. Theatre. Curious George and
the Golden Meatball. Wychwood Theatre
(Toronto), 76 Wychwood Ave. Oct 5,
6,12,13,19, 20 (12;30pm). Recommended age
4+. Visit tyttheatre.com for full performance
dates and pricing.
● University of Toronto Faculty of Music.
Historical Performance: One World United
- Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Schola Cantorum
and the Theatre of Early Music with Daniel
Taylor; Laurence Lemieux, choreographer.
Nov 10 7:30.
● University of Toronto Faculty of Music.
U of T Opera: Three Islands — Castaway,
Tempest Songbook, Riders to the Sea. Nov 21,
22, 23 (7:30pm), 24(2:30pm).
● Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty
of Music. Opera Excerpts. Nov 8 and 9
(7:30pm).
Search listings online
at thewholenote.com/just-ask
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 49

UNDATED EVENTS & ETCETERAS
The Columbus Concert Band, directed by Annamaria Massaferro,
will present Music for an Autumn Evening on October 29 at 7:30pm,
at the Columbus Centre in Toronto. Established in 2011; they are
a community-based wind ensemble made up of more than 50
volunteer musicians of all levels, ages and backgrounds.
APPLICATIONS
● Continuum. Mentorship in Artistic Production
(MAP). As part of our second Mentorship
in Artistic Production (MAP) project,
Continuum is seeking a passionate, imaginative,
and collaborative early-career artist to
join our team as Artistic Producer through
the 24-25 and 25-26 Seasons. To fill this role,
we are seeking an early-career musician with
a strong interest in chamber music. Application
form available at https://forms.gle/
DVmuKt6AMPYZYs4P7. Application deadline:
Friday, October 11, 2024 at 5pm EST.
REHEARSAL & PERFORMANCE
OPPORTUNITIES
● A new community Baroque orchestra is
being launched in Toronto! All instruments
and levels of playing accommodated. Interested?
Please contact me, Jane Ubertino, at
lucindabell56@hotmail.com
● A New Quartet is an emerging Toronto
area ensemble that rehearses traditional
repertoire and writes new music. The quartet
is currently seeking saxophone players
and composers. For details please visit www.
anewquartet.net.
● The Choralairs is a non-audition, adult
choir that welcomes new members in September
and January. Rehearsals are on Tuesday
6:45-8-45pm at Edithvale C.C. 131 Finch
Ave. W, Toronto. Please contact Elaine at
choralairs.delighted.720@silomails.com to
RSVP. Check out our new website at www.
Choralairs.com.
● Columbus Concert Band. Rehearsals:
Tuesdays 7:30-9:30pm at Villa Colombo,
40 Playfair Ave., Toronto. Openings for flute,
clarinet, tenor sax, and trumpet; however, all
who are in search of being a part of a great
band are welcome. Our members are warm
and welcoming. For more information, contact
ccbtoronto@gmail.com or visit our website
at www.columbusconcertband.com.
● Etobicoke Community Concert Band. Full
rehearsals every Wednesday night at 7:30pm.
309 Horner Ave. Open to all who are looking
for a great band to join. Text Rob Hunter at
416-878-1730.
● Harmony Singers of Etobicoke. The
women of The Harmony Singers survived
COVID and are regrouping for 2024! If you’d
like to sing an exciting repertoire of pop, jazz,
folk and light classics, the group will give you
a warm welcome! Rehearsals start in January
on Wednesday nights from 7:15 to 9:30
p.m. at Richview United Church in Etobicoke.
Contact Conductor Harvey Patterson
at: theharmonysingers@ca.com or call
416-239-5821.
● New Horizons Band of Toronto. All levels
from beginners to advanced for brass, woodwind,
and percussion instruments. Weekly
classes led by professional music teachers.
Loaner instrument provided to each new
registrant in the beginners’ program. Visit
www.newhorizonsbandtoronto.ca.
● North Toronto Community Band. Openings
for drums, clarinets, trumpets, trombones,
French horns, tuba and auxiliary
percussion. Rehearsals held at Willowdale
Presbyterian Church 38 Ellerslie Ave. (just
north of Mel Lastman Square). Monday evenings
7:30-9:30 pm. Contact ntcband@gmail.
com.
● Serenata Singers. Are you free Wednesday
mornings? Do you love the joy of singing
and the camaraderie it brings? Join the Serenata
Singers who have sparkled in Toronto’s
constellation of choral gems since 1976!
This 55-voice adult SATB community choir,
ranges in age from 55 to 97, and will gather
again under choral director Michael Morgan
at Scarborough Bluffs United Church,
3739 Kingston Rd, every Wednesday from
10:30am to 12:30pm. Two free trial rehearsals.
Check us out at www.serenatasingers.ca
or call Charlotte at 416-449-4053!
● String Orchestra TO is a new string
orchestra in Toronto for amateur intermediate
and advanced string players. No auditions.
Our season runs from Sep 11, 2024 to
May 28, 2025. Wed rehearsals: 7:15-9:15 pm at
St. Barnabas Church, 361 Danforth Ave.. Visit
www.sites.google.com/view/stringorchestrato/home
or email us at StringOrchestraTO@gmail.com.
● Strings Attached Orchestra, North
York. All string players (especially viola, cello,
bass) are welcome. Mondays 7 to 9 p.m.
from Sep to Jun. Email us first at info.stringsattached@gmail.com
to receive music and
other details or visit our website at www.
stringsattachedorchestra.com for more
information.
● Toronto Shape Note Singers. Sacred
Harp Singing. Shape note selections from
the Sacred Harp tunebook.Singing is participatory,
not a performance. No experience
necessary. All are welcome and there are
books to borrow. Monthly on the third Wednesday
from Feb 21 to Dec 8, 2024. Friends
House, 60 Lowther Ave. 647-838-8764. Pay
what you can. Oct 16, Nov 20 & Dec 18.
GOT A DATE? A VENUE?
SEND US YOUR
EVENT LISTINGS!
or VISIT thewholenote.com/applylistings
or EMAIL listings@thewholenote.com
ONGOING EVENTS
● Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Evensong. Traditional Anglican choral music.
Trinity College Chapel Choir; Thomas Bell, director
of music; Peter Bayer, organ scholar.
Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto,
6 Hoskin Ave. 416-978-2522 or Trinity College.
Free. Evensong is sung every Wednesday at
5:15pm in the beautiful Trinity College chapel
during term time.
● Encore Symphonic Concert Band.
Monthly Concert Band Concert. The first
Thursday of every month at 11am. 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.
ONLINE EVENTS
● Arts@Home. A vibrant hub connecting
Torontonians to arts and culture. Designed to
strengthen personal and societal resilience
through the arts. www.artsathome.ca.
● Recollectiv. For anyone living with cognitive
challenges from Alzheimer’s, dementia,
traumatic brain injury, stroke or PTSD.
The group meets weekly to rediscover the
joy of making music. Community members
and music students are welcome to this fun,
rewarding and inter-generational experience.
Sessions take place from 2 to 3pm (with
sound checks and socializing at 1:30pm). No
summer sessions after Jun 22. Weekly sessions
resume on Sep 7. Please contact recollectiv@gmail.com
for more information.
The WholeNote’s event listings are FREE.
They only cost the time it takes you to get in touch!
We list:
● live concerts & live-streamed performances
● music theatre / opera / cabarets with an ongoing run
● music related film screenings, master classes,
symposia, lectures and talks
● music competition deadlines
● drop-in rehearsals, singalongs and more!
thewholenote.com
BUSINESS
CLASSIFIEDS
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Promote your services
& products to our
musically engaged readers,
in print and on-line.
BOOKING DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 13
classad@thewholenote.com
If you can read this,
thank a music teacher.
MosePianoForAll.com
15% off your 1st clean
A vacation
for your dog!
Barker Avenue Boarding
in East York
call or text 416-574-5250
50 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

25 TH ANNUAL
BLUE
PAGES
PRESENTER
PROFILES
2024/25

30TH
ANNIVERSARY
SEASON
BLUE
PAGES
PRESENTER PROFILES
Welcome to our 25th annual
Blue Pages directory of presenters.
Our Blue Pages are published in print at
the beginning of October every year, and
updated regularly online at thewholenote.
com/whoswho year round.
Thanks to the presenters who juggled
back-to-school and season-launch
priorities to meet our early September
deadline for inclusion. And to presenters
planning to join (or rejoin) who missed
the September 8 deadline, all is not lost!
Membership remains open until Monday
November 11. All latecomer profiles will
be promptly posted to the website as they
arrive, and will be recognized in print at
the beginning of December.
To our readers, we urge you to support
the presenters who support us!
Their membership in the WholeNote
community has made it possible for us
to maintain our listings as a free service
to the wider musical community. Their
69 profiles, arranged alphabetically, offer
a wonderfully randomized snapshot of
the musical life of our community – well
worth browsing.
To all concertgoers, musicians and
presenters alike, our renewed best wishes
for a resoundingly musical 2024/25 season.
And finally, to Karen Ages, who anchored
this annual membership drive for more
than two decades, and provided year round
support to our members and advertisers
alike, you are missed! Our heartfelt thanks
for your generous mentorship of the new
team over the past four months, and we
wish you well in all the new musical
endeavours that lie ahead of you!
Ori Dagan and Kevin Harris
members@thewholenote.com
● Aga Khan Museum
Celebrating its 10th year of connecting cultures,
the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Ontario is
home to a growing Permanent Collection of
over 1,200 masterpieces, including manuscripts,
paintings, ceramics, and textiles from the 9th to
the 21st century. Through its innovative exhibitions
and engaging programs — from captivating
performances to thought-provoking lectures,
workshops, and film screenings — the Museum
reaches millions of people worldwide, fostering
intercultural understanding through the arts.
Rachel Pryce
416-992-8741
rachel.pryce@akdn.org
www.agakhanmuseum.org
www.facebook.com/
agakhanmuseumtoronto
www.twitter.com/agakhanmuseum
www.instagram.com/agakhanmuseum
● Alliance Française de Toronto
Alliance Française Toronto is a community gathered
around Francophone cultures and the value
of Canadian bilingualism. Alliance Française
Toronto provides a culturally immersive experience
through over 70 events every year, including
concerts (classical, jazz, world music, pop,
folk), theatre plays, art exhibitions, lectures, book
launches, kids events, movie screenings, French
classes for all ages and many other social events.
Events take place in our 140-seat theatre and our
art galleries.
Ketaki Rajwade
416-922-2014, x35
ketaki@alliance-francaise.ca
www.alliance-francaise.ca/en
www.facebook.com/AFdeToronto
www.instagram.com/afdetoronto
● Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto
The award-winning Amadeus Choir of Greater
Toronto celebrates more than 50 years of enlivening
Toronto’s arts landscape through energetic
performances, unexpected programming and
artistic collaborations that redefine choral music.
Led by Artistic Director Kathleen Allan, the
Choir champions the best of choral music by
commissioning and premiering works by Canadian
and international composers through a
self-produced concert series, guest performances,
and special events.
For the 2024/25 season, the choir will be led
by Conductor Emerita Lydia Adams, C.M., for the
November 2 performance of “Songs of Hope and
Peace” at St. George’s United Church, which will
feature special guest Tom Allen. Ms. Adams will
also conduct “Holiday Serenade” on December 7th
which will be presented at the George Weston
Recital Hall, in collaboration with the Hannaford
Street Silver Band and the Bach Children’s Chorus.
Kathleen Allan will return to lead the Bernstein
and Duruflé concert on May 4 at Metropolitan
United Church. To purchase tickets for the Amadeus
Choir’s season, and to find out more about
their educational initiatives and special events,
please visit our website.
Emma Milutinovic
416-446-0188
marketing@amadeuschoir.com
www.amadeuschoir.com
www.facebook.com/amadeusGTA
www.twitter.com/AmadeusChoirGTA
www.instagram.com/amadeuschoirgta
●The Annex Singers
The Annex Singers of Toronto is a spirited, auditioned
50-voice community choir with an eclectic
repertoire that spans a thousand years and
showcases a wide range of styles, from plainchant
to jazz.
This year, we are celebrating our 45th season
and our 19th year under the dynamic leadership
of Artistic Director Maria Case. During that time,
the choir has become known for its inventive, relevant
programming and for collaboration with
a wide array of guest artists and composers —
including the commissioning and premiering of
new works by Canadian musicians. Recent larger
works include Britten’s Ceremony of Carols
and Rejoice in the Lamb, Dobrogosz’s Jazz Mass,
Faure’s Requiem, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor,
and Poulenc’s Gloria.
The choir performs three concerts each season
at Grace Church on-the-Hill, featuring guest
soloists and instrumentalists, as well as our own
Annex Chamber Choir or smaller ensembles.
Our 2024/25 season:
December 7 — “Stargazers”: Music inspired
by the night sky, with a pre-concert talk on
astronomy
March 29 — “Carmina Burana”: When
Fortuna spins her wheel, who can resist
Orff’s masterpiece?
May 31 — “Sing, Pray, Love!”: Hildegard von Bingen,
The Spice Girls, and everything in between!
Joanne Eidinger
416-458-4434
www.annexsingers.com
www.facebook.com/AnnexSingers
www.twitter.com/theannexsingers
www.instagram.com/annex_singers
www.annexsingers.com/listen
● Apocryphonia
Apocryphonia ventures beyond the standard
fare of traditional Canadian classical music programming
to reveal the beautiful, the lost, and
the rare. Its mission: to seek out and share hidden
and obscure musical masterpieces; whether
they are from composers you may not already
know, or are rare works by familiar names. We
strive to create affordable, accessible Classical
Music concerts that showcase Canadian
52 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

performers. Apocryphonia’s concerts provide
both listeners and musicians the chance to discover
their new favourite pieces by their new
favourite composers.
The Third Cycle of Musical Revelations - our
upcoming season - includes:
September 29, “Sing to Me Again”: Chamber
music + art song from Eastern Europe, Canada
& the Caucasus with Duo CBJ & MH
October 15, “Amor Con Fortuna”: The Diapente
Quintet takes you to Renaissance Spain.
November 8, “Brews, Beauties & Brawlers”:
Charles Villiers Stanford’s Irish ballad, ‘Phaudrig
Crohoore’ and more.
November 29, “Diapente Book of Carols 2”:
Christmas Cheer, Renaissance Style!
May 2025, “Faignient and Friends”: Premiere
performances of 16th c. Franco-Flemish composer
Noe Faignient
June 2025, “A Cabinet of Curiosities 2”: An
eclectic mix of chamber music presented entirely
at random!
Alexander Cappellazzo
514-378-2558
apocryphoniamusic@gmail.com
www.apocryphonia.com
www.facebook.com/apocryphoniamusic
www.instagram.com/apocryphonia
● Arkell Chamber Concerts,
see Trio Arkell, p.63
● Attila Glatz Concert Productions
Founded in 1987, Attila Glatz Concert Productions
produces, promotes, and manages classical, jazz,
folk, country, film and video game music performances
worldwide.
The company’s signature presentation is the
beloved New Year’s Concert, “Salute to Vienna”.
Presented annually in more than 20 major concert
halls from the Lincoln Center to Roy Thomson
Hall, this concert series celebrates its 30th
anniversary in 2025!
Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert evokes
the enchantment and grandeur of Vienna’s
Golden Age with a new cast and musical program
each year. Performed by some of Europe’s finest
singers, internationally celebrated dancers, and
a full orchestra conducted by an expert in Viennese
music, this concert experience is the perfect
way to greet the New Year.
Along with Salute to Vienna, Toronto audiences
can celebrate New Year’s Eve in the most
elegant of ways, with ‘Bravissimo! New Year’s
at the Opera’ at Roy Thomson Hall, featuring
Opera’s Greatest Hits and the Canadian Opera
Company Orchestra.
Nicholas Arnold
416-323-1403
nicholasa@glatzconcerts.com
www.glatzconcerts.com
www.facebook.com/glatzconcerts
www.instagram.com/glatzconcerts
ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE DE TORONTO
●The Azrieli Music Prizes
(The Azrieli Foundation)
Created in 2014 by Sharon Azrieli CQ for the
Azrieli Foundation, the Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP)
offer opportunities for the discovery, creation,
performance and celebration of excellence in
music composition.
Open to the international music community,
AMP accepts nominations for works from individuals
and institutions of all ages, backgrounds,
nationalities, faiths and genders, which are then
submitted to its three expert juries for review
through a biennial open call.
The four prize packages—valued at $200,000
CAD per laureate— make AMP the top competition
for music composition in Canada and one of
the largest in the world.
This season, AMP proudly celebrates ten years
of championing excellence in music composition.
Catherine Willshire
416-322-5928, x366
music@azrielifoundation.org
www.azrielifoundation.org/amp
www.facebook.com/Azrielimusic
www.twitter.com/azrielifdn
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=RpzY_RPA3nc&t=20s
● Brampton On Stage
Brampton On Stage presents enriching artistic
programming for all ages at exceptional venues:
The Rose, LBP, Cyril Clark, and Garden Square.
Supporting Brampton’s diverse creative talent,
its vision is to build an inspiring performing arts
community that reflects the spirit and diversity of
Brampton. Together with local artists and audiences,
Brampton On Stage believes in the power
of live performance. Programming includes
Brampton On Stage Presents, This is Brampton,
Arts Adventures Education Series, and commercial
and community presentations. Connect with
Brampton On Stage on Instagram, X(formerly
Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn.
Carrie Libling
905-874-2800
carrie.libling@brampton.ca
www.bramptononstage.ca
www.facebook.com/bramptononstage
www.twitter.com/bramptononstage
www.instagram.com/bramptononstage
● Canadian Opera Company
The Canadian Opera Company is the largest opera
company in the country and one of the largest in
North America, known for its artistic excellence
and innovation, as well as attracting some of the
world’s most renowned opera performers and
creators. The company performs with its own
acclaimed COC Orchestra and COC Chorus, and
its spectacular home base at the Four Seasons
Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto serves not
only as a national stage, but also as a local hub for
diverse musical artists and creators that reflect
the city’s wide-ranging cultural influences.
Eldon Earle
416-363-8231
info@coc.ca
www.coc.ca
www.facebook.com/
canadianoperacompany
www.twitter.com/canadianopera
www.instagram.com/canadianopera
● Cantabile Chamber Singers
Cantabile Chamber Singers is a non-profit
Toronto-based chamber choir, formed in 2006
by artistic director Cheryll J. Chung. We are committed
to enlightening audiences and attracting
a new generation of Canadians to the resonance
and enrichment of choral music through a combination
of informed interpretation, engaging
audiences and innovative programming. We
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 53

BLUE PAGES 2024/25
believe in engaging in cultural diversity through
our programming and promoting music written
by living and young composers of the present.
We have come together for several reasons: for
the love of music and the joy we can bring to
others through the music we make, while helping
to bring awareness to causes that impact society.
Keeping with its mission and vision of community
outreach and social justice issues, Cantabile is
a not-for-profit organization where its members
believe that music can help bring awareness to
social issues such as climate and environment,
discrimination and illness. We hope to enrich the
lives of those to come to our concerts, and more
importantly, those who benefit from them.
Cheryll Chung
416-828-1506
cantabilechambersingers@gmail.com
www.cantabilechambersingers.com
www.facebook.com/
CantabileChamberSingers
www.x.com/cantabileTO
www.instagram.com/
cantabilechambersingers
www.youtube.com/@
CantabileTO/featured
● Cathedral Bluffs
Symphony Orchestra
Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra is passionate
about the power of live orchestral music and
the community-building impact it has on local
performance. Founded in 1985 by violinist Neil
Blair and legendary Toronto musician Maestro
Clifford Poole, the orchestra has been serving
the local Scarborough and Greater Toronto
communities by bringing to life some of the greatest
musical works, presenting internationally
acclaimed performers and introducing some of
Canada’s rising stars in their debut performances
with a symphony orchestra.
Cathedral Bluffs presents a yearly six-concert
subscription series performed in the PC Ho
Theatre at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater
Toronto. This large venue provides comfortable
and accessible patron facilities and exceptional
acoustics.
The orchestra has been directed by nationally
recognized Toronto-based conductor Martin
MacDonald since 2022. Martin MacDonald is
one of Canada’s most dynamic and outstanding
conductors and has been awarded both the Heinz
Unger Award and the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award
for orchestral conducting. Martin has guest conducted
extensively across Canada having worked
with the orchestras of Toronto, National Arts Centre,
Vancouver, Edmonton and more.
Joel Toews
416-879-5566
joel_toews@cathedralbluffs.com
www.cathedralbluffs.com
www.facebook.com/
CathedralBluffsSymphonyOrchestra
www.instagram.com/
cathedralbluffsorchestra
● Church Of St. Mary
Magdalene Gallery Choir
An all-volunteer choir at the Church of St Mary
Magdalene, Toronto, singing every Sunday morning,
specializing in works of Renaissance polyphony,
the music of Healey Willan (Director of Music
here for most of his life), and modern works by
Canadian composers, especially women.
Elisabeth Beattie
416-531-7955, x2
office@stmarymagdalene.ca
www.stmarymagdalene.ca
www.facebook.com/
StMaryMagdaleneToronto
● Confluence Concerts
Confluence Concerts presents joyous, daring and
thought-provoking musical experiences within a
warm atmosphere of intimacy and discovery. We
are a company of diverse creative artists dedicated
to personal, thought-provoking, and moving
presentations.
This season our artistic team Larry Beckwith,
Andrew Downing, Teiya Kasahara 笠 原 貞 野 , Aidan
McConnell, Suba Sankaran, Patricia O’Callaghan
has created seven lovingly-prepared programs
performed by supremely talented artists in the
warm surroundings of the Heliconian Hall. Each
program has a different theme and tells a different
story. We’ll experience and learn about the
wide scope of influence of the great Scottish bard
Robert Burns; we’ll focus on love as expressed
by Canadian composers, songwriters and poets;
we’ll celebrate the extraordinary work of the
great German-American composer Kurt Weill
and much, much more.
Each concert this season features an entertaining
and informative pre-show event 45 minutes
before the concert start time, and a lively
post-show reception at which you can mingle
with the performers.
Join us for one concert, or the whole season.
We’d love to see you.
Jennifer Collins
416-786-2509
manager@confluenceconcerts.ca
www.confluenceconcerts.ca
www.facebook.com/confluenceconcerts
www.instagram.com/confluconcerts
https://www.youtube.com/@
confluenceconcerts
● DaCapo Chamber Choir
The DaCapo Chamber Choir was founded in
1998 in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario under the
direction of Leonard Enns. In November 2023,
the choir celebrated 25 years of “giving ideas
voice.” The mission of the choir is to promote
the best of contemporary choral music through
public performance and recordings, including
the intentional championing of music of Canadian
and local composers. The choir’s national
NewWorks choral competition, which held its
final season last year, was critical in establishing
a vibrant and vital presence for recent and
emerging Canadian choral music. DaCapo will
continue to profile and support Canadian composers
through premieres and commissioning.
The choir has released three CDs: NewWorks
(2019); the award-winning ShadowLand (winner
of the 2010 ACCC’s National Choral Recording of
the Year award, including the Juno-nominated
Nocturne by Leonard Enns); and Still (2004).
Upcoming season:
November 9 and 10, “Word Over All” - featuring
oboist James Mason, cellist Miriam Stewart
Kroeker, and a string quintet
March 1 and 2, “Starry Night”
May 10 and 11, “Sing Us Home” - featuring piano
Sara Martin
519-725-7549
info@dacapochamberchoir.ca
www.dacapochamberchoir.ca
www.facebook.com/DaCapoChoir
www.twitter.com/DaCapoChoir
www.instagram.com/
DaCapoChamberChoir
www.youtube.com/@
dacapochamberchoir8973/videos
● Don Wright Faculty of Music
at Western University
Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University
in London, Ontario is situated in a researchintensive
university on a campus that is inviting
and striking. It is a supportive environment
that enables students to grow artistically and
academically, with a family-like atmosphere
and strong focus on community. Our students
are among 600 of the brightest and most talented
young artist scholars, who come to study
in one of our many undergraduate and graduate
programs.
In the 2024/25 season, we are excited to share
our music with the community and experience
the incredible diversity of musical styles and
genres our students, faculty and our invited
world-class guest artists have to offer. From student
ensemble performances (including choirs,
fully staged opera performances, orchestra, concert
bands, jazz, percussion, contemporary and
early music), new pop and salsa bands, showcase
events by popular music studies students, faculty
concerts, and our signature “Fridays@12:30”
series, we are pleased to bring performances
to you in person, and select options at home
via livestream.
Rachel Condie
519-661-3767
musicevents@uwo.ca
www.music.uwo.ca/events
www.facebook.com/westernuMusic
www.twitter.com/westernuMusic
www.instagram.com/westernuMusic
54 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

●The Edison Singers
The Edison Singers is a fully professional chamber
choir led by internationally-acclaimed Artistic
Director and Conductor, Dr. Noel Edison. We
produce concert series in communities across
southwestern Ontario becoming an integral part
of the musical life of each.
We bookend our 2024/25 with programs featuring
composers whom we call “choral mystics.” The
leading Canadian exponent of this is Timothy Corlis.
His music is transparent, lush, evocative, energetic
and deeply spiritual. We will record a selection of
his works in the Fall for the recording label Naxos.
You can attend a preview concert of this recording
at the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate in Guelph
on September 29 in a program entitled “Missa Pax:
Choral Works by Timothy Corlis”.
It’s hard to believe that Handel wrote his towering
Messiah in only 21 days in 1741. His spectacular
musical journey is one that has become
a Christmas tradition for so many of us. Another
December treat our concert of carols, songs and
readings entitled “O Hear the Angel Voices”.
On Good Friday 2025, we perform one of J.S
Bach’s premiere works, The St. John Passion,
with full orchestra. For our last concert, we are
back to our mystical theme with “Choral Mystics:
Ancient & Modern Reflections”.
Esther Farrell
226-384-3100
executivedirector@
theedisonsingers.com
www.theedisonsingers.com
www.facebook.com/TheEdisonSingers
●The Elmer Iseler Singers
The Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS) are a 20-voice
professional chamber choir based in Toronto
and founded by the late Dr. Elmer Iseler in 1979.
Directed by the acclaimed Lydia Adams, C.M., the
Singers are known for tonal beauty and interpretive
range, and valued for their contributions to
masterclasses and workshops with schools and
community choirs.
Experience three glorious Toronto concerts,
as EIS present their 46th concert season series,
“A Bouquet of Voices!”, featuring a major world
premiere by Canadian mystical composer, Peter
Togni, an acclaimed performance of Handel’s
Messiah, and a Spring flourish of voices, featuring
the moving new creation of Canadian composer
Norbert Palej, as EIS welcome renowned
choirs to their singing table of guests: the University
of Toronto Faculty of Music MacMillan
Singers and instrumental ensemble, Jamie Hillman,
conductor; The Elora Singers, Mark Vuorinen,
Artistic Director; the VIVA Chamber Singers,
Carol Ratzlaff, Artistic Director and the Amadeus
Choir, Lydia Adams, Interim Artistic Director.
Series subscriptions and individual concert
tickets are available on their website, along
with news about tours, guest appearances
and workshops.
CATHEDRAL BLUFFS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Jessie Iseler
416-217-0537
info@elmeriselersingers.com
www.elmeriselersingers.com
https://www.facebook.com/elmeriseler
https://www.twitter.com/ElmerIseler
https://www.instagram.
com/elmeriseler
● Ensemble Vivant
Pioneering tour-de-force Ensemble Vivant’s
innovative genre-diverse classical/jazz programming
is rich with passionate, deeply communicative
playing that touches the hearts and souls
of listeners of all ages. EV has 15 internationally
acclaimed CDs heard on radio worldwide.
Of EV’s album iFUGUE ~ A World of Fugues,
U.S.A. magazines Fanfare & American Record
Guide respectively wrote: “Smokin…Fugues
shouldn’t be this much fun!”; “Lively readings of
fugues by all sorts of composers. A few are presented
in original form, such as Bach’s Prelude
& Fugue 9 (WTC I), played beautifully by pianist
Catherine Wilson.”
More praise:
“…highest-level chamber music-making. No
matter the genre, there is magic in EV’s musicmaking.”
- Jazz Icon Rick Wilkins, C.M.
“Chamber music at its evocative best!” – The
WholeNote
“…beautiful, poised performances...capture
the passion and verve…Wilson’s piano gives this
music unerring drive and plenty of sparkle.” -
Toronto Star
EV’s invaluable live and video programs for
underserved communities (endorsed by neuroscientists
on music and the mind) are conducted
through Euterpe (musicisthekey.org). Awards
include Ontario Trillium Foundation; Canada
Council; Levante Foundation; Ross Mitchell Foundation
and more.
Catherine Wilson
416-768-8856
cwpianist@me.com
www.ensemblevivant.com
https://www.facebook.
com/EnsembleVivant
https://www.twitter.com/
EnsembleVivant
https://www.instagram.
com/ensemblevivant
● Esprit Orchestra
Esprit Orchestra is Canada’s only full-sized, professional
orchestra devoted to performing and
presenting new music.
Founded in 1983 by Music Director and Conductor,
Alex Pauk, Esprit’s commitment to commissioning
and advancing contemporary music
has set it apart as one of the few organisations
of its kind on a global scale. Esprit consistently
collaborates with outstanding composers and
performs with first-class soloists and ensembles
from Canada and abroad.
With a dynamic annual subscription concert
series, this skilled orchestra presents music that
is otherwise unavailable in Canada. Esprit performances
are regularly recorded and many can
be viewed online in full.
In the 2024/25 “Edge of Your Seat” season,
Esprit will present two “prelude” concerts, followed
by the first iteration of a new International
New Music Festival, welcoming to Toronto such
esteemed guests as: violinist Akiko Suwanai, soprano
Sophia Burgos and composers Andrew
Norman, Lisa Streich and Vito Žuraj. Numerous
Canadian, North American and world premieres
will be heard throughout the season and
featured soloists include: accordionist Michael
Bridge, violinist Mark Fewer, pianist Kevin Ahfat,
harpsichordist Wesley Shen and harpist Erica
Goodman. Concerts will be presented at Koerner
Hall and Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.
Cameron Dube
416-815-7887
info@espritorchestra.com
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BLUE PAGES 2024/25
www.espritorchestra.com
www.facebook.com/espritorchestra
www.twitter.com/espritorchestra
www.instagram.com/espritorchestra
● Estonian Museum Canada
VEMU Estonian Museum Canada delivers cultural
and educational programming. VEMU is a
contemporary memory institution, welcoming
all visitors to be inspired by Estonian culture, history
and traditions. Its inclusive programming
and innovative exhibitions encourage cross-cultural
understanding and dialogue. We organize
50 to 70 events per year. These include conferences,
seminars, lectures, exhibits (5 to 7 per year),
workshops, book launches, film screenings, theatre
shows, concerts (including the bi-annual
Estonian Music Week festival).
Estonian Music Week is back! The 2025 edition
includes world-renowned artists, such as
Vox Clamantis, Curly Strings, Estonian Voices
and more. The festival takes place May 22 to 25,
with festival passes going on sale December 2.
Visit www.estonianmusicweek.ca to learn more.
Be sure to join the mailing list for additional discounts
on tickets.
Piret Noorhani
416-925-9405
info@vemu.ca
www.vemu.ca
https://www.facebook.com/vemu.ca
https://www.instagram.com/vemu.emc
www.youtu.be/
HRuBfg1JuHg?si=51QlC6tzHIjG32RV
● Etobicoke Centennial Choir
Etobicoke Centennial Choir (ECC) is an inclusive,
SATB, auditioned community choir dedicated to
celebrating the art and joy of choral singing. We
offer performances of diverse repertoire, ranging
from classical masterpieces to contemporary
compositions and music from around
the world.
ECC offers a challenging and supportive
choral experience guided by professional artists.
Rehearsals are held every Tuesday, September to
June, from 7:30pm to 9:45pm at Humber Valley
United Church in Etobicoke. Some choral experience
and the ability to read music are required.
Our 2024/25 season will feature the unique
Messe de minuit pour Noël by Marc-Antoine
Charpentier with orchestral accompaniment,
Will Todd’s acclaimed Mass in Blue, accompanied
by a combo of piano, drums, bass and alto
saxophone and a journey through Indian classical
music, arranged for choir. With accompaniment
of sitar, tabla, and harmonium, renowned
flautist Hasheel Lodhia and a guest soprano will
lead the ECC through the rhythms and echoes
of South Asia.
Jan Fralick
416-695-9034
janfralick@gmail.com
www.etobcokecentennialchoir.ca
www.facebook.com/
EtobicokeCentennialChoir
www.twitter.com/CentennialChoir
www.instagram.com/
etobicokecentennialchoir
●The Etobicoke Philharmonic
Orchestra
Join us on a curated tour of great music
from masterworks, all the way to powerful
new compositions.
This season includes Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7,
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 ‘Eroica’, Schumann’s
Symphony No. 1, works by Shostakovich, Estacio,
Strauss, Rivet, Donkin and more.
We are delighted to bring stellar soloists to our
local stage: Michael Kim playing Mozart’s dramatic
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor; Erika
Raum performs the romantic Tchaikovsky Violin
Concerto; our own Gavin Warren playing Reitz’s
Clarinet Concerto; and soaring soprano Jennifer
Taverner closes the season on a high note with
excerpts from Strauss, Estacio and Novello.
At our Sunday matinee “Discovery” concert you
won’t want to miss the unique narration of Prokofiev’s
iconic Peter and the Wolf by guest artist
Craig Doyle of CDH Live!
To maximize access to great orchestral music,
our prices remain unchanged since 2015.
Subscribe for our best prices and put “Philharmonic
Fridays” on your calendar as a regularly
scheduled self-care event.
See you at the symphony!
Marisa Zubans
416-239-5665
info@eporchestra.ca
www.eporchestra.ca
www.facebook.com/eporchestra
www.instagram.com/etobicokephil
● Flute Street
Flute Street, now in its second decade, is a homogeneous,
seven-octave, full range chamber
ensemble comprised exclusively of flutists who
perform on nine different sizes of flutes from the
tiny piccolo to through to the largest flute – the
very rare, and Canada’s only, double contrabass
flute. With two additional contrabass flutes, the
unique contr’alto and several bass and alto flutes
there is an unexpected depth and beautiful richness
achieved in Flute Street’s sound. Audiences
delight in the varied programming which includes
renaissance and baroque repertoire, pop tunes,
a few symphonic transcriptions, folk songs, jazz
standards, solo features with international and
local guest artists, and in particular, original and
contemporary flute choir compositions – many of
which have been Canadian or world premieres.
Under the artistic direction of founder, Nancy
Nourse, and conducted by Isaac Page, Flute
Street is pleased to present its 11th anniversary
season at the Church of St. Peter and St.
Simon-the-Apostle.
Sunday, October 27, 2024, 4pm - “Beyond the
Night Sky”
Sunday, December 15, 2024, 4pm - “Christmas
on Flute Street”
Spring 2025 - TBA
Nancy Nourse
416-485-8262
noursewind@sympatico.ca
www.flutestreet.ca
www.facebook.com/flutestreettoronto
●The Hannaford Street Silver Band
The Hannaford Street Silver Band is Canada’s
award-winning professional brass band and resident
company of Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre
for the Arts. Its mission is to honour the traditions
of this art form and place it in a contemporary
context with a unique, Canadian point-of-view.
We actively facilitate innovative creative projects
and collaborate with the best of Canada’s
diverse artists.
Our 2024/25 season features brass repertoire
gems, paired with new music played with the
verve and virtuosity you expect from the Hannaford
Band: “Brassology” on October 27 features
Brandon Ridenour with guest conductor Patrick
Sheridan; “A Holiday Serenade” is on Saturday,
December 7 at the George Weston Recital
Hall with the Amadeus Choir and Bach Children’s
Chorus; “War and Art ” on Sunday, March 23 features
Sarah Slean, and our season concludes on
Sunday, May 11 with “Beyond Brass” – a collaboration
with Michael Bridge, accordion and Ed Hanely,
table with guest conductor Jean-Michele Malouf.
The HSSB demonstrates its commitment to
youth, outreach and education by running the
Hannaford Youth Program. This vibrant program
is a fantastic opportunity for brass and percussion
players ages 7 to 24 to participate in.
Raymond Tizzard
647-309-6350
ray@hssb.ca
www.hssb.ca
www.facebook.com/
HannafordStreetSilverBand
www.x.com/hannafordband
www.instagram.com/hannafordband
www.youtube.com/user/
TheHSSBChannel
● Isabel Bader Centre for
the Performing Arts
The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
is home to the performing arts at Queen’s University
and a hub for vibrant artistic study, creation,
and exhibition in Kingston, Ontario. We prioritize
diverse arts presentation, engagement, and
innovation, quality facility management, and support
for arts education and exposure. We are an
accelerator for artistic development and an incubator
for new technologies and multi-disciplinary
creation.
56 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Gordon E. Smith
613-533-2424
IsabelBoxOffice@queensu.ca
www.queensu.ca/theisabel
www.facebook.com/queensuisabel
www.instagram.com/queensuisabel
● Jubilate Singers
The Jubilate Singers, founded in 1969, are a
mixed-voice, auditioned, community choir
directed by Isabel Bernaus. The choir specializes
in eclectic international music and takes pride
in singing in the original languages - everything
from Arabic to Zulu.The choir also collaborates
with a variety of other musicians and performing
groups. Last season the choir performed an all-
Spanish program of Latin American music with
Sikuris St. Lawrence and the North American
premiere of Aharon Harlap’s Requiem with the
York Chamber Ensemble.
The up-coming season features a collaboration
with the Wychwood Clarinet Choir in the
fall. The winter concert theme will be ‘Dance’.
The choir will perform songs from international
dance music accompanied by ethnic dancers. In
the spring the choir will present some concerts
outside the GTA with Denise Williams, exploring
the musical traditions from the African, Jewish
and Muslim Diaspora.
The Jubilate Singers rehearse on Tuesday
evenings, September through June, in the City of
Toronto. Each year the choir donates free tickets
to settlement houses, seniors’ centres and other
community organizations for people who would
not otherwise be able to attend cultural events.
Pat Keating
416-485-1988
info@jubilatesingers.ca
www.jubilatesingers.ca
www.facebook.com/
JubilateSingersChoir
www.instagram.com/
jubilatesingers-toronto
● Kindred Spirits Orchestra
The Kindred Spirits Orchestra (KSO) is a critically
acclaimed, award-winning, auditioned-based
civic orchestra, performing at the Meridian Arts
Centre (George Weston Recital Hall), and the CBC
Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, as well as at the
Flato Markham Theatre, and the Cornell Recital
Hall. In addition to performing concerts, the KSO
offers several educational, community outreach,
professional development and international cultural
exchange programmes. In 2021, the KSO
became the first orchestra in Canada to migrate
to an environmentally conscious business operations,
implement a digital music library, and
replace paper-based music parts with iPad Pro
tablets, made available to all musicians.
The 2024/25 concert season under the direction
of maestro Kristian Alexander includes
Bruckner‘s Symphony No. 6, Verdi‘s Messa
ETOBICOKE CENTENNIAL CHOIR
da Requiem, Shostakovich‘s Symphony No. 7,
Debussy‘s La mer, and Scriabin‘s Poem of Ecstasy,
as well as a world premiere of a Concerto for
Piano Trio and String Orchestra by Gary Kulesha.
Featured ensembles are the Gryphon trio,
Orpheus and Resound choirs, as well as cellist
Winona Zelenka, pianists Michael Berkovsky and
Dmitri Levkovich, and violinist Heng-Han Hou.
Jobert Sevilleno
905-604-8339
gm@ksorchestra.ca
https://www.ksorchestra.ca
http://www.facebook.com/
pages/Kindred-Spirits-
Orchestra/250778850797
http://twitter.com/KSOrchestra
https://www.instagram.
com/ksorchestra
https://youtu.be/2IF_YkyDpNU
● Li Delun Music Foundation
The Li Delun Music Foundation was established
in 2002 in Toronto as a non-profit organization
dedicated to the promotion of cultural exchange
between the East and the West through musical
events. Named after the renowned Chinese conductor
Li Delun, who founded the first symphony
orchestra in the People’s Republic of China, the
foundation is now well-known in the community
as a presenter of high-quality musical events
such as recitals by acclaimed prizewinners, and
the annual “East-Meets-West New Years Concert”
at the George Weston Recital Hall. Aside from
forming the Toronto Festival Orchestra, which
gives talented young aspiring musicians a chance
to work alongside seasoned professionals, the
foundation also provides a platform for young upand-coming
soloists to play on the concert hall
stage, accompanied by a professional orchestra
in front of a live appreciative audience.
The Li Delun Music Foundation has also held
masterclasses and workshops, led by internationally-acclaimed
artists, including Lang Lang, Sa
Chen, Haochen Zhang, Bruce Liu, professor Lee
Kum-Sing, et cetera.
Rosalind Zhang
647-281-8768
rosy@lidelun.org
www.lidelun.org
www.facebook.com/LiDelunMusic
● Metropolitan United Church
Accepting, affirming and welcoming to everyone,
Metropolitan United Church at Queen and Church
Streets has a 200-year history of presenting great
sacred music in the heart of Toronto. Under the
leadership of Minister of Music Jonathan Oldengarm,
our ensembles include the Adult, Children’s
(director Michael Denomme), and Handbell
Choirs, the Metropolitan Silver Band (est. 1934, and
directed by Fran Harvey), and the Great Heart youth
ensemble (director Ben Stein). Our collection of
instruments includes Canada’s largest pipe organ,
installed in 1930 by Casavant Frères of Quebec; the
54-bell Massey/Drury Carillon (Elisa Tersigni, Carillonist;
a portative organ (by Becker of Hamburg);
a Hubbard harpsichord; and Steinway and Yamaha
grand pianos. In addition to great music every Sunday
morning, our beautiful neo-gothic sanctuary
hosts two concert series including Music at Met and
Noon at Met (Thursdays at 12pm, from September
to November, and February to June). Our Christmas
Lessons and Carols service and Good Friday evening
Choral Concert are particular annual highlights
for many Torontonians. Visit us in person, go to our
website and/or YouTube channel.
Jonathan Oldengarm
416-363-0331, x226
jonathano@metunited.org
www.metunited.org
www.facebook.com/MetUnited
www.instagram.com/
metropolitanunitedto
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● Mississauga Chamber Singers
The Mississauga Chamber Singers bring clarity
and intimacy to great choral masterpieces from a
wide range of A Capella works to timeless works
for choir and orchestra.
Led by Artistic Director, Mervin William Fick,
the choir presents dynamic within a widening
scope of the classical choral repertoire.
The Mississauga Chamber Singers performs a
diverse season of extensive community engagement
events, multi-generational musical education
programming and ticketed concerts in
a variety of performance spaces within the city.
Come and hear the difference!
Jen Crawford
647-549-4524
jcrawford@mcsociety.ca
www.mcsingers.ca
www.facebook.com/mcsingersssocial
www.youtube.com/@
mississaugachambersingers
● Mooredale Concerts
Our 2024/25 season showcases a celebrated
soloist, an exciting ensemble, and wonderful
duos. We will present programs with an eclectic
mix of world classical works from all Brahms
and Debussy events to Wiancko, Gershwin and
Nino Rota. Classical guitar combined with violin
adds extra dimension to the season.
The Players: Benedetto Lupo, piano, Aeolus
String Quartet, Andrew Wan, violin & Charles
Richard-Hamelin, piano, Duo Sonidos, and Stéphane
Tétreault, cello & Olivier Hébert-Bouchard,
piano. Five-concert subscriptions are $250/$225
adult/senior and $125 under age 30. Concerts
are Sundays 3:15pm, Walter Hall (UofT) - general
admission seating.
MUSIC & TRUFFLES KIDS – Give your child
their first taste of classical music! Artists featured
in our mainstage events also perform a one-hour
mini-concert for young people ages 6-11 and their
parents, grandparents, friends at 1:15pm. Subscriptions
are $100 and include a Lindt chocolate
truffle for everyone at the end of each concert.
Wonny Song, Artistic and Executive Director of
Orford Music, mentored by Anton Kuerti, is our
Artistic Director.
Christina Cavanagh, Managing Director
416-922-3714, x103
marketing@mooredaleconcerts.com
www.mooredaleconcerts.com
www.facebook.com/
MooredaleConcerts
www.twitter.com/mooredaleconcrt
www.instagram.com/
mooredaleconcerts
● Music at St. Andrew’s
Since its 2011 launch, Music at St. Andrew’s has
gained a reputation for delivering great music
at affordable prices. We’re delighted to welcome
audiences to enjoy the superb acoustics of our
spacious sanctuary in the heart of Toronto’s
entertainment district.
St. Andrew’s magnificent Bösendorfer Imperial
Grand piano, which inspired the launch of our
music program, is used extensively in our free,
mostly classical Friday Noontime Recitals. Now in
its eleventh year of fall and winter/spring recitals,
this popular series features graduate students
and professors from U of T’s Music Department,
established performers and rising young stars.
Join us on October 4 as we welcome back pianist
Irina Bazik. And watch later this season for
returning favourites such as Jean-Luc Therrien
and Tristan Savella.
Following the success of last year’s Ceilidh
Christmas concert, we’ve invited St. Andrew’s
renowned professional choir to take stage
again.at “Come Home for Christmas” on Friday,
December 6. Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC). Donations
will be accepted for church’s Refugee Support
program.
Daniel Bickle
416-593-5600, x220
info@standrewstoronto.org
www.standrewstoronto.org
www.facebook.com/
Music-at-St-Andrews
● Music In the Afternoon
Through its “Music in the Afternoon” concert
series, the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto
(WMCT) presents chamber music concerts
featuring musicians on the threshold of international
recognition, as well as established artists
and ensembles. Concerts are held Thursday
afternoons at 1:30pm at Walter Hall, University
of Toronto, Faculty of Music, Edward Johnson
Building, 80 Queen’s Park. Illuminating
pre-concert lectures at 12:15pm are free to all
concert-attendees.
Our exciting 127th season (2024/25) includes
Campbell Fagan Park Trio (October 3, 2024);
Julian Rachlin, violin & Friends: Sarah McElravy,
viola; Karen Ouzounian, cello; and Sheng
Cai, piano (November 14, 2024); Marmen Quartet
(March 13, 2025); Midori Marsh, soprano;
with Frances Armstrong, piano; Laura Chambers,
flute; and Alex Hetherington, mezzo-soprano
(April 3, 2025); Asitha Tennekoon, tenor;
with Steven Philcox, piano (May 8, 2025). Artists
and programs are subject to change. Visit our
website for regular season news and updates.
Shannon Perreault
416-923-7052
wmct@wmct.on.ca
www.wmct.on.ca
www.facebook.com/
WomensMusicalClubofToronto
www.twitter.com/WMCT120
www.instagram.com/wmct.
musicintheafternoon
● Music Toronto
Experience great chamber music with Music
TORONTO, a presenter of the finest ensembles,
pianists and vocalists from home and abroad. We
enrich our community through chamber music
by supporting artistic development, producing
community engagement and education initiatives,
and, of course, by producing concerts. Artistic
and Executive Director Roman Borys invites you
to our 2024/25 season at the Jane Mallett Theatre
at the St Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
Our season opens with the return of Quartetto
di Cremona, followed by the Miró, JACK and Isidore
Quartets, and the Gryphon Trio with violinist
Lara St. John and vocalist Aviva Chernick.
The piano series features iconic Canadian pianists
Marc-André Hamelin and Janina Fialkowska,
soprano and pianist Rachel Fenlon, and Ukrainian
pianist Illia Ovcharenko. We are pleased to
welcome music commentator Rob Kapilow, who
will be joining forces with the Cheng² Duo and
the Gryphon Trio for two “What Makes it Great?”
® presentations at the George Weston Recital Hall.
Join us for concerts, both traditional and groundbreaking,
and experience the transformative
power of live music– enlightening, entertaining,
enriching, and deeply engaging.
Roman Borys
416-214-1660
info@music-toronto.com
www.music-toronto.com
www.facebook.com/MusicToronto
www.twitter.com/Music_Toronto
www.instagram.com/music.
toronto.concerts
www.youtube.com/
watch?v=uEiSOtJsGDY
● Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation
Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation marks its 31st
anniversary this season under the continuing
leadership of artistic director Eric Robertson.
Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation has presented
a rich variety of concerts for Toronto audiences,
including its popular weekly recital series, as well
as international groups such as King’s College
Cambridge Choir, Clare College Singers and St.
John’s College Choir. It has also featured Canadian
artists, including Erica Goodman, David
Hetherington, Colin Fox, John McDermott, Sharlene
Wallace, Anne Lindsay, Neil Swainson, John
Johnson, Guido Basso, Guy Few, Heather Bambrick,
the True North Brass, the Gryphon Trio, and
percussion ensemble NEXUS.
Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation is also involved
in the City Carol Sing, a large annual charity event
that raises money for food banks across Canada.
Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation is a not-for-profit
organization dedicated to bringing the best in
58 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

inspirational arts programming. It is governed
by an elected volunteer board of directors and
operates with the assistance of advisors from a
variety of backgrounds, including event management,
promotions, finance and business.
All of our concerts are “admission free – donations
welcome”
Colleen Burns
416-241-1298
9sparrows.arts@gmail.com
www.9sparrowsarts.org
www.facebook.com/NineSparrowsArts
● Nocturnes In the City
Nocturnes In the City started producing concerts
for the Czech community in 2001 in Scarborough.
Presently, the concerts are held at the Czech
Community Centre at 496 Gladstone Avenue (in
St. Wenceslaus Church by the Bloor and Dufferin
subway station).
In the past, we have presented individual artists
such as singers Eva Urbanová, John Holland,
Zdeněk Plech and Gustáv Beláček, pianists
Antonín Kubálek, David Kalhous and Boris Krajný,
violinist Ivan Ženatý, clarinetists Peter Stoll,
Joaquin Valdepenas and others. We’ve presented
famous quartets from Prague – the Panocha,
Zemlinsky, Kocian, Epoch, and others, as well
as music lectures with video presentations on
opera’s famous conductors, such as Karel Ančerl.
This season we have co-presented Antonín
Dvořák’s opera Jakobín with the Canadian Institute
of Czech Music in September. In October, we
present Petr Holman, viola with Marie Hasoňová,
violin, and Olga Šroubková, violin with Miroslav
Sekera, piano. December 1 is our “Czech-Slovak
Dixieland” New Orleans evening led by trombonist
Miro Letko. And in spring pianist Adam Piotr
Żukiewicz will join us, with other concerts of the
highest professional quality to follow.
Dr. Milos Krajny
416-499-2716
mkrajn1057@rogers.com
● North Wind Concerts
North Wind Concerts is a Toronto-based, notfor-profit
organization created to celebrate and
encourage the enjoyment of chamber music of
many kinds, and with a soft focus on music for
wind instruments.
NWC offers concerts of early, Classical and
contemporary chamber music, as well as our
ongoing “Encircling the World” series, which
brings musicians who play similar instruments
from different cultures and backgrounds
together for solo performances, Q&A with the
audience, and improvisation. NWC also presents
musical workshops, and school shows.
Our 2024/25 season includes “Acquiescent: The
French Baroque In China”; a pop-up ‘pot pourri’
of 18th- and 20th-century music; a chamber program
for clarinet, cello and piano featuring the
Brahms Trio; “Vice & Virtue”, a collaboration with
MUSIC AT ST. ANDREW’S
Capella Intima and the Gallery Players of Niagara;
and “Encircling the World” programs focusing on
drums, single reeds, and harps.
“Music is life itself. What would this world be
without good music? No matter what kind it is.” -
Louis Armstrong
Alison Melville
416-588-4301
northwindconcerts@gmail.com
www.northwindconcerts.com
https://www.facebook.com/
northwindconcerts
● Opera Atelier
Opera Atelier is an opera/ballet company committed
to creating historically-informed productions
that are realized as complete artistic
statements – always built from the ground up
with equal attention given to music, dancing, acting,
and design. All of our productions are performed
on period instruments.
For Opera Atelier, the pivotal aspect of period
production lies in the in-depth examination of the
original intentions of composers, choreographers
and librettists in order to find new ways to
challenge ourselves as artists in the 21st century.
A period production is not a museum piece; it is a
new creation and takes its own place in history.
The core repertoire extends from Monteverdi to
Mozart, and also explores productions of later
repertoire. In doing so, OA keeps pace with the
finest international ensembles and conductors
who are performing productions of Beethoven,
Massenet and Debussy on period instruments
in major venues to great acclaim.
Opera Atelier’s productions are performed
in partnership with Tafelmusik, Canada’s internationally-acclaimed
period-instrument orchestra.
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is also often
featured in OA productions.
Zack Grosh
416-703-3767
opera.atelier@operaatelier.com
www.operaatelier.com
https://www.facebook.
com/OperaAtelier
https://twitter.com/OperaAtelier
https://www.instagram.
com/operaatelier
● Pax Christi Chorale
Pax Christi Chorale is a vibrant and dynamic
100-voice community choir dedicated to celebrating
the beauty of choral music. Under the
leadership of Artistic Director Elaine Choi, our
passionate singers bring to life a diverse range
of repertoire that includes both timeless oratorio
masterpieces and fresh, newly commissioned
works. Drawing on a broad base from across the
Greater Toronto Area, the choir has built a loyal
following and continues to broaden its community
and deepen its impact as a leading arts organization
in the city. We value partnerships and
connections to enhance our knowledge, expand
our reach, and strengthen relationships within
the choral community. Our overarching aim is to
create a welcoming space for the development
of choral skills and to share meaningful musical
experiences with a wider audience.
Cynthia Hawkins
executivedirector@
paxchristichorale.org
www.paxchristichorale.org
www.facebook.com/paxchristichorale
www.twitter.com/paxchristichorale
www.instagram.com/paxchristichorale
●The Peterborough Singers
Originally formed as the Peterborough Symphony
singers in 1990, the Peterborough Singers (PS)
became a stand-alone entity in 1993. This highly
regarded choir boasts upwards of 130 members
under the direction of Sydney Birrell. Each season
the choir presents four concerts, incorporating a
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blend of repertoire from gospel to sacred to pop
to oratorio. World-class, professional Canadian
soloists enjoy performing with the choir time and
again. The PS also makes a point of incorporating
young emerging artists into their season, giving
them a chance to perform alongside some of
the more seasoned performers. Specially commissioned
music from Canadian composers is
part of the regular repertoire. The Singers hold
weekly music classes, enabling young musicians
to gain the skills required for choral music performance.
The PS appreciates the wonderful support
given by the community.
Peggy McCracken
707-745-1820
singers@peterboroughsingers.com
www.peterboroughsingers.com
www.facebook.com/
PeterboroughSingers
www.twitter.com/PtboSingers
www.instagram.com/singersptbo
●The Rose Orchestra
The Rose Orchestra is excited to enter its second
decade of inspired performances at the worldclass
Rose Theatre, delivering high-quality live
entertainment that caters to a diverse range of
musical tastes. Our community orchestra boasts
a vast pool of talented musicians, many of whom
have been delighting Brampton audiences for
over 20 years. We believe music transcends
generations, which is why we provide opportunities
for Brampton’s young musicians through
our Rosebud Orchestra, where children aged 8
to 18 receive coaching and training. Many Rosebuds
join the Rose Orchestra family, perpetuating
a tradition of multigenerational music-making.
This upcoming season, we are thrilled to
present a variety of themed concerts: “Fall for
Romance” with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Piano
Concerto No. 1 and excerpts from Romeo and
Juliet; “Hymns to Freedom” featuring gospel
vocal dynamo, Jackie Richardson, a Christmas
concert with the Brampton Children’s Chorus &
St. Roch Chorale; “Too Darn Hot” celebrating Cole
Porter; “Legendary Journeys” with the Star Wars
Suite; and “Natural Melodies, Life & Love” showcasing
Rachmaninoff’s The Rock, Fantasy Op. 7
and Dvorak’s Carnival. Three of our concerts will
also highlight the talented Rosebuds.
Helen Graham
905-874-2800
info@theroseorchestra.org
www.theroseorchestra.org
www.facebook.com/theroseorchestra
● RCCO Toronto
Founded in October 1924, the Royal Canadian
College of Organists’ Toronto Centre is the city’s
foremost advocate for the pipe organ and its
music. We host public concerts, featuring both
internationally-acclaimed artists and local performers,
as well as masterclasses, workshops,
lectures and other special events. Many of our
events are intended for general audiences, while
some of our educational offerings are specially
designed to support organists and church musicians
in their professional work. Join us as we
celebrate our centennial season!
Stefani Bedin
rccotoexecutive@gmail.com
www.rcco.ca/toronto
https://www.facebook.com/RccoTO
●The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall is “the
greatest venue in this city” and “magnificent in
its acoustics, as much as in its design” (Toronto
Star). This concert season has a diverse lineup of
more than 80 inspiring performances in store for
you, featuring exceptional artists representing
Canada and the world. Experience the thrill of
live music in the magnificent Koerner Hall with
unforgettable classical, jazz, roots, and global
music concerts.
Radostina Ivanova
416-408-2824, x368
radostina.ivanova@rcmusic.ca
www.rcmusic.com/concerts
www.facebook.com/koernerhall
www.twitter.com/KoernerHall
● Scarborough Philharmonic
Orchestra
Under the direction of Ron Royer, who brings
years of experience as a conductor, musician,
composer and music educator, the SPO has
developed as a lively community orchestra and
a Canadian composition incubator, while also
producing live and digital chamber concerts by
orchestra ensembles.
SPO is also a local resource as a co-producer
of recording projects by local ensembles, artists
and choirs. Orchestra Canada included SPO in its
“Digital Toolkit” as an exemplar for small orchestras
citing its podcast, streaming content, and
recording production skills.
The SPO has been an anchor cultural organization
in Scarborough for 45 years. and presents,
on average, six main-series concerts, plus performing/presenting
at festivals and community
celebrations, plus recording, developing and
presenting substantial Canadian programming,
as recognized by the Canadian Music Centre in
awarding SPO the 2021 John Beckwith Award,
The orchestra has a professional core augmented
by highly achieving community amateur
musicians. Annually, it offers a unique program
for New Generation artists and composers, as
well as residency programs.
Linda Rogers
416-805-1566
lrogers@spo.ca
www.spo.ca
www.facebook.com/SPOGreatMusic
www.x.com/SPOGreatMusic
www.instagram.com/SPOGreatMusic
www.youtube.com/SPOGreatMusic
● SoundCrowd
Love Pitch Perfect? Looking for a welcoming, fun
and exciting place to sing? SoundCrowd is the
place for you!
SoundCrowd is an auditioned community a
cappella ensemble, led by Founder and Artistic
Director Scott Pietrangelo, heading into its
ninth year with a bang. Continuing our “VS” concert
series, SoundCrowd’s first show of the year
is “Spice Girls vs. Backstreet Boys” at the Paradise
Theatre in January. April will see a trip to
NYC to perform at the annual “Total Vocal” concert,
with choirs from all over the world at the
Lincoln Centre, under the direction of the godfather
of contemporary a cappella, Deke Sharon.
Our final concert is back at the Isabel Bader Theatre
in May, with details coming soon...
We would love for you to join in the fun! All audition
info can be found at soundcrowd.ca/singwith-us.
Solo and small group opportunities are
open to all members for consideration each year.
SoundCrowd rehearses Tuesday nights, 7:30pm
to 9:30pm at Knox Presbyterian (630 Spadina
Ave) and occasional Sunday afternoons. Membership
fees are $350 for the choir year (September
to September).
All voice, no limits!
Scott Pietrangelo
647-970-1397
scottpietrangelo@gmail.com
www.soundcrowd.ca
www.facebook.com/
soundcrowdtoronto
www.twitter.com/SoundCrowd
www.instagram.com/
soundcrowdtoronto
● Soundstreams
Soundstreams is a global leader in the presentation
of innovative, carefully curated, and
immersive musical experiences. Artistic Director
Lawrence Cherney is committed to showcasing
the work of living Canadian and global
composers/musicians.
Our 2024/25 season offers new music for
chamber ensemble, choir and opera. The program
“with you and without you” asks important
questions about the vulnerability of human relationships
through the lens of the love song in provocative
works by Ana Sokolovic, Oliver Knussen
and Tansy Davies. Tarik O’Regan’s I Sleep But My
Heart Waketh, performed by the illustrious Vancouver
Chamber Choir, is inspired by the Biblical
Song of Songs, considered by many the greatest
love song ever written.
If we seek spiritual guidance from some thing
or some being beyond ourselves, what would we
ask for? Letters to God, featuring Japan’s legendary
Fujii Percussion and choirs, explores some
of those questions, including some astonishing
60 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

ones from children. Invocations explores our
yearning for spiritual connection through various
traditions including: the “nign”, a wordless
and improvised prayer dating back to medieval
Hasidic Judaism; and German Romanticism.
Kayla
416-504-1282, x106
kirkt@soundstreams.ca
www.soundstreams.ca
www.facebook.com/soundstreams
www.twitter.com/soundstreams
www.instagram/Soundstreams
● St. James Cathedral
The Choir of St. James Cathedral sings for two
choral services each Sunday, the morning eucharist
and afternoon evensong. The choir includes
both eight professional singers and experienced
amateur singers. Handel’s Messiah is presented
on December 14th, and an annual choral concert
in May, both with orchestra. The Advent and
Christmas candlelight carol services are always
very popular.
Organ recitals on the large 5,100 pipe organ
are presented each week of the year on Tuesdays
at 1pm. Admission is free.
St. James Cathedral also supports an artist-inresidence
and an organ scholar.
All enquiries about our music may be directed
to Thomas Bell, Director of Music.
Thomas Bell
416-364-7865
info@stjamescathedral.ca
www.stjamescathedral.ca
www.facebook.com/stjamesto
www.instagram.com/stjamesto
● St. Michael’s Choir School
Since 1937, St. Michael’s Choir School (SMCS)
has nurtured creativity, academic achievement
and musical excellence in a unique faithbased
environment.
Located in downtown Toronto, SMCS is a fullcurriculum
school of 250 boys from grades 3-12
that provides sacred music for St. Michael’s Cathedral
Basilica. SMCS is devoted to helping boys
realize their full academic, musical and spiritual
potential. Our academic and music programme
results in the formation of well-rounded young
men of character and faith.
The commitment to sacred music that characterizes
St. Michael’s Choir School provides students
with a deep sense of the beauty and joy of
the Catholic spiritual tradition and helps them
mature in their faith while fulfilling the school’s
mission of the formation of Catholic men through
the service of sacred music and the pursuit
of knowledge.
Pina Povolo
416-723-8171
povolo@smcs.on.ca
www.smcs.on.ca
www.facebook.com/
THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
stmichaelschoirschool
www.twitter.com/smchoirschool
www.instagram.com/
stmichaelschoirschool
www.youtube.com/@
StMichaelsChoirSchool
● St. Thomas’s Anglican Church
St. Thomas’s music program not only elevates
our worship, but also creates community and
connection - attracting skilled choristers, nurturing
the next generation of musicians, presenting
guest artists in concert, and welcoming
all who come to hear them. Led by Organist and
Choirmaster Elizabeth Anderson and Assistant
Organist and Choirmaster Manuel Piazza, excellent
choral and organ music are offered on Sunday
at the 11am High Mass and 5pm Evensong
(featuring the British cathedral heritage as well
as contemporary composers).
We welcome experienced choristers who value
a high standard of ensemble singing to audition:
contact us at eanderson@stthomas.on.ca.
Through Friends of Music at St. Thomas’s (honorary
co-chairs, Larry Beckwith and Molly Johnson),
we host renowned guest artists in an exciting
concert series. The program supports the St.
Thomas’s Choristers, a free music program for
children (grades 2 to 12). The Choristers learn
ensemble singing, vocal technique, and music
theory in a fun atmosphere. No church membership/religious
affiliation is required. Rehearsals
are Thursdays at 4:30pm to 6:30pm, and the children
sing at the 9:30am service on Sundays. The
program runs from late August to late May. Info
and auditions at www.stthomas.on.ca/choristers.
Julia Armstrong
416-483-5488
communications@stthomas.on.ca
www.stthomas.on.ca
www.facebook.com/stthomastoronto
www.twitter.com/stthomastoronto
www.instagram.com/
smokytomsonhuron
www.youtube.com/@
st.thomasshuronstreet5235
●Tafelmusik
Every now and then a group of musicians comes
along and changes the way we think about music.
For over four decades, Tafelmusik has been synonymous
worldwide with dynamic, engaging, and
soulful performances informed by scholarship,
passion, and artistic excellence.
Performed on instruments and in styles appropriate
to the era, 17th- to 19th-century instrumental
and choral music share the stage with
exciting multimedia programs, bold new commissions,
and intriguing cross-cultural collaborations.
From a vibrant home season in Toronto, to
international tours, award-winning recordings,
and inspiring education programs, Tafelmusik
is a musical powerhouse with a reputation for
thrilling and delighting audiences.
Lana Leprich
416-432-1148
lleprich@tafelmusik.org
www.tafelmusik.org
www.facebook.com/tafelmusik
www.instagram.com/tafelmusikbocc
www.youtu.be/
inJxFravmDE?feature=shared
●Tallis Choir of Toronto
The Tallis Choir of Toronto is a chamber ensemble
of 36 voices which has earned a reputation
for innovative programming and polished performances.
Works from Gregorian Chant to
contemporary choral music are represented,
but the choir is best known as one of the few
ensembles in Canada specializing in the music
of the Renaissance, particularly 16th-century Italy
and England.
David Martin
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BLUE PAGES 2024/25
416-286-9798
david.martin2@telus.com
www.tallischoir.com
www.facebook.com/tallischoir
www.twitter.com/tallischoir
●Tapestry Opera
We make new opera in Toronto. Tapestry was
founded in 1979, and we’re the only Canadian
company solely dedicated to creating and performing
original Canadian opera.
We have a mandate to create powerful opera that
reflects and changes the world around us, bringing
together art forms, creators, and communities
to create boundary-pushing work.
Clay Jones
437-326-9410
cjones@tapestryopera.com
www.tapestryopera.com
www.facebook.com/TapestryOpera
www.twitter.com/TapestryOpera
www.instagram.com/tapestryopera
●Toronto Beach Chorale
An auditioned concert choir, Toronto Beach Chorale
attracts singers who are highly motivated with
excellent musical skills. We offer three choral
concerts each season, performed with professional
soloists and instrumental ensembles.
In addition to our concert season, which this
year includes music by Handel, Bach and Haydn,
we actively participate in community events,
collaborating with other groups and artists to
enhance the quality of life in our neighbourhood
and the City. Toronto Beach Chorale is a vital
musical presence in the Beach, and has achieved
a reputation for artistic excellence.
We are supported by professional orchestras
and ensembles, and we engage professional and
emerging soloists in principal solo roles.
Our Artistic Director, Mervin W Fick, has been
transforming choirs, inspiring individuals and
raising performance levels of choirs for over 35
years. He is the founding director of the Toronto
Beach Chorale, Artistic Director of the MCS
Chorus of Mississauga, and conductor of the PCS
Singers of Brampton and the National Award winning
Esprit Chamber Choir. One of the greatest
gifts that Mervin brings to performances through
the singers under his direction is his ability to
inspire truly joyful singing.
Vlad Bortnowski
416-839-2058
vbortnowski@gmail.com
www.torontobeachchorale.com
https://www.facebook.com/
torontobeachchorale
●Toronto Chamber Choir
The Toronto Chamber Choir has held a prominent
place enriching Canada’s early music scene since
1968. Since 2014, the TCC’s Artistic Director has
been lutenist Lucas Harris. Past directors have
included David Fallis and Mark Vuorinen.
The TCC’s 30 to 40 auditioned singers specialize
in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire
in collaboration with period instrumentalists,
though its themed concerts (four per season)
often include music from other time periods and
diverse cultures. Our performances often explore
the cultural context of our repertoire using narration
and a multimedia component. Since 2014,
we’ve run the Toronto Chamber Consort section
lead program for professional singers with a special
interest in early music, and since 2003, we’ve
run an apprenticeship program with Rosedale
Heights School for the Arts.
Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings at Church
of the Transfiguration (Mt. Pleasant/Davisville).
The TCC is committed to inclusion and diversity of
perspectives within the choir. We welcome audition
requests from singers with excellent choral
skills at any time through arrangement with the
Artistic Director.
Mary Thomas Nagel
416-903-8054
mthomasnagel@gmail.com
www.torontochamberchoir.ca
https://www.facebook.com/
torontochamberchoir
https://x.com/torchamberchoir
https://www.instagram.com/
torontochamberchoir
●Toronto Children’s Chorus
The Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) is a vibrant
musical community that has been nurturing
young voices for generations. Founded in 1978
by Jean Ashworth Bartle C.M., O.Ont. and subsequently
led by Artistic Directors Elise Bradley,
MNZM (2007-2021) and Dr. Zimfira Poloz
(2022-present), the TCC has been a cornerstone
of choral excellence in Toronto and Canada for
47 years.
Throughout its history, the Chorus has graced
world-renowned stages, including Carnegie Hall,
the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House,
and Royal Albert Hall. As choral ambassadors,
the TCC has represented Canada on 33 international
tours and seven national tours. The TCC
has also earned accolades at several prestigious
competitions, including the International Eisteddfod
in Wales, the Let the Peoples Sing competition
in Europe, the CBC National Radio Competition,
and the International Choral Kathaumixw. The
Chorus regularly collaborates with the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra, a partnership that celebrates
the enduring connection and shared
musical heritage between these two key institutions
in the city’s arts scene. Now, as the TCC
celebrates its 47th concert season, it continues
to build on a legacy of musical achievement and
international recognition.
Charlotte Burrage
416-932-8666
info@torontochildrenschorus.com
www.torontochildrenschorus.com
www.facebook.com/
torontochildrenschorus
www.instagram.com/
torontochildrenschorus
www.youtube.com/channel/
UCnczh96ogV1SyT4dH9MBehQ
●The Toronto Choral Society
The Toronto Choral Society has been an integral
part of Toronto’s musical history for 180 years!
In order to go forward with the highest level of
integrity, authenticity and good humour we need
to expand our membership. Our new season
begins in September, when we will be preparing
for our traditional Christmas concert at Koerner
Hall, on December 1. This concert will feature Vivaldi’s
Gloria, Gloria from Bach’s Mass in B Minor,
Gloria from Mozart’s Spatzenmesse, and other
works. We aspire to creatively reflect Toronto’s
diverse culture through our music. If you like to
sing and enjoy a weekly evening of socializing, you
could be performing with us in the coming season
and be a part of a unique musical experience,
“singing is the one thing in my life that never fails
to take me to where disenchantment is almost
nonexistent and feeling good is pretty much guaranteed.”
For info please visit our website.
Debby Blyth
416-499-3000
dblyth@sympatico.ca
info@torontochoralsociety.org
www.torontochoralsociety.org
●Toronto Classical Singers
Toronto Classical Singers is the only choir in the
country dedicated exclusively to the great choral/
orchestral repertoire. Known for its unique
musical point-of-view and its diverse and highquality
programming, the choir features lesserknown
and rarely performed pieces as well as
the beloved vocal/orchestral repertoire. Led by
founding conductor and artistic director Jurgen
Petrenko, the group performs with orchestra
and soloists in their presentations of the
great choral masterpieces. With its exuberant
approach, TCS celebrates the choral tradition
with the complex sonority of large choir with
professional orchestra.
This season we are presenting two concerts
featuring music both new and familiar. On
December 8 at 4pm, our concert of seasonal
music with soloists and orchestra features the
universal masterpiece Handel’s Messiah. Our
spring concert, on April 6 at 4pm, will feature
Beethoven’s rarely performed C Major Mass and
Mozart’s beloved Requiem.
Join us this winter and spring for inspiration
62 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

and joy through thrilling choral music.
Our concerts are presented at Christ Church
Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street, Toronto.
Anne Molloy
647-960-2405
info@torontoclassicalsingers.ca
www.torontoclassicalsingers.ca
www.facebook.com/
TorontoClassicalSingers
www.twitter.com/TCSingers
●TO Live
TO Live is one of Canada’s largest multi-arts
organizations, operating three iconic venues:
Meridian Hall, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts,
and Meridian Arts Centre. In addition, TO Live
presents a full range of performing arts, theatrical,
and concert events at these venues in both
downtown and uptown Toronto.
TO Live believes that the arts are crucial to
creating healthy, vibrant, and engaged diverse
communities. Our vision is to build a better city
through the arts. We are a creative hub for audiences,
artists, and all those who work with us.
stephanie.canarte@tolive.com
416-366-7723
boxoffice@tolive.com
www.tolive.com
www.facebook.com/TOLivebook
www.x.com/tolivetweets
www.instagram.com/tolivegram/
https://www.youtube.com/c/
TOLiveTube/videos
●Toronto Operetta Theatre
For 40 years, Toronto Operetta Theatre has been
Canada’s only performing arts company dedicated
to music theatre in all its variety.
TOT will return to the St. Lawrence Centre stage
for the 40th Anniversary season with wonderful
music, comedy, and romance—the best of Operetta
and Music Theatre! The season opener is Sigmund
Romberg’s Student Prince on November 1,
2, and 3, 2024. TOT celebrates the holiday season
with Imre Kalman’s Countess Maritza, opening
on December 29, 2024, with further performances
on January 3 and 4, 2025, conducted by
Derek Bate. Back by popular demand, the season
finale is Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers,
with performances on February 28 and March 1
and 2, 2025. All main performances are held at
the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
Our patrons’ favourite, TOT’s Cabaret series at the
intimate Edward Jackman Centre, will be held on
Saturday, October 12, 2024, November 23, 2024,
and January 25, 2025, starting at 4pm.
Guillermo Silva-Marin
416-366-7723
www.torontooperetta.com
www.facebook.com/TorontoOperetta
www.twitter.com/TorontoOperetta
www.instagram.com/torontooperetta
TAFELMUSIK
●Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The TSO was founded in 1922 by a group of
Toronto musicians and gave its first performance
at the historic Massey Hall. Since 1982,
Toronto’s iconic Roy Thomson Hall has been the
TSO’s home, drawing patrons from around the
world. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s name
remains synonymous with musical versatility and
growth, and artistic distinction.
One of Canada’s most respected arts organizations,
the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO)
plays a vital role in the city’s dynamic cultural life.
Committed to serving local and national communities
through vibrant performances and
expansive educational activities, the TSO offers
a wide range of programming that resonates
with people of all ages and backgrounds. With a
notable recording and broadcast history complementing
international touring engagements, the
TSO is a unique musical ambassador for Canada
around the world.
Gustavo Gimeno begins his role as the TSO’s
Music Director in the 2020/21 season, the
Orchestra’s 99th. With this appointment, Maestro
Gimeno becomes the Orchestra’s 10th Music
Director. The TSO is now entering Year 102 with
it’s highly anticipated 2024/25 Season.
Patron Services
416-598-3375
contactus@tso.ca
www.tso.ca
www.facebook.com/
torontosymphonyorchestra
www.twitter.com/torontosymphony
www.instagram.com/torontosymphony
●Trinity Bach Project
Trinity Bach Project is a professional vocal and
instrumental ensemble, dedicated to serving
ordinary audiences the extraordinary musical and
spiritual riches of J. S. Bach’s choral repertoire. By
presenting the works of Bach and others with clarity,
excellence, and generosity, we seek to remove
barriers around classical choral music and open
the doors of sacred places—both historic architecture
and human hearts.
The 30-plus concerts of our first two seasons
included such programs as “Bach and Mendelssohn,”
“Bach and Rheinberger,” “Bach and Schütz,”
“Bach and Tallis,” and “Bach and Handel,” shared
with diverse audiences in fourteen different settings
around Toronto and the surrounding region.
Our third season (2024/25) is set to debut shortly
with the program “Bach and Roses” (featuring cantatas
BWV 72 and 182), in performance Oct 3, Oct 4,
Nov 13, and Nov 17. January and beyond will see a
trio of instrumental concertos, the poignant Actus
Tragicus (BWV 106), the wedding cantata Der Herr
denket an uns (BWV 196), and the jubilance of Sei
Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut (BWV 117).
Chris Friesen
306-250-4256
trinitybachproject@gmail.com
www.trinitybachproject.org
www.faceboook.com/trinitybachproject
www.instagram.com/trinitybachproject
●Trio Arkell is now Arkel
Chamber Concerts!
Originally founded in 2008, this intimate
eclectic chamber music series has garnered
an enthusiastic following in their hometown of
Toronto, and continues at Jeanne Lamon Hall,
Trinity St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. West. Marie
Berard, Concertmaster of the Canadian Opera
Company Orchestra, and Winona Zelenka, Assistant
Principal cellist of the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra, curate the series which explores classical
chamber music from Baroque to present
day masterpieces, and which features artists who
grace the stages of the world.
Winona Zelenka, 416-409-6824
admin@arkelchamberconcerts.com
www.arkelchamberconcerts.com/
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● Upper Canada Choristers
The Upper Canada Choristers is an SATB community
choir in Toronto with a history of collaboration
with both local and international choirs and
professional guest artists. UCC is committed to
excellence and diversity. Cantemos is UCC’s auditioned
Latin American ensemble. Founding Artistic
Director, Laurie Evan Fraser, and Accompanist,
Hye Won Cecilia Lee, provide the professional
musical leadership for this vibrant organisation.
The 2024/25 concert season opens with “A
Holiday Travelogue” on Friday, December 13 at
7:30pm at Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale
Road. The concert includes music from Ireland,
Sweden, Spain, Scotland, Venezuela, France,
and England. A featured work will be Fantasia on
Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams
with baritone soloist, Bradley Christensen.
On May 16, 2025, the Choristers will be joined
by Caribbean choir La Petite Musicale, under the
direction of Lindy Burgess. Our special guests
will be Venezuelan composer, Cesar Alejandro
Carillo and his wife, poet Laura Morales, visiting
Canada for the first time. “Venezuela Viva”
will provide a snapshot of the diversity of Venezuelan
music. Repertoire will showcase a slice
of choral culture with Afrocentric, Spanish, and
Caribbean influences.
Laurie Evan Fraser
416-256-3809
laurieevanfraser@gmail.com
www.uppercanadachoristers.org
www.facebook.com/
uppercanadachoristers
●Vesnivka Choir
Award-winning Vesnivka Choir was established
in 1965 by founding artistic director Halyna
Kvitka Kondracki. The choir has delighted audiences
with its rich repertoire of Ukrainian classical,
contemporary, sacred and traditional folk
music. Vesnivka, together with its partner the
Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (also
founded by Ms. Kondracki), are often joined in
concert by area musicians and soloists. We are
excited to announce that Nazar Lozynskyy will be
assuming a broader role as co-conductor of the
choirs in the upcoming 2024/25 season. Our concert
season will consist of three major concerts,
the first being “Prayer for Ukraine”, a concert of
sacred music by classical and contemporary
Ukrainian composers, to be held on November 3,
2024. Joining the choirs will be guest ensemble St.
Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church Choir from
Toronto. On January 12, 2025, we will celebrate
the new year with our annual Christmas concert,
featuring traditional and contemporary Ukrainian
Christmas carols and New Year’s songs. Our
final concert of the season will be held on May 4,
2025. “Songs of Love” will feature a program of
Ukrainian music depicting themes of romance,
unrequited love as well as familial love.
Nykola Parzei
416-246-9880
nykola@vesnivka.com
www.vesnivka.com
www.facebook.com/vesnivka
www.instagram.com/vesnivka
●VIVA Singers Toronto
VIVA Singers Toronto is a family of seven choirs
with a mandate to give members, ages four
through adult, the opportunity to achieve artistic
excellence in a singer-centered, collaborative
choral community.
VIVA offers diverse musical programming,
including regular performance and international
touring opportunities, musical literacy, chorister
composition and Orff-based creation activities,
an annual fall Performing Arts Camp and commissioned
works and partnerships with distinguished
musicians and composers.
VIVA’s dedicated efforts to put choristers first
inform our rehearsal structures and music-making
processes. We embrace the coexistence of a
high level of artistic and educational engagement
while fostering a truly inclusive environment.
We continue to advocate for all voices, and push
for inclusivity to ensure that anyone who enjoys
music is welcomed - and challenged - at VIVA.
VIVA is proud to celebrate its 25th anniversary
in the 2024/25 season!
Victoria Shalygin
416-788-8482
hello@vivayouthsingers.com
www.vivasingerstoronto.com
www.facebook.com/vivasingerstoronto
www.twitter.com/vystoronto
www.instagram.com/
vivasingerstoronto
●VOCA Chorus of Toronto
The VOCA Chorus of Toronto, a dynamic, auditioned
ensemble under the leadership of artistic
director Jenny Crober, performs a broad range
of repertoire in collaboration with a variety of
superb guest artists. VOCA’s season consists
of concerts, cabarets, community performances
and workshops. Our wonderful collaborative
pianist is Dakota Scott-Digout. Numerous
remarkable artists have joined VOCA as clinicians,
including composer Ola Gjeilo, conductor Ivars
Taurins and jazz vocalist Dylan Bell.
VOCA’s 2024/25 season, our artistic director’s
20th Anniversary, will be an exciting one. On
October 27, our professional leads will be featured
in a cabaret / fundraiser. On December 14, our
‘Season Songs’ concert will include Sarah Quartel’s
Iesous ahatonnia, Jenny Crober’s arrangement
of Joni Mitchell’s River, a world premiere
by Nicholas Ryan Kelly, an Ontario premiere by
Matthew Emery and more, with guest artists
Michael Occhipinti, jazz guitar and Jamie Drake,
percussion. On May 10, we’ll be performing Carl
Orff’s monumental Carmina Burana, featuring
several brilliant instrumentalists and soloists,
including our special guest, tenor Andrew Haji.
VOCA rehearses Monday evenings at Eastminster
United (Danforth/Chester subway).
Jenny Crober
416-931-8224
crober.best@gmail.com
www.vocachorus.ca
www.facebook.com/vocachorus
www.twitter.com/VOCAChorus
●VOICEBOX: Opera In Concert
VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert is Canada’s only
company dedicated exclusively to the presentation
of rare opera programming for 50 years. Our
performances rely on the power and beauty of
the human voice, the dramatic inflection of text
and poetry, accompanied by orchestra or piano.
This season features three contrasting operas
that reflect diversity through the ages in our
new venue! The first opera to be presented at
the Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity St. Paul Centre,
is Gluck’s Alceste on Sunday, January 12, 2024,
followed by Puccini’s La Rondine on Thursday,
March 20, and Friday, March 21, 2025. The season
concludes with Meyerbeer’s Robert Le Diable.
The OIC Chorus will also be featured in each opera,
led by Robert Cooper with our Music Directors.
Guillermo Silva-Marin
416-408-0208
www.operainconcert.com
www.facebook.com/OperaInConcert
www.twitter.com/OperainConcert
www.instagram.com/
voiceboxoperainconcert
●Westben
In 2024, Westben celebrates 25 years of bringing
people together through music in nature. Yearround
programs include the international summer
festival from June to August in three outdoor
venues, concerts at the Schoolhouse, music in
nature small group experiences, community programs,
workshops, kids camps and more.
Westben’s International Performer-Composer
Residency (PCR) is an annual collaborative
gathering where diverse listeners and
performer-composers build relationships and
connect through creating music and exchanging
perspectives.
Westben is located in Northumberland County,
40 minutes from Cobourg, Peterborough and
Belleville, 2 hours east of Toronto, and 2.5 hours
west of Ottawa. Westben is nestled amongst the
gently rolling hills of the Gunshot Treaty lands
and subsequent Williams Treaties of 1923, and
the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig (Mississauga)
Anishinaabeg, near what is now known
as Campbellford, Ontario.
Westben’s summer festival has presented over
5000 international and local Canadian artists
including Gerald Finley, Angela Hewitt, Oliver
Jones, Peter Appleyard, Michael Kaeshammer,
Broken Social Scene, William Prince, Jeremy
64 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Dutcher, Holly Cole, Colin Mochrie, Deb McGrath,
and Natalie McMaster.
Donna Bennett
877-883-5777
westben@westben.ca
www.westben.ca
www.facebook.com/westbenconcerts
www.twitter.com/westbencentre
www.instagram.com/westben
●Wychwood Clarinet Choir
The Wychwood Clarinet Choir brings together the
family of clarinets from the E flat sopranino down
to the contrabass. Our range of instruments is
matched by the variety of our repertoire. We
perform new compositions and arrangements,
many written or transcribed by our Composers’
Collective. The choir, now in its 16th season,
is directed by clarinetist and conductor Michele
Jacot. Choir members are admitted by audition
and pay an annual membership fee. Members
are dedicated clarinetists eager to share their
love of music-making in a collegial and musically
challenging environment. We strive to create
opportunities for serious amateur musicians
to develop their musical skills and to share our
music more broadly in educational settings and
in the wider community. The group rehearses
and performs on a regular basis in Toronto’s St.
Clair and Wychwood area. Check out our You-
Tube videos and look for updates on our website.
New members welcome - please contact us for
audition information.
Roy Greaves
905-468-7486
wychwoodclarinetchoir@yahoo.ca
www.wychwoodclarinetchoir.ca
www.facebook.com/Wychwood-
Clarinet-Choir-19846695686023
WYCHWOOD CLARINET CHOIR
●Yorkminster Park Baptist Church
Yorkminster Park is synonymous with magnificent
music. Whether it’s the choir accompanied by the
majestic Casavant organ, our Memorial Carillon,
or the congregation lifting their voices in hymns of
praise, vocal and instrumental expressions of faith
are integral to the Yorkminster Park experience.
Our choir, under organist and music director
William Maddox and his assistant, Sharon Beckstead,
enjoys a reputation as one of the best
church choirs in Toronto. We present free organ
recitals at 12:30pm, every Wednesday from September
through June, and have recently started
a series of carillon recitals in the summer months.
We have a wide variety of unique musical
events throughout the year, but Yorkminster Park
is renowned for its special seasonal concerts.
The quality of the music ministry at YPBC is never
more evident than during Advent and Holy Week.
These services have become community traditions:
City Carol Sing, Carols by Candlelight, Iona
liturgical music, the Festival of Nine Lessons and
Carols, Passiontide Devotion during Holy Week
and Evensong services three times a year.
Our sanctuary is frequently made available to
other choral and concert groups, which draw
appreciative audiences from all over Southern
Ontario.
William Maddox
416-922-1550
wcmaddox@yorkminsterpark.com
www.yorkminsterpark.com
www.facebook.com/
YorkminsterPark.BaptistChurch
www.twitter.com/YorkminsterPark
www.instagram.com/
yorkminsterparkbc
A LITTLE OVATION
This is our 25th Annual Blue Pages. But we started publishing a directory of presenters in the
summer of our very first season, four years before our first ever Blue Pages.
Almost 30 years later, of those 38 presenters who first supported our then-quixotic quest to create
free and comprehensive live event listings at the heart of our magazine, 24 are still making music.
ABOUT THE PHOTO ON THE BLUE PAGES
COVER (pg 51)
The bronze of a flute player was created by
the sculptor Ernst Steinacker. We chose it
because it reminded us of how the desire to
make music - alone or collectively, in private
or in public - endures everywhere.
Amadeus Choir | Bach Children’s Choir | Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus | Canadian Music
Centre | Canadian Music Competitions | Orchestra Toronto (formerly East York Symphony
Orchestra) | Elmer Iseler Singers | Elora Festival | Esprit Orchestra | Mooredale Concerts | Music
at Metropolitan | Music Gallery |Music Toronto |Opera Atelier | Opera Division, U of T| Orpheus
Choir of Toronto | Scarborough Philharmonic | Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra | Tallis Choir of
Toronto | Toronto Consort | Toronto Early Music Centre | Toronto Mendelssohn Choir | Toronto
Operetta Theatre | Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 65

DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED
DAVID OLDS
Homage to Janos – When respected Toronto architect Janos
Gardonyi retired from his professional activities he began a new
creative life delving deeply into digital photography, expanding
and exploring a life-long love of classical music and sharing his
thoughts and personal reminiscences with the WholeNote
community. In October 2004 we published his first review, a CD of
piano works by Leoš Janáček performed by Hakon Austbo. Two
decades and 285 reviews later, we published his final words last
month, an encomium to the late Lars Vogt and his recording of
Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos.9 & 24 with L’Orchestre de chambre de
Paris. Janos died peacefully on September 8 at the age of 87. I will miss
his memories and anecdotes, but I have a wealth of written words,
and a remarkable surrealistically coloured arboreal photograph on my
kitchen wall, to remember him by. Janos, you will be missed.
In February of this year I wrote briefly about
an ATMA digital-only release of Symphonie
Gaspésienne by Claude Champagne (1891-
1965) featuring L’Orchestre symphonique de
Laval under Alain Trudel. At that time I said
“Although not much attention was given to
him in English Canada, where his contemporaries
included Healy Willan and Sir
Ernest MacMillan, Champagne was an
important figure in the annals of classical
music in Quebec, where his students included Violet Archer, Roger
Matton, Pierre Mercure, Serge Garant and Gilles Tremblay among
other notables. I was very pleased to see a new recording of
Champagne’s brilliant tone poem, composed in 1944. Starting eerily
in near silence, Trudel leads his orchestra through the gradually
building portrait of the fabled Gaspé peninsula with dramatic turns
and climaxes along the 20-minute journey.” This recording has now
been supplemented with works by Hungarians born a decade before
Champagne, Béla Bartók’s Dance Suite Sz.77 (1923) and Zoltan
Kodály’s Dances of Galánta (1933). The Bartók is not a suite of dances
as we have come to expect from the baroque model; it draws on
Hungarian, Romanian and Arabic rhythms and modes to create an
“imagined folklore,” often dark and dramatic. In some ways it foreshadows
his late works Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta and
the Concerto for Orchestra. In contrast, Kodály’s one-movement work
is much more tonal and based on actual tunes he heard performed by
Roma bands while growing up in Galánta. The disc (ATMA ACD2 2867
atmaclassique.com/en/product/symphonie-gaspesienne-champagne-bartok-kodaly-prevost)
concludes with Célébration (1966), a
rousing and somewhat more abrasive work by modernist Quebec
composer André Prevost (1934-2001), whose teachers included Jean
Papineau-Couture, Clermont Pépin and Olivier Messiaen. As in the
Champagne recording, the Laval orchestra rises to all the various challenges
of these varied works and Trudel draws out resplendent
performances from this fine 53-piece ensemble.
Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) was one
of the most influential composers of the
first half of the 20th century, and this year
we celebrate the sesquicentennial of his
birth. Juilliard String Quartet Plays Arnold
Schoenberg (SONY Classical 19658827202)
spans fifty years of his chamber output
from the early String Quartet in D Major of
1897, thought lost until after his death, and
the string sextet Verklärte Nacht (1899), through the four numbered
string quartets (1904-05; 1907-08; 1927; 1936), to the Ode to Napoleon
Bonaparte on a text by Lord Byron (1942) and the Trio Op.45 for
violin, viola and cello (1945). The recordings themselves span four
decades, from the Juilliard’s first cycle issued in 1953 to the 1993
release of Verklärte Nacht and the String Trio. During these 40 years
the quartet went through a number of personnel changes, the one
constant being founding first violinist Robert Mann who remained
at the helm for nearly half a century from the quartet’s inception in
1949 until 1997. (The quartet remains active today, with the current
“old hand” being Ronald Copes who was enlisted as second violin
in 1997 when Joel Smirnoff moved from second to first chair upon
the departure of Mann.) The seven-CD box set includes two recordings
of the string quartets, the first as mentioned from 1953 and the
second from 1977. This latter also includes the D major quartet which
remained unpublished until 1966 and was unavailable at the time of
the first recording. I appreciate its inclusion here as Schoenberg’s first
major work (25 minutes in this performance). Although one can hear
hints of things to come in it, each time I hear the final movement I do
a double take thinking that some mistake has been made and a bagatelle
of Dvořák has been erroneously inserted.
In between these two quartet cycles is a 1967 album that was
issued as the seventh volume of The Music of Arnold Schoenberg
series which includes the Ode to Napoleon, for which the quartet is
joined by pianist Glenn Gould and narrator John Horton, and the Trio
Op.45 performed by Mann, violist Raphael Hillyer and cellist Claus
Adam. The final disc includes Verklärte Nacht in which the quartet
is joined by violist Walter Trampler and cellist Yo-Yo Ma and another
performance of the trio, this time with Mann, Samuel Rhodes and Joel
Krosnick.
This important collection gives us a wealth of understanding about
how Schoenberg’s writing developed from his earliest output to
one of his last compositions, about how the Juilliard’s approach to
his music changed over the decades and about how recording technology
advanced over the same period. The booklet, which contains
full recording and release information, includes a very personal essay
by Schoenberg, How One Becomes Lonely, in which he discusses
how he felt about the often tempestuous and derisory reactions to
his music among critics and the public. It also includes an interview
with the 1977 members of the Juilliard, Mann, second violinist Earl
Carlyss, Rhodes and Krosnick in which they point out that although
the membership had almost completely changed in the 24 years since
the first recording the group had continued to perform the quartets
throughout that time so there was an organic development over the
years. It’s interesting to be able to compare the “youthful” and somewhat
aggressive approach in the early recordings to the more mature,
but still energetic performances later.
Notwithstanding my appreciation of the booklet itself, I have a few
complaints about the packaging. Within the box, each of the CDs is
encased in a miniature cardboard replica of the original LP release.
This is fine for the front cover art, but unfortunately the reduction
results in the original program notes on the back covers being too
small to read comfortably, even with a magnifying glass. It is also
unfortunate that these are the only program notes provided for the
individual pieces and that the Verklärte Nacht/Trio and Ode to
Napoleon/Trio covers have no liner notes whatsoever, presumably
because the original releases had substantial booklets not included
here. Although declaimed articulately by Horton, inclusion of Byron’s
text for Ode to Napoleon Bonaparte would have been an important
66 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

addition, as would some discussion of the trio to give it context, especially
since two different performances are presented. That being said,
this is a marvelous set and I’m glad to have it.
Last month I opined “it’s not possible to
have too many recordings of Ravel’s string
quartet…” and I would say the same is true
for that other stand-alone French classic,
Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G Minor,
Op.10. The two are most often paired
together on recordings and last month’s
release of the Ravel by Toronto’s Venuti
Quartet was a rare exception to the rule. I
recently found another when the Euclid
Quartet, faculty quartet-in-residence at Indiana University South
Bend, released Grieg | Debussy (Afinat Records AR2402 afinat.com).
The excellent program notes acknowledge the unusual inclusion of
Grieg’s String Quartet in G Minor, Op.27, completed in 1878 at the age
of 35, but make a strong case for doing so. Debussy wrote his G minor
work in 1893 at the age of 31 and was evidently influenced by Grieg’s
quartet. They share a number of characteristics, including a motif that
falls from the octave to the seventh and then the fifth, a favourite of
Grieg’s, and particularly the eventual triumphant transition from G
minor to G major at the conclusion of both works. I am less familiar
with the Grieg, as I daresay most audiences are, although the Euclid
claim it as one of their “greatest hits.” I was reminded of the incidental
music to Ibsen’s Peer Gynt which Grieg composed two years earlier,
and was struck by the fact that the final cadence of each movement
seemed so final, as if the work were over, that I was almost surprised
at the onset of each subsequent movement. Influences aside, the
Debussy of only 15 years later appears to be from a different world.
Grieg’s Norwegian nationalism and romantic gestures are replaced by
the soft, vibrant pastels of French impressionism. The Euclid Quartet
seems comfortably at home in the bombast of the former and delicacy
of the latter. Another welcome addition to my collection.
Quite a different kind of string quartet came
to my attention this month, in the form of a
set of collective improvisations by Richard
Carr, Caleb Burhans, Clarice Jensen and
Carr’s son Ben a.k.a. Carrtoons. August
Light (neuma records 208 richardcarrviolinist.bandcamp.com/album/august-light)
features a dozen tracks that range in style
from ambient to abrasive. Carr is primarily
a violinist, but is also heard on piano and,
in one instance, electric guitar. Burhans is a violist and Jensen a cellist
with Carrtoons adding electric bass on some of the material. The
overall mood is contemplative, but as mentioned there are occasional
moments of aggression. Play with Fire, with its choppy cello line and
raspy upper strings seemed familiar to me, but not in a derivative way.
Eventually I figured out that it was reminiscent of the Kronos Quartet
version of Purple Haze or perhaps Matt Haimovitz’s cello ensemble
playing Kashmir. But as I say, most of the disc is a lot more mellow
than that. A favourite is the haunting Vik, bringing to mind the quiet
majesty of the black volcanic sand beaches near the fishing village
of that name on the south shore of Iceland that I had the pleasure of
visiting with my wife a dozen years ago. This is followed by At the
Crossroads, another ethereal piece with Carr on piano and the strings
gently enhanced with electronics. The disc opens with Standing
Stone, featuring plucked strings and overlaid long notes, and seemingly
ends in a similar fashion with Standing Stone Reprise almost
an hour later. After more than a minute of silence however the actual
final track, Desolation is a Railway Station, begins with Carrtoons’
quiet walking bass line, the “heartbeat in this nocturnal jazz noir
journey.” Very effective.
Update: In June I wrote about Russell Truesdell Presents SYNTHESIS
– The String Quartet Sessions (SynthesisSQS.com), a mammoth
project for which Truesdell invited 15 large ensemble jazz composers
to write for the iconic classical string formation.
At the time, as is often the case, I was
working from digital audio files in advance
of the official release. Since then I have
received the full-release LP-size package
containing three CDs and an old-school, full
size program booklet. My initial reaction
before opening the package was “how
annoying, this won’t fit on my CD shelf”
but, especially considering my concerns
about the Juilliard Schoenberg set as noted above, I quickly realized
that this was something special. What a joy to hold the booklet and be
able to read the print without eye strain. Although I still get annoyed
at odd-sized releases, this one has the standard dimensions of a vinyl
record and will be easy to store with the LPs which still have a prominent
place in my collection. So, thank you to publicist Ann
Braithwaite for sending this along!
And this just in: Just as I thought I
was finished for this edition I received
Glasswing, the latest from Canadian string
band The Fretless (thefretless.com). Like
their previous four albums, Glasswing
features original compositions by the
members of the band, both individually and
collectively, which explore their own unique
take on the traditional folk string ensemble.
Added to the mix are the warm vocals of Madeleine Roger on three
tracks which she co-wrote with the band. The Fretless comprise
the traditional formation of a string quartet, two fiddles, viola and
cello, but one thing that makes them unique is that all three fiddlers
– Karrnnel Sawitsky, Trent Freeman and Ben Plotnick – each take
turns in the viola chair. Eric Wright is the cellist, providing a solid
bass backing to the lilting higher strings. Highlights for me include
the opening quasi molto perpetuo Lost Lake by Freeman, the gentle
On the Hook by Plotnick and Sawitsky, Wright’s Tree Finder with its
doppler-like opening and the closer, Icarus, with Roger’s poignant
vocals re-telling the story of the boy who flew too close to the sun.
Concert note: The Fretless launch Glasswing in a cross-country tour
this month. In collaboration with set designer Gillian Gallow, lighting
designer Emerson Kafarowski and sound technician Karen Gwillim,
the tour promises to be an immersive, multi-sensory concert experience.
It kicks off in B.C. on October 3 and culminates at Toronto’s
Great Hall on October 20
We invite submissions. CDs, DVDs and comments should
be sent to: DISCoveries, The WholeNote c/o Music Alive,
The Centre for Social Innovation, 720 Bathurst St. Toronto
ON M5S 2R4 or to discoveries@thewholenote.com.
What we're listening to this month:
The WholeNote
Listening Room
Hear tracks from any of
the recordings displayed in
this section:
Plus
Watch Videos
Click to Buy
thewholenote.com/listening
SYNTHESIS:
The String Quartet Sessions
Ryan Truesdell
Epic new project from Grammywinning
producer. 15 Large
Ensemble Jazz Composers. 17
Newly Commissioned works for
String Quartet.
Limited Edition 3 CD Album
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 67

STRINGS
ATTACHED
TERRY ROBBINS
Charms to Soothe – 19th Century Music
for Guitar is the latest CD from American
guitarist David Leisner. “Some of these gems
are not played often,” says Leisner, “and I
hope that this recording might call attention
to them.” (Azica Records ACD-71638 azica.
com/albums/charms-to-soothe)
Leisner was a leading figure in the rediscovery
of the Austro-Hungarian composer
Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856), and it is works by Mertz that open
and close the disc – his Nocturne Op.4 No.2 and Two Pieces from
Bardenklänge Op.13 respectively.
Leonard Schulz (1814-1860) was born in Vienna but for most of his
career lived in London. Only a few of his works were published in his
lifetime. His Three Etudes from L’indispensable Op.40 are brief but
engaging pieces. Giulio Regondi (1822-1872) was Swiss-born but was
also active in London; he is represented here by Two Etudes – No.6 in
D Minor and No.8 in G Major.
Works by two contemporary giants of the guitar form the middle of
the recital, Two Etudes Op.31 No.23 in E Major and Op.6 No.11 in E
Minor by Fernando Sor (1778-1839) and Four Pieces from Op.148 by
Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) complete an absolutely delightful – and
yes, soothing – album.
Shifting Ground, the debut album from the
American violinist Alexi Kenney weaves
together seminal works for solo violin by J.
S. Bach with a collection of pieces from the
17th century to the present day. Designed to
be listened to as a set, it includes premiere
recordings of works by Matthew Burtner,
Salina Fisher and Angélica Negrón (Bright
Shiny Things BSTC-0205 brightshiny.ninja/
shifting-ground).
Individual movements from the Bach Sonatas & Partitas are spread
throughout a somewhat uneven programme, the Adagio from the
Sonata No.1 in G Minor opening the CD and the Chaconne from the
Partita No.2 in D Minor closing the disc. Baroque violin music is also
represented by Nicola Matteis’ Passaggio roto from his Ayres for the
Violin and the terrific Alia Fantasia by his son Nicola Matteis Junior,
its constant cross-string effects a high spot of the CD.
Three of the tracks are excellent arrangements by Kenney:
Schumann’s Widmung, Op.25 No.1; Ariana Grande’s thank u, next;
and a clever and intricate version of Joni Mitchell’s Blue.
Violinist Natalia Lomeiko is in superb form, ably supported by pianist
Dinara Klinton on their disc Prokofiev | Szymanowski | Schumann,
described thematically as suggesting
the composers’ own escapes from their
personal struggles (Orchid Classics
ORC100313 orchidclassics.com/releases/
orc100313-natalia-lomeiko).
Clara Schumann’s Three Romances,
Op.22 are perfect pieces for displaying
the warmth of one’s tone, and Lomeiko
makes the most of the opportunity with a
performance full of big, lush playing. Robert
Schumann’s Fantasy in C Major, Op.131 from the same year as Clara’s
piece – 1853 – was originally for violin and orchestra and is heard here
in the 1937 arrangement by Fritz Kreisler.
There are two works by Szymanowski: a sweeping, rapturous
performance of the 1915 Impressionism-inspired Mythes, Op.30
and the Nocturne and Tarantella, also from 1915, with a particularly
dazzling Tarantella. Prokofiev’s 5 Pieces from Cinderella
complete the disc.
Terrific playing from both performers and a resonant, warm
recording ambience make for an outstanding CD.
Patrick Stoyanovich is a Pacific-Northwestbased
composer, teacher and performer,
and an outstanding jazz and concert
pianist. On Rue Paradis several of his more
recent chamber works are performed by
his violinist daughter Sophia Stoyanovich,
along with pianist Derek Wang and cellist
Aaron Wolff (Bridge Records 9593 bridgerecords.com/products/9593?).
All of the works here are first recordings:
the Romance for Violin and Piano from 2010; the Violin Sonata No.1
from 2016; the Duo for Violin and Cello “Field of Blackbirds” from
2014; and the Violin Sonata No.2 from 2020, the final moments of
which feature the tender Rue Paradis theme that gives the CD its title.
They’re predominantly tonal pieces that display solid craftsmanship
and a satisfying dynamic and emotional range.
In her booklet notes Sophia says that her father’s compositions are
not composed specifically with her in mind, but in a recent interview
in the local Bainbridge Island Review both father and daughter agreed
that their relationship proved essential for the music’s creation.
“When you know somebody on that intimate of a basis, it really does
make a musical connection and a huge difference in expression,”
Patrick said. “I wrote these pieces for her, and her technique, and
what she sounds like.”
It’s always intriguing to read how artists
describe the raison d’être behind their
album concepts; the connection sometimes
appearing quite tenuous. On their CD
Awaken the Yugen Trio explores various
ways of awakening that define them as
a group as well as referencing the awakening
of their international career (Eudora
EUD-SACD-2404 eudorarecords.com/shop/
catalogue/awaken).
The Haydn Piano Trio in A Major, Hob.XV:35, for instance,
comprises “joy towards the new day.” In Schubert’s Sonatensatz in
B-flat Major, D.28 the three opening chords resemble abrupt waking
from a dream, and the Ravel Piano Trio M.67 resembles the vivid,
unrestrained fantasy of our dreams and the ambivalence on waking.
The only thing that matters, though, is the music itself – how
effective the recital is, and how well it’s played, and these performers
score highly on both counts. The Haydn is a charming early work,
cleanly played and well-balanced, and the Schubert an attractive first
attempt by the 15-year-old composer. The Ravel, full of French colour
and sensitivity accounts for over half of the CD, and an idiomatic
performance ends an album that, in a way, also tracks the awakening
of the piano trio form itself.
68 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

The Arcadia Quartet is back with the latest
release in their series of the string quartets
of Mieczysław Weinberg with Weinberg
String Quartets Vol.4, featuring quartets
Nos. 6, 13 and 15 (Chandos CHAN 20281
chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN%20
20281).
The six-movement String Quartet
No.6, Op.35 is from 1946 and its strikingly
advanced language, relative to traditional
Soviet works of the time, later lead to a short-lived ban by the
authorities. Published in 1949 and reprinted in 1979, it was apparently
only premiered in 2007. The String Quartet No.13, Op.118 from
1977 was dedicated to the Borodin Quartet who were so closely associated
with the Shostakovich string quartets, and like that composer’s
13th quartet from seven years earlier is in one movement of about
15 minutes. Weinberg dispensed with expressive directions for each
movement, simply indicating metronome markings.
It’s also metronome markings only in the String Quartet No.15,
Op.124, a striking nine-movement work from 1979, again leaving
interpretation to the performers.
The Arcadia Quartet’s intent is to promote a body of work which
has long remained overlooked, and with outstanding performances
like these one has to believe that Weinberg’s 17 string quartets can
justifiably stand alongside those of his friend Shostakovich.
The folk element is front and centre
on American Voices, with the Pacifica
Quartet continuing its exploration of
American musical traditions (Cedille CDA
90000 228 cedillerecords.org/albums/
american-voices).
Dvořák was a passionate advocate for
a distinctly American classical sound.
Although he used no known American
folk melodies in his String Quartet in F
Major, Op.96 “American” the work never loses its attractive rustic and
folksy feel.
In recent years the music of Florence Price has been the subject of
enormous exposure and universal praise, although I’m not sure that
it’s always fully warranted. Her writing for string chamber ensembles,
however, is outstanding, and her two-movement unfinished
String Quartet in G Major from 1929 is a real gem, wistfully melodic,
richly harmonized and showing a fine grip of instrumental writing. It
follows the Dvořák here, and with its similar folk influences doesn’t
for a moment sound out of place or inferior.
Louis Gruenberg’s Four Diversions for String Quartet, Op.32 was
written in 1930, and the Jazz Age influence is evident in the brief but
effectively written movements.
The CD closes with the world premiere recording of Pitch In (2023)
by James Lee III, a setting of a poem that addresses the issue of food
wastage and hunger. United Voices under Josephine Lee join the
Pacifica in a work commissioned for the album.
Since 2015 the German GENUIN label has
been awarding a special prize to a winner
of their choice at the ARD International
Music Competition in Munich, financing
the production of a CD to be released in
their ARD Music Competition Edition series.
Manifesto on Love is the resulting debut
album from the Barbican Quartet, First
Prize winners in 2022 (GEN 24878 barbicanquartet.com).
Janáček’s String Quartet No.2 “Intimate Letters” from 1928 opens
the disc. Written mere months before his death and frequently
referred to as his “manifesto on love” it is essentially a love letter to
his muse, the much younger Kamilla Stösslová. It’s full of nervous
intensity, naked emotion, passionate outbursts and an almost painful
intimacy, all beautifully captured by the Barbican.
There’s a definite Janáček feel to The Ear of Grain, the Dobrinka
Tabakova work commissioned by the 2022 ARD competition as the
compulsory piece and one which the performers clearly know well.
Two Schumann works – his String Quartet in A Minor No.3, Op.41
and the brief song Wenn ich ein Vöglein vär, arranged by the quartet’s
violist Christoph Stenczka – complete a fine CD.
String Quartets Nos.7-10 are presented on
Pelle Gudmunsen-Holmgreen Complete
String Quartets Vol.2, in exemplary
performances by the Nordic String Quartet
(Dacapo Records 8.226218 naxos.com/
CatalogueDetail/?id=8.226218).
In view of the fact that String Quartet
No.7, Parted from 1984 and String Quartet
No.8, Ground from 1986 were both commissioned
by the Kronos Quartet it’s somewhat
surprising to see that these are world premiere recordings of
the works. Parted is very modern in sound, with hints of minimalism
and a good deal of downward bow pressure digging into the strings.
Ground plays with a looping bass line, and was described by the
composer as one of his most enchanting.
String Quartet No.9, Last Ground for string quartet and ocean from
2006 (another Kronos collaboration) again features a ground bass, but
is dominated by the opening and closing sound samples of roaring
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Symphonie Gaspésienne
Orchestre Symphonique de Laval
Listen to Symphonie gaspésienne
featuring rarely recorded work
by Canadian composers Claude
Champagne and André Prévost
as well as pieces by Bartók and
Kodály.
August Light
Richard Carr
This was interactive improvisation.
Just three (sometimes four)
people, with stringed instruments
and effects pedals, in a room
having a musical conversation.
Rue Paradis: Chamber Works by
Patrick Stoyanovich
Sophia Stoyanovich, Aaron Wolff,
Derek Wang, Patrick Stoyanovich
New from Bridge Records, this
music for violin, cello and piano
offers intimacy, passion, daring
charisma and "extraordinary
communication" (Fanfare)
Manifesto on Love
Barbican Quartet
Admired for their rich sonority,
exceptional sensitivity and
powerful performances, their
debut album features works by
Janacek and Schuman expressing
human need for love and
togetherness.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 69

ocean waves, wind and associated wildlife. String Quartet No.10, New
Ground from 2011 is an absolute delight, based on Pachelbel’s Canon
ground but with an extra bar and added blues touch – and a
Haydnesque joke ending!
On In Evening Light – Vasks, Schubert
violinist Sebastian Bohren and the
Münchener Kammerorchester under Sergej
Bolkhovets present the world-premiere
recording of Pēteris Vasks’ Concerto No.2
“In Evening Light” for Violin and String
Orchestra (Avie AV2662 avie-records.com/
releases/in-evening-light).
Composed in 2020, 23 years after his
Concerto No.1 “Distant Light” the titles
reveal closely-linked worlds. “Each time that I take up the symbol of
light,” says the composer, “I want to show brightness returning after
darkness and all of its fears.” This dualism of darkness and light is
represented in the middle movement, but the third returns to the
calm, deep lyricism of the first with its promise of returning light. It’s
a truly beautiful work, superbly played here.
The haunting Lonely Angel – Meditation for Violin and String
Orchestra from 2006 is described as a vision of an angel flying alone
above humankind, filled with grief at how cruel and aggressive we are
to each other. The unmuted solo violin floats above the muted string
players in another immediately accessible and atmospheric work.
Between the two is Schubert’s Rondeau brillant in B Minor, originally
for violin and piano and heard here in an effective arrangement
for violin and strings by Paul Suits.
The always outstanding Janine Jansen
is back with her first new concerto
recording in nine years with Sibelius &
Prokofiev Violin Concertos, Klaus Mäkelä
and the Oslo Philharmonic providing
stellar accompaniment (Decca 4854748
store.deccaclassics.com/products/
sibelius-prokofiev-1-violin-concertos-cd).
Jansen has as strong a bowing arm as any
player I’ve seen, so a towering performance
of the Sibelius Concerto in D Minor, Op.47 driven by strength
and power comes as no surprise. Her stunning technique and impeccable
musicianship and insight are evident throughout a wonderfully
expressive, sensitive and dramatic performance, a superb opening
movement followed by a beautiful slow movement and a dazzling
finale. You’ll hear many excellent performances of this concerto, but
it’s difficult to believe you’ll ever hear one better than this.
The standard never drops in a lovely performance of Prokofiev’s
Concerto No.1 in D Major, Op.19. Completed in 1917 and not
premiered until 1923, its dreamy opening movement is balanced
by the fiendishly difficult Scherzo middle movement in the usual
Prokofiev mixture of lyricism and cynicism.
The young Ukrainian violinist Bohdan
Luts, who won the violin section of the
Carl Nielsen International Competition in
2022 at the age of 17 makes his album debut
with works by Dvořák, Bruch and Nielsen,
with Anna Skryleva conducting the Odense
Symphony Orchestra Orchid Classics
ORC100301 orchidclassics.com/releases/
orc100301-bohdan-luts).
Dvořák’s Concerto in A Minor, Op.53 from 1879 is a lovely work
that perhaps still doesn’t really get the recognition it deserves. Luts
certainly shows it in the best possible light, his commanding technique
and sweet, full tone beautifully illustrating its folk nature and
Romantic style.
Exactly the same can be said for the performance of Bruch’s Scottish
Fantasy Op.46, an exact contemporary of the Dvořák from 1880 but a
work of enduring popularity. The maturity that Luts exhibits in both
concertos is impressive.
The middle work on the disc is Nielsen’s short but lovely Andante
con duolo or Romance from his 2 Fantasy Pieces, Op.2. Originally
written for oboe and piano, Nielsen himself played the piece on violin,
and the violinist Hans Sitt eventually transcribed it for violin and
orchestra.
Two major works in the cello repertoire,
both originally associated with a
virtuoso cellist, are featured on Dvořák
and Tchaikovsky, the new CD from the
young American cellist John-Henry
Crawford. Martin West conducts the San
Francisco Ballet Orchestra (Orchid Classics
ORC100292 orchidclassics.com/releases/
orc100292-john-henry-crawford-dvoraktchaikovsky).
In writing his Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33 Tchaikovsky
went further than merely seeking and accepting advice from the
German cellist Wilhelm Fitzhagen and allowed him to make minor
alterations to improve the work. Fitzhagen, however, went further,
making cuts, adding repeats, re-ordering sections and even deleting
one variation completely. Tchaikovsky was never comfortable with the
changes, but the edition Fitzhagen published became the standard
text, as heard here.
Inspired by Victor Herbert’s second cello concerto, Dvořák’s Cello
Concerto in B Minor, Op.104 was written with Czech cellist Hanuš
Wihan in mind, although he was unable to perform the premiere.
Crawford has a lovely tone, warm and full of colour and nuance,
and a commanding technique. The challenges of the Tchaikovsky
are handled with grace and agility, and he plumbs the depths of the
Dvořák in a passionate and sensitive performance, West and the
orchestra providing top-level support.
70 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

VOCAL
Art Choral Vol.1 – Renaissance
Ensemble Artchoral; Matthias Maute
ATMA ACD2 2420 (atmaclassique.com/en/
product/art-choral-vol-1-renaissance)
! If radio stations
are to be believed
the only a capella
choral group
worthy of airplay
is Voces 8 (without
doubt, a wonderful
ensemble,
eminently worthy
of celebration under
any circumstances). However, when producers
of radio keep programming just one
choral group (singing songs from their latest
repertoire) listeners are robbed of – to quote
Pliny – “an embarrassment of riches” worthy
of the airwaves wherever their reach may
extend.
The virtues of a disc such as this one –
Renaissance Art Choral Vol.1 – even parts of
it from time to time – serve the purpose of
being infinitely greater than the educational.
Presented here is music that will surely have
appeal quite beyond academia.
The disc opens with a glorious motet –
Adoremus te, Christe à 4 voix – attributed
to Giovanni Pierluigi Palestrina, the father
of polyphony. The repertoire then traverses
a breathtaking arc of motets, madrigals,
chanson, anthems and lullabies sweeping
across Europe, from France and Italy through
England. Undertaking this musical journey
we discover much music from the ecstatic
mysticism of Palestrina, the chanson of
Josquin des Pres to the joyful works of
William Byrd and an anthem written by the
celebrated Thomas Tallis.
The eloquent musicality of Ensemble
Artchoral under the direction of the accomplished
Matthias Maute recreate these
works with eloquent emotionality and deep
spirituality.
Raul da Gama
Canadian Sacred Music
Opus 8
Independent (opus8choir.com/store)
! Released on
July 1st, 2024, to
coincide with the
anniversary of
Canadian confederation,
Canadian
Sacred Music, the
independently
released third fine
recording by the Toronto-based choral octet
Opus 8 advances the canon of underappreciated
Canadian music by showcasing beautiful
original work from Eleanor Daley, Derek
Holman, James Rolfe, Violet Archer, Stephanie
Martin and Ramona Luengen, among others.
While taking on the task of recording music
by Canadian composers deserving greater
recognition is perhaps not easy, the results
are musically excellent. Spanning seventyfive
years of Canadian sacred choral music,
Opus 8 approaches these pieces with the
creative aplomb and historical rigor for which
the group has been known for most of the
past decade.
Part creative endeavour, part musicological
excavation, pieces such as Holman’s An Old
Song lay dormant following a lone decadesold
performance before being resurrected
here by tenor soloist and Opus 8 founding
director Robert Busiakiewicz, who arranged
the piece and brought it to the group.
Handled gorgeously by Busiakiewicz and
singers Katy Clark, Clara MacCallum Fraser,
Veronika Anissimova, Rebecca Claborn, Jamie
Tuttle, Martin Gomes and Bryan Martin,
the piece, as well as the resulting album
which shines a light on a body of music that
otherwise may have been lost to time, is
creatively satisfying, historically valuable and
beautifully captured at Toronto’s Humbercrest
United Church with excellent results. Highly
recommended for lovers of choral music,
Canadian history enthusiasts and general
listeners alike.
Andrew Scott
Jeffrey Ryan – Afghanistan: Requiem for a
Generation
Vocal Soloists; Vancouver Symphony
Orchestra; Bramwell Tovey
Centrediscs CMCCD 33023 (cmccanada.
org/shop/cmccd-33023)
! Structured
around the Latin
text of the Requiem
Mass, Jeffrey Ryan’s
deeply moving work
weaves in texts from
Suzanne Steele,
who was Canada’s
war poet in
Afghanistan from 2008-2010. Commissioned
by the Calgary Philharmonic and One Yellow
Rabbit Performance Theatre, the Afghanistan
Requiem was given its premiere in Calgary in
November 2012, with subsequent performances
in Toronto and Vancouver. The work has
obvious parallels with Britten’s War Requiem,
but in many ways is more successful in its
specificity, intimacy, accessibility and connection
to the spirit world.
Ryan’s score serves the text beautifully,
teases out unique and rich colours from the
orchestra and choirs and gives each of the
four soloists lyric and dramatic material,
putting them at the forefront of the storytelling.
Highlights include the connections
drawn between the snowy lands of
Elk Island and the deserts of Afghanistan
and references to the Four Directions teachings
in the opening Requiem Aeternam,
the thrilling, visceral and terrifying excitement
of Dies Irae, the poignant litany of
birds in Lux Aeterna (affectingly sung by the
Langley Youth Choir) and the profound and
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Art Choral, vol.1 : Renaissance
Ensemble ArtChoral
Ensemble Art Choral and Mathias
Maute presents this new album of
music that reflects the flowering
of vocal polyphony in Renaissance
Europe.
Fotina Naumenko: Bespoke Songs
Fotina Naumenko
Soprano Naumenko
commissioned four composers to
write works setting texts by female
poets for the project, highlighting
her versatility across an attractive
range of aesthetics.
Amadeus et l'Impératrice:
Mozart-Mongeroult
Élisabeth Pion
The dazzling pianist Élisabeth Pion
joins Arion Baroque Orchestra
to play rarely performed work
by Hélène de Montgeroult and
Mozart’s Concerto in E-flat Major.
Scelsi : Intégrale des quatuors à
cordes et trio à cordes
Quatuor Molinari
Hear music by Giacinto Scelsi
- known for his experimental
approach - interpreted by one of
Canada’s leading string quartets.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 71

heartbreaking final In Paradisum putting into
context Canada’s history of combat and, yes,
the pity of war.
The orchestra, choirs, soprano Zorana
Sadiq, mezzo-soprano Rebecca Haas, tenor
Colin Ainsworth and baritone Brett Polegato
are all led admirably, intelligently and with
great passion by Bramwell Tovey.
The Canadian Army was active in the
Afghanistan conflict from 2001-2014. In
Afghanistan: Requiem for a Generation, Ryan
and Steele have borne witness to that difficult
period with grace, respect and beauty. This is
surely one of the most important Canadian
works of the 21st century.
Larry Beckwith
John Corigliano – Mr. Tamborine Man;
Vincent Ho - Gryphon Realms
Laura Hynes (amplified soprano); Land’s
End Ensemble; Karl Hirzer
Naxos 8.579160 (naxos.com/
CatalogueDetail/?id=8.579160)
! Among the
traits, and there are
many, that people
find compelling
about the current
octogenarian and
formerly dubbed
“voice of his generation,”
Bob Dylan,
are his restless nature and continued creativity.
Famously categorizing himself as a
“song and dance man,” to insert distance
between he and his then folk-rock contemporaries
and attach himself to a vaudevillian
past that he wanted, but truly never had,
Dylan has shape shifted so many times that
his only constant is change. Long before it
was fashionable to see such groups as Lake
Street Dive and Scary Pockets reimagining the
possibilities of canonic cover versions, Dylan
himself was radically reinventing his own
songbook, most famously in July 1965 at the
Newport Folk Festival. Given the composer’s
own stance on the malleability of his work,
perhaps it is not surprising that Dylan’s music
has provided creative fodder for musicians
not just of the folk/rock ilk, but such jazz
players as Nina Simone, Ben Paterson, and Bill
Frisell, among others.
Here, with Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven
Poems of Bob Dylan (version for amplified
soprano and sextet), the highly feted
American composer John Corigliano brings
Dylan’s poetic lyrics into the realm of
contemporary classical music, setting seven
texts to his unique original music with
compelling results. Acknowledging in the
liner notes the newness of this exercise, (as
Dylan’s words had not previously been set to
classical music), while locating the historical
antecedents of Schumann or Brahms working
with a Goethe text. Corigliano’s reimagining
has been beautifully realized here by
soprano Laura Hynes and Calgary’s Land’s
End Ensemble under Karl Hirzer. Corigliano’s
cycle is paired effectively with Canadian
composer Vincent Ho’s Gryphon Realms
(for piano trio) commissioned by Toronto’s
Gryphon Trio inspired by that mythical
tripartite beast. It is performed here by the
core members of Land’s End, violinist Maria
van der Sloot, cellist Beth Root Sandvoss and
pianist Susanne Ruberg-Gordon. This 2024
Naxos release is highly enjoyable and
immensely satisfying.
Andrew Scott
Bespoke Songs
Fotina Naumenko; various artists
New Focus Recordings FCR410
(newfocusrecordings.bandcamp.com/
album/bespoke-songs)
! Sensual doesn’t
so much ooze as
burst in ecstatic
luminosity from
Fotina Naumenko’s
soaring, swooping
soprano. The
recital comprises
20 works specially
commissioned by Naumenko from four
composers. Each takes a cue from a verse by
poets selected by the soprano and relates to
settings and emotions awakened by the global
pandemic. The album takes its title from a
cycle of twelve – Bespoke Songs –composed
by Jonathan Newman, set to the poetry of
Kristina Faust.
Two shorter cycles comprise a work by
Jennifer Jolley (“Hope” Is The Thing with
Feathers – poetry by Emily Dickenson), and
one by Benedict Sheehan (Let Evening Come
with texts by Jane Kenyon). These cycles
bookend Carrie Magin’s work (How to See
An Angel set to Dorothy Walter’s poem). The
commissions were initiated during the global
pandemic and reflect the angst that was
imposed on a human psyche which still cries
out for healing.
The work of artists of the first order were
driven not only to deeper reflection, but also
to surface for air with the singular impulse to
heal others with art. This Naumenko certainly
does with uncommon erudition. Her instrument
is gorgeous: lustrous, precise and
feather-light. Her musicianship is fierce as she
digs into the expression of every word, giving
every phrase a special grace. The accompanying
musicians bring a deeply interiorised
reading that complements Naumenko’s
execution.
Raul da Gama
Editor’s note: I was surprised to find a
Canada Council logo displayed on the CD’s
back cover as none of the liner notes referred
to a Canadian connection. Upon consultation
with the label rep I was told that Fotina
Naumenko, Nadège Foofat and Marika
Bournaki (conductor and pianist on Bespoke
Songs respectively) are Canadian citizens.
Love to My Liking
Alkemie
Bright Shiny Things BSTC-0201 (alkemie.
bandcamp.com/album/love-to-my-liking)
! Unusually
for recordings of
medieval troubadour
songs, all five
vocalists on this
CD are women –
three of the sixmember
Alkemie
ensemble (they
also play instruments) and two “guests.”
They’re reviving the spirit of the all-butforgotten
Trobairitz, a unique all-female
troupe of 13th-century French troubadours
(not mentioned in the CD’s notes), discovered
when I googled “female troubadours.”
The notes also offer little information beyond
the names of the selections, performers and
instruments. Most regrettably, there are no
texts or translations.
Searching online, I learned that Alkemie
was founded in 2013, is based in Brooklyn
and that most of the CD’s 13 selections were
drawn from the 13th-century collections
Chansonnier du Roi and Montpellier Codex.
I also found descriptions of five instruments
with names unfamiliar to me: hümmelchen
(small German bagpipe), viola a chiavi (sevenkeyed
viola), scheitholt (German zither),
gittern (small lute) and douçaines (doublereed
woodwind). These, plus recorders, vielle,
psaltery, lute, harps and percussion provide
Alkemie’s constantly varying combinations of
intriguing instrumental timbres, among the
disc’s chief delights.
I particularly enjoyed the selections
featuring all five singers – the up-tempo E,
bone amourette/La rotta della Manfredina,
La joliveté/Douce amiete and L’autrier
chevauchoie delez Paris, and the haunting,
chant-like Belle doette as fenestres se siet,
lasting over nine minutes.
Although Alkemie’s fresh arrangements,
incorporating touches of bluegrass and Celtic
music aren’t historically authentic, since
no one can ever know exactly how these
ancient pieces originally sounded, musicological
conjecture must yield to extant
entertainment.
Michael Schulman
72 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
Amadeus dt l’Imperatrice - Montgeroult |
Mozart
Elisabeth Pion; Arion Orchestre Baroque;
Mathieu Lussier
ATMA ACD2 2885 (atmaclassique.com/
enproduct/amadeus-et-limperatrice)
! One of the great
anecdotes involving
the premiere of
Felix Mendelssohn’s
iconic String
Octet in E-flat
Major, Op.20 tells
us that an audacious
listener,
not recognising
Mendelssohn, is believed to have commented,
“Surely that was written by Beethoven?”
Jump-cut to a blindfold test – to listen to
this disc Amadeus et l’Impératrice without
being told these works are by the Hélène de
Montgeroult (and Mozart) – to determine who
composed each work.
Indeed, all Montgeroult’s works represented
here, particularly her superb Concerto pour
pianoforte No 1 en mi bémol majeur evoke
a genius not unlike Mozart’s. This Concerto
as performed here by the Arion Orchestre
Baroque conducted by Mathieu Lussier, with
Élisabeth Pion eloquently laying out the solo
parts on fortepiano, is a flawless performance,
worthy of heralding the composer’s unbridled
genius vis-à-vis Mozart.
Montgeroult enriches orchestral sonority by
employing a wide range of instruments. The
clearly defined wind section in this concerto,
emphasises the conversational exchanges
between wind and strings in the outer movements.
Throughout Pion parades a graceful
and tender style while displaying the marvellous
rapport between soloist and orchestra.
In a masterstroke, the sandwiching of
Mozart’s grand and dark Concerto No 24
en do mineur K491 between Montgeroult’s
eloquent works suggests that she is – if
nothing else – every bit as adventurous
and ingenious as Mozart, Amadeus et
l’Impératrice indeed…!
Raul da Gama
Haydn Symphonies - Mercury & La
Passione
Tafelmusik; Rachel Podger
Tafelmusik Media TMK 1041CD (tafelmusik.
org/meet-tafelmusik/recordings)
! Over 30
years ago, when
Tafelmusik was
coming into its
own as a worldclass
period instrument
orchestra,
they signed a
multi-record deal
with Sony Classical and set out on an ambitious
voyage to record Haydn symphonies
(and other repertoire) with the jovial German
conductor Bruno Weil and the legendary
producer Wolf Erichson. The relationship
with Weil was transformative and I would
argue that their collaborative exploration bred
an innate flair for – and deep understanding
of – Classical style that continues today.
Their newest recording – on their own
Tafelmusik Media label – of symphonies
43 and 49 is full of attention to the minute
details of Haydn’s quirky writing and is a
welcome reminder of the ensemble’s virtuosity
and breadth of expression. Haydn
wrote the Symphony in F Minor No.49
(“La Passione”) in 1768, during what is
known as his “sturm und drang” period,
one that saw an astounding growth in his
technique, planting the seeds and foreshadowing
the German Romantic era that
was to come decades later. Tafelmusik’s
performance – directed from the violin by
newly-appointed Principal Guest Conductor
Rachel Podger – absolutely nails the colour,
transparency, dramatic energy and harmonic
tension present in every measure of this
fantastic work.
The so-called “Mercury” Symphony No.43
was actually written three years later and
is a sunny contrast to the broodiness of “La
Passione.” It’s still packed with innovation
and angst and the orchestra brings this
out beautifully. How fabulous that one can
compare this performance with Tafelmusik’s
1992 studio recording with Weil: both
powerful, wonderful and full of life in quite
different ways.
One quibble: the booklet details should list
the players’ names!
Larry Beckwith
Beethoven
Marc-André Hamelin
Hyperion CDA68456 (hyperion-records.
co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68456)
! Given Marc-
André Hamelin’s
unimpeachable
technical prowess,
it is no surprise
that he tackles the
epic Hammerklavier Sonata for his first
recording of music by Beethoven. Hamelin’s
tempos are rapid, though well under
Beethoven’s unreasonably fast metronome
markings. This allows lyrical passages to
breathe expressively, and for Hamelin to
apply a variety of colouring to Beethoven’s
many surprising harmonic shifts. Hamelin’s
Steinway piano has been recorded in a very
reverberant acoustic, and while this creates a
flattering halo around slower-moving cantabile
passages (the slow movement’s opening
and the D major central section in the finale),
it also obscures the detail of fast passagework
and the thorny counterpoint of the
outer movements, while blurring the edges
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
WINGS:
Chamber Music by Rami Levin
Alisa Jordheim, Kuang-Hao
Huang, Denis Azabagić et al
"uniformly excellent
[performances of] terrific
material...distinguished by high
levels of craft." Ron Schepper,
textura.org
Cello Unlocked
Bryan Hayslett
Cello, human body, and voice
become one in this gorgeous
amalgam of avant-traditional
artistry. Soaring melodies and
rich textures evoke new kinds of
beauty.
Lullabies After Storms and Floods
Parade
Parade blends pop, rock and
jazz, blurring the lines between
improvisation and composition
and creating unique and
immersive sonic landscapes.
Towards the Light
Les Arrivants
Abdul-Wahab Kayyali, Amichai
Ben Shalev, and Hamin Honari
create new music based on Arabic,
Persian and Argentine Tango
Traditions.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 73

etween Beethoven’s very frequent sudden
dynamic changes. Hamelin’s generous use of
pedal further clouds the texture and results
in the occasional disregard for rests and
note lengths.
Unsurprisingly, the wild fourth movement
fugue of the Hammerklavier is dispatched
with exciting technical security. More surprisingly,
this does not conclude the album, but
instead we jump back 23 years to continue
with Beethoven’s third published sonata,
Op.2 No.3 in C Major. This early work benefits
from Hamelin’s crisp articulations and sparkling
passage work – though again the reverberant
acoustic blunts some impact. The first
movement is suitably muscular, the second
serene though with a marked agitation in
the contrasting minor section, the scherzo
is confidently playful and the finale sparklingly
virtuosic. Caveats: The close recording
results in a harshness of tone in the loudest
moments, and purists may not approve of
Hamelin’s adding of bass octaves not available
on the pianos of Beethoven’s time.
Stephen Runge
Mahler – Symphony 3
Jennifer Johnston; Women of the
Minnesota Chorale; Minnesota Boychoir;
Minnesota Orchestra; Osmo Vanska
BIS 2486 (minnesotaorchestra.org)
Mahler – Symphony No.8
Soloists; Minnesota Chorale; National
Lutheran Choir; Minnesota Boychoir;
Angelica Cantanti Youth Choir; Minnesota
Orchestra; Osmo Vanska
BIS BIS-2496 (minnesotaorchestra.org)
! The final two
installments of
Osmo Vänskä’s
ongoing Mahler
cycle have landed
and the box set
is now on sale.
(Caveat: the Cooke
version of the fragmentary
Tenth Symphony is included, but
there is no performance of Das Lied von der
Erde.) These two recordings were patched
together from live performances from
Vänskä’s final appearances in 2022 after 19
years at the helm of the Minnesota orchestra.
Judging by the performance of the Third
Symphony, this orchestra and its conductor
have developed a fine rapport over the years
and deliver some very lovely playing. Winds
and brass are outstanding and the string
section is extraordinarily supple, though
Vänskä’s party trick of pulling back the
orchestra to near inaudibility remains an
annoying SACD inspired gimmick to my
ears. Initially won over by the exceptional
recording from the BIS recording team,
certain aspects of the interpretation now
strike me as less admirable. Beautiful though
the recording may sound, there is an atmosphere
of directorial micro-management that
loses sight of the over-arching structure of
the work. There are beautiful trees to behold
indeed, but nary a view of the forest.
Of the six movements of this, the longest
symphony in the active repertoire, the
performance of the short inner movements
fare best. But as to the lengthy first and sixth
movements, Vänskä’s reach is beyond his
grasp. Nowhere is this more evident than in
the final six pages of the concluding Adagio;
from figure 28 preceding the reprise of the
main theme Mahler writes “Langsam
anschwellen” (slowly swelling); the effect in,
for example, Leonard Bernstein’s landmark
performance, is a thrilling, painful struggle to
the summit of glory. Here we find a
routine ritardando that somehow wanders
into a pedestrian fortissimo. Amongst recent
recordings I would suggest seeking out
Manfred Honeck’s 2010 Pittsburgh performance
on the Exton label instead, a fine
example of what a true Mahler evangelist can
bring to this score.
I must confess
to an abiding
ambivalence
about Mahler’s
Eighth Symphony,
the so-called
“Symphony of
a Thousand.”
Teeming with
what T.W. Adorno
called “the ceremonial pretensions of the
obviously fugal manner,” the two parts of
the work are set to the Catholic hymn Veni
Creator Spiritus and the closing scene of
Goethe’s Faust, a pair of uncharacteristically
crowd-pleasing choices from a man whose
works are essentially about his inner self. It’s
as if Mahler was saying to his carping, anti-
Semitic critics, “Don’t you see? I am one of
you!” Composed swiftly in the span of six
weeks, he proclaimed the work his “gift to the
nation” and dedicated it to his wife Alma.
Successful performances of this monumental
work depend very much on the
casting of the seven vocal soloists and in
this case they are well chosen indeed.
Sonically however the massive choral forces,
recorded at the height of the covid panic, are
constrained by the wearing of masks. Despite
discreet tweaking by the BIS recording
team the softer portions of the work remain
distinctly muffled. I was also disappointed
by the woefully underpowered contributions
from the organ. Within the context of this
Mahler cycle it is one of the more successful
efforts, but Vänskä’s direction again strikes
me as intrinsically unfocused.
Daniel Foley
Prokofiev: Piano Concertos 2 & 3, Piano
Sonata No.7
Stewart Goodyear; BBC Symphony
Orchestra; Andrew Litton
Orchid Classics ORC100335
(orchidclassics.com/releases/orc100335-
stewart-goodyear-prokofiev)
! Sergei Prokofiev
began his musical
career as a concert
pianist, so perhaps
it should come as
no surprise that his
extensive output
would include six
piano concertos and
ten sonatas in addition to innumerable other
piano works. This splendid recording on the
Orchid Classics label presents the second and
third concertos and the Sonata No.7 featuring
Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear with
the BBC Symphony under the direction of
Andrew Litton.
Concerto No.2 was completed in 1912, but
was revised and not premiered for another
12 years when it was met with both praise
and derision from the audience. Deviating
from the traditional concerto form, the
piece comprises four contrasting movements.
Throughout, Goodyear plays with a
polished assurance, demonstrating an impeccable
technique particularly in the horrendously
difficult cadenza concluding the
first movement and the relentless Allegro
tempestoso finale.
The third and most famous of Prokofiev’s
concertos was premiered by the composer
in Chicago in 1921. Opening with a lyrical
introduction, the piece soon launches into
a brisk Allegro performed here at a slightly
faster tempo than is sometimes heard. Again,
Goodyear demonstrates immaculate virtuosity,
emphasizing the work’s mischievous
nature while under Litton’s competent baton,
the BBSO is a solid and sensitive partner
delivering a lively and joyful performance.
The second of three sonatas Prokofiev
composed during the Second World War, the
Piano Sonata No.7 was very much a product
of its time. The first movement is marked by
a dark and angry tone, while the second is
a calm respite before a strident perpetuum
mobile brings the recording to a dramatic
conclusion.
Kudos to you, Mr. Goodyear – you indicated
in the notes you had wanted to record
Prokofiev since the pandemic and now was
the right time. Most decidedly, it was well
worth the wait.
Richard Haskell
74 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

Songs for a New Century
Jonathan Miller; Lucia Lin; Randall
Hodgkinson; Marc Ryser
Navona Records nv6623 (navonarecords.
com/catalog/nv6623)
! Jonathan
Miller, long-time
Boston Symphony
Orchestra cellist
and founding
artistic director of
the Boston Artists
Ensemble, commissioned
well-established
American
composers Gabriela Lena Frank and Scott
Wheeler along with Judith Weir, Britain’s
current Master of the King’s Music, to bring
Mendelssohn’s concept of “songs without
words” into “a new century.”
The disc opens with Mendelssohn himself,
his Song without Words, Op.109 for cello
and piano and five Songs without Words for
piano, arranged by Mendelssohn’s friend,
cellist Alfredo Piatti. Miller and pianist Marc
Ryser find some dark drama within these
graceful pieces, often considered lightweight.
Miller and violinist Lucia Lin perform
Frank’s duo Operetta. I found all five movements
pervaded by agitated discontent.
Operettas typically attempt to make people
smile; this one doesn’t.
Pianist Randall Hodgkinson joins Miller
in Weir’s Three Chorales. In Angels Bending
Near the Earth, the cello gently swings up
and down over piano tinkles. In Death’s
Dark Vale moves from gloom to hopefulness.
O Sapienza, variations on a Hildegard von
Bingen hymn, features long-lined lyricism
from the cello amid irregular piano splashes.
Miller and Ryser reunite in Wheeler’s
Cello Sonata No.2 “Songs without Words,”
composed, writes Wheeler, in his upstate
New York woodlands studio. In Among the
trees, abrupt piano discords punctuate the
perturbed cello line. Unaccompanied pizzicati
in the cello’s lowest register dominate Forest
at night. The cello resumes its moody musings
in Barcarolle before joining with the piano to
conclude this CD with lyrical optimism.
Michael Schulman
Rooted
Neave Trio
Chandos CHAN 20272 (neavetrio.com/
discography)
! “Traditionrooted”
folk music
links this CD’s
compositions,
vividly performed
by America’s
Neave Trio. Bedřich
Smetana wrote his
27-minute Piano
Trio, Op.15 (1855) shortly after his fouryear-old
daughter’s death from scarlet fever.
Anguished outbursts fill the first movement,
briefly interrupted by sweet, simple melodies,
perhaps representing little Bedřiška. The
second movement features folk-like dances,
ranging from gently poignant to ponderously
brutal. The finale alternates between
a wild Presto, a precursor to the Furiant in
Smetana’s Bartered Bride, and a heartbreakingly
beautiful melody, an ambiguous conclusion
to this emotional roller-coaster.
The other works are shorter, each around
16 minutes. Josef Suk even called his piece
Petit Trio, Op.2, completed while studying
with Antonin Dvořák (Suk later married
Dvořák’s daughter Otilie). Like Smetana, Suk
composed a series of Czech folk-flavoured
dances, less dramatic but cheerfully robust
and sentimental.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor arranged Five
Negro Melodies from his Twenty-four Negro
Melodies (1905) for piano. Sometimes I feel
like a motherless child leads the group; I was
unfamiliar with the others. As with many
works Coleridge-Taylor derived from African
or African-American sources, I found these
arrangements essentially European in style
and feeling, with minimal ethnic authenticity.
The two outer movements of Swiss
composer Frank Martin’s Trio sur des
mélodies populaires irlandaises (1925) readily
conjure images of Irish countryfolk dancing
rumbustiously to the squealing of bagpipes.
In the middle movement, the cello croons a
love song over harp-like piano sparkles. A
happy ending to a disc that began with tears.
Michael Schulman
Exodus
The Orchestra Now; Leon Botstein
Avie Records AV2713 (avie-records.com/
releases/exodus-walter-kaufmann-•-
marcel-rubin-•-josef-tal)
! During the
1930s, some Jews
able to make their
own “exoduses” fled
Nazism, including
the composers on
this CD: Walter
Kaufmann (1907-
1984) went to India,
Marcel Rubin (1905-1995) to France, Josef Tal
(1910-2008) to Palestine.
Recognition of Kaufmann has accelerated
since my September 2020 WholeNote
review of Kaufmann’s debut CD by Toronto’s
ARC Ensemble. In the June 2024 WholeNote
I reviewed the first CD of his orchestral
works, praising his Indian Symphony (1943)
for its “soulful woodwind solos, pulsating
strings, dramatic brass and percussion.”
Here’s a second recording of that symphony.
At 17:32, nearly two minutes longer than the
previous recording, conductor Leon Botstein’s
performance enhances the music’s exotic
atmosphere and grandeur.
Conceived during wartime, Rubin’s
powerful, 34-minute Symphony No.4 “Dies
Irae” (1945, rev.1972) was revised when the
disillusioned Rubin, reacting to contemporary
events, replaced two optimistic movements
with the grim Pastorale. The dirge-like
opening Kinderkreuzzug 1939 takes its title
from Bertolt Brecht’s poem (included in the
booklet) describing “lost children” fleeing
“the nightmare.” The four-note motto of the
medieval Day of Wrath chant dominates
the second movement’s sardonic march; the
chant then underlines the Pastorale’s passacaglia,
wandering through painful memories
before ending meditatively.
Tal’s 23-minute Exodus (1947), composed
during the outbreak of hostilities prior to the
UN’s establishment of Israel, employs biblical
verses from Exodus and Psalms, emphatically
sung in Hebrew by brawny-voiced baritone
Noam Heinz. Botstein and The Orchestra Now
generate brilliantly-coloured sonorities from
Tal’s “Hollywood epic”-style score.
Michael Schulman
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY
Scelsi – Integrals des quatuors a cordes;
Trio a cordes
Quatuor Molinari
ATMA ACD2 2849 (atmaclassique.com/en/
product/giacinto-scelsi-complete-stringquartets-and-string-trio)
! Italian composer
Giacinto Scelsi
wrote some of the
most sublime music
of the past century.
It’s also some of
the most radical.
He was notoriously
secretive, even
forbidding photos of
himself. Yet these string quartets, which span
a forty-year period, are so personal that heard
together they reveal much about this remarkable
composer whose musical language
was transformed by a profound spiritual
awakening.
This is the first complete recording of
Scelsi’s five string quartets since the legendary
Arditti Quartet’s from 1990. It’s a significant
addition to the Montreal-based Molinari
Quartet’s invaluable series of complete string
quartets by key modern composers. The
Molinari brings the precision and clarity
required for the close listening Scelsi’s music
demands, plus a contemplative soulfulness.
ATMA’s stellar sound does the rest.
You can already hear Scelsi pushing boundaries
in the post-Schoenbergian String
Quartet No.1 from 1944 – the gong effects,
the pitch-bending. But after a devastating
mental breakdown he came to reject its
engaging rhythms, intricate counterpoint,
complex harmony and delightful thematic
developments.
Immersing himself in theosophy and
eastern religions, Scelsi spent months at the
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 75

piano repeating one note over and over. He
eventually switched to an Ondioline, an early
electronic keyboard. It allowed him to explore
the infinity of sounds contained in a single
pitch through alterations like microtones,
vibrato, glissandi and ostinato. The searing
Trio from 1958 initiates his new language, a
year before his acknowledged breakthrough
work, Quattro Pezzi su una nota solo.
The more expansive Second Quartet
followed two years later. There’s an especially
thrilling passage which reveals the
Molinari’s mastery of Scelsi’s strange and
wonderful style when the heightened drama
of the fourth movement resolves into the
dreamy incantations of the last movement. He
gave each of the five movements of the Third
Quartet titles describing conflict, liberation
and catharsis, though there’s more catharsis
than conflict. In the more fraught Fourth
Quartet the Molinari unfurls an enthralling
sweep of colours and textures in a single
movement.
The Fifth Quartet was Scelsi’s last major
work. Distilled into seven transcendent
minutes, it serves as a fitting memorial to this
remarkable composer.
Pamela Margles
Gabriel Dharmoo – Vestiges d’une fable
Members of NACO; Gary Kulesha
Centrediscs CMCCD 34324 (cmccanada.
org/shop/cmccd-34324)
! Gabriel Dharmoo
makes you laugh
and then wonder
if that was the
right response, and
then laugh again.
So yes, it is fine to
hear and feel the
mirth behind the
title track of his recent release: Vestiges d’une
Fable (2014, current arrangement 2023) for
voice (originally for soprano but here the
composer’s own) with flute cello and piano.
The musicians on the disc are select members
of the National Arts Centre Orchestra,
conducted by Gary Kulesha. The players are
excellent, and Kulesha very capably marshals
their forces.
Dharmoo produces theatrical, evocative,
even surreal music. Vestiges references
his mocumentary performance piece
Anthropolgies imaginaires, and the fog in our
poise (2016) “evokes the ceremonial music
of an imaginary culture” per the liner notes.
Like the writer Jorge Luis Borges, Dharmoo
posits alternate worlds from which to explore
our own. His voice in Vestiges seems drawn
from an alien cabaret, or one where the creatures
we know sing text we can almost understand.
The final track, sur les rives de (2011),
gives us his impressions of the opposite and
contrasting banks of the Ganges river.
Moondaal Moondru (2010) at 18:10 is the
substantial centre-weight of the disc, the
piece comes in taut sections, with virtuosic
outbursts sometimes punctuating a droning
whine. Dharmoo lacks nothing in orchestrational
skill, and his moods are clearly if unsettlingly
depicted. There’s a roll and a rhythm
to the music, and I suggest you move with the
underlying pulse to best experience it.
Max Christie
Amy Brandon – Lysis
Various Artists
New Focus Recordings FCR414
(newfocusrecordings.com/catalogue/
amy-brandon-lysis)
! Canadian
guitarist/composer
Amy Brandon has
created a fantastical
series of journeys
with her
latest album
Lysis (defined
by dictionary.
com as “…refer(ring) to the breakdown of a
cell caused by damage to its plasma (outer)
membrane).” Brandon nails the deconstruction
aspect in an almost delicious spectacle
of all things human and otherworldly.
Cells break down on one level and are
reconstructed on another. Brandon deftly
manages to create parallel voices that beautifully
ignore, while simultaneously hearing,
each other, almost as two separate cultures
managing to co-exist.
Opening with the brilliant
Microchimersisms for solo flute, we enter
a world of roaring lions, whispers and
outbursts of exhalations, masterfully delivered
by flutist Sara Constant. Threads for
string trio follows, a tightly wound exploration
of a submarine-like journey. Alternate
tunings are featured in Intermountainous
where the guitar delivers almost pastoral
material, underscored by dark and aerie
ambience that intertwines and comes apart.
Caduceus for two cellos and electronics is
strangely combative while expertly weaving
microtones in and out of one voice. The track
Tsyir is an almost trance-like swim in partial
harmonics, while Affine travels between
breathy phrasing of repeated notes and upper
pitches of winds and low piano.
Now we arrive at Simulacra, the album’s
JUNO-nominated show-stopper for cello
solo and orchestra. This full orchestral
score, with its dynamic and driving
rhythms, sets up a virtuosic and melodic
cello line that soars into stratospheric
heights and returns to the depths. Cellist
Jeffrey Zeigler pulls out all the stops with a
stunning, heroic performance.
The album closes with the work Lysis for
string quartet; a complex exploration of the
upper partials of the harmonic series, this
piece also mines the symbiotic relationship
between the nuances of pitch and colour
realised by different bow pressures, while also
exploding apart from it. As with the entire
album, it’s not necessary to contemplate
the mathematics of the writing, just enjoy
the results.
Cheryl Ockrant
Paolo Griffin – Supports & Surfaces
David Zucchi; Duo Holz; David Hackston;
electronics
Sawyer Editions SE028 (sawyereditions.
bandcamp.com/album/paolo-griffinsupports-surfaces)
! Imagine the
challenge of having
to approach music
of Supports &
Surfaces being
told that all of
the sonic quivering,
undulating
and often hypnotic
ellipses of sounds were just “a series of pitch
classes, whole numbers of octaves apart.” Try
realigning that part of your brain that hears
sound and redirecting your inner ear to tune
into the pitch class of the frequently caressed,
the note(s) C (or D, E, F or G). Lost in stultifying
academia yet?
Fear not. There is much more to this
meandering, hypnotically repetitious music.
Its evocative gamelan-like sound is redolent of
Zen-inflected gongs, whooshing woodwinds,
yammering drums and hissing cymbals, the
dazzling arco wail of the violin, all heated by
the soaring countertenor voice.
Suddenly you will find yourself free of
a proverbial desk in academia, despite
perhaps encountering complicated pitch
integers in the sonically charming music by
Paolo Griffin.
Bending notes in the light and shadow of
Griffin directs David Zucchi to employ alto
saxophone and the ululations of atmospheric
electronics to explore The Purpose
of an Empty Room. You will emerge from
the dizzying geometry of this musical space
with a sense of enrichment and delight. Next,
violinist Aysel Taghi-Zada and percussion
colourist Michael Murphy describe the stasis
of being Alone, Together. Finally on Madrigal,
countertenor David Hackston melds voice and
electronics to spellbinding effect.
Raul da Gama
Gilles Silvestrini – Oboe in Hues
Nermis Mieses
Navona Records nv6638 (navonarecords.
com/catalog/nv6638)
! Nermis Mieses’
new album, Oboe
in Hues, offers a
fascinating and bold
exploration of the
oboe’s capabilities
through five challenging
solo works
by French oboistcomposer
Gilles Silvestrini. With its focus on
rarely-heard compositions, this album stands
76 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

out as a celebration of both the instrument
and its performer.
Silvestrini’s compositions push the oboe to
its limits, incorporating techniques that evoke
harp and piano sounds, mimic bird calls and
explore extreme registers. These elements,
coupled with note bends, flutter tonguing and
multiphonics, provide a rich and varied sonic
palette. Mieses, a Puerto Rican-American
oboist known for her artistry and virtuosity,
rises to the challenge with a performance that
is both technically impressive and emotionally
resonant.
The album opens with Les Lusiades, a piece
inspired by Luís de Camões’ 1572 poem and
intended as an opera for solo oboe. Mieses
adeptly contrasts different characters and
paints vivid imagery with her clear articulations
and warm, mellow tone. Her ability to
shift seamlessly between expressive passages
and advanced techniques brings the work’s
dramatic intent to life.
In Horae Volubiles Silvestrini draws inspiration
from Stefano da Verona’s painting La Vierge
à la rosaire. Mieses brings this experimental
work to vivid life through modern techniques
and mournful legato lines. Cinq Études Russes
offers a unique homage to five iconic Russian
composers: Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff,
Prokofiev, Scriabin and Stravinsky. Each étude
weaves melodies from these composers into
its fabric, providing a rich and varied listening
experience. Mieses’ interpretation brings out
the distinct character of each piece, showcasing
her ability to navigate complex and evocative
musical landscapes. Six Études Pittoresques
contrasts historical and literary figures and
settings, from Genghis Khan’s cruelty against
the pastoral Mongolian countryside to Hans
Christian Andersen’s tales, and the compositional
rivalry between Elgar and Britten. The
breadth of these études pushes both the instrument
and performer to their limits, and Mieses’
performance is nothing short of masterful.
Finally, Six Études pour hautbois, inspired
by Claude Monet’s paintings, is Silvestrini’s
most celebrated work among oboists. The
impressionistic nature of these études, with
their whole tone scales and evocative portrayal
of waves, is brought to life with Mieses’ vibrant
and technically assured playing.
Melissa Scott
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Symphony No.5
Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Gil Rose
BMOP Sound 1098 (bmop.org/audiorecordings/ellen-taaffe-zwilich-symphonyno-5)
! Thank the Boston
Modern Orchestra
Project, an institution
of similar
scope to Toronto’s
Esprit Orchestra, for
the release of this
collection of pieces
by the accomplished
and celebrated American composer
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich. As an overture, Upbeat
(1998) jumps in with both feet dancing along
to Bach’s E Major solo violin partita, turned
into a fiddle tune that then disappears under
boisterous percussion, raising itself again and
again through the work’s brief but rowdy
four minutes.
This leaves one unprepared for the deeply
melancholic mood of the next piece. In her
notes, Zwilich describes having to rouse
herself from mourning the loss of her second
husband (having married and been widowed
once before) while trying to fulfill a commission
for a work for solo flute and orchestra.
What finally arose was this Concerto Elegia
(2015), beautifully performed here by flutist
Sarah Brady. At times I hear a similarity to
Shostakovich’s haunting slow movement of
his second piano concerto. Zwilich writes “I
remember sitting at the dress rehearsal and
just crying… I still have a hard time listening
to it.”
Far different is Commedia dell’Arte written
for Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg in 2012. Set for
string orchestra and percussion (sometimes
played by the string players themselves), it
depicts three of the stock characters in each of
the first three movements, notably the third:
Capitano is a blustering blowhard, a phony
who might evoke a certain character in the
presidential race. Performed here by concertmaster
Gabriela Diaz, it’s a delightful romp.
The final four tracks are a showpiece
originally written for the Juilliard orchestra.
Naming the work Symphony No.5 (2008)
speaks to Zwilich’s philosophy, in which she
cherishes the western art music tradition. She
also seems to enjoy sheer American band-itry
and bombast. Great disc.
Max Christie
The Petrified Forest Project
Rhonda Rider
Ravello Records RR8103 (ravellorecords.
com/catalog/rr8103)
! Cellist Rhonda
Rider is no stranger
to playing in interesting
locations,
having been Artistin-Residence
previously
at the Grand
Canyon in 2011,
and later at the
Petrified Forest National Park in 2015. As cello
professor at Boston Conservatory at Berklee,
she brings her vast experiences with classical
and contemporary performance, enabling
her to explore these newly commissioned
compositions with skill and ease. The connection
to the beautiful surroundings is clearly
evident throughout the album, as Rider pairs
the compositions with each setting that
inspired them, in this 200-million-year-old
ecosystem.
The album opens with Raven Chacon’s
Invisible Arc, inspired by a traditional Navajo
hunting song, and Laurie San Martin’s Vast
steppe, based on Gregorian Chant, which
includes changing the cello’s tuning and some
improvisations juxtaposing old and new,
as does the park itself. Kurt Rohde’s credo
petrified for amplified cello is a beautiful
lamenting conversation that considers
“the unadorned ritual of forgotten deaths…
dying its own gradual death at a glacial pace
becoming sonic dust.” Pari is a four-movement
suite by Mischa Salkind-Pearl that
takes its movement titles from flora native to
the park; a delicate composition sketching
the thriving nature of these seeds in such a
dry area.
The theme of old and new continues
with Verklärtes Holz (Transfigured Wood).
Beginning with the title, a reference to Arnold
Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht, it illustrates
the parallels between natural and artificial
processes of transformation: the petrified
wood beginning as living redwoods,
swept away by floods, buried and mineralized;
vs wood over time becoming a cello,
a picturesque description in three movements
and a fitting addition to an album both
based on wood and performed on wood. The
album ends with Ian Gottleib’s Meditation on
Impatience, and Rider passionately portrays
the colourful, cinematic exploration of layers
of sediment in the forest’s Badlands of this
truly ancient ecological wonder.
Cheryl Ockrant
Wings – Chamber Music by Rami Levin
Various Artists
Acis APL53875 (acisproductions.com/
wings-chamber-music-by-rami-levin)
! Rami Levin
(b.Brooklyn 1954)
composed five of
this CD’s works
while living in
Brazil (2010-2017).
The two sprightly
movements of
Asar (Wings) for
clarinet, violin and piano utilize bird calls
“heard constantly outside my window.” The
soulful Saudade (Longing) for guitar follows.
Reflections of Reflections (11.11.11) for wind
quintet matches the numerical uniqueness
of November 11, 2011 with drily mathematical
music – 11 sections, each 11 measures.
Caprichosa (Capricious) for flute and harp
is more engaging, songful and rhythmically
“capricious.”
Três Cançöes (Three Songs), commissioned
by Brazilian soprano Veruschka Mainhard,
set poems by Mainhard’s then-sevenyear-old
daughter Laura. The texts of Os
Macacos Brincalhöes (The Playful Monkeys),
O Pequeno Barco (The Little Boat) and
Porco (Pigs) are delightfully imaginative
and charming, as is the music, charmingly
performed by bright-voiced soprano Alisa
Jordheim and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang.
Jordheim, accompanied by flute, harp and
guitar, also sings Four English Songs (1997),
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 77

light-hearted settings of the nursery rhymes
Sixpence, Apple Pie, Hey Diddle Diddle and
The House that Jack Built.
In Linguas Fraternas (Fraternal Languages)
for viola and piano (2019), Levin drew upon
her experiences teaching ESL in Brazil.
Leste-Oeste (East-West) juxtaposes Afghani
elements on the viola with American blues
on the piano; in Norte-Sul (North-South),
the instruments play in different rhythms,
“a musical representation,” writes Levin, “of
different ways of saying the same things…The
piece is an homage to the beauty and richness
of language and the experience of merging
different cultures.”
Michael Schulman
Vigil
Ethel & Layale Chaker
In A Circle Records ICR030 (ethelcentral.
bandcamp.com/album/vigil-icr030)
Radio Afloat
Layale Chaker & Sarafand
In A Circle Records ICR031 (layalechaker.
bandcamp.com/album/radio-afloat-icr031)
! For violinist
Layale Chaker,
the trigger for her
composition Vigil,
performed with the
ensemble ETHEL,
was the revolution
in Lebanon.
The work, however,
takes its inspiration
from the poem What They Did Yesterday
Afternoon by the Somali-British poet Warsan
Shire. As the liner notes tell us, the poem
“sketches, with startling economy, a world
torn by a cascading series of problems…”
Chaker’s musical lines are closely aligned
with the rhythm of the “world torn” and their
dark tones and textures reflect the density
of this “cascading.” Like the writer, she too
visualises the fabric of humanity like expensive
raw silk. This is reflected in the harmonic
overtones that enrich the stark narratives of
each of the movements of Vigil, building up to
an almost frenzied crescendo in the fifth, and
final episode of the tone poem.
The members of ETHEL also contribute a
piece each to this recording that describes a
world in the thrall of a dark, existential angst.
Chaker and the members of ETHEL employ
an inspired understanding of Phrygian modes
that inform Andalusi literature using a strophic
form called qasida and maqama which
Chaker brilliantly transforms into phrases
made of ephemeral, almost ghostly glissandi
that turns her into a kind of shamanic
alchemist, enabling her to send audiences
into emotional states that border on both the
mystical and the magical. This (inspired use of
maqama in her art) spells the true genius of
Chaker’s musicianship. It is also what makes
this recordingirresistibly hypnotic.
If you listen to Chaker’s next recording
Radio Afloat, fairly
soon after you’ve
listened to Vigil and
you sense more
pain in the works
therein, you would
be absolutely right.
But consider this.
The city of Beirut,
(capital of her birthcountry
Lebanon), was once called the “Paris
of the Middle East.” It was the proverbial city
of light, so alive with joie de vivre that the
sun never seemed to set on its citizenry. But
internecine wars precipitated by religious
strife, the greed of those who held positions
of power and the residual effects of colonialism
spelled the city’s (and country’s) doom.
The feeling of loss, of the sharp pain of
having to leave behind what you love and
emigrate elsewhere, will never leave a person
who had experienced the kind of paradise
that Beirut once was. This sense of
loss is what burns with a slow blue flame
throughout Radio Afloat.
The music is played here by Chaker and
the ensemble Sarafand, which comprises a
cello, contrabass, piano, microtonal keyboard
and a drum set that includes Lebanese frame
drums. It also features Chaker’s vocals, characterised
by ululating, high and lonesome
wailing. Radio Afloat is an eight-movement
suite which, as Chaker tells us, is woven
into, and echoes, The Trace of Blue Passion,
a poem by the Lebanese writer Ounsi el-Hage.
The Trace of Blue Passion is a glorious
lament in which the poet informs us: “After
we witnessed the extent of bird’s wisdom /
I remind you that it is in the nature of creatures
/ to harm themselves.” Like the poet,
Chaker and the performers of Sarafand match
the poem’s lyricism with profound musical
beauty and classical pathos.
Raul da Gama
Cello Unlocked
Bryan Hayslett
Neuma 132 (bryanhayslett.bandcamp.com/
album/cello-unlocked)
! Feeling almost
carved from the
ground up, this
album is full
of interesting
and innovative
dialogues. Not only
is it beautifully
played, the pieces
come to you as transcriptions of voices and
stories through the cello and voice of Hayslett
without affect or personal interference.
There is a genuineness throughout the
album which is refreshing. Vocals are raw and
focus on the works, the poetry and the stories
they tell. Haylsett’s performances are deeply
interpretive, which is not necessarily the same
as improvised, and he draws on fascinating
academic research for his book The Theory
of Prominence, where he discusses rhythm
of music in relation to language. Throughout
the album he illustrates this theory with his
connection of the cello to the human voice.
Beginning with Caroline Shaw’s in manus
tuas, based on Christ’s final words on the
cross it begins with a deep grittiness on the
cello, where we first hear the voice intoning
notes. Mary Kouyoumdjian’s and there was is
an absolutely stunning working of a text rich
with grief and loss, a full dialogue between
cello and voice. Joan La Barbara’s with the
years is a commanding work with text from a
poem by Dorothea Tanning seen on the NYC
subway. It is beautifully interpreted, from the
delicate harmonic opening to the doublestopped
vocal lines.
The middle anchor of the album is
Unlocked by Judith Weir, a work in five
movements based on the John and Alan
Lomax 1930s recordings of folk songs
collected from Black prisoners in the
American south. These are a range of direct
transcriptions of whispers to blues, giving
voice to prisoners otherwise unheard.
Tonadas, Germán Marano’s gentle arrangement
of two milking songs, is followed by
recovering (speech rhythm study 1), a transcription
from an original poem virtually
matched on the cello. The album closes with
Brent Michael David’s Cello Chili, a recipe for
a pot of chili stirred with cello parts, a fun but
also fascinating blend of speech and music.
Cheryl Ockrant
Decoda
Decoda
Bright Shiny Things BSTC-0203
(brightshiny.ninja/decoda)
! There isn’t space
here to recount
every good thing
about this disc, so
let me start with the
playing. Decoda is
a septet of winds,
strings and piano
who reach beyond
their instrumentation, aided of course by
the material they choose. Valerie Coleman
supplies the opening tracks. Commissioned
and premiered by the group in 2018, and
recorded for the first time here, Revelry isn’t
exactly Pop, but it pops with exuberance and
vigour. Mysterio is about the fun to be had in
gathering together, but the second movement,
War, evokes the darker side of collective
action. At just over ten minutes, it doesn’t
wear out the listener. You want the first to
go on, but you need the second to stop. The
playing is excellent.
Arrangements by group members of
William Bolcom’s Three Rags become
almost quaintly American, not quite parody
and somewhat an homage. The arrangements
leave out the piano, so they sound
like a travelling band ready to hit the pubs.
Having just escaped to Ireland recently,
78 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

I highly recommend the group consider
this. I found the latter two, Graceful Ghost
and Poltergeist, more effective and less
cliché than Incineratorag. Gotta love the
titles though.
The duo of Catherine Gregory (flute) and
Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir (cello) cover the most
territory, and deserve the most praise, in
Folksongs (Set No.9) by Reza Vali. Vali mines
his Persian heritage for extant and invented
material, and the duo ramble through the
roughly twenty-minute collection with
elegance and verve. This set alone is more
than enough reason to grab this disc, but the
material on either side shows off Decoda’s full
range and chops.
Max Christie
Emergence
Joel Chadabe
Intellegent Arts ARS-08 (joelchadabe.
bandcamp.com)
! Pioneering
American electroacoustic
composer
Joel Chadabe (1938-
2021), an early
Robert Moog collaborator,
was even
earlier a student of
modernist composer Elliott Carter. During his
productive career Chadabe honed the cutting
edge of innovation in his compositions and
interactive musical instrument designs.
The career-spanning 18-track
Emergence encompasses a wide range of his
work from 1960s acoustic chamber music
to recent electroacoustic compositions.
All composed in 1967, 3 Ways of Looking
at a Square for solo piano, the two-piano
Diversions and the flute, clarinet, piano, cello
quartet Prelude to Naples lean toward angular
modernism.
Street Scene (1968) for English horn, tape,
recitation and synthesizer on the other hand
reveals Chadabe’s unexpected lyrical side –
performed by the English horn melody – the
spoken lyrics based on the tough/sensitive
Lawrence Ferlinghetti beat poem The Long
Street. This moody work deserves to be more
widely programmed.
The joyous Birdbath is a constant motoric
burble of stereo synth 16th notes counterpointed
by percussion interjections and birdsong.
This short track demonstrates the
composer’s deft command of synthesizer
technique, instrumental timbre and wit.
One World 2, an electronic dialogue
between birdsong and globally-sourced
human sounds, reflects Chadabe’s passionate
environmentalism. He even posited three
ways to sonically engage with the environment.
“We can listen to the sounds of the
world around us. We can listen through the
ears, sensibilities, and talents of sound artists,
which is more compelling and engaging. Or
we can create sound art, which leads us to
become yet more deeply and thoughtfully
engaged.” This effective work illustrates the
third path.
Andrew Timar
Victor Marquez-Barrios – The Moments
Between
Various Artists
Blue Griffin BGR651 (bluegriffin.com/
cd-catalog/p/the-moments-betweenvictor-marquezbarrios?rq=the%20moments%20betw)
! I like a disc that
neither clamours for
your attention nor
sends you out of the
room seeking peace.
Therefore, I like
the music of Victor
Marquez-Barrios
as represented
here on The Moments Between, although I
exclude, for private reasons, the opening and
title track for soprano and bass clarinets. I
have grown allergic to the sound of my own
instrument, even while I recognize the two
performers, Jesse Krebs and Xin Gao, are just
fine. Once past my own pain, I truly enjoy
the diverse chamber works of the collection.
The titles date from 2000 through 2022, so
all fairly recent. Marquez-Barrios has a great
understanding of a range of instruments, and
demonstrates his own prowess on guitar on
Introspección, a duet with cello, here played
with poise and aplomb by Yolena Orea.
Other instruments, all played so well, but
too many to note every name: flugelhorn,
trombone, vibes, saxophone, string quartet
and English horn, played by Elaine Aubuchon
who gets special mention because she’s
darned good and I especially liked Waltz for
Kyle (2022).
It would be fair to classify the composer
as neo-Romantic if such designations still
have meaning. Post-modernism allows artists
to simply do what comes, I think, and only
when they seem driven by an agenda beyond
expressing their own ideas and voice and
calling do I close up my ears and move on.
The last cut on the disc, The Visitor (2022),
is a collaborative work, Rafael Vera sharing
writing credits. Perhaps that explains why
it is the most overtly “contemporary” or
exploratory (or, depending on your taste, the
most difficult).
Max Christie
JAZZ AND IMPROVISED
Second Wind
John Lee; Peter Washington; Kenny
Washington
Cellar Music CMF121823 (johnleejazz.
bandcamp.com/track/second-wind)
! Second Wind is
West Coast multiinstrumentalist
John Lee’s sophomore
album as a
leader, providing
a formidable,
swinging continuation
of his development
as a musician. I had the pleasure of
reviewing Lee’s debut album The Artist in
2022, and Second Wind offers a departure
from this while staying true to its stylistic
aesthetic.
Lee is adept at several instruments and his
choice to play piano on this recording is an
ambitious and intimate one. The piano work
on Second Wind does not come across like “a
bassist playing the piano,” in the same way
that Lee’s bass playing on The Artist doesn’t
sound like “a drummer playing the bass.”
The only way Lee can be accused of “multiinstrumental
privilege” might be the knack
it gives him for finding the best personnel to
surround himself with. In this case, it’s stalwart
American rhythm section Peter and
Kenny Washington.
The bassist and drummer share a last name
but are unrelated biologically. I make the
“biological” distinction because their musical
relationship spans decades, and Lee notes that
he has been enamoured with their work since
he was a teen. This lineage may just be why
the trio functions so well as a unit, sounding
like they’ve played together far more than just
one day in a Vancouver studio.
If you are looking for dense harmonies or
quirky mixed-meter originals, Second Wind
may not be your first choice, but the music is
far from sounding stuffy or dated. Lee holds
true to the jazz tradition, while bringing a
fresh energy to it no matter what instrument
he’s playing.
Sam Dickinson
Tribute to the Groove
Brasstactics
Independent (thebrasstactics.com)
! Brasstactics
bring the heat and
punchy rhythms on
their newest release,
perfect for these
end-of-summer,
scorching days.
Known for their
complex rhythms,
soaring horn melodies and driving bass lines,
the group has been deemed “Edmonton’s
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 79

premier party brass band.” The record has
a lineup of both fiery original tunes penned
by members of the group, as well as danceworthy
covers of popular songs, such as Bad
Guy by Billie Eilish and Runaway Baby by
Bruno Mars. Of course, a great album like this
wouldn’t be possible without fantastic musicians,
something this record definitely isn’t
lacking, with renowned names like Audrey
Ochoa on trombone, Jonny McCormack on
tenor saxophone and Allison Ochoa on baritone
saxophone. If you’re into the heavy
brass-driven sound heard from the likes
of the Heavyweights Brass Band, this is an
album for you.
The energy that runs throughout each of
these tunes is captivating and puts the listener
in a good mood, no matter what kind of day
you’re having. Take the aforementioned cover
of Bad Guy for example: featuring a continuously
raunchy bass melody and dynamic
rhythm section, overlayed by flighty trumpet
and trombone lines, the listener is immediately
drawn along on a fun, lively musical
ride. Their own compositions don’t fall
short either; Dutch Angles sets the tone for
an album of perfect, feel-good music with
its groovy saxophone melodies and neverending,
hypnotizing beats.
Kati Kiilaspea
The Sixth Dimension
Doug Wilde
Independent (dougwilde.com/new.html)
! Opening
ourselves to
the previously
unexplored is often
what we need to
reset and take on a
refreshed perspective
on life. Doug
Wilde’s newest
album allows us to accomplish just that,
exploring unique tonal systems that are
new to listeners’ ears and open up doorways
to understand music in different ways
than we have previously. Coming from the
renowned contemporary music supergroup
Manteca, Wilde is no stranger to introducing
listeners to deeper meanings hidden within
music and alternative melodies and rhythms.
Featuring famed names like Paul Novotny
on bass, Colleen Allen on saxophones and
bass clarinet and James Ervin on horns, this
is an album that will take you on an exciting
musical trip through unexplored territory.
This recording could be interpreted as
both an outward exploration of new sonic
worlds and an introspective journey during
which the listener can venture as far as
they feel comfortable. Hexachords are the
basis for the music – simply put, six-note
scales as opposed to the typical seven. Each
tune uses a different hexachord and the
result is truly refreshing and captivating:
there’s a certain mysticism and sense of the
“unknown” within each piece that keeps the
listener on their toes. It’s fascinating how this
record manages to sound both familiar and
unfamiliar at the same time, and the combination
and interplay of those two aspects
reflected within these melodies is what makes
this a fantastic addition to any music lover’s
collection.
Kati Kiilaspea
It’s Time
Paul Tobey
Jazzmentl Records (paultobey.com/
product/its-time-by-paul-tobey-cd)
! Paul Tobey’s
grand (piano pun)
return to recorded
music is a focused,
light and deeply
enjoyable affair
that sees him interpret
the classics –
both ubiquitous and
personal – while conveying a love for improvising
through every key stroke. Heavy on the
ballads and equally chock-full of charm, the
tracklist delivers hit after hit, while allowing
Tobey immense expressive terrain to roam.
With a selective yet emotive left hand and
dazzlingly nimble right, each solo sounds
like a seasoned mixologist meticulously
curating their favorite flavours, with impeccable
grace. Each actual jazz head is played
with a grounding precision and faithfulness
to the original melody, with each subsequent
repeated chorus feeling like a response to the
last, as the tunes gradually begin to soar and
become something completely new.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
soothed my tabby cat to sleep with how wistfully
and sensitively Tobey plays its intro,
and then my cat awoke again at some point
during the masterfully subtle transition into a
buoyant double-time swing feel. Tobey’s own
composition Caminar – The Walking Song
feels almost like a sentimental centrepiece
for the album, with each transition between
sections marked by a space, coming across as
reflective and a means of bringing the listener
into the recording room, reminding us that
all this beautiful sound is coming from one
mouthpiece. In stretching time, condensing
time and manipulating time, It’s Time
embodies its title.
Yoshi Maclear Wall
Flip Side
Lina Allemano’s Ohrenschmaus
Lumo Records LM 2024-16 (linaallemano.
bandcamp.com/album/flip-side)
! Forget other
recordings of wholly
improvised music
– not that this is
better than Arve
Henriksen, Nate
Wooley and the rest
– it’s merely that
such comparisons are redundant. When the
musicians of Lina Allemano’s Ohrenschmaus
begin to improvise, you get the wondrous
impression that they seemingly don’t believe
the first bar of a work ought to herald its
beginning, nor do they believe that works
on this recording, Flip Side, need end with a
rousing conclusion.
The result is a meta-work that creates
myriad associations, resonances and new
perspectives, not just between the lines and
spaces of each work but also within the whole
cycle of songs from Sidetrack (the recording’s
opening salvo) to its explosive end, Sidespin.
In between this panoply of musical
gestures trumpeter Allemano, bassist Dan
Peter Sundland, drummer Michael Griener
and accordionist Andrea Parkins (who also
comes to the party with found objects and
electronics) continuously let listeners know
that they may have stepped into an ongoing
dialogue. Sidetrack is initially mouse-like,
creeping and scurrying, but subsequent
creations do more than suggest that the musicians
simply nibble at this ongoing feast.
Everyone contributes wonderfully to
the heft of the music. Allemano is particularly
engaged, drawing the other musicians
into the frenzy of the improvisations. This
is especially true of the whirligig velocity of
such pieces as Sideswipe and Stricken, from
where irruption bursts forth. Overall, this is
a muscular, exhilaratingly voiced and lucidly
inventive musical excursion.
Raul da Gama
Editor’s note: The group’s name, Ohrenschmaus,
roughly translates as “feast for
the ears.”
What It Means
Bria Skonberg
Cellar Music CM072624 (briaskonberg.
bandcamp.com/album/what-it-means)
! Back in the
second half of the
year 2000 aficionados,
jazz bandleaders
and critics
were busy extolling
the virtues of
a young musician
from Vancouver. Her name was Bria Skonberg
and she played trumpet and sang with seductive
vulnerability. Two decades later Skonberg
reminds us why so many fell in love with her
music, returning to what Hugues Panassié
rightly described as le jazz hot.
Skonberg’s 2024 installment – her eighth
album, entitled What it Means – is red-hot
indeed. As with her earlier recordings this
one too is eloquent, enterprisingly and
imaginatively programmed and reshapes
classic repertoire as she propels “hot” charts
into a whole new world of her music making.
In Skonberg’s playing, there’s the familiar
virtuosity and refinement that marked her
previous albums. She embraces the full
80 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

esources of her trumpet to recreate classics
such as Louis Armstrong’s Cornet Chop
Suey and Sidney Bechet’s Petit Fleur. Her
originals, In The House and Elbow Bump,
show a native’s grasp of the New Orleans
idiom and are a triumph of music-making.
Her eminently captivating voice adorns John
Lennon’s Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).
Skonberg is helped along the way by New
Orleans “royalty” including banjoist Don
Vappie, drummer Herlin Riley and the adorable
vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa.
Raul da Gama
Hello! How Are You?
Caity Gyorgy and her trio
Independent (caitygyorgy.com)
! With Hello! How
Are You? Caity
Gyorgy continues
on her path toward
world domination
of the vocal jazz
scene. Jokes aside,
since embarking
on her career a
few short years ago, the singer and songwriter
has released two EPs and three albums
– two of which have won JUNO awards –
and completed a Master’s degree, all before
turning 26. With her fourth album Gyorgy
not only gives us her trademark brilliant
vocals, but her songwriting just keeps getting
stronger, too. All but three of the tracks
were written by her, in the style of the Great
American Songbook, yet they sound very
fresh, as Gyorgy combines sophisticated lyrics
with interesting musicality.
The album launches with the hardswinging
title track, showcasing Gyorgy’s
scatting skills alongside her super tight trio
of Anthony D’Alessandro on piano, Thomas
Hainbuch on upright bass and Jacob Wutzke
on drums. Standout tracks for me are Just
My Luck, a slightly melancholy and totally
gorgeous piece of writing and music-making,
driven by sparse yet compelling rhythm
section work. The sharp wit of Letter From
the Office Of is a nice contrast. Being a sucker
for a heartbreaking ballad, I’ll be listening to
Familiar Face on repeat for the next while. I
also really liked the rhythmic take on Rodgers
and Hart’s It Never Entered My Mind, which
manages to make the song’s already poignant
lament even deeper.
With this accomplished album I predict
yet more accolades in Gyorgy’s future. “Hello
Grammy committee! How are you?”
Cathy Riches
Pita Parka Pt. 1: Xam Egdub
Dun-Dun Band
Ansible Editions 007 (kunudusuvuntu.
bandcamp.com/album/pita-parka-pt-ixam-egdub)
! When the music,
instrumental
credits (i.e. Craig
Dunsmuir on single
line electric guitar
and P___r P____r,
Colin Fisher on the
“Hahahacksaw” Jim
Duggan, Mike Smith
handling keyboard
transcombobulations), themes and textures
defy categorization, why bother trying to
categorize them? Pita Parka, Pt.1: Xan Egdub
is the latest from Dun-Dun Band, which is
an incredible improvised music project that
has yielded truly unique odysseys across the
sonic spectrum. As a ten-piece outfit sporting
an impressive lineup of perpetual experimenters
on their respective instruments, it
is astounding to witness the places they go
throughout this album, and perhaps even
more inspiring to experience long stretches of
restraint.
Leader Dunsmuir’s influences include
elements of minimalism and post rock, which
is manifest in the strong devotion to repetition
and atmospheric build throughout these
compositions. No.1 in particular has hypnotic
qualities to it, with the cyclical nature of its
primary sequences continuously hooking
and holding the listener in a trance, daring
their ears to become lost in minute detail
rather than any overt changes to each steadfast
rhythmic pattern. Throughout, there is
a tangible sense of interconnectedness and
deep listening between musicians, primarily
evident in magical instances where a sound or
idea crawls to the forefront, and the rest of the
ensemble immediately uplifts it on a whim.
Why bother trying to categorize all this?
Mileage may vary, but one thing is for certain:
however you try, categorizations won’t stick.
Yoshi Maclear Wall
Live in Vancouver
Ryan Oliver Quartet
(ryanoliverquartet.bandcamp.com/album/
live-in-vancouver)
! Toronto saxophonist
extraordinaire
Ryan
Oliver’s sizzling
new release takes us
on a journey back
in time to the 60s
and the world of
jazz at the time. The
record is full of Oliver’s unique and catchy
takes on classic tunes, such as John Coltrane’s
Equinox and the American traditional folk
song The Wayfaring Stranger, covered by
many famous artists such as Johnny Cash and
Burl Ives. Elevating the tunes to new heights
is a group of star-studded musicians, some of
Canada’s best: Brian Dickinson on piano, Neil
Swainson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums.
Oliver has this to say about the idea for this
record: “I wanted to showcase compositions
from the jazz lexicon associated with some of
my influences while also adding in original
music and new takes on existing repertoire.”
A notable aspect of this album is that it
is recorded live, from a two-night stint that
Oliver and company had at Frankie’s Jazz
Club in Vancouver a year ago. Live records
always have a certain magical quality to them,
the raw emotions portrayed in the songs and
the musicians’ talents, personalities and styles
of playing come to the forefront, there’s less
of a “polished” quality to the tunes. Take The
Wayfaring Stranger for example, where the
loneliness and ruggedness of the journey
through life is expressed and heard directly
through Oliver’s wailing saxophone melody.
For an immersive musical experience, check
out this album.
Kati Kiilaspea
Spirit Stronger than Blood
Frank London; The Elders
ESP Disk 5099 CD (espdisk.com)
! While much
music is a celebration
of life and
birth, a subcategory
exists dealing
with death and
dying. However, few
creations approach
eventual demise
with the same combination of remembrance
and defiance as this disc by New York trumpeter
Frank London’s quartet. Recently diagnosed
with myelofibrosis, a rare and fatal
blood cancer, London’s compositions celebrate
other artists who have died from cancer.
Aiding him are veteran improvisers, New
Yorkers drummer Newman Taylor Baker
and bassist Hilliard Greene, Toronto pianist
Marilyn Lerner, and on four of the six selections,
the trumpeter’s long-time associate
and now ordained rabbi, tenor saxophonist
Greg Wall.
Despite the topic the tracks are anything
but downers, instead they usually move with
relaxed bounces or swaying swing. They
also inhabit the juncture where freylekhs
meet funk, with the instrumental language
and rhythms often as much Latin as Ladino.
Sound tapestries include cymbal sizzles, thick
string pulses, chiming keyboard patterns
and reed bites and squeezes. As well, when
not playing in unison with Lerner or Wall,
London’s tone is much closer to Garbriel than
the graveyard. He tongues triplets, projects
half-valve and bent notes with davening
intensity and moves from meditative respiration
to guttural growls that push The Elders
into sounding like a Judaic Jazz Messengers.
A common medical-philosophical theory is
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 81

that dying is just another stage in a person’s
life, where acceptance eventually overcomes
grief. Add audacity and London’s band aptly
demonstrates those concepts on this CD.
Ken Waxman
Meandering Demons
Peter Van Huffel’s Callisto
Clean Feed CF 667 CD (cleanfeedrecords.
bandcamp.com/album/meanderingdemons)
! With tandem
harmonies comparable
to those of
the classic Gerry
Mulligan quartet,
baritone saxophonist
Peter
Van Huffel from
Kingston, ON and
Toronto trumpeter Lina Allemano do more
than put a contemporary spin on these seven
Berlin-recorded tracks. Their polyphonic
counterpoint includes spiky and smeared
timbres, fragmented and stretched by the
electronics used by Van Huffel and pianist
Antonis Anissegos, yet with the expositions
steadied by drummer Joe Hertenstein’s
concentrated rumbles.
Alongside horizontal narratives, massive
space remains for all four to personalize the
expositions with raging triplets and half-valve
growls from Allemando, bitten-off snarls,
thickened overblowing and basement slurs
from Van Huffel and just enough keyboard
clips, stops and voltage-altered textures to
overcome the expected. On Ravenous Hound
for instance a concluding lockstep horn
march is emphasized only after an impressive
display of drum patterning and key
clicks. With Interdimensional Planet Hopper
the jokey veracity of the title is established as
multidirectional tempos and pitches billow.
Electronics expand and contract motifs
created by raunchy reed vamps, strained brass
bugling, celeste-resembling tapping from
Anissegos and Hertenstein’s thickened ruffs
and ratchets until all return to earth with a
four-part unison finale.
Although throughout quartet members can
create raunchy narratives seemingly without
stopping for breath, thematic control is
always evident. While some sounds expressed
suggest the fun pinpointed in the disc’s
concluding track title – Barrel of Monkeys
– it’s clear that these musical devils can also
meander into the music of angels.
Ken Waxman
POT POURRI
Jaya
Raagaverse
Rhea Records (raagaverse.bandcamp.com/
album/jaya)
! I have the
pleasure of
reviewing two
albums from
Canada’s West
Coast this month,
and it’s always a
treat as a Torontobased
writer to
explore the musical happenings elsewhere in
the country. Jaya is an exciting debut album
from Vancouver collective Raagaverse, led
by its vocalist Shruti Ramani. Admittedly
Ramani was the member of the group I was
least familiar with prior to exploring this
recording, but her reputation precedes her in
contemporary musical circles nation-wide.
Jaya’s album design alludes to the Indian
origins of its contents, eschewing the oftendrab
layouts and artwork that enclose many
Canadian jazz discs. Rhea Records features
artists from the jazz/improvised music realm,
and while Raagaverse’s core quartet instrumentation
might be right at home performing
originals and standards, this album uniquely
evades categorization.
Pianist Noah Franche-Nolan and drummer
Nick Bracewell have recently become
common names in Vancouver’s creative
music scene, and they bring both youthful
energy and mature restraint to their playing
in Raagaverse. Jodi Proznick is a coveted
bassist locally and internationally who shines
throughout this album, notably with an
energetic solo on Parindey. Ramani’s use of
Indian syllables when improvising was of
particular interest to me, offering a unique
approach compared to wordless vocalising.
There was an “Indo-Jazz” trend some years
ago that led to interesting music at its best,
and some strange appropriation when less
successful. Raagaverse manages to enter this
domain in the most organic and exciting way
possible, while simultaneously existing in a
realm of its own divorced from labelling. If
you’re a fan of jazz, Indian music, contemporary
improvisation or all of the above, I
highly recommend Jaya. And even if you’re
not inclined in any of those directions, I
expect you’ll still find a favourite track or two.
Sam Dickinson
Kyiv Soul
Nastasia Y
Lula World Records (nastasiay.com)
! Innovative
vocalist/
keyboardist/creator
Nastasia Y has just
released a dynamic
and thoughtprovoking
recording
which has been
informed by her
remarkable journey… growing up in Kyiv
while being surrounded by her late activist
father’s folk songs, to eventually joining the
global indie jazz coterie of Toronto’s explosive
world music/independent music scene.
Nastasia’s potent material is really a fusion
of folk songs, or as Nastasia says “Ukrainian
Blues,” with a liberal dash of jazz and funk.
On this unique project, she has assembled
a gifted complement, while celebrating the
proud legacy of resistance and Ukrainian
patriotism of her late, heroic father, Kost’
Yerofeyev. The recording also explores the
depths of Slavic ancestral magic and the
incredible fortitude and bravery of the
Ukrainian resistance, as well as the nature of
war and the nature of love.
The repertoire here has all been composed/
adapted by Nastasia, including Salgir River, a
traditional Crimean song of the nearly obliterated
Tatar people, re-imagined with ancient,
powerful and stirring vocals and face-melting
contiguous guitar/synth lines. A true standout
is Kupalo, a contemporary twist on the
mystical Ukrainian summer solstice celebration
and a fine guitar solo by KC Roberts is the
icing on the pagan cake!!
Also superb is the Carpathian ballad, Pod
Oblachkom, which dives deep into the nature
of infatuation. Nastasia’s crystalline, pitch
pure soprano inveigles the listener into the
magical, mysterious depths of passion. And
the incendiary closer, Bez Vas, is a contemporary
Ukrainian power ballad, not only
embracing President Zelenskyy’s vision, but
musically highlighting the eternal cultural
identity of Ukrainians and of their sovereign
nation.
Lestley Mitchell-Clarke
Recuerdo
Amanda Martinez
Independent (amandamartinez.ca)
! With the
release of her
fifth recording,
dynamic Latina
vocalist/composer
Amanda Martinez
has presented a
programme of
original compositions
and collaborations that is rife
with ideas, instrumental skill and deft
arrangements,all embraced by her sumptuous
82 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

vocals. Martinez has also assembled a stellar
complement here, comprised of fine musicians
and composers, including trumpeter
Alexander Brown; Osvaldo Rodriguez on
violin and piano; producer Kevin Laliberte on
guitar, keyboards, drum and bass programming;
co-producer Drew Birston on acoustic
and electric bass, ukelele, accordion and
piano and Rosendo “Chendy” Leon on drums,
percussion and back-up vocals. Additional
featured vocalists include Aviva Chernick,
Donne Roberts and guitarist Waleed
Abdulhamid.
Every track here is an inspired work of
art, but must-listens include the stunning
title song, Recuerdo (I Remember), which
was written by Martinez and Laliberte in
honour of her late father – a fearless man,
filled with optimism and a zest for life and
music. No te vayas (Don’t Go) was penned
by Martinez, Chernick and Birston and brilliantly
interweaves Hebrew and Spanish lyrics
in this sumptuous ballad about the complex
emotions of having to say the final good-bye
to our ailing, much adored fathers.
Of special beauty is Sol de ayer (Martinez/
Rosales), which features Birston on accordion
and Laliberte on luminous guitar. The moving
closer, Nostalgia, presents Martinez at her
most evocative, while the magic of Laliberte’s
guitar supports and embraces her gorgeous
vocal interpretation of this deeply emotional
exploration of love and loss.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Island Hopping
Gabriel Evan Orchestra
Independent n/a (gabrielevanorchestra.
bandcamp.com/album/island-hopping)
! This is New
York saxophonist
Gabriel Evan’s
third album and
continues his investigation
of delightfully
retro genres
from the context
of Caribbean jazz.
When I first heard Island Hopping it brought
to mind Earl Bostic, the American alto sax
player who played a combination of jazz,
swing and jump blues from the 30s to the
60s. Evan’s primary instrument is soprano
saxophone and his “orchestra” has Charlie
Halloran on trombone, Josh Dunn (guitar),
Kris Tokarski (piano) Pete Olynciw (upright
bass) and Jafet Perez (drums and percussion).
All the tunes are lively and delightful and
many date from the 30s (such as Carmencita,
a classic Lionel Belasco waltz) while two are
Evan’s originals. In the latter group, Boychick
Calypso is a playful shuffle full of sophisticated
energy and delightfully melodic solos
while Habana Hammock is gently relaxing
as its name suggests. Island Hopping’s upbeat
swing is infectious throughout and you
cannot help but smile from beginning to end.
Ted Parkinson
Cuckoo
Lemon Bucket Orkestra
(lemonbucket.com)
! There is so, so
much exciting
world music
performance energy
in Toronto-based
Lemon Bucket
Orkestra’s fourth
release. Together
for 14 years, their
ensemble playing has paid off again, as they
cleverly combine powerful Ukrainian folk
polyphony, driving Balkan rhythms, Klezmer
and such modern Western music elements
like punk to create their sound.
The 11 tracks feature LBO’s modern
arrangements of traditional folk music
and original compositions. Opening track
arrangement of Shchedryj Vechor, a traditional
Ukrainian folk song, opens with
bright singing and accented ends of phrases.
Drum crashes and horn held notes and
a short horn solo leads back to opening
repeated singing. Title track Cuckoo draws
on two Ukrainian folk songs, with whispered
speaking female vocals. Energy
galore comes from violin against background
repeated horns, background
screaming/talking, back to fully orchestrated
sung melody. Unexpected clapping to
repeated horn solo and quieter vocal quasi
screaming. Big crash ending with screaming
backdrop. Two tracks – original Mik Mik and
traditional Ukrainian Da Ishly Divky – showcase
special “feature” Macedonian master
trumpeter/arranger Nizo Alimov from
Kočani Orkestar. Petrunino combines traditional
Bulgarian folk and Irish jigs and it
is astounding how well these two culture’s
music combines. Fun violin combines Irish,
a bit of jazz, Bulgarian folk for a completely
new musical genre.
Lemon Bucket Orkestra is pushing the
boundaries of traditional world folk music
to great success, giving it a new sonic future
while still respecting the original song. From
intense, loud sounds to groundbreaking genre
arrangements to free sections, it is party time!
Tiina Kiik
Lullabies After Storms and Floods
Parade
Elastic Recordings ER013 (paradetoronto.
bandcamp.com)
! Their press
release states
that Parade “is an
experimental poprock
trio based
out of Toronto,
Ontario featuring
Stefan Hegerat
(drums, compositions),
Chris Pruden (synthesizers) and Laura
Swankey (vocals, electronics)” who draw on
“their diverse backgrounds in jazz, classical
and electronic music” to combine “improvisation
and composition to create unique
and immersive sonic landscapes.” Their
latest album Lullabies After Storms and
Floods demonstrates an eclectic and exciting
mix of slightly dissonant melodies, electronic
sounds which invade and regress, sweeps
of drums and precise but almost emotionless
vocals.
The Bridge begins quietly with a soft
vocal (”What moved her to cross the
bridge that night….”) and builds into a
more epic rock piece with some swirling
drums, before returning to the opening
mood. The Basin begins with a “marimba”
repeating a minimalist pattern for over two
minutes before it abruptly shifts to a standard
rock beat with Swankey singing “In
the basin, where tender thoughts coalesce…
trapped in stillness, my heart is on ice…”. The
vocals are eventually replaced by the recurring
minimalist rhythm but with different
instrumentation. Other pieces contain jazz
influenced sections (the opening to Frozen
Portrait deliciously evokes a late-night jazz
singer and the piano work is subtle and
warm). The mixture of vocals (with vibratoless
and slightly dissonant melodies) and
changing moods and genres, make Parade
an intriguing and fascinating band and this
album succeeds in producing many “immersive
sonic landscapes.”
Ted Parkinson
Towards the Light
Les Arrivants
Independent (lesarrivants.com)
! This is the
second release
from acclaimed
Montreal-based
instrumental
ensemble Les
Arrivants. Musicians
Amichai Ben Shalev
(bandoneon),
Abdul-Wahab Kayyali (oud) and Hamin
Honari (percussion) each moved independently
to Montreal during COVID, where they
met and started making music together.
Their 2022 first release Home resounded with
their personal, resettlement and expertise of
styles like tangos, classical Arabic music, traditional
Persian rhythms, contemporary and
improvised music. Here their development
artistically expands in inspirational sounds.
Each musician is also a composer, arranger
and improvisor. Phoenix Landing is Les
Arrivants’ “short but sweet” conversational
improvisation featuring bandoneon swells/
lines, oud runs and drum rhythms. The title
track is a group improvisation with guest
Didem Basar (ganoun) that has touches of
atonal melodies, strums, faster lines leading
back to tonal short uplifting melodies. Each
instrumentalist is equally memorable.
The opening track City of Ashes is
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 83

composed by Honari. A Held note begins
the piece moves to faster, rhythmic, dance
along, happy tune touching on different
styles; colourful instrumental answering back
and forth, accented chords and held note
swells illuminate the unique sound. Shalev’s
composition Bagelissimo (Miles End Tango)
has original yet traditional-based tango
bandoneon, drumming bangs keeping it
together along with guests Reza Abaee (ghaychak)
and Pierre-Alexander Maranda (double
bass). Kayyali’s Hayrah (Confusion) opens
with a sad oud melody above bandoneon
held notes/vibratos, then faster happier two
instrumental leads with emotional cymbal
splashes. Guest composer/arranger/bass clarinetist
Charles Papsoff is featured on Apatride.
Les Arrivants mesh countless stylistic
musical sounds together in perfect
performances.
Tiina Kiik
and get softer to the final closing cymbal hit.
Be prepared to be “blown away” by this
unbelievable, funny, one-of-its-kind release.
Multiple listenings increase the joy!
Tiina Kiik
Mountain Air
Harry Bartlett
(harrybartlett.bandcamp.com)
! Canadian
guitarist and
composer Harry
Bartlett grew up in
the Pacific northwest,
studied
jazz guitar at
the University
of Toronto and
currently lives in Nashville. I reviewed his
superb album Wildwood when it was released
in 2023. Streaming and digital releases
have become commonplace so releasing an
“album” no longer means the standard 30
to 40 minutes of music. This increased flexibility
allowed Bartlett to spend an afternoon
in Toronto playing and recording the contemplative
and exquisite Mountain Air with
Aline Homzy (violin) and Andrew Downing
(upright bass). All three pieces are original
compositions and are presented with a delicacy
combining classical, string band and
jazz elements. Trail Song has elegant solos
from all three players and the music is both
percussive, up-tempo and expressive. A
Sun Beneath the Clouds is slower and more
sombre, and Eagle River seems to be the
most folk influenced of the three. Mountain
Air works well as an EP-length contained
suite; Bartlett’s compositions exquisitely
Air Cake and other summery occupations
Catherine Cary
Orchard of Pomegranates (catharinecary.
bandcamp.com/album/air-cake-and-othersummery-occupations)
! France-based
American Catherine
Cary has had many
careers including
economist, visual
artist, story writer,
improviser and
performer. During
COVID she would
phone her nephew and improvise quirky children’s
stories. Orchard producer Ayelet Rose
Gottlieb suggested adding music to them.
Here Cary energetically tells/improvises/
sings nine of her children’s stories for all ages
about three young children – Leila, Grecian
and Manu – on an adventurous French beach
summer vacation. Playful, spontaneous, tight,
free improvised music by Montrealers Eric
Lewis (cornet, bass clarinet, percussion) and
Eyvin Bamford (drums, percussion) complement
the stories.
Daisy Day opens with drums, then
matching percussive rhythms to energetic
speaking from loud to almost whisper.
Loud speedy cornet during the going home
segment softens to high note at home
ending. Lazy Day is their tired day after
collecting daisies. Cornet held note and
intervals interspersed with more dynamic
spoken words build to closing softer “you
are just quiet” with distant drum roll
ending. Climbing the Rhune features rock
drumming and rhythmic spoken words,
with a few almost sung, about the three
going out for walk to incredibly tired back
home hilarious loud boom crash ending.
Contemplative Air Cake has wind sounds,
pitched clarinet and drums backdrop to “I
want to make cake but there is nothing in the
house, nobody went shopping. It is all air.”
High pitched atonal sounds and drums build
Something in the Air
Multiple discs of creative music can be
boxed up but not boxed in
KEN WAXMAN
Although multiple-disc box sets are usually used as best-of retrospectives, another reason
for collating numerous discs is when the artists involved decide that certain
performances are so exceptional that they can’t be limited to a single or double disc. So
it is with these live sets which involve respectively an American sax quartet; a collaboration
between a Norwegian-American saxophone-drum duo with Japanese musicians; and a series
of sets by a Swedish-French-British quartet.
The third band is دم [ahmed], whose five-CD set Giant Beauty
(Fönstret 9-13 fonstret.edition-festival.com) is dedicated to the
quartet’s interpretations of music composed by bassist/oud player
Ahmed Abdul-Malik (1927-1993). Best-known for his work with
Thelonious Monk, as leader he released a series of LPs between 1958
and 1962 that affected a fusion of jazz, African and Arabic music:
World Music before it had a name. Experienced creative musicians,
Swedish bassist Joel Grip, French drummer Antonin Gerbal and
alto saxophonist Seymour Wright and pianist Pat Thomas from the
UK improvise on five Abdul-Malik compositions recorded during
a five-night gig in a Stockholm arts space. Although each player is
also expert in hushed, lower-case improv, their collective aggressive side is upfront. Every
tune times in at approximately 45 minutes (about nine times its original length). That means
the quartet members have enough space to weave variations on and create an individual and
contemporary feel to tunes that show their age with titles like african bossa nova. Take tracks
like el harris (anxious) or oud blues for example. With bedrock bass thumps and string buzzes
plus responsive drum shuffles on the first, Wright’s stretched split tones and jagged vibrations
at a variety of tempos and pitches are sutured closely to Thomas’ prestissimo key clipping
that becomes more intense as pressure builds from the tandem exposition. Although the saxophonist’s
squalling, mewling and yelping extrusions and the pianist’s player-piano-like speedy
patterns and key stabbing evolve with seemingly unstoppable dynamism, interludes of paced
swing alternate with returns to the initial theme. A walking bass line signals a modulation to
andante tempo, and following some faux-exotic reed honks wraps up the piece with bowed
string stops and singular piano pumps.
84 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

alance the guitar, violin and bass and
all three players contribute their subtle
performances. I’m happy Bartlett did not
wait to release Mountain Air as part of a
larger project.
Ted Parkinson
Chasing the Sun
Colin James
Stony Plain SPCD1499 (stonyplainrecords.
com/colinjames)
! This is exciting
music by renowned
Canadian blues
singer, songwriter
and guitarist Colin
James in this, his
21st release. Many
famous guests also
perform and compose here with James in
seven blues/rock originals and four covers.
Opening Protection grabs one’s attention
as James (electric guitar, vocals)
Colin Linden (electric guitar), Darryl
Jones (bass) and Charlie Drayton (drums)
perform energetic grooves, and James is
joined by legendary singer/songwriter
Lucinda Williams who co-wrote the tune.
A contrasting quieter vocal verse leads to a
loud chorus with backup singers Ann and
Regina McCreary, instrumentals, guitar
solos and James’ wailing vocals to upbeat
ending. Instrumental Devilment, composed
by Linden and Paul Reddick, starts with
repeated descending guitar lines and drums.
An elaborate harmonica solo by guest Charlie
Musselwhite follows and gradually becomes
syncopated bluesy swing and morphing into
classic closing bass line and final drum crash.
In My Own Dream by Paul Butterfield is
a trio with James and Linden on guitars and
Janice Powers on keyboards. This song has
slower close ensemble playing with James
singing, guitar flourishes and reflective
feel. Closing track Open Your Mind by
James and Tom Wilson is a group performance
with James’ clear vocals and words,
interest boosting Drayton drums, straightforward
James and Linden guitars and Jones
bass instrumentals, and McCreary backup
vocals. Colourful performance to gradual
decrescendo softer ending and fade to James’
closing words.
James’ amazing musicianship keeps developing
new blues sounds and Chasing the Sun
is fun, energetic blues-to-rock music.
Tiina Kiik
More animated ferment is expressed on oud blues. With emphasis
on the second rather than the first word of the title, Wright’s honks
and snorts relate more to Midwestern R&B than Middle eastern Raqs
sharqi, while Thomas’ pressurized runs and Grip’s upfront string stops
suggest rent-party boogie-woogies not the sounds of a Persian barbat.
Gerbal’s drum backbeat paces Wright’s screaming altissimo runs as
the tempo increases, reaching a crescendo at the halfway point as reed
doits and honks attach themselves to the pressurized dynamics
Thomas extracts from all parts of the piano. Although freewheeling
Dixieland-style breaks are heard, off-centre slides and flattement from
Wright plus subtle keyboard asides confirm the tune’s modernity the
same way as concentrated piano, bass and drum pacing maintains the
performance’s forward motion. The final minutes are both speculative
and swinging as reed tongue slaps and piano key smashes share space
with arco string slices and drum rattles. If there’s such a thing as
accessible avant-garde then دم [ahmed] has created it and it’s available
here.
Another aggregation that established a
similar part experimental, part expected
program, wrapped up in linear form is the
duo of Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-
Love and American tenor saxophonist/clarinetist
Ken Vandermark. The seven CDs on
Japan 2019 (PNL Records PNL 059
Audiographic AG-022 audiographicrecords.
com/album/japan-2019) preserve sounds
from a unique tour where the long-time associates not only played as
a duo, but organized trios and quartets alongside similarly creative
Japanese improvisers. Two discs capture the creative partnership both
have built up playing together over two decades. The saxophonist’s
snarls, honks and sudden turns to more melodic flutters from all parts
of his horns are met by the drummer’s steady beats where paradiddles
and pops share space with thick ruffs to enhance the improvisations.
But the most telling tracks here are those where the visitors interact
with three veteran Japanese improvisers. Instructively note how
Vandermark and Nilssen-Love react to the different piano styles of
Masahiko Satoh and Yuji Takahashi. On disc two, Takahashi. who
specializes in playing New Music and oddly enough Bach, gradually
boosts his output from plinks and cross pulsing to unleashed intensity
that meets Vandermark’s corkscrew reed variations and Nilssen-
Love’s metal rim clanking and bass drum emphasis. As clarinet runs
surge to atonal squeaks and powerful drum smacks turn woodier, the
pianist slithers between shaded keyboard passages and a climax of
single note comping. Takahashi’s midpoint switch to adagio
key-dusting brings out warmer peeps from the clarinet plus responsive
percussion pitter patter. With all three in sync the languid finale
unites low-pitch rumbles from Nilssen-Love, squeaks from
Vandermark and Takahashi’s measured keyboard pumps. Contrast
that with the aggressive comping of Masahiko Satoh on disc five,
whose free-jazz piano invention has faced the likes of Roger Turner
and Joëlle Léandre. As his playing turns to thickened chording and
soundboard vibrations, ascending tones from Vandermark’s saxophone
turn to altissimo squeaks and superfast slurs as Nilssen-Love’s
regularized drum smacks create a buffer zone between multiphonic
reed shrieks and Satoh’s methodological exploration of crunching
glissandi and darting keyboard stabs. After the pianist’s sophisticated
feints are accompanied by a weighty obbligato from the saxophonist,
the drummer’s smacks and cymbal chiming move the improvisation
into a stop-time sequence that, driven by elevated keyboard tickles,
concludes the piece with juddering sighs and pops from the other two.
The situation is different when the drummer and saxophonist work
with alto saxophonist/clarinetist Akira Sakata, a Japanese free jazz
pioneer who has recorded with Peter Brötzmann among many others.
Disc six isn’t an expected blow-fest, but an instance of how two reed
players with simpatico ideas can logically build up improvisations to
realized climaxes. Starting with intertwined, almost gentle respiration
from both saxophonists, the drummer’s pounding tom toms prod
basement lows and altissimo screams to move upfront. Vandermark’s
spetrofluctuation and prestissimo tonguing and Sakata’s sandpaper
rough growls climax with aviary gargles and dog whistle equivalents
from both. Switching to clarinets Vandermark’s clarion tones meet
Sakata’s snuffles until the reed duo double teams the drummer’s
dissected but responsive ruffs, leading to a metal and Mylar solo from
Nilssen-Love. Back on saxophones, Vandermark forces balanced air
through his bell to scoop out foghorn-like blasts while Sakata squeaks
split tones up the scale. As the drummer’s bellicose press rolls fade,
mid-range clarinet tones from Sakata and Vandermark recall the
introduction’s gentleness, creating a high-pitched near-lullaby climax.
The most telling of these configurations occurs on disc four however
as the visitors improvise alongside both pianists. As one keyboardist
hunts and pecks and the other creates regularized passages, they’re
challenged by Vandermark’s excitable flattement and scooped tongue
stops. The thematic exposition is defined by the dual pianos clipping
and chiming reverberations as reed whistles and peeps and tough
drum smacks add gravitas so that the narrative become more than
decorative. At the same time as they circle each other’s clanks and
frails with nuanced textures, Satoh and Takahashi display their
exploratory bona fides by filling the spaces between the 176 keys with
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 85

comments on each other’s playing. Drum battering becomes more
responsive and split tones more linear as all sounds dissolve into stasis.
One and sometimes two saxophones
are featured on the CD sets above. But
composer/saxophonist Anthony Braxton
organized the four-CD set, SAX QT
(LORRAINE) 2022 (Angelica IDA 056
dischidiangelica.bandcamp.com/album/
sax-qt-lorraine-2022), to preserve his saxophone
quartet’s triumphant 2022 European
tour interpretating four of his newest
compositions for that configuration. Besides
Braxton, who plays alto, soprano, sopranino and electronics, the
others are James Fei on sopranino and alto, Chris Jonas playing alto
and tenor and Ingrid Laubrock on soprano and tenor; plus baritone,
tenor and soprano saxophonist André Vida, who filled in for Laubrock
in the first Vilnius-recorded disc. One key to Braxton’s numerically
titled compositions is how architecturally designed they are.
With each multi-sectional performance timed at a little less or more
than 48 minutes, connecting planes are designed so that they intersect
in ways that are both layered and balanced. Construction details
create foundation harmonies as the four reeds intermingle for expressive
harmonies. But space is also available for terse or slightly longer
interludes or interjections. Whether involving tongue slaps, altissimo
trills, brief shrieks, corkscrew surges or basement-level undulations,
these sonic edifices’ decorations aren’t extraneous ornamentation, but
crucial parts of the compositions’ strategy. Added to the reed parts,
which at points resonate like the pressurized pitches of a pipe organ,
are the programmed or synthesized electronic oscillations. Serving as
contrasting warbling wave forms or bubbling oscillations the voltage
contrasts or displays the polyphonic timbres which characterize
the rest of the structure. Less academic than they seem with these
descriptions, among the performances of Compositions 436, 437, 438
and 439 are interludes of emotion and elation. But considering the
doubling and tripling of saxes used by the players no soloist can be
singled out. The achievement of these musical structures engineered
by Braxton is that they exist as solid instances of his evolving, yet
profoundly individualistic, realized work.
Their value as documents and fine musical works is also why each
of these boxed sets have been created.
64 Symphonie Gaspésienne
Orchestre Symphonique de Laval
65 August Light
Richard Carr
65 SYNTHESIS:The String Quartet
Sessions
Ryan Truesdell
66 Rue Paradis: Chamber Works
by Patrick Stoyanovich
Sophia Stoyanovich, Aaron Wolff,
Derek Wang, Patrick Stoyanovich
67 Manifesto on Love
Barbican Quartet
69 Art Choral, vol.1 : Renaissance
Ensemble ArtChoral
70 Fotina Naumenko: Bespoke
Songs
Fotina Naumenko
What we're listening to this month:
71 Amadeus et l'Impératrice:
Mozart-Mongeroult
Élisabeth Pion
73 Scelsi : Intégrale des quatuors
à cordes et trio à cordes
Quatuor Molinari
75 WINGS: Chamber Music by
Rami Levin
Alisa Jordheim, Anthony Devroye,
Kuang-Hao Huang, Denix
Azabagić, Barbara Dropcho,
Mathias Tacke, Quintet Attacca,
Eugenia Moliner, Lillian Lau
76 Cello Unlocked
Bryan Hayslett
81 Lullabies After Storms and
Floods
Parade
81 Towards the Light
Les Arrivants
FROM UP HERE
TOURING TO
SEE “A TOUR”?
SOPHIA PERLMAN
Sault Ste.
Marie
There has been much conversation around here about the skyrocketing
prices of accommodation anywhere in the vicinity of the
Scotiabank Arena in Toronto towards the middle of November.
At time of writing a couch in a shared one-bedroom apartment was
still available for $77 on November 15. A few private rooms in people’s
homes were going for under $120 – but most listings already ranged
from $400–$1200 a night, with more than six weeks to go before
Taylor Swift hits town for a five-concert visit spanning two weekends.
As I sit planning a trip down to see a (different) show in the week
between those two weekends, all I can say is I am grateful that I have
friends and family in the city who have offered a place to stay. Even trying
to plan to avoid surge-pricing peaks for events like film festivals or Swift,
the rising cost of accommodation in cities like Toronto is increasingly
a barrier for touring artists and for urban-based presenters and organizations
looking to engage with artists from outside the region.
It’s also a huge barrier for music lovers and audiences who live
further away from large artistic centres and have to go to greater
lengths (geographically, logistically and financially) to access live
music. I took an informal poll among some of the music lovers I have
met in my own Northern, remote community – people who I know
travel, sometimes great distances, to hear live music.
Christina Kelly, who I first met in her capacity as senior elementary
teacher at the local public school, points out that I was with her for
her most recent concert – when we found ourselves on the same VIA
train home, and listened to Orit Shimoni together in the dome car.
She’s seen countless concerts in more stationary venues since moving
to Hornepayne almost three decades ago – almost always in Toronto. “I
stay with friends and the VIA schedule is perfect as I would only take
off the Friday,” she says.
Missing more than a day of work is not an option for many working
people up here. David Jaremy who retired as school principal a
couple of years ago points out the train schedule isn’t the only barrier
to consider when you and your partner have demanding careers.
“My favourite artists do not always play on a Saturday,” he observes,
noting that when they have found the chances to travel to concerts
“in the GTA/Ottawa/Winnipeg/Minneapolis area, it is a three day trip
minimum, usually four.”
Having family in Southern Ontario has simplified the choice for them:
“If it is GTA/Ottawa, we can stay somewhere for free. If not, the costs
become astronomical.” And now that he and his wife have both retired,
there is a hope that a more flexible schedule will mean opportunities to
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86 | October & November 2024 thewholenote.com

see “concerts mid-week, or mid-winter”, although, he notes that “all our
favourite artists are all also near retirement.”
For younger people, and particularly those raising families, the challenges
are equally if not more real. Katherine Lewis, a musician and
artist with a full time job and three children notes that while she and
her partner both get some vacation time, those days are often eaten up
with travel for medical appointments or kids’ recreation (which also
often involve leaving town). “Sometimes it isn’t even the money, it’s the
time,” she says. The last time she travelled to Toronto for a concert was
to see Roger Waters. “I definitely wasn’t missing
seeing it. My favourite of all time.” That was
twelve years ago. Her children and partner all
love music, but she notes that even with concerts
in venues that welcome children, the cost would
be prohibitive for many people.
“A trip down south with a family of five could
easily cost two vacation days because you would
need to take Friday off for travelling to a Saturday
night show.” She values the lost income at $600.
“Hotel room for two nights in Toronto $1000.
$600-700 if you stay in Barrie” And then there’s
the gas bill for travel which she estimates at $250
if they are staying downtown, and $300 if they
are driving back and forth to Barrie.
Add to that the cost of food (especially in a hotel
room with no kitchen) for two adults, two children
and a rapidly growing teenager – around
$500 if you’re being conservative. And she points
out that mementos and souvenirs could easily
run you $200 if you indulge for the kids. “Which
you likely would because it is a big deal to go to a
concert. The trip would be at $2000-2500 before
you even buy tickets. And”, she adds, “ that’s if
you went down south and only stayed two nights
and only went to the concert. Good luck entertaining
your kids Saturday afternoon without
spending money.”
Charlene Atherton, who works as a RPN at
the community hospital and long term care lists
her last two “big” concerts as being in Sault
Ste Marie: in 2021 and before that in 2019 –
and the one before that being some time prior
to 2014 in Sault, Michigan – which is significantly
closer than Toronto. She’s heading south
to see a concert in London, Ontario in two
weeks time, she says, and she and her husband
are travelling through the States to get there
– which is actually faster. “We don’t get to go
to many shows ’cause of the travel, it’s difficult
getting time off enough to go
to shows.” She notes that while it’s
mostly time and travel that are the
barrier to hearing concerts more
often, the length of time between
shows gives them time to save.
(They’ve budgeted four days to safely
make their next trip.)
Two-Way-Highway
In truth, most of the concerts
that people from here talked about
“making the trip” for were the kinds
of shows that happen in stadiums, by
artists that don’t generally appear in
the pages of this magazine. If two or
more acts are playing the same bill,
even better for someone who may only
have the chance once a year at most.
Yes, there are symphony orchestras
in Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder
A page from the Kapuskasing Music Festival program:
Hornepayne’s Anne-Marie McHale, and the Bryan
sisters – Ruth and Anne – with scores in the 80’s!
Bay – all towns that people here routinely have to travel to. But they
didn’t make the list with the people I talked to – even the ones who
appreciate the music in question. So I conducted a second informal
poll – this time to a Facebook group of a multigenerational bunch
of current and past community members, asking if anyone had any
recollections of classical music in Hornepayne. My post got a flurry of
responses. But at no point did anyone mention going to hear any of
the Northern Symphony Orchestras. Mind you, they didn’t mention
any of the orchestras coming to town either, so I’m not sure it’s fair to
judge people in small communities for not making the effort,
if the orchestras, and musicians in general aren’t willing to
recognize that the highway goes both ways.
Instead, I realized there is a different kind of love for classical
music in this community – revolving around people
within the community who made music, shared that knowledge
and empowered other people to do the same, or at
least to listen differently.
A lot of people remember Dr. Skinner and Dr. Prymak
who, at different times, practised medicine out of our local
hospital and practised (and performed) chamber music
with community members – Kenneth Paul recalled his
grandfather Charles playing violin in one of those ensembles,
which consisted of clarinet, violin and two pianists.
Several people chimed in to name Mrs. Laming, who
taught piano and prepared local students for conservatory
exams which at the time required a trip to Toronto to
complete. A newspaper clipping credits her with encouraging
a young accordionist, Reijo Suvanto, who picked up
the instrument on his own, and would travel to Timmins
in the summer for lessons.
Anne-Marie McHale remembers singing taking her
on an adventure a bit closer to home: “The Bryan girls
and I used to enter in the classical music festival in Kap,
(Kapuskasing). Mrs. Bryan taught us the songs, Mrs.
Rienhart played the piano, we had one month to learn the
song.” She recalls the feeling of seeing her name on “the
big trophy,” and by all accounts the whole Hornepayne
contingent performed admirably.
There was only one recollection offered of a classical
ensemble from away coming to town: Long-serving township
Councillor Drago Stefanic recalls collaborating in
the early 1980s with Dan Douglas (the music teacher
at the time). With the support of the town’s Recreation
Department, they were able to bring symphonic musicians
in to play a concert at the old school. Laureen Stefanic
(the wonderful brains and boundless energy at our local
EarlyOn Child and Family Centre) still remembers that
visit: “I remember it being very interactive with the audience”
she says. “Definitely a wonderful cultural experience.”
The concert was so well attended that
they were able to bring them back for a repeat
performance.
As for why a two-way highway is easier to
construct than a “two-way-street”, the reasons
are as many and as complex and as real in music
and art as they are in areas like health care and
food supply. It’s the two-way highway people
up here travel for their needs. But it seems like
the northbound travellers, audiences and artists
alike, are mostly just heading home.
Sophia Perlman grew up bouncing around
the jazz, opera, theatre and community arts
scene in Toronto, joined the creative exodus
to Hamilton in 2014, and is now centered
in Hornepayne, Ontario, where she eagerly
awaits the arrival of her regular WholeNote in
order to armchair travel and inform her
Internet video consumption.
thewholenote.com October & November 2024 | 87
thewholenote.com October & November 2024| 87

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