Have you ever wanted to write a masque? Have you ever wondered about the personal sacrifice that goes into creating a masque masterpiece? Do you even know what a masque is? To find out the answer to all of these questions, join Toronto Masque Theatre for their final salon of the season, and learn what really goes on behind the scenes.
Fresh from the succes of last season’s Arlecchino Allegro, which I thoroughly enjoyed, Artistic Director Nicholas Dénoument and Prima Ballerina Mina Kalishnikova, from the esteemed Gorgonetrevich Corps de Ballet National, will draw on their vast experience to create a masque right before our eyes. The whole thing from scratch: the music, the dance, the scenery, the costumes, the lighting, maybe some poetry. The whole thing. Seriously!
To lend assistance will be, the maestro, Larry Beckwith along with soprano Michele DeBoer, and lutenist, Lucas Harris. The evening will include light snacks, tea, coffee, and a cash bar.
If you’ve yet to attend of Toronto Masque‘s salons, I cannot recommend them enough. For an evening of quality music, humour, and much more, I encourage you to come out next Monday night!
So You Want to Write a Masque: Toronto Masque Theatre
Monday March 9, 2015, 7:30 pm.
21 Shaftesbury Avenue, Toronto @ Summerhill Subway.
Tickets: $20 regular / $15 for those under 30 and TMT season subscribers.
Time to look forward to Spring! This March, the TSO presents fresh new sounds and international stars as its 11th annual New Creations Festival. The Festival is one of the most successful celebration of musical creativity in Canada. Curator George Benjamin joins Festival conductor and host Peter Oundjian to present state-of-the-art repertoire.
New Creations begins on Saturday, February 28, with A Mind Of Winter, George Benjamin’s evocative setting for soprano of the poem The Snowman by Wallace Stevens; a new Violin Concerto by Vivian Fung that the TSO commissioned for Concertmaster Jonathan Crow; and a dynamic work by Japanese composer Dai Fujikura that was inspired by the celebrated music education programme, El Sistema.
The second concert is Let Me Tell You, which features the fascinating equal partnership of piano and orchestra in George Benjamin’s Duet, and Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen’s song cycle that treats the words of Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet in new ways. This concert takes place on Wednesday, March 4.
New Creations culminates on Saturday, March 7, with the Canadian première of George Benjamin’s critically acclaimed Written on Skin, starring Canadian soprano Barbara Hannigan. Superstar conductor and TSO favourite Gianandrea Noseda returns to Roy Thomson Hall to lead the Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, sharing the stage with beloved Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka.
The month of March also marks TSO débuts for Argentine cellist Sol Gabetta and Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbański, who team up in a programme featuring Dvořák’s Cello Concerto and Stravinsky’s exhilarating piece, The Rite of Spring.
Beethoven Symphony 7 March 11, 12, and 14 at 8:00pm – Masterworks Series Gianandrea Noseda, conductor Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano Casella: Italia R. Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs) Wagner: Liebestod (“Mild und leise”) from Tristan und Isolde Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 Tickets: $33 – $145
Noseda focuses his trademark intensity on Beethoven’s gloriously energizing Symphony No. 7, and Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka lends her remarkable voice to works by Wagner and R. Strauss. You’ll also enjoy an attractive rarity in Casella’s lavish rhapsody on popular Italian themes.
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring March 27 at 7:30pm – Masterworks Series March 28 at 7:30pm – Casual Concert Series Kilar: Orawa (Mar 27 only) Dvořák: Cello Concerto Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (1947) Krzysztof Urbański, conductor Sol Gabetta, cello TIickets: March 27 $33 – $145 March 28 $33 – $105
Everything about this superlative programme is grand: the emotional depth and broad outline of the all-time great cello concerto, and the earth-shaking power of Stravinsky’s stunning evocation of a prehistoric society.
Attending one of the TSO’s concerts is always a treat. For those of you under between the ages of 15 to 35, I highly recommend joining TSOUNDCHECK. This great program allows you to buy tickets to TSO concerts at just$16 per ticket. Regular ticket pricing still includes some affordable tickets, as well. For details about the New Creations Festival, please visit: NewCreationsFestival.com. For full details on the TSO’s concert calendar, ticketing and box office information, go to tso.ca.
North By NorthEast (NXNE), one of Toronto’s biggest festivals, will be taking place between June 17-21, 2015. This year’s festival will feature hip hop’s rising stars, an arsenal of the strongest female performers around, and the best breaking bands in North America.
NXNE Music has confirmed performances by “Mr. Wonderful” himself, Action Bronson; indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers; rising hip hop duo Rae Sremmurd; sun-drenched Best Coast, described by Noisey as “Californian badasses, plain and simple”; Real Estate, whose recent album Atlas landed on Stereogum’s 50 Best Albums of 2014 list; Kanye collaborator Ty Dolla $ign; Angel Olsen, who has earned comparisons to Leonard Cohen by NME and Consequence of Sound; Vince Staples, who XXL says is “beyond his years”; Glass Animals, who were recently named Band of the Year by the BBC; Blonde Redhead, after releasing their much lauded ninth album Barragán last fall; rapper Tink, crowned “a no-bullshit teenage feminist” by FADER; Deafheaven, whose music was characterized by Pitchfork as “dire black metal to triumphant post-rock “; and Baths, called the “romantic black sheep” of electronic music by Drowned in Sound.
Also announced: Pentagram, the legendary doom metal band; fierce Vancouver punk quartet White Lung; OM, who The Quietus say “know their shit”; Liturgy, following the March release of their much-anticipated album The Art of Work; Ibeyi, praised by NPR for their “sonically stunning, wildly inventive work”; as well, Betty Who, whose album Take Me When You Go was named Best Pop Album in 2014 by SPIN.
And the list is not done! Also confirmed for the NXNE Music lineup: A Place To Bury Strangers, Odonis Odonis, San Fermin, No Joy, Lower Dens, The Gories, Lydia Ainsworth, Bishop Nehru, Aidan Knight, Son Lux, Cathedrals, Heems, Coliseum, Ryley Walker, Kate Tempest, Jacco Gardner, UNiiQU3, Dilly Dally, Amen Dunes, Obliterations, K.Flay, and plenty of more to be announced.
This year, NXNE has made it easier for fans to get in to see their favourite bands. NXNE will offer festivalgoers a chance to purchase advanced tickets for select shows. Tickets for Northby Advanced shows are $20-$35, and are on sale now at nxne.com.
Also, if you are one of the ones who purchases three Northby Advanced tickets, you can upgrade to a full-festival platinum badge for an additional $60. As usual, that platinum badge will grant access (19+ and subject to capacity) to every NXNE show. Four-day ($49) and single day ($30) wristbands will also return for NXNE 2015, providing festivalgoers access to premium Clubland shows at venues including: Adelaide Hall, The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, Lee’s Palace, The Garrison, The Silver Dollar, and many more.
For additional information and to see more of the artists playing NXNE 2015, visit nxne.com. More programming announcements will be released in the coming weeks. Come back to this site or follow me via Facebook and Twitter for updates! For now, I leave you with this playlist.
The TSO Pops Series continues this week, when the Orchestra welcomes Time for Three and their eclectic mix of virtuosity, showmanship and spontaneity to Roy Thomson Hall. The series, titled From Bach to Bluegrass, runs tonight, February 17, and runs until tomorrow, February 18, for three action-packed concerts.
Time for Three (Tf3) is an ensemble made up by violinists Zachary De Pue and Nicolas Kendall, and double-bassist Ranaan Meyer. They perform classical music works from Bach to Brahms to Britten; to ingenious mash-ups of hits by pop music icons like The Beatles and Katy Perry; plus original music from their current release, Time for Three, which features guest artists such as acclaimed cellist Alisa Weilerstein, jazz giant Branford Marsalis, and ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro.
From Bach to Bluegrass will mix classical music with jazz, bluegrass, pop and folk music for a joyous, genre-busting and uniquely entertaining show. On the podium for these performances is TSO Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke whose boundless enthusiasm have made him one of North America’s sought-after collaborators.
With anticipation for this series, I was able to ask Tf3’s Zachary De Pue (Zack) a few questions prior to tonight’s opening concert. He graciously shared some thought with me.
HM: You have been friends since university and have been an ensemble for over 10 years. Over time, how do each of you contribute to the repertoire of classical and pop music that you cover?
Zack (Tf3): We have always gauged our choices by what we would love to play. All three of us have to be into something for us to be willing to perform said work. It’s a lot easier to perform when you love the work you’re playing.
HM: I understand you produced an anti-bullying video, Stronger. How did it come about & what’s been in its impact?
Zack (Tf3): We wanted to make a music video, however we wanted it to have a message. We stumbled on the bullying prevention message really, but once we were brainstorming, it was hard to think of anything else. It has really become a wonderful message of empowerment, a message to follow your dreams to young people, even if those dreams make you seem different at times in your life. As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, kids should feel empowered to follow their heart.
HM: I read you’ve been commissioning new symphony works. Has working along with orchestras been something all of you wanted to do?
Zack (Tf3): Playing with symphonies has been a staple for Tf3 from the beginning. Being able to stand in front of the incredible tradition of symphony orchestras has been a rewarding experience for us as we feel like we have been taking our audience on a new kind of journey. Not a journey to replace what the orchestra does, no no. Just an additional angle. Orchestra traditions are there for a reason, and although some things evolve, or need “updating,” nothing in this world will ever replace a great overture, a great soloist, and a kick-ass symphony written by one of the greats.
HM: Lastly, what can treats we expect at your Toronto concert with the TSO this week?
Zack (Tf3): Listen for music that will make you wanna dance, laugh, cry, smile and just simply be. My dad likes to say that when he hears Tf3 he feels like he’s having a meal that he knows isn’t exactly healthy for him, “but man does it taste good.” Mangia!!!!
On that note – no pun intended – we have much to look forward to for this concert. Tf3 and the TSO will certainly have some gret musical treats for us at this series.
From Bach to Bluegrass
Tuesday, February 17 at 8:00pm
Wednesday, February 18 at 2:00pm
Wednesday, February 18 at 8:00pm
Steven Reineke, conductor
Time For Three, string trio
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe Street
Tickets: $29 – $110
Purchase online at tso.ca, in-person, or phone 416.593.4828
The Winterfolk XIII Blues & Roots Festival brings us a stellar lineup of artists for its 13th annual edition; taking place February 13 – 15. A variety of music styles will fill five stages in various venues at Broadview and Danforth in Toronto. Venues include The Black Swan Tavern, The Globe Bistro, Dora Keogh’s and Terri O’s.
The festival launches Friday night at The Black Swan, with gritty blues performer Alfie Smith, best known for his resophonic guitar playing and brazen slide licks, followed by New Orleans jazz-style paraders The Heavyweights Brass Band. Then renowned blues-rocker Jack de Keyzer headlines the Winterfolk All-Star Blues Band with award-winning bassist Gary Kendall of Downchild, Al Lerman of Fathead, and more.
Other performances to catch at this year’s festival include:
Friday, February 13
Songs and Stories‘ host Danny Marks is joined by Tony Quarrington, Jory Nash and Ben Sures to play their tunes and spin their tales at this concert stage.
Saturday, February 14
The inaugural all-female Lilith Comes to Winterfolk presentation features Canadian songwriters Lynn Miles, Lynn Harrison, Soozi Schlanger of Swamperella, Rae Billing and Shawna Caspi.
Also on Saturday in time for Valentine’s Day, Love at Winterfolk highlights sultry singer-songwriter Laura Fernandez, hillbilly swing duo HOTCHA!, the return of the Trio of Fun (with Ken Whiteley, Wendell Ferguson, and Tony Quarrington), and closing Cajun party band Swamperella.
Speak Music Presents: Hosted by Beverly Kreller (HOTCHA!) with Howard Druckman, is a showcase emerging artists, including Isabel Fryszberg with Steve Briggs, Whoa Nellie, and more.
Sunday, February 15
Duelling Banjos: Long time feuding clans presents Frank Evans, John Millard, members from Andrew Collins Trio, and Kitgut Stringband to converge for a Bluegrass Hootenanny to settle things.
Nik Beat: A Celebration of Life: Celebrating the life and art of Poet and Musician, the late Nik Beat, join Host Michael Oesch and artists Jennifer Hosein, Nancy Bullis, Laura L’Rock, Pat Kelly, Michael Marion, Michael Marion, Pat Connors, Laura Fernandez and more.
These are but a few highlights of what Winterfolk is serving up this upcoming weekend. Last year’s festival had me forgetting all about the winter blahs with some excellent music, and new favourite artists too! For performance listings, venues, and ticket information, visit winterfolk.com.
This latest installment of In The City features music, theatre, film and visual art events taking place around T.O. this weekend and for the rest of the month.
Imaginary Friends Gabrielle De Montomollin The Red Head Gallery February 4 to 28, 2015 Reception: Saturday February 7, 2-5 pm
Falls, on the shores of Lake Muskoka and the wintery streets of Montréal, sailing the Atlantic to points further East, de Montmollin’s real-in-art imaginary friends travel the world and send home visual “wish you were here” messages.
In the depths of rural southern India, in a small school devoted to backward caste students, aspiring graduates Vijay, Anith and Mala are studying. At seventeen years old, they are the inaugural graduating class and are preparing for final exams no class of their background has ever had the opportunity to write, the Indian School Certificate high school graduation exams.
Mooredale Concerts Walter Hall, U of T Sunday, February 8, 2015 Tickets: $30, or $20 for under age 30, available online or by calling 416-922-3714 ext. 103
Mooredale Concerts brings together violinists Erika Raum and Scott St. John, violist Sharon Wei and cellist Thomas Wiebe. Three great classical works for duo and trio comprise their program – Schubert’s Trio for Strings in B flat major, D. 471; the Sonata for Two Violins in A minor by Eugène Ysaÿe; and Bach’s massive Goldberg Variations for String Trio in G major, BWV 988, arranged by Dmitry Sitkovetsky.
On the same afternoon, you can bring the kids to Music & Truffles– Classical Music for Family Enjoyment. The artists also perform a one-hour interactive version of the concert for young people age five and up, and their families. Sunday, February 8 at 1:15 p.m. at Walter Hall, iTickets, only $13, include a chocolate truffle for all.
Twisted Factory Theatre with b current Runs until February 22 Written by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman and Joseph Jomo Pierre Directed by Nigel Shawn Williams Starring: Susanna Fournier and Ngabo Nabea
Twisted is a modern-day reimagining of the Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, set in the heart of Toronto’s urban centre. In this retelling, Ollie, an orphaned black youth, and bottom girl Nancy are trying to survive the gritty streets of Toronto. Ollie has been in and out of foster homes and Nancy suffers from a loveless childhood, but they find love in each other, at least through their cell phones. Through their intimate and poetic text messages, they forge a powerful real-time connection – and plan a dangerous escape for a better life. Together.
From this list, I can tell you that I have attended previous Mooredale Concerts and have always enjoyed myself. I have also seen the documentary The Backward Class twiceat Hot Docs Documentary International Film Festival last year. It is uplifiting, moving, and definitely a crowd pleaser. For the rest, I suggest you take the time to check out either the art or theatre show. They always make for an entertaining afternoon or evening out, especially in the winter.
We, in Toronto, are a spoiled bunch in terms of the great local music scene we have. As NXNE is fully underway, I thought I’d highlight one of Toronto’s up-and-coming bands.
The Beaches is an all-girl Indie Rock band, who is getting a lot of attention these days. With catchy tunes, they take cues from Patti Smith, Elastica, The White Stripes, just to name a few.
I had the pleasure of meeting all four band members a few days ago in preparation for their NXNE gig tonight, June 14th at 10pm at The Rivoli. Band members are Jordan Miller, Kylie Miller, Eliza Enman McDaniel, Leandra Earl; all of whom are still in high-school. Makes me think, what was I doing at their age?! Pardon the background noise but take a listen to our chat and get to know more about these talented young women.
As well, the girls were able to make this short video to introduce themselves to you.
Make sure you also take a listen to their music on Soundcloud… Like them on Facebook, and follow on Twitter. Well you know where I’ll be later tonight; let’s get rockin’!!
