Blue Pages 2020

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VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert is Canada’s only company dedicated exclusively to the presentation of rare opera programming. Our performances rely on the power and beauty of the human voice, the dramatic inflexion of text and poetry accompanied by orchestra or piano.

We are having a modified season with a double bill online presentation in January 2021 - Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and Jean Cocteau’s play of the same title on which the opera was based. Featuring artists are soprano Miriam Khalil and Chilina Kennedy, with Narmina Afandiyeva as music director. Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur and Georges Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles are planned in Spring 2021 and the details to be announced at a later date.

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The namesake of the Victoria Scholars, Tomás Luis de Victoria, was an outstanding Renaissance composer whose music is renowned for its spirituality and emotional expressiveness. The Victoria Scholars bring clarity and balance of sound so characteristic of Renaissance music to all their repertoire, encompassing Medieval plainchant, works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and contemporary eras, and newly-commissioned works. Past winners of the Healey Willan Grand Prize in the CBC Radio National Competition for Amateur Choirs, the Victoria Scholars have performed with many exceptional arts organizations (including Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Kiev Chamber Choir) and vocal soloists (including Sondra Radvanovsky, Michael Schade, Russell Braun and Norine Burgess). They have toured nationally and internationally and are heard regularly on CBC Radio 2 and Classical 96.3FM.

We are pleased to offer audiences a three-concert series each year; however, due to COVID-19 and in the interests of the health and safety of both our audience and choir members, we currently do not have any concerts planned. Please visit us on our website or Facebook for updates on the remainder of the 2020/21 season should the situation change.

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Vesnivka Choir, established in 1965 by founding artistic director Halyna Kvitka Kondracki, is an award-winning women’s ensemble whose repertoire consists of Ukrainian liturgical, classical, contemporary and traditional folk music. The choir’s regular concert season comprises three major concerts, one of which is an annual Christmas concert. Vesnivka, together with its partner the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (TUMCC), are often accompanied by local professional soloists and chamber ensembles. The choir also sings Christmas and Easter Liturgies. While regular rehearsals (normally held on Mondays for TUMCC and on Tuesdays for Vesnivka) as well as performances have been put on hold as a result of the current pandemic, the choirs are occasionally meeting virtually to continue their work. New singers are welcome. We invite you to explore our website for information on the choirs and on Vesnivka's e-library of Ukrainian choral music, which offers free downloadable scores in both Ukrainian and transliterated versions. Information on ordering CD recordings is also available on the website. We look forward to resuming our full schedule and sharing live music with you as soon as it is safe to do so.

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This award-winning women’s ensemble, established by Halyna Kvitka Kondracki in 1965, has delighted audiences around the world with its rich repertoire of Ukrainian classical, sacred, contemporary and folk music.

Vesnivka begins its 54th season on October 27 with a concert featuring the music of Ukrainian composer Oleksander Koshyts. Koshyts led the National Choir of Ukraine on a concert tour in North America in the 1920s and later taught in Winnipeg. Joining Vesnivka and its partner, the Toronto Ukrainian Male Chamber Choir (TUMCC), will be St. Nicholas Choir. On January 12, Vesnivka and TUMCC present their ever-popular annual “Ukrainian Christmas” concert with guest soloists and a folk instrumental ensemble. The season wraps up on March 29 with a concert commemorating the 180th anniversary of the publication of Kobzar - a collection of poetry and prose by Ukraine’s famous literary figure Taras Shevchenko – featuring music written by Ukrainian composers inspired by his poignant words. Guest artists will include soloists from the Ukrainian Art Song Project. Vesnivka also sings Christmas and Easter Liturgies on January 7 and April 19 at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church (Toronto).