LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN!

Summer festival season starts off on the right foot.

With summer on the horizon and the regular concert year beginning to wrap up, the season of music festivals is officially on its way. From special summer music series to outdoor celebrations to partnerships with this year’s Pan Am games, there is sure to be something for everyone -- and from the look of the two major music festivals setting up for the coming weeks, this musical summer will be one to watch.

First of the festival early-birds is the RCM’s annual 21C, a major new music festival that boasts over 21 premieres across 5 days of concerts. With the Royal Conservatory on Bloor St. as home base, 21C’s May 20-24 programming this year pulls out all the stops, with an emphasis on musical collaborations. Internationally-acclaimed Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho makes an appearance as a featured composer and workshop leader, as well as Stewart Copeland of The Police, who joins forces with pianist Jon Kimura Parker for a show of new compositions and refreshing arrangements of well-known works. And of course, who could forget DJ Skratch Bastid -- featured on the cover of our May issue (!) -- who has been working with the Afiara String Quartet and a number of young composers to put a new spin on contemporary music.

Just in case you were thinking that getting tickets to Skratch Bastid and the Afiara Quartet’s show was a lost cause, the RCM has just announced that the concert is moving from Mazzoleni Hall to Koerner Hall, so new seats are sure to have opened up. In addition, The WholeNote has a number of all-access festival passes -- as well as tickets to Saariaho’s concert Light and Matter -- up for grabs for readers! For details, just take a look at our “Prizes” section below.

Following 21C is SING! the Toronto Vocal Arts Festival from May 27 to 31, which will feature all things a cappella. Based in the historic Distillery District (but with concert venues booked throughout the city over the weekend), SING! boasts a schedule jam-packed with workshops and concerts, and an impressive roster of local and international performers. Featured artists this year include award-winning a cappella groups Take 6 (USA) and Rajaton (Finland) as well as choirs and soloists from across the globe. One particularly intriguing concert to catch will be Kristin Hoff’s performance of Ana Sokolović’s intimate opera Love Songs -- those listening will be able to get a preview of Sokolović’s music before the premiere of her Canadian Opera Company commission, La Reine-garçon, which is slated for the COC’s 2019/20 season.

Concert tickets to a number of concerts hosted by the SING! Festival are available for readers of The WholeNote -- just scroll down to our “Prizes” section to apply for your chance to win.

Festival season in Toronto, it seems, will start off with a bang -- and these two are just the beginning of an entire summer of innovative musical programming in and around the city. To stay updated on festivals worth checking out near you, be sure to take a look at The WholeNote’s Green Pages summer festival and event directory, included in our June/July/August issue. 

MULTIMEDIA: MUSIC AND IMAGE

This city seems to thrive with a cross-disciplinary spirit -- and a number of upcoming concerts promise a visually unique, and musically rewarding, multimedia experience.

First up is “The Distance Between,” a show co-presented by Ensemble Polaris and Baroque Music beside the Grange. The event will feature short films by Gabriele Grotto, Liz Gibson-DeGroote, Alicia Harris, Pierre Tremblay, Gerda Cammaer and students at Ryerson University’s School of Image Arts, along with newly-composed and improvised live music by Ensemble Polaris. Each of the films, using footage shot in Iceland, New Zealand, Italy and the south of France, explore the ideas of “home” and “away”. The show is this Saturday, May 16 at 8pm, and seems well worth checking out. Details at http://ensemblepolaris.com/performances/.

Later in the month is Continuum Contemporary Music’s collaborative project with Subtle Technologies, taking place this year at the new location of The Theatre Centre on Queen St. “Collide!” is a cross-disciplinary project that will combine the efforts of Canadian composers, musicians, scientists and artists to explore scientific phenomena. The WholeNote has a pair of tickets to this show up for grabs to readers -- for contest details and more on this concert, check out our “Prizes” section below.

PRIZES, PRIZES

In this issue: Win festival passes and tickets to the RCM’s 21C Festival, tickets to Toronto’s SING! festival, tickets to Continuum Contemporary Music’s multimedia show “Collide!”, a special 4-ticket and dinner package to The Play of Daniel with the Toronto Consort, and tickets to hear Stravinsky and Poulenc’s great chorus+orchestra works in Oakville. Just click on the following links for a chance to win -- feel free to enter all of the contests!

Festival Passes and tickets to the 21C Festival: May 20-24

Tickets to the SING! Festival: May 27-31  

Tickets to Continuum’s “Collide!”: May 28

4-ticket and dinner package to The Play of Daniel: May 24

Tickets to Masterworks of Oakville Chorus and Orchestra: May 23-24

JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS

The Seven Deadly Sins by the Friends of Gravity, May 22 & 23

A new group breaking into Toronto’s musical theatre scene, The Friends of Gravity present a new production of Die Sieben Todsünden -- The Seven Deadly Sins, with music by Kurt Weill and text by Bertolt Brecht. Billed as “intimately scaled, bold and contemporary in expression”, this will be a cabaret-flavoured arrangement of the originally orchestral score, with silent film taking the place of the original production’s ballet ensemble. Looks like an intriguing start to a promising new company. Details below in our listings, or at http://thefriendsofgravity.org/.

Wednesday May 20

8:30: Zula Presents. Rempis/Johnston/Ochs Trio. Chamber-jazz trio. David Rempis; Darren Johnston; Larry Ochs. The Pearl Company, 16 Steven St.,Hamilton. 905-524-0606. $15; $12(sr/st/un(der)waged.

Friday May 22

8:00: Friends of Gravity. Seven Deadly Sins. Pocket-sized production of Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins. Scott Gabriel, conductor; Stephanie Conn (Anna I & II); Max Christie, clarinet; Branko Džinović, accordion; Joelle Morton, bass. St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church, 509 Dundas St. E. 416-700-5914. $25; $20(st). Also May 23.

9:00: Afrika Djelly. "It's All About Da Beat". Music and party in celebration of International Drum Month. Djungle Bouti Orchestra; Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison, director; and others. BlakBird Jaz, 812b Bloor St. W. $10. Doors open at 8:30.

Saturday May 23

8:00: Friends of Gravity. Seven Deadly Sins. Pocket-sized production of Kurt Weill's The Seven Deadly Sins. Scott Gabriel, conductor; Stephanie Conn (Anna I & II); Max Christie, clarinet; Branko Džinović, accordion; Joelle Morton, bass. St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church, 509 Dundas St. E. 416-700-5914. $25; $20(st). Also May 22.

Monday May 25

8:00: Small World Music. A Nepal Earthquake Relief Benefit. An evening of music to raise funds for Nepal earthquake relief. Autorickshaw; FreePlay Duo; Voices of Asia project; Dorjee Tsering; Justin Gray; and others. Small World Music Centre, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw St. 416-536-5439. $20.

Tuesday May 26

8:00: Jazz Bistro. CD Release: Aimée Butcher's "The World Is Alright". Aimée Butcher, vocalist/composer; Chris Pruden, piano; Brandon Wall, guitar; Jeff Deegan, bass; Robin Claxton, drums. 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299. $15; $10(st).

Friday May 29

7:00: National Presbyterian Museum. Farewell Concert for St. James, Thamesville. Organ pieces, soprano solos, soprano duets and hymns played in the year 1900, the year the church building was opened. Dr. Roger Bergs, organist; Karianne Pasma, soprano; Suzanne Schaafsma, soprano. St. James Presbyterian Church, 29 Ann St.,Thamesville. 519-864-1119. $20(adv); $15(adv, sr/st/underemployed); $5(adv, ages 12-18); free(under 12). At the door, tickets are an additional $5.

Saturday May 30

7:00: Dixie Presbyterian Church. Musical Duets: Classical Masterpieces for the Soul. Works by Brahms, Schubert, Saint-Saens and others. Katsiaryna Khatsko, piano; Lucia Barcari and Danielle Girard, violins; Katerina Utochkina, mezzo-soprano. Dixie Presbyterian Church, 3065 Cawthra Rd., Mississauga.905-277-1620. $10. Followed by refreshments and assorted desserts.

Saturday June 6

7:00: Scola Cantorum. Spring Concert: Choral Extravaganza. Works by Mendelssohn, Bruckner, Kodaly, Vierne, Faure and Franck. Hungarian St Elizabeth Scola Cantorum. St. Elizabeth Of Hungary Roman Catholic Church, 432 Sheppard Ave. E. 416-300-9305. $20; $10(st). Post-concert reception.

NEW ON OUR WEBSITE

Ever wanted to immediately hear exactly what our CD reviewers are talking about? The WholeNote is in the process of launching a brand-new online Listening Room, where you can take advantage of enhanced reviews with added features, including the option to listen to sample tracks from reviewed discs.

→ continue to the Listening Room

THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING

Even though the next print issue of our magazine will be the last until September, HalfTones will keep you informed throughout the summer! Here are the next issues of HalfTones coming up:

Vol 2 No 10: Wednesday, June 17

Vol 2 No 11: Tuesday July 7

Vol 2 No 12: Tuesday August 11

The special summer print issue of The WholeNote, covering June 1 to September 7, will be on the stands at the beginning of June.

Please contact halftones@thewholenote.com with any HalfTones inquiries.

AND THE WINNER IS...

Yesterday morning, Koerner Hall was host to the announcement that Philip Glass (see our February 2014 WholeNote cover story) is this year’s winner of the Glenn Gould Foundation’s prestigious Glenn Gould Prize. Publisher David Perlman, who was at the announcement, reports back.

The moment at which GGF jury chair Bob Ezrin named Philip Glass the winner of the 11th Glenn Gould Prize was, in true Glassian spirit, both a climax and an anti-climax. The buzz, around the WholeNote office anyway, had been strongly towards this year’s prize putting a dent in the growing feeling over the past few prizes, that “male, whiteish, mid-twentieth century, sort-of-American” are prerequisite characteristics for the winner. The fact that this year’s jury consisted of six women and three men contributed more than a little to the feeling that maybe this would be the year things started to tilt. Listening to Ezrin describe the individual jurors as he introduced them somewhat dispelled that feeling: all six women were “beautiful” along with their brains; and the three men apparently were not. (Don’t worry Jay Hunter Morris, we think you’re cute.)

But the announcement of Glass as laureate had a grand and comfortable feel -- not just relief at his indisputable worthiness, but also hints of excitement in terms of where “the Prize” is headed as it matures and evolves. The GGF wants the prize to be seen as an award for a lifetime of transformative creative influence in all the arts, not just music, and Glass, because of his adventures across disciplines, certainly is that -- his voice heard and felt far further even than his name is known.

Even more telling, the range of passion, intellect and creative talent in the jury assembled on the stage was something to behold. Their willingness to be there, and their evident pleasure in having taken part in the cause they had been assembled for speaks to a process with integrity. 

Stay tuned for lots of details over the coming months (where and when the award ceremony and related bunfests will be, and whom Glass has chosen for the City of Toronto Protege Prize that goes with the award). Meanwhile you can get an inkling of how various Glass is in his explorations as early as Wednesday June 10 at Massey Hall, when he appears with Ashley MacIsaac in a concert called Cape Breton Fire.  

CONCERT CONTROVERSY: LISITSA & THE TSO

Toronto’s largest musical presenter has been in the news lately after a controversial (and seemingly last-minute) move to pull piano soloist Valentina Lisitsa from her scheduled April 8/9 performances of Rachmaninov 2. TSO president Jeff Melanson’s stated reason was that Lisitsa’s Twitter activity, in regard to the political and territorial crisis in Ukraine, was “deeply offensive to some.” The decision sparked a firestorm of response, for and against.

True to our mandate of trying to list everything going on so you can make up your own mind, you will find, below, links to a sampling of the thoughtful things being said about the TSO/Lisitsa affair.

Musical Toronto

April 6: Musical Toronto’s overview of the situation right when the decision was made public:

http://www.musicaltoronto.org/2015/04/06/breaking-tso-bans-upcoming-soloist-valentina-lisitsa-over-political-views/

April 8: The Toronto Symphony CEO Jeff Melanson interviews to explain his decision-making process:

http://www.musicaltoronto.org/2015/04/08/interview-toronto-symphony-ceo-jeff-melanson-breaks-his-silence/

April 9: John Terauds weighs in on Lisitsa’s position as a public figure:

http://www.musicaltoronto.org/2015/04/09/john-terauds-valentina-lisitsa-social-media-and-the-public-etiquette-of-art/

The Globe and Mail

April 7: Robert Everett-Green’s collection of quotations from Toronto’s classical music community:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/classical-music-world-reacts-to-tso-dropping-pianist-valentina-lisitsa/article23830354/

April 8: Marcus Gee on the type of precedent the TSO may have set with this decision:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/columnists/why-the-tso-set-a-terrible-precedent-by-barring-pianist-valentina-lisitsa/article23845288/

National Post

April 13: Kelly McParland on why criticism of the TSO neglects the nature of the artist as a public figure:

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/kelly-mcparland-would-you-let-valentina-lisitsa-play-your-piano-i-wouldnt

New York Times

April 8: The story as seen from an outside perspective

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/09/world/americas/toronto-orchestra-drops-pianist-over-tweets-about-ukraine.html?_r=0

Finally, lest you think that amongst all of this compiling we don’t have an opinion of our own, our editor-in-chief, David Perlman weighs in with this: “Leaders, like firefighters, get paid big bucks to put out fires when they happen, not just to wait for them to go out of their own accord. Looks to us as though Melanson acted decisively and for that he deserves credit. Some people agree with his decision. Some disagree. That’s the nature of the beast. Where he went horribly wrong, in our opinion, is not the decision but the reasons he gave for the decision. ‘Deeply offensive to some’?! What a terrifyingly unsustainable, deeply disturbing precedent to have on the books.”

PRIZES, PRIZES

In this issue: Win tickets to the Canadian Opera Company’s upcoming productions of The Barber of Seville and a Schoenberg/Bartok double-bill, as well as the chance to hear renowned Italian pianist Romeo Scaccia at the Glenn Gould Studio. Just click on the following links for a chance to win -- feel free to enter both contests!

The Barber of Seville at the COC: April 29

Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung double-bill at the COC: May 6

Romeo Scaccia at the Glenn Gould Studio: April 25

JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS

G27 OPEN REHEARSAL AT CSI ANNEX

This Thursday, Torontonians have the chance to get a taste of how a professional music group runs its rehearsals -- and also of what’s coming up in the near musical future. group of 27, billed as “Toronto’s All-Star Classical Band,” is hosting an open rehearsal this Thursday April 16 at the Annex location of the Centre for Social Innovation, in advance of their April 17 concert “Disquiet.” The group is a powerhouse chamber orchestra with musicians culled from such ensembles as the Toronto Symphony, and the upcoming programme includes the TSO’s Sarah Jeffrey performing Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, as well as works by CPE Bach, Haydn and Jocelyn Morlock. Friday’s concert is PWYC; Thursday’s open rehearsal is free. For more details on Thursday’s event, check out our listings update below or visit http://groupof27.com/open-rehearsal-at-the-social-innovation-centre/. 

Wednesday April 15

7:30: Plumbing Factory Brass Band. Tsar Trek II - The Sequel. Exploring the best-loved compositions of seven giants of Russian music. Kabalevksy: Comedian's Galop; Shostakovich: Festive Overture; Rimsky-Korsakov: Concerto for Trombone and Band; Tchaikovsky: Finale - Symphony No. 4 in F minor; and others. Plumbing Factory Brass Band; Henry Meredith, director; Myles Skinner, trombone. Byron United Church, London, 420 Boler Rd, London. 519-471-1250. $15; $10(st).

Thursday April 16

8:00: group of 27/The WholeNote. Disquiet - Open Rehearsal. An open community rehearsal for the group of 27’s upcoming concert, with music, lattes and cash bar. Eric Paetkau, director; Sarah Jeffrey, oboe soloist. Centre for Social Innovation Annex, 720 Bathurst St. Free. RSVP online via groupof27.com.

Friday April 17

8:00: Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison. Afrika Djelly Birthday Edition. Kobèna Aquaa-Harrison; Andrea Henry (Sugar Jones); Lesley "Waah Waah" Waldron; Djungle Bouti Orchestra; and others. BlakBird Lounge, 812b Bloor St. W. 416-576-3834. $10.

Saturday April 25

8:00: Michael Gabriel. Michael Gabriel "Strings Attached". Michael Gabriel, singer-songwriter; Trina Nadeau, cello; Karen Spithoff, violin; Caroline Olsen, viola; Sandy Ludwig, piano and percussion; and others. The Pearl Company, 16 Steven St., Hamilton. 905-524-0606. $20.

Friday May 1

7:30: Afiara Quartet. Spin Cycle Pre-Release Party: Afiara Quartet & DJ Skratch Bastid. Pre-release event to celebrate the release of the Afiara Quartet's latest album. 918 Bathurst Centre, 918 Bathurst St. 647-294-6349. $15(adv); $20(door).

Sunday May 3

2:30: Recitals at Rosedale. Wanderlust…There and Back Again. Schumann Mignon/Harper songs and also songs of Schubert, Duparc, Berlioz and traditional folk songs from the British Isles about journeys and coming home. Lucia Cesaroni, soprano; Anthony Cleverton, baritone; Emily D'Angelo, mezzo; Rachel Andrist, piano. Rosedale Presbyterian Church, 129 Mt. Pleasant Rd. 416-921-1931. $35.

Tuesday May 12

1:30: Oakville Opera Guild. The Life of an Opera Singer. Guest: Cassandra Warner, mezzo-soprano. Oakville Central Library, 120 Navy St., Oakville. 905-634-6977. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds towards scholarship awarded annually to a young Canadian singer studying at the U of T Opera Division.

Friday May 29

8:00: Oakville Opera Guild. Friday night meeting. Location, subject and guest artist TBA, Oakville. 905-634-6977. $10 minimum donation. Proceeds towards scholarship awarded annually to a young Canadian singer studying at the U of T Opera Division.

NEW ON OUR WEBSITE

Ever wanted to immediately hear exactly what our CD reviewers are talking about? The WholeNote is in the process of launching a brand-new online Listening Room, where you can take advantage of enhanced reviews with added features, including the option to listen to sample tracks from reviewed discs.

→ continue to the Listening Room

THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING

Our next issue of HalfTones, Vol 2 No 9, is out on May 14! The next print issue of The WholeNote, covering May 1 to June 7, will be published on Thursday April 30.

Please contact halftones@thewholenote.com with any HalfTones inquiries.

EARLY MUSIC ON THE ROAD

Toronto’s early music presenters have been busy people this month. In the midst of their regular musicmaking activities, both the Toronto Consort and Tafelmusik have been “on the road” these past few weeks -- bravely and boldly going where Toronto’s early music presenters are not often found.

Tafelmusik has just arrived back in the city after a 16-day tour across Australia and New Zealand, garnering rave reviews for their multimedia program House of Dreams. The brainchild of double-bassist Alison Mackay, House of Dreams takes listeners through works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Purcell and Marais, set against a backdrop of images and paintings from the likes of Vermeer, Canaletto and Watteau -- and this year bringing Tafelmusik to sold-out houses in eight Australian cities as well as Auckland, New Zealand.

Be sure to check out Mackay’s newest multimedia creation, J.S. Bach: The Circle of Creation. The program will premiere at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre this May.

The WholeNote also has tickets up for grabs to one of Tafelmusik’s shows in the nearer future -- Aisslinn Nosky’s “Baroque Misbehaving,” where musical misdemeanours will include works by Purcell, Rosenmüller, Charpentier, Torelli, Oesterle and Telemann. For a chance to win tickets, check out our Prizes section. To learn more about Tafelmusik’s current projects, visit tafelmusik.org.

While Tafelmusik was across the globe, the Toronto Consort journeyed across town to Roy Thomson Hall last week, where the Toronto Symphony was wrapping up their annual New Creations Festival. Both before and after a riveting TSO performance in concert of George Benjamin’s 2012 opera Written on Skin, the Toronto Consort commandeered the lobby for some playing, on baroque flute, hurdy gurdy, baroque guitar and more, in repertoire spanning the centuries from the late medieval French story that inspired Written on Skin to contemporary work.

Kudos to Consort members for successfully navigating the bridge between recent and distant pasts, and for playing two beautiful sets!

Later this month, the Toronto Consort, in collaboration with Michael Slattery and La Nef, will also present a new take on some well-known early music fare. What if John Dowland, the great English lute master, was actually Irish? Their concert on March 27-28 makes a musical argument for Dowland-as-Irishman, setting his famous songs and fantasias with Irish flute, fiddle and cittern. The program, called “Dowland in Dublin,” will be based on La Nef’s stunning 2012 album of the same name, which WholeNote columnist David Podgorski claims has successfully “turned the early music world on its ear.”

The WholeNote has a limited number of concert tickets and CDs, which interested readers have the opportunity to win. For details, check out our Prizes section here. For more info on the Toronto Consort, visit torontoconsort.org.

ATTENTION, ARTS WORKERS

For those in the industry -- especially those who like to be in the know -- the International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA) has a number of exciting events coming up, all dedicated to providing forums for artists to exchange ideas, meet colleagues and learn new things. IRCPA programming in the coming months includes a workshop for singers with Joan Dornemann, assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, and a special panel discussion event in the same building as WholeNote headquarters -- the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Annex location at 720 Bathurst St.

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 29 at CSI Annex, IRCPA will host “Who’s Who in the Industry” -- a panel discussion with a number of industry professionals. With a panel of concert presenters, managers, journalists and publicists, the event is billed as a forum for artists to speak directly with industry members whose decisions build and shape our city’s musical seasons. David Perlman, publisher at The WholeNote, will be joining the panel for what is sure to be an enlightening discussion -- the list of speakers announced so far  is as follows:

Concert presenters Chris Lorway (Roy Thomson Hall), Jose Ortega (Lula Lounge) and Boris Brott (Opera & Festival Hamilton); managers Annick-Patricia Carrière (Station Bleue, Montreal) and Robert Missen (Bobolink, Toronto); journalists David Perlman (The WholeNote) and Michael Vincent (Musical Toronto); publicists Linda Litwack and Jane Harbury

Take a look at http://ircpa.net/2015/01/whos-who-in-the-industry-panel-discussion-march-29-2015/ttp://ircpa.net/2015/01/whos-who-in-the-industry-panel-discussion-march-29-2015/ for more details about the event. If you are eager to attend and a speedy emailer, send us an email at publisher@thewholenote.com -- the first 4 emailers will each receive a complimentary ticket to this event as guests of The WholeNote!

Hope to see you there!

PRIZES, PRIZES

In this issue: win tickets to the Toronto Consort’s Dowland in Dublin concert with La Nef and Michael Slattery, and to opening night of Tafelmusik’s Baroque Misbehaving. Just click on the following links for a chance to win -- feel free to enter both contests!

Tickets and CD: The Toronto Consort’s “Dowland in Dublin”, Saturday March 28

Tickets: Tafelmusik’s “Baroque Misbehaving”, Thursday April 23

JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS

First, a correction: in our March issue, we mistakenly wrote that Wolfrey House’s “By His Stripes We Are Healed” concert was on March 4. It is in fact on April 3, and the corrected listing is as follows:

Apr 3 1:30: Wolfrey House. By His Stripes We Are Healed. For Good Friday. Handel: Messiah(excerpts from part 2). Sacred Concert Chamber Ensemble; String Quartet; Vocal Octet. St. Barnabas on the Danforth, 361 Danforth Ave. 416-463-1344. Free.

Our apologies for this error! Other listings added to our website since the March issue can be found below:

 Sunday March 15

1:00: World Fiddle Day Toronto. World Fiddle Day Toronto Jam Session. Practise jam led by Anne Lederman, hosted by Long & McQuade. , . 647 217-4620. Entry by donation. Next session is March 29; see worldfiddledaytoronto.ca for details.

 Thursday March 19

8:00: Daemon Theatre. The Last Five Years. Kaleigh Gorka (Cathy); Josh Wiles (Jamie); Carl Pucl, director/producer; Doug Price, music director; and others. SMCS Centre for the Arts, 1515 Bathurst St. . $30-$45; $20-$25(st/arts worker); $10(student rush tickets, available 1 hour before the show). Also Mar 20(eve), 21(mat and eve).

 Friday March 20

6:30: Lakeshore Arts. The Chocolate Equinox. Evening event including chocolate sampling, concert and silent auction. The Mississauga Symphony String Quartet. The King's Garden, 15 Canmotor Ave., Etobicoke. 416-201-7093. $60(food and chocolate included).

 Saturday March 21

1:00: AKAM Concert Production. Amstel Saxophone Quartet. The Amstel Saxaphone Quartet from The Netherlands performs a program titled "The Unknown Colours of Saxophone.". Bach: Prelude and Fuge in c minor, BWV 537 (arr. Ties Mellema); Germanus: Moonwalk (2013); Brahms: from Symphony No. 3 in F, Op. 90: (arr. R. Jak); Riley: Good Medicine (arr. Bas Apswoude); Glass: Mishima (1985) (arr. Amstel Quartet). Remco Jak, soprano saxophone; Olivier Sliepen, alto saxophone; Bas Apswoude, tenor saxophone; Ties Mellema, baritone saxophone. Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, Chapel-Music Room, 427 Bloor St. W. 416-445-4441. PWYC.

2:00: Peterborough Symphony Orchestra. Stories and Music. A family concert, featuring the tales of Babar the Elephant and more. Melody Thomas, guest narrator. Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, 140 Charlotte St., Peterborough. 705-749-1146. $30; $10(youth). Also at 3:30pm.

7:00: Toronto Tabla Ensemble. Intimate Concert Series 2015. Mukur De, Odissi dance; Toronto Tabla Ensemble and Youth Ensemble; Ritesh Das, artistic director. York Woods Library Theatre, 1785 Finch Ave. W. 1-888-958-2252. $15.

 Thursday March 26

6:45: Guelph Youth Singers. Boychoir. Fundraising movie night featuring a screening of newly-released film "Boychoir.". The Bookshelf, 41 Quebec St., Guelph. 519-821-8574. $15.

 Friday March 27

7:00: Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute. Razzmatazz. Jazz fundraiser for the LPCI Music Department. The Ken Hazlett Big Band; LPCI and Glenview stage bands; LPCI Aurum Vocal Ensemble; Alex Dean, guest. Lawrence Park CI Auditorium, 125 Chatsworth Drive. . $20; $10(st).

 Saturday March 28

7:00: Guelph Youth Singers. The Beat of our Drum. Youth choral festival hosted by the Guelph Youth Singers. Sarah Quartel, guest clinician; guest youth choirs from Oakville, Mississauga, Toronto, Hamilton, Halton Hills and Cobourg. Clearview Christian Reformed Church, 2300 Sheridan Garden Dr.,Oakville. 519-821-8574. $15; $10(child).

8:15: Canadian Orpheus Male Choir. Earth Hour Concert. COMC's first Earth Hour Concert -- singing by candlelight to support awareness of climate change. St. Jude's Anglican Church, 160 William St., Oakville. 905-844-3972. $15. Candelight singing starts at 8:30pm.

 Sunday March 29

3:00: Hart House Chorus. Fauré Requiem. Fauré: Requiem; Tudor anthems. Melanie Conly, soprano; Maciej Bujnowicz, baritone; David Bowser, conductor; Suzanne Yeo, accompaniment; and others. Hart House Great Hall, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-2452. Free.

3:00: Kingston Road United Church. Glorious Brass! Works by Gabrielli, Dowland, Byrd, de Pres and Thomas Tallis. Scott Good, trombone; and others. 975 Kingston Rd. 416-699-6091. $20; $10(st); free(ages 12 and under).

NEW ON OUR WEBSITE

The WholeNote’s Blue Pages directory of concert presenters can be found year-round on our website -- a warm welcome to taiko superstars Nagata Shachu, who join the directory this month.

Music presenters get the chance to introduce their projects to readers in our annual October Blue Pages issue, but the Blue Pages are available year-round, and musicmaking in southern Ontario happens around the clock and throughout the calendar year. Here’s a warm welcome for Nagata Shachu, newcomers this month to The WholeNote’s Blue Pages directory. Check out their profile below. For all our other Blue Pages listings click here.

Nagata Shachu Japanese Taiko and Music Group

Nagata Shachu, based in Toronto, has enthralled audiences with our mesmerizing and heart-pounding performances of the Japanese drum (taiko) since forming in 1998. We have toured widely throughout Canada, the US and Italy, performing in theatres, concert halls and major music festivals.

While rooted in the folk drumming traditions of Japan, our ensemble’s principal aim is to rejuvenate this ancient art form by producing innovative and exciting music that seeks to create a new voice for the taiko.

Featuring an arsenal of taiko (including the massive O-daiko drum), bamboo flutes, the three-stringed shamisen and an array of gongs, cymbals, shakers and wood blocks, Nagata Shachu will take you on a musical journey beyond all borders!

Joe Liu or Kiyoshi Nagata
416-651-4227
taiko@nagatashachu.com
nagatashachu.com

THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING

Our next issue of HalfTones, Vol 2 No 8, is out on April 14! The next print issue of The WholeNote, covering April 1 to May 7, will be published on March 31.

Please contact halftones@thewholenote.com with any HalfTones inquiries.

SPECIAL CONTESTS ISSUE

Over $1800 in prizes to be won

Concert-wise, this month is as busy as any, with lots of musical offerings in the city—and The WholeNote has put together a special issue of contests to cure your February blues.

From choral concerts, to a night at the opera, to a special weekend package of tickets to three live shows, take a look at the prizes up for grabs below and see what tickles your fancy. This month’s prizes include:

- “Eclectic Circuit”: A special weekend package, with tickets to Show One’s Vadim Repin Canadian recital debut, The Musicians In Ordinary, and the Vienna Piano Trio: March 6-8

- The COC’s Don Giovanni: February 18

- Arvo Pärt’s Passio with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir: March 10

- The “Publisher’s Party”: Music Toronto’s concert with The Gryphon Trio: February 26

- Ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro: March 4

- Continuum Contemporary Music: 30 MORE!: March 8

- Tanya Tagaq, Radik Tyulyush and more at the Aga Khan Museum: March 6-7

Apply for any that interest you on our website, and you may get the chance to get out and listen to some great live music this month!

Music for (and in spite of) Valentine’s

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and is always a good excuse, whether in pairs or in groups, to explore the myriad special events that the city always has on offer f0r the occasion. Whether you’re hoping for a romantic outing or just on the lookout for some quality music, this Saturday promises a number of opportunities for the Valentine’s Day concertgoer.

Prominently featured in our listings this month are those concerts and events that refuse to shy away from the sometimes-touchy Valentine’s Day theme—and often producing unique programming as a result. The Guelph Symphony Orchestra presents a concert Saturday night that will feature Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet (incidentally, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra will also be playing a “Romeo and Juliet”-themed concert, the following weekend on February 21). And on the jazz front, Alleycatz, Chalkers Pub and Palais Royale will all be hosting Valentine’s Day dinners that feature live music by talented local performers. Finally, the Toronto Beaches Children’s Chorus presents “For the Love of Music” on Saturday at 3pm, an all-ages concert featuring soprano Shannon Mercer, tenor Lenard Whiting and pianist Brett Kingsbury.

For those not in the mood, New Music Concerts is presenting an innovative program of works by contemporary Chinese and Canadian composers. Titled “New Works from East and West,” the show will feature pipa virtuoso Weiwei Lan, soprano Stacie Dunlop and violinist Véronique Mathieu. The program is a promising collection of entirely world premieres, an exciting prospect for any new music fan. Also onstage in venues throughout the Danforth this weekend is the Toronto’s eighth Winterfolk Blues and Roots Music Festival. Billed as an “all-ages, mid-winter, weatherproof event,” the festival will feature over 150 artists across five venues from February 13 to 15. The “weatherproof” aspect is enticing, as is the list of performers. To learn more about the festival, check out winterfolk.com.

SEASON’S GREETINGS

2015/16 season announcements have been cropping up left, right and centre.

Please find below links to news about the year ahead, from the a number of local concert presenters:

The Royal Conservatory:

http://performance.rcmusic.ca/performance-all?season%5b0%5d=5926&mcclnktrk=4

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s:

http://www.tso.ca/en-ca/Media-Room/Media-Releases.aspx?entryID=42430

The Canadian Opera Company:

http://www.coc.ca/PerformancesAndTickets/1516Season.aspx

Opera Atelier:

http://www.operaatelier.com/season/15-16-season/

Tafelmusik:

http://www.tafelmusik.org/concert-calendar/upcoming-season

We will keep you informed, in print and online, as more presenters announce their plans for the coming year!

JUST IN: CORRECTED AND NEW LISTINGS

Check out our HalfTones listings for info on corrected and new February concert listings added online since this month’s print issue.

First, an apology: we seem to have omitted Hirut Café and Restaurant’s listings from our February “In the Clubs” section. Here they are:

Hirut Cafe and Restaurant

2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560

Every Sun 3pm Open Mic with Nicola Vaughan: folk/country/jazz/world/R&B PWYC; 8pm Eucalyptus Ethio-jazz/Calypso 7-piece band $10/PWYC. Every Wed 8pm Illios Quartet: Smooth Jazz PWYC. February 3, 17 8pm Finger Style Guitar Association PWYC. February 5 7pm In the Round: Master and Smorgasbord Series: jazz/folk/world $10/PWYC. February 14 Romancing the Tone with Sharon Katz: folk/world $10. February 20 8pm Winter Wonderland w/ Arlene Paculan and Friends: pop/eclectic PWYC. February 21 8pm James Brand with Joanne Shaw: British Folk $15(adv)/$18(door). February 27 9pm Hirut Hoot Cabaret $5.

Other corrected and new listings this month include:

Friday February 13

7:00: Just Aïssi. Black History Month: Gumboots Dance. A program and workshop to learn about the Gumboots dance style from South Africa. Just Aïssi, choreographer and percussionist. North York Central Library Auditorium, 5120 Yonge St. 416-395-5639. Free. Call ahead to register.

Saturday February 14

3:00: Toronto Beaches Children's Chorus. For the Love of Music. All-ages concert to benefit the Toronto Beaches Children's Chorus Bursary Fund. Shannon Mercer, soprano; Lenard Whiting, tenor; Brett Kingsbury, piano. Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd. 416-698-9864. $20; $15(sr/st); $10(12 and under). Special pricing available for TBCC families.

9:00: Music Africa/Gladstone Hotel/Africa New Music. Yinka Farinde (Nigeria). Part of the Black History Month 2015 Concert Series. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. 416-649-5336. Free.

Saturday February 21

9:00: Music Africa/Gladstone Hotel/Africa New Music. Amadou Kienou (Burkina Faso) & Katenen Cheka (Mali). Part of the Black History Month 2015 Concert Series. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. 416-649-5336. Free.

Sunday February 22

6:00: Duo Agilis. Themes and Variations for Flute and Piano. Duo Agilis: Izabella Budai, flute; Peichen Chen, piano. Hart House, East Common Room, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-2452. Free.

Friday February 27

8:00: Stereo Live. Haydn, Beethoven and Canning. Works by Haydn and Beethoven, followed by a set with Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning and friends. Brendan Canning; Keith Hamm, viola; Edwin Huizinga, violin; Aaron Schwebel, violin; Joseph Johnson, cello. Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen St. W. 416-597-0227 x2. $20(adv); $25(door); $50(3-concert series). Doors open at 7pm.

Saturday February 28

8:00: Bell'Arte Singers. Masses: Dvorak Mass in D & Schubert Mass in G. Dvorak: Mass in D; Schubert: Mass in G. St. Simon-the-Apostle Anglican Church, 525 Bloor St. E. bellartesingers.ca. $25; $20(sr/st).

8:00: Fanfarones! Hot Springs Serenade. Double wind quintet music to warm the path to spring. Dvorak: Czech Suite; Bird: Serenade; Scott: Sacred Women. Wilmar Heights Centre, 963 Pharmacy Ave., Scarborough. 416-759-7269. $20; $15(sr/st).

NEW ON OUR WEBSITE

Visit our video page to see our latest Conversation@TheWholeNote, where in light of the Gryphon Trio’s upcoming concert with Music Toronto, publisher David Perlman talks with the ensemble’s pianist Jamie Parker about his life as a performer, professor and a Parker.

Check out the video, and other online interviews, at http://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/newsroom/our-videos.

THANKS FOR SUBSCRIBING

Our next issue of HalfTones, Vol 2 No 7, is out on March 12! The next print issue of The WholeNote, covering March 1 to April 7, will be published on February 27.

Please contact halftones@thewholenote.com with any HalfTones inquiries.