Blue Pages 2020

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The Aga Khan Museum explores and celebrates cross-cultural dialogue through the arts. A centre for innovation and creativity, the Museum offers unique insights and new perspectives into the potential of art and culture to act as a catalyst for intercultural dialogue, engaged global citizenship, and social change. Visit our website for the most up-to-date information on programs and events at the Museum.

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Enlivening Toronto’s arts community for 47 years, the award-winning Amadeus Choir is a semi-professional choir of auditioned voices from Toronto and the surrounding areas. The Choir champions the best of choral music and premieres works of Canadian and international composers through a self-produced Toronto concert series, guest performances, and special events. Known well beyond Toronto through tours, festivals, recordings, and national and international radio broadcasts, the Choir collaborates with many professional performing arts organizations in the GTA. In 2019, after celebrating the 35-year leadership of Lydia Adams, the Choir welcomed Kathleen Allan as artistic director and conductor.

We are delighted to announce our 2020/21 season: re:Vision - Choral creation in a new age. As the world rushes into an unexpected era, we present a vision for the future of choral music, leaning on the ways in which choral music strengthens the bonds that make us human. Our theme is “vision” in all its forms: envisioning and innovating the future of our art form, seeing through the eyes of diverse artistic creators, and a hopeful vision for a future where all people can raise their voices in song together.

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The Annex Singers of Toronto, now in its 41st season, is a spirited 60-voice auditioned choir with an eclectic repertoire spanning seven centuries. Under the dynamic and creative leadership of artistic director Maria Case, the choir performs three programs each season, collaborating with an exciting array of professional soloists and ensembles. Recent performances include Poulenc’s Gloria, Dobrogosz’s Jazz Mass, Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, and the acclaimed original choral drama December Diaries. The Annex Chamber Choir, a smaller ensemble drawn from the main choir, is dedicated to presenting gems from the chamber repertoire. We offer choral development workshops led by some of Toronto’s most innovative clinicians, engage in community outreach, and encourage young singers with a sponsorship program.

In the 2020/21 season, we will present a virtual seasonal concert on Saturday, December 12, and continue our tradition of creative programming in the spring of 2021. Fall rehearsals will take place on Monday evenings over Zoom. We welcome experienced singers - please visit our website to arrange an audition.

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Renowned concert pianist Andrew Burashko formed Art of Time Ensemble in 1998 by inviting a group of like-minded musicians and prominent figures in dance, theatre and other art forms to perform one-off concerts in Toronto. The company has gone on to become a leader in Toronto’s vibrant performing arts scene, through its subscription season at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, regular appearances at Koerner Hall, album releases, performances with leading Canadian orchestras, and tours of its unique offerings to dozens of cities throughout Canada and the United States.

Exploring the relationship between classical music and other genres such as jazz, pop, electronica, rock, folk, electroacoustic, gospel and others, Art of Time seeks to reveal the qualities that lie at the heart of all great music.

The ranks of Art of Time Ensemble’s artists are deep and their talents unmatched; featured collaborators include authors Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, jazz legend Branford Marsalis, vocalists Madeleine Peyroux, Sarah Slean, Hawksley Workman and Tony Award-winner Brent Carver, composers such as Gavin Bryars and Jonathan Goldsmith, and many more.

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The Azrieli Foundation improves the lives of present and future generations by focusing its funding in education, research, healthcare and the arts. In addition to strategic philanthropic investments, the foundation operates a number of programs including the Azrieli Prize in Architecture, the Azrieli Fellows Program, the Azrieli Science Grants Program, the Holocaust Survivor Memoirs Program and the Azrieli Music Prizes.

Established in 2014, the biennial Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) offer opportunities for the discovery, creation, performance and celebration of excellence in concert music composition. Two international prizes focus on new Jewish music; a third celebrates creating new Canadian music. Submissions are accepted from composers of all faiths, ages, backgrounds and affiliations and evaluated by two expert AMP juries.

All three winning composers receive a $50,000 CAD cash prize and are invited to participate in: the rehearsals and performance of their winning works at the AMP Gala Concert; subsequent international premieres; and the recording of their work for a future commercial release.

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The Barrie Concert Association, a charitable non-profit organization, presents 12 live performances of mainly Classical music from September/October to May. One-hour piano/organ recitals are also held the first three Wednesdays of every month - presenting classical, baroque, blues and light jazz.

During the COVID-19 situation, we daily get phone calls from subscribers hoping concerts can resume. They miss the music - and in these times probably need the music more than ever. However we can only start the performances again when it is safe to do so - we must care for the health challenges of the audience. We will keep you posted with developments as they happen.

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Luisa Trisi’s lifelong love of arts and culture led her to launch Big Picture Communications in 1999. Passionate about city-building, community, and creativity, Luisa thrives on connecting people and ideas. She has worked with many of North America’s leading figures in classical music, dance, and theatre, and has produced publicity campaigns and panel discussions for major arts hubs, cultural initiatives, national festivals, and conferences.

Luisa provides an array of strategic communications services including writing, media relations, content creation, and editorial planning for a broad range of individual clients and cultural organizations. Throughout her twenty-plus years of experience, she has established an extensive network of industry and media contacts.

Prior to launching Big Picture Communications, Luisa held positions with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Dance Umbrella of Ontario, and Theatre Columbus. As Director of Communications and an instructor at Ryerson Theatre School for almost a decade, Luisa designed and taught courses on entrepreneurship to students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees.

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Robert Missen, the Burlington-based proprietor of The Bobolink Agency, celebrates 35 years representing some of Canada's most distinguished classical and jazz performing artists, ensembles and attractions. His two artist management companies, Robert Missen Artists (1990 to 2005) and The Bobolink Agency (2010 to present), have arranged and promoted tours of such artists as Ben Heppner, Maureen Forrester, Veronica Tennant, Sylvia Tyson, Michael Burgess, Elmer Iseler Singers and The Men of the Deeps.

In the upcoming seasons Bobolink will be undertaking tours with RH Thomson (A Christmas Carol), Heather Bambrick and The Canadian Jazz All Stars, and musical theatre star Chilina Kennedy among others. Black Artists Matter, a special new roster, will feature attractions celebrating such esteemed Black Canadian artists as Joe Sealy and Jackie Richardson (“Africville Stories”), Thom Allison in “Unforgettable - The Nat King Cole Story”, Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley in “Sugar and Gold - The Underground Railroad Story”, and special programs from the Nathaniel Dett Chorale and Toronto Mass Choir.

Stay tuned for a new Toronto venture entitled “Words and Music”, which celebrates cabaret, Bach cantatas, and art song recitals.

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Now over 50 years old, the CCOC consists of six chorus divisions of children and youth from junior kindergarten to grade 12, and is the only permanent children's opera company in Canada to regularly commission and produce operas for children. Opera is simply storytelling with music, and those are two things that kids and youth love!

A unique experience, the CCOC offers members unparalleled performance opportunities and life skills through age-appropriate vocal and dramatic training. This year programming will be predominantly online, with the occasional gathering in person when safe and appropriate. Auditions are held April to June and occasionally during the year. A non-auditioned in- and after-school workshop program was launched in 2008 as part of the OPERAtion KIDS outreach arm of the CCOC.

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Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The company enjoys an international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation. The company typically presents six fully-staged productions at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts annually. In light of current health guidelines around the spread of COVID-19, the company has created "Opera Everywhere" - a new slate of digital opera experiences that can be shared and enjoyed safely. The COC’s repertoire spans the history of opera from the Baroque to the 21st-century and includes several commissioned works and Canadian premieres. The COC engages professional opera artists from all over the world, including a significant number of Canadian singers, directors, conductors and designers. The company performs with its own professional chorus and orchestra. The company also fosters emerging Canadian talent through its Ensemble Studio, Orchestra Academy and company-in-residence programs.

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Founded in 1998, the Canadian Sinfonietta (CS) is a chamber orchestra led by artistic director and founder, Tak-Ng Lai, in partnership with concertmaster Joyce Lai. The orchestra is composed of 14-25 professional musicians who perform a series of concerts annually as a large ensemble, as well as a number of chamber concerts in various intimate settings throughout the GTA and Ontario.

The mission of CS is to reintroduce live chamber music to the growing GTA communities, producing a new generation of concert-goers by presenting concerts that are traditional with a twist. The programs are innovative and often feature world premiere works both Canadian and international, multicultural music, non-western instruments, and highlight diverse Canadian artists. CS is a community-conscious group and plays an active role through the partnership with local community organizations in promoting the appreciation of music across various cultures; mentoring young artists, and using music as a language to engage and link people of all ages and status within the community. CS believes that “chamber music is for everyone.” In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, CS now also has an online presence, with virtual projects, as well as outdoor concerts.

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The Canzona Chamber Players concert series is a volunteer community group, founded in 2002 by Jacob Stoller and Jonathan Krehm. Prior to COVID-19, live concerts were produced for St. Andrew by the Lake church, on Toronto Island by Roger Sharp and Jonathan Krehm, and beginning in 2012 for venues in downtown Toronto, most recently the St. George the Martyr church. Many of the live concerts were documented by Alison Gray (video) and John Gray (audio) and are available to watch on Canzona's YouTube Channel or on our website.

Since the onset of the pandemic, Canzona Chamber Players have been safely broadcasting recitals, recorded to the highest standard, made possible by technical wizardry of Evan Mitchell (video), and John Gray (audio). These performances can be viewed on our youtube channel. The concerts are free to view, and Canzona Chamber Players asks for any amount to be made to the St. Michael's Hospital Foundation COVID-19 Courage Fund at http://smh.convio.net/couragefund.

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Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra is a volunteer community orchestra that has been based in Scarborough since 1986. The orchestra presents seven concerts each season, including a subscription series of five concerts.

Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra brings to life some of the greatest musical masterpieces, presents internationally-acclaimed performers, and helps introduce some of Canada’s rising stars in their debut performances with a symphony orchestra.  Looking for an orchestra to play in? Send your inquiries to us via email.

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Steeped in musical heritage and assisted by a generous acoustic, St. Mary Magdalene offers a music program strongly rooted in the tradition established by Healey Willan. Every Sunday at 11am: Solemn Mass - the Gallery Choir sings a mass and motet from the west gallery, while the Ritual Choir sings the Gregorian propers from the east end. Both choirs rehearse on Thursdays. At the 9:30am Sung Mass, the SMM Singers sing a motet and lead congregational singing. Membership is informal: rehearsals are at 9am directly before the service; regular attendance is not mandatory.

One Sunday per month at 4:30pm, the meditative Solemn Evensong and Benediction is sung, preceded by an organ recital at 4pm. 

For information, please contact the director of music, Andrew Adair.

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Fine music is central to life at the Church of St. Peter and St. Simon-the-Apostle. Whether it is our own choir that sings services in the Anglican prayer book tradition – and whose calibre is such that it has twice been invited to sing services in cathedrals in Britain, most recently at Gloucester and Chichester in the summer of 2019 – or the many visiting ensembles and choirs choosing us for their concerts. The church seats 300 for a concert and has an adjacent hall, also with superb acoustics, seating 175 for a smaller concert.

Our 1883 Jacobean Arts and Crafts building (with exquisite windows, a beautiful sanctuary, and a cloister-style courtyard) sits in one of the most intensely interesting neighborhoods in the city. At 525 Bloor St. E. (close to subway), between Sherbourne and Parliament, it has old Rosedale to the north, multi-faceted St. Jamestown to the south, and a fever of new condo developments to the east and west. It exists as an oasis in the midst of this, providing space as well for local youth choral programs and music teachers. Please join us for services, or consider our space for your next musical event.

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Since 2006, Concerts in Care Ontario has presented programming that makes a significant impact in a range of seniors’ care communities across Ontario. Anchored at the intersection of artistic excellence and research about music and the brain, we curate series of turnkey concerts in seniors’ facilities, performed by top-calibre professional musicians. Concerts in Care Ontario knows that music can unlock the healing power to transform. Our concerts provide a focal point for building bridges between elders, caregivers and loved ones, while engaging powerful emotions which can activate memory and improve mood for seniors in care who may be isolated and withdrawn. As soon as Ontario went into lockdown in mid-March, we immediately transformed our musical services into digital musical content in two distinct forms to connect with seniors effectively:

• Live 30-min concert videos that bring specially trained professional musicians to thousands of isolated seniors through high quality productions framed in an informal and personal approach.
• Interactive Zoom Concert Calls including highest quality performances, plus live Q&As and conversations with the musicians.
• And Music Outside plus Concertmobile with Tapestry Opera.

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Confluence - “an act or process of merging” - presents engaging concerts ranging from jazz to traditional South Asian music, opera to pop, across centuries and cultures. Artistic producer Larry Beckwith and artistic associates Andrew Downing, Marion Newman, Patricia O’Callaghan, and Suba Sankaran collaborate with a wide cross-section of Toronto's rich and diverse arts community to create intimate, thought-provoking programs, including cabarets, anniversary programs celebrating important figures in music, salons and lectures on a wide variety of musical topics, and commissions of new works by Canadian artists. Our 2020/21 online season features: “Something to Live For - A Billy Strayhorn Celebration”; “A Purcell Remembrance - The Exaltation of Poetry”; “Creativity and Aging - The Late Works of Olivier Messiaen and Leonard Cohen”; “The Mandala - The Beauty of Impermanence”; “The Butterfly Project - The Ballade of Chō-Chō San”; “The John Beckwith Songbook - Over 70 Years of Originality”; and “Gracias a la Vida - Spanish Serenades”. In September we launched The Fuse, a monthly podcast that supports the vibrant Canadian music scene with interviews and articles about musicians, artists, and administrators across the country.

“...this series has established itself as one of the most important and consistently interesting in the city.” - John Gilks, Opera Ramblings.

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Counterpoint Community Orchestra has been operating as a community orchestra in downtown Toronto for 34 years. Formed in 1984, it was the first lesbian/gay/gay-positive orchestra in Canada and in the world. Counterpoint is a full symphony orchestra, and the programming is drawn from Baroque through contemporary orchestral repertoire. Rehearsals are at the 519 Community Centre on Church Street. The other pages in the ‘About Us’ section of our website give a more detailed history and description of Counterpoint Community Orchestra.

Counterpoint Community Orchestra performs three concerts during the season in December, March and June and participates in “Nuit Rose”.

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The 24-voice DaCapo Chamber Choir was founded in 1998 in Kitchener-Waterloo under the direction of Leonard Enns. The mission of the choir is to identify, study, rehearse and present outstanding choral chamber works of the past 100 years and to champion music of Canadian and local composers. Our 2020/21 season has been postponed, but we hope to present the concluding concert of our three-year “Road to Refuge” series (cancelled this past May) as soon as it is safe to gather in 2021. “Illimitably Earth” will be a full-on celebration of renewal – it will be a shout of joy (on so many levels!). We will include two extended works for choir and piano, with guest pianist Catherine Robertson: Srul Irving Glick’s celebrative “Triumph of the Spirit” and Thomas Nazziola’s “Another Spring,” a work that is absolutely on point as the conclusion of our three-year Road to Refuge project.

In the meantime, we are releasing archival concert recordings on our YouTube channel. And our NewWorks CD is available to stream on all major platforms (Read the review of this CD in the April 2019 issue of The WholeNote.) Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @DaCapoChoir!

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The Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University in London, Ontario is situated in a research-intensive university on a campus that is inviting and striking. It is an environment that enables students to grow artistically and academically, with a strong focus on community. Our students are among 650 of the brightest and most talented young artist scholars, who come to study in one of our many undergraduate and graduate programs. With the faculty and staff, they are committed to excellence in creative and scholarly work.

In our 2020/21 season, we invite you to experience online the incredible diversity of musical styles and genres our students, faculty and guest artists have to offer. From student ensemble performances (from choirs and opera to orchestra, band, jazz, percussion, and early music), faculty concerts, and our signature “Fridays@12:30” concert series, we are pleased to bring this year's performances to you at home. Our goal is to share select performances online throughout the year - a blend of livestream and pre-recorded opportunities - while closely following university and local health authority guidelines. Safety and health is critical, as is offering students a musical experience.

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We are a newly formed, non-profit organization guided by internationally-acclaimed conductor Noel Edison to present choral music at its best. Our vision is to reach out to communities large and small with the world’s finest choral music. 

During our 2019/20 inaugural season, The Edison Singers presented concerts in three communities: Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Wellington County. These three centres are the hubs for our annual choral calendar, and our aim is to become an integral part of the musical life of each community.

For The Edison Singers' 2020/21 season we will be offering seven video recordings to be released online. You will see some behind-the-scenes footage of our physically-distanced rehearsals and be treated to brief on-camera introductions/programme notes from our conductor. Please stay tuned to our website for more details.

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Elmer Iseler Singers (EIS) is 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, the Singers are known for tonal beauty and interpretive range, and valued for their contributions to masterclasses and workshops with schools and community choirs.

The Elmer Iseler Singers have 15 recorded CDs featuring Canadian music. EIS with Toronto Symphony Orchestra were 2019 Grammy-nominated and 2019 JUNO-awarded for the brilliant Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Chandos CD recording, with Peter Oundjian conducting. EIS are 2014 National Choral Award recipients and JUNO nominees for “Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance” for Dark Star Requiem with Tapestry Opera and Gryphon Trio in 2017, and for David Braid’s Corona Divinae Misericordiae with Patricia O’Callaghan in 2019.

We are pleased to announce that the Elmer Iseler Singers will join the Viva Youth Singers in educational and collaborative sessions of mentorship with the EIS as vocal coaches in a study of Handel’s Messiah choruses in a virtual situation. We are excited about this new Get Music Initiative. The program of six sessions will take place in late October and throughout November 2020.

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Over its 40-year history, the Elora Festival, under the direction of Mark Vuorinen, has been recognized as one of North America's signature choral festivals, though it also presents all forms of classical, jazz, folk and popular music. The Elora Singers is the Elora Festival's Ensemble-in-Residence. The choir performs during the three weeks of the Festival, both with solo concerts and in collaboration with guest artists and ensembles.

Through a regular concert series, recordings, and touring, The Elora Singers has established a reputation as one of the finest professional chamber choirs in Canada. With twelve releases on the NAXOS label, The Elora Singers is known for its rich, warm sound and clarity of texture. The choir is renowned for its diverse styles, for its commitment to Canadian repertoire, and for its diverse collaborations with other Canadian and international artists. Recent and upcoming collaborations include the State Choir LATVIJA, Gesualdo Six, Voces 8, Festival of the Sound, Swiss Piano Trio, Natalie MacMaster and Steven Page. A new recording featuring new works by Barbara Croall (Giishkaapkag) and Reena Esmail (This Love between Us) was released in June 2020.

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“…chamber music at its evocative best!” – WholeNote 2020 review.

Pioneering piano chamber music sensation Ensemble Vivant performs innovative genre-diverse repertoire combined with passionate, deeply communicative playing that touches the hearts and souls of listeners of all ages.

Opening Day recording artists with 14 internationally-acclaimed CDs.

• “…highest-level chamber music-making. No matter the genre, there is magic in Ensemble Vivant's music-making.” - Jazz legend Rick Wilkins, C.M. 
  “…beautiful, poised performances...capture the passion and verve…Wilson’s piano gives this music unerring drive and plenty of sparkle.” - Toronto Star

Core Quintet: Catherine Wilson, piano/artistic director; Corey Gemmell, violin; Norman Hathaway, viola; Tom Mueller, cello; George Koller, bass. Regular collaborators: Kevin Turcotte, trumpet; Mike Murley, sax; Nick Fraser, drums; and others. EV is known for bringing evidence-based live performance programs to children (endorsed by the scientific community) and conducted through the not-for-profit registered charity Euterpe: Music For Health Canada (www.musicforhealthcanada.org). Euterpe received a three-year Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant in 2020.

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Founded in 1983 by music director and conductor Alex Pauk, Esprit Orchestra’s commitment to commissioning and advancing contemporary music has set it apart as one of the few organizations 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. Each concert season, Esprit Orchestra commissions, promotes and performs the work of Canadian composers, and features Canadian premieres of music by leading international composers. With a dynamic annual subscription concert series, this skilled orchestra presents music that is otherwise unavailable in Canada, always performed to the highest standards in the acoustically acclaimed Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning.

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Etobicoke Centennial Choir (ECC) is a welcoming, inclusive SATB community choir. We strive to enrich the lives of our choristers and audience members through inspired performances of diverse choral repertoire, ranging from classical masterpieces to contemporary compositions and popular music.

ECC offers amateur singers a challenging but supportive choral music experience, facilitated by a professional music director, accompanist and section leads.

As a result of public health guidelines and restrictions related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020/21 season will be like no other in ECC’s 54-year history. We will be offering virtual rehearsals on Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm, working on choral repertoire and vocal training. New singers are most welcome to join us in this new venture. If conditions permit, we may perform a live concert in late spring 2021. Please visit our website for further updates.

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The Etobicoke Community Concert Band is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020. Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we have been unable to present our 25th Gala at this time. The band consists of approximately 45 to 50 members, ranging from amateur to semi-profession status. We play four formal concerts each year at Etobicoke Collegiate, 86 Montgomery Rd., with a wide variety of musical themes such as broadway, Hollywood, international music, patriotic themes, Big Band and conventional concert band music. There are two offshoots of the concert band, the Etobicoke Jazz Ensemble, which plays music from Latin jazz to traditional Big Band tunes, and we also have a great Woodwind Quintet.

The mission of the band is to enliven the spirit of the people of Etobicoke by providing high quality musical entertainment. The mission is accomplished by: providing an opportunity for musicians from the community to practice and perform in a challenging and supportive ensemble environment with a goal of developing and enhancing the musical skills of individuals. Meeting the needs of the community through public performances which present repertoire with wide appeal that take place at a variety of locations throughout the community.

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Celebrating 60 years of great orchestral music making in and around Etobicoke, the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra features programming that has something to inspire all our musicians and audience members.  We pride ourselves on being a welcoming community orchestra that offers amateur and professional musicians alike a challenging and friendly musical experience. Granted, this is not the 60th anniversary season the EPO had planned, but until it is safe to return to live performances at our usual Etobicoke venues, you can still celebrate music in your community with us! Join us on our online portal (eporchestra.ca) where you will find all things EPO presented with the same energy and enthusiasm you have come to expect from our live performances. You will enjoy mini performances, interviews, and conversations from soloists and orchestra members talking about their role in the orchestra, how important music is in their lives, and how much they appreciate the opportunity to perform for the community of Etobicoke. Join the talented team of musicians at the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Exultate Chamber Singers is proud to be celebrating its 40th anniversary during its upcoming 2020/21 season. The choir is enriched not only by the excellent musicianship of its members but also by their varied academic and professional backgrounds. Together they form a passionate, committed ensemble with a wide-ranging repertoire. Founded and led for 30 years by conductor and organist John Tuttle, the choir has since been under the direction of Dr. Karen Grylls (2011 to 2012), Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt (2013 to 2018), and its newest artistic director, Dr. Mark Ramsay. Exultate is a three-time winner of the Canada Council Healey Willan Grand Prize and recently won first place in the adult mixed-voice chamber choir category of the 2019 Choral Canada National Competition for Canadian Amateur Choirs. The choir has appeared in performances with Alice Parker, Morten Lauridsen, and Ola Gjeilo, and has released five full-length albums to date.

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Flute Street is Toronto’s professional flute choir, whose players employ the full range of instruments from piccolo through treble, concert, alto, bass, contralto, contrabass, and even the double contrabass flute. Audiences have been delighted to hear the ensemble’s eclectic mix of classical, folk, jazz, pop, and Canadian and world premieres with featured international guest soloists, such as Jean-Louis Beaumadier, Christine Beard, Mary Ann Archer, Louis Papachristos, Kelly Via and low flutes specialist, Peter Sheridan. In addition to the regular three-concert series presented in Toronto, Flute Street has performed as guest artists in Quebec with Les Flûtistes de Montréal, at both Canadian Flute Conventions, and at the first International Low Flutes Festival in Washington D.C. Hear our current YouTube project, “Tutti Flutti” at our website, as we eagerly await our return to the live concert stage.

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The Hannaford Street Silver Band is Canada’s award-winning professional brass band. 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. Guided by the vision of artistic director David Pell, our 2020/21 season features streamed concerts that will showcase such artists as guest conductors James Sommerville and Gillian MacKay, mezzo-soprano soloist Marion Newman and world/fusion vocalist Suba Sankaran. Add to this wonderful mix, CBC radio host Tom Allen and the acclaimed actor Derek Boyes. This season we will also unveil our 10-piece virtuoso ensemble performing music from around the world. You simply can't keep a good band down!

The HSSB demonstrates its commitment to youth, outreach and education by running the Hannaford Youth Program. Directed by Anita McAlister, this vibrant program is a fantastic opportunity for brass and percussion players ages 7 to 24 to participate in three remarkable youth bands in both live and virtual settings.

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The International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA) is a service organization for musicians providing resources needed to bridge the GAP between training and employment by Encounters with National and International experienced artists keeping skills sharpened and savvy information about the Industry, how it currently functions. and who's who in the business. Resources are also offered for mid-career artists who may need to change direction.

Membership is without cost. Sign-up forms are on our website. Paid public performances are live-streamed and can be used as auditions. IRCPA proposes a new Centre for Music by converting an unused heritage building. If we are successful, there will be practice/rehearsal studios, meeting rooms, recording studio, two performance venues, and office space for arts organizations such as the IRCPA. There is also space for an affordable residential building for the music community in perpetuity. The main floor includes a Community Centre, box offices,  instrument repair shops, cafe/restaurant. We welcome volunteers to help with this new Centre for Musicians to meet, exchange ideas, create and collaborate.  A great opportunity for artists to live, work and perform in Toronto.

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The Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts (the Isabel) is a home for the creative arts at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and a hub of vibrant artistic study, creation, and exhibition in our community. The building houses the Queen’s Department of Film and Media and the DAN School of Drama and Music, as well as the Isabel house season, which brings some of the most exciting and acclaimed musicians to its 567-seat concert hall. Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Isabel brings together world-class arts spaces and programs with a captivating sense of place, creating a dynamic venue for our students and community to learn, discover, think, do, and experience together. 

Opened in September 2014, the Isabel was designed by Oslo/New York-based firm Snøhetta and Ottawa’s N45, with acoustics and theatre design by ARUP and Theatre Projects Consultants. Anchored by a transformational gift to the Initiative Campaign from Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader, the Isabel was inspired by the Baders’ love - of the arts, of Queen’s, and of each other - and is named in Isabel’s honour. For a virtual tour, visit www.queensu.ca/theisabel/content/virtual-walkthrough.

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We are a community choir of about 40 voices, who love to sing music from around the world in the original languages. During the 2020/21 season, we are not planning any live concerts until it is announced that it is safe to do so, but we may do some singing outside! While safe distancing is necessary, we will continue to sing together by using Zoom. Our conductor, Isabel Bernaus, has designed a repertoire that we can receive by email. We have tried the remote singing, and found it easy to do with a desktop or tablet. Technical help is available to those of us who need some coaching in launching the online system. As we progress, we hope to offer some optional live rehearsals to small groups. Our long term goal is to be ready when the world gets back to normal!

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The Ken Page Memorial Trust is a non-profit charitable fund supporting jazz and the artists who create such lasting memories for all of us. The aims of the Trust are to encourage emerging talent, foster an understanding of the evolution of the music, promote jazz education through workshops, masterclasses and outreach programs conducted by established professionals, and to provide financial aid to jazz musicians on an emergency basis.

The KPMT holds annual jazz fundraisers featuring some of the world’s leading jazz artists and honours jazz professionals with its Lifetime Achievement Award; it also presents seasonal performances of Jim Galloway’s Wee Big Band. Most recently, the Trust provided grants to the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, Springboard to Music, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival and the Ken Page Memorial Trust Scholarship Award in memory of Ron Collier established at Humber College.

Donations are our lifeline, our board members are unpaid and every dollar is dedicated to furthering our mission. Contributions are gratefully received, and if you are currently a donor we extend our sincere appreciation. If you would like to help us make a difference please visit our website.

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The Kindred Spirits Orchestra has been performing to great acclaim, sold-out audiences, and standing ovations at the Flato Markham Theatre and at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, as well as at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. Highlights of the 2020/21 concert season include Bruckner’s First, Shostakovich’s Fourteenth, Prokofiev’s Fifth and Scriabin’s Second symphonies, as well as Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony and Wagner’s Symphony in C Major. We are thrilled to welcome back Michael Berkovsky in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Andrew Ascenzo in Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and Christina Petrowska-Quilico in Tan Dun’s Piano Concerto “The Fire”. Ludmil Angelov will make his début with the KSO in Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and Gregory Vandikas in Scriabin’s Piano Concerto. In June 2021, the KSO and Markham Contemporary Music Festival will return to Cornell Recital Hall for a series of concerts presenting pieces by Pärt and Górecki as well as Symphony No. 14 by Shostakovich, featuring soprano Stephanie de Ciantis and bass-baritone John Holland. The concert season will conclude with a performance at the CBC Glenn Gould Theatre and a Canada Day celebration at Unionville Millennium Theatre.

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Founded in 1952 by Jean Dobson, Barrie’s King Edward Choir today is a group of 50 dedicated musicians encompassing all voices, striving to present a repertoire that is broad and engaging to both chorister and audience: recent years have seen performances of works by Britten, Mozart, Bernstein, Vivaldi, Mark Sirett, Stephanie Martin, Imant Raminsh and Ruth Watson Henderson, along with offerings of Renaissance motets, Spirituals, folk songs and show tunes. The choir frequently collaborates with other artists and groups, and enjoys community sing-outs. Rehearsals for our three annual performances normally take place Monday nights, and new members are welcome at any time! We are under the direction of interim conductor, Leanne Edwards, with Dan McCoy as accompanist. While our rehearsal and performance activities are now on hold until at least the New Year, KEC continues to plan for a new season and we hope to see you in 2021!

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In its 47th season, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society is one of Canada’s busiest presenters of chamber music concerts with over 60 concerts per year, ranging from solo recitals to octets. Programs range from medieval to contemporary; most feature both classics and recent music. Almost all of our concerts take place at our Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo, in a private home - it holds a maximum of about 85 people. A superb Steinway piano, good acoustics, a supportive audience and an intimate but informal atmosphere make for great concert experiences. Notable performers have included pianists Janina Fialkowska, Till Fellner, André LaPlante, Sofya Gulyak, and many more; the Penderecki, New Orford, Alcan, and many other quartets; the AYR and Andromeda trios and many more.

This year we complete our “Beethoven String Quartets” series featuring the Penderecki String Quartet, with four remaining concerts at First United Church, December 16 and 18 and February 3 and 5. We hope to present three to four concerts per month, all at the church unless the pandemic ends and we can resume in our Music Room.

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Having begun her career as a summer reporter on the Winnipeg Tribune, arts publicist Linda Litwack is a long-practised matchmaker between artists and the media. Her services include various forms of writing and editing - from media releases and bios to radio spots, online postings and CD booklets - working with designers, photographers and other professionals, and, of course, liaising with the media.

In addition to media, music and other contact lists, she maintains a list of friends, usually offering discounts for special events. Since leaving CBC Publicity (20 years in radio and three in TV), she has collaborated with numerous creative people on intriguing projects, mostly in classical music but also in theatre, TV documentaries, books and the visual arts. Longtime clients have included Show One Productions, pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico, soprano Denise Williams, and the Upper Canada Choristers. Linda ran the historic Toronto Jewish Folk Choir for several years, and chaired its Program Committee. She is also a board member of the International Resource Centre for Performing Artists.

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With over 150 singers, Mississauga Festival Choir is the largest and most spirited community choir in our city. We first came together in 1984 to celebrate Mississauga's 10th anniversary, and we stayed together to celebrate the joy of singing in a choral community like no other. Our spirited singing springs from our no-audition policy. Everyone who loves to sing is welcome to join us, and audiences hear the joy in every song.

Under the leadership of David Ambrose, MFC performs many concerts, raises money for local charities, records professional CDs, holds an annual choral competition and tours the world.

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Music at Metropolitan has a long history of presenting a variety of choral and instrumental concerts and special events. During this time, we are planning online events; please visit our website and watch for Wholenote listings. Our planning includes “Friday Noon at Met” livestreamed concerts featuring our Casavant pipe organ - the largest in Canada - as well as our various singers and instrumentalists. Stay tuned! And please stay safe and well.

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Music at St. Andrew’s is a community outreach program of historic St. Andrew’s Church in downtown Toronto. It was inspired by the church’s 2011 purchase of a Bösendorfer Imperial grand piano, which we share with the greater community. The piano is featured extensively in our free “Friday Noontime Recitals.” Our seventh season launches October 4 with performances by University of Toronto postgraduate music students and professionals. On Saturday, November 30 our candle-lit church will provide an atmospheric setting for dramatic readings from A Christmas Carol. Dickens’ beloved tale will be brought to life by opera star mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, classical music expert Rick Phillips and other talented readers, and complemented by musical interludes and a gingerbread reception. Our annual “Mardi Gras” concert returns Friday, February 21 with an exuberant evening of parades and authentic New Orleans jazz, performed by Patrick Tevlin’s Happy Pals, featuring pianist Jordan Klapman. COVID-19 has changed live music performances, but we’ll find other ways to bring music to our audiences. Stay tuned! 

Music at St. Andrew’s presents great music at affordable prices! Concerts take place at St. Andrew’s Church, 73 Simcoe St., Toronto.

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The Music Gallery is Toronto’s Centre for Creative Music. We present and promote experimentation and innovation in all forms of music, and encourage cross-pollination between genres, disciplines and audiences. Since 1976, we have occupied a valued position within Toronto’s musical ecology, presenting both internationally-renowned contemporary music and a wide spectrum of local artists and projects.

We are now located in the beautiful 918 Bathurst St. Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education, though this season most of our programming will be delivered online. We present the “X Avant Festival” during October, and “Emergents” (emerging artists) and “Departures” (off-site) series as well as unique main stage concert experiences throughout our season. We also partner with artists and arts organizations to co-present their work in our space, assisted by our highly experienced technical crew. Our season runs September through June with off-season events.

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Through its “Music in the Afternoon” concert series, the 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, Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen’s Park, Toronto.

The WMCT is committed to presenting a full season of five online concerts for its 123rd (2020/2021) season. Planned concerts include Michael Bridge & Friends LIVESTREAM for a limited audience (November 12, 2020); Eric Lu, piano (on demand March 4 – 25, 2021); soprano Joyce El-Khoury with Serouj Kradjian, piano (April 1, 2021); Marmen Quartet & Viano Quartet - First prize co-winners Banff International Strings Quartet Competition (May 6, 2021); and Ramon Ortega Quero, oboe, with Annika Treutler, piano (June 24, 2021). Artists, programs and dates are subject to change. Please visit our website for updates.

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“…serious, discerning presenters like Music Toronto have everything to celebrate.” (Musicaltoronto.org) 

A legacy organization in classical music, Music Toronto continues to represent the world’s best chamber ensembles and pianists, though we cannot present live concerts during the pandemic. We specialize in string quartets, long recognized as the highest form of western classical music. Throughout our history we have invited to Toronto only the finest, from established masters like the Amadeus, the Tokyo and the Hagen to exciting new quartets like the vision and the Schumann. Of course we always welcome back our home-grown favourites, the St. Lawrence Quartet and the Gryphon Trio.

Our reputation for pianists is equally eclectic - and compelling. From world-renowned interpreters like Stephen Hough, Marc-André Hamelin and Janina Fialkowska to brilliant rising stars like Benjamin Grosvenor, our piano is always in good hands. Great music of five centuries, from Haydn to new works written in this 21st century, and always including Canadian music; artists new and familiar, extraordinary music-making: only the best, only at Music Toronto. Join the best audience in the city for these great concerts.

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Now entering its 50th season, New Music Concerts is a vital and central part of Toronto’s new music scene and has been providing a leadership role in the community throughout its history. Founded by internationally-acclaimed Canadian musicians Robert Aitken and Norma Beecroft, NMC presented its first concert in January 1972 with guest composer/conductor Luciano Berio. Since that time NMC has commissioned hundreds of new works, and has brought countless historically important compositions to thousands of listeners through meticulous performances by Toronto’s top musicians, most often with the participation of the composers. NMC is known throughout the world as the pre-eminent new music organization of our country. Composers from around the world know that if their work is performed in Canada by NMC, then the performance will not only be outstanding, but probably definitive.

NMC is internationally renowned and unique in Toronto as the foremost champion of contemporary works for large chamber ensembles. After 50 years under the artistic direction of Robert Aitken, we are embarking on a transition to our new, innovative artistic director, composer, and conductor, Brian Current.

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Off Centre Music Salon re-creates the magical, inclusive atmosphere of the Viennese and Parisian Salons of the 19th century. Music is intimately shared, with each concert telling a story and creating personal connections for the audience and performers alike. Dedicated to the discovery and development of young, professional musical talent, Off Centre concerts include voice and instrumental performances. Repertoire is rarely, if ever, repeated.

During these otherworldly times, while our live concerts are on hold, we are planning a number of online events. We look forward to sharing some short performances, personal reflections and musical insights. Please continue to check the listings section of The WholeNote or our website to stay up-to-date with our planned activities.

Until we can meet again at our normal venue in Toronto, at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, please keep safe and be well.