Blue Pages 2020

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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.

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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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Opera Atelier is a world leader in the rediscovery and revitalization of period opera and ballet, particularly works from the Baroque era. Through their historically-informed productions, founding co-artistic directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg seek to provide a thrilling theatrical experience for modern audiences. Opera Atelier presents a two-opera season in Toronto, and tours internationally. The company is dedicated to the education of youth and young artists, and offers a robust slate of education, enrichment and outreach opportunities.

Opera Atelier's reimagined 2020/21 season features a new creation called Something Rich and Strange (Oct 28, 2020) and Handel's The Resurrection (April 1, 2021) both livestreamed from Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre. Visit our website for more information.

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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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“…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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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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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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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 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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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.