Blue Pages 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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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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In response to COVID-19, the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra will proudly and safely present our 41st season online. The SPO has always been dedicated to enriching the musical life of the greater Scarborough area by presenting engaging, high-quality musical performances. We are proud and grateful to continue to do so.

For 2020/21, the SPO will present two online series based on interesting themes. All-new “SPOGreatMusic” podcast episodes will be available on major platforms every other Friday, beginning September 18, and new Music Performance videos will be posted every other Friday to our YouTube channel, beginning on October 9. Both series run through April 2021.

Music Performance videos will feature SPO musicians, the Odin String Quartet, guest artists, and our artist-in-residence, Dr. Lisa Tahara. We will also post animated short films created by fourth year Sheridan College students with new music by composers from our SPO family. Podcasts will feature amazing interviews with musicians, composers, historians, musicologists, special guests, sector representatives, community partners (including the Stratford Symphony Orchestra, Scarborough Arts, and FabCollab Toronto), and more. Our composer-in-residence and podcast host is Dr. Daniel Mehdizadeh.

For more information, theme details, music performance selections, and links, please visit our website and social media platforms regularly. #SPOGreatMusic.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.