Directories

David Fallis has been a member of the Toronto Consort since 1979 and its artistic director since 1990. He has led the ensemble in many critically-acclaimed programs, has directed the group in its many recordings and tours and has conceived and scripted many of their most popular programs. Fallis is also one of Canada’s leading interpreters of operatic and choral/orchestral repertoire, especially from the Baroque and Classical periods. He is music director for Opera Atelier, and currently he teaches in the Graduate Department of the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto.

1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

As I write this (Friday, May 24),, I am taking a few moments off from getting ready for this weekend's performances by the Toronto Consort of “A Woman's Life,” an exploration of women's music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque with images, music from the Consort, and readings by two wonderful female actors, all designed and scripted by Alison Mackay. It so happens that these will be the last concerts in the sanctuary at Trinity-St. Paul's Centre before the renovations start. We're looking forward to the new look and sound next fall!

2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

Terry McKenna, the Consort's lute/guitar player, is on stage in Stratford's Romeo and Juliet this summer, so I'm hoping to catch him in that. And maybe I'll get to combine it with the special concert honouring Murray Schafer's 80th birthday that Stratford Summer Music is planning.

3. How about as a music maker/player?

The regular season is always a bit crazy-busy so I like to take some real downtime in the summer, but the Consort will be performing in Niagara-on-the-Lake: fun to have an excuse to go that direction and play some rollicking Renaissance ballads as part of our “Mariners and Milkmaids” program.

4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

I’ll be preparing for our 2013/14 season, which features a great lineup of programs. We start with an exploration of Swedish “folk baroque” in October, followed by some rarely heard Jewish music from Renaissance Italy performed by our special guests Ensemble Lucidarium in November; in December we perform our wonderful Spanish and Latin American Christmas concerts, “Navidad,” which we have also recently recorded. In February we are doing a European Carnival-themed program and we wrap up with Giasone, an opera in concert by Francesco Cavalli in April. And we're hoping to produce the fabulous medieval music theatre piece The Play of Daniel in the fall of 2014, so I'll let the creative juices start flowing on that too.

Matthias Maute is the artistic director of Ensemble Caprice (Montreal), tours as a conductor, recorder and flute player and is in demand as a composer and teacher. He loves playing soccer with his son.

 1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

Right now (Friday, May 24) I’m preparing the final score for the opera Motezuma that Ensemble Caprice is premiering on June 21 in Montreal and that I co-wrote with…Antonio Vivaldi (most of his music for this opera is lost)!

 2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

“Baroque Goes Wild,” a multimedia event at the Montreal Baroque Festival on June 22 that will create a meeting place for early music and the digital world!

 3. How about as a music maker/player?

The opera project Motezuma with Ensemble Caprice will be the highlight. It has evolved into a new genre of baroque opera where the recitatives are replaced by a narration that is accompanied by freshly composed contemporary music. Can’t wait!

 4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

With Ensemble Caprice we will start the first ever cycle of Beethoven symphonies on period instruments in Montreal this fall. So, I will delve into a well-known world but look at it from a different angle. Since I was young I’ve always wanted to discover what can be found on the hidden side of the moon…

Nancy Dutra is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter of Americana music. Her debut album Time Will Tell was produced by Les Cooper and has been listed on the Euro Americana chart. She has co-written with Ron Sexsmith and Kevin Welch. 

1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

Right now (Friday, May 24), I'm finishing several songs that I started writing while in Austin, Texas. This material is new territory for me both lyrically and musically, which is exciting and challenging. I just returned from a two and a half month stay in Austin during which time I played a lot of shows, wrote a lot of songs and made some new friends. There are so many fantastic songwriters and musicians in Austin who I found really inspiring. The same can be said for my hometown of Toronto, which I missed even more than I thought I would. Next week, I'm back on the road, playing a series of shows in and around Oklahoma City.

2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

I'm performing at a couple of festivals in Azores, Portugal in late June and I'm really looking forward to discovering some new artists there. As a Portuguese-Canadian, I've always felt a strong connection to my roots but I've only recently made a connection with the Portuguese artistic community and it's been a lot of fun. I'm also really looking forward to a lot of the music festivals happening at home!

3. How about as a music maker/player?

I can hardly wait to fine-tune and finish the songs I've been writing, many of which I plan to demo in the fall. I'm also looking to collaborate more with different writers and players. Collaboration is still relatively new to me but I like it. Co-writing exposes me to new musical ideas and challenges me to express myself more clearly.

4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

I want to demo my new songs in the fall in preparation for recording a full length album to follow my debut Time Will Tell, which was released in October 2012. So, in addition to taking in a lot of live music, I am really focused on making my new songs as strong as possible. I love writing and I always feel so fortunate when I am as inspired as I am now. 

Michael Reinhart is a composer, singer-songwriter and self-taught finger-style guitar player who has created music for dance, theatre and film, and performs his urban folk songs across Canada. He’s just released his fifth album, eCHO. 

1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

I am writing this (Friday, May 24) in the midst of submitting my brand new, very recent urban folk album eCHO to the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and I’m almost finished except for the mailing of CDs. It’s late in the afternoon so I’ll have to wait until morning, so I’ve taken this break to write down a few things for The WholeNote.

2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

As a member of an audience, I look forward to catching some of the interesting acts at the Montreal Jazz Festival which starts near the end of June, running into the first week of July. There are always several exceptional free events on outdoor stages downtown in the hot and humid beginning of summer, which certainly suits the budget of the average Canadian singer-songwriter.

3. How about as a music maker/player?

As a music maker and player, I especially look forward to my own Montreal album release on June 20 at Robin des Bois, where I will launch my new album eCHO and perform a live concert of songs from the CD. It will be a hometown celebration of a recording almost three years in the making, with tasty hors d’oeuvres for friends and fans alike.

4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

Beyond the summer I will likely be doing a bit of touring to promote my new album, in the west of Canada first of all, then potentially in the east. I already have some performances set with some contemporary dancers in Vancouver, so I will synchronize some solo dates here and there in BC and maybe Alberta on the way home. I will be spending a month in Europe this summer and will try to spread the word about the CD and feel things out with regard to future touring over there. Perhaps drop a few albums here and there to drum up some interest in my music. Now that it's finally finished, I'm putting it out into the world.

WEBSITE

michaelreinhart.com 

LAURIE EVAN FRASER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, UPPER CANADA CHORISTERS

Laurie Evan Fraser is a freelance musician living in Toronto. She is the founding artistic director of the Upper Canada Choristers and its Latin ensemble, Cantemos. Laurie is a collaborative pianist, teacher, adjudicator and workshop clinician. 

1. What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)?

Today (Thursday, May 23) I am in the midst of finalizing plans for the 20th anniversary concert of the Upper Canada Choristers in May 2014. The theme of our concert is “Turn the World Around, a Celebration of Music's Influence on Social Action.” We have commissioned Stephen Hatfield to write a cross-cultural composition for us to sing with the main choir and Cantemos, our Latin chamber ensemble. I am getting in touch with choir alumni to work on a surprise addition to the concert. We are also focused on preparing for a Cantemos recording date in early June.

2. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience member between now and September 7?

I'm looking forward to attending events at the Toronto Summer Music Festival. I am especially drawn to chamber music, and one of my favourite chamber ensembles, the Gryphon Trio, will be performing at Koerner Hall on July 18. Also, this year the fabulous Dutch soprano Elly Ameling is a mentor in the Art of Song.

3. How about as a music maker/player?

I enjoy reading through new scores and exploring new possibilities. There doesn't seem to be time to do much of this during the season. I do minimal teaching during the summer, so I have more freedom to sing and play my own music. Cantemos is planning to perform at two outdoor summer events: Kensington Market Pedestrian Sundays and the Marleeville Street Festival.

4. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans?

I am working on preparations for a Holocaust Education Week concert on November 6 of the Upper Canada Choristers in collaboration with the Toronto Jewish Folk Choir and the Choir of Temple Sinai. The concert will be reprised at Temple Sinai on November 15. I am also working on details for our holiday concert on December 6, “Laudamus Te,” and of course, our anniversary concert on May 9. In addition, I will be doing some long range planning for the next five years culminating in a choir trip to Japan in 2019. Summer is also my time to compose, and I am looking forward to setting a poem written by one of our Cantemos members.