Welcome to issue #11 of HalfTones—The WholeNote magazine’s e-newsletter that continues monthly through the summer! Here’s where you can find the latest local music news, contests and extra concert listings for the coming month. For additional updates on summer music in Toronto and beyond, take a look at the summer issue of the magazine.
- NOTEWORTHY -
ONTARIO’S MUSICAL SUMMER: FOLLOW THE FROG!
For many of those on the hunt for musicmaking, summer is festival season. In Ontario alone this month, dozens of festivals are offering up programs featuring artists and guest performers both returning and brand-new. For The WholeNote’s guide to music festivities in the coming weeks, all you have to do is pick up a copy (paper or “digital flipthrough”) of the summer issue and follow the green frog pin! The frog will lead you through the issue to listings and profiles of festivals in the area.
Featuring prominently in the festival listings this month is the Toronto Summer Music Festival, which runs from July 22 to August 12 right in the heart of the city and features everything from recitals to chamber music to, this year, a special appearance by the TSO at Koerner Hall. This summer’s programming is titled “The Modern Age” and highlights the astonishing breadth of compositional styles from the early 20th century, including works by Strauss, Prokofiev, Bartók and Schoenberg. Alongside the large concerts, Toronto Summer Music also runs a “SHUFFLE” series of informal, 5pm shows at Heliconian Hall—all the details for this series are in the “Listings Update” section below!
The festival brings a host of exciting performers to the stage at Koerner Hall and at UofT’s Walter Hall—you can get a sneak peek of the TSO’s first-ever Koerner Hall appearance at a chamber concert featuring members from the orchestra on August 7, and superstar guitarist Miloš Karadaglić (featured in Terry Robbins’ story for our summer issue) plays a recital on August 8. The WholeNote has tickets for both these shows to be won by lucky readers! For details, see our “Special Offers” section below. For more info on the festival, visit torontosummermusic.com.
If you prefer a day trip out of the city to a trip downtown, Stratford Summer Music (July 14 to August 24) also boasts an impressive lineup of performers. The festival’s roster of artists includes Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Jane Bunnett with her new group Maqueque, violinist Hilary Hahn with pianist Jan Lisiecki, and the TorQ percussion quartet. TorQ also leads a week-long seminar this year, and participates in a special project named “Tom Percussion Island,” where Tom Patterson Island will play host for six days to percussion-based installations, interactive works and pop-up concerts. To read up on what Stratford Summer Music has to offer, check out stratfordsummermusic.ca, and take a look at Wendalyn Bartley’s article from our summer issue!
There are, of course, many more festivals of all sorts and kinds in the coming month. Here’s just a taste of the other music festivals that join Toronto Summer Music and Stratford Summer Music in The WholeNote’s July listings:
Beaches International Jazz Festival, July 18 to July 27
Festival of the Sound, July 18 to August 10
Newmarket jazz+ Festival, August 1 to August 4
Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, July 24 to August 7
Sun Life Financial UpTown Waterloo Jazz Festival, July 18 to July 20
For details on these and other events, take a look at our festival listings or our Green Pages Festival Directory.
MUSIC FROM SCRATCH @ THE CMC
This year, Contact Contemporary Music is teaming up with the Canadian Music Centre to host the annual “Music from Scratch”—a free week-long workshop for ages 15-21. The week includes open rehearsals with the Contact ensemble, workshops guided by composer Graham Flatt in creative listening, writing, and vocal, movement, graphic and improvisation exercises, and a final concert performance to wrap up the program. For details or to register for the workshop, contact Matthew Fava (416-961-6601 x207, mfava@musiccentre.ca) or visit contactcontemporarymusic.org.
CONGRATS!
Finally, some congratulations are in order—of the numerous musicians among this June’s 86 new appointments to the Order of Canada, two Torontonians have been honoured with this recognition and deserve mention here. Alex Pauk, perhaps best known as the mastermind behind Esprit Orchestra, and composer Victor Davies have both been appointed Members of the Order of Canada. Their citations are as follows:
“Alexander Peter Pauk, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
For his contributions to the development of contemporary Canadian orchestral music and for his promotion of Canada’s composers.”
“Victor Davies, C.M.
Toronto, Ontario
For broadening the appeal of contemporary Canadian music and for supporting the legal rights of Canada’s composers.”
Congrats to both of these fine musicians on their work and their appointments!
- SPECIAL OFFERS -
CONTEST: TICKETS TO TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC
The WholeNote has tickets for two of the concerts from this year’s Toronto Summer Music Festival to be won by lucky readers! On August 7, members of the TSO perform a chamber music concert at Koerner Hall, which includes a Dohnányi sextet and arrangements of works by Mahler and Strauss. August 8 at Koerner Hall, internationally-renowned guitarist Miloš Karadaglić’s recital promises to be an entertaining and impressive performance.
For a chance to win tickets to one of these two shows, just click here and answer the following question:
Both of the programs for these shows contain pieces that are arrangements. Name one of the arrangers of a work from either the “Spotlight on the TSO” concert (August 7) or Miloš Karadaglić’s recital (August 8).
(hint: Take a look on the Toronto Summer Music Festival’s website at torontosummermusic.com!)
Deadline to apply is July 20 at noon. Winners will be drawn from all correct responses.
We wish you luck!
- DISCOVERIES -
Andrew Timar takes a listen to Autorickshaw’s new album -- the world music ensemble will be featured at the Oakville Jazz Festival on August 9, and is scheduled to perform on November 15 at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, a stunning new facility set to open on Wynford Drive in the fall.
The Humours of Autorickshaw
Autorickshaw
Tala Wallah Records TW 005 (autorickshaw.ca)
By Andrew Timar
The JUNO-nominated world music ensemble Autorickshaw’s delightfully exciting fourth album is a rich record of a particular transcultural Toronto musical masala. Make no mistake; The Humours of Autorickshaw is no parochial product however. Rather its achievement resonates across other communities of musicians forging other new musical hybrids. In its ambitious aspirations—adventurous genre mixings, and in some of its lyrics touching, contentious reaches of the human condition—it will resonate with select global audiences.
Viewed as an album The Humours of Autorickshaw reflects perhaps most obviously the music of both North and South India, digested over years of study and performance by a growing group of Toronto musicians anchored by Autorickshaw co-leaders Suba Sankaran (vocals) and Ed Hanley (tabla). They composed much of the music. The album is also as much informed by both classical and vernacular Western musical instruments and idioms. There are strong jazz, rock, funk and even punk features.
- LISTINGS UPDATE -
Please find below additions to our July and early August listings:
Tuesday July 8
8:00: Musideum. Ed Hanley Tabla Solo. Traditional tabla solos in rhythmic cycles of 7, 10, 11 and 16 beats. Ed Hanley, tabla; Rattan Bhamrah, esraj. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W.416-599-7323. $20.
Wednesday July 9
8:00: Musideum. Namgar. Mongolian Folk World Fusion. Namgar, vocals; and others. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20.
Thursday July 10
8:00: Jazz Bistro. Joel Miller @ The Jazz Bistro. Joel Miller, saxophone. 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299. $10; $15 on July 11 and 12. Also each night at 9:30pm and 11pm. Also July 11 and 12.
8:00: Musideum. The Uncertainty Principle Duo. Andrew Boniwell, piano; Richard Underhill, saxophone. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20; $10(st/artist).
Friday July 11
8:00: Musideum. Pleistocene Serenade. New music. Lief Mosbaugh, oboe; Carol Gimbel, viola; Raphael Roter, percussion; Philip Fournier, piano and composition. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $10.
Saturday July 12
8:00: Musideum. The Westwood Chamber Players. Brahms: Clarinet trio; Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (arr. piano 4-hands and clarinet; Frank Horvat: new work. Michael Westwood, clarinet; Erika Nielsen, cello; Gregory Millar and Lisa Millar, Millar Piano Duo. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20.
Sunday July 13
3:00: Musideum. Huu Bac Quartet. World jazz. Huu Bac Quach, composer, dan bau, erhu, quena, guitar; Guillaume Martineau, piano; Jean-Félix Mailloux, bass; Étienne Mason, drums. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20.
Tuesday July 15
8:00: Musideum. Valeria Matzner. World Latin. Valeria Matzner, vocals; Max Senitt, drums; Scott Metcalfe, piano; Scott Kemp, bass. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20
Thursday July 17
8:00: Musideum. The Larry Bond Quartet. Original compositions by Larry Bond from the CD "Out in Front"; debut performances of recent compositions; works by Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, Wayne Shorter. Larry Bond, piano; Bruce Redstone, saxophone; Bob Mills, bass; Richard Moore, drums. Suite 133 (main floor), 401 Richmond St. W. 416-599-7323. $20.
8:00: StageWorks Toronto. Assassins. Musical. Stephen Sondheim, music and lyrics; John Weidman, book. Lorraine Kimsa, co-director; Michael Yaneff, co-director; Luke Witt; Hugh Ritchie; Rich Burdett; Russ Underdown; Dylan Brenton; and others. George Ignatieff Theatre, 15 Devonshire Place. 416-803-5287. $25. Also Jul 18, 19, 20(mat), 23, 24, 25, 26(mat and eve) and 27(mat).
Friday July 18
8:30: Hugh's Room. Duane Andrews & Craig Young @ Hugh's Room. Duane Andrews and Craig Young, guitars. 2261 Dundas St. W. 416-531-6604. $18(adv); $20(door).
Sunday July 20/Monday July 21
1:00: Kantele Players of Agricola and Musideum. Kantele Workshops and Concert. Beginner and intermediate for 5-15 string kanteles. Arja Kastinen, kantele/clinician. Agricola Lutheran Church, 25 Old York Mills Rd. 416-599-7323. $25 (single workshop); $40 (both workshops). July 20, 1-4pm: beginner workshop; July 21, 9am-12pm: intermediate workshop; July 21, 1-4pm: intermediate workshop part II; July 21, 7pm: participant concert.
Wednesday July 23
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Drew Jurecka Trio. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Drew Jurecka, violin; Mark Kieswetter, piano; Clark Johnston, bass. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Thursday July 24
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Carissa Klopoushak. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Folk-inspired program. Carissa Klopoushak, violin; Alexandru Sura, cimbalom. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Friday July 25
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Marin Nasturica. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Marin Nasturica, accordion. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Wednesday July 30
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Lui Fang. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Chinese classical, folk and contemporary works for pipa from both east and west. Lui Fang, pipa. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Thursday July 31
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Nico Dann's Rhododendron. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. A modern jazz ensemble led by drummer Nico Dann. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Friday August 1
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. Carol Gimbel and Pemi Paull. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Solo and duo works for viola, acoustic and electronic. Carol Gimbel and Pemi Paull, violas. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Wednesday August 6
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. University of Toronto Jazz Combo. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Staff and students of the jazz program at UofT. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Thursday August 7
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. The Bicycle Opera Project Part 1. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Small-scale contemporary opera. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
Friday August 8
5:00: Toronto Summer Music Festival. The Bicycle Opera Project Part 2. Part of the OLG SHUFFLE concert series. Small-scale contemporary opera. Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 416-408-0208. PWYC.
- STRICTLY CLASSIFIED! (summer only) -
Pass the word! For only $12 (20-word max) you can have a classified ad on our website right now, without waiting for the September issue. Email classad@thewholenote.com.
Click here to read the complete collection of summer classifieds.
- DATES WITH HALFTONES -
You can count on HalfTones right through the summer and into the fall! The next HalfTones publication date is Tuesday August 12 (Vol. 1 #12). After that, be sure to keep an eye out for The WholeNote’s first print issue of its 20th season on Thursday September 4, and the September issue of HalfTones on Tuesday September 16.
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