... the boys of summer!

J and J will team up for an elegant July double-header launching the fourth year of a Toronto summer festival.

Left: circa 1985 in Brandon, Manitoba: From ash to pernambuco: this young champ traded his bat for a bow, but remains a die-hard Red Sox fan.

Right: circa 1966 in Vancouver, BC: "This is a very nice bowl, but where is the sushi? Beam me up, Scotty."

Think you know who MAY's children are?

Send your best guess to musicschildren@thewholenote.com

(please provide your mailing address, just in case your name is drawn!)

Winners will be selected by random draw among correct replies received by May 20, 2009.

Congratulations to our APRIL winners!

Shawn Kazubowski-Houston (Peterborough) and Laura Hartenberger (Toronto) each win a pair of tickets to hear Ponds, Creeks, Soundstill and Noisy River: Christina Petrowska Quilico plays the music of Ann Southam (May 12) at The Glenn Gould Studio, in memory of visual artist Aiko Suzuki and in recognition of the work of The David Suzuki Foundation. At a reception following the concert, the Canadian Music Centre launches the CD Pond Life , Petrowska Quilico's 22nd CD, her sixth on the Centrediscs label.

Rob Mosher (Astoria, NY) will receive the CD Pond Life (Centrediscs CMCCD 14109)

Ann Southam's Rivers, and additional new river-inspired pieces composed for pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico: this two-CD set is a world premiere recording supervised by the composer.

Neil Martinez (Etobicoke) will receive INGS (Welspringe 10009)

A two CD collection of live performances recorded by the CBC. Christina Petrowska Quilico plays works by Ann Southam, Gavin Bryars, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, David Jaeger, Alexina Louie, Toru Takemitsu, Lowell Liebermann, Henry Cowell, David  Del Tredici, Frederick Rzewski, Masamitsu Takahashi, Bill Westcott, Art Tatum, and Omar Daniel.

Music's Children gratefully acknowledges Linda Litwack, Moira Johnson, the Canadian Music Centre, Liz, Barbara, and Keiko.

APRIL's CHILD .....

Pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico has premiered hundreds of new works. Her 22 recordings include music of the 20th and 21st centuries, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and four with her late husband, Metropolitan Opera baritone Louis Quilico. In 2008 the Canadian Music Centre and Canadian League of Composers presented her with the 2007 Friends of Canadian Music Award. She is a Full Professor of Piano Performance and Musicology at York University.

Born in Ottawa, Christina studied with Boris Berlin at the RCM in Toronto. On scholarship at Juilliard (a student of Rosina Lhévinne, Jeaneane Dowis and Irwin Freundlich), she made her New York debut at 14 as a co-winner of the High School of the Performing Arts Concerto Competition with fellow student Murray Perahia. She later studied at the Sorbonne, and in Darmstadt and Berlin with Stockhausen and Ligeti.

"I played with orchestra for the first time at 10: fun, but I was angry to miss volleyball and baseball. The piano teachers were afraid I'd ruin my hands. I have since fractured my wrist, sprained a finger, slashed through my thumb while cooking and other assorted mishaps. It's all part of life's adventures and I'm still performing..."

Earliest musical memory?

My mother singing "Silent Night" and Ukrainian songs. Fortunately, she had a lovely voice. She always wanted to be a singer and was extremely artistic.

Other musicians in the family?

Music comes from her mother's family. The de Lezcinska family (even I can't spell it!) was related to the Count Potocki family with ties to Chopin. My grandmother talked about her past: I never believed her until I saw the names in a Chopin biography. She had a great ear for music and sang Polish songs.

Music in your childhood?

My brothers loved sports and thought music was torture but always had the latest music on the radio so I developed eclectic tastes.

My mother played classical recordings and took me to many concerts: chamber music, choir, symphony, and the ballet. We never missed the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts!

My father only went if I played. A journalist for many years, he became a translator for the RCMP, involved in classified information. He hoped I'd become a writer and only reluctantly allowed me to study at Juilliard because I had a scholarship and Canada Council grants. He loved his books and writing. My eldest daughter continued that tradition: majored in political science, American studies and is now a Professor of History. My younger daughter is a French translator for the Government.

I made up for that - both my husbands were musicians!

First memories of making music?

I started ballet and piano at 4 and 5. My brother was learning the piano. One day he was banging randomly and my mother asked what he was doing. He answered: "I'm looking for middle C". I was so frustrated I found it and played his piece for him. My mother decided I needed piano lessons.

I played for an audience at 6 - I remember getting dressed up, being on stage. I remember performing The Minute Waltz at 7, and duets with other students for festivals and concerts at 8 or 9. Chamber music and accompanying was a vital part of my early training and happily remains just as important today.

When you first thought of yourself as a musician? That's easy: the moment I was conscious of making music! More difficult is: when do you think of yourself as a professional musician? When you begin to be paid is usually when you begin to believe that maybe you are worth listening to. A huge responsibility begins to weigh on you. Musicians have great respect for history: always trying to live up to legends of the past.

Ever think you would do anything else?

Piano always won. I had to choose between piano and ballet at 10, then between piano and writing when I graduated from Juilliard and had a book of poetry published. I've had 3 books published. I still take courses, attend seminars and colloquiums, and draw.

If you could travel back through time to the young person in that childhood photo, is there anything you would like to say?

Don't worry so much about the future, enjoy every moment of life.

fShare

Tweet