With the dog days of summer upon us, a rare summer season announcement is a reminder that the regular concert season is just around the corner.
Esprit Orchestra‘s season kicks off on October 6, 2019, in Koerner Hall with the aptly titled Hit My Head and Everything Changed. As the title suggests, Esprit hopes to leave your head spinning with a premiere of the same name by Brian Harman and interdisciplinary visual artist Moira Ness, followed by Adès’ bombastic Overture to “The Tempest”. During the event, renowned Canadian composer Alexina Louie will also be awarded the Molson Prize in the Arts for 2019.
Esprit’s second concert of the season will highlight Pulitzer prize-nominated composer Andrew Norman’s “Sustain” on December 1. Using titles like “Play,” “Try” and “Switch”, ‘Sustain” marks an exciting departure for Norman, who is known for writing orchestral music like no other. The piece is inspired by how audiences might perceive and be affected by orchestral music in the future tense, and has been lauded by critics as a masterpiece. The concert also includes “After Glow” by Toronto-based composer Adam Scime, with Veronique Mathieu as soloist, and Jose Evangelista’s “Accelerando”, which was first performed by the Montréal Symphony in 2016.
On February 26, Esprit will present Electric & Eclectic, featuring American composer John Adams’ Schoenberg inspired work “Son of Chamber Symphony”. While Adams is always a draw, the most interesting work appears to be “Not non-other” by Canadian composer James O’Callaghan. The work blends the orchestra with multi-channel speakers that combine to create a new sonic territory for a live orchestra. Esprit will bring the concert back to earth with Schnittke’s “Concerto Grosso No. 1” — a piece famously obsessed with exploring a baroque dialogue between the orchestra and soloists.
If you haven’t yet heard the wildly popular taiko drumming group Nagata Shachu, then you’re in for a treat on March 22. Taiko Returns will thunder through Koerner Hall with works by Barbara Croall, Christopher Goddard, Eugene Astapov and Maki Ishii.
With New Music festivals becoming an increasingly rare occurrence in Toronto, Esprit has opted to help fill the void with a commitment to the New Wave Festival this season. Esprit will be expanding the event from a one-day affair into a full three-day festival happening between April 16 and 18 at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. The festival will focus on events surrounding young composers and mentors including Stephanie Orlando, Žibuoklė Martinaitytė, Misato Mochizuki, Alison Yun-Fei Jiang, Chris Paul Harman, Christina Volpini, Quinn Jacobs and Nico Muhly.
Esprit Orchestra and contemporary music champion Alex Pauk have programmed a cutting-edge season for those with a taste for pristine orchestral premieres. In a city that seems to prefer its new music in small venues, Esprit offers a chance to experience it loud and proud with a full orchestra at Koerner Hall. Don’t miss it.
For all the details see, www.esprit.com.
LUDWIG VAN TORONTO
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