This week’s critic’s picks round up for the sub-arctic-never-ending-winter week ahead.
3 Monday
- John Terauds, guest speaker. Toronto Reference Library. 7 p.m. Free
Come say hello to our very own Musical Toronto founder John Terauds tonight for the first in a series of Classical 101 talks exploring new directions in contemporary music. In the event presented by members of the Toronto New Music Alliance, John will be discussing themes concerning contemporary music in Toronto. Info here.
4 Tuesday
- Pianists, Claudia Chan and Ryan MacEvoy McCullough at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Noon. Free.
The Canadian Opera Company will be presenting an evening of contemporary piano with John Adams and Hans Thomalla. This event is a satellite collaboration with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s (TSO) New Creations Festival, and includes pianists Claudia Chan and Ryan MacEvoy McCullough. They will play Adams’ all engrossing Hallelujah Junction and Hans Thomalla’s extended fantasy for two prepared pianos, Noema. Thomalla will be present to add insight into his work. John Adams will be in attendance. (Some) details here.
5 Wednesday
- Leila Josefowicz, violin, Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir, cello perform with the TSO; Peter Oundjian conductor and host; John Adams, guest conductor; at Roy Thomson Hall. 8 p.m. $33-$145.
Tonight marks the second instalment of the TSO’s New Creations Festival, and features the Canadian premiere of Adams’ Slonimsky’s Earbox, Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason’s Bow to String, as well as Zosha Di Castri’s Lineage, and Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Violin Concerto.
Iceland’s Bjarnason is making a lot of waves in the contemporary music world lately and it is great to see him on the program. Details here.
The intermission will include host Abigail Richardson-Schulte in the North Lobby chatting with Kevin Lau, Daníel Bjarnason and Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir.
The pre-concert show starts early at 7:15 p.m. in the North Lobby and features the Gryphon Trio performing six pieces chosen from the Soundstreams Emerging Composers Workshop.
The post-concert party features experimental jazz with the Hugh March Trio.
NB: I haven’t been able find a much online about this, but RBC Affiliate Composer Kevin Lau will be at the Canadian Music Centre between 2 and 3 p.m. today where he will lead a conversation with composers John Adams, Daníel Bjarnason, Zosha Di Castri, and Brian Current. This event is co-presented with the Canadian Music Centre.
6-9, 11-12 Thurs. to Wed.
- Tafelmusik with Wen Zhao, Chinese pipa; Aruna Narayan Kalle, Indian sarangi, and Inuit ensemble “Aqsarniit” (Northern Lights), at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. 3:30 p.m. (Thu.-Sat), 8 p.m.; (Sun.), 3:30 p.m.; (Teu.) 8 p.m.; (Wed.), 7 p.m. $39-67.
This concert features a performance of Four Seasons: A Cycle of the Sun, with their newly commissioned version of “Winter” by academy award-winning composer Mychael Danna. This reworking incorporates North Indian classical music, eighteenth-century Chinese music, and Inuit throat singing games known as “katajjaq.” Details here.
NB: The Tuesday, March 11th, show will be held at The George Weston Recital Hall.
See here for a glimpse of a documentary about the project:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTbI5VD2W3Q
7 Friday
- Cellist, Shauna Rolston and the St. Lawrence String Quartet perform with the TSO, Peter Oundjian conductor and host; John Adams, conductor; Gary Kulesha, conductor; at the Roy Thomson Hall. 7:30 p.m. $33-$145.
The TSO’s closing New Creations Festival concert is packed full of works by Brian Current, Three Pieces for Orchestra, Vincent Ho City Suite, as well as John Adams’ Absolute Jest for string quartet and orchestra. Details here.
Join Abigail Richardson-Schulte during intermission for a chat about the program with Canadian composers Brian Current and Vincent Ho.
The pre-concert show starts at 6:45 p.m. in the North Lobby and includes a short performance by the St. Lawrence String Quartet.
The post-concert schmooze features 1920’s Paris styled “Jazz Manouche” played by The Hot Jazz String Quartet.
- Richard Galliano Quartet with special guests the Dominic Mancuso Group at Koerner Hall. 8 p.m. $25+.
This will be a great concert for the film buff. Richard Galliano is an accomplished accordionist and will be playing music by legendary Italian film and concert music composer, Nino Rota. Rota penned the music for films by Fellini, Coppola, and others, including La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and The Godfather. More info here.
- Christina Petrowska Quilico, piano; Janet Catherine Dea, soprano at Heliconian Hall. 8 PM. $20-25.
Come celebrate International Women’s Day with a performance of chamber works by an all-Canadian case of composers: Ann Southam, Joanna Estelle, Kye Marchall and Monika Pearce. Looks like a great evening. Details here.
8 Saturday
- Pianist Adam Sherkin performs at Jane Mallett Theatre. 8 p.m. $30-45.
Tonight sounds promising as Adam Sherkin, performs works such as Bach’s Capriccio on the Departure of a Beloved Brother BWV992, Sawer’s The Melancholy of Departure, and John Adams’ Phrygian Gates and China Gates. Sherkin will also premiere his new work titled Exquisite Departure. Come early for a pre-concert chat at 7: 15 p.m. Details here.
9 Sunday
- Trio Arkel and members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra at Church of the Holy Cross. 7 p.m. $10-20.
Trio Arkel and guests will present an evening of chamber music with Sibelius (Two String Trios), Saariaho (Cloud Trio), and Lindberg (Quintet for Clarinet and Strings).
For a taste of Saariaho’s Cloud Trio, listen here:
Michael Vincent