With spring on the way, music always sounds that much more refreshing. This week doesn’t disappoint with performances by Yegor Dyachkov, Jean Saulnier, Jason Stoll, TorQ, the LA Phil with conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Talisker Players, I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble, Voice Box Opera, Rick Sacks, and the great The Arditti Quartet.
17 Monday
- Audio engineer, Paul Hodge speaks at the Toronto Reference Library. 7 p.m. Free.
For all the sound reinforcement buffs out there, come enjoy a free talk at New Music 101 by Paul Hodge, technical director of the Music Gallery. Paul has 38 years of experience working with Toronto’s live music community, and he is one of Canada’s finest live sound engineers. The 30-minute talk will cover a presentation and demonstration of live performance microphone techniques, as well as a historical overview with listening examples. You can find out more here.
18 Tuesday
- Jason Stoll, pianist at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Noon. Free.
Looking for something to do this afternoon? Why not come hear a free program of virtuoso masterworks by Haydn, Schumann, Villa-Lobos and Gershwin. Performing will be Juilliard graduate and bright young pianist Jason Stoll, who is now an Artist Diploma candidate at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Info here.
- Talisker Players at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre. 8 p.m. $15-35.
This sounds like a very interesting project. The concert will feature a 21st-century version of the book of beasts, a compendium in which the traits of animals (real or imagined) that served as examples for proper human conduct. Music includes Miriam Gideon, Poulenc, Rossini, Flanders and Swann, and a new piece by Alexander Rapoport based on Don Marquis’s iconic Archy and Mehitabel. You can hear audio examples here.
Tickets info and more details here.
19 Wednesday
- Los Angeles Philharmonic, with conductor Gustavo Dudamel at Roy Thomson Hall. 8 p.m. $69.50 – $169.50
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will be in town this week with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 and Corigliano’s Symphony No. 1. The latter is inspired by the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, and seeks to memorialize friends and colleagues in Corigliano’s life.
This is an amazing opportunity to see Dudamel and the LA Phil in a great program of new and old. More details here.
You can watch this extremely absorbing symphony on Youtube.
20 Thursday (very busy)
- Cellist Yegor Dyachkov and pianist Jean Saulnier at Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto Faculty of Music. 1:30 p.m. $45.
The respected Women’s Musical Club of Toronto brings back Career Development Award winner, cellist Yegor Dyachkov in recital with collaborative pianist Jean Saulnier, performing works by Beethven, Britten, Shostakovich and Canadian composer Christos Hatzis. The program features a WMCT world premiere of Hatzis’ Atonement, which owes its title to the fact that its composition began on the eve of Yom Kippur 2012, the Jewish Day of Atonement. Info and tickets here.
- The Arditti Quartet at the Jane Mallet Theatre. 8 p.m. $10-55.
Music Toronto presents new music specialists Arditti Quartet performing works by Elliot Carter, Hilda Paredes, Brian Ferneyhough, and Helmut Lachenmann. Some rarely heard works here, and a great opportunity to hear one of the world’s finest string quartets. Not to be missed. More info here.
- TorQ Percussion Quartet at the Tranzac Main Hall 8 p.m. $10-25
Toronto’s hottest percussion ensembles will be performing “Broken Beats,” featuring works inspired by drum set grooves. The set includes world premieres by Dinuk Wijeratne, Jason Nett, Erik Patterson, Adam Campbell as well as the Montreal’s new music darling Nicole Lizee who will be premiering “Katana of Choice,” featuring guest drum set soloist Ben Reimer. If you haven’t yet experienced TorQ, you really should drop what you’re doing and go! (very little) details here.
22 Saturday
- I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble with Vicki St. Pierre, mezzo; Stephanie Martin, organ at Windermere United Church. 8 p.m. $10-20
Come hear the I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble (Gabrielle McLaughlin – Soprano, Aisslinn Nosky and Julia Wedmanm violins, and Felix Deak – Cello/Viola da Gamba) plus guests perform work by Pergolesi and Biber. Looks like a great concert. Details here.
- Rick Sacks at Array Space. 8 p.m. $10.
Arraymusic brings an evening of progressive works for the electronic percussion instrument Mallet Kat and electronic drum kit by Darren Copeland, Luke Nickel, Bob Bauer, Rick Sacks and more. (Very little) info here.
23 Saturday
- Voice Box Opera at the Jane Mallett Theatre. 2:30 p.m.
This afternoon features a comparatively rarely performed Verdi’s Stiffelio. I’ve never actually seen this work, but I’m intrigued. Former COC Ensemble Studio soprano Laura Albino plays Lina, together with principals, tenor Ernesto Ramirez and baritone, Geoffrey Sirett. Raisa Nakhmanovich is the pianist and Robert Cooper directs the OIC chorus. Details.
Michael Vincent