To kick off April’s Keep Toronto Reading Festival, the Toronto Public Library and Toronto Symphony Orchestra have launched a fantastic initiative.
For 22 consecutive days (Mar 17 – Apr 7), a Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) cellist will perform Albinoni’s Adagio at a variety of locations across Toronto.
Sparked by the bestselling 2008 novel The Cellist of Sarajevo, by Canadian author Steven Galloway, a lone cellist brings his instrument every day into the war-torn streets of Sarajevo to play Albinoni’s Adagio for 22 days in memory of the 22 people killed by a mortar bomb while they queued for bread on May 26, 1992.
The first of the 22 performances was performed today, March 17th by TSO Principal Cello Joseph Johnson at top of the CN Tower. See a clip of the video here:
You can see a list and map of all locations as well as further information here.
If you bring your phone or e-reader, you can download the first two chapters of The Cellist of Sarajevo from a library representative. Visit keeptorontoreading.ca for a list of participating locations and details.
Michael Vincent