With the March equinox just a month away, and the sun heading northward, February’s annual season announcements continue with Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble.
The 2016/17 Art of Time Ensemble season line-up follows upon Artistic Director Andrew Burashko’s long-standing ethos of imaginative genre-bending programming full of the unexpected. This upcoming season is no different.
With the help of playwright Morris Panych, the Art of Time season kicks off on November 3-5 with an Evening of Comedy in Music spread over two nights. Patrons will hear works by Joseph Haydn, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones, as well as a performance of Bill Coleman’s satirical dance work The Dance Belt: A Brief History of the Performing Arts.
Following upon on last year’s holiday twist of wit and daring, the Ensemble revives an updated version of “To All A Good Night” on Dec. 15-17. The event includes a 15-piece Big Band performance of Duke Ellington’s arrangement of The Nutcracker Suite, as well as a number of carols, and pop songs sung by Toronto’s songstress Jackie Richardson.
With Canada’s 150th anniversary coming up in 2017, Art of Time will hold a three-day mini-festival called, “Northern Songs”, which will honour the sesquicentennial a mix of classical and popular music. The first event will start on Feb. 16 & 18 and focus on arrangements by local composers of iconic Canadian songwriters such as Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Buffy St. Marie and Gordon Lightfoot. The remaining date (Feb 17) will be reserved for works by Canadian classical and jazz composers including Christos Hatzis, Oscar Peterson, Michael J. Baker and others.
March 31- April 1, 2017, brings a portrait of Johannes Brahms, through words and music. His personal letters will be read alongside works such as Brahms’ songs and Intermezzi for solo piano.
Closing the what will be Art of Time’s biggest season on record, is a split image concert of US Rock warhorse Steve Earle. A mix of Earle’s songs, poetry, storytelling (read by Michael Ondaatje and others) will be performed by 10-piece ensemble headed by Artistic Director Andrew Burashko.
As usual, performances will take place at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Subscriptions to Art of Time’s 16/17 Season will first be available to renewing subscribers from February through to March only. Remaining tickets will be released to the public in April.
Single tickets are available September 1, 2016. Details available at artoftimeensemble.com or by calling the box office at 416 973 4000.
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