Violinists Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa, along with a few of their friends from Gentileschi Baroque, are launching a new concert series titled Harmony is in Our Hands, with their first concert on December 6. Artistry and advocacy come together in the concert, featuring guest artist soprano Hélène Brunet, and with all funds raised going to support the YWCA of Toronto.
December’s concert is presented together with Friends of Music, and takes place at the historic St. Thomas Church, with most tickets available at pay-what-you-can pricing to make it accessible to anyone.
Harmony is in Our Hands: December 6
Music, compassion, and civic engagement come together in the new concert series helmed by Costa and Wedman as co-Artistic Directors. Each will feature a different beneficiary, and a roster of local and international musicians.
For December 6, the performers include:
- Hélène Brunet — soprano
- Cristina Prats Costa — violin
- Julia Wedman — violin
- Matt Antal — viola
- Mélisande Corriveau — viola da gamba and cello
- Avi Stein — harpsichord
- Marco Cera — oboe
LV spoke to Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa about the new series.
Julia Wedman and Cristina Prats Costa: The Interview
Harmony is in Our Hands is an idea that’s been in the works for some time.
“I would say it’s over a few years,” Wedman says. “I would say that Cristina and I were both what I would call compulsive helpers.” That includes giving back to the community in a variety of ways.
“Over the last few years, both Cristina and I have been teaching and playing in some different communities,” Julia says. Many of those audience represented under-served communities and regions. “We find that kind of work very satisfying to do. It brings us a lot joy and connection.”
“We like to do it in places where people [often] can’t see Baroque music,” Cristina adds. That includes not only specific communities, but in locations and areas that make it difficult to present concerts. “We find it special to share the experience with them,” she says.
As Cristina points out, the musicians get as much out of the performance as the audience.
“They give us so much with their enthusiasm,” Costa says.
Wedman mentions experiences Costa had working globally in places like Suriname, Peru, and South Africa.
“That opened our eyes to how much we enjoyed being part of the community,” Julia says. “What could we do in Toronto?” Costa moved to Toronto last year, adding momentum to the idea. “What’s something we can do together in town that would connect us to our community here?”
Each event will feature different partners and recipients of the funds raised. “It’s an open ended idea,” Wedman adds.
It means they can work with many different musicians both in and out of Toronto. “Each concert, we want to have a focus on another community partnership,” she adds. That can include student groups, charities, and schools, among others.
“There are so many things that we can do to be part of our community,” Wedman says. “As we’re already discovering, working with Elizabeth [Anderson], who’s the Director of Music for the Friends of Music at St. Thomas — they work with kids who can’t afford music lessons. We also reached out to the YWCA.”
Cristina researched various charities, and was impressed with the YWCA and their programs. “They already have the sense of community,” she says. In addition to the Harmony Is In Our Hands concert, both musicians will be performing at a memorial vigil for the Montreal massacre on the same day.
The Music
The music of the Baroque period will be featured at the concert series. “We are both Baroque violinists, and we love the music so much,” Costa says.
“Baroque music was designed and was written to create a shared connection and shared emotions with an audience,” Wedman adds. “The point is to express things that people can relate to. We both find that so attractive about the experience, and playing the music. There’s such a strong connection with our audiences. It’s very rewarding,” she says.
“The medium itself allows for such a lot of creativity.” As Julia points out, during the Baroque period, composers typically did not include dynamics and other details in their notation, leaving those up to the performers. “And that creative flexibility in the music is what we love about it, but also what enhances the connection to audiences.”
Every time they play it, the performance will be slightly different. “We do something that’s personal,” Wedman adds. “We call it the era of the performer-composer.” What’s on the page is only part of the performance.
“It’s very creative and spontaneous.”
Costa points out another aspect of Baroque music that fits the spirit of Harmony is in Our Hands. “At the time, the Baroque era, concerts were not, as we know now, in a concert hall.” They took place in a variety of locations, including home settings. “We also wanted to show that in our concerts.”
Future concerts in the series may take place at different halls, venues, and perhaps schools.
“It’s just a community gathering,” Cristina says.
“We wanted to have a more open ended approach,” Julia says. That will entail different levels of formality too.
Performers
Soprano Hélène Brunet is a welcome collaborator. “We love her,” both women say.
“We’ve worked with her quite a lot over the last few years,” Wedman notes. That includes performances through L’Harmonie des saisons, a vocal and period instrument ensemble based in Québec’s Eastern Townships. “We’ve worked with her, and gotten to know her, through that group,” she explains. “She’s just a kind and wonderful human being.”
It made her the perfect fit for the upcoming concert. Wedman says that’s what she’s looking for in terms of collaborators. “No. 1, they are incredible human beings, then they are also good musicians.”
She mentions harpsichordist Avi Stein, who teaches continuo accompaniment, vocal repertoire, and chamber music at Juilliard. He is also the organist and chorusmaster at Trinity Church in New York.
“He’s a wonderful musician.”
Oboist Marco Cera is a member of Toronto’s Tafelmusik. Mélisande Corriveau, who’ll play viola da gamba and cello, is the co-Artistic Director of L’Harmonie des saisons. “She’s just an incredible superstar,” Wedman says.
Violist Matt Antal has a dual career. “He also happens to be an incredible recording engineer
as well as an incredible musician,” Julia notes.
“All were very enthusiastic about participating,” Cristina adds.
“It’s nice that we’ve had so much support,” Wedman continues. Those names may show up in future events.
The Program
“Cristina and I have this group that we started a couple of years ago, it’s called Gentileschi Baroque,” Julia says. “I felt very strongly that there wasn’t enough weight in concert programs on female composers.” The ensemble, in fact, is named after famed Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi.
Their mandate includes an effort at making the names of female composers of the Baroque much more commonly known.
“Everybody knows Bach and Handel,” Wedman says.
Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de La Guerre (1665 – 1729) was a French harpsichordist and composer. “She was an incredible French Baroque composer. Even in the Baroque world, a lot of people don’t know her music,” Julia points out. One of her trios will be on the program.
Mrs Philharmonica is another composer who’s work will be performed. The English composer wrote under the enigmatic pseudonym, and left a legacy of several published works dating from about 1715. “Nobody knows who she is. She sounds a bit like Corelli,” Wedman explains. “She was a composer in London, and her music was published in a subscription. But nobody knows her real name,” she adds.
“We’ll play a trio also by Isabella Leonardo.” A nun, Leonardo lived in Novara, Italy, from 1620 to 1704. “[Her music is] very vibrant and appealing.”
The focus on women composers doesn’t necessarily exclude the better known work of men. “We’ll of course play some Handel,” Wedman adds.
“I think in the music too, we want to make sure that under represented composers are represented,” Julia explains.
She recalls playing a concert in Hamilton with Hammer Baroque where the entire program came from female composers that the audience had never heard of. “We had such an amazing audience response to that concert,” Julia says. The musicians introduced the composers and their works, as well as playing them. “It was really eye opening.”
Cristina says they’re already thinking about the next concert, and that they’re open to ideas.
“The other thing is that this is the start of something,” Wedman adds. “We have many ideas, but I have the feeling that this is the start of an adventure.”
- Find details and tickets for the December 6 concert [HERE].
- Find out more about Harmony is in Our Hands [HERE].
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