the night’s silence is spoken by the moon
The Happenstancers, Toronto’s chamber supergroup, will present a program of night music titled Die Nacht/Der Mond (The Night/The Moon) for two performances on February 20 and 28. It’s a showcase of chamber music in its most intimate mode, and features contemporary miniatures, theatrical recitation, and sensual Romantic chamber music — drawing the links between the disparate genres and historical eras.
“There is a comfort in the dark, a peace and silent intimacy that we all feel when we walk quietly in the night, but this vanishes with an unexpected sound or an imagined movement in the shadows,” says clarinetist Brad Cherwin in a statement.
The Music
The music selections are evocative of the world of dreams, where reality takes on an unsettled mode, constantly changing, and the darkness of night time. Colours and moods shift suddenly, and the familiar transforms abruptly into disorientation.
Romantic masters like Brahms and Faure frame works by contemporary composers Kaija Saariaho, Jörg Widmann, Lori Freedman, Peter Eotvos, and György Kurtág, and spoken elements combine with 21st century instrumental techniques in this musical exploration of our relationship to the night.
The program includes:
- Johannes Brahms — Trio in a, op. 114
- Gabriel Fauré — Trio in d, op. 120
- Kaija Saariaho — Oi Kuu (To the Moon)
- Jörg Widmann — Sphinxensprüche und Rätselkanons (Sphinx’s Sayings and Riddle-Canons, excerpts)
- Lori Freedman — Nab Mab
- Thomas Adès — Darknesse Visible
- Peter Eotvos — Poems for Polly
- György Kurtág — Hommage a Tristan
- Kurtag — Versetto apokrif organum
- Kurtag — Ruhelos, from Kafka Fragments
“We almost always perform music at night,” says cellist Peter Eom, “we’re using chamber music to examine that setting, and delve into the theatrical or emotional opportunities present in something that is both so familiar and fundamentally unknowable.”
You can sample the repertoire here (formatted vertically for best viewing on a phone) here.
The Musicians
The Happenstancers are made up of a floating cast of some of Toronto’s most adventurous musicians, with a trio of performers for Die Nacht/Der Mond.
Peter Eom, cello
Along with music, Peter Eom’s interests include a range of subjects from literature to fashion. He was the sole recipient of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and YoungArts NYC Creative Residency 2023-2024, and with its support, is currently showing his interdisciplinary installation SEAMLESS at NYC Fashion Week FW 2026. As a chamber musician, Peter is the cellist of the Rolston String Quartet, who took home first prize at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2016. He is also a dedicated educator, and has taught chamber music at Duke University, the Royal Conservatory of Music at Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Texas at Austin, and Yale University and cello at Northwestern University and the Royal Conservatory of Music at Toronto.
Brad Cherwin, clarinets and artistic direction
Brad Cherwin’s combination of technical and interpretive skills have been recognized with a Dora Award win for a performance of Vivier’s Kopernikus with Against the Grain Theatre. He was the 2024/25 Curator-in-Residence for Toronto’s Soundstreams as part of their New Voices program. Brad has performed with Barbara Hannigan as part of her Equilibrium Young Artists initiate, and played before a sold-out house at Hamburg’s Tonali Saal in collaboration with mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska in his European debut. He is the director of The Happenstancers, who recently performed at Koerner Hall as part of the 21C Festival, and the artistic director of the West End Micro Music Festival.
Joonghun Cho, piano
Joonghun Cho’s career includes performance as a soloist and chamber musician, and work as an educator. He has performed on stages across the globe, including in South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Slovakia, the UK, North America, and Japan. He’s performed as a soloist with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Philharmonia, Brescia Master Orchestra, and other noted ensembles. Joonghun has appeared as a guest artist at festivals and concert series such as Gijón International Piano Festival, Palmetto International Piano Festival, Porto Pianofest, Yeon-Eum Summer Music Festival, and the Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation Chamber Music Series, among others. He has won prizes at numerous international competitions, including the gold medal in the Vienna International Music Competition, first prize in the Master Orchestra International Concerto Competition, and others. Currently based in Toronto, Canada, Joonghun serves as the artistic director for the Gibson Classical Concert Series.
Along with the musicians, the creative team for the concert includes Billy Wong, lighting, a graduate from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a major in Lighting Technology, and production manager Hoi Tong Keung.
Details
The concerts take place on February 20 and 28 at Array Space.
- Find tickets and other details [HERE].
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- THE SCOOP | The Canadian Opera Company Reveals Their 2026/27 Season - February 18, 2026
- PREVIEW | Toronto’s The Happenstancers Present Die Nacht/Der Mond On February 20 & 28 - February 18, 2026
- FEATURE | Experimental Filmmaker R. Bruce Elder’s Alone (All Flesh Shall See It Together) - February 17, 2026
