By Member on October 22, 2014
Since its founding in 1972, the Toronto Consort has become internationally recognized for its excellence in the performance of medieval, renaissance and early baroque music. Some of Canada’s leading early music specialists have come together to form The Toronto Consort, under the leadership of Artistic Director, David Fallis. The company’s nine members include both singers and instrumentalists (lute, recorder, guitar, flute, early keyboards and percussion)...
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By Curtis Perry on October 22, 2014
Daniel Spreadbury is Product Marketing Manager for Steinberg’s in-house scoring application. I had the opportunity to chat with him briefly about the ongoing development of computer music standards in the wake of the digital humanities movement, the challenge of building great software, and the future of digital music notation. Learn more about the application’s development at blog.steinberg.net, and follow Daniel @dspreadbury.
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By Michael Vincent on October 22, 2014
What does it say about the state of Canada’s recording industry when eight seconds of digital noise accidentally released by a super star reaches #1 on the Canadian iTunes music charts? On Tuesday, Oct 21, American singer Taylor Swift released a title called “Track 3” on iTunes for $1.29. By the end of the day, it beat-out everyone (actual music), reaching #1...
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By Member on October 21, 2014
Hailed by the New York Times at 14 for her “promethean talent” after making her orchestral debut along with Murray Perahia, Christina Petrowska Quilico has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center and Merkin Hall, among others in New York. She has also been soloist with the Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestras and National Arts Centre Orchestra, as well as with orchestras in Taiwan, Greece and the US. Juilliard-trained, she has premiered 18 piano concertos and recorded well over 150 new works, four earning JUNO nominations. Among her 36 titles are eight piano concertos. She was named one of 20 international “not to miss pianists” of 2014 by the CBC, which also put her CD Glass Houses Revisited on CBC Music’s “TOP 30 best Canadian classical recordings ever”. This CD was also put on two other top 10 lists by the CBC and was one of Centrediscs’ alltime top selling CDs...
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By Michael Vincent on October 21, 2014
Guelph, Ontario born Edwin Huizinga is a familiar face around Toronto’s classical, baroque, jazz, and indie music scene. Besides playing for period ensembles Tafelmusik, and ACRONYM, he is a member of the popular Toronto based indierock band Wooden Sky. Edwin is also one of the founders of the Classical Revolution. What started as a project to make chamber music more accessible, it has gone on to inspired the creation of over 30 chapters across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Edwin currently resides in Toronto and is a former student of violinist, Mark Fewer.
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By Michael Vincent on October 21, 2014
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By Neil Crory on October 20, 2014
The much-anticipated Toronto debut of the $300,000.00 pianist - Rafał Blechacz - took place on Sunday afternoon at Koerner Hall. The near capacity audience was treated to a somewhat old-fashioned programme which included Bach's Italian Concerto, Beethoven's "Pathétique" Sonata and, after intermission, a collection of diverse works by Frédéric Chopin.
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By Paul E. Robinson on October 20, 2014
It has long been known that Dvořák’s New World Symphony was inspired by African-American and Native American music. And Dvořák himself mentioned Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha as another source of inspiration. But most musicians and musicologists were reluctant to be more specific than that. In recent years, however, the musicologists Joseph Horowitz and Michael Beckerman have tried to show that all of these elements, especially the Hiawatha story, can be linked to specific passages in the New World Symphony...
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By Michael Vincent on October 20, 2014
Nicknamed “The Man With the Golden Flute”, Sir James Galway is one of the most accomplished flautists in world. He has performed for Presidents, Popes, Emperors and Queens, and shared the stage with entertainers including Liza Minnelli and B. B. King, Pink Floyd and Jessye Norman. With over 70 recordings and 30 million albums sold, Sir James is a force to be reckoned with. In September 2014, he was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Gramophone, and this fall, in celebration of Sir James’ 75th birthday, Sony Classical released The James Galway Complete RCA Album Collection, a 71-CD and 2-DVD collection. He has been honoured twice by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with The OBE in 1979 and again in 2001 with a Knighthood for his services to music. Most recently, Sir James has released an online series of lessons geared for flute students and music lovers available here.
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By Michael Vincent on October 19, 2014
We couldn't resist sharing this one. Hitler insists on being the concertmaster... "All those who don't know the difference between violin and viola, leave the room."
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