THE VOICE | Isabel Bayrakdarian: "As a bird, I no longer like sitting on top of the tree"

By Neil Crory on November 25, 2014

Q&A | 21 Questions for Jonathan Crow

By Michael Vincent on November 15, 2014

Hailing from Prince George, BC, Jonathan Crow has become one of Canada's leading violinists. After his studies at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, he moved to Montreal to attend McGill University. At age nineteen he graduated, and was made Concertmaster of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal - making history as the youngest concertmaster of a major North American orchestra. He joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster in 2011.

Q&A | 26 Questions for Richard Reed Parry

By Michael Vincent on November 7, 2014

Q&A | 20 Questions for Aprile Millo

By Michael Vincent on November 5, 2014

After filling in for an indisposed soprano at the Metropolitan Opera in 1984, Aprile Millo got her big break as Amelia, in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra. The reviews rolled in, calling her “the Verdi soprano we’ve all be waiting for.” Performing in over 160 performances across 15 different, she has since gone on to become one of the most essential spinto sopranos of our time. She has performed alongside Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Ben Heppner, Herbert von Karajan, Riccardo Muti, James Levine, and Giuseppe Sinopoli (to name a few). Franco Zeffirelli chose her as the singing voice of Elizabeth Taylor in the bio film, “Young Toscanini”. Her career has been nothing short of remarkable, and based upon a single foundation: her voice.

Q&A | 20 Questions for James Parker

By Michael Vincent on November 3, 2014

James Parker is a one of Toronto’s true musical gems. He is at once a soloist, a chamber musician, and pianist with an incredible facility for both chamber music and solo performance. He is a founding member of Canada’s premiere ensemble, the Gryphon Trio. He has performed with nearly every major orchestra in Canada, including, the Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Quebec City, Edmonton, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. He has won a total of three JUNO Recording Awards, and is an Associate Professor, and Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto.

THE CLASSICAL TRAVELER | A Conversation with Leon Major

By Paul E. Robinson on November 2, 2014

Many years ago, in 1979 to be exact, Leon Major and I worked together at the St. Lawrence Centre in Toronto. Leon was the General Manager and directed most of the plays, and I was the incoming director of music programming, succeeding Franz Kraemer. For me it was a great opportunity to broaden my approach to music programming. I was to continue my work as music director at CJRT-FM and as conductor of the CJRT Radio Orchestra, but with Leon I could see new challenges. Alas, it was not to be. After ten years of working together, Leon and his board were ready to part ways, and he left just after I arrived. Without Leon at the helm, the St. Lawrence Centre seemed far less idealistic and far less interested in taking artistic risks. I too soon moved on.

Q&A | 11 Questions for Anne-Sophie Mutter

By Michael Vincent on October 24, 2014

German-born, Anne-Sophie Mutter is one of the greatest violin virtuosos of our time. At the age of 13 she performed as a soloist at the renowned Salzburg Festival, under conductor Herbert von Karajan. Two years later, she made her recording debut with Karajan, and the Berlin Philharmonic. Besides being an interpreter of traditional classical repertoire, she is a avid supporter of contemporary music. She has premiered works by Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutoslawski, Krzysztof Penderecki, Sir André Previn and Wolfgang Rihm. After going on to win four Grammy Awards and countless prizes, she founded The Mutter Virtuosi -- a group made up of some of the best alumni of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation.

LINES OF ENQUIRY | The Future of Notation Software

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.

Q&A | 44 Questions for Edwin Huizinga

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.

Q&A | 28 Questions for Sir James Galway

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.