{"id":113776,"date":"2025-04-22T15:43:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T19:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=113776"},"modified":"2025-04-23T08:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T12:00:01","slug":"preview-classical-music-close-torontos-urban-orchestra-offers-sounds-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/04\/22\/preview-classical-music-close-torontos-urban-orchestra-offers-sounds-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Classical Music Up Close: Toronto\u2019s Urban Orchestra Offers Sounds Of Spring"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The Urban Orchestra in performance (Photo courtesy of The Urban Orchestra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Live orchestral music in non-traditional spaces, where the audience and musicians are up close, and the music\u2019s impact is magnified \u2014 that\u2019s the kind of experience that The Urban Orchestra wants to create.<\/p>\n

As the organization points out, it\u2019s actually about bringing that experience back to its roots as an everyday genre that was performed in local bars and caf\u00e9s as well as princely palaces, where the music was close enough to be felt.<\/p>\n

Their next concert takes place on May 12 at Toronto\u2019s Lula Lounge.<\/p>\n

The Urban Orchestra<\/h2>\n

Music Director Greg Hawco<\/strong> is a conductor and composer whose catalogue includes orchestral works as well as scores for film and TV, such as the CBC series Republic of Doyle. From 2018 until 2022, he performed as a percussionist with the Toronto production of Come From Away. His classical compositions have been performed by varied ensembles and orchestras in North America and Europe.<\/p>\n

As a conductor, he\u2019s worked with The Ontario Philharmonic, Berlin Sinfonietta, London Classical Soloists, and The Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.<\/p>\n

He earned Bachelor\u2019s Degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, followed by a Master\u2019s Degree in Orchestral Performance from McGill University. Greg\u2019s own roots also lie in traditional music of Newfoundland, and he performs as a member of the traditional Newfoundland group, The Rowdymen.<\/p>\n

Urban Orchestra President Murray Foster<\/strong> spent decades on the road touring with Canadian bands Moxy Fr\u00fcvous and Great Big Sea as a bassist, and was nominated for a JUNO Award for his contributions. When his performing career ended, he took up songwriting, founding the Toronto Songwriting School in 2014. That same year, he penned the song Lay Me Down for the band Fortunate Ones, which shot to the top of the CBC Top 20 charts for two weeks.<\/p>\n

Today, he is a professor at Seneca College\u00a0in their Independent Performing Songwriter program.<\/p>\n

Along with songwriting, he is also a filmmaker, and launched a company called Choir Nation, which looks to work with Canadian companies linking corporate choirs with top tier musicians.<\/p>\n

The Urban Orchestra came about essentially because of their musical friendship \u2014 and a love of Western art music.<\/p>\n

Murray Foster talks about how The Urban Orchestra was formed in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cGreg Hawco, the Artistic Director of Urban Orchestra, asked me out for a beer in 2017, and over that beer he said those powerful and fateful words, \u2018I have a dream.\u2019 His dream was to do something in Toronto that was actually fairly common in Europe: put on an orchestral concert where the audience is right next to the orchestra, so that people could feel the power and majesty of an orchestra the way he did as a conductor. Thinking it was a fairly decent dream, I decided to help him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEight years later, Urban Orchestra is a registered charity that has put on five shows and counting. We\u2019re still excited by Greg\u2019s dream to give people a TRUE orchestral experience \u2014 up close, not in a massive concert hall or through a car stereo. Part of our mandate is also to offer an affordable ticket price, so that this incredible experience isn\u2019t reserved just for rich people (although rich people are certainly welcome). Currently we\u2019re looking to spread the word about Urban Orchestra as we continue to showcase the very best Canadian and international orchestral pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The Urban Orchestra in performance (Photo courtesy of The Urban Orchestra)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sounds of Spring Concert: May 12<\/h3>\n

The program features traditional works as well as a contemporary work by Canadian cellist and composer Samuel Bisson. Bisson\u2019s other works include the scores for an award-winning short film titled Nuit Blanche, as well as a Mandarin-language feature titled Lovesick.<\/p>\n

The music:<\/p>\n