{"id":116731,"date":"2025-08-13T08:40:29","date_gmt":"2025-08-13T12:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=116731"},"modified":"2025-08-13T14:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T18:00:02","slug":"interview-off-centre-music-salon-founders-co-artistic-directors-boris-zarankin-inna-perkis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/08\/13\/interview-off-centre-music-salon-founders-co-artistic-directors-boris-zarankin-inna-perkis\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Off Centre Music Salon Founders And Co-Artistic Directors Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Off Centre Music Salon Founders And Co-Artistic Directors Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis take a bow (Photo courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Off Centre Music Salon Founders and Co-Artistic Directors Boris Zarankin and Inna Perkis have announced the programming for their 30th anniversary season. New to the organization is a collaboration with Royal Conservatory of Music\u2019s Glenn Gould School and Taylor Academy.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1995 by pianists Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin, Off Centre Music Salon is a Toronto-based chamber music series known for its themed programming, intimate concert experiences, and dedication to Canadian talent.<\/p>\n

The couple built Off Centre as a community, enlarging the concept of presenting chamber music to include a more personal connection, especially for audience members. Their events involve a combination of music, storytelling, and exchanges of ideas.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at the season, and the couple who\u2019ve created a unique environment for music in Toronto\u2019s classical music scene.<\/p>\n

Boris\u202fZarankin and Inna Perkis<\/h2>\n

Boris Zarankin<\/strong> studied at the Kharkov State Conservatory with Regina Horowitz, completing his musical education at the Moscow State Conservatory.<\/p>\n

He has performed as a soloist with major orchestras across the world, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Victoria Symphony Orchestra, the Kyiv Philharmonic and the Kharkiv Symphony Orchestra, among others. As a collaborator, he has performed with Jacques Israelievitch, Jonathan Crow, Marie B\u00e9rard, Ilya Kaler, Carol Wincenc, Han de Vries, Benjamin Butterfield, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Russell Braun and Michael Schade, and many other artists.<\/p>\n

His repertoire includes both traditional and contemporary music, and he has commissioned new works by composers such as Valentin Bibik and Volodymyr Nalyvaiko. He is also a recording artist, and dedicated educator.<\/p>\n

Inna\u202fPerkis<\/strong> is a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she earned both her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees. She is a versatile chamber musician who has collaborated with artists like Ofra Harnoy, Ilya Kaler, Mikhail Gantvarg, Michael Schade, Measha Bruggergosman, and Isabel Bayrakdarian, among others. She has been teaching piano for about 50 years, and continues to work with students, many of whom have gone on to win prizes at the national and international level.<\/p>\n

She has performed with Boris as a four-hand piano duo and two-piano duo for over 50 years.<\/p>\n

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Off Centre Music Salon Founders aAnd Co-Artistic Directors Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis and a happy crowd from a previous concert (Photo courtesy of Off Centre Music Salon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

30th Anniversary Season: Dream The Impossible Dream<\/h2>\n

From Melancholy to Surrealism, with Laughter In Between (October 19, 2025)<\/h3>\n

Schubert knew a thing or two about unrequited love and sadness, and those emotions come to the fore in his Fantasia for four hands and his Arpeggione Sonata. But, he also had his lighter side, on display in his vocal trios Die Advokaten and Der Hochzeitsbraten. Poulenc\u2019s Bal masqu\u00e9 (for soprano and chamber orchestra), and Ravel\u2019s Tsigane, for vioin and harp (masquerading as a luth\u00e9al) complete the program.<\/p>\n

Performers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Allen, host; *Alyssa Bartholomew, soprano; *James Coole-Stevenson, baritone; Nico Dann, percussion; David Eliakis, piano; Lori Gemmell, harp; Sheila Jaff\u00e9, violin; *Mira Kardan, cello; *Nicholas Kluftinger, bass; *Jeffrey Liu, tenor; Inna Perkis, piano; Mark Skazinetsky, conductor; Krisztina Szabo, mezzo soprano; Boris Zarankin, piano; Chamber Orchestra (with additional instrumentalists from the Glenn Gould School)<\/p>\n

* This will be Off-Centre\u2019s inaugural collaboration with the Glenn Gould School. Names marked with an asterisk * are students from the Glenn Gould School<\/p>\n

Life + Death. Genius + Jealousy (December 14, 2025)<\/h3>\n

Mozart and Salieri \u2014 what was their true relationship? Clio, the Muse of History mediates the discussion. Just how did Salieri become an icon of jealousy in the public mind? In life, he was a much loved teacher, and mentor to giants like Schubert and Beethoven. The relationship between the two is examined in Rimsky-Korsakov\u2019s rarely performed one-act opera Mozart and Salieri. Mussorgsky\u2019s Songs and Dances of Death offers more food for reflection.<\/p>\n

Performers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Benjamin Butterfield, tenor (Mozart); Mira Kardan, cello; Peter McGillivray, bass baritone (Salieri); Nancy Palk, actor; Inna Perkis, piano; Brett Polegato, baritone; Kathryn Tremills, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano; Julia Zarankin, host<\/p>\n

Film Screening: Chopin\u2019s Preludes: A Life, In Fragments (February 8, 2026)<\/h3>\n

Chopin\u2019s Preludes: A Life, in Fragments is a feature-length documentary film about what Zarankin\u2019s calls, \u201cthe ways that Chopin\u2019s Preludes intersect with our lives. The result is an exciting hybrid film that blends live performance with our own immigrant story.\u201d Off Centre\u2019s founder\/pianists Boris Zarankin and Inna Perkis, and filmmaker Marcel Canzona, will participate in a Q&A after the screening.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve Got Rhythm (In 1, In 2, In 3, In 4, In 5, In 6… In Ten!) (March 29, 2026)<\/h3>\n

As Stravinsky said, \u201cThere is music wherever there is rhythm, as there is life wherever there beats a pulse.\u201d Rhythms are explored in this program that includes the Basque patterns of Ravel\u2019s Piano Trio, the dance rhythms in his four-hand arrangement of Debussy\u2019s Pr\u00e9lude \u00e0 l\u2019apr\u00e8s-midi d\u2019un faune, the child-like charm of Mussorgsky\u2019s Nursery songs, and gongs and bronze kettle tones of a Gamelan ensemble. Dancing may be involved…<\/p>\n

Performers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Allen, host; Mira Kardan, cello; Elina Kelebeev, piano; Maeve Palmer, soprano; Inna Perkis, piano Isabella Perron, violin; Boris Zarankin, piano; Ilana Zarankin, soprano<\/p>\n

(Erik) Satie-S-Faction Guaranteed (June 7, 2026)<\/h3>\n

Off Centre\u2019s 30th Anniversary Fundraiser Gala features a huge cast of performers. More details about the program to be announced closer to the date.<\/p>\n

Performers:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tom Allen, host; Colin Ainsworth, tenor; Russell Braun, baritone; Lucia Cesaroni, soprano; Lori Gemmell, harp; Andrew Haji, tenor; Erica Iris Huang, mezzo soprano; Elina Kelebeev, piano; Rachael Kerr, piano; B\u00e9n\u00e9dicte Lauzi\u00e8re, violin; William Leathers, trumpet; Andrea Ludwig, mezzo soprano; Joseph Macerollo, accordion; Clara Nguyen Tran, viola; Maeve Palmer, soprano; Inna Perkis, piano; Adrianne Pieczonka, soprano; Leana Rutt, cello; Mark Skazinetsky, violin; Giles Tomkins, bass-baritone; Liz Upchurch, piano; Boris Zarankin, piano; Ilana Zarankin, soprano<\/p>\n

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Off Centre Music Salon Founders And Co-Artistic Directors Boris Zarankin & Inna Perkis (Photos on the left & right by Claire Sibonny; middle courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boris\u202fZarankin and Inna Perkis: The Interview<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe started Off Centre, it’s actually a reflection of us,\u201d Inna says.<\/p>\n

\u201cA reflection of our passion and our music,\u201d Boris adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most intimate form of music,\u201d Inna says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis probably all started where we immigrated first \u2014 Vienna,\u201d Boris explains. \u201cWe experienced music salons there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He calls it a seed that was planted, an idea of creating intimate environments that closed the gap between performer and audience. When they found themselves at a crossroads in their careers years later in Canada, they decided to launch their own salon.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought that we are bored just with teaching and occasional playing. We started without knowing that we would last four 30 years,\u201d Boris says. \u201cIt was very experimental in the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where did the name come from?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Off Centre?\u201d Inna asks. \u201cBecause we are slightly off centre as people,\u201d she laughs. \u201cWe wanted to have something that we feel was needed in this city, and was most interesting to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple wanted to impart their own passion for the music to their audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the 30 years, I think the biggest achievement was […] we made our film,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The screening of Chopin\u2019s Preludes: A Life, In Fragments is part of the 30th anniversary lineup.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re excited about the documentary. \u201cI suspect that we created a new genre,\u201d Boris says. It\u2019s a combination of performance and fragments of their lives, examining how Chopin\u2019s music intertwines with their lives, as well as the composer\u2019s life and philosophies.<\/p>\n

Glenn Gould School \u2014 A New Collaboration<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe are very excited about this collaboration,\u201d Perkis says of Off Centre\u2019s new partnership with The Glenn Gould School. She says the couple were looking for the right kind of arrangement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went right to the president of the Conservatory and he was very receptive,\u201d Boris notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd he said, of course!\u201d Perkis adds.<\/p>\n

The partnership sees students from The Glenn Gould School perform together with experienced professional artists in a concert setting. It\u2019s an invaluable experience for young musicians.<\/p>\n

As Zarankin points out, the learning process never stops. \u201c
\nWe as pianists, we are very much influenced by the orchestra, or singers in particular. That’s why we keep learning all the time.,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cNext year we are going to have an artist in residence,\u201d he adds. Cellist Mira Kardan, a current student at the GGS, is a graduate of the Colbourn Music Academy, and the 2022 first prize winner of the Bellflower[CA] Symphony Competition, and first prize winner at the 2025 Shean Competition.<\/p>\n

As Perkis relates, the artist in residence program began with a Japanese student years ago. \u201cNone of us spoke English, and that’s how it started,\u201d she laughs. \u201cWe can share the emotional content of the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Programs<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe are very eclectic,\u201d Zarankin says. \u201cIt always offers some meat. It could be anything,\u201d he continues. \u201cWe work around certain concepts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The programs are tweaked and modified, sometimes close to the performance date.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not satisfied in a program until we see it and shift it around,\u201d Perkis says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s always a combination of big pieces with smaller pieces,\u201d Boris notes. Sometimes it involves the specific artists they want to work with.<\/p>\n

Those selections are crucial to maintaining the environment they want to create.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, salons are gatherings,\u201d Inna says. That includes both artists and art lovers. \u201cIt’s paramount who you invite to these gatherings. Music making is very set. It’s a conversation between us on stage and the audience, and the audience between themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt should be harmonious,\u201d Zarankin adds. \u201cPeople shouldn’t hate each other when they are on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we are lucky because from day one […] for two accomplished pianists to sit together and talk about music…\u201d Inna begins.<\/p>\n

\u201c… and not kill each other,\u201d Boris adds.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not easy,\u201d Perkis laughs. They give artists one stipulation. \u201cPlease leave your ego at the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be very frank, we are obsessed with quality \u2014 not with quantity,\u201d Zarankin says.<\/p>\n

Putting it all together is where it gets complicated. \u201cIt’s a real art to make a program digestible to the audience,\u201d Inna explains. Their continued success is the proof in the pudding. \u201cFor 29 seasons, they give us standing ovations.\u201d<\/p>\n

She believes it\u2019s the combination of careful curation with an environment that lets audiences get closer to the music, and music making.<\/p>\n

There are also other perks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe offer sweets during the intermission,\u201d Boris says.<\/p>\n

When putting programs together, they looked for connections. Zarankin goes over the program for the first concert.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have Schubert, the king of melancholy you can call him,\u201d Boris says. \u201cThen we have Poulenc, French people call him, this is our Schubert.\u201d But, it\u2019s not all gloom. \u201cWe tried to install this moment of comic relief in every concert.\u201d That\u2019s doubly true when the program includes serious avant-garde music. \u201cWe know we need comic relief,\u201d he says. \u201cIt opens their ears up again.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the audience is bored, it\u2019s a curating problem. \u201cI consider it the fault of the presenters,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Inna says they discovered Schubert\u2019s lighter side in a video examining is early pieces, including Die Advokaten and Der Hochzeitsbraten.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really brings up a different Schubert,\u201d she says. \u201cIt also connects us to the Poulenc.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn principle,\u201d Zarankin says. \u201c[…] what we are doing when we create the program, we try to be listeners. What kind of balance is there? The psychology of the listener is the most difficult part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inna says that the artists they work with routinely know that, even during the last week before the concert, when the most intensive rehearsals take place, last minute tweaks are to be expected.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all part of getting the atmosphere just right.<\/p>\n