TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On features Terence Blanchard
Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage continues with Lizz Wright and Patricia O’Callaghan
Pre-eminent bass-baritone Bryn Terfel makes his Conservatory debut
East LA band Los Lobos performs two concerts in one day
Orlando Consort sings to iconic film La passion de Jeanne d’Arc
Cameron Carpenter brings his International Touring Organ to Koerner Hall
Grammy nominated Anoushka Shankar presents her new CD, Land of Gold
Legendary musicians Johnny Clegg and Leon Fleisher return
TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On
The Royal Conservatory of Music‘s jazz series Katrina 10 Years On, honouring the music and musicians from the areas that were affected by the devastating hurricane, continues on April 2 with jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader, recording artist, orchestrator of film scores, and leader in the mainstream post-bop community, Terence Blanchard, performing A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina). “When director Spike Lee tapped Terence Blanchard to compose the score for his documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, the agony of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was a story they both knew had to be told from a moral standpoint and with cultural credibility… [For] A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), Blanchard uses every principle he has mastered as a genius jazz trumpeter to relay the impact of the destruction, the frustration, the sadness and the hope for a future.” (All Music) The concert is presented in association with the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage
This special concert series, which brings brilliant ladies whose voices demand attention to Koerner Hall, features Lizz Wright & Patricia O’Callaghan on April 22. Lizz Wright, who just released a new album titledFreedom & Surrender, has been called a soul singer, a jazz vocalist, and a blues crooner, but cannot be defined by any single category. Described as “an awesome talent” by The New York Times, she continues her genre-defying journey with a nod to her roots in gospel on the one hand and her gospel of eclecticism on the other. Toronto vocalist Patricia O’Callaghan‘s early recordings focused on European cabaret, but one of her most unique talents is the ability to blend a variety of languages and musical genres seamlessly together in her concerts, and to completely embody whatever style she is singing at any given moment. “O’Callaghan sings her diverse material as if it was always meant to go side-by-side and by the end of the evening, it’s easy to believe her.” (Chart Attack)
World Music
One of the leading figures in world music today, sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar returns to Koerner Hall for the third time on April 6. She studied with her father and guru, the legendary Ravi Shankar (with whom she first appeared in Koerner Hall during the Grand Opening Festival in 2009), and established herself as one of the foremost classical sitarists. As a composer, she explores Indian music and a variety of genres, including flamenco, jazz, electronica, and Western classical music. The five-time Grammy-nominated Shankar releases her 4th album, Land of Gold, on Deutsche Grammophon just days before this concert. “Her exquisite sitar playing … lives up to the virtuosity that made her the youngest woman ever nominated for a World Music Grammy.” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shankar is joined by Manu Delago, a virtuoso of the hang.
On April 9, Johnny Clegg returns to Koerner Hall after two previous sold out engagements. His vibrant blend of Western pop and South African Zulu rhythms has exploded onto the international scene and broken through all the barriers in his own country, where he is fondly called “Le Zulu Blanc” (“the white Zulu”). “He is a compelling singer and he has a strong rock pop feel to his songs that have never distanced themselves from the Zulu music he grew up with.” (FAME) Clegg’s son, Jesse Clegg, will open the show.
Simon Shaheen brings to life the Arab music of Al-Andalus and blends it with flamenco in Zafir: Musical Winds from North Africa to Andalucia. This music renews a relationship that began more than a thousand years ago, revealing commonalities of music that were born in cultural centers of Iraq, Syria, and Palestine, blew across the Mediterranean to Al-Andalus, blended with elements of Spanish music, and were brought across the sea to North Africa. The concert on April 16 features Qantara, the band whose members are all virtuosos in their own musical forms; Auxi Fernandez, an international flamenco dancer from Andalucia; and Juan Pérez Rodríguez, a flamenco pianist also from Andalucia. Singer Sonia M’Barek, who has just beennamed Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation for the Republic of Tunisia and whose responsibilities to the new administration there will not allow her to leave the country at this time, has been replaced by internationally renowned Moroccan singer Nidal Ibourk,
Music Mix
Valentina Lisitsa is the first “YouTube star” of classical music, making her one of the most watched classical musicians on the internet. Her program on April 10 includes pieces by Alexander Scriabin, Rachmaninov’s Piano Sonata No. 1, and Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album.
Everybody knows the song “La Bamba!” East L.A.’s legendary Los Lobos continues to make music that combines their Chicano roots, their love of rock & roll, Tex-Mex, country, American roots, blues, folk, and brown-eyed soul. On April 23, the band will give two Los Lobos Disconnected concerts – one at 2 pm as part of the Family Concerts (“grown-up” concerts for younger audiences and their parents, grandparents, and friends, which are approximately 75 minutes long with no intermission) and the other at 8 pm. “Forty years on, Los Lobos are still one of America’s best, bravest, and most satisfying bands, and their skills and their instincts remain razor-sharp, regardless of their stage volume.” (AllMusic)
Classical Music
Cameron Carpenter returns to Koerner Hall on April 1 as part of Invesco Piano Concerts, this time playing a monumental International Touring Organ (ITO), a cross-genre digital instrument built by Marshall & Ogletree to his own design. The eclectic musician is smashing the stereotypes of organists and organ music – all the while generating international acclaim and controversy. His repertoire – from the complete works of J. S. Bach to film scores, his original compositions, and hundreds of transcriptions and arrangements – is probably the largest and most diverse of any organist. “Extravagantly talented … everything he touches turns fantastical and memorable.” (The New York Times)
Two Vocal Concerts take place during April. Orlando Consort performs a live vocal soundtrack to an iconic film, La passion de Jeanne d’Arc – an imaginative and intriguing crossover between early music and early film, on April 3. This Carl-Theodor Dreyer’s acclaimed masterpiece is often included in movie critics’ lists of the top ten films of all time and now Orlando Consort, which has rapidly achieved a reputation as one of Europe’s most expert and consistently challenging groups performing repertoire from the years 1050 to 1550, enhances the experience by singing live to the film. This will be an extraordinary experience for cinephiles and early music lovers alike, as the repertoire is drawn from a very specific period – the first 31 years of the 15th century.
One of the most sought-after international voices and a frequent visitor to all of the major opera companies and concert halls in the world, Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, appears on April 24. His recordings have earned him two Grammy Awards and four Classical Brit Awards, and he is also the recipient of Her Majesty the Queen’s medal for Music. In his Koerner Hall debut, Terfel performs works by Schubert, Schumann,Bryan Davies, Jacques Ibert, Frederick Keel, Idris Lewis, and more, accompanied by pianist Natalia Katyukova.
Legendary pianist, conductor, and Ihnatowycz Chair in Piano at The Royal Conservatory, Leon Fleisher, represents the highest standard of musicianship. He will lead the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, widely regarded as an outstanding ensemble and one of the best training orchestras in North America, on April 8 in a program of Brahms’s Violin Concerto in D Major with soloist Alex Volkov, Richard Strauss’s Don Juan, and Ravel’s La valse.
An annual favourite of the Mazzoleni Masters series takes place on April 7 as the Musicians from Marlboro return to Mazzoleni Concert Hall, located in the historic Ihnatowycz Hall. This year they are led by Samuel Rhodes, former violist of the Grammy Award-winning Julliard String Quartet, in a program of Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Berg’s Lyric Suite, and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major.
The Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition Finals on April 19, part of AIMIA Discovery Series, is a perfect opportunity to hear the talented ensembles of The Glenn Gould School competing for over $11,000 in prizes and the chance to perform a Prelude Recital in Koerner Hall preceding a Royal Conservatory Orchestra performance.
The second concert of Rebanks Family Fellowship ConcertSeries takes place on April 12, featuring solo and chamber works performed by Rebanks Fellows currently enrolled in the one-year Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program. This is a unique opportunity to hear young artists on the cusp of major careers.
In additional news, the line-up for the March 19 Bluebird Northconcert, presented in partnership with the Songwriters Association of Canada and hosted by Blair Packham, has been announced. Juno Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and voice actress Dalbello, rhythm and blues artistCarlos Morgan, and Canadian-American singer and songwriter Justin Nozuka will perform their music and tell us about their inspiration, the songwriting process, and the stories behind their songs.
The Royal Conservatory’s 2015-16 concert season is made possible through the generous support of:
- Major and Series Sponsors and Supporters: AIMIA, BMO, Invesco, RBC Foundation, TD Bank Group, David G. Broadhurst, Leslie & Anna Dan, Michael & Sonja Koerner, a gift In honour of R.S. Williams & Sons Company Ltd., the Rebanks Family, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and two anonymous donors
- Performance Sponsors and Supporters: Alexanian Flooring, Bösendorfer, CIBC, Downtown Porsche, Georgian Capital, Mohammad & Najla Al Zaibak, Michael Foulkes & Linda Brennan, Ian Ihnatowycz & Marta Witer, Marianne Oundjian, Brayton Polka, Helen Sinclair & Paul Cantor, Deborah Leibow & Ken Snider, Philip & Eli Taylor, Joanne Tod, and Kris Vikmanis & Denny Creighton
- Wine & Beverage Sponsors: Blackstone, Vintage Ink, Mill St. Brewery, Acqua Panna & S. Pellegrino
- Media Sponsors: Classical 96.3 FM, JAZZ.FM91, NOW, WholeNote, Musicworks
- Government Supporters: Canada Arts Presentation Fund-Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council
April Concerts at The Royal Conservatory of Music
- Cameron Carpenter (Invesco Piano Concerts): Friday, April 1, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $35–$75
- Terence Blanchard’s A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) (TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On):
Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $40–$95 - Orlando Consort: La passion de Jeanne d’Arc (Vocal Concerts):
Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 3pm | KH; $35–$80 - Anoushka Shankar (World Music): Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $40–$90
- Musicians from Marlboro (Mazzoleni Masters): Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 7:30pm | MCH; $25
- Leon Fleisher conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and Alex Volkov (violin) (RCO):
Friday, April 8, 2016 at 8pm (Prelude Recital at 6:45pm) | KH; $25–$55 - Johnny Clegg (World Music): Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $50–$90
- Valentina Lisitsa (Music Mix): Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 3pm | KH; $35–$85
- Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert (Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert Series):
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 7:30pm | MCH; Free (ticket required) - Simon Shaheen’s Zafir: Musical Winds from North Africa to Andalucia (World Music):
Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $35–$90 - The Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition Finals (AIMIA Discovery Series):
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 7pm | MCH; Free (ticket required) - Lizz Wright & Patricia O’Callaghan (Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage):
Friday, April 22, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $35–$80 - Los Lobos Disconnected
Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 2pm | KH; $25–$35 (Family Concert)
Saturday, April 23, 2016 at 8pm | KH; $40–$85 (Music Mix) - Bryn Terfel & Natalia Katyukova (Vocal Concerts): Sunday, April 24, 2016 at 3pm | KH; $50–$140
Venue Legend: KH Koerner Hall; MCH Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz Hall
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All concerts take place at The Royal Conservatory of Music
TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor St. W, Toronto