Season Gala
The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Season Gala on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, will feature superstar pianist Lang Lang, who inspires millions with his open-hearted, emotive piano playing. He has been heralded as the “hottest artist on the classical music planet” by The New York Times and Time magazine has included him in its list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2015, Lang Lang chose The Royal Conservatory curriculum as the basis of his foundation’s Keys of Inspiration program, which transforms young lives through the power of classical music.This is a unique opportunity to hear one of the world’s most prolific and highest-profile recording artists perform live in the intimacy of Koerner Hall! Presenting sponsor of the Season Gala is BMO.
Piano Recitals
Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished young Canadian artist whose career spans many genres – concerto soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, and composer. Born in Toronto, he began his training at The Royal Conservatory, where he has since returned numerous times to perform and conduct master classes, and where he performed, for the first time ever, the complete Beethoven sonatas in one day as well as his transcription for solo piano of Tchaikovsky’s popular ballet, The Nutcracker. In this concert, he performs works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Tchaikovsky, and the world premiere of a piece commissioned by Philip and Eli Taylor, written in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Both Sir András Schiff and Louis Lortie have become favourites at Koerner Hall – this will mark the fifth appearance for both artists in eight seasons. Since his debut in 1950s Hungary, Schiff has climbed to the very summit of modern classical music, carving out a luminous five-decade career in which his “uncanny combination of elegance and intensity” (The New York Times) has become legendary. He will present an all Franz Schubert program and Lortie, renowned all over the world for his performances of the complete Chopin etudes and whose playing has been described by The London Times as “ever immaculate, ever imaginative,” an all Fryderyk Chopin program.
Russian pianist Daniil Trifonov won both the 13th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition as well as the Gold Medal and Grand Prix at the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition, and was a sensation before he turned 20. After performing in Koerner Hall in 2013 and 2015, he has been yearning to come back to one of his favourite halls. Mr. Trifonov will perform a program of Schumann, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky in a special Tuesday evening performance.
On November 10, the International Association of Arts Managers (IAMA) Conference will begin in Toronto, with over 250 of the most important classical music agents, managers, producers, and presenters coming for three days of meetings and music. The Conservatory will host the opening day of meetings and present a public concert in the evening that features many of our brightest young talents. The Generation Next concert presents three young Canadian up-and-coming pianists in one evening: Tony Yike Yang and Charles Richard-Hamelin were both medalists at the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition – the first time that two Canadians became winners at the prestigious competition and the first time any Canadian has been in the finals. Mr. Yang is an alumnus of The Royal Conservatory’s Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists and is the youngest laureate in the history of the first time any Canadian has been in the finals, with Mr. Yang, an alumnus of The Royal Conservatory’s Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, being the youngest laureate in the history of the competition. Alexander Seredenko, a past recipient of the prestigious Ihnatowycz Prize in Piano, is currently enrolled in the innovative Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program at The Royal Conservatory. He was the first Canadian to receive the First Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy Competition in Japan, and previously won Grand Prizes for Solo and Concerto Performances at the World Piano Competition in Cincinnati and Second Prize and Special Award for Solo Performance at the Corpus Christi International Piano and Strings Competition. The three pianists will be joined by cello prodigy Stéphane Tétreault, who first made international headlines as the recipient of Bernard Greenhouse’s cello, the 1707 “Countess of Stainlein, Ex-Paganini” Stradivarius, on generous loan by Mrs. Jacqueline Desmarais, and was the First Prize winner at the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Standard Life-OSM 2007 Competition. Tétreault appeared in the 2014-15 season as soloist with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain.
More Piano
Known as a “pianist with Rock God tendencies” (Daily Telegraph), Ludovico Einaudi’s unique musical alchemy draws on elements of classical, rock, electronica, and world music. The Italian pianist and composer’s music and performance have rendered traditional definitions of genre and audience obsolete, as he has become the first classical pianist to reach the top 15 in the UK album charts. He composed scores for a number of films and trailers, including The Untouchables, I’m Still Here, and the TV miniseries Doctor Zhivago. The concert is presented in association with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura.
Vocal Concerts
Described by Gramophone as “enchanting the ear from first to last note,” The King’s Singers perform a holiday season celebration with a perfect blend of spot-on intonation, impeccable vocal powers, flawless articulation of the text, incisive timing, and delightfully British wit. Their program includes a selection of close harmony songs taken from their Christmas Songbook CD and works by Tchaikovsky, Lawson, and Pärt, as well as traditional seasonal songs.
Natalie Dessay, one of the biggest stars of today’s vocal world who has enchanted audiences as both a singer and an actress, will be accompanied by pianist Philippe Cassard in a program of works by Schubert, Duparc, Liszt, Fauré, and Bizet. “Maverick diva Natalie Dessay nowadays considers herself as much an actor as a singer,” notes The Guardian, and The New York Times wrote, “every vocal phrase is impelled by the emotion and dramatic intention of the moment.”
American operatic soprano Deborah Voigt, recognized as one of the world’s most versatile singers and one of music’s most endearing personalities, makes her Koerner Hall debut accompanied by pianist Brian Zeger, who previously played with Adrianne Pieczonka in the Hall. Having made her name as a leading dramatic soprano, she is internationally revered for her performances in the operas of Wagner and Strauss, and in this concert she will perform works by Bach, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Bernstein.
String and Chamber Music Concerts
Three astounding violinists will appear as soloists with equally impressive chamber ensembles during the 2016-17 season, as Viktoria Mullova makes her Royal Conservatory debut with Accademia Bizantina and conductor/harpsichordist Ottavio Dantone, Gidon Kremer returns with his Kremerata Baltica, and Nicola Benedetti performs with Venice Baroque Orchestra.
Known the world over as a violinist of exceptional versatility and musical integrity, Mullova’s interpretations of Bach have been acclaimed worldwide, as has been her most recent recording of Bach concerti with the Accademia Bizantina. Accademia Bizantina, regarded as one of the most versatile and select ensembles using original instruments, is renowned for stylistic accuracy, imaginative interpretation, and technical perfection. In their Koerner Hall concert, they will present and all Johann Sebastian Bach program.
Koerner Hall favourite Gidon Kremer returns with his ensemble Kremerata Baltica, made up of musicians from the Baltic nations, in a program titled “Another Russia,” which will include the Cohen/Pushkarev arrangement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, accompanied by projected visuals of paintings by Soviet-era artist Maxim Kantor.
Born in Scotland of Italian heritage, Nicola Benedetti was the winner of Best Female Artist at the 2013 Classical BRIT Awards. Her passion for Italian Baroque music and historical performance is heard in her collaboration with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, founded by Baroque scholar and harpsichordist Andrea Marcon. Presented in association with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, they perform a program that includes Vivaldi’s popular The Four Seasons.
Russian-British violinist Alina Ibragimova is one of the hottest young violinists in Europe. Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to music, she has toured with the Kremerata Baltica, Britten Sinfonia, Academy of Ancient Music, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She brings her long-standing duo partner, pianist Cédric Tiberghien, with a program of Bach, Brahms, Cage, and Schumann. “The immediacy and honesty of Ibragimova’s playing has the curious ability to collapse any sense of distance between performer and listener.” (The Guardian)
JCT Trio, consisting of Stefan Jackiw (violin), Jay Campbell (cello), and Conrad Tao (piano), perform piano trios by Mozart, Ives, and Dvořák in a program that explores Mozart’s evolution in his treatment of independent voices, specifically the path from their interdependence in his early works to their independence from each other in his later works. The independence of voices was taken to an extreme by Ives, who often had unrelated voices in different keys sounding simultaneously. Dvořák in turn picks up on another Ives thread and explores a completely different treatment of native folk music.
The Montrose Trio (pianist Jon Kimura Parker, violinist Martin Beaver, and cellist Clive Greensmith) highlights a night of Canadian chamber music all-stars. The trio, which arose from a long relationship between Kimura Parker and the Tokyo String Quartet, will be joined by special guests for an evening of extraordinary chamber music.
The Dover Quartet catapulted to international stardom following a stunning sweep of the 2013 Banff International String Quartet Competition, becoming one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world. In their Koerner Hall debut they are joined by Grammy nominated mandolinist Avi Avital, the first mandolin player to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Instrumental Soloist category. In this concert they will perform solo mandolin pieces, Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1, and Sulkhan Tsintsadze’s Six Miniatures.
“Their sound is sweet and pure, their ensemble work airtight, and the playing purred along effortlessly,” is how The Washington Post describes the Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble. Drawn from the principal players of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields orchestra, The Ensemble was created in 1967 to perform the larger chamber works – from quintets to octets – with players who customarily work together, instead of the usual string quartet with additional guests. In this Koerner Hall concert, they will perform string and woodwind works by Rossini, Mozart, and Schubert.
Royal Conservatory Orchestra consists of instrumental students in the Performance Diploma Program and Artist Diploma Program of The Glenn Gould School.
Jazz Concerts: The Art of the Trio
Each season Mervon Mehta programs a specially-themed series of jazz concerts. This year, The Conservatory celebrates jazz trios, in many of its guises, by presenting five concerts, each featuring one Canadian and one international trio.
The series opens with Kenny Barron Trio (Kenny Barron, piano; Kiyoshi Kitagawa, bass; Jonathan Blake, drums) & Robi Botos Trio. The Philadelphia-born pianist Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers’ polls, including Downbeat, Jazz Times, and Jazziz magazines and his recordings for Verve have earned him nine Grammy Award nominations. Hungarian-born Romani musician Botos was raised in a musical family and is largely self-taught. Shortly after coming to Canada, he caught the ear of jazz great Oscar Peterson and quickly became his protégé. To this day, Botos remains a disciple of Peterson’s mighty sense of swing and technical virtuosity. In 2012, Botos and his trio won the coveted TD Grand Jazz Award from the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Barron and Botos appeared in Koerner Hall in December 2015 as part of the Oscar @ 90 celebration.
An Italian jazz double bill features Roberto Occhipinti Trio (Roberto Occhipinti, bass; Manuel Valera, piano; Dafnis Prieto, drums) & Stefano Bollani Trio, presented in association with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura. Occhipinti is widely regarded as one of Canada’s premier bassists, with successful careers in both classical music and jazz, who performs regularly with many groups, including the Hilario Durán Trio, the Mario Romano Quartet, and Soul Stew. Born in Milan, the conservatory-trained Bollani made his professional debut at 15. An audaciously inventive improviser who draws inspiration from many musical and literary sources, the pianist possesses an exquisite touch, a rambunctious sense of humour, and a knack for elegant concision.
Jensen/Restivo/Vivian Trio (Christine Jensen, saxophone; David Restivo, piano; Jim Vivian, bass) & the Joey DeFrancesco Organ Trio continue the series. Montreal-based saxophonist/composer and Royal Conservatory alumna Christine Jensen has been described as “an original voice on the international jazz scene … [and] one of Canada’s most compelling composers.” (The Globe and Mail) David Restivo is a three-time winner of the National Jazz Awards’ Pianist of the Year and is listed in the current edition of Canadian Who’s Who. Jim Vivian was the bassist for a total of 11 different jazz ensembles in the Sound of Toronto Jazz Concert Series, and has been a member of The Shuffle Demons and Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass. DeFrancesco ignited an organ jazz renaissance with the sound of his vintage Hammond organ. He not only illuminated this once-dormant music form, but brought back the many proponents of jazz organ which had been shuffled by record producers and club owners to lesser roles within the music industry
The Royal Conservatory Orchestra (RCO), widely regarded as an outstanding ensemble and one of the best training orchestras in North America, ranks of the greatest orchestras in the world, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the BBC Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, Tafelmusik, the Hallé Orchestra of Manchester, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Leipzig Gewandhaus. During the 2016-17 season the Orchestra will be led by Gábor Takács-Nagy, Principal Artistic Partner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Tito Muñoz, Music Director of The Phoenix Symphony, Johannes Debus, Music Director of the Canadian Opera
Graduates of the RCO have joined the Company, and Bramwell Tovey, Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The penultimate concert of the series features Jason Moran and The Bandwagon (Jason Moran, piano; Tarus Mateen, bass; Nasheet Waits, drums) & Alexander Brown Trio (Alexander Brown, trumpet; Justin Gray, bass; Ethan Ardelli, drums). Since his formidable emergence on the music scene in the late 1990s, jazz pianist Moran has established himself as a risk-taker and innovator of new directions for jazz as a whole. A recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship and winner in DownBeat’s 2011 Critics Poll for Jazz Artist of the Year, Jazz Album of the Year, and winner in both 2011 and 2013 for Pianist of the Year, he is “a startlingly gifted pianist with a relentless thirst for experimentation.” (The Los Angeles Times) Cuban trumpeter Brown’s music reflects his unique path, blending classical, rhythm & blues, hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean, and Brazilian styles. He toured with Paquito D’Rivera for almost 10 years, performed at some of the world’s top jazz venues, and his reputation continues expanding through notable performances with innovative saxophonist Miguel Zenón, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and others. Since coming to Canada almost 10 years ago, he has enlivened Toronto’s jazz scene wherever he plays.
Christian McBride Trio & James Gelfand Trio close out the series. Bassist extraordinaire, composer, arranger, educator, curator, and administrator, the Philadelphia-born McBride has been one of the most important and most omnipresent figures in the jazz world for 20 years. He has worked with Freddie Hubbard, Sonny Rollins, J.J. Johnson, Ray Brown, Milt Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Roy Haynes, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Pat Metheny, and he last appeared in Koerner Hall for Oscar’s Blues concert in 2011. Gelfand has received critical acclaim in both the jazz world and the film and television industry. He has consistently displayed his artistry of music in both domains over the last 20 years, resulting in numerous award-winning albums and scores, and has performed on over 40 albums, eight under his own name.
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music and arts education institutions in the world. Providing the definitive standard of excellence in music education through its curriculum, assessment, performance, and teacher education programs, The Conservatory has had a substantial impact on the lives of millions of people globally. In addition, the organization has helped to train a number of internationally celebrated artists including Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, David Foster, Sarah McLachlan, Angela Hewitt, and Diana Krall. Motivated by its powerful mission to develop human potential through music and the arts, The Royal Conservatory has emerged over the last two decades as a leader in the development of arts-based programs that address a wide range of social issues. For more information, please visit www.rcmusic.ca.
The Royal Conservatory of Music’S 2016-17 Classical Concerts Repertoire
Fri., September 30, 2016 at 8pm |
Gábor Takács-Nagy conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra Program TBA |
Fri., October 14, 2016 at 8pm |
Ludovico Einaudi |
Tues., October 18, 2016 at 8pm |
Season Gala: Lang Lang Program TBA |
Fri., October 21, 2016 at 8pm |
Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble Gioachino Rossini: String Sonata No. 1 in G Major Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet in E-flat Major for Horn & Strings, K. 407 Franz Schubert: Octet in F Major for Winds & Strings, D. 803 |
Thurs., November 10, 2016 at 8pm |
Generation Next Pianists Tony Yike Yang, Charles Richard-Hamelin, and Alexander Seredenko, cellist Stéphane Tétreault, and more |
Fri., November 11, 2016 at 8pm |
Deborah Voigt with Brian Zeger Works by Bach, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Bernstein |
Sun., November 13, 2016 at 3pm |
Viktoria Mullova, violin Accademia Bizantina Ottavio Dantone, conductor & harpsichord All Johann Sebastian Bach Program: Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV1041 Concerto for Violin, Harpsichord, and Orchestra (transcription of BWV1060) Violin Concerto in D Major (transcription of BWV1053) Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV1042 |
Fri., November 25, 2016 at 8pm |
Tito Muñoz conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra Program TBA |
Sun., December 4, 2016 at 3pm |
Stewart Goodyear Johann Sebastian Bach: Partita No. 5 in G Major, BWV 829 Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111 Stewart Goodyear: New work (world premiere) Fryderyk Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-sharp Minor, Op. 66 Fryderyk Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52 Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: Selections from The Nutcracker |
Sun., December 11, 2016 at 3pm |
The King’s Singers Traditional: Veni, veni Emmanuel (arr. Philip Lawson) Introduction and first reading Anonymous: There is No Rose Traditional French carol: Noël Nouvelet (arr. Philip Lawson) Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: The Crown of Roses (arr. Jeremy Lubbock) Orlandus Lassus: Resonet in laudibus Reading – Eddi’s Service Traditional: The First Noel (arr. Bertie Rice) Traditional: See Amid the Winter’s Snow (arr. Alexander L’Estrange) Traditional: The Holly and the Ivy (arr. Keith Roberts) Traditional: O Holy Night (arr. Keith Roberts) Traditional: Ding Dong Merrily on High (arr. Bertie Rice) Reading – Christmas 1914 Traditional German: Stille Nacht (arr. John Rutter) Philip Lawson: Lullay My Liking Arvo Pärt: Bogoroditsye Dyevo Traditional Austrian: Still, Still, Still (arr. Alexander L’Estrange) Traditional Ukrainian: Carol of the Bells (arr. Keith Roberts) A selection of close harmony songs taken from The King’s Singers Christmas Songbook |
Sat., January 21, 2017 at 8pm |
JCT Trio Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: early trio Charles Ives: Piano Trio, S. 86 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: late trio Antonín Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 3 in F Minor, Op. 65 |
Sat., February 4, 2017 at 8pm |
Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica Program – “Another Russia” Arvo Pärt: Fratres (for violin, strings and percussion) Mieczysław Weinberg: Chamber Symphony No. 4, Op. 153 (for string orchestra with clarinet) Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: Melodia Op. 27 No. 3 Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky: Valse-Scherzo in C Major, Op. 34 Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Cohen & Pushkarev) |
Fri., February 10, 2017 at 8pm |
Johannes Debus conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra Program TBA |
Sat., February 11, 2017 at 8pm |
Dover Quartet with Avi Avital Solo mandolin pieces Bedřich Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 Sulkhan Tsintsadze: Six Miniatures |
Fri., March 3, 2017 at 8pm |
Venice Baroque Orchestra with Nicola Benedetti, violin Andrea Marcon, founder and leader Baldassare Galuppi: Concerto a quattro No. 2 in G Major Charles Avison: Concerto grosso No. 8 in E Minor (after Scarlatti) Francesco Geminiani: Concerto grosso No. 12 in D Minor (Corelli, Op. 5, No. 12), “La follia” Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in D Major for violin, strings, and basso continuo, “Per la solennità della San lingua di San Antonio in Padua,” RV 212a Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, RV269, 315, 293, 297, Op. 8, Nos. 1-4 Presented in association with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura |
Sun., March 5, 2017 at 3pm |
Sir András Schiff All Franz Schubert Program: Four Impromptus, D. 899 Moments musicaux, D. 780 Drei Klavierstücke, D. 946 Four Impromptus, D. 935 |
Tues., March 28, 2017 at 8pm |
Daniil Trifonov Robert Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15 Robert Schumann: Toccata in C Major, Op. 7 Robert Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op. 16 Dmitri Shostakovich: Selections for 24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka |
Fri., March 31, 2017 at 8pm |
Alina Ibragimova with Cédric Tiberghien Johann Sebastian Bach: Violin Sonata No. 4 in C Minor, BWV 1017 Johannes Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 John Cage: Six Melodies Robert Schumann: Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 121 |
Fri., April 7, 2017 at 8pm |
Bramwell Tovey conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra Program TBA |
Sun., April 9, 2017 at 3pm |
Louis Lortie All Fryderyk Chopin Program: Twelve Études Op. 10 Twelve Études Op. 25 Twenty-four Preludes, Op. 28 |
Sun., April 23, 2017 at 3pm |
Natalie Dessay with Philippe Cassard Franz Schubert: Erlkönig, D. 328 Am Bach im Frühling, D. 361, Op. posth. 109 Suleika I, D.720 Nacht und Träume, D. 827 Geheimes, D. 719 Rastlose Liebe, D. 138 Nachtviolen, D. 752 Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118 Henri Duparc: Elégie Au pays où se fait la guerre Franz Liszt: “Pace non trovo,” No. 104, from Three Petrarch Sonnets I, S.158 Five songs on poems by Victor Hugo Franz Liszt: Oh! quand je dors, S. 282 Gabriel Fauré: Dans les ruines d’une abbaye, Op. 2, No. 1 Gabriel Fauré: L’absent, Op. 5, No. 3 Georges Bizet: Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe Franz Liszt: Comment, disaient-ils, S. 276 |
Fri., April 28, 2017 at 8pm |
The Montrose Trio & Friends Program TBA |
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