LSM Newswire

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Parsons Dance presents World Premiere collaboration with EVOC - Jan 6 - 18

PARSONS DANCE presents a World Premiere collaboration with the lead vocalists and music of the Grammy Award-nominated EAST VILLAGE OPERA COMPANY The Joyce Theater, January 6 18, 2009

PLEASE JOIN US:

Tuesday, January 6th at 7:30pm (Program B)

Wednesday, January 7th at 7:30pm (Program B)

Thursday, January 8th at 8pm (Program A)

Friday, January 9th at 8pm (Program A)

RSVP to Michelle Brandon Tabnick, (646) 765-4773, michelle@michelletabnickcommunications.com

Parsons Dance presents the World Premiere of an as-yet-untitled collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. Program A premieres the new evening-length work with EVOCs two lead vocalists live onstage with Parsons Dance. Program B will feature Parsons Dance favorites: the jazzy Fill the Woods with Light, Swing Shift, Ebben, My Sweet Lord, Shining Star, and the stroboscopic Caught.

David Parsons, Tyley Ross (lead male vocalist and co-founder of EVOC) and AnnMarie Milazzo (lead female vocalist) have created a storyline that connects EVOCs signature operatic arias (fifteen songs from the bands albums) with David Parsons original choreography. untitled is a thoroughly modern re-telling of a classic story of a tragic love triangle. With contemporary dance, aerial dance, live and recorded music, video projections, complex digital lighting and visual effects, untitled is the most ambitious production created by Parsons Dance in its 22 year history.

Nearly two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the members of East Village Opera Company. We realized that a great deal of artistic synchronicity existed between our companies, and we began to discuss the possibility of creating a work together. Peter Kiesewalters brilliant arrangements have proven to be incredibly inspirational. Now we are about to present this World Premiere in January, said David Parsons, artistic director of Parsons Dance.

David Parsons choreography marries tradition and renewal in a way that physically represents what we try to evoke as a band. Its exciting to see our music take a three dimensional kinesthetic shape in his hands, said Tyley Ross. EVOC recently received a 2008 Grammy Award nomination, Best Classical Crossover Album, for their album Olde School (2008, Decca Records).

This piece is a strong departure from David Parsons signature themes, representing a paradigm shift in the work of a legendary choreographer, showcasing Davids maturation as an artist and expressing the breadth of his enormous creative range, said David Harrison, executive director of Parsons Dance.

EVOCs signature works re-imagine opera arias as popular songs, including pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Schubert. These classics collide with electric sounds from the golden era of rock and roll, pop, R&B, and soul, exploding into a mosaic of sound in a triumphant musical celebration. They have received commissions to pen new works from both the New York Public Theatre and New York City Opera, with whom they have also performed at Lincoln Center. EVOC alternately headlines in prestigious classical concert halls and rock clubs, and records exclusively for Decca/Universal records. They have released three CDs, and are currently on tour supporting their newest release Olde School.

Parsons Dance creates American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. It is the goal of Parsons Dance to make contemporary dance accessible to the widest possible audiences. In addition to choreography and performance, Parsons Dance positively impacts children, students, and communities through student performances, lecture-demonstrations, master classes, post-show discussions and more. Parsons Dance has a company of eleven full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 70 works choreographed by David Parsons, twenty of which feature originally commissioned scores by leading composers and musicians, including Dave Matthews, Michael Gordon and Milton Nascimento. Parsons Dance has collaborated with many other leading artists, including Julie Taymor, William Ivey Long, Annie Leibovitz, Donna Karan and Alex Katz (to name a few). The New York Times called David Parsons one of the great movers of modern dance. New York Magazine referred to him as one of modern dances great living dance-makers.

Parsons Dance dancers are Julie Blume, Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, John Corsa, Kevin Fitzgerald Ferguson, Patty Foster, Zac Hammer, Natalie Lomonte, Miguel Quinones, Abby Silva, Billy Smith, apprentice dancer Steven Vaughn, and understudy Trista Jennings.

The two programs follow:

Program A:

Thu 1/8, Fri 1/9 and Sat 1/10 at 8pm; Sun 1/11 at 2pm and 7:30pm; Wed 1/14 at 7:30pm;

Thu 1/15, Fri 1/16 and Sat 1/17 at 8pm; Sun 1/18 at 7:30pm

World Premiere of untitled featuring the music of EVOC: Overture, La Danza, Maria, Mari!, Habanera, Che Gelida Manina, Flower Duet, La Donna E Mobile, Ave Maria, O Mio Babbino Caro, Una Furtiva Lagrima, Un Del Di, Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana, When I Am Laid in Earth, Butterfly Duet

Program B:

Tue 1/6 and Wed 1/7 at 7:30pm; Tue 1/13 at 7:30pm; Sat 1/17 and Sun 1/18 at 2pm

Family Matinee: Sat 1/10 at 2pm

Swing Shift, Ebben (an excerpt from Program A), My Sweet Lord, Fill the Woods with Light, Caught, and Shining Star

Swing Shift, created for four couples and featuring compelling solos for female dancers, explores the human journey toward self-discovery through social interaction, as dancers swing and shift in order to couple, uncouple and couple again with another. Ebben is an excerpt from untitled. My Sweet Lord is based on the song of the same title by George Harrison and was originally choreographed for American Ballet Theatre. Fill the Woods with Light was inspired by David Parsons love of jazz music and dramatic lighting effects. This ensemble piece features a commissioned score by Phil Woods, recorded by the Phil Woods Little Big Band. The dancers occupy the nocturnal world of jazz music, lighting each other with a variety of hand-held lighting instruments. Caught is an internationally renowned stroboscopic dance masterpiece that features a solo dancer performing more than 100 leaps in less than six minutes. Each leap is caught by the flash of a strobe light, to create a breathtaking illusion of flight. Caught has been performed thousands of times, worldwide, for more than 27 years. Shining Star is an upbeat, high-energy romp set to a series of disco-era hits by Earth, Wind & Fire. The choreography blends social dancing with a jazzy, smooth style that celebrates the party scene of the 1970s.

Parsons Dance will perform January 6 18, 2009 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. There is a Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC. Tickets are $59, $35, and $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26) and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. The company tours regionally, nationally and internationally. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured an average of 32 weeks per year, to a total more than 235 cities, 30 countries, six continents and millions of audience members. Many others have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network, and the Discovery Channel. Millions watched Parsons Dance perform live in Times Square as part of the internationally broadcast, 24-hour Millennium New Years Eve celebration. In New York City, Parsons Dance has been featured at The Joyce Theater, City Center, New Victory Theater, Central Park Summerstage, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The World Trade Center.

David Parsons (Artistic Director/Founder) has enjoyed a remarkable career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer of dance. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. He was a leading dancer with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, where Mr. Taylor created many roles for him in works such as Arden Court, Last Look and Roses. He is a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award, as well as the 2001 American Choreography Award, for his work as a co-producer of AEROS, a production featuring the Romanian Gymnastic Federation that was featured on Bravo. Mr. Parsons has created more than 70 works for Parsons Dance. He has received commissions over the years from The American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacobs Pillow, the Spoleto Festival and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nederlands Danse Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance and BatSheva Dance Company of Israel, among many others. In June 2007, Mr. Parsons was honored to be the very first contemporary choreographer ever to stage work at the centuries-old Arena di Verona, in Verona Italy, where he choreographed Verdis Aida. The Arena is one of Italys most respected operatic venues. In September 2007, he directed and choreographed Gotham Chamber Operas production of Mara de Buenos Aires, which made its world premiere at a sold-out engagement in New York, at NYUs Skirball Center for the Arts.

East Village Opera Company was formed in New York Citys East Village in 2004 by Canadians Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross. The East Village Opera Company turned the heads of New Yorks music community with a series of electric genre defying shows at Joes Pub, the intimate venue housed by the Public Theatre. Initially meant as a one-off project, they were quickly signed to Decca/Universal records and met with universal praise from both classical and rock critics and fans. The Washington Post proclaimed that Opera crossover acts are becoming a veritable cottage industry, but the East Village Opera Co. is markedly different. They have toured the world with a unique live show, combining a seemingly incongruous classical string section with a powerhouse rock band. Time Out New York stated that the group electrifies the classics for a new generation. The Associated Press mused the band was dramatic and mesmerizing while the Wall Street Journal agreed, noting The band rocks hard, and deranges the opera stuff with savvy skill. In a rare feat not many artists can claim, EVOC headlines around the world in both eclectic rock clubs as well as some of the most prestigious classical concert halls. The bands appeal is evident in both cases. The Chicago Tribune raved Nobody puts a fresher, friskier contemporary spin on operas greatest hits than the East Village Opera Company. The band has also performed at esteemed events such as the Sundance Film Festival, the Miss USA pageant (nationally televised on NBC), and the world-premiere of The Da Vinci Code in Hong Kong. EVOCs PBS Special EVOC LIVE was celebrated with an Emmy at the 2006 Emmy Awards. Their most recent Decca album entitled Olde School was nominated for a Grammy in the Classical Crossover Album category.

Tyley Ross (Male Vocalist / EVOC co-founder) A native of Ottawa Canada, Tyley started performing professionally in his early teens while still a student at Canterburys school of the Arts. In the years since then, has been a street busker, a cartoon and voice artist, acted for the small and large screen, written and recorded two solo albums (his composition You Take My Breath Away was featured in the film Woman Wanted directed by Kiefer Sutherland and starring Holly Hunter), and he has performed as a guest soloist with orchestras across Canada and in the USA. After being discovered by Pete Townshend of The Who in 1994, Tyley was cast in the title role of the Canadian premiere of the Whos Tommy. For his work in that show, he was honored with the Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. He spent the next ten years on musical stages across North America, including starring roles at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, and on Broadway. In 2001, Tyley was introduced to Peter Kiesewalter and they began experimenting with recording opera arias in a variety of modern contexts. This project led to the release of the CD La Donna and the unveiling of the East Village Opera Company in 2004 with a series of acclaimed performances at New Yorks Joes Pub. Within a year the band had signed a multi-record deal with Decca/Universal, and has since released two CDs: East Village Opera Company (2005) and Olde School (2008). Tyley has his masters degree in voice studies from Londons Central School of Speech and Drama.

AnnMarie Milazzo (Female Vocalist) is a singer, arranger, composer and lyricist living in NYC. She has done the vocal arrangements for Spring Awakening, the Broadway musical at the Eugene ONeill Theater; Next To Normal, which premiered Off Broadway at Second Stage Theatre; Bright Lights, Big City at New York Theatre Workshop; and the Paramount feature film The Marc Pease Experience starring Ben Stiller. Some of her most recent work includes a new musical Pretty Dead Girl, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival and is now being produced by the Araca Group in New York City, book by David Henry Wang. Also currently in progress is the musical Sea Change based on the Lois Gould novel, book by Karen Hartman. AnnMarie is the lyricist for Franco Dragones Carmen, which premiered at The Jolla Playhouse and will open in Madrid, 2009. She is currently writing lyrics for Cirque du Soleils, Le Reve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. AnnMaries singing credits include working with artists such as Angelique Kidjo on her Black Ivory Soul Tour also singing with Carlos Santana. She also toured with Jonatha Brooke and performed on her DVD Back In The Circus, shot live in NYC.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences since 1982. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce is named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsthers clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to establish the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant New York home for more than 290 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 1996, The Joyce created Joyce SoHo, a dance center providing highly subsidized rehearsal and performance space to hundreds of dance artists. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyces Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Humanities discussions. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000. Additionally, for the last five years The Joyce has co-produced Evening Stars as part of the River To River Festival in Battery Park.

The World Premiere production is made possible by lead commissioning support from The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation; and Dr. and Mrs. Edward Prostic, in honor and memory of their daughter Elizabeth Anne Prostic.

For more information, visit parsonsdance.org and eastvillageoperacompany.com.

PARSONS DANCE

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC

January 6-18, 2009

Tue, Wed and Sun at 7:30pm; Thu, Fri and Sat at 8pm; and Sat and Sun at 2pm

Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm.

Tickets: $59, $35, $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26)

JoyceCharge: 212-242-0800

joyce.org

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Free concerts: New Music, Classics, Jazz

Chamber Music America (CMA)the national service organization for the chamber music professionwill present the following free events in conjunction with its 2009 National Conference, in New York City, January 16-18:

Date: Friday, January 16, 2009

Event: New Music Concert

Time: 8:00 p.m.

Location: St. Lukes Lutheran Church, 308 W. 46th St.

Charge: FREE

Performers : Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer and the Vijay Iyer Quartet; the Minnesota-based male vocal ensemble Cantus; and Opus 21, the Michigan new-music ensemble, performing its Frederic Rzewski commission, Natural Things.

Contact: Marc Giosi (212) 242-2022 ext.14 or mgiosi@chamber-music.org

Date: Sunday, January 18, 2009

Event: American Masterpieces: Chamber Music Concert

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: St. Lukes Lutheran Church, 308 W. 46th St.

Charge: FREE

What: The Parker Quartet (Corigliano String Quartet No. 1); String Trio of New York

Contact: Marc Giosi (212) 242-2022 ext.14 or mgiosi@chamber-music.org

Adam Reifsteck
Director of Marketing and Member Services
Chamber Music America
Office: 212.242.2022 ext. 28
Fax: 212.242.7955
areifsteck@chamber-music.org

re-imagining our future
C H A M B E R M U S I C A M E R I C A
31st A N N U A L C O N F E R E N C E
J A N U A R Y 15 18, 2 0 0 9
www.chamber-music.org/events

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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Annonce de publication CMBV

Choral Masses and Nols at the time of Louis XV: Louis Grnon, a composer rediscovered at Le Puy-en-Velay

These four amazingly modern masses by Louis Grnon, presented by the ditions du CMBV and edited by Jean Duron, are the first pieces to be published from the music collection recently discovered at Le Puy-en-Velay Cathedral. The most original of them is probably the Christmas Mass, which parodies popular tunes, as well as themes by Rameau and Mondonville. The Mass in G major and the Petite messe in A major, both in concerted style, and the quite short and more austere Missa quinti toni, also hold some interesting surprises. These masses are all for choir and continuo, and sometimes two concerted bassoons are required.

For further information, see http://editions.cmbv.fr/achat/new.php?langue=en

Messes et Nols pour chur au temps de Louis XV : Louis Grnon, un compositeur redcouvert au Puy-en-Velay

Les partitions des 4 messes de Louis Grnon, dites par Jean Duron au Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, viennent complter notre connaissance du rpertoire sacr du temps de Louis XV. Ces uvres, dont on dcouvrira la grande qualit musicale et la modernit, sont les premires publications issues de la dcouverte rcente d'un fonds musical au Puy-en-Velay. La Messe en Nol, parodiant notamment des thmes de Rameau et de Mondonville, est probablement la plus originale. La Messe en sol majeur, la Petite messe en la majeur, toutes deux en style concertant, ou la plus austre mais brve Missa quinti toni rservent galement de trs belles surprises. Toutes se chantent en chur avec basse continue, parfois avec deux bassons concertants.

Pour en savoir plus : http://editions.cmbv.fr/achat/produit_details.php?id=861

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Music China 2009 - International Trade Fair for Musical Instruments and Services

December 2008

Music China
International Trade Fair for Musical Instruments and Services
13 16 October 2009
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai, China


Music China acknowledged as Asias largest music industry event

Music China, Asias most recognised musical instrument show will take place 13 16 October 2009 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), Shanghai, China. The show is the Asian sister to Musikmesse in Frankfurt, and the largest music industry event in the Asia-Pacific region.

Music China 2008 attracted 43,238 visitors from 92 countries. Six halls, covering an exhibition area of 65,000 sqm were filled with 1,106 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions showcasing a broad mix of products include traditional Chinese to western instruments, sheet music and accessories.

We had a record number of visitors and exhibitors doing business at Music China 2008 and despite the current global economic climate we are confident that our 2009 show will continue to attract those wanting to do business in the worlds biggest and fastest growing consumer marketplace, said Evan Sha, Deputy General Manager, Messe Frankfurt Shanghai.

Big brands
to be showcased for 2009 event

Several well-known international brand names and industry leaders have indicated their interest in returning to Music China 2009. These include AXL, Roland, Steinway, Warwick and Yamaha. In addition, negotiations are underway to secure a large number of group pavilions. At Music China 2008 there were eight pavilions representing Austria, Britain, Czech, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Taiwan.

Early bookings confirm our recent survey findings which showed that more than 97% of past exhibitors said they will consider exhibiting at Music China again, adds Evan Sha. There is no bigger or better showcase in Asia where exhibitors can capture such a big slice of the musician and music lover market.

High quality products are in demand

While increasing numbers of Chinese buyers are searching information about musical instruments through internet, demand is also being fuelled by Chinese government policies that are accelerating educational reform, including music education.

With domestic and overseas economic conditions deteriorating sharply in recent months, the real growth of industrial output of China has been trending downward. Only retail sales still held up strongly, growing by 16.6% in real terms in October.

During the past three years, the 11th Five Year Plan (2006 2010) developed by the government has increased expenditure in science and education. As a result, the China Music Instrument Association believes this is helping to grow the number of young musicians, which in turn is boosting market demand and stimulating consumption of music products. Whats more, Western and Asian music crossover influences are adding to the demand for instruments in the global market.

Music China 2009 is organised jointly by the China Music Instrument Association (CMIA), INTEX Shanghai and Messe Frankfurt, runs concurrently with Prolight and Sound Shanghai, an International Exhibition for the Event and Communication Technology, AV-Production and Entertainment industries. For information, see www.musikmesse.com or email music@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com

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Monday, December 22, 2008

WSO's 12 Reasons to Celebrate!




The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
An image used for spacing HERE has been stripped by your email client.

WSO Enters the Holiday Season with 12 Reasons to Celebrate
December 22, 2008 - In this festive season, even with the economic challenges Canada currently faces and the arts community perpetually faces, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has many successes to celebrate for 2008.
Ticket sales have been strong for the first half of the season and there is a positive outlook for the remaining concerts, including the presentation of Beethovens 9th symphony on April 11, which is already projected to sell out.
1. Alexander Mickelthwate commits to 3 more years with the WSO
Our Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate, currently in his third season with the WSO, has signed on for a second three-year term.
We are thrilled to have engaged Maestro Mickelthwate for a second term. His positive energy and enthusiasm inspire everyone who comes into contact with him. We are looking forward to building on the warm relationship he has with the orchestra and the community."
- WSO Board Chair Dorothy Dobbie
2. WSO Winnipeg education & outreach programs will continue thanks to a generous contribution from the Richardson Foundation
The Richardson Foundation has confirmed a lead role in supporting the WSOs Up Close and Orchestral program. The program takes the full WSO into seven high schools annually to perform for and interact with high school students in their own environment.
The WSO concert at our school was a watershed moment for many of the students in attendance because a good proportion of them had never seen (due to social or financial barriers) an orchestral performance before. Our students silence during the music and raucous applause after the music was a ringing endorsement of the WSO and the Up Close and Orchestral program.
- Dan Steinhilber, Music Director, Transcona Collegiate.
3. Richardson Foundation supports new Rural Outreach program
The Richardson Foundation has committed to a lead role in supporting a new Rural Outreach program. This program, to be launched in the spring of 2009, will see the WSO take its Adventures in Music and Up Close and Orchestral programs to a rural community each year.
The Richardson Foundation is proud of its history with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and we are confident that our continuing partnership will assist in sustaining the WSO as a world-class orchestra and community outreach innovator,
- Hartley Richardson, President & Chief Executive Officer, James Richardson & Sons, Limited
4. WSO Accepted into Arts Stabilization Manitoba
The WSO has been officially accepted into the Arts Stabilization Manitoba program. This program provides support to arts organizations committed to maintaining effective administrative strategies. The program will contribute $500,000 to the WSO over five years, provided that the Orchestra remains in the black and is engaged in accomplishing its business objectives. The first allocation of $100,000 was presented to the WSO board of directors on Wednesday, December 17.
5. Wawanesa helps to fund new chairs for WSO musicians
Wawanesa Insurance is making an important contribution to the health and optimal playing ability of the WSO musicians by donating funds to replace the orchestra chairs. The new chairs are specifically designed for orchestra musicians and include a number of ergonomic refinements for posture and back support. Audiences will see the new chairs early in the new year.
6. Advance Electronics donates cameras and televisions
Advance Electronics has made a very generous donation of digital cameras, flat-screen televisions, and other electronic equipment to assist with the WSOs promotional and educational programs.
7. 2nd annual WSO Conducting Symposium attracts international participants
The WSOs new Conducting Symposium is a ground breaking program to develop the skills and approaches needed for professional orchestral conductors. The program has attracted over 50 applicants from around the world, and 12 participants have been selected. The program will run January 16 to 19 and will include opportunities to work with conducting and dramatic coaches, meet with orchestral agents, the press, and conduct the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. One of the participants in the Symposium will be considered for the position of WSO assistant conductor, to replace Rei Hotoda who is moving to an assistant conductor position with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
8. Womens Committee makes generous contribution to WSO Endowment Fund, in honour of 60th Anniversary
At a recital on November 23, 2008, the Womens Committee of the WSO presented a cheque for $10,000 in honour of the Orchestras 60th Anniversary last year. These funds are to be contributed to the WSO Endowment Fund which is held in the Winnipeg Foundation. The Womens Committee has been an active supporter of the WSO for generations, and they annually contribute $30,000 toward WSO operations, through sales of merchandise at WSO concerts, and through special events.
9. WSO brass ensemble performs at Canadian Museum for Human Rights groundbreaking ceremony
WSO brass musicians and students from Mulvey and Dufferin schools performed O Canada and a specially-composed piece One People for the groundbreaking ceremonies of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on December 19th. These students, along with the brass ensemble participated in a multi-faceted arts outreach program over the fall months in conjunction with the National Arts Centre.
10. NAC Orchestra Benefit Concert a Great Success
The National Arts Centre Orchestra benefit concert and special event held at the Concert Hall on November 10, 2008, was extremely well received by those in attendance and contributed $30,000 toward Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra operations.
11. WSO looks forward to a first-of-its-kind Indigenous Festival
From April 27 to 30, 2009, the WSO presents a celebration of Indigenous cultures from around the world including Australia, Europe, South America and North America. The 4-day festival includes performances by local aboriginal artist Corey Campbell and internationally acclaimed band Eagle & Hawk and is curated by composer Andrew Balfour.
12. WSO to present World Premiere of Holocaust memorial work I Believe
Last week, Arnold Frieman hosted a launch party to raise awareness for the World Premiere of I Believe by Winnipeg composer Zane Zalis, which the WSO presents on May 21, 2009. Selections of the work have already received standing ovations at sold-out WSO community performances over the past three seasons.

For additional information, photos or to schedule interviews please contact:

Sheena Stemler
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
(204) 949-3970
(204) 290-7484
The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is the celebrated hub of Winnipeg's rich cultural life, delighting more than 100,000 audience members each year with innovative programming and musical excellence. The WSO presents educational programs for more than 25,000 students annually and tours outside the city reaching out to communities across Manitoba.


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Harbourfront Centre Courses & Workshops

Make time for you! A world of contemporary culture is waiting for you at Harbourfront Centre's Courses & Workshops!



TORONTO, Monday, December 22, 2008 Travel to Harbourfront Centre, the most memorable and economical destination ever, to escape the winter cold and uncrate the spring sun with the city's best Courses & Workshops! Harbourfront Centre is pleased to offer a diverse and exciting line-up of contemporary culture courses throughout the winter and spring months. Adults can learn to paint; create their own website; explore the world of circus arts; tour the city's culinary neighbourhoods; go gallery hopping; make delicious candies and chocolates just in time for Valentine's Day; attend tea socials; join a book club; take a glass blowing course; and much more! Harbourfront Centre's Courses & Workshops are affordable and provide a perfect environment for adults to learn or improve skills, and expand their social circle with like-minded individuals at Toronto's leading arts and cultural centre.



Courses & Workshops begin on January 18, 2009 at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West. Register early as class size is limited. To register or for more information, the public can call 416-973-4093, e-mail learning@harbourfrontcentre.com or visit harbourfrontcentre.com/learn.



Winter/Spring 2009 Courses & Workshops



Visual Arts & Design

ĢExpressive Arts (Sunday, January 18)

ĢDrawing for Fashion Design (5 Mondays, January 19 to February 16)

ĢIntroduction to Botanical Drawing (5 Mondays, January 19 to February 16)

ĢSewing 101 (5 Mondays, January 19 to February 16)

ĢFashion 101 (5 Tuesdays, January 20 to February 17)

ĢPainting (6 Tuesdays, January 20 to February 24)

ĢParent Workshop: Engaging Kids with Contemporary Arts (Saturday, May 9)

ĢToronto Island Watercolour Sketchbook (4 Sundays, May 24 to June 14)



Media Studies

ĢCreating your own Website (6 Mondays, January 19 to February 23)

ĢDemystifying the Digital Camera (Sunday, January 25)

ĢDigital Photography Manipulation (Saturday & Sunday, February 21 & 22)



Performing Arts

ĢDjembe Drumming (4 Thursdays, February 5 to 26)

ĢCircus (6 Mondays, Session 1: May 25 to June 29; Session 2:6 Wednesdays, May 27 to July 8)



Seasonal

ĢCandy-Making Workshop (Sunday, February 1)

ĢFrom Beer to There (3 Thursdays, April 16 to 30)



Literary Arts

ĢAuthors at Harbourfront Centre Book Club (Ongoing, 3rd Tuesday of every month)



Urban & Cultural Studies

ĢFilm & Food Club (3 Fridays, February 6 to 20)

ĢTea 101 (4 Saturdays, February 21 to March 14)

ĢGallery Hopping (6 Wednesdays, April 21 to May 25)

ĢUrban Portraiture (6 Tuesdays, April 21 to May 25)

ĢArtistic Architecture in the Public Space (6 Wednesdays, April 22 to May 26)

ĢExplore Toronto's Culinary Neighbourhoods (Saturday, April 25: Little India; Saturday, May 2: Kensington; Saturday, May 9: Chinatown;

Saturday, May 16: Little Italy)



Craft Studio Courses

ĢGlass Blowing (Runs through May)

ĢCeramics (Runs year-round)

ĢIntroduction to Jewellery (Runs year-round)

ĢIntermediate Jewellery (Runs year-round)

ĢTextiles (Runs year-round)



FOCUS: Pause

Harbourfront Centre wants you. to. slow. down. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with information and images, what happens when someone really takes the time to reflect? Through May, Harbourfront Centre wants you to pause and make a connection to art, recreation, the world. Find time for yourself by taking one of our Courses and Workshops; reflect while you wait for the World Stage curtain to rise; enjoy while you skate on the Natrel Rink. Harbourfront Centretime well spent.

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Friday, December 19, 2008

Programmes de subventions du CALQ 2009-2010

logo du CALQ

Montral, 19 dcembre 2008 - Les programmes de subventions pour le fonctionnement et les projets pour l'anne 2009-2010 du Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec (CALQ) sont disponibles sur son site Web, ses bureaux Montral et Qubec. Les dates limites d'inscription pour la plupart d'entre eux sont les 1er et 15 mars 2009.

Ces programmes sont destins aux organismes artistiques et littraires afin de soutenir leur fonctionnement, leurs projets de production, de promotion, de diffusion, de tournes au Qubec ou hors Qubec, d'accueil de spectacles trangers, ainsi que l'organisation d'vnements nationaux et internationaux. Ils appuient galement les associations professionnelles, les regroupements nationaux et les organismes de services oeuvrant dans le domaine des arts de la scne, des arts mdiatiques, des arts visuels, des mtiers d'art, de l'architecture et de la littrature.

Pour 2009-2010, le Conseil a adopt trois orientations qui le guideront dans l'attribution des subventions au fonctionnement aux organismes mritants. Pour l'anne 2009-2010, il considrera en priorit les organismes mergents ou de la relve, ceux qui proposent des initiatives structurantes (services collectifs, mise en commun de ressources, fusion, etc.) ou ceux qui apportent une contribution complmentaire au dveloppement de la discipline, de la rgion ou de publics.

Depuis 1994, le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec soutient dans toutes les rgions du Qubec la cration, l'exprimentation et la production dans les domaines des arts de la scne, des arts visuels, des arts mdiatiques, de la recherche architecturale, des mtiers d'art et de la littrature et en favorise le rayonnement au Qubec, au Canada et l'tranger. Il soutient galement le perfectionnement des artistes professionnels.

En 2007-2008, le Conseil avait vers des subventions totalisant 63,4 M$ 582 organismes.


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La nuit de Nol l'glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste

La nuit de Nol l'glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste
lorsque le Mystre s'exprime aussi en musique

C'est par un rcital de l'organiste Jacques Boucher que s'amorcera la nuit de la Nativit, le 24 dcembre 21 h 30, en l'glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montral.

Voir le COMMUNIQU en pice jointe.

Chantal Poulin
Coordonnatrice des vnements culturels
glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste,
4237, avenue Henri-Julien, Montral, Qc, H2W 2K7
Tlphone : 514 842-9811, Tlcopieur : 514 842-8450
www.eglisestjeanbaptiste.com
info@eglisestjeanbaptiste.com

Afficher les images







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Young opera singer gets coaching from two retired divas, January 27


Tuesday, January 27 at the Markham Theatre

TENOR MICHAEL CIUFO PERFORMS IN RISING STAR SERIES

AND TAKES AUDIENCE BEHIND SCENES WITH COACHING

FROM CANADIAN OPERATIC DIVAS

How does an opera singer need to prepare for the world stage?

Michael Ciufo is a young tenor from the GTA, already on his way to a career in music.

On Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 7 p.m. tenor Michael Ciufo performs Italian operatic arias, stirring Neapolitan songs, English folksong arrangements and more with pianist Peter Tiefenbach at the Markham Theatre for Performing Arts, 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham (Hwy. 7 just west of Warden). Tickets are $25; $5 high school students and $20 post-secondary students (with student ID). To order, call 905-305-SHOW (7469) or visit www.markhamtheatre.ca. For information, visit www.sumarts.com/ircpa or call 416 362 1422.

The event is the third in the Rising Stars series, presented by the Markham Theatre in conjunction with emcee Maestro Kerry Stratton and the International Resource Centre for Performing Artists (IRCPA).

In the second half of the evening, on January 27, Mr. Ciufo will receive a coaching session with two of Canadas most celebrated former opera singers sopranos Clarice Carson and Lois McDonall. Both are board members of the IRCPA, an organization that helps performing artists turn their potential into a career. The experience will give concert-goers insight into the behind-the-scenes preparation that young performing artists must undertake in order to maximize the success of their goals.

Only 22, tenor Michael Ciufo has already appeared as a soloist in operatic and orchestral performances. His first album, Vieni Sul Mar A Collection of Italian Songs was released in 2004 and has already sold over 2,000 copies. A second CD, launching in 2009, will feature his original songs. A gifted arranger as well, in 2007 he performed his own orchestral arrangements of Christmas repertoire with the York Symphony Orchestra.

Soprano Clarice Carson retired from performance in 1986 after many years with the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden (London), Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Fenice (Venice), the Montreal, Vancouver and Canadian Opera Companies, and many others in Europe, the U.S. and Latin America. The Montreal native was inducted in The Opera Hall of Fame at Place des Arts by LOpra de Montral in 1998. For the past 22 years, Ms. Carson has lived in Toronto.

Soprano Lois McDonall enjoyed an operatic career spanning more than 40 years and three continents. While living in Vancouver, the Alberta native was discovered in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions. She has sung for British Royalty, by an invitation to Buckingham Palace, and recorded rare operas and bel canto repertoire including works by Donizetti, Handel, Liszt, and Delius, as well as Wagners Ring Cycle for the BBC, Opera Rara and EMI. Ms. McDonall is committed to not just the development of the singers voice, but also to the singers complete preparation.

Both Lois McDonall and Clarice Carson share their vast stage experience through private consultations and mentoring singers from Canada and abroad.

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Opera America Announces Opera Fund Director-Designer Showcase Finalists



New York, NYOPERA America, the national service organization for opera, announces that four finalist teams have been chosen for its first Director-Designer Showcase.

As part of a continuing effort to foster emerging opera artists, the bi-annual Director-Designer Showcase seeks to benefit promising stage directors and designers interested in breaking into the world of opera. It is intended to bring new talent to the forefront and connect promising artists with those who are in a position to hire them. To be administered as part of OPERA Americas Opera Fund, the inaugural Director-Designer Showcase is supported by a special grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Working from a diverse list of American operas, applicants were asked to complete a production concept, including an explanation of the staging; ideas and initial research for scenery, props and costumes; required personnel; and suggestions for adaptations and/or editing, if any. A total of 41 director-driven teams submitted proposals for consideration; four of these were selected as finalists.

Each finalist team will be given $1,000 to be used toward the production of renderings and models. Up to two representatives from each finalist team will be flown to OPERA Americas Opera Conference 2009 in Houston to present their proposals to general and artistic directors at a special session.

The Director-Designer Showcase supports talented emerging artists by providing them with unparalleled access at the Opera Conference to the fields decision-makers, stated Marc A. Scorca, president & CEO of OPERA America. The production proposals displayed the remarkable range of talent and creativity of these young directors and designers. By highlighting these artists at the Showcase, OPERA America is proud to assist in furthering their careers.

The four finalist teams were selected by a panel that included Peter Dean Beck, designer; John Duykers, singer/teacher; Christopher Mattaliano, stage director/general director of Portland Opera; Diane Paulus, stage director and Darren K. Woods, general director of Fort Worth Opera.

I was astounded at the level of preparation and creativity of the applicants, declared Mr. Woods. Most all of them had done mounds of research and then translated them into incredible images and drawings. I think the winning teams projects could go directly from the page to the stage they were that good.

OPERA America Director-Designer Showcase Finalists

  • Mourning Becomes Electra Andrew Eggert, director; Anka Lupes, set and costume designer; Aaron Black, lighting designer
  • Florencia en el Amazonas Lawrence Edelson, director; Martin T. Lopez, set and costume designer; Josh Epstein, lighting designer; Lauri Stallings, choreographer
  • Ainadamar Mike Donahue, director; Anya Klepikov, set and costume designer; Ji-Youn Chang, lighting designer; Sara Erde, choreographer; Daniel Vatsky, projection designer
  • Einstein on the Beach Elise Sandell, director; Liz Freese, set and costume designer; Gordon W. Olson, lighting designer; Keturah Stickann, choreographer

As a core tenet of OPERA Americas mission to support North American works, The Opera Fund and its precursor funding programs have awarded more than $10.5 million in grants to companies throughout the U.S. and Canada since 1983. The Opera Fund supports three areas: Repertoire Development production of new operas; Audience Development building appreciation of American works; and Artist Development support of artists who create and interpret the repertoire. The Director-Designer Showcase is a component of The Opera Funds Artist Development program.

The Opera Fund has been supported thus far by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Canada Council for the Arts, the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation, Lloyd and Mary Ann Gerlach, Lee Day Gillespie, the Helen F. Whitaker Fund, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Opera Fund was launched in 2001 and the Director-Designer Showcase is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

In addition to selecting finalists, the panel recognized four additional noteworthy proposals:

  • Four Saints in Three Acts Michael Rau, director; Sara Walsh, set designer; Jessica Pabst, costume designer; Derek Wright, lighting designer
  • Einstein on the Beach Gregory Keller, director; Dipu Gupta, set and lighting designer; Melissa Schlactmeyer, costume designer; Brady Paul, choreographer
  • Ainadamar Joseph Cermatori, director; Michael Locher, set designer; Paul Carey, costume designer; Burke Brown, lighting designer; Stephanie Ybarra, producer
  • X The Life and Times of Malcolm X Eric Einhorn, director; Kathryn Kawecki, set designer; Candida K. Nichols, costume designer

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Monterey Jazz Festival Voted "World's Best Jazz Festival"; MJF All-Stars Receive Two Grammy Nominations



Monterey Jazz Festival Wins "World's Best Jazz Festival" Award

In 2008 JazzTimes Readers' Poll For Third Consecutive Year

Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars Receive Two Grammy Nominations For Live At The 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival

MJF Veterans Terence Blanchard And James Moody Nominated For

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo Grammys

Grammy Nominations Are Historic First For Monterey Jazz Festival Records

MJF Commissioned Work, Appearing Nightly At The Black Orchid

By Carla Bley Also Nominated For Grammy

December 18, 2008; Monterey, California; The Monterey Jazz Festival, a leader in jazz education and presentation since 1958, is proud to announce that the 2008 JazzTimes Readers Poll has named the Monterey Jazz Festival as the top jazz festival in the world for the third consecutive year.

The JazzTimes Readers' Poll win reflects MJFs commitment to presenting the best cross section of creative artists in the jazz world, showcasing the genre's most promising emerging talents, and presenting the countrys top student jazz bands. Highlights of the 51st Festival, held September 19 - 21, 2008, included stellar debuts from Cassandra Wilson, the Derek Trucks Band and Jamie Cullum, with highly anticipated returns of jazz legends and NEA Jazz Masters Nancy Wilson, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. MJF/51 Artist-In-Residence, bassist Christian McBride was in full form with a number of his ongoing electric and newly-minted acoustic endeavors, and the Monterey fans were treated to several special projects that were crowd-pleasers: Willow Lake from the Maria Schneider Orchestra (her second commissioned composition for the Festival); the polished Tribute to Cannonball Adderley with Tom Scott, Terence Blanchard and Nancy Wilson; the Kurt Elling Johnny Hartman/John Coltrane homage, Dedicated to You; and Cuban Lullabies from Maraca. In 2008, 43,000 people attended MJF/51.

The Festival is also proud to announce that NEA Jazz Master and longtime MJF veteran, saxophonist James Moody, and 2007 MJF Artist-In-Residence, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, have both been nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best Jazz Instrumental Solo category for their improvisations from the Dizzy Gillespie-penned classic song, Be-Bop off the Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival recording on Monterey Jazz Festival Records.

Collectively known as the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary All-Stars, this stellar group of three generations of jazz masters included James Moody on saxophone; Terence Blanchard on trumpet; Benny Green on piano; Nnenna Freelon on vocals; Derrick Hodge on bass; and Kendrick Scott on drums. The band made two appearances at MJF/50 in 2007 and appeared in a nationwide, 52-date tour across twenty-two states in the first quarter of 2008, performing for over 43,000 fans. The Monterey Jazz Festival Records Grammy nomination will be Mr. Moodys fourth; Mr. Blanchard has been nominated for eleven Grammys and has won the award three times.

Since the label was launched in 2007, the not-for profit Monterey Jazz Festival Records (an imprint of Concord Records) has released thirteen historic records, including never-before-released live sets from Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Shirley Horn (her Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival was recently named by the web magazine Slate as the #2 jazz album of 2008), Thelonious Monk, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Sarah Vaughan. The 50th Anniversary All-Stars Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival represents the labels first non-archival recording, and is the first of the ongoing series to be nominated for Grammys. The Grammy winners will be announced on February 9, 2009 on CBS.

In a related development, the Festival is also proud to announce that the Carla Bley recording for the WATT/ECM label, Appearing Nightly, has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category. The title track, Appearing Nightly at the Black Orchid was commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival and made its premiere at MJF/48 on September 17, 2005 on the Jimmy Lyons Stage in the Arena. In addition, the web magazine Slate has named Appearing Nightly as the #5 jazz album of 2008.

The 52nd Monterey Jazz Festival will take place September 18 - 20, 2009 and will feature a roster of jazz legends and talented newcomers alike. For MJF/52, the Festival has named as Artists-In-Residence the New Orleans-born trumpeter and multiple Grammy Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize recipient, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. The full roster for the 52nd Monterey Jazz Festival will be announced on March 30, 2009; tickets will go on sale the same day. Updates can be found on the web at www.montereyjazzfestival.org.


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Dclaration de la FCCF l'annonce du nouveau Cabinet Charest : La responsabilit envers la francophonie canadienne serait-elle remise en question?

Fdration culturelle canadienne-franaise - Visitez le site Web

Communiqu

Dclaration de la FCCF l'annonce du nouveau Cabinet Charest : La responsabilit envers la francophonie canadienne serait-elle remise en question?

Ottawa, 18 dcembre 2008 - La Prsidente de la FCCF, Mme Raymonde Boulay-Leblanc a mis la dclaration suivante suite la nomination de M. Jacques Dupuis titre de Ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes du nouveau Cabinet Charest. La FCCF adresse toutes ses flicitations au nouveau ministre mais avoue tre trs inquite car ce portefeuille perd le titre de ministre responsable de la Francophonie canadienne. l'heure actuelle, alors que les milieux artistiques et culturels qubcois et franco-canadiens travers le pays vivent une crise sans prcdent, la solidarit au sein de notre francophonie canadienne est non seulement de mise mais se doit de rester prioritaire. Dans la lgislature prcdente, le poste de Ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et ministre responsable de la Francophonie canadienne occup par M. Pelletier a toujours jou un rle essentiel voire crucial dans la recomposition d'une francophonie pancanadienne unie et solidaire. La FCCF se pose des questions : en ces temps de crise conomique, existe-t-il toujours une vritable volont politique vis--vis de la francophonie canadienne, et finalement que va-t-il advenir des noncs de la Politique en matire de francophonie canadienne du gouvernement du Qubec?

Dans ce contexte particulier, la FCCF veut rencontrer prochainement le Premier Ministre du Qubec et le Ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et entend obtenir des rponses claires. Pour Mme Boulay-LebLanc Il est vident que la FCCF va continuer de collaborer avec le gouvernement du Qubec. Nous partageons une vision commune de notre avenir francophone. Il faut consolider voire augmenter les changes avec la communaut artistique et culturelle qubcoise ; nos artistes, nos organismes, nos crations apportent une pluralit de voix la francophonie internationale et lui donnent une image plus riche. Aujourd'hui, nous devons rester solidaires et travailler ensemble pour favoriser l'essor de notre espace culturel francophone qui reste unique tant au Canada que dans le monde !

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Parsons Dance presents World Premiere collaboration with EVOC - Jan 6-18

Parsons Dance presents the World Premiere of an as-yet-untitled collaboration with the lead vocalists of East Village Opera Company (EVOC), featuring the music of the acclaimed rock opera band. Program A premieres the new evening-length work with EVOCs two lead vocalists live onstage with Parsons Dance. Program B will feature Parsons Dance favorites: the jazzy Fill the Woods with Light, Swing Shift, Ebben, My Sweet Lord, Shining Star, and the stroboscopic Caught.

David Parsons, Tyley Ross (lead male vocalist and co-founder of EVOC) and AnnMarie Milazzo (lead female vocalist) have created a storyline that connects EVOCs signature operatic arias (fifteen songs from the bands albums) with David Parsons original choreography. untitled is a thoroughly modern re-telling of a classic story of a tragic love triangle. With contemporary dance, aerial dance, live and recorded music, video projections, complex digital lighting and visual effects, untitled is the most ambitious production created by Parsons Dance in its 22 year history.

Nearly two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting the members of East Village Opera Company. We realized that a great deal of artistic synchronicity existed between our companies, and we began to discuss the possibility of creating a work together. Peter Kiesewalters brilliant arrangements have proven to be incredibly inspirational. Now we are about to present this World Premiere in January, said David Parsons, artistic director of Parsons Dance.

David Parsons choreography marries tradition and renewal in a way that physically represents what we try to evoke as a band. Its exciting to see our music take a three dimensional kinesthetic shape in his hands, said Tyley Ross. EVOC recently received a 2008 Grammy Award nomination, Best Classical Crossover Album, for their album Olde School (2008, Decca Records).

This piece is a strong departure from David Parsons signature themes, representing a paradigm shift in the work of a legendary choreographer, showcasing Davids maturation as an artist and expressing the breadth of his enormous creative range, said David Harrison, executive director of Parsons Dance.

EVOCs signature works re-imagine opera arias as popular songs, including pieces by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart and Schubert. These classics collide with electric sounds from the golden era of rock and roll, pop, R&B, and soul, exploding into a mosaic of sound in a triumphant musical celebration. They have received commissions to pen new works from both the New York Public Theatre and New York City Opera, with whom they have also performed at Lincoln Center. EVOC alternately headlines in prestigious classical concert halls and rock clubs, and records exclusively for Decca/Universal records. They have released three CDs, and are currently on tour supporting their newest release Olde School.

Parsons Dance creates American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. It is the goal of Parsons Dance to make contemporary dance accessible to the widest possible audiences. In addition to choreography and performance, Parsons Dance positively impacts children, students, and communities through student performances, lecture-demonstrations, master classes, post-show discussions and more. Parsons Dance has a company of eleven full-time dancers and maintains a repertory of more than 70 works choreographed by David Parsons, twenty of which feature originally commissioned scores by leading composers and musicians, including Dave Matthews, Michael Gordon and Milton Nascimento. Parsons Dance has collaborated with many other leading artists, including Julie Taymor, William Ivey Long, Annie Leibovitz, Donna Karan and Alex Katz (to name a few). The New York Times called David Parsons one of the great movers of modern dance. New York Magazine referred to him as one of modern dances great living dance-makers.

Parsons Dance dancers are Julie Blume, Eric Bourne, Sarah Braverman, John Corsa, Kevin Fitzgerald Ferguson, Patty Foster, Zac Hammer, Natalie Lomonte, Miguel Quinones, Abby Silva, Billy Smith, apprentice dancer Steven Vaughn, and understudy Trista Jennings.

The two programs follow:

Program A:

Thu 1/8, Fri 1/9 and Sat 1/10 at 8pm; Sun 1/11 at 2pm and 7:30pm; Wed 1/14 at 7:30pm;

Thu 1/15, Fri 1/16 and Sat 1/17 at 8pm; Sun 1/18 at 7:30pm

World Premiere of untitled featuring the music of EVOC: Overture, La Danza, Maria, Mari!, Habanera, Che Gelida Manina, Flower Duet, La Donna E Mobile, Ave Maria, O Mio Babbino Caro, Una Furtiva Lagrima, Un Del Di, Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana, When I Am Laid in Earth, Butterfly Duet

Program B:

Tue 1/6 and Wed 1/7 at 7:30pm; Tue 1/13 at 7:30pm; Sat 1/17 and Sun 1/18 at 2pm

Family Matinee: Sat 1/10 at 2pm

Swing Shift, Ebben (an excerpt from Program A), My Sweet Lord, Fill the Woods with Light, Caught, and Shining Star

Swing Shift, created for four couples and featuring compelling solos for female dancers, explores the human journey toward self-discovery through social interaction, as dancers swing and shift in order to couple, uncouple and couple again with another. Ebben is an excerpt from untitled. My Sweet Lord is based on the song of the same title by George Harrison and was originally choreographed for American Ballet Theatre. Fill the Woods with Light was inspired by David Parsons love of jazz music and dramatic lighting effects. This ensemble piece features a commissioned score by Phil Woods, recorded by the Phil Woods Little Big Band. The dancers occupy the nocturnal world of jazz music, lighting each other with a variety of hand-held lighting instruments. Caught is an internationally renowned stroboscopic dance masterpiece that features a solo dancer performing more than 100 leaps in less than six minutes. Each leap is caught by the flash of a strobe light, to create a breathtaking illusion of flight. Caught has been performed thousands of times, worldwide, for more than 27 years. Shining Star is an upbeat, high-energy romp set to a series of disco-era hits by Earth, Wind & Fire. The choreography blends social dancing with a jazzy, smooth style that celebrates the party scene of the 1970s.

Parsons Dance will perform January 6 18, 2009 at The Joyce Theater, with performances Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday at 7:30pm; Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. There is a Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC. Tickets are $59, $35, and $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26) and are available by phone at 212-242-0800 or joyce.org.

Parsons Dance is committed to building new audiences for contemporary dance by creating American works of extraordinary artistry that are engaging and uplifting to audiences throughout the world. The company tours regionally, nationally and internationally. Since 1985, Parsons Dance has toured an average of 32 weeks per year, to a total more than 235 cities, 30 countries, six continents and millions of audience members. Many others have seen Parsons Dance on PBS, Bravo, A&E Network, and the Discovery Channel. Millions watched Parsons Dance perform live in Times Square as part of the internationally broadcast, 24-hour Millennium New Years Eve celebration. In New York City, Parsons Dance has been featured at The Joyce Theater, City Center, New Victory Theater, Central Park Summerstage, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and The World Trade Center.

David Parsons (Artistic Director/Founder) has enjoyed a remarkable career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer of dance. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. He was a leading dancer with The Paul Taylor Dance Company, where Mr. Taylor created many roles for him in works such as Arden Court, Last Look and Roses. He is a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award, as well as the 2001 American Choreography Award, for his work as a co-producer of AEROS, a production featuring the Romanian Gymnastic Federation that was featured on Bravo. Mr. Parsons has created more than 70 works for Parsons Dance. He has received commissions over the years from The American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacobs Pillow, the Spoleto Festival and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam, to name a few. His work has been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nederlands Danse Theatre, National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance and BatSheva Dance Company of Israel, among many others. In June 2007, Mr. Parsons was honored to be the very first contemporary choreographer ever to stage work at the centuries-old Arena di Verona, in Verona Italy, where he choreographed Verdis Aida. The Arena is one of Italys most respected operatic venues. In September 2007, he directed and choreographed Gotham Chamber Operas production of Mara de Buenos Aires, which made its world premiere at a sold-out engagement in New York, at NYUs Skirball Center for the Arts.

East Village Opera Company was formed in New York Citys East Village in 2004 by Canadians Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross. The East Village Opera Company turned the heads of New Yorks music community with a series of electric genre defying shows at Joes Pub, the intimate venue housed by the Public Theatre. Initially meant as a one-off project, they were quickly signed to Decca/Universal records and met with universal praise from both classical and rock critics and fans. The Washington Post proclaimed that Opera crossover acts are becoming a veritable cottage industry, but the East Village Opera Co. is markedly different. They have toured the world with a unique live show, combining a seemingly incongruous classical string section with a powerhouse rock band. Time Out New York stated that the group electrifies the classics for a new generation. The Associated Press mused the band was dramatic and mesmerizing while the Wall Street Journal agreed, noting The band rocks hard, and deranges the opera stuff with savvy skill. In a rare feat not many artists can claim, EVOC headlines around the world in both eclectic rock clubs as well as some of the most prestigious classical concert halls. The bands appeal is evident in both cases. The Chicago Tribune raved Nobody puts a fresher, friskier contemporary spin on operas greatest hits than the East Village Opera Company. The band has also performed at esteemed events such as the Sundance Film Festival, the Miss USA pageant (nationally televised on NBC), and the world-premiere of The Da Vinci Code in Hong Kong. EVOCs PBS Special EVOC LIVE was celebrated with an Emmy at the 2006 Emmy Awards. Their most recent Decca album entitled Olde School was nominated for a Grammy in the Classical Crossover Album category.

Tyley Ross (Male Vocalist / EVOC co-founder) A native of Ottawa Canada, Tyley started performing professionally in his early teens while still a student at Canterburys school of the Arts. In the years since then, has been a street busker, a cartoon and voice artist, acted for the small and large screen, written and recorded two solo albums (his composition You Take My Breath Away was featured in the film Woman Wanted directed by Kiefer Sutherland and starring Holly Hunter), and he has performed as a guest soloist with orchestras across Canada and in the USA. After being discovered by Pete Townshend of The Who in 1994, Tyley was cast in the title role of the Canadian premiere of the Whos Tommy. For his work in that show, he was honored with the Dora Award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. He spent the next ten years on musical stages across North America, including starring roles at the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, and on Broadway. In 2001, Tyley was introduced to Peter Kiesewalter and they began experimenting with recording opera arias in a variety of modern contexts. This project led to the release of the CD La Donna and the unveiling of the East Village Opera Company in 2004 with a series of acclaimed performances at New Yorks Joes Pub. Within a year the band had signed a multi-record deal with Decca/Universal, and has since released two CDs: East Village Opera Company (2005) and Olde School (2008). Tyley has his masters degree in voice studies from Londons Central School of Speech and Drama.

AnnMarie Milazzo (Female Vocalist) is a singer, arranger, composer and lyricist living in NYC. She has done the vocal arrangements for Spring Awakening, the Broadway musical at the Eugene ONeill Theater; Next To Normal, which premiered Off Broadway at Second Stage Theatre; Bright Lights, Big City at New York Theatre Workshop; and the Paramount feature film The Marc Pease Experience starring Ben Stiller. Some of her most recent work includes a new musical Pretty Dead Girl, which premiered at The Sundance Film Festival and is now being produced by the Araca Group in New York City, book by David Henry Wang. Also currently in progress is the musical Sea Change based on the Lois Gould novel, book by Karen Hartman. AnnMarie is the lyricist for Franco Dragones Carmen, which premiered at The Jolla Playhouse and will open in Madrid, 2009. She is currently writing lyrics for Cirque du Soleils, Le Reve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. AnnMaries singing credits include working with artists such as Angelique Kidjo on her Black Ivory Soul Tour also singing with Carlos Santana. She also toured with Jonatha Brooke and performed on her DVD Back In The Circus, shot live in NYC.

The Joyce Theater Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, has proudly served the dance community and its audiences since 1982. The founders, Cora Cahan and Eliot Feld, acquired and renovated the Elgin Theater in Chelsea, which opened as The Joyce Theater in 1982. The Joyce is named in honor of Joyce Mertz, beloved daughter of LuEsther T. Mertz. It was LuEsthers clear, undaunted vision and abundant generosity that made it imaginable and ultimately possible to establish the theater. One of the only theaters built by dancers for dance, The Joyce Theater has provided an intimate and elegant New York home for more than 290 domestic and international companies. The Joyce has also commissioned more than 130 new dances since 1992. In 1996, The Joyce created Joyce SoHo, a dance center providing highly subsidized rehearsal and performance space to hundreds of dance artists. New York City public school students and teachers annually benefit from The Joyces Dance Education Program, and adult audiences get closer to dance through pre-engagement Dance Talks and post-performance Humanities discussions. The Joyce Theater now features an annual season of approximately 48 weeks with over 340 performances for audiences in excess of 135,000. Additionally, for the last five years The Joyce has co-produced Evening Stars as part of the River To River Festival in Battery Park.

The World Premiere production is made possible by lead commissioning support from The Ellsworth Kelly Foundation; and Dr. and Mrs. Edward Prostic, in honor and memory of their daughter Elizabeth Anne Prostic.

For more information, visit parsonsdance.org and eastvillageoperacompany.com.

PARSONS DANCE

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue (at 19th Street), NYC

January 6-18, 2009

Tue, Wed and Sun at 7:30pm; Thu, Fri and Sat at 8pm; and Sat and Sun at 2pm

Family matinee performance on Saturday, January 10 at 2pm.

Tickets: $59, $35, $19 (Joyce Members $44, $26)

JoyceCharge: 212-242-0800

joyce.org


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Concert avec Mathew White et Arion

La grande invasione

Arion orchestre baroque

Avec Matthew White, alto masculin

23 janvier 2009, 20h Salle Claude-Champagne

28 janvier 2009 , 20h Salle Redpath

Montral , le jeudi 18 dcembre - La grande invasion italienne? Assolutamente, absolument! Il faut d'abord se rappeler que le baroque est n en Italie : Rome pour l'architecture et, bien sr, Venise, pour la peinture et la musique. Plus qu'une volution, c'est une rvolution qui va se rpandre largement en Europe et s'y dvelopper pendant des dcennies. Vienne, Munich, Amsterdam, Londres, Madrid, Paris, toutes ces capitales tombent sous l'influence de cette musique venue d'Italie.

Par la grande invasione, Arion, nous fait revivre le dferlement de cette musique baroque sur toute l'Europe, avec des compositions de musiciens italiens que nous pourrons dcouvrir ou redcouvrir.

Giuseppe Valentini (1681-1753) est originaire de Florence. Violoniste, peintre, pote et compositeur, il est principalement connu comme compositeur de musique instrumentale. De Valentini, nous entendrons les cinq mouvements du Concerto op.7 no 3 en r mineur pour cordes et continuo.

N Bologne vers 1690, Guiseppe Antonio Brescianello a vcu en Allemagne, chez le Duc de Wrtember, jusqu' sa mort, en 1758. De ce compositeur, Arion a choisi d'interprter les trois mouvements du Concerto en sib majeur pour violon, basson, cordes et continuo (op.1)

Pietro Antonio Locatelli est n Bergame en 1695. lve de Corelli Rome, il est surtout reconnu comme un virtuose du violon. Certains le voient, aujourd'hui comme le prcurseur de Paganini. Aprs avoir parcouru l'Europe, de Venise Berlin, il s'tablit Amsterdam, y fonde une cole pour instruments cordes et se consacre la composition, principalement pour le violon. De Locatelli, nous entendrons le Concerto a cinque (op.1 no 8)

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (Venise 1678 Vienne 1741) est un compositeur reconnu et un violoniste virtuose des plus admirs de son temps. Le prtre roux est, aujourd'hui, considr comme l'un des plus importants compositeurs de la priode baroque. Au programme de ce concert, le Concerto en r mineur pour flte, violon, basson et continuo RV 96. Puis nous entendrons Cessate Omai Cessate ainsi qu'une des uvres les plus clbres de Vivaldi, le Stabat Mater pour alto, cordes et continuo, deux uvres interprtes par Matthew White, alto masculin.

: : : Soliste invit : Matthew White, alto masculin

La carrire d'artiste lyrique du montralais Matthew White l'a dj men partout en Amrique du Nord, en Europe, ainsi qu'en Asie et en Nouvelle-Zlande. On l'a vu l'uvre dans des productions d'opra avec le Glyndebourne Festival Opera, le Glyndebourne Touring Opera, le Houston Grand Opera, le Cleveland Opera, Opera Atelier et Pacific Opera Victoria. En concert, il a travaill avec des ensembles tels que le Bach Collegium du Japon, Tafelmusik, Les Violons du Roy, l'orchestre baroque Arion, Le Concert Spirituel de Paris, le Nederlands Bach Vereniging, Capella Brugensis, le festival Bach d'Oregon, Arte dei Suonatori de Pologne, l'Ensemble Aradia, Le Parlement de Musique, le Carmel California Bach Festival, la Camerata d'Isral, le Pacific Baroque Orchestra et le Portland Baroque Orchestra.

En 2003, Matthew White a enregistr avec l'orchestre baroque Arion le disque Maria, Madre di Dio qui a obtenu le prix Opus, d'enregistrement de l'anne en musique ancienne et o l'on retrouve notamment le Stabat Mater de Vivaldi.

: : : Arion, orchestre baroque


Arion est un orchestre de musique ancienne sur instruments d'poque. Vritable porte-drapeau qubcois, l'orchestre baroque Arion se place, aujourd'hui, parmi les meilleures formations de musique baroque au plan international. Son parcours compte plus de 1000 concerts travers le monde, prs de 25 disques enregistrs et des invits prestigieux, solistes ou chefs d'orchestre de renom, qui rejoignent toujours Arion avec le plus grand plaisir.

Sous la direction artistique de Claire Guimond depuis ses dbuts, l'orchestre a la volont de partager sa passion et de faire vivre l'exprience de la musique baroque, tel qu'crite par les compositeurs de cette poque.

: : :

La grande invasione

Arion orchestre baroque

Avec le soliste invit Matthew White, alto masculin

23 janvier 2009, 20h

Salle Claude-Champagne de l'Universit de Montral (220 avenue Vincent-d'Indy, Montral)

Billets : 29$ - 52$

28 janvier 2009, 20h

Salle Redpath de l'Universit McGill (3461 rue McTavish, Montral)

Billets : 21$ - 42$

Renseignements et billetterie : 514-355-1825 ou www.early-music.com/arion.html

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OSM / maestro Kent Nagano has received the Order of the Rising Sun

Kent Nagano has received the Order of the Rising Sun

Montreal, December 18, 2008 On December 7 in San Francisco, Kent Nagano received the Order of the Rising Sun, the most prestigious decoration awarded by Japan to a non-Japanese. The countrys government wished to call attention to his contributions to the promotion of musical exchanges between Japan and the United States, and to the development of musical culture in Japan. It acclaimed his willingness to introduce Japanese musicians and composers to the rest of the world, including Ichiro Nodaira (American premiere of his Piano Concerto and world premiere of his opera Madrugaga in 2005) and Toru Takemitsu. Moreover, Kent Nagano took part in a concert intended to raise funds for the victims of the Kobe earthquake in 1995, conducted a concert of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra featuring taiko drummers in 2000 and has collaborated on several occasions with Japanese artists and directors. He has also undertaken a number of important tours in Japan, with the Hall Orchestra (1996), the Opra national de Lyon (1997), the Berlin Philharmonic (1999), the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2003) and, in April 2008, with the Orchestre symphonique de Montral. The Order of the Rising Sun, the first national decoration created by the Japanese government, was established in 1875 by the Emperor Meiji. It is the second most prestigious decoration in the country (after the Order of the Chrysanthemum). The modern version has been conferred on non-Japanese recipients since 1981. The order fourth class, which Mr. Nagano was awarded, has also been presented to Martha Argerich, William Elliot Griffis and George Takei.

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Opra - The Rape of Lucretia


cole de musique Schulich de l'Universit McGill

Concerts et publicit


Opra McGill prsente

The Rape of Lucretia de Benjamin Britten

les 28, 30 et 31 janvier 2009, Salle Pollack

Montral, le jeudi 18 dcembre 2008 Le mercredi 28 janvier, le vendredi 30 janvier et le samedi 31 janvier, 19 h 30, la salle Pollack, Opra McGill prsente The Rape of Lucretia de Benjamin Britten. La production sera sous-titre en franais et en anglais. Les billets sont en vente au guichet de la salle Pollack au prix de 27 $ et de 22 $ (tudiants et ans), du lundi au vendredi, de 12 h 18 h et une heure avant chaque reprsentation. Information et guichet : 514-398-4547. Les billets sont galement en vente sur le rseau ADMISSION. Cette production comprend 15 chanteurs ainsi que l'Orchestre symphonique de McGill, sous la direction de Julian Wachner. Les dcors sont assurs par Vincent Lefvre. Patrick Hansen, directeur des tudes d'opra de McGill, est le metteur en scne.

The Rape of Lucretia est un opra en deux actes dont le rle principal a t taill sur mesure pour l'extraordinaire contralto, Kathleen Ferrier, qui l'a interprt en 1946. Le livret anglais de Ronald Duncan s'inspire de la pice Le Viol de Lucrce d'Andr Obey. Il s'agit de la premire uvre o Britten fait mention de son opra de chambre et les textures simplifies de l'orchestre 13 instruments, o le rcitatif est accompagn par le piano, servent renforcer la vision du compositeur.

Rsum de l'intrigue :

L'action se droule Rome, vers 510 avant J.-C, alors que les trusques sont les matres de Rome et dans un camp l'extrieur de la ville, les gnraux romains Junius et Collatinus se divertissent en compagnie de Tarquinius, prince trusque. Collatinus affirme que sa femme Lucrce est tout fait fidle, une exception au sein de cette socit dcadente. Jaloux, Junius demande Tarquinius de mettre cette fidlit l'preuve et le fier trusque se rend la maison de Lucrce. Puisque Lucrce ne cde pas ses avances, il la viole. Elle raconte ensuite son viol son mari. Ce dernier tente de la consoler, mais elle se suicide.


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Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Canadian Tenors Debut in Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra An image used for spacing HERE has been stripped by your email client.

Rising Stars The Canadian Tenors Perform for the First Time in Winnipeg with the WSO

Friday, January 23, 8pm
Saturday, January 24, 8pm
Sunday, January 25, 2pm
Featuring
The Canadian Tenors:
Remigio Pereira, Fraser Walters, Jamie McKnight, Victor Micallef
Rei Hotoda, conductor

December 17, 2008 - On the heels of releasing their debut album in November, the up and coming quartet The Canadian Tenors perform for the first time in Manitoba with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, January 23, 24 and 25.
The Canadian Tenors: Remigio Pereira, Fraser Walters, Jamie McKnight and Victor Micallef perform songs that dynamically showcase their diverse cultural and musical backgrounds. The concert with the WSO, as well as their self-titled debut album, features a blend of influences, from musical theatre (Les Miserables) to classical opera (Puccinis Tosca) to French, Irish and Canadian cultures (Rita McNeil and Leonard Cohen).
"The Tenors are steeped in talent, have a strong artistic base and are all classically trained but they exude a seriously Canadian feel. No over-the-top histrionics, no oozing charm, or cheesy remarks. Instead they are personable, heartfelt, and authentic." Victoria Times Columnist 2007
All four Tenors have extensive musical backgrounds. First, Pereira is a classical guitarist and songwriter who has released two solo albums, one featuring Spanish guitar and the other, a c.d. of Italian opera arias.
Micallef studied opera in Italy before returning home to join the Canadian Opera Company. McKnight has a musical theatre background and performed in the Toronto production of The Producers and starred as Ren in Footloose with Rainbow Stage.
Finally, Walters is a former member of the Grammy award-winning a cappella ensemble Chanticleer and also performed in the Lord of the Rings musical in Toronto.
Founded in 2007 by composer Jill Ann Siemens following a national casting call, The Tenors have already performed more than 80 concerts around the globe and have attracted the attention of some of the industrys biggest names.
"Performing on three continents and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity, opening for [former] President Bill Clinton and performing for Canadian legend David Foster, this multi-talented foursome has already established themselves as four of Canada's strongest new voices." Heather Reisman, Chapters Indigo Books
The Canadian Tenors perform with the WSO on Friday, January 23 at 8pm; Saturday, January 24 at 8pm and Sunday, January 25 at 2pm. Tickets for all three performances range from $28.50 to $65 and are available through the WSO box office (555 Main St.) at 949-3999, online at www.wso.mb.ca or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

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DAM accueille un nouveau conseil d'administration


Montral, le 15 dcembre 2008 Monsieur Martin Choquette et madame Sophie Bensad, co-prsidents sortants de Diversit artistique Montral (DAM) ont le plaisir d'annoncer l'lection de ric M'Boua et Damian Nisenson, comme nouveaux co-prsidents de l'organisme. L'lection a eu lieu lundi le 1er dcembre, lors de l'assemble gnrale tenue en prsence d'acteurs clefs de la diversit artistique et d'lues de la Ville de Montral, mesdames Isabelle Dos Santos et Eleni Fakotakis; la directrice du Conseil des arts de Montral, madame Danielle Sauvage; le conseiller en dveloppement de partenariats (Immigration-Qubec Sud de Montral) du Ministre de l'immigration et des communauts culturelles, monsieur Grard Chagnon; le directeur de la Direction du dveloppement culturel et des bibliothques de la Ville de Montral, monsieur Jean-Robert Choquet; et le chef de division, Action culturelle et partenariat de la Ville de Montral, monsieur Paul Langlois.


ric M'Boua, entrepreneur et travailleur de la culture est aussi musicien et chanteur. Son exprience professionnelle en France et au Canada lui ont permis de dvelopper une sensibilit particulire et des connaissances fines de l'univers international des arts et de la culture. Damian Nisenson, comdien, saxophoniste est un musicien prolifique dans l'univers artistique Montralais. Il est aussi directeur artistique de l'tiquette de musique Malasartes.


Lors de l'assemble gnrale, six autres administrateurs ont t lus, citons : mesdames Afef Benessaieh, professeur d'tudes internationales l'Universit York; Lucie Didi, charg de projets Hritage Montral; Natalie McNeil, directrice de dveloppement des arts et des industries culturelles la Fdration culturelle canadienne franaise; Nadia Rousseau, conseillre stratgique la Diversit Radio-Canada; et messieurs Peter Farbridge, comdien, crivain et enseignant et Mohsen El Gharbi, comdien et auteur. Grce l'engagement de ces nouvelles recrues sur le conseil d'administration, DAM bnficie dsormais de l'apport d'administrateurs exceptionnels provenant des milieux artistique, culturel, ducatif et mdiatique.


Mentionnons la re-lection de va Quintas, directrice de projets Culture pour tous et de Jane Needles, directrice gnrale du Qubec Drama Federation. Les membres du conseil d'administration de DAM souhaitent la bienvenue aux nouveaux administrateurs et remercient sincrement les membres sortants pour leur implication et leur dvouement auprs de DAM ces deux dernires annes. Madame Bobo Vian, comdienne et directrice artistique du Thtre Q Art; madame Guilaine Royer, Responsable des arts de la scne du MAI (Montral, arts interculturels); et monsieur Mehdi Benboubaker artiste, entrepreneur et diteur de Russir Ici ont achev leur mandat auprs de DAM, ainsi que monsieur Martin Choquette, prsident sortant, nomm prsident honoraire de l'organisme.


Cre en 2006, DAM rassemble tous ceux qui sont interpells par la diversit culturelle dans les arts. Fort de ses 250 membres, cet organisme but non lucratif a pour mandat de promouvoir la diversit culturelle dans les arts et maintient une prsence vigilante pour assurer l'inclusion de la diversit artistique dans les politiques et les actions des instances artistiques et culturelles. DAM rpond un rel besoin des artistes de divers hritages culturels. Plus spcifiquement, il s'agit de les aider mieux s'insrer dans le rseau culturel et artistique de la mtropole pour qu'ils participent part entire la vie culturelle Montralaise que ce soit la tlvision, la radio, dans les festivals, dans toutes les salles de spectacle et les vnements publics qui rythment la vie montralaise. Il s'agit aussi de les guider dans les rseaux de diffusion et les rseaux artistiques et culturels Montral, de veiller ce que les pratiques professionnelles influences par tous les hritages culturels soient reconnues et que les artistes aient davantage accs au financement pour contribuer la cration artistique.


Parmi les actions mises en uvre, mentionnons le Guide des publics, outil en cours de dveloppement l'intention des diffuseurs. Ce Guide a pour objectif de faciliter la rencontre entre les diffuseurs montralais et les publics des communauts culturelles. Les Lundis pluriels, rendez-vous de rseautage mensuel pour artistes et travailleurs de la culture, organis en partenariat avec Culture Montral et le MAI. Des sances d'information sur mesure pour guider les artistes dans les rseaux artistiques et culturels montralais. La gestion du rpertoire en ligne des artistes de divers hritages culturels sur le site Web www.diversiteartistique.org. DAM remercie le Conseil des arts de Montral, la Ville de Montral, le Ministre de l'Immigration et des Communauts culturelles, le Ministre de la culture, des communications et de la condition fminine et le Patrimoine canadien pour leur soutien.

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COC March listings



FFree Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre


March 3 to March 31, 2009

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)

The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre includes concerts, performances and presentations by young artists, Canadian and international opera stars and COC staff. This is an exciting opportunity for Torontonians to experience the artistic excellence and cultural diversity of the city. All performances are free to the public.

Date

Series

Artist

March 3, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Vocal Series

Artists of the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music perform Here and There and Everywhere: A Canopy of English Language Song. This program is filled with English language songs from the 19th to 21st centuries.

March 4, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Piano Virtuoso Series

Pianist Su Jeon, recent winner of the prestigious Eckhardt-Gramatt Competition, performs Schumann's masterful Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor and Sophie-Carmen-Eckhardt-Gramatt's Piano Sonata No. 6 (1928/1952/1953). The first movement is played with only the right hand, the second movement with only the left hand, and the last with both.

March 5, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Piano Virtuoso Series

Pianist Stphan Sylvestre performs Prokofiev's final and rarely-performed Piano Sonata No. 9. After the epic and emotionally intense "war sonatas," this work, dedicated to the legendary Sviatoslav Richter, is intimate, gentle, simple and, in the end, peaceful.

March 10, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Chamber Music Series

Russian pianists Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin, co-artistic directors of the Off Centre Music Salon, present Waltzing Through Russian Literary Salons. The program includes 19th-century Russian works featuring mezzo-soprano and COC Ensemble Studio graduate Krisztina Szab.

March 11, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Dance Series

In the world premiere of Frames, Zata Omm and choreographer William Yong, explore personal stories and perspectives with multimedia design highlights. Zata Omm is a contemporary dance company based in Toronto.

March 17, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Dance Series

The National Ballet of Canada presents Choreographic Explorations, which looks at the choreographic process with an exciting series of newly created works and works-in-progress.

March 19, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Chamber Music Series

Duo Ava, features young award-winning Quebec artists, Vronique Matthieu on violin and Andre-Anne Perras-Fortin on piano. The Dancing Violin features dances from across the ages, from stately minuets to tantalizing tangos. The program includes works by Mozart, Claude Champagne, William Bolcom and many more.

March 24, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Vocal Series

The young artists of the COC Ensemble Studio present Scenes from Bohemian Life highlights from the world's most popular opera, La Bohme. This opera tells the heartwrenching tale of impoverished young artists and lovers in the Latin Quarter of Paris.

March 26, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Vocal Series

Led by COC Chorus Master Sandra Horst, the singers of the Opera Division from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music perform, Two by Two by Opera, a concert of duets exploring the operatic aspects of love. The program explores courtship, seduction and celebration including excerpts from Ravel's L'heure espagnole and L'enfant et les sortilges.

March 31, 2009

12 1 p.m.

Chamber Music Series

The Gryphon Trio, Annalee Patipatanakoon, violin, Roman Borys, cello and Jamie Parker, piano, along with Lynn Kuo and Marianna Humetska, present Nerenberg & Rival: A New Generation of Tonal Music. With music by up-and-coming Toronto composers, Mark Nerenberg and Robert Rival, this program blends minimalism, late Romanticism and popular music with a Classical approach.

Education and Outreach

March Break at the COC

The Canadian Opera Company's March Break at the COC is an interactive arts workshop offering children a fun and exciting way to explore music and art. The one-day workshop takes place on Friday, March 20, 2009, costs $25 per child and is held at the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre in Toronto. Young people ages 7 to 12 discover the world of acting, singing, music and design through interactive workshops led by professional artist-educators. This year, in just one day participants will recreate and perform their own version of Antonn Dvok's opera Rusalka, a story derived from Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid. No musical experience is required.



March Break at the COC

Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre

227 Front St. E. (Front and Berkeley)

Date: Friday, March 20, 2009

Time: 9 a.m. 3:30 p.m.

Fee: $25

(An additional $5 per participant for early dropoff at 8:30 a.m.)

Contact: 416-306-2377

For registration information, please contact the COC's Education and Outreach department at

416-306-2377 or visit www.coc.ca.

After School Opera Program

The Canadian Opera Company's popular After School Opera Program returns. The program introduces young people to the exciting elements that make up an opera. For only $10, children take part in a 10-week session that is held at two convenient locations in Toronto: East York Community Centre and Barbara Frum Community Centre. Under the guidance of Canadian composer Dean Burry, young people ages 7 to 12 create an original operatic work based on their own ideas and improvisations. Mr. Burry has worked closely with the COC over the years, composing several children's operas, including Isis and the Seven Scorpions and The Brothers Grimm. No previous music experience is necessary.

After School Opera Program

$10 per 10-week session

East York Community Centre

1081-1/2 Pape Ave. (Pape and O'Connor)

Spring Session: March 30 June 8, 2009

Time: Mondays, 4 6 p.m.

Call 416-396-2896 to register

OR

Barbara Frum Community Centre

20 Covington Rd. (Lawrence and Bathurst)

Spring Session: March 31 June 2, 2009

Time: Tuesdays, 4 6 p.m.

Call 416-395-6122 to register

For more information please contact the COC's Education and Outreach department at

416-306-2377 or visit www.coc.ca.

The After School Opera Program is generously supported by the Imperial Oil Foundation and

Kraft Canada.

Opera 101

The Canadian Opera Company presents Opera 101, a FREE event that treats young adults to a friendly, interactive, and informal discussion. On Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. opera neophytes have the chance to enjoy drinks and free munchies while getting the scoop on what opera is all about. Host, CBC Radio's Brent Bambury along with conductor Anne Manson, they discuss the COC's mainstage premiere of Benjamin Britten's transformation of William Shakespeare's enchanting play, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ms Manson is recognized throughout the world for her conducting achievements and served as Music Director of the Kansas City Symphony from 1999 to 2003.

Topics covered in the past include the design, production and directorial decisions involved in creating an opera. New this season, audience members are invited to stick around following the discussion to enjoy FREE, live musical entertainment.

Opera 101

FREE

The Drake Hotel

1150 Queen St. W. (at Beaconsfield Avenue)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

at 7:30 p.m.

For more information please visit www.coc.ca

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Russian Virtuosity - Yuri Bashmet and Vladimir Spivakov


RUSSIAN VIRTUOISTY TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT
ROY THOMSON HALL WITH TWO SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS!

Show One Entertainment presents
YURI BASHMET and VLADIMIR SPIVAKOV

Svetlana Dvoretskaia of Show One Entertainment is proud to present two of Russia's best-known exports: famed viola virtuoso YURI BASHMENT with the acclaimed MOSCOW SOLOISTS, and the electrifying conductor VLADIMIR SPIVAKOV with the NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC OF RUSSIA, at Roy Thomson Hall this spring.

Yuri Bashmet and Moscow Soloists will appear on Tuesday, February 17 at 8pm. Vladimir Spivakov will conduct the National Philharmonic of Russia in their Canadian debut, with special guest pianist Denis Matsuev, on Tuesday, April 28 at 8pm.

In 1992, Bashmet introduced the world to the Moscow Soloists, a collection of exceptional young musicians nominated by professors at the Moscow Conservatory as the very best of their generation. Led by the charismatic Bashmet, the Moscow Soloists is one of the world's most highly acclaimed chamber ensembles, and has thrilled audiences in Moscow, Athens, London, Amsterdam and Paris.

The programme for this very special concert will include Grieg's Holberg suite for string orchestra, Stravinsky's Apollo Concerto in D (for which the Moscow Soloists won the 2008 Grammy Award in the Best Small Ensemble Performance category), and Tchaikovsky's Souvenir di Florence (version for string orchestra). Yuri Bashmet will be the soloist for two pieces: Bruch's Kol Nidrei (old Jewish prayer) for viola and strings and Paganini's Concertino in A Minor for viola and orchestra.

Comprised of Russia's leading symphonic virtuosos and led by the legendary conductor Vladimir Spivakov, the 120-member National Philharmonic of Russia is setting new standards for symphonic mastery. Founded in 2003, the ensemble is today considered by many to be among the very best ensembles performing on the international stage, and has become a cultural ambassador for post-reconstruction Russia. In its early years, the National Philharmonic of Russia performed with internationally-renowned artists including Krzysztof Penderecki, James Conlon, John Lill, Natalia Gutman, Gidon Kremer, Jessye Norman, Plcido Domingo, Jos Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Sergei Leiferkus, Maria Guleghina and Juan Diego Flrez.

Since winning the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1998, pianist DENIS MATSUEV has become one of the most sought after performers of his generation. Phenomenally-gifted, Matsuev has been called "the new Horowitz" (London Times) and "The very real thing - an absolute powerhouse of a pianist" (Washington Post). He has played to sold-out audiences in the world's greatest concert halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Theatre de Champs Elysee in Paris, Mozarteum in Salzburg, Royal Festival Hall in London, Great Hall of the Conservatoire in Moscow, and La Scala in Milan.

The last time Spivakov played Toronto, additional seats had to be added to the sold-out venue right on stage! This time, he's bringing his acclaimed 120-member orchestra and an artist who is fast becoming a legend, in a programme that will include Liadov's The Enchanted Lake, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 1, Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, and four pieces from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suite.

Show One Entertainment, bringing the world to your stage!

Show One Entertainment Presents
YURI BASHMET AND MOSCOW SOLOISTS
Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at 8pm
Tickets: $45 - $90
Special VIP packages available

NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC OF RUSSIA
WITH CONDUCTOR VLADIMIR SPIVAKOV
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at 8pm
Tickets: $49 - $149
Special VIP packages available

Roy Thomson Hall
60 Simcoe Street, Toronto, ON
Box Office: 416-872-4255
www.roythomson.com

Buy both shows before January 15 and receive a 15% discount. Quote code RUSVIR

For more information and sign up for Show One's VIP Club, visit www.ShowOneProductions.ca

Media Contact: FLIP PUBLICITY, Barbora Krsek 416.533.7710 X236 barbora@flip-publicity.com
720 Bathurst Street, #403 TOR M5S 2R4 www.flip-publicity.com

please consider before printing

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Buy a piece of Summer at 4th Line Theatre

Old Millbrook School, 1 Dufferin St., Millbrook, ON, L0A 1G0

Administration phone: (705) 932-4448 Box Office phone: (705) 932-4445 Fax: (705) 932-3347



Buy a piece of Summer for the Holiday season!

Millbrook, ONĶIf youve had enough of winter already, 4th Line Theatre is pleased to offer a little piece of summer for your holiday gift-giving! This season, theyre presenting some new ways to enjoy great outdoor theatre at fabulous prices.

This week only, ending Friday, December 19th: all single tickets are $2 off!

With the presentation of two world premieres in 2009, 4th Line is offering something special this year: Champagne Gala Subscriptions are your passport to the excitement and splendor that is Opening Night! Your premiere ticket to two World Premiere plays also includes Hors doeuvres and complimentary champagne at Baxter Creek Golf Club where you will rub elbows with stars of the stage and like-minded theatrephiles. (Opening nights are July 2nd and August 12th of 2009)

4th Line Theatre is also happy to announce their Picnic Partner for the 2009 season, Baxter Creek Golf Club which will provide delectable pre-show picnics to enjoy at the Farm before the play begins. Also new, and for the same price as a picnic, patrons can have the option of enjoying a Club Luncheon for a sit-down meal at the Club, just a short drive away from the theatre venue Winslow Farm.

A perfect solution for a weekend getaway, 4th Line Theatres Rural Routes and Scenic Stages Theatre packages are now available for purchase online by visiting www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone (705) 932-4445 at the theatre box office. Your getaway package includes 2 tickets to a 2009 play, a full breakfast and an overnight stay for two with our Accommodation partners. Choices include Historic Hill and Dale, Plantation House and Pioneering Women (hosted by Victoria Inn).

Text Box: The Right Road to Pontypool Written by Alex Poch-Goldin and Directed by Kim Blackwell June 30  August 1 A loving chronicle of one mans sun kissed dream for Torontos working class Jews in the early 1900s. With a way of life now vanished, Pontypool boasted five resorts in its heyday as a summer haven for thousands of Eastern European immigrants in the heart of Protestant southern Ontario.  Welcome Death Written and Directed by Robert Winslow August 10 - 29 Whodunit fans will love this Victorian murder-mystery set right here in Millbrook!  In 1873, the discovery of a young womans body in a field spurs a Coroners inquest that pushes past the restraints of science and enters the realm of the spirit to find unknowable answers.

A history or theatre buff on your holiday gift list may also appreciate receiving a published script. Doctor Barnardos Children, Crow Hill: The Telephone Play and Cavan Blazers scripts are available for $15 each. Copies of Leanna Brodies Schoolhouse and For Home and Country are also available at the 4th Line office for $15 each. For tickets, gift certificates or scripts call 705-932-4445.

Gift certificates for the Galas, tickets, subscriptions, picnics and theatre getaways can all be purchased online by visiting www.4thlinetheatre.on.ca or by phone at (705) 932-4445 or in person at the 4th Line Theatre Box Office. Associated ticket outlets have gift certificates for single tickets & picnics: Bethany Hills Interiors at 17 King St. E. in Millbrook (705)-932-1600 or Peterborough Museum and Archives on Armour Hill, at Museum Drive off Hunter St. E. in Peterborough (705)-743-5180, as well as Kent Bookstore at 55 Kent St. West in Lindsay (705) 328-1600.

4th Line Theatre, Canadas premiere outdoor theatre company brings history to life on the barnyard stages of the picturesque 5th generation Winslow farm in Millbrook, Ontario. The theatre company is committed to preserving and promoting our Canadian cultural heritage through the development and presentation of regionally based, environmentally staged historical drama.

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PSO's First 2009 Concert Features Returning Soloist, Orion Weiss

PSO'S FIRST CONCERT OF THE NEW YEAR FEATURES PIANIST ORION WEISS, JANUARY 13

PORTLAND, Maine For their first concert of the new year, Music Director Robert Moody leads the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) in a program of Gershwin and Shostakovich at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, January 13 at Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street in Portland.

The Tuesday Classical concert opens with George Gershwin's jazz orchestral piece Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra with soloist Orion Weiss. Full of Gershwin's distinctively American energy and self-assured orchestration, the first movement brims with melodic ideas, the second is a sultry blues, and the third turns into a barrelhouse frenzy. To close the concert, the PSO takes on Dmitri Shostakovich's famously explosive condemnation of Russia's Stalin era, Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93, written by Shostakovich shortly after Stalin's demise and filled with unstoppable fury and passion. It is a musical summary of that bleak and terrifying era; hearing it performed live is a tremendously exciting and moving experience.

Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most sought-after soloists and collaborators in his generation of young American musicians. He returns to Portland after his acclaimed substitute performance with Robert Moody and the PSO in November 2007; the Portland Press Herald called Weiss "a technically flawless pianist..." and referred to his performance as seeming "Ķboth improvised on the spur of the moment and well thought-out, as if the composer himself were at the piano."

Sponsored by Verrill Dana, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with a Concert Conversation at 6:15 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall. A radio broadcast of the performance can be heard on Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) on January 28 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets range from $17-$65 and are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com, and new this year, the website offers real-time online seat selection. Phone and internet orders are subject to $5-per-ticket handling fees. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle St., Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. For complete season information, including artist biographies and program notes, visit www.portlandsymphony.com.

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MIDEM Classical Awards 2009 Nominations

MIDEM 2008 -  The world's music community MIDEM: 18-21 January 2009 | MidemNet Forum: 17-18 January 2009 | Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France

MIDEM CLASSICAL AWARDS 2009 NOMINATIONS

Carlo Bergonzi
Julia Fischer
Philippe Jaroussky

Paris, 17 December 2008 The fifth edition of the MIDEM Classical Awards will take place on Tuesday 20 January 2009 at 8pm in the Debussy auditorium of the Palais des Festivals, Cannes, during the 43rd MIDEM music market.

The MIDEM Classical Awards are the only international awards dedicated entirely to classical music. Professionals from the record and music publishing industries have submitted some 646 recordings from 127 labels and 23 companies for consideration.

A prestigious international jury from the world's leading specialist magazines, radio stations and organizations will discern the year's best artists and recordings. The jury includes Aarno Cronvall, Classic Radio (Finland), Bernadette Beyne, Crescendo (Belgium), Bjrn Woll, Fono Forum (Germany), Attila Retkes, Gramofon (Hungary), James Jolly, Gramophone (UK), Christian May, IAMA (World), Franz Patay, IMZ (World), Matthias Brixel, Klassik.com (Germany), Martin Hoffmeister, MDR Figaro (Germany), Stephen Hastings, Musica (Italy), Andrea Meuli, Musik & Theater (Switzerland), Christian Scheib, ORF 1 (Austria), Rmy Franck, Pizzicato (Luxembourg) and Luis Sunen, Scherzo (Spain).

During the ceremony, special homage will be paid to Carlo Bergonzi who will receive a special MIDEM prize in recognition of his outstanding career. It is hard to imagine a more enchanting timbre than that of French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky, voted "Singer of the Year", or that of the extraordinary talent of violinist Julia Fischer, "Instrumental Artist of the Year". German tenor Jonas Kaufmann will also attend as a special guest, invited to present the trophy to Carlo Bergonzi and to present his latest DVD, Carmen, published by Decca in October 2008. Finally, the Sony Masterworks label will be presented with the "Label of the Year" award. The winners at the MIDEM Classical Awards 2009 will be announced at a press conference on Sunday 18 January at 5pm on the MIDEM Classical Awards stand, located at Riviera R38.03.

On stage at this year's MIDEM Classical Awards will be the Orchestre de Cannes Alpes Provence Cte d'Azur conducted by Philippe Bender, with James Jolly as host. Several personalities from the international music scene will also honour this, the fifth edition of the MIDEM Classical Awards, with their presence.

The high attendance of professionals from the world of classical music at MIDEM, as well as the desire by jury members to pay special attention to broadcasting and promoting the winners, make the MIDEM Classical Awards an exceptional launch pad for all prize-winning artists.

Click HERE and discover the nominees of the MIDEM CLASSICAL AWARDS 2009

For more information about MIDEM: http://www.midem.com


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Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Duo Diorama: New Music Concerts

New musical inventions that provoke, awaken and inspire

Duo Diorama

Brings their Tour de Force to the Music Gallery

Saturday, January 17, 2009

For Immediate Release Toronto, December 16, 2008: New Music Concerts returns to the Music Gallery on Saturday, January 17, 2009 to present Canadas Duo Diorama, comprised of Chinese violinist Minghuan Xu and Canadian pianist Winston Choi. The program includes Affulgat sol omnibus animalibus, a solo piano piece composed especially for Choi by Brian Current, and Bright Shengs The Stream Flows for solo violin performed by Xu. Together, Xu and Choi pay tribute to Elliott Carters centenary with his Duo for violin and piano. The concert also includes the Canadian premiere of works written for Duo Diorama by John Austin, Marcos Balter and most recently John Melbys Concerto for violin, piano and computer.

Minghuan Xu and Winston Choi are compelling and versatile artists who perform in an eclectic mix of musical styles, ranging from the great standard works to the avant-garde. It is a partnership with a startlingly fresh and powerful approach to music for violin and piano. The two renowned soloists, also husband and wife, can effectively blend their distinctive personalities together to create a unified whole. The duos name diorama defines its artistic ideals. In visual arts, a diorama is a scene or story reproduced on cloth transparencies with various lights shining through to produce changes in effect. In the case of Duo Diorama, the musicians performances create an illusion of colour and three-dimensionality, transporting the listener to another time and place. Together they form a regular tour de force, comments NMC artistic director Robert Aitken.

Programme:

John Austin (USA, b.1934) Three Translations (2008)

Brian Current (Canada, 1972) Affulgat sol omnibus animalibus (2007)

Elliott Carter (USA, b.1908) Duo (1974)

Bright Sheng (China/USA, b.1955) The Stream Flows (1990)

Marcos Balter (Brazil/USA, b.1974) Re: (No Subject) (2004)

John Melby (USA, b.1941) Concerto for violin, piano and computer (2008)

Duo Diorama

Minghuan Xu, violin; Winston Choi, piano

Saturday January 17, 2009

7:15 Illuminating Introduction with the artists; 8PM Concert

Music Gallery, 197 John Street, Toronto

Tickets: $33 (regular)/$20 (seniors/arts workers/Music Gallery members)/$10 (students)

New Music Concerts

157 Carlton Street, Suite 203 Toronto ON M5A 2K3

416.961.9594 / fax 416.961.9508

nmc@interlog.com / www.NewMusicConcerts.com

New Music Concerts gratefully acknowledges the support of The Canada Council for the Arts; Toronto Arts Council; The Department of Heritage through Arts Presentation Canada; The Province of Ontario through the Ontario Arts Council & the Ontario Arts Foundation Endowment Fund; The Goethe Institut; The Julie-Jiggs Foundation; The Koerner Foundation; The McLean Foundation; Roger D. Moore; The SOCAN Foundation; The Imperial Tobacco Canada Foundation; The Amphion Foundation Inc.; The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc.; Edward Epstein and Gallery 345



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WSO Premiere Victor Davies Tuba Concerto

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra An image used for spacing HERE has been stripped by your email client.
WSO Presents World Premiere of Victor Davies Tuba Concerto

December 16, 2008 On Friday, January 16 the WSO and Principal Tuba Chris Lee have the rare opportunity to present the world premiere of a tuba concerto: Victor Davies Concerto for Tubameister and Orchestra. Even more unique is the story behind the pieces creation.

Three years ago, The Winnipeg born Davies (composer of Transit of Venus for the Manitoba Opera) was contacted by a retired US Naval Commander about creating a concerto for his son, a professional tuba musician.

Commander Chip Sherman had spent years ferrying his son, JC, to lessons, concerts, rehearsals and competitions and he noticed that tuba players often played music written for cello, horn or other instruments and almost never played music written for tuba.

Sherman soon came to realize that there are relatively few concertos written for tuba, all of them with a markedly modern sound. As an avid supporter of the arts, Sherman decided the best remedy was to commission a work of his own for JC to play. The first name that popped into his head was Victor Davies.
I had heard [Davies] Mennonite Concerto on the radio in Alaska when I was there on a business trip more than 15 years ago, said Sherman. I had liked it enough to write down his name and purchase the music when I returned to Washington.

Many conversations between Davies and Sherman about the intentions for the work resulted in a concerto that skillfully showcases the tubas many voices and moods.

The second movement, Waltz for Franco, was written when JC's first son was born and shows the tuba in a serious lyrical mood, said Davies. And the third movement, Sancho Panza Goes to the Bull Fight, has a Latin flavour, not often associated with the tuba.

Accompanying the tuba concerto for this concert will be three works that are sure to be uplifting on a bitter winter evening: Beethovens Symphony No. 8, perhaps his most lighthearted work; Springs Promise by Canadian composer John Estacio and Gran duo concertante for violin and double bass by Giovannni Bottesini featuring Karl Stobbe and Meredith Johnson. WSO Assistant Conductor Rei Hotoda leads the orchestra.
The concert, entitled Beethoven 8, plays Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17 at 8pm at the Centennial Concert Hall. Tickets range from $26.25 to $61.00 and are available through the WSO box office (located inside the Concert Hall at 555 Main St.) at 949-3999, online at www.wso.mb.ca or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

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Billets en vente! Tickets on Sale! Les Monologues du vagin - The Vagina Monologues


Les Monologues du vagin - The Vagina Monologues

vnement charitable, de culture, d'art et de divertissement


L'exprience des vagins comme vous ne l'avez jamais vcu!


Montral, QC Canada le 16 dcembre 2008 Les Monologues du vagin de retour Montral

V-Day Montral prsente la pice gagnante d'un prix Obie Les Monologues du vagin tel qu'crit par Eve Ensler, pour la premire fois au magnifique Thtre Outremont les 27 et 28 fvrier 2009.

Dcouvrez les histoires de femmes de tous les coins du monde racontes par un ensemble de femme de divers horizons, choisies partir de la diverse communaut montralaise. Produit et ralis par des hommes et des femmes de tous les jours dvous mettre fin la violence. Avec des pices en anglais et d'autres en franais, le spectacle est fait sur mesure pour Montral. Il garanti de vous donner une exprience orgasmique.


Les billets sont maintenant en vente en temps pour la priode des ftes chez Ticketpro (http://ww1.ticketpro.ca/event.php?event_id=1438)


90% des recettes iront au Centre de prvention des agressions de Montral (www.cpamapc.org/fr)
10% des recettes bnficieront le plein feu 2009 de V-Day International Halte au viol de nos plus prcieuses ressources : Pouvoir aux femmes dans la Rpublique dmocratique du Congo (www.vday.org)


Avant-premire jeudi soir, prsentations vendredi soir et samedi soir.

Deux billets disponibles sur demande tre utiliss comme prix.

Forfaits corporatifs galement disponibles.


V-Day Montral est une branche communautaire du mouvement V-Day International. V-Day Montral, parmi des milliers d'autres campagnes V-Day dans le monde, produit des vnements d'arts qui ont pour but de recueillir des fonds pour des organismes luttant contre la violence faite aux femmes.


---------------

Les Monologues du vagin - The Vagina Monologues

CULTURE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CHARITY EVENT


Experience vaginas like you've never had before!


Montral, QC Canada December 16th, 2008 - THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES RETURN TO MONTREAL


V-Day Montral presents the Obie-Award winning play The Vagina Monologues as written by Eve Ensler, showing for the first time at the beautiful Theatre Outremont, February 27 and 28, 2009.


Discover the powerful stories of women from all over the world as told by a cast of talented women from all walks of life, selected directly from the diverse Montral community. Produced and directed by everyday men and women dedicated to ending violence. With pieces in English and Quebecois French, the show is tailor-made for Montral. It's guaranteed to be an orgasmic experience.


Tickets are now on sale in time for the holidays at Ticketpro (http://ww1.ticketpro.ca/event.php?event_id=1438)


90% of proceeds will benefit the Montreal Assault Prevention Centre (www.cpamapc.org/en)

10% of proceeds will benefit V-Day International's spotlight "Stop Raping our Greatest Resource: Power to Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo" (www.vday.org)


Thursday night preview, Friday night opening, and Saturday evening presentations.

Two complimentary tickets available upon request to be used as prizes.

Corporate packages also available.


V-Day Montral is the community-based branch of the V-Day International movement. V-Day Montral, amongst thousands of other V-Day City Campaigns around the world, produces arts-related events to raise money for anti-violence organizations in their respective communities.


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Study shows Project Niagara could generate millions of dollars in economic activity and create hundreds of jobs

Project spearheaded by the NAC and TSO has potential to become next great cultural tourism destination

(Niagara-on-the-Lake) A feasibility study presented last night to Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council by representatives from the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and National Arts Centre (NAC) shows that Project Niagara a proposed 17-week international music festival to take place on the shore of Lake Ontario could generate more than a hundred million dollars in economic activity and create hundreds of jobs over several years.

Project Niagara is an initiative of the TSO and NAC. The two organizations have been working together on Project Niagaras development and feasibility since 2004. They are hoping to launch the festival during the bicentennial celebrations marking the War of 1812.

Monday night, before a well-attended Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council meeting, Project Niagara Project Manager Kari Cullen provided an outline of the feasibility study for the proposed music festival.

Prior to the meeting, Andrew Shaw, President and CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Peter Herrndorf, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre, issued the following statement: This feasibility study tells us beyond a shadow of a doubt that Project Niagara is a very strong concept, located in the right place, at the right time. With its proximity to the Shaw Festival, Niagara Falls and one of the worlds most diverse wine regions, Project Niagara has the potential to become Canadas next great cultural tourism destination.

Mr. Herrndorf was on hand for last nights meeting, along with Cathryn Gregor, Chief Operating Officer for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Alan Latourelle, CEO of the Parks Canada Agency, the responsible custodian of the land on Lakeshore Road, on the northwestern side of Niagara-on-the-Lake where Project Niagara would be located. The 268-acre site was overwhelmingly chosen over several sites in the Niagara Region based on criteria related to unique beauty, size, and ambient noise.

The Project Niagara Phase 2 Feasibility Study outlines the following points:

During its construction phase, Project Niagara would generate $106 million in various types of additional economic activity, including the creation of about 500 full time equivalent jobs.

In its fifth year of operation, Project Niagara would generate about $93 million in various types of additional economic activity, including the creation of 707 full time equivalent jobs.

Capital costs for Project Niagara are estimated at $76.5 million this breaks down as $37 million for all buildings on site, $18 million in site preparation, $11 million in landscaping, and $10 million for technical equipment.

The feasibility studys findings support that $25.5 million would be a reasonable amount of money to be raised through sponsorship and private donations. Project Niagara will request that the Federal and Provincial governments each match the private funds raised to achieve its capital cost target of $76.5 million.

Project Niagara will be run as an independent national cultural institution with its own Board of Directors. TSO and NAC representatives will sit on this board as ex-officio members.

Project Niagara has committed to working with the Region and the Town to help address any issues relating to transportation and sewage infrastructure.

Project Niagara is also working with the Parks Canada Agency on environmental assessment requirements with respect to the potential impact of the festival on flora and fauna in order to guide its activities on site.

Financial backing for the Project Niagara development work and analysis to date has come from the NAC and TSO, as well the Province of Ontario, Falls Management Corporation, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation.

Last week, Janice Thomson, Executive Director of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce, made a presentation to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Town Council to table more than one hundred individual letters of support from local residents, visitors and businesses of Niagara-on-the-Lake voicing their support for the creation of Project Niagara.

Click here to read the Project Niagara Phase 2 Feasibility Study. For more information about Project Niagara, please visit www.projectniagara.ca.

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Canada Council announces winners of the Victor Martyn Lynch-Staunton Awards

Ottawa, December 16, 2008 Integrated arts artist Diane Borsato, set and costume designer Linda Brunelle, author Marlene Cookshaw, visual artist Geoffrey Farmer, choreographer and dance artist Susanna Hood, filmmaker Shandi Mitchell and composer Michael Oesterle are the winners of the Canada Council for the Arts Victor Martyn LynchStaunton Awards.

The annual awards, worth $15,000 each, recognize outstanding mid-career artists in the seven disciplines funded by the Canada Council: dance, integrated arts, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts and writing and publishing. The prizes were created using funds from a generous bequest made by the late Victor Martyn LynchStaunton to the Canada Council.

The seven Victor Martyn LynchStaunton Award recipients were chosen through a nomination process by the Grants to Professional Artists peer assessment committees during the 20072008 fiscal year. The winning candidates are considered the most outstanding mid-career artists of those nominated.

Images of the winners can be downloaded from the Canada Council image gallery at: www.canadacouncil.ca/news/imagegallery.

Diane Borsato Integrated arts

Integrated arts artist and visual artist Diane Borsato has become known for her relational gestures and eccentric experiments. She regularly exhibits videos, photographs and drawings that document her activities. Her humorous and multidisciplinary practice includes such works as Sleeping with Cake (1999), The World's Longest Paper Clip Chain (2001), Artifacts in My Mouth (2003), Wondering How Long He Can Keep Up The World (2005), Moving the Weeds Around (2005), How To Respond in an Emergency (2006), and Three Performances (After Joseph Beuys, Marina Abramovic, and Bonnie Sherk) (2008).

Ms. Borsato has exhibited in galleries and museums across Canada and internationally including the Muse national des beaux-arts du Qubec (Qubec City), the Art Gallery of York University and the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (Toronto). She is currently a professor of Interdisciplinary Studio at the University of Guelph and lives in Toronto.

Linda Brunelle Theatre

Over the past decade, set and costume designer Linda Brunelle has designed costumes and sets for numerous productions in dance, theatre, opera, film and circus. Her most recent projects include her participation in the creation of Salina (2006) at the Thtre National de Lille-Tourcoing, Nord Pas-de-Calais, in France, Nebbia (2007) by Cirque loize, Bacchanale (2008) for Thtre d'Aujourd'hui and La petite pice en haut de l'escalier (2008) at Thtre du Nouveau Monde.

Her work has often received mentions at the Gala des Masques and she was awarded a Masque for Si j'avais la seule possession dessus le jugement dernier (1998), Thtre d'Aujourd'hui. Audiences have also remarked on the quality of her work, awarding her the Prix Gascon -Roux for the costumes in Tristan et Yseult (2004) at Thtre du Nouveau Monde and the Audience Award for the costumes in Le Revizor (2003) at Thtre DenisePelletier. In 2003 and 2006, she represented Canada at the Prague Quadrennial of international scenography. Since 2004, she has shared her expertise with students at the National Theatre School.

Marlene Cookshaw Writing and Publishing

Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Marlene Cookshaw has lived most of her adult life on British Columbia's west coast. She is the author of five books of poetry (the first, Personal Luggage, was published by Coach House Press in 1984) and one chapbook of prose poems, Coupling, by Outlaw Editions. Brick Books has published her other collections: The Whole Elephant (1989), Double Somersaults (1999), Shameless (2002), and Lunar Drift (2005), two of which were shortlisted for the Dorothy Livesay BC Book Prize for Poetry. Other awards have included the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Prize, the Ralph Gustafson Poetry Prize, Arc's Poem of the Year, League of Canadian Poets prize and a National Magazine Silver Award for Poetry.

Ms. Cookshaw completed a BFA at the University of Victoria and worked for many years with The Malahat Review. She now writes and farms on Pender Island with her husband and fellow poet, Mitchell Parry.

Geoffrey Farmer Visual Art

Born in British Columbia, Geoffrey Farmer lives and works in Vancouver. Through his studies at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver and at the San Francisco Art Institute, he developed a strong interest in the notions of process and narrative. His work is at once fragile and multiform, operating on the same level as everyday experience: simultaneously rational and chaotic, undeniably concrete yet shaped by the imagination. Mr. Farmer has seen his career take off meteorically in the last few years. In 2008 alone, he was the subject of a survey exhibition at the Muse d'art contemporain in Montral, a solo exhibition at the Witte de With in Rotterdam, Netherlands, participated in the Sydney and Brussels Biennale as well as in group exhibitions at the Tate Modern, the ICA Boston and Johnen + Schttle in Berlin. He is currently exhibiting at National Gallery of Canada in the group exhibition Caught in the Act: The Viewer as Performer which runs until February 15, 2009.

Susanna Hood Dance

Susanna Hood, Artistic Director of hum, is a compelling and virtuosic performer in dance and music. She was a member of the Toronto Dance Theatre from 1991 to 1995. For over a decade, she has been synthesizing voice and movement into a dynamic practice through which she creates intimate, raw and sensual performance work. She has performed the works of various Canadian choreographers, composers, and filmmakers (including Tedd Robinson, John Oswald, Nilan Perera, and Phillip Barker) and has performed widely as an improviser both in dance and music. Her choreography, compositions, and interdisciplinary collaborations have been presented locally, nationally, and internationally on stage and film since 1991. Awards include the 1998 K.M. Hunter Emerging Artists Award in Dance and the 2006 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance in Dance for She's gone away. Ms. Hood resides in Toronto.

Shandi Mitchell Media arts

Shandi Mitchell lives near Halifax. A writer and director, she fuses image, word and sound to create dramatic narratives that reflect the hidden, inner experience of her characters. Her work has been described as visually poetic, emotionally resonant and sublimely crafted. Her screenplay for Baba's House won the Women in Film and Television Toronto KODAK Filmmaker Award and Script Award. Baba's House screened at numerous festivals and garnered awards at the Houston International WorldFest (Kodak Cinematography Award, Gold Jury Award); Yorkton Short Film Festival (Best Cinematography, Best Script, Best Drama); Atlantic Film Festival (Best Canadian Short, Best Art Direction); and earned two Gemini nominations. Her experimental short Tell Me screened at major festivals and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Ms. Mitchell is currently developing her first feature film, The Disappeared. She is also a fiction writer and her debut novel Under This Unbroken Sky will be published in August 2009 by Penguin Books (Canada), Weidenfeld and Nicolson (UK), and Harper Collins (US).

Michael Oesterle Music

Composer Michael Oesterle was born in Ulm, Germany, in 1968. He immigrated to Canada in 1982 and since 1996 has been living in Montreal. His works have been performed and commissioned by orchestras, ensembles and soloists throughout North America and Europe. His most recent commissions include new works for ASKO Ensemble (Amsterdam), the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Aventa Ensemble and Ensemble contemporain de Montral+ (ECM+).

He frequently collaborates with artists of other disciplines and has produced projects in dance, visual arts, film and theatre. He composed the music for cNOTE, a film by animator Christopher Hinton, produced by the National Film Board of Canada. cNOTE won the 2005 Genie award for best animated-short. In 1997 he co-founded the Montreal based Ensemble KORE, and between 2001 and 2004 he was composer-in-residence with l'Orchestre Mtropolitain du Grand Montral. To listen to his music, and to view his collaborative work, please visit his website at www.footwrite.com.

General information

In addition to its principal role of promoting and fostering the arts, the Canada Council for the Arts administers and awards many prizes and fellowships in the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural and health sciences, engineering, and arts management. These prizes and fellowships recognize the achievements of outstanding Canadian artists, scholars, and administrators. The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to raising public awareness and celebration of these exceptional people and organizations on both a national and international level.

Please visit our website (www.canadacouncil.ca) for a complete listing of these awards.

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Monday, December 15, 2008

Feb 2: Award-winning German violinist Arabella Steinbacher performs in Montreal














GERMAN VIOLINIST ARABELLA STEINBACHER

With pianist Robert Kulek

Recital at Place des Arts - Thtre Maisonneuve

Presented by The Pro Musica Society

Monday, February 2, 2009 at 7:30pm

Place des Arts - Thtre Maisonneuve

(260, blvd. de Maisonneuve West, Montral)

Program

Schnitkke: Violin Sonata No. 1

Beethoven: Sonata No. 8 in G major

Bach: Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor
Ravel: Violin Sonata

Tickets: $40 | $35 | $20 students

Available at the Place des Arts Box Office: 514.842.2112

or visit www.promusica.qc.ca/emerald.html

Photo by Robert Vano. Available in high-resolution from Christina Jensen PR.

Praise for Arabella Steinbacher:

"If this stunning recital is anything to go by, Arabella Steinbacher has a remarkable future ahead of her." The Strad


"Doubtless a single violin performance recently has been as moving and exceptional as the concert debut of the Munich violinist Arabella Steinbacher. Of her essence: natural and with placid contemplation, distinguished and musically aesthetic, both elegant and rich in tone, while intelligently interpreted." Stuttgarter Zeitung


Montreal, CanadaMunich-based, twenty-six-year-old violinist Arabella Steinbacher "The Frulein Wunder" (Regensburger Zeitung) will perform a recital with pianist Robert Kulek as part of the Pro Musica Society's Emerald Series. The performance will take place in Salle Maisonneuve at Place des Arts (260 blvd. de Maisonneuve West, Montral) on February 2, 2009 at 7:30 pm. Ms. Steinbacher's program will include Schnitkke's Violin Sonata No. 1, Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 8 in G major, Bach's Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor, and Ravel's Violin Sonata. The performance follows the recent North American release of Ms. Steinbacher's newest album, "Sonatas by Faur, Poulenc and Ravel" with Robert Kulek, on ORFEO International. (Review copies of the disc are now available from Christina Jensen PR.)


Since her extraordinary and unexpected debut in Paris in March 2004, when she stepped in on short notice for an ailing colleague and performed the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under Sir Neville Marriner, German violinist Arabella Steinbacher has become a fast-rising star on the international concert scene. Ms. Steinbacher's New York recital debut in June 2006 was called "a particular highlight of the month" by The Strad magazine. The New York Times wrote, "Balanced lyricism and fire Ķ.among her assets are a finely polished technique and a beautifully varied palette of timbres."


In November 2007, Ms. Steinbacher made her debut as soloist with a major American orchestra, performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnnyi. The Chicago Tribune reported, "From her magical entry over hushed orchestral strings to the biting swagger she brought to the dancing finale, it was evident that her feeling for this music runs as deep as her technical command. The central Adagio came off especially beautifully, Steinbacher conveying its brooding melancholy with a rich vibrato, impeccable intonation and a remarkable breadth of phrasing. The sound she drew from her 1716 "Booth" Stradivari stood out from the orchestra: limitless tonal depth swaddled in velvet. Let's have her back, and soon."


In 2007, Ms. Steinbacher received an ECHO-Klassik Award (considered to be the German equivalent of the Grammy Awards) for Young Artist of the Year for her album, Violino Latino, a collection of a Spanish and South-American works performed with pianist Peter von Wienhardt on ORFEO. In addition, her recording of Shostakovich's Violin Concertos No. 1 and No. 2, also on ORFEO, was named among the October 2007 "Les Chocs du Mois" in Le Monde de la Musique. She received the German Record Critics Award in 2005 for her ORFEO recording of Milhaud's rarely-heard Violin Concertos No. 1 and No. 2, and Concertino de Printemps; and again in 2006 for her Shostakovich disc. Ms. Steinbacher recently signed an exclusive recording contract with PentaTone Classics, and will release her first disc with that label in spring 2009.


More about Arabella Steinbacher: Highlights of Ms. Steinbacher's 2007-2008 season included debuts with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under Sir Neville Marriner (broadcast live on national television and radio), the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Luisi, the Orchestre National de Belgique under Walter Weller, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Marek Janowski, and the Orchestra Nacionales de Espana under Mark Albrecht. She also toured with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the European Youth Orchestra, performing in cities including Bucharest, Vienna, Liverpool and Bratislava. On July 12, 2008, Ms. Steinbacher opened the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany, performing with the NDR-Sinfonieorchester led by Christoph von Dohnnyi. The concert was broadcast live on national television and radio.


Highlights of Ms. Steinbacher's 2008-2009 season, include her debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, a debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit, her official subscription series debut with the NDR-Sinfonieorchester under Christoph von Dohnnyi, and her debut with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner. In addition, she will perform at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, and in December 2008 will make her recital debut at the Theatre de Champs Elysee. Ms. Steinbacher will also appear with the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony, Prague Symphony Orchestra, and the National Orchestra of Belgium. She will perform during the Beethoven Easter Festival in Prague, and tour with Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. In May 2009, she will perform four concerts with the Netherlands Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and then tour Spain with that orchestra. In June, she will perform Sofia Gubaidulina's Offertorium with the Orchestre de l'Opra de Paris at Salle Pleyel in Paris under Christoph von Dohnnyi; also in June she will make her debut at the BBC Proms performing with the Bamberg Symphony under Jonathan Nott; in October, she will perform at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly, following a tour of Asia. Future highlights include an appearance with the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester with Sir Colin Davis and a tour of Germany with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Lorin Maazel during the 2009-2010 season.


Arabella Steinbacher's diverse repertoire includes more than twenty concertos for violin. In addition to all of the major concertos of the Classical and Romantic period, she also performs those of Barber, Berg, Glazunov, Khatchaturian, Milhaud, Prokofiev, Schnittke, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Szymanowski, and Hartmann.


Born in Munich in 1981 to a German father and a Japanese mother, Arabella Steinbacher began studying the violin at the age of three. Her mother is a professionally trained singer who came to Germany from Japan to study music, and her father was the first Solorepetitor in the Bayerische Staatsoper, from 1960 to 1972. At nine, she became the youngest violin student of Ana Chumachenko at the Munich Academy of Music. She received further musical inspiration and guidance from Ivry Gitlis, whom she still meets regularly in Paris. In 2001, she won the sponsorship prize of the Free State of Bavaria and in the same year she was awarded a scholarship by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. From Anne-Sophie Mutter, who personally supports her, Ms. Steinbacher received a bow from the master luthier Benoit Rolland. Ms. Steinbacher currently plays the Guarneri Del Gesu known as the 'Jarnovich'(c. 1741) which is on extended loan from Jonathan P Moulds. She is managed by Tanja Dorn at IMG Artists. For more information, please visit www.arabella-steinbacher.com or www.imgartists.com.


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The Royal Conservatory concerts in 2009


Ring in 2009 with more
Spectacular Performances
at The Royal Conservatory

Come celebrate the New Year at the sparkling new TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning as the Royal Concert season continues with concerts and lectures in January and February 2009. There are plenty of free events coming up, so you don't have to worry about your wallet after the holidays

The free Master Class Series are a wonderful way to see famous musicians as they teach the new generation and perfect their craft. January is filled with master classes and lecture series by such great artists as pianist Anton Kuerti (who continues his 5-part lecture series on Beethoven's piano concertos) on January 16; Andrea Cardenes - Grammy-nominated violinist and recognized worldwide as a musical phenomenon - on January 9; the exquisite and incomparable Tokyo String Quartet* on January 23; and renowned Irish pianist Barry Douglas* on January 28. (*presented in conjunction with Music Toronto)

Great Artists Series bring the wonderful soprano Monica Whicher (accompanied by pianist Liz Upchurch) to the stage of Mazzoleni Hall on Sunday, January 18, at 2pm, in a programme of art songs featuring Schumann's Frauenliebe und-leben, Op.42. Dublin International Piano Competition prize winner Li Wang will play Schumann's Kinderszenen, Chopin's Mazurkas, Op. 17, and Mussorsky's Pictures at an Exhibition on Sunday, February 1, at 4pm. Andrew McCandless, The Glenn Gould School faculty member and principal trumpet with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, will appear onstage with fellow musicians Neil Deland, French horn, Gordon Wolfe, trombone, Vanessa Lee, piano, Julie Spring, harp, and Leonie Wall, flute, on Sunday, February 8, at 2pm, in a program of Bernstein, Ravel, Debussy and others.

World Music Concerts will continue on Thursday, February 19, at 7:30 pm with Canada's renowned world music fusion group autorickshaw. Their music lies on the cultural cutting edge, as contemporary jazz and funk blends with the classical and popular music of India. autorickshaw has swiftly risen to become one of the most intriguing acts on the world music and jazz landscapes, garnering a 2004 JUNO nomination and winning a Canadian Independent Music Award in 2005. Suba Sankaran, autorickshaw's vocalist, was recently appointed as a resident artist at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.
The last concert of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra series will present the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Music Director Peter Oundjian leading the RCO in Ravel's quirky and passionate Alborado del Gracioso and Elgar's Enigma Variations. Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 will round out the programme on Friday, February 20, at 8pm, and feature soloist Alexander Seredenko, the GGS Concerto Competition winner from 2007. This will be the last concert the RCO will be performing at the George Weston Recital Hall before their return home, to the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, next season.

THE ROYAL CONCERT SEASON
January and February 2009

Andrea Cardenes, violin (GGS Master Class Series):
Friday, January 9 at 10am and 5pm*
Anton Kuerti, piano (GGS Lecture Series):
Friday, January 16 at 2pm*
Monica Whicher, soprano and Liz Upchurch, piano (Great Artists Series):
Sunday, January 18 at 2pm
Tokyo String Quartet (GGS Master Class Series):
Friday, January 23 time TBD*
Barry Douglas, piano (GGS Master Class Series):
Wednesday, January 28 time TBD*

Li Wang, piano (Great Artists Series):
Sunday, February 1 at 4pm
Andrew McCandless, trumpet, with the GGS Brass faculty (Great Artists Series):
Sunday, February 8 at 2pm
autorickshaw, world music fusion (World Music Concerts):
Thursday, February 19 at 7:30pm
Peter Oundjian, conductor, Alexander Seredenko, piano (RCM Orchestra):
Friday February 20 at 8pm +

Tickets $20.00 - $30.00, students $10
Tickets available online at www.rcmusic.ca, by calling 416-408-2824 X321,
or at the door at the RCM, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto
* Free event

All events, except for the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, will take place at the Conservatory's new home, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West.

+ The Royal Conservatory Orchestra performs at the George Weston Recital Hall at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. For RCO tickets visit www.ticketmaster.ca or call 416.872.1111.

More information about the 2008-2009 Concert Season is available on The Royal Conservatory website at
www.rcmusic.ca.

The RCM 2008-2009 Concert Season is made possible through the generous support of:
Presentation Sponsors: BMO Financial Group and MasterCard
Performance Supporters: Acuity Funds Ltd.; Mona and Robert Bandeen; D. & T. Davis Charitable Foundation; Margaret and Jim Fleck; Invesco Trimark; Mr. Thomas Logan; Mary Jean and Frank Potter; Meredith and William Saunderson; Janet and Michael Scott; Shiu Pong
The Department of Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council and RBC Financial Group

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Sonny Rollins Kicks off TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival

Jazz Festival Tickets on sale now!
Saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins
at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

"Rollins who has continued to walk his own course during his more than 50-year career, is arguably the greatest saxophone
player since Charlie Parker's explosion on the scene in the '40s." - Downbeat Magazine

"The last jazz immortal." - The Village Voice


Toronto When Sonny Rollins picks up the tenor saxophone, the world listens. On Friday, June 26, 2009, hear one of jazz's most iconic figures at the prestigious Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts as the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival kicks off its 23rd anniversary with saxophone giant Sonny Rollins.

The TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival, on its opening night, welcomes Rollins, the most formidable of all jazz improvisers who has carved an impressive career for over half a century. Working alongside heavyweights such as Miles Davis and Bud Powell before the age of 20, Rollins quickly established himself in the early '50s as the most brash and creative young tenor in the scene. Today, he remains as one of the surviving few great jazz immortals from the golden era.

At 78 years old, Rollins is still at the top of his game. His accomplishments in the last decade alone speak to the depth of his talent: in 2000 he won his first Grammy Award, with a following second Grammy in 2004; in that same year Rollins was also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; and Sonny, Please, released in 2006, was described as perhaps his strongest studio album in a decade or more.

The sounds of jazz will have feet tappin' and fingers snappin' as the 23rd edition of the TD Canada Trust Toronto Jazz Festival swings and jives its way into summer, running from June 26 July 5, 2009. Be a part of the action as more than 1,500 musicians, performing in over 350 concerts, descend upon Toronto for the city's largest music festival. Get jazzed this summer!


SONNY ROLLINS
Friday, June 26, 2009 - 8pm
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen Street West
Tickets on sale now at
Four Seasons Centre Box Office: 416.363.8231 or 1.800.250.4653
visit www.torontojazz.com


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Friday, December 12, 2008

Gotham Chamber Opera presents L'isola disabitata at John Jay College


GOTHAM CHAMBER OPERA

in collaboration with the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College

presents

the New York City stage premiere of

Joseph Haydns

LISOLA DISABITATA

(Desert Island)

February 18 28, 2009

In February of 2009, in honor of the bicentennial of Joseph Haydns death, Gotham Chamber Opera will present the New York City stage premiere of Lisola disabitata (Desert Island) in a new production staged by Mark Morris at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College.

Lisola disabitata is Mark Morriss first collaboration with Gotham Chamber Opera. The work, with a libretto by Metastasio, calls for four singers and a typical early classical orchestra, but neither chorus nor dancers. Lisola disabitata features sopranos Takesha Mesh Kizart and Valerie Ogbonnaya, tenor Vale Rideout, and bass-baritone Tom Corbeil, and is conducted by Neal Goren, artistic director of Gotham Chamber Opera. Set design is by Allen Moyer, costume design is by Liz Kurtzman and lighting design is by Michael Chybowski.

This is the quintessential Haydn score: sunny, invigorating, with virtuosic vocal and instrumental writing, and its brevity makes it all the more appealing. Add Mark Morris and four spectacular, gorgeous singers and I dont think opera gets any better, said Neal Goren.

Thirteen years before the action begins, Costanza and her infant sister Silvia were shipwrecked on a deserted island. Costanza has raised Silvia to hate and fear men. Now a man arrivesĶ

Lisola disabitata had its premiere at the Esterhazy palace in 1779 and was Haydns favorite of his own operas.

Gotham Chamber Opera is New York Citys leading company dedicated to the highest quality productions of chamber operas rarely performed in opera houses today. The companys mission is to present vibrant, fully-staged productions of works from the Baroque era to the present that are intended for intimate venues.

Founded by conductor and Artistic Director Neal Goren in 2000, in its short history, the Gotham Chamber Opera has presented six U.S. premieres of 18th- and 20th-century operas, including such masterpieces as Mozarts Il Sogno di Scipione; Darius Milhauds Les Malheurs dOrphe; Czech composer Bohuslav Martinus Dada opera, Les Larmes du Couteau; and Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeisters Die schwarze Spinne. In February 2005, Gotham presented the U.S. stage premiere of Handels Arianna in Creta. Also in 2005, Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto Festival USA presented Gotham Chamber Operas U.S. premiere of Ottorino Respighis fantastical puppet opera, La bella dormente nel bosco featuring the puppetry of Basil Twist. In the spring of 2006, Benjamin Brittens Albert Herring received its first professional staging in New York in more than 30 years, and in winter 2007, Rossinis Il signor Bruschino received its first major professional New York staging in over a half century. Last season, the Gotham Chamber Opera celebrated dance with productions of Astor Piazzollas tango opera Mara de Buenos Aires, directed by David Parsons and featuring Parsons Dance, and with a new work entitled Ariadne Unhinged, directed by Karole Armitage and featuring members of Armitage Gone! Dance.

In the future, Gotham Chamber Opera will present Haydn at the Hayden: Il mondo della luna, an operatic trip to the moon in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History, followed by Montsalvatges El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), a collaboration with Basil Twist and Moiss Kaufman.

Performances of Lisola disabitata are made possible in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts; and through generous gifts in honor of Donald Gellert from his family.

Mark Morris was born on August 29, 1956, in Seattle, Washington, where he studied as a young man with Verla Flowers and Perry Brunson. In the early years of his career, he performed with Lar Lubovitch, Hannah Kahn, Laura Dean, Eliot Feld, and the Koleda Balkan Dance Ensemble. He formed the Mark Morris Dance Group in 1980, and has since created more than 120 works for the company. From 1988-1991, he was Director of Dance at the Thtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the national opera house of Belgium. Among the works created during his tenure were three evening-length dances: The Hard Nut; LAllegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato; and Dido and Aeneas. In 1990, he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Morris is also much in demand as a ballet choreographer. He has created seven works for the San Francisco Ballet since 1994 and received commissions from American Ballet Theatre, and the Boston Ballet, among others. His work is also in the repertory of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, Dutch National Ballet, New Zealand Ballet, Houston Ballet, English National Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. Morris is noted for his musicality and has been described as undeviating in his devotion to music. He has worked extensively in opera, directing and choreographing productions for The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, English National Opera, and The Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Morris was named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation in 1991. He has received eight honorary doctorates to date. In 2006, Morris received the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Mayors Award for Arts & Culture and a WQXR Gramophone Special Recognition Award. He is the subject of a biography by Joan Acocella (Farrar, Straus & Giroux) and Marlowe & Company published a volume of photographs and critical essays entitled Mark Morris LAllegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato: A Celebration. Morris is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. In 2007, he received the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival lifetime achievement award.

The Gerald W. Lynch Theater is a premier performing arts venue which celebrates its first performing arts presenting season in 2008-2009 with a partnership with Gotham Opera. The Theater has hosted events in the Lincoln Center Festival since its first season in 1996, as well as New York City Opera, Great Performers at Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Opera Guild, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II. The Gerald W. Lynch Theater has also been the home for the A&E-produced Live By Request and Comedy Centrals Premium Blend.

Lisola disabitata will run from February 18-28, 2009 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater, John Jay College, with performances Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30pm (Opening Night); Saturday, February 21 at 8pm; Wednesday, February 25 at 8pm; Friday, February 27 at 8pm; and Saturday, February 28 at 8pm. The Gerald W. Lynch Theater, John Jay College is located at 899 Tenth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $75-$30 and are available through Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. Opening Night and after-party tickets are $300 ($200 tax-deductible) and are available by calling (212) 868-4460.

For more information, visit www.gothamchamberopera.org.

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Opractuel 08

Un dernier rappel.
La compagnie lyrique de cration CHANTS LIBRES prsente Opractuel 08 Works In Progress, mardi 16 et mercredi 17 dcembre 2008 20 h lUsine C et propose au public de vivre une aventure stimulante et singulire : celle de participer la premire apparition scnique de cinq opras, que des compositeurs et librettistes sont en train dcrire. Ci-dessous le communiqu.

Je ne serai pas mon bureau du 15 dcembre au 9 janvier. Pour assister lune des deux soires ou pour des entrevues avec Pauline Vaillancourt ou les artistes : 514-841-2642

Belle traverse en lan 2009.

Amicalement, Marie Marais
514-845-2821 marais@cooptel.qc.ca



COMMUNIQU POUR DIFFUSION IMMDIATE

OPR'ACTUEL 08 WORKS IN PROGRESS
Dans les coulisses de la cration lyrique
Mardi 16 et mercredi 17 dcembre 2008, 20 h
Usine C
1345, avenue Lalonde, mtro Beaudry, Montral
Billetterie : (514) 521-4493 - $10 - Adulte $ 5 - tudiants/Ans
Info : http://www.chantslibres.org


La cration lyrique, les nouvelles approches de lart vocal et les derniers dveloppements artistiques et technologiques, sont au cur de la mission de Chants Libres, dirig par la soprano et metteur en scne Pauline Vaillancourt.

Pour la troisime dition de son vnement Opractuel 08 Works In Progress, la compagnie lyrique de cration propose au public de vivre une aventure stimulante et singulire : celle de participer la premire apparition scnique de cinq opras, que des compositeurs et librettistes sont en train dcrire.

Cinq uvres lyriques (parmi trente soumises) ont t slectionnes suite un concours lanc en 2007 par Chants Libres, pour permettre lmergence de nouvelles partitions lyriques, intresser les jeunes chanteurs aux nouvelles formes dopra et faire valoir auprs du public la multiplicit des styles, tmoins d'une poque.

Au cours de ces deux soires, le public pourra donc entendre des extraits de cinq opras en gestation, crits par les compositeurs Silvio Palmieri, Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qubec), Elma Miller (Ontario), Justine Chen (New York) et Lyubomir Denev (Bulgarie), et interprtes par de jeunes chanteurs et musiciens issus dateliers de cration contemporaine.

Les compositeurs (except Lyubomir Denev) assisteront Opractuel 08 et dcouvriront, en mme temps que le public, les premires sonorits issues de leur partition, ce qui aura un effet boomerang sur la poursuite de leur travail dcriture, revitalis par lcoute live. Les deux soires seront galement enregistres pour servir de documents de travail aux crateurs.
Cet vnement est ralis avec la participation de lAtelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, sous la direction de Cristian Gort, lAtelier de musique de chambre de lUniversit de Montral sous la direction de Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt et de lEnsemble Musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique du Qubec Montral, sous la direction de Vronique Lacroix, et la participation des ateliers de lEcole des mdias de lUQAM, sous la direction de Simon-Pierre Gourd.

Vous tes interpells par un Opra ouvert notre temps et par des crateurs, de jeunes chanteurs, des musiciens et des chefs qui travaillent les uvres lyriques dans un esprit de libert. Prenez place au 3e Opractuel 08 Works In Progress.

Au programme :


Die Rettung
Opra-thtre musical la mmoire des Juifs Bulgares durant la seconde guerre mondiale.
Composition : Lyubomir Denev - Livret : Vladimir Danovsky (Bulgarie)
Extraits : Scnes 1-2-3-6-9
15 musiciens, chur de 8 voix dhommes, un narrateur, Vincent Ranallo et une soliste, Anick St-Louis, soprano
Atelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, direction Cristian Gort.
Luvre sera cre lOpra de Munich et lOpra de Bamberg en 2009.

Torquato Tasso
Un pome dramatique et musical l'imagerie baroque, sur la vie d'un artiste hors du commun.
Composition : Silvio Palmieri (Qubec) - Livret : Daniele Pieroni (Italie)
Extrait : Ouverture et premire scne
Piano, Philippe Prudhomme et baryton, Vincent Ranallo
Atelier de musique de chambre de lUniversit de Montral, direction Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt

L'Art d'aimer
Allgorie de la relation homme-femme : Qui est le chasseur et qui est le chass ?
Composition : Elma Miller (Ontario) - Livret : Ovide (Italie)
Extrait : Ouverture
15 musiciens et 4 solistes : Sophie Martin, soprano - Anne Julien, mezzo-soprano - Mathieu Grgoire, tnor - Franois Dub basse
Atelier de musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique de Montral, direction Vronique Lacroix

The Maiden Tower
Opra de chambre inspir dune lgende Azerbadjane.
Composition et livret : Justine Chen (New-York)
Extraits : pilogue & scnes 1-2-3
11 musiciens et 4 solistes : Maude Paradis, Anick St-Louis, sopranos - Sylvain Par, tnor - Simon Charette, baryton - Traitement lectronique en direct : Justine Chen
Atelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, direction Cristian Gort

Opra_lit - Operality
Opra-installation-performance
Composition : Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qubec) - Livret : daprs luvre littraire Cahier dun retour au pays natal dAim Csaire
3 extraits seront entendus au cours de la soire. En prime, un enregistrement de 3 voix du public.
Voix, Pauline Vaillancourt, 2 conteurs, Dany Laferrire et Jerry Alexandre, et informatique-lectronique en direct et sphres sonores (Groupe de recherche-cration en mdia exprimental).

CHANTS LIBRES - Fonde en 1990 par la soprano Pauline Vaillancourt, la compagnie lyrique de cration poursuit sa mission de crer de nouvelles formes dopra. Offrant un rpertoire opratique adapt aux couleurs de la modernit, Chants Libres explore constamment de nouvelles techniques et approches de lart vocal, et travaille en troite collaboration avec des crateurs et des chercheurs de toutes les disciplines. La compagnie a cr douze opras : Alternate Visions (2007, virtuelopera) de John Oliver et Genni Gunn ; Larchange (2005 Operinstallation) de Louis Dufort et Alexis Nouss ; Pacamambo lopra (2002) de Zack Settel et Wajdi Mouawad ; Manuscrit trouv Saragosse (2001) de Jos Evangelista et Alexis Nouss ; Lenfant des glaces (2000, lectropra) de Zack Settel et Pauline Vaillancourt ; Lulu,le chant souterrain (2000, technopra) dAlain Thibault et Yan Muckle ; Yo soy la desintegracion (1997) de Jean Pich et Yan Muckle ; Le Vampire et la nymphomane (1996) de Serge Provost et Claude Gauvreau ; Chants du Capricorne (1995) de Giacinto Scelsi et Pauline Vaillancourt ; La Princesse blanche (1994) de Bruce Mather et Rilke/Raynald Tremblay ; Il suffit dun peu dair (1992) de Claude Ballif et Raynald Tremblay ; Ne blmez jamais les bdouins (1991) dAlain Thibault et Ren-Daniel Dubois. PROCHAINE CRATION: du 19 au 22 novembre 2009 : Leau qui danse, la pomme qui chante et loiseau qui dit la vrit de Gilles Tremblay et Pierre Morency, sur une mise en scne de Robert Bellefeuille.




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Winners of the second music Ally/ Midemnet "New buisness showcase"



WINNERS OF THE SECOND MUSIC ALLY / MIDEMNET
"NEW BUSINESS SHOWCASE"

Paris, 12 December 2008 Music Ally, the leading digital music strategy and research company, and MIDEM, organisers of MidemNet, the international forum dedicated to reflection on the music business in the digital age, are delighted to announce the winners of the second Music Ally/MidemNet "New Business Showcase". The winners will present their ideas at MidemNet's 10th annual conference in Cannes from 17-18 January 2009.

The seven winners are as follows: The EchoNest (US), Soundcloud (Germany), MPTrax (US), Playanywhere (Israel/US/UK), Instinctiv (US), Passionato (UK), Mustik (Netherlands).

Following on from last year's hugely successful event, the showcase will once again highlight some of the most innovative and inspiring business ideas from across the globe which will help to shape and influence new digital music business models, services and products.

Last year's inaugural winners were the Barcelona-based developers of the Reactable collaborative instrument which has since gone on to win four further awards.

About the Winners

Instinctiv Shuffle
Ever thought random shuffling of music was too, well, random? Instinctiv has had that thought too, and has come up with Instinctiv Shuffle. It's an iPhone / iPod Touch application that aims to provide a smarter shuffle feature, guessing the user's mood by what songs they listen to and what ones they skip. The app has so far only been available on jailbroken iPhones, but has been causing a stir.

MPTrax
MPTrax is focused on bringing Web 2.0 connectivity to the live music arena, connecting bands, rappers and DJs to venues, clubs and party planners including people arranging house parties and other small events. Currently in beta, it offers a dedicated booking platform, complete with a feedback/rating system, invitation tools, sample contracts and social networking features. It could be a crucial tool for bands looking off the beaten track for their live revenues.

Mustik
Mustik is an interactive musical instrument which allows non musicians to play music. The way you interact with the Mustik alters the way that the musical track plays back. It's a kind of Guitar Hero on acid. Conceived from a University project on embodied interaction, this is one product you have to see to believe.

Passionato
Launched earlier this year, Passionato is a website targeting classical music fans with higher quality downloads, selling DRM-free music as 320kbps MP3 files, or lossless FLAC files for proper audiophiles. The store also builds in reviews, user ratings and community features, as well as the obligatory Facebook and MySpace widgets.

Play Anywhere
Catch Media's Play Anywhere scheme is certainly ambitious, aiming to offer a grand solution to interoperability. It's about allowing users to playback music that they own, or which they're legally entitled to access, across all possible devices. The company has already obtained new Play Anywhere licences from two major labels, and is ultimately hoping to entice all players within the digital value chain, including retailers, mobile operators and ISPs.

Soundcloud
It's been described as "a Google Docs for audio" and a "Flickr for music", so Soundcloud has solid Web 2.0 credentials. It's an online audio platform designed to let people move music quickly and easily, whether they're artists, labels, producers or other professionals. It's attracted more than 2,000 labels and 50,000 users so far without splashing the cash. It's been winning praise for its flexibility and featureset from early users this year.

The Echo Nest
Founded at the prestigious MIT Media Lab, The Echo Nest claims to be "the software equivalent of a hardware store for music developers". In other words, it offers open APIs covering artist information, music search, recommendation, remix applications, mash-ups and analytic tools. The idea is that clever developers tap into these APIs to build innovative new music services. Early proof of concepts have showed how powerful these tools can be.

Note to Editors:

About Music Ally

London-based Music Ally is the world's leading digital music strategy and research company. Music Ally has been providing publications, consulting, research, training and events to the music and technology industries since 2001.

Clients include BBC, EMI, SGAE, Real Networks, Gracenote, Yahoo!, Universal, Ticketmaster, Warner Music Group, Sony BMG, IFPI, Sony Ericsson, Live Nation and Vodafone.

For more information go to www.musically.com.

About MidemNet

In 10 years MidemNet has become the definitive event for monetizing music in the digital age. MidemNet takes place just prior to MIDEM, the music industry's largest BtoB event, on January 17th & 18th 2009 in Cannes, France. Over two days, this acclaimed international event welcomes 1400 leading decision makers coming from all sectors and shaping the future of the music business - to debate and network. The 10th MidemNet, whose central theme is "creating, serving and monetising the artist-fan relationship", will bring together numerous key players in the sector, such as David Eun, pilot of content strategy for Google, Jim Balsillie, co-CEO, Resarch in Motion (RIM), Blackberry, Amit Kapur, COO, MySpace, Dr. Tero Ojanper, EVP, Entertainment & Communities, Nokia, or J.Y. Park, President & Artist, JYP Entertainment.

http://www.midem.com

ABOUT REED MIDEM:

Founded in 1963, Reed MIDEM is a leading organiser of professional, international tradeshows. Reed MIDEM events have established themselves as key dates in professional diaries. The company hosts MIPTV, MIPDOC, MIPCOM, and MIPJUNIOR for the television and digital content industries, MIDEM for music professionals, MIPIM, MIPIM Asia, MIPIM HORIZONS and MAPIC for the property and retail real estate sectors.

Reed MIDEM is a division of Reed Exhibitions, the world's leading events organiser Reed organises a wide range of events, including exhibitions, conferences, congresses and meetings. Its portfolio of over 500 events serves 47 industry sectors. In 2007 Reed brought together over six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 39 fully staffed offices.

For further information about Reed MIDEM visit www.reedmidem.com

For more information please contact:

Reed MIDEM

Jane GARTON, Press Director
Tel: +33 (0)1 41 90 44 39, Email: jane.garton@reedmidem.com
Mlanie AIGLE, Press Officer
Tel : +33 (0)1 41 90 49 95, Email: melanie.aigle@reedmidem.com
Philippe LE GALL, Press Events Manager
Tel : +33 (0)1 41 90er 46 48, Email: philippe.legall@reedmidem.com
Fax: +33 (0)1 41 90 67 24

www.midem.com





Reed MIDEM BP 572 - 11 rue du colonel Pierre Avia - 75726 Paris Cedex 15 - FRANCE
Tl: 33 (0)1 41 90 44 00 / Fax: 33 (0) 1 41 90 44 09

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Cecilia Bartoli: 2nd Show Added


Roy Thomson Halls 08-09 International Vocal Recitals

1st show SOLD OUT; 2nd performance added

Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-soprano

With Orchestra La Scintilla of Zrich Opera

On Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 7 PM / Roy Thomson Hall

(Sunday, March 1 at 2 PM is sold out)

Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst members Friday December 12 at 10 AM

To the Public on Monday, December 15 at 10 AM

$195 - $75 - Call 416-872-4255 or online at www.roythomson.com

Or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

Due to the very high demand for tickets to Cecilia Bartoli's concert on March 1 at 2:00 pm, Roy Thomson Hall is pleased to announce that Ms. Bartoli has agreed to perform a 2nd concert the same day at 7:00 PM. Tickets go on sale to the public on Monday, December 15 at 10 AM.

Cecilia Bartoli is one of the worlds most cherished and celebrated classical artists and undisputedly the most famous mezzo-soprano of her generation. Her two upcoming recitals, 2 PM and 7 PM, at Roy Thomson Hall on March 1, 2009 celebrate the life and roles of 19th century opera diva Maria Malibran (1808-1836), a superstar of her era and muse for such composers as Rossini and Donizetti.

Ms. Bartoli is joined by the 25-member Orchestra La Scintilla of Zrich Opera, a distinguished period instrument ensemble, for a program drawn from Ms. Bartolis award-winning album Maria, and includes works by Garcia, Persiani, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Donizetti, Balfe, Beriot and Malibran. The orchestra will be led by concertmaster Ada Pesch.

The 2 PM performance is sponsored by RBC

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Geordie's upcoming Winter shows

Geordie Productions
Geordie Productions' Winter Highlights:
The Shape of a Girl; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Mata.

MONTREAL - This winter, Geordie Productions shapes up to go from the coldest winter of Narnia to the warmth of South-East Asia with 3 Montreal presentations, including a Centaur Wildside Festival selection, Centaur Saturday Morning Children's Series, and Geordie's own Montreal Mainstage offering. From kids age 4, to teens and adults, there's something this winter for everyone!

THE SHAPE OF A GIRL | Centaur's Wildside Festival | January 14 - 24, 2009 | For teens & adults

The Shape of a GirlBy Joan MacLeod. Directed by Amanda Kellock.
Starring: Alarey Alsip, Jade Hassoune
Governor General-Award winner Joan MacLeod's acclaimed play, loosely based on the tragic murder of Victoria teenager Reena Virk, is an evocative look at how a monster can sometimes take the shape of a girl. 15-year-old Braidie is forced to confront her role in the bullying of a childhood friend as she watches teen violence on the news.

Box Office: (514) 288-3161 | Centaur Theatre, 453 St. Franois-Xavier | Tickets: $10 - $12

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
| Centaur Theatre Children's Series | January 24, 2009 | For age 4 & up, and adults of all ages

The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeBy le Clanch du Rand. Based on the novel by C.S. Lewis.
Directed by Dean Patrick Fleming.
Starring: Alarey Alsip, Jade Hassoune

Don't miss this opportunity to catch a public performance of Geordie's School Tour play in Centaur's intimate black box theatre! From the popular Chronicles of Narnia, re-live the story of a magical wardrobe in this unique interpretation that brings to life the wintery splendour of Narnia, fantastical creatures and a heroic battle...all by two actors and the enchantment of live theatre.

Box Office: (514) 288-3161 | Centaur Theatre, 453 St. Franois-Xavier | Tickets $5 - $8

MATA
| Geordie's Montreal Mainstage | Mar. 13 - 22, 2009 | For age 7+ and adults


MaitaBy Esther Beauchemin. Directed by Robert Bellefeuille.
Translation by Henry Gauthier.
Produced by Thtre de la Vieille 17 in co-production with Thtre de Sable and in collaboration with Thtre franais du Centre national des arts
Starring: Esther Beauchemin, Roch Castonguay, Henry Gauthier, Marie-Th Morin, Nathalie Poir.

Inspired by traditional Indonesian shadow-puppet theatre, Mata is a poetic fable about freedom and childhood told by marionettes. Originally produced in French, this exquisitely beautiful production comes on tour from Ottawa.

Box Office: (514) 845-9810 | D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 de Maisonneuve West | Tickets $13.50-$16


About Geordie Productions: Geordie is a professional theatre company that has presented live English-language theatre for young audiences for over twenty-five years. Based in Montreal, Geordie's School Tour travels extensively from the Far North to all across Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes, bringing many communities their only opportunity to see live theatre. Geordie's Montreal Mainstage Series presents both well-loved classics and exciting new work by contemporary Canadian playwrights to families and school groups at the D.B. Clarke Theatre in downtown Montreal.

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Wednesday, December 10, 2008

WSO New Music Festival 2009 Program Info


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WSO 2009 New Music Festival Spotlights Musical Innovation

December 11, 2008 - The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestras New Music Festival, sponsored by IMRIS Inc, is sure to heat up Winnipeg stages January 31 to February 6, with the theme: Extase.

Passion and ecstasy are perfect words to describe this years NMF concerts, which will include several world premieres, fantastic Canadian and internationally-renowned talent such as cellist Matt Haimovitz, filmmaker Guy Maddin, pianist Pascal Gallet, and percussion group Scrap Arts Music and the use of newly invented and unusual instruments.

"Innovation is a major sub-theme of the festival this year," said Vincent Ho, WSO Composer-in-Residence and NMF curator, who will also premiere two of his own pieces during the festival. "I am so excited about the vast amount of creative energy and amazing talent weve been able to put together for this years festival lineup. Every one of the seven concerts offers something different and engaging,"

The opening night concert on Saturday, January 31 sets the tone for the festival, with Turangalila-symphonie by Olivier Messiaen. Inspired by the legend of Tristan and Isolde, the epic ten-movement symphony speaks to themes of romantic love and loss. The symphony also features soloist Jean Laurendeau on ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument, whose eerie and wavering sound has been used in such recent film scores as Amlie and There Will Be Blood.
An interesting use of instruments highlights two other concerts in the festival. On Thursday, February 5, Scrap Arts Music excites the senses with intricate rhythms, raw energy, athletic choreography and the hottest and most inventive reuse of materials on stage today.

The Festival closes on Friday, February 6 with a blast of innovation as musical Renaissance man (and member of Scrap Arts Music) Greg Kozak unveils his latest invention, The Chariot of Choir. The 32-foot stainless steel percussion instrument will be used in the world premiere performance of Kozaks CBC-commissioned Composition for Chariot of Choir and Strings.

Another notable concert will be the presentation of the 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc, performed live with the score Voices of Light, written in 1994 by Richard Einhorn for choir, soloists and orchestra. Guy Maddin hosts this special event on Wednesday, February 4, to offer his insight into the film, which is considered a cinematic landmark.

Tickets for the 2009 New Music Festival are on sale now. Pass prices are: $69.00 (regular), $59.00 (seniors), and $39.00 (students). Single tickets are $16.50 (regular) and $10.00 (students). Single ticket prices do not include the opening night concert (regular Masterworks pricing applies) and the closing night concert (regular Musically Speaking pricing applies). NMF programs will be available for purchase at a cost of $2.

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Honens International Piano Competition in NYC | 27-30 March 2009

THE NEXT GENERATION:

MORE THAN 35 OUTSTANDING PIANISTS TO PERFORM IN THE PRELIMINARY ROUND STAGE ONE OF THE SIXTH

HONENS INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION

AT NEW YORK CITY'S SYMPHONY SPACE,

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, THROUGH MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009


More than 35 pianists from around the world will perform individual 40-minute solo recitals as part of the preliminary round called Stage One of the sixth Honens International Piano Competition. These performances will take place Friday, March 27, through Monday, March 30, 2009, at New York City's Peter Norton Symphony Space (2357 Broadway at 95th Street) in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater. Similar Stage One sessions will take place in Calgary, Munich, and Shanghai in the spring of 2009.


Honens International Piano Competition is one of the highest ranking musical competitions in the world. Its uniqueness lies in its mission to find the complete artist one who possesses technical mastery as well as expressiveness in a wide range of musical forms and styles one whose music-making possesses imagination, innovation and relevance in today's world.


Tickets are specially priced to allow a wide range of music lovers to attend the performances: $25 for a four-day pass, $10 for a one-day pass, and $5 for a single session. Passes may be purchased by calling 212/864-5400, online at SYMPHONYSPACE.ORG, or at the door.


The schedule is as follows:


Friday, March 27

Session 1 - 10 am to 1:10 pm (pianists 1 to 4)

Session 2 - 2 pm to 5:10 pm (pianists 5 to 8)

Session 3 - 7 pm to 9:20 pm (pianists 9 to 11)


Saturday, March 28

Session 1 - 10 am to 1:10 pm (pianists 11 to 14)

Session 2 - 2 pm to 5:10 pm (pianists 15 to 18)

Session 3 - 7 pm to 10:20 pm (pianists 19 to 22)


Sunday, March 29

Session 1 - 10 am to 1:10 pm (pianists 23 to 26)


Monday, March 30

Session 1 - 10 am to 1:10 pm (pianists 27 to 30)

Session 2 - 2 pm to 5:10 pm (pianists 31 to 34)

Session 3 - 7 pm to 10:20 pm (pianists 35 to 38)


(Schedule is subject to change)


There are three components to Honens International Piano Competition: a selection by application and reference letters only; Stage One recitals in the four cities previously listed; and finally the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Finals performances in Calgary from October 22 to November 6, 2009. Prize winners of the Competition are announced on stage after the performances on the second evening of the Finals.


The Stage One performances in all four cities will be recorded on digital video under as similar conditions as possible. The Honens recording team will consist of an audio-visual engineer and a representative of the competition. The latter will ensure that conditions are as uniform as possible, and will note the state of instruments, the acoustical qualities of the rooms in which applicants perform, and any unusual circumstances that may exist (such as extreme temperatures). Members of the Stage One jury, or First Jury, will meet at The Banff Centre from June 1-6, 2009, to view the Stage One performance videos, then to choose 21 pianists who will be invited to advance to the Quarterfinals in Calgary which begins on October 22, 2009. Members of the First Jury are Angela Cheng, Chairwoman (Canada); Katherine Chi (First Laureate of the 2000 Honens International Piano Competition; Canada), Matthias Kirschnereit (Germany), Ronan O'Hora (United Kingdom).


The Second Jury, which will be the judges of the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Finals in Calgary, are William Aide, Chairman (Canada), Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (1992 Honens Laureate; France), Iain Burnside (United Kingdom), Hung-Kuan Chen (Taiwan), Jane Coop (Canada), Aleksandar Madar (Serbia), and one more to be announced.

At the Quarterfinals, each pianist will perform an 8-minute work by a Canadian composer that has been commissioned specially for this Honens Competition, and will play a recital for violin and piano; the Semifinals will include performances of art songs and lieder; the Finals will require concerto performances.

Collaborating artists for the Competition include: Quarterfinals: Brian Current, composer (Canada) and Erika Raum, violin (Canada); Semifinals: Marie-Nicole Lemieux, contralto (Canada); and Finals: Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada) and Christoph Campestrini, conductor (Austria)

Concert by Minsoo Sohn, Honens Laureate, April 1, 2009

Minsoo Sohn, First Laureate of the 2006 Honens International Piano Competition, will make his Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut in a solo recital on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. The works of Beethoven, as well as Liszt transcriptions of works by Bach, Schubert and Mozart, will be included.


Stephen McHolm, Executive Director of Honens, said: "We like to think of Honens as the 'musician's competition' -- a search to reveal to the public musicians who add knowledge, audacity, risk, individuality and the widest perspective to all they do. We search for artists whose interpretations grow from a wide cultural context and keen imagination, whose art is formed by a fascination for life outside the practice studio, and whose talent inspires the heart and engages the intellect.


"After identifying such artists, Honens nurtures their budding careers for no fewer than three seasons, limiting the number of professional engagements to begin with, while providing our winners with opportunities to build their profiles without pushing the limits of their professional obligations. During the 2006 cycle, Competition laureates performed at chamber music festivals, toured with string quartets, violinists and dance companies. Eventually, we encourage laureates to create 'out-of-the-box' projects that may range from celebrations of obscure composers to musical collaborations to theatrical presentations. Life is changing quickly and, of course, art is changing with it. We are preparing musicians for the 21st century, with audiences for the 21st century in mind."


The Sixth Honens International Piano Competition is presented by Nexen Inc. and supported by Steinway & Sons, Macleod Dixon LLP, and Enbridge.


Background Information


Honens International Piano Competition

Founded in 1992, Honens International Piano Competition has grown to be one of the world's great music competitions, known for its pursuit of the "complete artist" not only an accomplished soloist, but a musician whose interpretations reflect a wide cultural context, whose well-balanced programs are designed with knowledge and imagination, and who excels in chamber and ensemble performance. Every three years, 21 pianists between the ages of 20 and 30, from all parts of the globe, compete for more than $100,000 CAD (approximately $84,000 USD) in cash prizes, including a comprehensive three-season Artistic and Career Development Program for the laureates, preparing the for the rigors and realities of a professional life in music. This includes arranging performance engagements, production of recordings, residencies at The Banff Centre, promotional and publicity support, professional development opportunities for self-management, and networking opportunities with presenters and artist managers.

Honens searches for musicians whose talent, in the credo of the Competition, "inspires the heart and engages the intellect," whose understanding of his or her art will stem not only from knowledge of a particular composition itself but also from a wide knowledge of related music, of musical literature as a whole, of the other arts, the humanities, and of contemporary culture. Honens is not a series of tests, but rather, a compelling festival of music.

Past Honens Laureates include Maxim Philippov who, in June, 2001, won the Silver Medal at the Van Cliburn Competition; Albert Tiu, who won Juilliard's prestigious William Petschek Award, giving him a debut recital at Alice Tully Hall; Sergei Babayan, appointed Artist-in-Residence at The Cleveland Institute of Music, who founded the Sergei Babayan International Piano Academy in Cleveland and his own chamber music festival in Mexico (Babayan has recorded on the Connoisseur Society, Propiano and Discover International labels); Krzysztof Jablonski, who has recorded two CDs as part of the Polish National Edition of the complete works of Chopin (he has recorded 14 more CDs in Germany, Japan and Poland); Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, who has recorded several CDs of music by Haydn, Schumann, Ohana, Debussy and Chopin, the complete piano works of Ravel, and the recently critically acclaimed complete piano works of Debussy on the Chandos label (he has been nominated Professor-for-Life at the Detmold Hochschule in Germany); 2003 Laureate Winston Choi, Head of Piano Studies at Chicago's Roosevelt University, whose debut CD of the complete piano works of Elliott Carter received rave reviews, and whose CD of the music of Jacques Lenot was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque de l'Acadmie Charles Cros; Xiang Zou, 2003 First Laureate, who teaches at the Central Conservatory in Beijing; and Honens 2000 First Laureate, Katherine Chi.


Honens is now launching an online radio channel featuring past laureates, competition and concert highlights, and is recording many of the most important laureate engagements to create podcasts, thereby providing an additional promotional outlet for the musicians. Its "Music as a Second Language" concert series is used as a model for other presenters across Canada to introduce classical music to non-classical audiences. As presenter, Honens will feature Gabriela Montero's improvisational talents during the Competition in 2009; will present the North American premiere of the third Mendelssohn Piano Concerto; and will present one of only five North American dates of pianist Leif Ove Andsnes' performance project, "Pictures at an Exhibition Reframed," featuring multimedia artwork by South African artist Robin Rhode, specially commissioned for Lincoln Center's 50th anniversary by StatoilHydro.


The Competition is named for Esther Honens, born in Pittsburgh and educated in Calgary, who became a successful businesswoman. She married John Hillier, who died in the 1970s, then Harold Honens, with whom she developed real estate holdings in Calgary. In 1991, Esther Honens made a capital gift to establish the international piano competition. She died five days after the first competition in 1992. After five competitions, Honens has distinguished itself as one of the most prominent competitions of its kind, worldwide. Additional information is available on-line at honens.com.

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Harbourfront Centre announces the 2008 recipients of Canadas most prestigious commissioning awards

TORONTO, Wednesday, December 10, 2008 William J.S. Boyle, Chief Executive Officer of Harbourfront Centre, today announced the five collaborative artist projects that will each receive a $20,000 Harbourfront Centre Fresh Ground new works commissioning award to assist with their creation, and development for presentation during Harbourfront Centre's 2009-2010 season. Presented to artists working collaboratively across disciplines, Harbourfront Centre's commissioning awards were introduced as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations in 2004. With the generous support of individual donors, the Imperial Tobacco Canada Arts Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, Harbourfront Centre has now awarded $300,000 toward the creation of 15 new, Canadian works to date.



The 2008 Fresh Ground Award-Winning Commissions

Ģ An Imaginary Look at the Uncompromising Life of Thomas Smith (Vancouver): a provocative performance of recollection of the life of a war photographer as seen through his own eyes as it flashes before him in his last moments.

Ģ Neighbourhood Diaries. Stories from where I live (Toronto): a unique community exchange project between Toronto's literary community and the Toronto District School Board that will feature the creative writing of students from particular neighbourhoods.

Ģ Shared Resources (Sidney, BC): a dynamic exhibition that will balance the traditions of First Nations with forward-looking design solutions to develop new methods that respect and elevate local traditions.

Ģ voice-box (Toronto): a competitive concert in a boxing ring showcasing some of Canada's top vocal performers and playing with the power dynamics of controlled aggression.

Ģ What's Your Obsession? Art & Science Fair and Exhibition (Toronto): encourages amateur exploration into art and science in a creative atmosphere of friendly competition.



"As Canada's foremost centre for contemporary culture, Harbourfront Centre is proud to support Canadian creativity and cultural invention by providing awards that foster innovative cross-disciplinary collaboration and excellence in the creation of exciting, new artistic works," said William J.S. Boyle.



This year, over 130 groups from across Canada submitted proposals to the Fresh Ground new works programme. Submissions must be from a collective headed by a Canadian, and involve various artistic disciplines and/or other fields in a cross-disciplinary collaboration to be premiered at Harbourfront Centre. For additional information on the Fresh Ground awards, visit

www.harbourfrontcentre.com/whoweare/submissions/freshground.cfm.



Additional information on the 2008 Fresh Ground Award-Winning Commissions



An Imaginary Look at the Uncompromising Life of Thomas Smith by Boca del Lupo will examine the life of a fictional conflict photographer who wrestles with his reality of standing behind the lens taking pictures, instead of in front of it taking action. It will begin by collecting arresting images, interviews and situations from the memories, imaginations and current realities of contemporary journalists from across Canada and around the world; the most profound and pertinent of these will form the basis of a live performance experience focusing on the seamless integration of mediums at pace with the modern day tempo of information, but with the ability to take pause to consider its beauty, its horror and its impact on they way we live our lives.



Neighbourhood Diaries. Stories from where I live is a social networking project aiming to create a permanent, free one-on-one writing-tutoring centre for children taught by members of the city's literary community; the project leaders advocate that children have a need to express more than they need to consume, emphasize that writing is a meaning-making-learning process, and believe that neighbourhoods must be expressed in order to be seen. It will begin with an experience at Harbourfront Centre that serves to assemble the community for a demonstration of these three assertions and will then use the assembled community to create a permanent location. Neighbourhood Diaries. Stories from where I live Creative Team: Robin Uchida, Carolyn White and Gillian Lind.



Shared Resources aims to maximize the economic and cultural value of forest resources while protecting the health of forest ecosystems through unprecedented craft and design collaborations. The dynamic exhibition will balance First Nations traditions and forward-looking design solutions, developing new methods that respect and elevate local traditions. Through a unique cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaboration, the exhibition explores traditional knowledge and practices (such as the harvest and weaving of cedar bark) to seek modern product applications (furniture, home accessories, etc.) for underutilized forest resources. Shared Resources Creative Team: Michael Erdmann, Patty Johnson, craftspeople from the Heiltsuk and Haida First Nations, with support from the Centre for Non-Timber Resources at the Royal Road University, Victoria and Coastal First Nations Turning Point Initiative.



voice-box: a competitive concert in a boxing ring by interdisciplinary collective urbanvessel. Featuring some of Canada's most unique vocal performers in the worlds of jazz, cabaret and opera, voice-box draws upon vocal techniques ranging from scat-singing and sound poetry to throat-singing and gospel. voice-box plays with gender and power dynamics, as vocal improvisation and boxing bring body and voice together in a battle for victory. Audience members engage with the work through interactive roles as judges, fans and gamblers, while performers shift fluidly between boxers, coaches, referees and commentators. voice-box Creative Team: choreographer Julia Aplin, writer Anna Chatterton, composer Juliet Palmer and new media artist Jim Ruxton.



What's your obsession? Do you live in a different world from everyone around you? Do you spend all your free time inventing, collecting, drawing, writing, theorizing, or somehow tinkering with your obsession? Whether its games, fashion, math puzzles, bicycles, insects, architecture, fantasy worlds or string theory...WHATEVER your obsession is, we want you to share it with the rest of us at the Art & Science Fair.



What's Your Obsession? Art & Science Fair and Exhibition encourages amateur exploration into art and science and celebrates the creativity of individuals who might not normally be involved with the gallery system. The project has two components: an Art & Science Fair and an exhibition in the main gallery featuring the work of five winners from the fair. Participants in the fair and exhibition will be selected on the basis of originality, depth of inquiry, creative innovation and the element of surprise. This project is a unique opportunity for visitors to Harbourfront Centre to engage with and explore creations by people who are inspired by their obsessions. What's Your Obsession? Art & Science Fair and Exhibition Creative Team: Sally McKay, Nancy MacDougall and Von Bark.



Harbourfront Centre's Fresh Ground new works commissioning awards are made possible by the generosity of several individual donors, who have actively assisted in the creation of new Canadian works: Robert and Anne Marie Canning, the late John Harkness, George Myhal, Jim and Sandra Pitblado, Michael and Sonja Koerner, Wil and Judy Matthews, Peter Allen, Margaret and Jim Fleck, Lionel F. Conacher and Joan Dea and grants from the Imperial Tobacco Canada Arts Fund, Canada Council for the Arts and J.P. Bickell Foundation.

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Deuxime mise en nomination / Second nomination


VivaVoce est fier dannoncer que nous avons eu une deuxime mise en nomination aux prix Opus dans la catgorie Concert de l'anne - musiques moderne, contemporaine, pour notre concert Le tour du monde en 80 minutes (Salle Redpath, 2 mai 2008).

La premire nomination tait dans la catgorie Disque de l'anne - musiques mdivale, de la Renaissance, baroque, pour notre CD The Complete Magnificats and Three Salve Reginas of Pierre de la Rue (Naxos).

Nous sommes donc finalistes dans deux styles musicaux et deux priodes trs distinctes, soulignant la polyvalence de lensemble.

Les laurats seront dvoils le dimanche 25 janvier 2009 15 h 30, la Salle Claude-Champagne, Montral.

Pour en savoir davantage sur les Prix Opus, consultez le www.prixopus.qc.ca.


***


VivaVoce is proud to announce that we have a second Opus Prize nomination, in the category Concert of the year modern and contemporary music, for the concert Around the World in 80 Minutes (Redpath Hall, May 2, 2008).

The first nomination is in the category Disk of the year medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, for our CD The Complete Magnificats and Three Salve Reginas of Pierre de la Rue (Naxos).

So, we are finalists in two very distinct styles and periods, highlighting the versatility of the ensemble.

The winners will be announced on Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. at the Salle Claude-Champagne in Montreal.

For more information on the Opus Prizes: www.prixopus.qc.ca.

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Highlights at MIDEM Jazz 2009

MIDEM 2008 -  The world's music community MIDEM: 18-21 January 2009 | MidemNet Forum: 17-18 January 2009 | Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France

HIGHLIGHTS AT MIDEM JAZZ 2009


Dave Stapleton
Misinterprotato
Magnus Lindgren
Titi Robin Trio
YOM

Paris, 10 December 2008 Every year, MIDEM Jazz provides an opportunity to discover contemporary jazz artists from all around the world. This year's MIDEM Jazz event will be held in the Salon Diane in the Majestic Hotel, Cannes, from 18-20 January 2009.

Now in its second year, the MIDEM Talent Jazz series offers two concerts a day from Sunday through Tuesday, at 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Don't miss young French drummer Anne Paceo and her band "Triphase", nominated at the 2008 Django d'Or awards in the "New Talent/Stage Revelation" category, or the Dave Stapleton Quintet, bringing their rock-strength talent from the British jazz scene.

On Monday 19 January, Australian trio Misinterprotato will be intermingling close-knit improvisations with ethereal moods, borrowing both from modern jazz, ambient music, rock and contemporary sounds. This will be followed by a special visit from Andalusian pianist David Pea Dorantes, the flamenco musician of the 21st century, along with special guest star, cantaor Arcngel.

Drawing on influences from the likes of Wayne Shorter, JS Bach, Kenny Wheeler, Messiaen and Astor Piazzolla, Fry Aagre is Norway's hottest saxophone talent, and will be performing on 20 January. Also not to be missed is saxophonist, clarinetist and flautist Magnus Lindgren, a key figure on the Swedish jazz scene and just back from Brazil with his latest project Batucada Jazz, accompanied on stage by the Rio Groove Masters, directed by Sebastian Notini.

Over the three-day event, fans of the MIDEM Jazz Club series of late night concerts will be transported to Holland, will be treated to a special SACEM selection and will get an insider's view of a unique label that publishes some unforgettably haunting sounds. On Sunday 18 January from 10pm-midnight, Buma Cultuur and MIDEM have programmed two great Dutch performances: saxophonist Yuri Honing's electro-rock formation Wired Paradise, whose complex and sensual music is inspired by recent Hollywood classics such as L.A. Confidential, Kill Bill and The Usual Suspects; and the up-and-coming New Cool Collective, with their unique blend of jazz, salsa and Latin music.

On Monday 19 January, MIDEM Jazz Club will be presenting a special SACEM selection with music that draws inspiration from a wide variety of influences. The Titi Robin Trio explores new sounds through some unexpected combinations and offers a delicate, sensitive and virtuoso dialogue of Brazilian guitar, accordion and percussion. Bozilo delivers a unique blend of Balkan music, North American rhythms and Afro-American groove through three renowned musicians, Bojan Z, Karim Ziad and Julien Lourau.

On Tuesday 20 January, the focus is on the 20-year-old Buda Musique label, with their Ethiojazz collection, "Les Ethiopiques", that the audience will have the chance to discover through Etnsh et Le Tigre des Platanes, where a French jazz combo from Toulouse meets Ethiopian azmari Etnesh Wassi. Finally, the 26-year-old virtuoso clarinetist YOM will perform from the repertoire of Naftule Brandwein, the celebrated klezmer clarinetist from the early 20th century. The self-proclaimed "New King of the Klezmer Clarinet" never spoke a truer word. The event is sponsored by FCM.

For more information about MIDEM Classical & Jazz, go to:

http://www.midem.com/classical

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Canadian Music Centre launches CentreStreams


Canadian Music Centre launches CentreStreams providing unprecedented online access to Canadian classical music

December 8th, Toronto, ON - The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) is pleased to announce the launch of its newest online initiative CentreStreams. Designed to provide music enthusiasts across Canada (and abroad) with online streaming access to a catalog of over 8,000 contemporary classical works by Canadian composers, CentreStreams once again positions the CMC as a leader among international music information centres.

Prior to the launch of this initiative, performers, conductors, researchers, teachers and students were required to visit one of the CMC's five regional offices to access the extensive collection in its Ann Southam Audio Archive. CentreStreams will now provide countless more Canadians with access to this material which truly is a national treasure.

CMC is especially proud of the timing of this launch as it serves as a kick-off to the organization's 50th Anniversary celebrations which begin in January 2009.

CentreStreams represents the next stage in the CMC's online strategy, which also includes the Sounds New podcast, the New Music in New Places social network, several award-winning online educational activities (Composer Portraits: Influences of Many Musics, Sound Adventures and Sound Progression) and the availability of recordings from its Centrediscs label on all major music download services. We look forward to finding ways to further integrate these online projects while also exploring further opportunities to bring Canadian classical music to an ever larger online audience.

The three-year process to design, implement and launch CentreStreams could not have taken place without the financial support of the Heritage Policy Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, the ongoing cooperation of CBC Radio 2 (a partner of the CMC's for almost 50 years) and the leadership of CMC's extremely talented Web Developer/Architect Travis McCauley. We are very thankful for the commitment that each of these partners showed for the project.

The Canadian Music Centre, founded in 1959 is the primary resource for music scores, parts and recordings of Canadian contemporary music. Housing Canada's largest collection of Canadian classical music works, distributed through its 5 Regional Centres and Libraries, the CMC exists to promote the works of its Associate Composers in Canada and abroad. The Centre makes available for sale or rental more than 18,000 scores and/or works of Canadian contemporary classical music composers through its on-demand Music Publishing Services. Visit www.musiccentre.ca.

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Contemporary soprano artist Sarena Paton releases her latest CD, La Carissima


Contemporary soprano artist Sarena Paton releases her latest CD, La Carissima, bringing a new genre of classical-crossover to Canada.

Toronto December 09, 2008

Contemporary soprano artist Sarena Paton releases her latest CD La Carissima, bringing a fresh and compelling genre of classical-crossover to Canada. After the success of her two albums Remember and Almost Like Love, La Carissima offers a mix of classical and cosmopolitan flair, available at iTunes this February 2009.

This March/April 2009, Sarena embarks on her Southern/Central Ontario tour, followed by her maritime tour, slated for this July/August. In addition, Sarena is collaborating with international EMI recording artist, counter-tenor Fernando Lima (who is currently touring with Sarah Brightman), as well as Welsh-born West End musical theatre star Peter Karrie (Phantom of the Opera, Man of La Mancha and Les Misrables).

Trained as a classical soprano, Sarena Paton developed a fascination for foreign languages and repertoire. La Carissima is a collaboration with Nashville producer/writer Terry Sawchuk (who also produced the albums of Matt Dusk), uniting her classical background with a more contemporary vibe.

La Carissima, features classical arias in Italian and Latin and breathtaking crossover compositions in Italian, Spanish and English, penned by Paton and top Canadian and American songwriters in the classical-crossover genre. Recorded with the rich bold, sound of a Russian orchestra, La Carissima appeals to classical and pop lovers alike.

This December 23, 2008, Sarena will sing the national anthem at the World Junior Hockey Championships at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton. For the second year, she joined tenor John McDermott and Cape Breton songstress Rita MacNeil on their annual Christmas tours. Sarena recently appeared in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and performed throughout southern Ontario, including an engagement at Queens Park (Toronto), as part of Remembrance Day ceremonies.

With a long-standing interest and involvement with the WWII Veterans, Sarena released her previous album Remember, produced by J. Richard Hutt, in honour of the veterans and peacekeepers of the past and present, especially those serving in Afghanistan. Aside from producing her own concerts, Sarena is one of the founding team members of the Remembrance Day concert tradition, which takes place at the Ronald V. Joyce Centre (Hamilton Place) every year.


Sarenas commitment to the veterans attracted the attention of Veterans Affairs Canada and she was invited to perform at the prestigious Senate Ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa during Veterans Week in 2006. Sarena has been honoured to sing one of her singles Honor Thy Fallen, written for fallen soldiers, firefighters, O.P.P. officers and RCMP, at a number of memorial services.

At the age of sixteen, Sarena made her first appearance as a soprano soloist with the Boris Brott National Academy Orchestra. The following year, she presented her debut recital with songs in 6 languages. She appeared at the 8th International Mozart Festival in Salzburg, Austria; she took the stage alongside Jim Witter in Memories of a Winters Eve; and she performed the role of Christine Daae in the Canadian Phantom Unmasked tour with Peter Karrie.

Sarena Paton has performed as a part of a backup ensemble for international music icons such as Susan Aglukark, Paul Anka, Sarah Brightman, Reba McEntire, Frank Mills, The Nylons, Roch Voisine and Michelle Wright.

Sarena toured France, Switzerland and Germany with a 20-piece band, playing the Montreux Jazz Festival, ZMF Festival and the Juno Beach Memorial. Last year, she was the soloist at the 2007 World Synchronized Skating Championships and the 2007 Canadian International Military Tattoo.

Sarena Paton is also a recognized actress who recently completed filming Sons of Eden, a short independent film by writer/director Izabela Ciesinska. In summer 2009, Sarena begins shooting the feature film Bounce, with director/writer/producer Kenneth Olsen. In her youth, Sarena played the recurring role of Velma Bugle on the Canadian classic television series Road to Avonlea. In addition to her 5-year spot on the renowned CBC childrens series Mr. Dress-Up, she also appeared in Ready or Not, Katts and Dog and the feature film Fly Away Home.

For more information, visit www.sarenapaton.com and www.myspace.com/sarenapaton.


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Symphony Nova Scotia presents a Baroque Messiah with Jeanne Lamon

Symphony Nova Scotia presents a Baroque Messiah with Jeanne Lamon


Halifax, NS Leader/violinist and Baroque specialist Jeanne Lamon joins Symphony Nova Scotia, the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus and a cast of internationally acclaimed soloists in Handel's Messiah. Audiences of all ages can enjoy back-to-back performances on Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20 at 7:30 pm at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.


Handel's most famous creation, Messiah was composed in 1741 and is among the most popular works in Western choral literature. This masterpiece is an unforgettable experience for music lovers and a highlight of the holiday season.


"I have worked with Symphony Nova Scotia for many years now, and together we have developed a common musical language," says Lamon. "In all my years working here in Halifax, this Messiah will be the first major choral work I conduct! It's very exciting."


The performances will also feature guest soloists Suzie LeBlanc (soprano), Vicki St. Pierre (mezzo soprano), Nils Brown (tenor) and Christpheren Nomura (bass), accompanied by the eighty-voice Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus.


"It is wonderful to be preparing the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus for conductor Jeanne Lamon," says chorus master Jeff Joudrey. "She will bring a freshness and vitality to Messiah which will inspire the singers and instrumentalists alike. The audience will be in for a real treat!"


Get your tickets now! Prices range from $32-47.50 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription and save up to 30%. Student and group discounts are also available. Call 494.3820 or 1.800.874.1669, or visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca.


About Jeanne Lamon

Music Director of Tafelmusik since 1981, violinist Jeanne Lamon has been praised by critics in Europe and North America for her strong musical leadership. In addition to performing with and directing Tafelmusik, Jeanne regularly guest directs symphony orchestras in North America and abroad. Jeanne is passionate about teaching young professionals, which she does at the University of Toronto and at the Glenn Gould Professional School of the Royal Conservatory of Music.


About Jeff Joudrey

Chorus master Jeff Joudrey is highly regarded for his vision, musical leadership, and standards of excellence in choral music. Founder of the First Baptist Girls' Choir (1983) and Halifax Camerata Singers (1986), his leadership has provided challenging and rewarding choral opportunities for many Nova Scotia singers. In addition to being Director of Music at First Baptist Church, Jeff is in high demand as a guest conductor, choral clinician, teacher and adjudicator.


About Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus

The Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus was founded in 2001 under the leadership of conductor Jeff Joudrey to provide a highly trained symphonic chorus for performances with Symphony Nova Scotia. Chorus membership includes the Halifax Camerata Singers as the core choir and auditioned singers from around the province.


About Suzie LeBlanc

Internationally renowned soprano Suzie LeBlanc has established an extraordinary career specializing in music of the Baroque and Classical periods. She is artistic director of the newly founded Montral Baroque Academy and also teaches baroque singing and performance practice at the Faculty of Music of the University of Montral.


About Vicki St. Pierre

Mezzo soprano Vicki St. Pierre's warm, lush voice invitingly combines clarity of expression and beauty of tone. Highlights of her past seasons include performances with the Menno Singers, the London Fanshawe Symphonic Chorus, Chorus Niagara, and the Toronto Consort. St. Pierre holds a master's degree in vocal performance from the University of Western Ontario.


About Nils Brown

A distinguished solo performer in oratorio, opera, ensemble, and with symphony orchestras, tenor Nils Brown is regularly engaged by major orchestras and choral organizations in the USA, Canada and Great Britain. Critics have noted his "brilliant projection" and "truly extraordinary legato."


About Christpheren Nomura

Baritone Christpheren Nomura has emerged at the forefront of the new generation of American singers. Since making his New York City debut, he has performed throughout the world, hailed as one of classical music's "rising stars" by the Wall Street Journal. He holds a master's degree and artist's diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music.


About Symphony Nova Scotia

Expect the Unexpected with Symphony Nova Scotia from Baroque to Berlioz to bluegrass! Each year the 37-member ensemble performs for more than 40,000 audience members (including 14,000 young music lovers) in communities across Nova Scotia. Under the inspirational leadership of Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Join the orchestra in celebrating its 25th anniversary this season!

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Messiah Makeover for the TSO


MESSIAH MAKEOVER
for the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra

This holiday season, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra invites audiences to experience Handel's MESSIAH in a whole new way with a production that will dazzle the eyes as well as the ears of everyone in the concert hall.

MESSIAH, a much-loved holiday tradition with the TSO, will this year incorporate a bold visual element courtesy of renowned designer and TV host Glen Peloso, who has created a spectacularly imaginative visual environment to complement Handel's dramatic music.

Peloso's design incorporates unique laser-cut stainless steel 3-D silhouettes of trees and stars that will interplay with Bonnie Beecher's innovative lighting design. Together, these visual elements will combine to create a spectacle that frames and enhances Handel's lush musical score.

Glen Peloso has been working in the world of design for the past ten years since completing a Masters degree in Fine Art. The principal of Glen Peloso Interiors, he is perhaps best known as the star of TV shows Restaurant Makeover, Renovate my Wardrobe, and Take this Home and Sell It. His transformative vision will give Toronto's longest-running Messiah a unique and bold framework for new appreciation and aural enjoyment.


THE TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA presents
TORONTO'S FAVOURITE MESSIAH
Noel Edison, Conductor
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe Street, Toronto
Tuesday, December 16 @ 8pm; Wednesday, December 17 @ 8pm;
Friday, December 19 @ 8pm; Saturday, December 20 @ 8pm; Sunday, December 21 @ 3pm
Tickets range from $35 - $99
Call the Roy Thomson Hall box office 416.593.4828
or purchase online: http://www.tso.ca

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CAMMAC readings and workshops 2009


CAMMAC's 2009 Schedule of Readings and Workshops

CAMMAC, Toronto Region invites instrumentalists and vocalists to 2009 readings which will take place at Elliott Hall, Christ Church Deer Park 1570 Yonge Street (2 blocks north of St. Clair Avenue West)


Dates:

2009

January 18: Isabel Bernaus: Tedesco: El Romancero Gitano, singers with guitar accompaniment

March 1: Eric Gero: Schubert: Mass in A flat, singers and instrumentalists

March 2 2: Stephanie Martin: Bach: B minor Mass, singers and instrumentalists

April 19: Roger Priddle: Healey Willan, singers with piano accompaniment

May 31: Geoffrey Butler: Haydn: The Season, singers and instrumentalists


Singers and instrumentalists discover or revisit musical works with others at the readings. Musical Readings provide an excellent opportunity for all to improve their sight-reading, experience new works and most important enjoy music making with others under the direction of some of Toronto's outstanding music directors. New comers are always welcome. Students are invited to attend free.


The Musical Readings are $10 for non-members. Music is provided at the reading. For further information call 416-421-0779, e-mail Toronto@cammac.ca or visit our website www.cammac.ca


2008/09 Workshops

February 21 and 28: Chamber Music, faculty TBA

9:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m., (private home)


March 7: Spanish Dance, Esmeralda Enrique

2:30-5 p.m. Trinity St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor Street west (Bloor west of Spadina)

April 25: Winds Workshop, Fran Harvey

1:30-4 p.m., North District Library, 40 Orchardview, (I block north Eglinton and Yonge)


OMC Participants Concerts

Sundays: February 22 and April 26:2-4:30 p.m.

North District Library, 40 Orchardview, (I block north Eglinton and Yonge)

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Sinfonia Toronto Acclaimed in Germany

Toronto - Sinfonia Toronto's five-city concert tour in the central German state of Hesse drew raves for each concert. The 'Heart of Germany' tour included performances in Kassel, Fulda, Bensheim, Warburg and Flrsheim-am-Main. The Hessischer Rundfunk radio network was a co-sponsor of the tour and recorded the orchestra's performance in Fulda for broadcast on January 9. The tour repertoire included compositions by Elgar, Janacek, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Canadian composer Sir Ernest MacMillan. The orchestra's concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown was the featured violin soloist in works by Schubert and Sarasate.

Johannes Mundry's review of the Kassel concert in the Hessich Niedersachsische Allgemeine summed up Sinfonia Toronto's performance by saying, "What was heard was truly rewarding, as quality of this calibre has not been heard here for a long time; the quality of this standing ensemble's performance was impressively high."

Mikolaus Frey headlined his Fuldaer Zeitung review "Musical Ambassadors with a Penchant for Ecstasy," and wrote, "To start with the audience heard the Serenade in E-Major Opus 20 by Elgar. This piece was performed by an ensemble from Prague in the Furstensaal a few days ago. But how different the work sounded this time: the three movements unfolded their themes with a wealth of lyrical expression, filling the hall with full string sound and still maintaining the clarity of the structure." He spoke of Nurhan Arman's "spirited yet sensitive leadership" and included a second headline, "Conductor makes magic."

Burkard Battran of the Neue Westfalische News said that "Sinfonia Toronto is a real success, satisfying even the most demanding musical connoisseurs."

Peter Ernst in the Westfallen Blatt commented on Tchaikowsky's Souvenir de Florence, "Conductor Nurhan Arman directed and guided his musicians through the idiosyncratic and challenging score with almost boundless energy. The interpretation we heard was the result of intensive rehearsals paying attention to inner details and it was sensitive, committed and well conceived."

Karin Pfeifer of the Bergstraser Anzeiger commented on the performance of Tchaikovsky's Serenade in Benshiem that "this compelling interpretation formed a final high point of this evening."

In the Rhein Main Presse Daniel Honsack wrote "Lightly and intensely, the orchestra played with great consistency. Silvery soft passages whirled through the church, the musicians thoroughly delighted in sweet sections. The characters of individual phrases were vividly conveyed - such as the sparkling Presto, a lyrical Adagio or the demanding and dramatic intensely interpreted final Andante."

The 'Heart of Germany' tour was supported by an International Touring Assistance in Music Pilot Project Program grant from the Canada Council, a National and International Touring Pilot Program grant from the Ontario Arts Council, the Hessischer Rundfunk radio network, Lufthansa, the Deutsch-Kanadische Gesellschaft, the Canadian Embassy in Berlin and Kasseler Bank.

During the 2008-2009 season Sinfonia Toronto is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The orchestra presents a seven-concert Masterpiece Series in Toronto's Grace Church on-the-Hill each season and a number of community/outreach performances. Marquis Records has just issued Sinfonia Toronto's new CD, Flanders Fields Reflections.

For the full texts of 'Heart of Germany' concert reviews or additional information on the tour dates, locations and programs please refer to www.sinfoniatoronto.com or contact the orchestra as above.
Next Toronto performance of Sinfonia Toronto is this Friday, December 12, 8 p.m. at Grace Church on-the-Hill, the concert will be under the baton of guest conductor Rista Savic. Clarinet virtuoso Darko Brlek will appear as soloist.

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Monday, December 8, 2008

A New Vision for the Young Centre Annoucement


A New Vision for the Young Centre
Twelve Resident Artists
A Major Financial Gift

Today, Albert Schultz, General Director of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts proudly introduced twelve new Resident Artists who will, for the next twelve months, call the Young Centre home: Waleed Abdulhamid, David Buchbinder, Roberto Campanella, Andrew Craig, Weyni Mengesha , John Millard, Claudia Moore, Andrea Nann, Patricia O'Callaghan, Soheil Parsa, Noah Richler, and Suba Sankaran.

The Resident Artist Initiative is made possible by a one million dollar visionary gift from Donna and Gary Slaight. The Young Centre, with the leadership of its Resident Artists will now turn its focus to establishing a vibrant, cultural destination across the disciplines of Dance, Music, Theatre and Spoken Word. The programming mission for the Young Centre will be:

o to answer the needs of our community's artists
o to embrace and showcase emerging artists and original work
o to engage and develop new audiences and the youth of our community

In establishing the Young Centre as Toronto's vibrant, cultural destination for arts education, artistic development and performance excellence, the Resident Artists will serve as visionaries, performers, facilitators and mentors, crossing all disciplines and cultural boundaries.

"The new vision for the Young Centre for the Performing Arts is an important one for Toronto. We are delighted to be supporting the Young Centre resident artists and their contribution to this exciting artistic landscape." Donna and Gary Slaight

The Slaight's generous gift has ensured the Artist in Residence Initiative through 2012, during which time the Young Centre's Vision will be achieved through the activation of four programmatic platforms:

1) Outreach/Education
o enriching and inspiring youth
o developing new audiences
o professional development for emerging artists
2) Incubation

o Discovery Labs - up to 100 weeks a year of fully supported studio creation space will be granted to artists in the community for the exploration and development of original work
o Open Studios - several times throughout the year the Young Centre will create opportunities for the work coming out of the Discovery Labs to be technically supported and showcased free of charge for potential funders and the public

3) Festivals

o Canwest Cabaret Festival - as premiered this fall, the Young Centre is transformed for four days into a vibrant collection of intimate performing spaces showcasing over one hundred Canadian artists in 50 concerts across all performance disciplines
o New Waves Festival- a five day collaborative explosion between the Young Centre's Resident Artists, Toronto's emerging artists and youth creators showcasing exclusively original work. The New Waves Festival is a partnership between the Young Centre and Luminato, Toronto's Festival of Arts and Creativity.
o Summer at the Young - for six consecutive Sundays in July and August of 2009 the Young Centre will open its doors to the community for a building-wide celebration of creativity featuring concerts, symposia, readings, multi-disciplinary performances and "Open Studios". Each Sunday will be programmed around a theme to be determined by the Resident Artists.

4) Presentations

o Performance Series - across all performance disciplines
o Year- Long Cabaret - intimate multi-disciplinary events year-round
o Community Partnerships - partnerships with independent Toronto-based arts organizations

"I call this a visionary gift for a very good reason. Acts of generosity of this magnitude are rare in the arts. What is even rarer is the Slaight's ability to see the potential that their generosity will unleash in the Resident Artists, the Young Centre and the community at large. Donna and Gary are interested in culture yes, but more specifically they are interested in how an investment in culture today will change our city's tomorrow. We are honoured and grateful to be associated with the Slaight family."
Albert Schultz

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Ottawa Chamber Music Society present Festive Brass: Capital BrassWorks

Celebrate the holidays with Capital BrassWorks and the Ottawa Chamber Music Society!

Ottawa (December 8, 2008) - The Ottawa Chamber Music Society presents Capital BrassWorks on Sunday, December 14 at 3:00 pm at Dominion-Chalmers United Church, 355 Cooper Street, in Ottawa.

Capital BrassWorks has been delighting audiences in the National Capital Region and reaching out all over the country through broadcasts and recordings for nearly ten years, and is the only large brass ensemble in Canada that performs a regular series of concerts every year. The Ottawa Chamber Music Society is delighted to present this group of leading brass musicians in a festive concert to celebrate the holiday season.

"Brass music is especially appropriate around Christmas. Several years ago CBW presented a Christmas concert that was broadcast by Radio Canada. We eagerly look forward to presenting an exciting program of Baroque and Christmas favourites, including some new arrangements, as part of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society's concert series." Nicholas Atkinson, Capital BrassWorks

Capital BrassWorks includes some of the most respected musicians in Canada drawn from the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra. Their repertoire spans Renaissance to Contemporary pieces with works by some of the best brass arrangers from around the world. Many of the works performed by the ensemble are either written or arranged by CBW musicians, and the group has premiered several original works by Canadian composers. Their December 14th program will feature works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Warlock, and many Christmas favourites.

The group has just released a third CD, Gabriel's Sister, featuring a variety of solos performed by trumpet virtuoso Karen Donnelly.

Tickets have been specially priced for the holidays and range from $15 - $47. Tickets can be purchased through the OCMS box office in person, by calling 613-234-8008, or can be purchased at the door. Special holiday subscriptions are available through the OCMS box office with benefits including access to the best seats in the house and up to 60% savings. Families are encouraged to attend this wonderful holiday concert with the offer of a Family Pack (2 adults, 2 children) starting as low as $70. In the spirit of the season, families can consider introducing additional children to the wonders of classical music for only $5 each. Ticket and subscription information is available by calling the OCMS box office at 613-234-8008.


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Clbrez les ftes avec Capital BrassWorks et la Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa!


Ottawa (8 dcembre 2008) La Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa prsente Capital BrassWorks le dimanche 14 dcembre, 15h 00, l'glise unie Dominion-Chalmers, 355, rue Cooper, Ottawa.

Depuis bientt dix ans, Capital BrassWorks a enchant les auditoires de la rgion de la Capitale nationale et a rayonn partout au pays grce ses missions et enregistrements. Il est le plus gros ensemble de cuivres du Canada, qui se produit rgulirement dans une srie de concerts chaque anne. La Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa est heureuse de prsenter ce groupe de musiciens des cuivres lors d'un jovial concert pour clbrer la priode des ftes.

"La musique avec cuivres est spcialement indique au temps de Nol. Il y a quelques annes, CBW a prsent un concert de Nol, qui fut diffus par Radio Canada. Nous avons vivement hte de prsenter ce captivant programme d'airs baroques et de Nol dont on raffole, y compris quelques nouveaux arrangements, le tout faisant partie de la srie de concerts de la Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa." Nicholas Atkinson, Capital BrassWorks

Capital BrassWorks comprend quelques-uns des musiciens les plus respects au Canada, provenant de l'Orchestre du Centre national des arts et de l'Orchestre symphonique d'Ottawa. Leur rpertoire s'tend de la Renaissance aux pices contemporaines, avec des uvres des meilleurs arrangeurs pour cuivres au monde. Plusieurs des uvres interprtes par l'ensemble ont t soit crites, soit arranges, par les musiciens de CBW; et le groupe a jou en premire plusieurs uvres originales de compositeurs canadiens. Leur programme du 14 dcembre mettra l'affiche des uvres de Bach, Tchaikovsky, Warlock, et plusieurs airs favoris de Nol.

Le groupe vient juste de publier un troisime CD, Gabriel's Sister, comprenant des solos interprts par la trompettiste virtuose Karen Donnelly.

Les billets sont des prix spciaux pour les ftes et vont de 15 $ 47 $. On peut les acheter en personne la billetterie de la SMCO, en composant le 613-234-8008 ou l'entre. Des souscriptions spciales pour le temps des ftes sont disponibles la billetterie et donnent accs aux meilleurs siges de la salle, en permettant des conomies allant jusqu' 60 %. On encourage les familles assister ce merveilleux concert du temps des ftes en leur offrant un format familial (2 adultes, 2 enfants), partir d'aussi peu que 70 $. Dans l'esprit des ftes, les familles peuvent galement initier un enfant supplmentaire aux merveilles de la musique classique pour seulement 5 $. On peut obtenir billets et renseignements en appelant la billetterie de la SMCO au 613-234-8008.

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NACO, Dec. 15-16: Christmas with The King's Singers and the NAC Orchestra


Christmas with the NAC Orchestra and the Kings Singers on December 15 and 16

Ottawa (Canada) The National Arts Centre Orchestras annual Christmas concert features the celebrated Kings Singers in a festive yuletide program on Monday, December 15 and Tuesday, December 16 at 7 p.m. in the NACs Southam Hall. The Kings Singers have just this month added a 2009 Grammy nomination to their 40th anniversary celebrations. Christmas with the NAC Orchestra and The Kings Singers is led by Rob Fisher making his NAC Orchestra conducting debut.

For four decades, The Kings Singers have been one of most sought-after vocal ensembles in the world making hundreds of international appearances each season including top venues such as New Yorks Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre, and Washington D.C.s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Their nearly seventy recordings have garnered critical acclaim and significant awards, including a Grammy in 2001. This Christmas they released the holiday disc Rejoice and Be Merry! with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which will be featured in a television special on PBS on December 24. Their recent Grammy nomination is for Simple Gifts in the Best Classical Crossover Album category.

Performing both with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and in their familiar a capella style, the Kings Singers David Hurley and Robin Tyson, countertenors; Paul Phoenix, tenor; Philip Lawson and Christopher Gabbitas, baritones; and Stephen Connolly, bass

will present in three sets such songs as Noel Nouvelet, O Holy Night, Away in a Manger, The Little Drummer Boy, Jingle Bells, the Wassail Song, Wexford Carol and Ding Dong Merrily on High. Between the sets, Rob Fisher will lead the musicians in orchestral works such as Rimsky-Korsakovs Polonaise from the Christmas Eve Suite and Dance of the Clowns from The Snow Maiden; Andersons Buglers Holiday with principal trumpet Karen Donnelly and guest trumpets Michael Fedyshyn, and John Ellis; and Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves.

In describing the program, conductor Rob Fisher says: Songs of joy, songs of faith, songs of anticipation the holidays have inspired great music through the ages. This music connects us to our deepest feelings about the holidays, our loved ones, and the generations preceding oursĶ Sentimental soul that I am, I look forward to this music every year. For this program, the Kings Singers are performing music that spans many traditions over several centuries. Their choice of holiday music is as timeless as its presentation. May the music connect us all.

Tickets for Christmas with the NAC Orchestra and the Kings Singers on Monday, December 15 and Tuesday December 16 at 7 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $40.00, $52.00, $62.00, $68.00 and $79.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NACs website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

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Sunday, December 7, 2008

la cour d'Angleterre - Le Choeur Les Rhapsodes, samedi 13 dcembre, Palais Montcalm


Haendel et nols au Palais Montcalm :
le Chur Les Rhapsodes vous invite
la Cour d'Angleterre

Qubec, le 7 dcembre 2008 Le Chur Les Rhapsodes prsente la Cour d'Angleterre le samedi 13 dcembre 2008, 20 h, au Palais Montcalm. Sous la direction musicale et artistique de David Rompr, soixante choristes et vingt instrumentistes fteront Nol et la priode baroque avec l'intgrale des Coronation Anthems de Haendel ainsi qu'un choix de nols provenant des les britanniques. Avec le concert la Cour d'Angleterre , le Chur Les Rhapsodes ouvre sa saison 2008-2009, une saison Musicalissime ! entirement prsente au Palais Montcalm.

Pour le temps de Nol, le Chur Les Rhapsodes transforme le Palais Montcalm en Cour d'Angleterre, avec l'intgrale des quatre hymnes composs par Haendel pour le couronnement du roi Georges II. Les soixante choristes et un orchestre de vingt instrumentistes, sous la direction de David Rompr, interprteront l'une des uvres chorales les plus brillantes jamais crite, prsente pour la premire fois dans le nouveau Palais Montcalm.

Chur et orchestre proposeront galement un choix de Christmas Anthems et Carols, illustrant la tradition britannique de la Nativit. Le concert la Cour d'Angleterre est prsent avec l'appui d'HYDRO-QUBEC. Il boucle le voyage dans l'histoire entam en mars dernier par les Rhapsodes, pour clbrer le 400e anniversaire de Qubec.

La saison 2008-2009 du Chur Les Rhapsodes

Le concert la Cour d'Angleterre entame de la faon la plus clatante qui soit la saison 2008-2009 du Chur Les Rhapsodes, une saison Musicalissime ! entirement prsente au Palais Montcalm. En 2009, le Palais Montcalm deviendra successivement chteau de la Renaissance et palais viennois, afin de goter certaines des plus belles pages de l'art vocal. L'ensemble de la saison est ralis en partenariat avec INDUSTRIELLE ALLIANCE Valeurs mobilires inc.

Le 21 mars 2009, les Rhapsodes et David Rompr se transporteront l'poque des troubadours avec Amour courtois et les plus belles chansons d'amour composes la Renaissance, mises en valeur comme jamais dans le nouveau Palais Montcalm. Ce concert est commandit par STEAMATIC.

Le 30 mai 2009, le Chur Les Rhapsodes prsentera Les Saisons de Haydn, pratiquement deux sicles jour pour jour aprs la mort du grand compositeur. Pour interprter le clbre oratorio seront runis au Palais Montcalm prs de deux cents choristes et instrumentistes, sous la direction de Louis Lavigueur et David Rompr. Ce concert est prsent avec l'appui de INDUSTRIELLE ALLIANCE Valeurs mobilires inc.

Pour cette saison exceptionnelle, le Chur s'est assur de la participation de la soprano Luce Vachon, des tnors Dominique Gagn et Michiel Schrey, du baryton Bernard Levasseur, ainsi que des meilleurs instrumentistes de la rgion.

Il n'est pas trop tard pour s'abonner l'ensemble de la saison et bnficier ainsi de 50 % de rduction sur les tarifs rguliers, en plus de courir la chance de gagner deux billets d'avion aller-retour pour Paris. Les abonnements peuvent tre souscrits en retournant le formulaire disponible l'adresse du Chur, par tlphone ou sur le site Internet des Rhapsodes.

L'ensemble de la saison 2008-2009 est commandit par VOYAGES FUNTASTIQUE et L'INSTITUT CANADIEN DES PRODUITS PTROLIERS. Le Chur Les Rhapsodes bnficie de l'appui du Service de la culture de la Ville de Qubec, du Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec, du Conseil des Arts du Canada, de Patrimoine canadien, de Placements Culture, du ministre de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition fminine et de la Facult de Musique de l'Universit Laval.

propos du Chur Les Rhapsodes

Le Chur Les Rhapsodes prsente en 2008-2009 sa 47e saison. Il compte prs de soixante-dix choristes placs sous la direction musicale et artistique de David Rompr depuis 2000. Le Chur Les Rhapsodes est reconnu comme l'un des organismes musicaux majeurs de la Capitale nationale. Il a pour mission de promouvoir l'art musical et en particulier le chant choral, de dvelopper de nouveaux publics et de favoriser le dveloppement des nouveaux talents Qubec en engageant chacun des concerts de sa saison des solistes et instrumentistes professionnels de la rgion. Pour plus d'information, visitez le site Internet du Chur, www.lesrhapsodes.com


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Chur de la montagne


Un enfant parmi les solistes invits au concert de Nol du Chur de la montagne

Beloeil, 7 dcembre 2008 - Le Chur de la montagne vous prsente trois des solistes-invits son Concert de Nol des 13 et 14 dcembre dont le programme comprend le Gloria de Vivaldi, le Plaude Laetare de Lully, la Cantate no 147 de Bach et des cantiques traditionnels. Htez-vous de vous procurer des billets pour le samedi soir car le dimanche est presque complet.


Ghislaine Deschambault, soprano, dtient une matrise en interprtation de l'Universit de Montral. Elle s'est produite au Festival de musique ancienne de Sackville, NB, au Festival de musique de chambre d'Ottawa, au Festival des musiques sacres de Qubec et au Festival des arts de St-Sauveur. En plus de tenir des rles dans l'opra Alternate Visions, dans L'Incoronazione di Poppea et dans Didon et ne, elle fut soliste dans la Messe en do de Beethoven, le Dixit Dominus de Hndel, la Messe de Nol de Charpentier et le Magnificat de Vivaldi et fut invite en 2007 au Early Music Festival de London (Ontario). Passionne de musique nouvelle, elle collabore avec les compositeurs de la nouvelle gnration.

Julie Dufresne, alto, a tudi au Conservatoire de musique de Montral avec Mme Gabrielle Lavigne et dtient un baccalaurat en chant classique de l'Universit de Montral. Elle est en 2e anne de matrise en direction chorale l'Universit de Sherbrooke sous la tutelle de M. Robert Ingari et a reu, en 2007, une bourse d'excellence. Maintenant chef-assistante du Chur de la montagne, elle dirige aussi les chorales de l'glise Saint-Antonin, du Collge Regina Assumpta et la nouvelle chorale pour enfants Beloeil : Les jeunes voix du coeur .

Erika Vogel, soprano, dbuta treize ans dans le rle du Youth de l'opra Elijah de Mendelssohn. Elle a chant avec l'Orchestre symphonique d'Edmonton, l'Universit de Montral et l'Universit d'Alberta et jou les rles de Galatea dans Acis and Galatea de Hndel et d'Adle dans La Chauve-Souris de Strauss fils. Titulaire d'un baccalaurat en chant de l'Universit d'Alberta et d'une matrise en chant de l'Universit de Montral, elle tudie les musiques baroque et d'Amrique latine. Elle a fait ses dbuts europens Barcelone, au Barcelona Festival of Song 2008.

Le Chur interprtera quelques airs traditionnels de Nol. Le Minuit chrtien sera chant par un enfant au talent prometteur, coup de coeur de l'dition 2008 du Concours musical du Choeur de la montagne. Ne manquez pas ce grand moment de beaut et de rjouissances l'glise Saint-Matthieu (1014, rue Richelieu, Beloeil). Admission 20$ (10$/ tudiant, 30$/ sige rserv). Billets en vente chez Multi-lectronique de Beloeil (450 467-8273 - carte de crdit accepte) ou au Muse des Beaux Arts de Mont-Saint-Hilaire (450 536-3033).

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Friday, December 5, 2008

Opera For Piano



Daniel Abrams (photo: Joy Moore)

If Only the Muse Loved Me as I Love Music

By FRANK BEHRENS
ART TIMES December 2008

I recall, as I suppose can many, the days when all recorded music was on 78 rpm discs and most of my favorite tunes were either hard to find or too expensive to purchase. So most of us sang our favorite songs or hummed our favorite opera arias or melodic themes from concertos and symphonies. How pleasant.

Except for one brick wall: I could not sing and even my humming was in the skeleton keyit fit every piece of music I essayed (and assailed). I began to envy musicians, who could simply sit down at the keyboard and dash off anything from a Bach triple fugue to "Take the A train" with no apparent effort.

I did not even dream of the ideal situation that existed for some people like Daniel Abrams. I had never heard of Mr. Abrams until recently, when a resident of Woodstock, NY and reader of Art Times Journal sent me an e-mail that pointed me towards the gentleman. When I responded, she sent me what amounted to a press kit about this pianist.

A New York Times review of a concert he gave in April 1957 calls him "an uncommonly good technician and it goes on to praise his playing of Brahms' "Handel" Variations as being "not that of technical slickness but of musical expressiveness." Having been awarded a two-year Fulbright Grant, he studied in London and gave concerts in at least five other European countries, garnering praise as he went along. As he gained more concert experience, he went on to more praise from critics in Canada and the United States.

Abrams' association with the Woodstock region alone should earn him an essay in this Journal; but that is not really my purpose. My point is that I now have another kind of person whom I can envy!

When the pianoforte was improved to what we are now used to, composers like Franz Liszt made the great melodies from opera accessible to the public by creating transcriptions of many arias for the keyboard. Naturally, he first played them himself at concerts and was admired for "making the piano sing," as he put it. The melodies were certainly true to what their original composers set onto paper, but more than just a little of Liszt's genius found its way into the transcribed versions. Now someone like Abrams can carry that concept one step further. In an age when some of the most obscure operas can be found on at least one recording, he has followed his love for certain works to the point where he writes his own arrangements (not quite the same thing as transcriptions) so that his feelings about the piece as well as the original melodic flow can be transmitted to the audience.

My correspondent kindly sent me a CD, now out of print, that Abrams made in 2000. It is called "Fantasie Variations on Tales of Love" and holds three selections: "Fantasie Variations on Richard Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'," "Chaconne on Dido's Lament from Henry Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas'," and "Fantasia on Carl Maria von Weber's 'Der Freischutz'."

Now there are many symphonic versions of music from "Tristan," but they usually follow the score note for note, assigning the vocal lines to certain instruments, and do little to interpret Wagner's music. Listening to Abrams' 19-minute rendition of his favorite sections from the long score, I can see where he is coming from. This is music he loves, and he wants to let his listeners know how and why he loves it.

His choosing "Freischutz" is taking something of a chance, because few operagoers have ever seen a production of that groundbreaking work, and recordings of that opera have never sold in the millions. But there is another point. Hearing Abrams' 14-minute approach to the work has made me want to hear the original again and possibly appreciate it more than I have in the past.

I read in the material sent to me that Abrams is working on a 40-minute piano treatment of the music from Wagner's Ring operas. In the past, I have heard too many mostly faithful readings of Wagner's non-vocal sections like "Siegfried's Funeral March" and "Magic Fire Music." What I now crave is an interpretation of this music, already so familiar to me in symphonic and operatic form, by someone like Abrams who can make me see it from another point of view.

So until the day my singing in the shower can inspire people to hear with fresh ears "Mefistofele" or "Sir John in Love," I have to leave it to people like Daniel Abrams to do it in their own inspired and inspiring way.

Note: For Mr. Abrams' own feelings about his music, please see his website at www.daniel-abrams.com

Art Times HomePage

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Memphis Symphony Orchestra Agrees on Innovative Contract


Memphis Symphony Orchestra Agrees on Innovative Contract

Memphis, TN --The musicians and board of directors for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO) recently approved a new employment contract for the 2008-2009 season that reflects a deepening engagement of professional musicians within the Memphis community.

This contract supports our mission of creating meaningful experiences through music, said Ryan Fleur, MSO president and chief executive officer. It has the potential to transform the way our orchestra will serve the community in the future by allowing us to develop new and diverse partnerships and activities that will have a positive impact on peoples lives.

A key component of the contract, Fleur said, is the opportunity for musicians to do community engagement work this season via an optional engagement contract. Full-time musicians who opt-in to the contract can receive up to 3 % incentive pay based on the number of community engagement activities they participate in.

I feel that the days of our job is to play the music, their job is to pay for it are long over, said Scott Moore, MSO principal trumpet player. It is to everyones benefit when musicians are able to more actively engage in the process.

Examples of community engagement services are mentoring at The Soulsville Charter School and the creation of Leading from Every ChairѢ, a seminar developed and led by MSO musicians who use music to actively teach teamwork, creativity and leadership skills to corporations and non-profit organizations.

This agreement combines an innovative way of increasing the pay for our musicians while providing a valuable service to our community, said John Sprott, MSO principal percussionist and president of the local musicians union. We will be using our talents and training to help others in addition to performing in concerts.

Working in teams to plan, implement and evaluate community activities, each musician can participate in up to 25 community engagement services during the 2008-2009 season. A service is a unit of time traditionally used exclusively to rehearse and perform as a group. Musicians who do not participate in a community engagement contract experience a pay freeze from the 2007-2008 season.

According to Moore, musicians are valuable resources who individually possess knowledge and expertise beyond their abilities on their instruments.

This unique and innovative new partnership allows musicians and management to work together to find effective ways to connect with our community, and more importantly, to have a positive impact on lives, Moore said.

In this experimental season, 28 of the Memphis Symphonys 36 full-time musicians have chosen to participate in the engagement contract.

The ingenuity of this contract is that it allows us to more fully utilize the services of the musicians to re-define orchestra services for creative partnerships, Fleur said.

Engagement services are governed by an Engagement Oversight Committee, a team of three elected musicians, three MSO staff members, the music director and board members. The committee will ensure that all re-defined services are artistically meaningful and need-fulfilling for community partners, and are tied to a new revenue source for the Memphis Symphony.

Our engagement oversight committee permits us to direct services toward planning and evaluation, and ultimately, the delivery of new projects, Sprott said. This means our musicians actively influence and shape our community activities, creating a sense of identity, ownership and commitment that is unprecedented.

This contract is a marvelous example of what is possible when an orchestras stakeholders work collaboratively and creatively; a win-win for the Memphis Symphony family and for their community, said Jesse Rosen, president of the League of American Orchestras. This agreement puts Memphis in the forefront of American orchestras exciting movement toward stronger relationships with their communities.

The new contract was born out of the Memphis Symphonys planning process in which the organization took a critical look at how it deploys resources and time.

Musicians, board members, staff and community partners looked at each community engagement to see if it is artistically fulfilling to the musicians, meets the needs of the partner organization, is beneficial to the greater Memphis community and can be tied to new revenue sources for the symphony. Out of this dialogue grew the need to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement to address the issue of re-defining orchestra services.

The language of the existing union contract severely restricted musician time to a simple formula of rehearsals, concerts and education ensemble performances, Fleur said. With our evolving community engagement partnerships, we needed flexibility for new kinds of services that stepped beyond the traditional.

Since 1952 the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has created meaningful experiences through music in the Mid-South. Today more than 400 musicians, staff and volunteers in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony Chorus and the Memphis Symphony League operate education programs, organize community engagement events and present concerts within a $4 million budget.


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Soires de posie 2009 au Centre d'arts Orford


LA POSIE PAR CUR

Saison 2009

En vert ou en blanc

Le Centre d'arts Orford est ouvert en hiver

Avec des potes dont on dit

Qu'ils laissent des traces

Plutt que d'en suivre.

Orford, le jeudi 5 dcembre 2008 - Ds le mardi 12 janvier, les soires LA POSIE PAR CUR conues et animes par le comdien et pote Yves Allaire, seront de retour au Centre d'arts Orford pour une deuxime anne.

Le deuxime mardi de chaque mois, de janvier mai 2009, le Centre d'art Orford deviendra le lieu d'une parole vivante, actuelle et renouvelable. Des potes phares seront invits se produire en faisant la lumire sur des potes moins connus mais non moins clairants.

Entirement consacres la posie de chez nous, les cinq soires se dclineront sous diffrents thmes :

Mardi 13 janvier 19h30 Sous le froid, que de chaleur !

Malgr la morsure du froid/ l'engourdissement parfois/ l'insouponnable potentiel/ d'infini possible/ gt dans la profondeur/ d'un brin de chaleur.

Ķ avec Paul Chamberland, Denise Desautels, Yves Allaire ainsi que des gagnants de l'quipe de Sherbrooke du Grand Slam national 2008.

Mardi 10 fvrier 19h30 Mille mots d'amour

On passe par o pour aller en dedans ? / Me semble qu'on n'est pas sur terre/ pour rester en surface/ comme corce d'arbre.

La posie et l'amour font mnage ensemble dans une soire toute spciale en collaboration avec Les Impatients*.

Ķen prsence de personnalits telles que Robert Blondin, Normand Chouinard et Jos Acquelin.

Mardi 10 mars 19h30 La posie aux accents d'ici

L'hiver perdure/ y a une forme de vie dure et paisible/ comme habite sous la mort/ qui s'enracine au solide/ pays de survivance.

Ķ vous propose des potes marquants dans nos communauts ethniques du Qubec : Amrindiens, Chiliens, Hatiens, etc. Ce sera une soire aux accents de toutes les couleurs.

Mardi 14 avril 19h30 Effervescente posie

Sensitive, consciente, prsente dans notre socit en bullition, l'imptuosit du pote s'exprime dans la fracheur du verbe, la vigueur des mots et la fbrilit de la rivire en dbcle.

Ķ avec Mathieu Lipp, Ivy, Yves Allaire et Nathalie Watteyne. La fin de l'hiver, l'ouverture au printemps et l'enthousiasme.

Mardi 12 mai 19h30 Mlodieuse closion de mai

Un concert de paroles fraches, mouvantes et fringantes au cur d'une floraison de potes qui sment la joie et l'espoir. Ce mois contient tellement de beauts et de surprises!

Le Centre d'arts Orford est fier d'offrir un lieu de diffusion de la posie qubcoise actuelle, vivante et mergeante dans l'ambiance intime et chaleureuse du Bistro-Bar. Par ces soires de posie, nous souhaitons susciter l'intrt du public de tous les ges envers les potes qubcois professionnels vivants et cette nouvelle relve qui affectionne particulirement le slam.

Le slam est un art d'expression populaire oral, dclamatoire, qui se pratique dans des lieux publics comme les bars ainsi que dans les lieux associatifs, sous forme de rencontres et de joutes oratoires. (Wikipdia)

Admission gnrale : 15$

Passeport 3 soires : 30$

Passeport 5 soires : 50$

Rservez ds maintenant la billetterie du Centre d'arts Orford au 819-843-3981 ou 1-800-567-6155.

www.arts-orford.org

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Juno-Nominated Jeremy Fisher Announces New 2009 Tour


JUNO-NOMINATED JEREMY FISHER ANNOUNCES NEW 2009 TOUR

Toronto, ON Best known for promoting his first album on a bike - peddling across the country, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Jeremy Fisher is set to take his debut album Back Porch Spirituals back on the road! The cross-Canada tour, which kicks off in Victoria on January 24, will have Fisher joined by opening act Hannah Georgas (www.myspace.com/bandhannah).

"This tour is going to be an interesting change for me. I'm excited for the focus of my performances to be on the songs that helped get my start in this industry. I feel like I'm able to get back to my roots as a musician and I really can't wait to perform live and be on the road again!" says Fisher.

Back Porch Spirituals brings Fisher's folk influences to the forefront, filled with bluesy harmonica and gentle guitar melodies. The album is a slight departure for his newer fans familiar with a recent more upbeat and playful tone, especially showcased on his hit single Cigarette (from his third album Goodbye Blue Monday).

In contrast, Back Porch Spirituals is stripped down, reminiscent of traditional folk and country music staples. The more melancholy Safe and Sound is one of several tracks to feature guest vocals by Laura Veirs, who adds a feminine layer of harmonic vocals. Marengo, Saskatchewan is a heartening patriotic ballad, layered with rustic harmonica melodies. Back Porch Spirituals (re-released nationwide in stores and on iTunes earlier this year) is a staple for any fan of Fisher, past and present.

Fisher was nominated for 2 Juno's this past year for Goodbye Blue Monday, in both the New Artist Of The Year and Adult Alternative Album Of The Year categories.

Canadian tour dates (with Hannah Georgas):

January 24 Victoria, BC Metro Studio

January 28 Vancouver, BC St. James Church

January 30 Calgary, AB The Gateway

January 31 Edmonton, AB Horowitz Theatre

February 1 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre

February 3 Toronto, ON Drake Hotel

February 5 London, ON London Music Hall

February 6 Waterloo, ON University of Waterloo

February 7 Toronto, ON MOD Club

February 8 Wakefield, ON Blacksheep Inn

February 11 Halifax, NS Seahorse Tavern

Track List:

1. The Devil Found A Friend In Me

2. Ain't Got Nothin' But Plenty Of Time

3. Jolly Roger

4. Kiss The Moon

5. You, Me, And The Sunshine

6. Twister

7. Saddle Up The Horse

8. Marengo, Saskatchewan

9. Song For Robert Zimmerman

10. Safe And Sound



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Les prix Opus 2007-2008, Un autre rendez-vous avec l'excellence et la diversit

Les prix Opus 2007-2008

Un autre rendez-vous avec l'excellence et la diversit



Et les finalistes sont Ķ




(Montral, 5 dcembre 2008) - Le Conseil qubcois de la musique a dvoil la liste des finalistes pour 17 des 26 prix Opus remis aux musiciens et crateurs en musique de concert au Qubec. Les laurats seront connus lors de la 12e dition du Gala des prix Opus qui se tiendra le dimanche 25 janvier prochain 15 h 30 la Salle Claude-Champagne, Montral.


Crs en 1996, les prix Opus tmoignent du dynamisme du milieu musical qubcois. Les membres du Conseil qubcois de la musique choisissent, parmi les quelque mille concerts qu'ils donnent annuellement, lesquels ils souhaitent inscrire la comptition. Ainsi, pour la saison qui s'tend du 1er septembre 2007 au 31 aot 2008, 135 concerts ont t jugs, auxquels s'ajoutent une cinquantaine de disques, une vingtaine d'crits et une cinquantaine de candidatures pour les prix spciaux.


Encore une fois cette anne, une varit d'interprtes, d'ensembles musicaux, d'orchestres, de diffuseurs, de maisons de disques et de musicologues sont en nomination. Outre les prix remis ces laurats, le Conseil qubcois de la musique remettra huit prix spciaux et un prix Hommage, des personnalits et des organismes qui se sont dmarqus au cours de la saison.


Les prix Opus se distinguent par l'octroi de bourses aux laurats. Ainsi, lors de la crmonie, six rcipiendaires se partageront 33 000 $ en bourses. Pour une douzime anne conscutive, le prix Compositeur de l'anne sera accompagn d'une bourse de 10 000 $ offerte par le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec. Pour leur part, les prix Interprte de l'anne, Reconnaissance un facteur d'instruments et Production de l'anne jeune public seront nouveau accompagns de bourses de 5 000 $ octroyes respectivement par le Conseil des Arts du Canada, la Socit de dveloppement des entreprises culturelles du Qubec et le ministre de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition fminine du Qubec. Le Conseil des arts de Montral remettra au laurat du prix Concert de l'anne Montral une bourse de 3 000 $. Enfin, le prix Dcouverte de l'anne sera assorti d'une bourse de 5 000 $ de Galaxie, le rseau de musique continue de Radio-Canada et d'une anne en rsidence la radio de Radio-Canada.


Le Gala des prix Opus souligne l'excellence de la musique de concert au Qubec dans diffrents rpertoires musicaux : mdival, de la Renaissance, baroque, classique, romantique, moderne, actuel, contemporain, lectroacoustique, jazz et musiques du monde. Par cet vnement, le Conseil qubcois de la musique souhaite rendre hommage aux musiciens d'ici mais aussi et surtout, transmettre au public et aux mlomanes le got de dcouvrir, d'couter et de frquenter la musique de concert.


Le Conseil qubcois de la musique souhaite remercier ses partenaires pour leur contribution cette 12e dition du Gala des prix Opus : le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec, Musicaction, le Conseil des Arts du Canada, Galaxie, le rseau de musique continue de Radio-Canada, Espace Musique, la Socit de dveloppement des entreprises culturelles du Qubec, le ministre de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition fminine du Qubec, le Conseil des arts de Montral, ainsi que Le Devoir, la Librairie Monet, la Facult de musique de l'Universit de Montral et La Scena Musicale.


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Highlights of MIDEM Classical 2009

MIDEM 2008 -  The world's music community MIDEM: 18-21 January 2009 | MidemNet Forum: 17-18 January 2009 | Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France

HIGHLIGHTS OF MIDEM CLASSICAL 2009




Paris, 5 December 2008 MIDEM Classical will put the spotlight on musical encounters of all shapes and sizes at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from 18-21 January 2009. This wide-ranging event is designed to help professionals understand how the market is moving and allow them to discover a generation of young artists alongside major international performers, notably singers.

MIDEM Classical 2009 will pay homage to celebrated Italian tenor Carlo Bergonzi, internationally renowned for his phenomenal career, which includes starring alongside Maria Callas and Herbert von Karajan and his famous performances of the works of Verdi. A screening of previously-unseen images from his career and a press conference with the singer will take place on Tuesday 20 January from 11.30am-1.00pm in auditorium K, at the Palais des Festivals.

In a world first to celebrate the 75th birthday of Polish composer and conductor Krzysztof Penderecki, MIDEM Classical will be screening the concert version of Seven Gates of Jerusalem on 18 January 2009 from 6.30-7.30pm in Auditoriums I and J. This work will be accompanied by animations by Tomek Baginski, who achieved an Oscar nomination for his short film The Cathedral in 2002. Krzysztof Penderecki, Tomek Baginski and many other artists will be present at the event.

MIDEM Classical will be continuing its mission to discover new young talent by organising the third Nuit d'Opra on Monday 19 January in the Debussy Auditorium at 8pm. The special guest at the event will be Cuban-American soprano Eglise Gutirrez, who will shortly perform in Madrid alongside Juan Diego Florez and at London's Covent Garden in three new productions. She will be accompanied by young singers from Marseille's classical singing training centre CNIPAL, including French soprano Sophie Desmars, Chinese mezzo Ai Wu, South Korean tenor Ji Hyun Kim, French baritone Ronan Debois and the Orchestre Rgional de Cannes Provence-Alpes-Cte d'Azur directed by Philippe Bender. The programme contains a wide range of arias, ensembles and orchestral extracts from Vivaldi to Reynaldo Hahn and from Haydn to Puccini.

The fifth edition of the MIDEM Classical Awards will take place on Tuesday 20 January 2009 at 8pm in the Debussy Auditorium. The ceremony crowns the best recordings and classical artists of 2008. During the event, Carlo Bergonzi will receive a special MIDEM prize in recognition of his career. It is hard to imagine a more enchanting timbre than that of French counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky voted "Singer of the Year", or of the extraordinary talent of violinist Julia Fischer, "Instrumental Artist of the Year". German tenor Jonas Kaufmann will also attend as a special guest, invited to present the trophy to Carlo Bergonzi and to present his latest DVD, Carmen, published by Decca in October 2008. Finally, the Sony Classical label will be presented with the "Label of the Year" award. The winners at the MIDEM Classical Awards 2009 will be announced at a press conference on Sunday 18 January at 5pm on the MIDEM Classical Awards stand, located at Riviera R38.03.

Once again, several premieres and conferences will be hosted by IMZ, the Vienna-based organization that specialises in music and dance press promotion. Through these events, IMZ is promoting some 390 productions involving classical music, jazz, world music and dance programs. Within this framework, Jonas Kaufmann will be making a special presentation of the film "Jonas Kaufmann, A Perfectly Normal Hero" (Clasart Classic) on Tuesday 20 January 2009, Auditorium I and J, between 5.30-6.30pm.

Lastly, five conferences will help us better understand the fields of classical music and jazz, with selected participants including Nicholas Payne, Director of Opra Europa and Alexander Pereira, Director of the Zurich Opera.

For more information on MIDEM Classical & Jazz:

http://www.midem.com/classical

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Et les finalistes sont... prix Opus An 12-2007/2008



Les prix Opus 2007-2008 Un autre rendez-vous avec l'excellence et la diversit

Et les finalistes sont ...

(Montral, 5 dcembre 2008) - Le Conseil qubcois de la musique a dvoil la liste des finalistes pour 17 des 26 prix Opus remis aux musiciens et crateurs en musique de concert au Qubec. Les laurats seront connus lors de la 12e dition du Gala des prix Opus qui se tiendra le dimanche 25 janvier prochain 15 h 30 la Salle Claude-Champagne, Montral. Crs en 1996, les prix Opus tmoignent du dynamisme du milieu musical qubcois. Les membres du Conseil qubcois de la musique choisissent, parmi les quelque mille concerts qu'ils donnent annuellement, lesquels ils souhaitent inscrire la comptition. Ainsi, pour la saison qui s'tend du 1er septembre 2007 au 31 aot 2008, 135 concerts ont t jugs, auxquels s'ajoutent une cinquantaine de disques, une vingtaine d'crits et une cinquantaine de candidatures pour les prix spciaux. Encore une fois cette anne, une varit d'interprtes, d'ensembles musicaux, d'orchestres, de diffuseurs, de maisons de disques et de musicologues sont en nomination. Outre les prix remis ces laurats, le Conseil qubcois de la musique remettra huit prix spciaux et un prix Hommage, des personnalits et des organismes qui se sont dmarqus au cours de la saison. Les prix Opus se distinguent par l'octroi de bourses aux laurats. Ainsi, lors de la crmonie, six rcipiendaires se partageront 33 000 $ en bourses. Pour une douzime anne conscutive, le prix Compositeur de l'anne sera accompagn d'une bourse de 10 000 $ offerte par le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec. Pour leur part, les prix Interprte de l'anne, Reconnaissance un facteur d'instruments et Production de l'anne - jeune public seront nouveau accompagns de bourses de 5 000 $ octroyes respectivement par le Conseil des Arts du Canada, la Socit de dveloppement des entreprises culturelles du Qubec et le ministre de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition fminine du Qubec. Le Conseil des arts de Montral remettra au laurat du prix Concert de l'anne - Montral une bourse de 3 000 $. Enfin, le prix Dcouverte de l'anne sera assorti d'une bourse de 5 000 $ de Galaxie, le rseau de musique continue de Radio-Canada et d'une anne en rsidence la radio de Radio-Canada. Le Gala des prix Opus souligne l'excellence de la musique de concert au Qubec dans diffrents rpertoires musicaux : mdival, de la Renaissance, baroque, classique, romantique, moderne, actuel, contemporain, lectroacoustique, jazz et musiques du monde. Par cet vnement, le Conseil qubcois de la musique souhaite rendre hommage aux musiciens d'ici mais aussi et surtout, transmettre au public et aux mlomanes le got de dcouvrir, d'couter et de frquenter la musique de concert. Le Conseil qubcois de la musique souhaite remercier ses partenaires pour leur contribution cette 12e dition du Gala des prix Opus : le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qubec, Musicaction, le Conseil des Arts du Canada, Galaxie, le rseau de musique continue de Radio-Canada, Espace Musique, la Socit de dveloppement des entreprises culturelles du Qubec, le ministre de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition fminine du Qubec, le Conseil des arts de Montral, ainsi que Le Devoir, la Librairie Monet, la Facult de musique de l'Universit de Montral et La Scena Musicale.

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The late Birgit Nilsson donates biggest Prize in classical music history


The late Birgit Nilsson donates biggest Prize in classical music history

Stockholm, December 5th, 2008 The Birgit Nilsson Foundation announces today the establishment of the Birgit Nilsson Prize as the biggest prize in classical music history. It was the wish of the legendary Swedish dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson to award outstanding achievements in the international field of opera and concert with a prize in the amount of one million dollars. The first Prize winner will be announced in 2009.

In the early eighties, towards the end of her long and distinguished career, the legendary Swedish dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson decided to establish a foundation for a Prize to be awarded every second or third year in the amount of one million dollars for outstanding achievements by:

A singer in the field of opera and/or concert and/or oratorio

A conductor in the classical field of opera and/or concert

A specific production by an opera company, as long as this production is outstandingly cast and conducted and, most importantly, staged in the spirit of the composer.

The name of the first prize winner, chosen by Birgit Nilsson herself, is being kept in a sealed envelope until the official announcement to be made in early 2009.

According to the provisions of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, its Council shall appoint a jury consisting of prominent figures in the classical music field for a three-year term. The jury shall give its recommendation to the Foundation Council, which will make the final decision. In keeping with Ms Nilsson's wishes, the Prize may be given to two designees, in which case the Prize is split in half. Also, the Prize may never be awarded to the same person twice.

Birgit Nilsson (19182005) was the world's leading dramatic soprano of her time, excelling in the operas of Wagner (The Ring Cycle, Tristan und Isolde Tannhuser and Lohengrin), Strauss (Salome, Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten), Puccini (Tosca and Turandot), Verdi (Aida, Un Ballo in Maschera and Macbeth) as well as many other operas.

During her legendary career, she performed regularly at major opera houses like

Stockholm, Bayreuth, Vienna, Milan, London, Paris, Munich, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Buenos Aires and others.

Following her debut at the Stockholm Opera in 1946, her international career began in the early fifties with debuts in Glyndebourne, Bayreuth, Vienna and Munich, to be followed by debuts in North and South America in the mid-fifties. Her opening of La Scala season 1958 as Turandot, her 1959 New York debut as Isolde at the Metropolitan Opera and her performances as Isolde and Brunhilde in Wieland Wagner's productions in Bayreuth were considered milestones in her career.

Ms. Nilsson took her farewell from the operatic stage in the role of Elektra in 1982.

Further information on the Birgit Nilsson Prize and pictures of Birgit Nilsson on

www.birgitnilssonprize.org.

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Birgit Nilsson fait don du plus grand prix dans lhistoire de la musique classique


Birgit Nilsson fait don du plus grand prix dans lhistoire de la musique classique

Stockholm, le 5 dcembre 2008 La fondation Birgit Nilsson a annonc la cration du prix Birgit Nilsson, le plus important dans lhistoire de la musique classique. La lgendaire soprano dramatique sudoise, Birgit Nilsson, avait formul le vu de rcompenser des prouesses remarquables sur la scne internationale de lopra et des concerts par un prix dun million de dollars. Le premier laurat sera divulgu en 2009.

Au dbut des annes quatre-vingt, la fin de sa longue et clbre carrire, la lgendaire soprano dramatique sudoise, Birgit Nilsson, a dcid de crer une fondation qui dcernerait tous les deux ou trois ans un prix dun million de dollars rcompensant les performances extraordinaires:
dun chanteur dans le domaine de lopra et/ou du concert et/ou de loratorio;
dun chef dorchestre dans lunivers classique de lopra et/ou du concert;
dune production dune compagnie dopra, pour autant quelle soit joue, conduite et, le plus important, interprte dans lesprit du compositeur.

Le nom du premier laurat, choisi par Birgit Nilsson elle-mme, sera conserv dans une enveloppe scelle jusqu l'annonce officielle dbut 2009.

Selon les dispositions de la fondation Birgit Nilsson, son conseil nommera un jury compos de personnalits minentes dans lunivers de la musique classique pour un mandat de trois ans. Celui-ci transmettra sa recommandation au conseil de la fondation qui prendra la dcision finale. Conformment au vu de Madame Nilsson, le prix pourra tre dcern deux laurats, auquel cas il sera divis en deux. Par ailleurs, il ne pourra jamais tre remis deux fois la mme personne.

Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005) a t la plus grande soprano dramatique de son poque. Elle a interprt avec brio des opras de Wagner (LAnneau du Nibelung, Tristan et Isolde, Tannhuser et Lohengrin), de Strauss (Salom, Elektra et La femme sans ombre), de Puccini (Tosca et Turandot), de Verdi (Ada, Un bal masqu et Macbeth) ainsi que de nombreux autres.


Durant sa carrire lgendaire, elle sest produite dans les plus grandes salles dopra Stockholm, Bayreuth, Vienne, Milan, Londres, Paris, Munich, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, etc.

Sa carrire a commenc lOpra de Stockholm en 1946, avant de prendre une envergure internationale au dbut des annes cinquante lorsquelle sest produite dans les opras de Glyndebourne, Bayreuth, Vienne et Munich. Au milieu des annes cinquante, Birgit Nilsson a galement conquis lAmrique du Nord et du Sud. Son rle de Turandot La Scala en 1958, ses dbuts New York en 1959 lorsquelle a incarn Isolde au Metropolitan Opera et ses interprtations dIsolde et de Brunehilde dans les productions de Wieland Wagner Bayreuth sont considrs comme les moments forts de sa carrire.

Birgit Nilsson a fait ses derniers pas sur scne dans le rle dElektra en 1982.

Vous trouverez plus dinformations sur le prix Birgit Nilsson ainsi que des photos de Birgit Nilsson sur www.birgitnilssonprize.org.

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Thursday, December 4, 2008

Vivaldi's Four Seasons


Vivaldis Four Seasons with the VSO and the Canadian debut of violinist/conductor Duncan Riddell

Vancouver BC Vivaldis Four Seasons is a timeless classic and a fundamental staple for the Holiday season. This year, Duncan Riddell will lead the orchestra from the violin in his interpretation of the piece, as well as chamber works by Mozart and Mendelssohn. The concerts take place on December 19th and 20th at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts and, NEW this year, the VSO returns to Massey Theatre in New Westminster on December 21st for one performance at 7:30pm.

Currently the Concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Duncan Riddell has appeared as guest concertmaster with several prestigious orchestras around the United Kingdom including the London Symphony and London Philharmonic. Mr. Riddell is a chamber music specialist and will lead and perform in his element. The VSO welcomes Mr. Riddell in his Canadian debut.

Vivaldis Four Seasons is of course one of the most popular works ever written. Vivaldi played a significant role in many important music developments, most notably the rise of the concerto. He wrote over five hundred concerti(!) for various instruments, the most popular of those being for the violin. Vivaldi was paid the tremendous compliment of having no less a musical titan as Johannes Sebastian Bach transcribe many of his concerti, such a fan of Vivaldis music he was. The Four Seasons are of course Vivaldis most enduringly popular works, probably due both to their exceptional quality and the programmatic, or descriptive, nature of the music. Vivaldi made pioneering efforts in the area of descriptive composition, and was explicit to a greater degree than any of his other compositions in terms of his elaborate description of what the music portrays. The Four Seasons has become an iconic work, standing alongside the likes of Beethovens 9th as the most recognized and loved music ever written. It is now a beloved Lower Mainland music tradition, in its eight consecutive season at the Chan Centre in late December with the VSO.

CONCERT INFO

Bach & Beyond & Specials:

Vivaldis Four Seasons

Friday & Saturday, December 19 & 20, 8pm, Chan Centre

Sunday, December 21, 7:30pm, Massey Theatre

Duncan Riddell, leader/violin

Mozart Divertimento, K.136

Mendelssohn Sinfonia No.9 in C Major

Vivaldi Four Seasons

Tickets for December 19 & 20 at the Chan Centre:

Tickets $35 to $59 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available ONLY through Ticketmaster outlets, Charge-by-Phone at 604.280.3311 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca

Tickets for December 21 at the Massey Theatre:

Tickets $37 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca as well as the Massey Ticket Centre 604.521.5050

The VSOs Bach & Beyond Series Endowed By:

The Chan Foundation of Canada

The presentation of this series is made possible in part through the generous assistance of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts of the University of British Columbia.

Radio Sponsor:

CHQM-FM

BIOGRAPHIES

Duncan Riddell, leader/violin

British born violinist Duncan Riddell studied with Professor Nicholas Roth from the age of eleven and subsequently as a student at Trinity College of Music in London. During this time he became Concertmaster of both the European Community Youth Orchestra under the baton of Claudio Abbado and the International Festival Youth Orchestra with C M Giulini, as well as winning internal college prizes and the silver medal at the first Shell/London Symphony Orchestra scholarship for string players in1978. On leaving Trinity College, he founded the Roth String Quartet with whom he won international prizes, performed extensively around Britain and in Europe and made many recordings for BBC Radio as well as on disc. In 1989, the quartet disbanded and Duncan accepted a principal position in the North German Radio Philharmonic in Hannover which led to recordings and performances as a soloist and with chamber groups in Germany. At the beginning of 1994, he was appointed co-concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he also made recordings and concert appearances as a soloist and director.

Duncan Riddell assumes the mantle of [Wolfgang] Schneiderhan with no mean success.

(Gramophone Magazine, Maria Trypticon-Frank Martin)

Duncan Riddell is currently Concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with which he has appeared many times as soloist including a live BBC Radio 3 broadcast of Beethovens Triple Concerto with Andrew Litton. His increasingly frequent appearances as director of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in both chamber and string orchestra form have elicited considerable critical acclaim.

He also continues to appear as guest concertmaster with many of the orchestras around the UK including the London Symphony and London Philharmonic orchestras and was invited to lead a joint orchestra of the members of the London Philharmonic and Orchestre National de France for Maestro Kurt Masurs 80th birthday concert at the BBC Promenade Concerts in the summer of 2007.

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Congratulations Canadian Grammy Nominees!


CONGRATULATIONS CANADIAN GRAMMY NOMINEES!

51st Annual GRAMMY Awards announce nominees during live televised concert special Canadians garner NINE nominations

Toronto, ON (December 4, 2008) - The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) congratulates the Canadian nominees of the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards. Last night, for the first time, nominations for the GRAMMY Awards were announced during a live one-hour exclusive primetime concert televised on CBS featuring performances by B.B. King, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Foo Fighters, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift and Canada's own five-time GRAMMY Award winner, Cline Dion.

"The Recording Academy continues to recognize the musical achievements of Canadian artists, and we should all be very proud of the successes that this year's nominees have accomplished on the international stage," said Melanie Berry, President of CARAS. "On behalf of CARAS, congratulations to all the 2009 GRAMMY nominees."

Canada's top recording artists garnered a total of nine GRAMMY Award nominations. 2009 Canadian nominees include:

ELLEN PAGE & MICHAEL CERA
DEADMAU5 (JUNO Award winner)
ISABEL BAYRAKDARIAN (four-time JUNO Award winner)
MARC-ANDR HAMELIN (six-time JUNO Award winner)
NEIL YOUNG (five-time JUNO Award winner)
NORTHERN CREE
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
(two-time JUNO Award winner)
RUSH (six-time JUNO Award winner)
WALTER OSTANEK

Two additional GRAMMY Award category nominations have a Canadian connection: Josh Groban's album, NOL, nominated for Best Traditional Pop Album, is produced by
DAVID FOSTER, and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals nominee AC/DC recorded ROCK N ROLL TRAIN in The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC.

An impressive list of Canadian artists have joined the ranks of GRAMMY Award winners over the years, including JUNO Award-winning music icons such as Alanis Morissette, Anne Murray, Bryan Adams, Diana Krall, Nelly Furtado, Oscar Peterson, Shania Twain and Sarah McLachlan.

The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on February 8, 2009 at 8 p.m. (EST). For a complete list of the 51st Annual GRAMMY Award nominations go to www.grammy.com.

Canada's Music Awards, The 2009 JUNO Awards, will announce its nominees on
February 3, 2009 at a media conference in Toronto, ON.

For more information on The 2009 JUNO Awards, go to www.junoawards.ca.

Sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage's "Canada Music Fund," The Province of British Columbia, The City of Vancouver, Music BC and Radio Starmaker Fund.

Broadcast sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards are Garnier, Pepsi, Pontiac and Rogers.

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'academie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on the 38th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' (CARAS) please visit our websites at
www.carasonline.ca and www.junoawards.ca.

Oper'actuel 08 - Dans les coulisses de la cration lyrique Mardi 16 et mercredi 17 dcembre 2008

OPER'ACTUEL 08 WORKS IN PROGRESS
Dans les coulisses de la cration lyrique
Mardi 16 et mercredi 17 dcembre 2008, 20 h
Usine C
1345, avenue Lalonde, mtro Beaudry, Montral
Billetterie : (514) 521-4493 - $10 - Adulte $ 5 - tudiants/Ans
Info : http://www.chantslibres.org


La cration lyrique, les nouvelles approches de lart vocal et les derniers dveloppements artistiques et technologiques, sont au cur de la mission de CHANTS LIBRES, dirig par la soprano et metteur en scne Pauline Vaillancourt.

Pour la troisime dition de son vnement Operactuel works in progress, la compagnie lyrique de cration propose au public de vivre une aventure stimulante et singulire : celle de participer la premire apparition scnique de cinq opras, que des compositeurs et librettistes sont en train dcrire.

Cinq uvres lyriques (parmi trente soumises) ont t slectionnes suite un concours lanc en 2007 par Chants Libres, pour permettre lmergence de nouvelles partitions lyriques, intresser les jeunes chanteurs aux nouvelles formes dopra et faire valoir auprs du public la multiplicit des styles, tmoins d'une poque.

Au cours de ces deux soires, le public pourra donc entendre des extraits de cinq opras en gestation, crits par les compositeurs Silvio Palmieri, Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qubec), Elma Miller (Ontario), Justine Chen (New-York) et Lyubomir Denev (Bulgarie), et interprtes par de jeunes chanteurs et musiciens issus dateliers de cration contemporaine.

Les compositeurs (except Lyubomir Denev) assisteront Operactuel et dcouvriront, en mme temps que le public, les premires sonorits issues de leur partition, ce qui aura un effet boomerang sur la poursuite de leur travail dcriture, revitalis par lcoute live. Les deux soires seront galement enregistres pour servir de documents de travail aux crateurs.
Cet vnement est ralis avec la participation de lAtelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, sous la direction de Cristian Gort, lAtelier de musique de chambre de lUniversit de Montral sous la direction de Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt et de lEnsemble Musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique du Qubec Montral, sous la direction de Vronique Lacroix, et la participation des ateliers de lEcole des mdias de lUQAM, sous la direction de Simon-Pierre Gourd.

Vous tes interpells par un Opra ouvert notre temps et par des crateurs, de jeunes chanteurs, des musiciens et des chefs qui travaillent les uvres lyriques dans un esprit de libert. Prenez place au 3e Operactuel works in progress.

Au programme :


Die Rettung
Opra-thtre musical la mmoire des Juifs Bulgares durant la seconde guerre mondiale.
Composition : Lyubomir Denev - Livret : Vladimir Danovsky (Bulgarie)
Extraits : Scnes 1-2-3-6-9
15 musiciens, chur de 8 voix dhommes, un narrateur, Vincent Ranallo et une soliste, Anick St-Louis, soprano
Atelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, direction Cristian Gort.
Luvre sera cre lOpra de Munich et lOpra de Bamberg en 2009.

Torquato Tasso
Un pome dramatique et musical l'imagerie baroque, sur la vie d'un artiste hors du commun.
Composition : Silvio Palmieri (Qubec) - Livret : Daniele Pieroni (Italie)
Extrait : Ouverture et premire scne
Piano, Philippe Prudhomme et baryton, Vincent Ranallo
Atelier de musique de chambre de lUniversit de Montral, direction Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt

L'Art d'aimer
Allgorie de la relation homme-femme : Qui est le chasseur et qui est le chass ?
Composition : Elma Miller (Ontario) - Livret : Ovide (Italie)
Extrait : Ouverture
15 musiciens et 4 solistes : Sophie Martin, soprano - Anne Julien, mezzo-soprano - Mathieu Grgoire, tnor - Franois Dub basse
Atelier de musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique de Montral, direction Vronique Lacroix

The Maiden Tower
Opra de chambre inspir dune lgende Azerbadjane.
Composition et livret : Justine Chen (New-York)
Extraits : pilogue & scnes 1-2-3
11 musiciens et 4 solistes : Maude Paradis, Anick St-Louis, sopranos - Sylvain Par, tnor - Simon Charette, baryton - Traitement lectronique en direct : Justine Chen
Atelier de musique contemporaine de lUniversit de Montral, direction Cristian Gort

Opra_lit - Operality
Opra-installation-performance
Composition : Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qubec) - Livret : daprs luvre littraire Cahier dun retour au pays natal dAim Csaire
3 extraits seront entendus au cours de la soire. En prime, un enregistrement de 3 voix du public.
Voix, Pauline Vaillancourt, 2 conteurs, Dany Laferrire et Jerry Alexandre, et informatique-lectronique en direct et sphres sonores (Groupe de recherche-cration en mdia exprimental).

CHANTS LIBRES - Fonde en 1990 par la soprano Pauline Vaillancourt, la compagnie lyrique de cration poursuit sa mission de crer de nouvelles formes dopra. Offrant un rpertoire opratique adapt aux couleurs de la modernit, Chants Libres explore constamment de nouvelles techniques et approches de lart vocal, et travaille en troite collaboration avec des crateurs et des chercheurs de toutes les disciplines. La compagnie a cr douze opras : Alternate Visions (2007, virtuelopera) de John Oliver et Genni Gunn ; Larchange (2005Operinstallation) de Louis Dufort et Alexis Nouss ; Pacamambo lopra (2002) de Zack Settel et Wajdi Mouawad ; Manuscrit trouv Saragosse (2001) de Jos Evangelista et Alexis Nouss ; Lenfant des glaces (2000, lectropra) de Zack Settel et Pauline Vaillancourt ; Lulu,le chant souterrain (2000, technopra) dAlain Thibault et Yan Muckle ; Yo soy la desintegracion (1997) de Jean Pich et Yan Muckle ; Le Vampire et la nymphomane (1996) de Serge Provost et Claude Gauvreau ; Chants du Capricorne (1995) de Giacinto Scelsi et Pauline Vaillancourt ; La Princesse blanche (1994) de Bruce Mather et Rilke/Raynald Tremblay ; Il suffit dun peu dair frais (1992) de Claude Ballif et Raynald Tremblay ; Ne blmez jamais les bdouins (1991) dAlain Thibault et Ren-Daniel Dubois. PROCHAINE CRATION:
du 19 au 22 novembre 2009 : Leau qui danse, la pomme qui chante et loiseau qui dit la vrit de Gilles Tremblay et Pierre Morency, sur une mise en scne de Robert Bellefeuille.

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Aria from Lori Laitman's 'The Scarlet Letter' to Premiere in London England

Aria from Lori Laitman's 'The Scarlet Letter' to Premiere in London England


British Mezzo-soprano Katherine Marriott will perform the "Witch's Dance" aria from Lori Laitman's new opera, 'The Scarlet Letter'. The opera saw its world premiere at The University of Central Arkansas a mere month ago, and has already been hailed as a significant and exciting new work. "This great story seems be on its way to becoming great opera...." said Ellis Widner of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette following the opera's world premiere in November.


Katherine Marriott selected the aria for inclusion for her upcoming recital titled 'Seduction and the Dark Arts' to be performed on December 5th at The Red Hedgehog in Highgate, London, England. Upon receiving the aria from the composer, she reflected: "The aria is fabulous to sing, a real tour-de-force. The witch is gloriously, not simply, a catalyst. It's easy to find a strong personality in there, and the writing lends itself to finding many different colours in the toneĶ And David Mason is wonderful as the librettist - strikes exactly the right balance or lyricism and "speaking" tone, so it sounds neither dated nor banal! "

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ARC Grammy nomination

Prestigious Grammy Nomination for ARC

The ARC (ARTISTS OF THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY) ensemble's Right Through The Bone, an album devoted to the music of German-Dutch composer Julius Rntgen, has been nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Chamber Music Performance. David Frost, the album's producer, has been nominated for Producer of the Year. This is a second nomination in a row for ARC. Their album On the Threshold of Hope was nominated last year for both a Grammy and a Juno award.

Julius Rntgen was a cousin of the Nobel prize-winner Wilhelm Conrad Rntgen, the discoverer of x-rays. The composer Edvard Grieg observed that unlike x-rays Julius Rntgen's music went "right through the bone". Most of the recorded works have not been performed before.

The praise for Right Through The Bone has been unanimously enthusiastic:

"The ARC Ensemble once again shows that as both artists and teachers, they are devoted, talented, collaborative musicians. The ensemble is tight and uniform, sympathetic, complementary and conversational. Julius Rntgen, wherever he is, must be smiling with an ear and eye-opening tribute like this. Like the earlier On The Threshold of Hope, of music by Weinberg, this too is interesting, worthy, fulfilling music, beautifully researched, performed and presented. I'm looking forward to more from this Canadian group. Five stars." Rick Phillips, Sound Advice, CBC Radio, November 2007

"Throughout the disc the Canadian ARC Ensemble [...] display a sheer delight in the sumptuous musicianship that makes Rntgen's music timeless. Altogether I found this a delightful disc, and enthusiastically recommend it to readers' attention."
Calum MacDonald, International Record Review, April 2008

"Music of this quality cries out for exemplary musicianship and the ARC Ensemble sets the skin rippling at every turn with its ear-tingling corporate intonation and magical phrasing, caught to perfection by award-winning producer David Frost." Julian Haylock, The Strad, June 2008

ARC has just returned from New York and Washington, D.C. where they presented their "Music in Exile" series to great critical acclaim, following performances of the repertoire in Toronto, London, Budapest, Rome, Poznan, and Warsaw. This year James Conlon, one of today's preeminent conductors (currently Music Director of Los Angeles Opera and previously principal conductor of the Paris National Opera and the Rotterdam Philharmonic), agreed to be ARC's Honorary Chairman.

Established in 2002, ARTISTS OF THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY, is composed of faculty members of the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto and led by Artistic Director Simon Wynberg. All are seasoned chamber musicians and veteran performers, either as soloists or as principals in major orchestras. They have dedicated themselves to the performance of both the traditional chamber music canon and the rediscovery of repertoire that, through political changes of shifts in musical fashion, have been ignored or marginalized.

"ARC is a standard bearer for the musical excellence of both The Royal Conservatory and Canada. Its members represent the very best this country has to offer and in their roles as mentors and performers they continue to inspire, stimulate, and delight." Dr. Peter Simon, President, The Royal Conservatory

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Christmas with Holly Cole and the Victoria Symphony


Holly Cole ends her Canadian holiday tour in Victoria

Victoria, BC On December 20, Juno award-winning Holly Cole, completes her Canadian holiday tour in Victoria with a performance with the Victoria Symphony. Conducted by Giuseppe Pietraroia, this Christmas special features Coles signature style on such Christmas favourites as Santa Baby, Christmas Is and Ill be home for Christmas. There will be only one performance at the Royal Theatre, December 20 at 8:00pm.

There is intelligence and sophistication to Holly Coles singing that sets her apart. Coles singing has all the things associated with great jazz soloists and instrumentalists. Her voice is smoky, though not quite sultry; as sly as it is sexy; and brimming with adventure bordering on recklessness.
The Wall Street Journal.

View Holly Cole singing Baby its cold outside on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UPfAM4SjcU

If there is anything that remains consistent from album to album with Colewho has sold over a million units worldwideit has been her desire to explore the entire spectrum of human emotions. She imbues well-worn standards and eclectic songs with an uncanny combination of sensuality, innocence, originality and sheer musicality. Cole has just returned from a tour of Germany and this is her first visit back to Victoria since she won Vocal Jazz Album of the year at this years Junos.

The Victoria Symphony is Vancouver Islands largest and most active arts organization offering its audiences 68 years of tradition, a commitment to fostering new music and a dedication to community involvement through music education. Showcasing the outstanding talents of its musicians and guest artists the Victoria Symphonys 2008-2009 season offers a diverse and exciting line-up of over 50 concerts led by its vibrant Music Director Tania Miller.

Holly Cole performs with Maestro Giuseppe Pietraroia and the Victoria Symphony at the

Royal Theatre on Saturday December 20 at 8:00pm. Tickets start at $35.00 and can be purchased by calling 250.385.6515 or 250.386.6121 or online at www.victoriasymphony.ca.

For complete programming details of the 2008-2009 season please visit www.victoriasymphony.ca.

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Charbons ardents - Touches de Feu

Communiqu - Press release

(Rsum in English follows)

Charbons ardents touches de feu
Soliste invit: Richard Raymond

Jeudi 18 dcembre 2008
20 h

Salle Pollack

Montral, le 3 dcembre 2008 Maestro Yuli Turovsky et I Musici concluront lanne sur une note smillante et vibrante dmotions. Pour ce concert, le pianiste de renom et laurat de prestigieux concours internationaux de piano, Richard Raymond, dfendra avec superbe un programme exceptionnel. Tout dabord, nous aurons le plaisir dentendre le Concerto de chambre pour piano et cordes de Franck, une uvre presque mconnue puisque redcouverte quau 20e sicle. Suivront la frmissante et espagnole Rapsodia sinfnica de Turina et, dans une blouissante transcription orchestrale ralise par Maestro Turovsky La Jeune Fille et la Mort de Schubert, une uvre originalement crite pour un quatuor cordes. Pour couronner le tout une cration nous plongera dans un univers ancestral, paen et mystique de la Bulgarie. Prsentes en premire mondiale, les ptillantes Danses paennes sur des charbons ardents de Vania Angelova enflammeront coup sr lauditoire. Ce concert est enregistr par Espace musique, la radio musicale de Radio-Canada (100, 7 FM Montral) et sera diffus sur ses ondes ultrieurement dans le cadre des Soires classiques.

Concerto indit et langueur andalouse
Le Concerto de chambre pour piano et cordes, opus 10 de Csar Franck (1822-1890) a t rarement interprt. Longtemps considr comme perdu, il na t redcouvert quau dbut du 20e sicle parmi les manuscrits de la famille Franck. Et dans un tout autre registreĶ la Rapsodia sinfnica. crite en 1931, la Rapsodia sinfnica pour piano et cordes de Joaqun Turina (1882-1949) voque tantt la langueur du climat andalou tantt la vivacit des rythmes de danses espagnoles. Quant au Quatuor en r mineur de Franz Schubert (1797-1828), ce dernier apportera une conclusion plus obscure et dramatique. Le compositeur viennois crivit son quatuor surnomm La Jeune Fille et la Mort alors quil se savait atteint dune maladie mortelle. Le deuxime mouvement, dramatique, un Andante con moto, reprsente les pas, lents et pesants, de la Mort qui sapproche de la Jeune Fille. Les arrangements de cette version pour orchestre cordes sont de Yuli Turovsky.

Danses paennes sur des charbons ardents de Vania Angelova
Dorigine bulgare, Vania Angelova vit Montral depuis huit ans. Ses uvres ont t joues en Russie, en Ukraine, en Europe et au Canada. En 2006, le ministre bulgare de la Culture lui dcernait une mdaille et un certificat honorifique pour sa contribution lvolution et la promotion de la culture bulgare en Europe et au Canada. Vania Angelova dcrit ainsi luvre inscrite au programme : Ma composition constitue un petit portrait musical du pass de mon pays natal, la Bulgarie. Jai tent dy rendre latmosphre dun ancien rituel paen, la danse sur des charbons ardents. Jy explore les liens entre traditions musicales nationales, rythmes spcifiques de la vieille musique bulgare avec ses patrons rythmiques irrguliers et son langage orchestral contemporain. (Ķ) Danser sur les braises constitue un rituel paen ancien et mystrieux. Pour les danseurs (nestinari), danser en transe, pieds nus sur les braises, ne vise pas le divertissement. Il sagit dun rituel personnel, spirituel qui purifie et claire le pass, le prsent et le futur.

Richard Raymond : un pianiste dexception
Photo: Richard RaymondRcipiendaire de prestigieux concours internationaux de piano, dont le Prix Virginia Parker (1998) attribu par le Conseil des Arts du Canada en reconnaissance sa contribution exceptionnelle dans le milieu musical, Richard Raymond est aussi trs actif en tant que chambriste. Sur le plan international, il a jou en Allemagne au Ruhr Klavier-Festival, en Chine avec lOrchestre Symphonique de Shanghai, au Lincoln Center New York, ainsi quen Italie, en France et Taiwan.

Le concert Charbons ardents touches de feu est enregistr par Espace musique, la radio musicale de Radio-Canada (100, 7 FM Montral) et sera diffus sur ses ondes ultrieurement dans le cadre des Soires classiques, animes par Michel Keable prsentes du lundi au jeudi 20 h, d'un bout l'autre du pays. Il sera galement disponible pour coute sur demande sur la webradio Espace classique Radio-Canada.ca/espaceclassique ultrieurement.

Ralisation l'enregistrement : Richard Lavalle
Ralisation-coordination : Pascale Labrie
Prise de son : Pierre Lger
Premire directrice d'Espace musique : Christiane LeBlanc


Programme
Vania Angelova
Danses paennes sur des charbons ardents

Csar Franck
Concerto de chambre pour piano et cordes, opus 10

Joaqun Turina
Rapsodia sinfnica pour piano et cordes

Franz Schubert
Quatuor cordes no 14 en r mineur, D. 810 (La Jeune Fille et la
Mort)

Charbons ardents touches de feu, un concert exceptionnel runissant le soliste Richard Raymond et I Musici : jeudi 18 dcembre, 20 h, Salle Pollack, 555, rue Sherbrooke Ouest. Renseignements et billetterie : 514 982-6038 ou info@imusici.com Pour en savoir davantage sur notre 25e saison : www.imusici.com

Hot Coals Hot Keys
Guest soloist: Richard Raymond
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 8 PM
Pollack Hall

Brilliant Qubec pianist, Richard Raymond, and I Musici will explore some rarely heard repertoire. The Chamber Concerto by Franck is most likely a Montral premire this composition, long considered lost, was rediscovered only in the early twentieth century among manuscripts in possession of the Franck family. A delighful pianistic contrast will be provided by the great Spanish composer Turina. Schuberts beautiful Death and the Maiden will provide a perfect nineteenth century balance to the program. Then, a world premire commissioned specifically by I Musici, the sparkling Danses paennes sur charbons ardents (Pagan Dances on Hot Coals) by Vania Angelova will undoubtedly warm up the audience! Bulgarian-born Vania Angelova has lived in Montreal since 2000. Her works have been performed in Russia, Ukraine, Europe and Canada.

Photo: Richard Raymond

Richard Raymond received major prizes at the prestigious 1998 William Kapell International Piano Competition (United States) and the 1999 Vianna da Motta Competition (Portugal). Recitals, festival appearances and chamber music engagements have taken him across Canada, to Italy, Taiwan, France and the United States.

This concert is being recorded by Radio-Canada's music radio network Espace musique (100,7 FM in Montreal) for broadcast at a later date as part of Soires classiques, hosted by Michel Keable from Monday to Thursday, at 8 p.m. across Canada. It will also be available on our Espace classique Web radio service at Radio-canada.ca/espaceclassique later on.

Producer: Richard Lavalle
Executive producer: Pascale Labrie
Audio Technician: Pierre Lger
Senior Director, Espace musique: Christiane LeBlanc

Program
Vania Angelova
Danses paennes sur des charbons ardents (Pagan Dances on Hot
Coals)

Csar Franck
Chamber Concerto for Piano and Strings, Op. 10

Joaqun Turina
Rapsodia sinfnica for piano and strings

Franz Schubert
String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 (Death and the Maiden)
(String orchestra version prepared by Yuli Turovsky)

Hot Coals Hot Keys, Thursday, December 18, 8 PM, Pollack Hall, 555, Sherbrooke West, Information and tickets: 514 982-6038 or info@imusici.com . For more information: www.imusici.com


Partenaires de la Saison - Season Partners

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Plan to create international summer music festival in Niagara Region receives boost


Plan to create international summer music festival in Niagara Region receives boost

(Niagara-on-the-Lake) Niagara-on-the-Lake Town (NOTL) Council gave its support on Monday, December 2, to a project to create an international music festival in their community.

The music festival, with the working title Project Niagara, is an initiative of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre. The two organizations have been working on development and feasibility of Project Niagara together since 2004. Financial backing for their work to date has come from the two organizations themselves, as well the Province of Ontario, Falls Management Corporation, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the Niagara Economic Development Corporation.

Janice Thomson, Executive Director of the NOTL Chamber of Commerce, made a presentation to Town Council on Monday.

I am here this evening to tell you of the support that does exist in this community for Project Niagara, Thomson told NOTL councillors and a packed chamber. In a few days, I have received more than one hundred individual letters of support from residents, visitors and businesses of Niagara-on-the-Lake voicing their support for the creation of Project Niagara on the Parks Canada Lakeshore Property.

Thomson asked that councillors send a strong message to the Regional, Provincial and Federal governments of their support for the project.

Councillor Dennis Dick put forward the following motion, seconded by Councillor Jim Collard:

THAT the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake reaffirm support, in principle, the plans as proposed by Project Niagara to institute a Music Festival at the site known as the DND lands in Niagara-on-the-Lake; AND further that Project Niagara keeps the Town updated as needed on new developments in order that the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake are informed; AND that the Region of Niagara, MPP Kim Craitor Provincial Government and The Hon. Rob Nicholson, MP and the Federal Government be informed of our continued support.

Council approved the motion.

Representatives of the National Arts Centre and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra will present Project Niagaras feasibility study to NOTL Town Council on Monday, December 15th.

To view the letters presented to Council in support of Project Niagara please go to www.niagaraonthelake.com, or http://blog.projectniagara.org.


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Concerts de Nol - Orchestre Symphonique de Laval.


Nol travers le monde,

Votre incontournable rendez-vous du temps des ftes avec lOSL

Laval, le 4 dcembre 2008 Pour marquer une pause dans la frnsie de la priode des ftes, lOSL vous convie son traditionnel concert de Nol, un moment unique de recueillement et denchantement! Cette anne encore, lOSL et Alain Trudel, directeur artistique de lorchestre, vous proposent un programme la fois trs festif et empreint dune douce nostalgie, o se ctoient avec art et bonheur des airs classiques, traditionnels et fokloriques. Et parce quon clbre avec la mme ferveur tout autour de la plante, lOSL vous offre des oeuvres venues des quatre coins du monde. De lincontournable Sleigh Ride de Leroy Anderson au grandiose Jsus, que ma joie demeure de Jean-Sbastien Bach, en passant par la virevoltante Valse Empereur de Johann Strauss fils, la longvit et la popularit des uvres prsentes tmoignent, anne aprs anne, de lindniable attrait quelles exercent sur nous tous, et cest dans la joie que lOSL vous invite les fredonner avec lui! Pour ajouter la magie et lmotion de ce magnifique concert, un chur dune centaine denfants, form dlves des coles primaires Des Cdres et Marcel-Vaillancourt, sen donnera cur joie pour notre plus grand plaisir! noter que ce concert sera galement loccasion de mettre de lavant le travail darrangeur de David Martin, trombone solo de lOSL, travers trois uvres venues du Nigria, du Paraguay et des tats-Unis. Succombez la magie de Nol avec lOSL, le dimanche 14 dcembre 14 h (confrence davant-concert 13 h 15) et le mardi 16 dcembre 20 h (confrence davant-concert 19 h 15), la salle Andr-Mathieu.

AU PROGRAMME (*choeur denfants)

Sleigh Ride tats-Unis

Leroy Anderson (1908-1975)

Considr juste titre comme le matre amricain de la musique orchestrale lgre, Leroy Anderson a vu nombre de ses pices cres par le Boston Pop Orchestra.

*Choral : Jesus bleibet meine Freude - Jsus, que ma joie demeure - Tir de la Cantate BWV 147 - Allemagne
Jean-Sbastien Bach (1685-1750)

Le choral Jsus, que ma joie demeure, tir de la cantate BWV 147 ddie la fte de la Visitation, est lune des plus clbres pices musicales du rpertoire classique. Dans les annes soixante-dix, la chanteuse Frida Boccara en fit mme sa carte de visite sous le titre de Lenfant aux cymbales.

Hansel et Gretel - Allemagne

Danse de la sorcire - *Finale du 3e acte : chur des enfants en pain dpice

Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921)

Cr en Allemagne le 23 dcembre 1894, cet opra nous transporte dans lunivers des contes de fes des frres Grimm. Humperdinck a concoct une blouissante partition orchestrale dont voici la recette : dans un chaudron de sorcire, mlanger une pince de musique populaire, quelques gouttes de comptines enfantines et une orchestration tincelante. Agiter le tout la manire de Wagner. dguster pendant le temps des ftes.

Valse Empereur op. 437 - Autriche

Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka op. 214 - Autriche

Johann Strauss, fils

Marche de Radetzky op. 228 - Autriche

Johann Strauss, pre

Vienne, chaque anne depuis 1941, les Viennois ne sauraient clbrer la venue de la nouvelle anne sans assister au traditionnel Concert du Nouvel An. Au programme : des valses, des polkas, des marches et encore des valses, car pour les Viennois, fter cest danser ! Johann Strauss fils (1825-1899) a crit plus de 170 valses dont la Valse Empereur, compose pour linauguration de la nouvelle salle de concert du Knigsbau Berlin. Avec Strauss fils, la valse va dborder du cadre de la salle de bal et tournoyer jusqu la salle de concert. galement au programme, la rebondissante Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka, et une pice de celui que lon a surnomm, juste titre, le Roi de la valse, Johann Strauss pre, la Marche de Radetzky, qui clt ce lgendaire Concert du Nouvel An viennois.

ENTRACTE

*Lenfant au tambour tats-Unis

Katherine K. Davis (1892-1980)

Arr. David Martin

Compose en 1941 daprs un chant dorigine tchque, Lenfant au tambour demeure luvre la plus connue de la pianiste et compositrice amricaine Katherine K. Davis.

Fantasia on Greensleeves - Angleterre

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Tant la riche tradition musicale populaire de son pays que la quintessence raffine de la musique lisabthaine ont exerc un fort ascendant sur le compositeur anglais Vaughan Williams. Sa Fantasia on Greensleeves est tire de lopra Sir John in Love (1929), dans lequel elle servait dinterlude.

*Nochebuena paraguaya - Paraguay
Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo (1907-1982)

Arr. David Martin

Compositeur prestigieux, Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo a puis mme la tradition populaire de son pays pour donner forme son inspiration. Nochebuena, cest la Bonne Nuit, la nuit de Nol pendant laquelle les hispanophones clbrent la nativit.

*Betelehemu Nigria

Arr. David Martin

Betelehemu est un chant de Nol en dialecte yoruba, lune des 370 langues parles au Nigria. Awa yi o ri Baba gbojule proclame le chant que nous entendrons lors de ce concert - Nous sommes joyeux davoir un Pre en qui lon peut mettre notre confiance

*Les anges dans nos campagnes - France

Arr. Rozankovic

Cest la trs belle version de ce vieux Nol franais, celle du Montralais dorigine croate, Anthony Rozankovic, que lOSL a choisi dinterprter.

*White Christmas tats-Unis

Irving Berlin (1888-1989)

On dit de cette oeuvre dIrving Berlin quelle est la chanson la plus vendue de toute lhistoire de la musique et que des gnrations entires dAmricains en ont fait leur chanson culte du temps des ftes. Dailleurs, qui na jamais entendu le clbre Nol blanc interprt par Bing Crosby?

Marche de Radetzky op. 228 Voir les informations du bloc Autriche

En rsum

Concert : le dimanche 14 dcembre 14 h et le mardi 16 dcembre 20 h, la salle Andr-Mathieu de Laval

Les concerts sont une prsentation de la Maison Simons

Les billets pour ce concert sont disponibles

En ligne : www.salleandremathieu.com.

Au guichet de la salle Andr-Mathieu : 475, boul. de lAvenir, Laval

Par tlphone, billetterie de la salle Andr-Mathieu : (450) 667-2040

Via le Rseau admission : (514) 790-1245

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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Spectacle Jet Stream le 13 dcembre au MAI / Jet Stream: a concert presented at the MAI December 13


Spectacle Jet Stream le 13 dcembre au MAI
Un voyage musical intercontinental

Montral, 3 dcembre 2008 - Pour terminer l'anne 2008 en beaut, le MAI (Montral, arts interculturels) reoit le duo form par la percussionniste Catherine Meunier et la fltiste Marie-Hlne Breault pour le concert Jet Stream, samedi le 13 dcembre 20h. Ces deux membres fondatrices de l'Ensemble Mont-Royal prsenteront notamment les uvres indites de talentueux compositeurs montralais, dont l'criture contemporaine est caractrise par la fusion de rythmes, gammes et modes issus d'univers musicaux occidentaux et extra-occidentaux. Soucieux d'appuyer la cration et la diffusion d'uvres originales et novatrices dans le champ contemporain et interculturel, le MAI est heureux de prsenter ce spectacle dans le cadre de sa srie musique, Circulation. Un voyage inoubliable!

Jet Stream est bas sur la collaboration des deux musiciennes avec quatre compositeurs canadiens d'origines diverses ayant chacun une approche originale du mtissage musical : Ren Orea-Snchez (Canada / Venezuela), Katia Makdissi-Warren (Canada / Liban), Gabriel Evangelista (Canada / Espagne / Bali) et Alejandra Odgers (Canada / Mexique). Le projet vise faire connatre les processus crateurs et les uvres de ces compositeurs tout en engageant une rflexion sur le phnomne du mtissage musical et ses retombes en ce qui a trait l'interprtation. Le terme Jet Stream ( courant-jet ) rfre aux forts courants ariens intercontinentaux emprunts par les aviateurs voyageant vers l'Orient.

Catherine Meunier (percussions) s'est produite au Canada, aux tats-Unis, Taiwan, au Japon et au Mexique en tant que soliste et chambriste et a donn plusieurs classes de matre au pays. Elle est devenue en 2000 la premire percussionniste laurate du prestigieux Prix d'Europe et a aussi remport le Prix du Centre de Musique Canadienne pour la meilleure interprtation d'une uvre canadienne. Marie-Hlne Breault (flte) est directrice artistique de Erreur de Type 27, un organisme faisant la promotion de la musique contemporaine Qubec. Elle s'est vue dcerner en 2006 le 1er prix au Stockhausen-Kurse de Krten, en Allemagne et a obtenu en 2007 le prix Desjardins pour tudiants-chercheurs de l'ACFAS. Elle s'est produite avec la Socit de musique contemporaine du Qubec, Codes d'accs, Innovations en concert et l'Ensemble contemporain de Montral. www.quintettemontroyal.com

Activits gratuites autour du spectacle au caf du MAI
Rptition commente par les compositeurs, vendredi le 12 dcembre, de 19h 21h.
Table ronde sur le mtissage musical anime par le journaliste Bruno Deschnes, samedi le 13 dcembre, de 16 17h.

On peut se procurer les billets pour ce spectacle en se prsentant la billetterie du MAI, situe au 3680 rue Jeanne-Mance ou en composant le 514 982-3386.

***

Jet Stream concert at the MAI, December 13
An intercontinental musical journey

Montreal, December 3, 2008 - To cap off the year in fine style, the MAI (Montral, arts interculturels) is presenting Jet Stream, a concert by the duo of percussionist Catherine Meunier and flutist Marie-Hlne Breault, Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m. These two founding members of the Ensemble Mont-Royal will be performing unique and original pieces by various talented Montreal composers, whose contemporary approach to their craft merges rhythms, scales and modes culled from Western and non-Western musical spheres. In its ongoing aim to support the creation and exhibition of original and innovative work from both the contemporary and intercultural realms, the MAI is delighted to present this performance as part of its Circulation music series. An unforgettable journey!

Jet Stream is essentially a collaboration that joins the two musicians with four Canadian composers of various cultural backgrounds, with each having a unique and original approach to cross-cultural music: Ren Orea-Snchez (Canada / Venezuela), Katia Makdissi-Warren (Canada / Lebanon), Gabriel Evangelista (Canada / Spain / Bali) et Alejandra Odgers (Canada / Mexico). This project seeks to reveal the creative processes and musical creations of these composers, while pushing a broader reflection on the cross-cultural music phenomenon and its bearing on performance itself. The term Jet Stream refers to the strong high-altitude intercontinental air currents that aircraft "ride" eastward to the Orient.

Catherine Meunier (percussion) has performed in Canada, the United States, Taiwan, Japan, and Mexico as a soloist and chamber musician and has given several master classes here in Canada. In 2000, she became the first percussionist to win the prestigious Prix d'Europe, and that same year she was also awarded the Canadian Music Centre Prize for best performance of a Canadian work. Marie-Hlne Breault (flute) is the artistic director of Erreur de Type 27, an organization promoting contemporary music in Quebec. She was awarded first prize at Stockhausen-Kurse de Krten, in Germany in 2006 and received in 2007 the prize Desjardins pour tudiants-chercheurs from ACFAS. She has performed with la Socit de musique contemporaine du Qubec, Codes d'accs, Innovations en concert, and l'Ensemble contemporain de Montral.

www.quintettemontroyal.com

Free performance-related events at the MAI caf
Rehearsal, with commentary by the composers: Friday, December 12, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A roundtable on cross-cultural music, hosted by journalist Bruno Deschnes: Saturday, December 13, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets for this event can be purchased at the MAI box office at 3680 Jeanne-Mance or by calling 514 982-3386.



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The Canadian Music Centre Welcomes New Ontario Regional Director


December 3, 2008 (Toronto, ON) - The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) is pleased to welcome back Jason van Eyk to the post of Ontario Regional Director. Jason returns to the CMC after a one-year absence in which he helped establish the University of Toronto ArtsZone, a tri-campus support office dedicated to improving communication, coordination and collaboration with U of Ts arts community.

Were delighted to have Jason back with us said Elisabeth Bihl, the CMCs Executive Director. We trust that all he has achieved in this past year will bring a fresh approach to our ambitious new plans to build a great future for Canadian composers music.

While serving as U of T ArtsZones Director, Jason was involved with many key initiatives, including: delivering the offices multi-year strategic plan; launching the inaugural U of T Festival of the Arts; rolling out the collective arts promotion campaign U of T: Creativity Lives Here; coordinating the Universitys six-project contribution to the 2008 Scotiabank Nuit Blanche; and facilitating the initiation of a multi-level partnership with the Luminato festival.

My work with U of T ArtsZone has helped me broaden my perspective and my scope of experience in the arts, said Jason. What is most important for me now is to put this new perspective to work where it best matches my passion. This is why Im very excited to return to the Canadian Music Centre, and to be collaborating with this great community again.

Founded in 1983 as the second-youngest branch of the Canadian Music Centre, CMC-Ontario works province-wide to advance the CMCs mandate: to promote the music of its Associate Composers, to encourage the performance and appreciation of Canadian music, and to make this music widely available and accessible around the world.

CMC-Ontario serves the largest population of professional composers within the CMC network, just over 250 music creators. For these Associates, CMC-Ontario delivers a balanced portfolio of programs, projects and services to help promote and distribute their music for performance, recording, broadcast, research and general appreciation by a broad public.

Arts manager, musician and writer Jason van Eyk originally joined the CMC in 2003. He is an accomplished violist, having received a B. Mus. (magna cum laude) from the University of Ottawa and a M. Mus. from the Eastman School of Music. Jason has performed in Canada, the United States, France, Germany and Italy - on stage and in broadcast - with various ensembles and under a range of conductors including Jeanne Lamon, Leon Fleischer, Brad Lubman and Robert Shaw.

Jason completed an MBA specializing in Arts and Media Management at York University's Schulich School of Business in 2000. Since then, he has worked as Marketing Manager with the Canadian Stage Company and Marketing Coordinator (Music and Visual Arts) with Harbourfront Centre. In 2003, shortly after joining the CMC, Jason received a special commendation in the Pfizer Award for Emerging Arts Managers, a unique national honour given to deserving candidates in the earliest years of their careers.

More recently, Jason has expanded his interests into writing abut sound and music. He has contributed two essays to Coach House Bookss uTOpia series and has served as a new music columnist for the Wholenote magazine (2004 2007), as well as a contributor to numerous music industry publications.

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Boeing Boeing: Serge Postigo

Thtre Juste pour rire 2009
Boeing Boeing atterrit Montral :
Serge Postigo prend les commandes

Montral, le 2 dcembre 2008 Attention mesdames et messieurs! Aprs des atterrissages russis travers la plante, Boeing Boeing, la plus populaire comdie de lhistoire du thtre franais et prsentement un des grands succs de Broadway, se pose enfin Montral pour le Festival Juste pour rire prsent par Vidotron. Attachez vos ceintures, Boeing Boeing fait voler la comdie une altitude ingale! Grande premire, Serge Postigo prend les commandes de cet hilarant voyage et signera sa premire mise en scne au thtre. ne pas manquer, au Monument-National compter du 18 juin 2009 et au Chapiteau de Bromont partir du 6 aot 2009.

Boeing Boeing dcolle toute allure avec une intrigue irrsistible, des personnages qui incarnent toute lexubrance et la joyeuse insouciance des annes 60 et des rebondissements qui se succdent sans quon ait le temps de reprendre son souffle. Le hros de lhistoire, un charmant clibataire, a trouv la solution pour vivre en toute srnit avec trois femmes quil a promis dpouser. Son secret pour profiter des avantages de la polygamie sans en subir les inconvnients? Choisir dadorables htesses de lair de pays diffrents et harmoniser les horaires, avec la complicit de sa bonne, drlement bourrue. Mais voil que sous le regard abasourdi de son ami d'enfance, les horaires se drglent et lheureux clibataire quitte les cieux paisibles de ce bel arrangement pour entrer dans une zone de turbulence rocambolesque. Les revirements de situation senchanent alors la vitesse de croisire dun 747 alors que lappartement se transforme en tour de contrle o
notre hros et son entourage tentent de matriser la situation.

Joue plus de 20 000 fois travers la plante, cette comdie dsopilante figure au Livre des Record Guiness pour avoir t la pice franaise la plus prsente ltranger. Prs de 50 ans aprs sa parution, le texte de Marc Camoletti ne se dmode pas : la mcanique est solide et lappareil ne montre aucune trace de rouille! La pice a connu un franc succs Singapour en 2002, dans le West End (Londres) en 2007 et connat prsentement un succs monstre Broadway o elle a reu trois Tony Awards. En 1965, ce classique du thtre de comdie a t adapt au cinma amricain, avec nul autre que Jerry Lewis et Tony Curtis. Il tait plus que temps que Montral sajoute limpressionnante liste des destinations de Boeing Boeing!

Serge Postigo devient pilote
Serge Postigo est sans contredit lhomme de la situation pour piloter Boeing Boeing. Dabord, tout jeune, il rvait de devenir pilote davion. Il a ensuite dcouvert que jouer le faisait planer et il sest fait connatre par ses nombreux rles la tlvision, sur scne et au cinma. Depuis 2004, il occupe plusieurs rles dans Le Mystre dIrma Vep, la comdie succs de Juste pour rire qui compte dj plus de 125 reprsentations. lautomne 2007, il a pris les commandes de lmission culturelle a manque ma culture. Son remarquable don pour faire rire et son sens du rythme, dmontr lors de ses prestations dans diverses comdies musicales, font de lui un pilote bien quip pour prendre les commandes de ce joyeux priple.

Une escale Bromont
Avec le succs de Toc Toc lt dernier, le Chapiteau Bromont simpose dsormais comme une destination de choix pour Juste pour rire. Boeing Boeing sy posera donc ds le 6 aot et y fera escale pour un mois.

Ne manquez pas cette occasion de voir la plus populaire des comdies franaises!

Boeing Boeing
Dans le cadre du Festival Juste pour rire prsent par Vidotron
Au Monument-National ds le 18 juin 2009.
Au Chapiteau de Bromont ds le 6 aot 2009.

Les billets seront mis en vente au grand public le samedi 6 dcembre 2009 10h
la Billetterie Juste pour rire au 514 845-2322

Ou

hahaha.com

Ou

la billetterie du Monument National, 514 871-2224
la billetterie du chapiteau Bromont, 450 224-0433

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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Soundtrack Available Dec 16


Award-winning composer Alexandre Desplats score to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button creates a mesmerizing sonic mindscape that mirrors the unique emotional world of the movies lead character, Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt). Based on F. Scott Fitzgeralds short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, the score and movie explore the life of some one who is born an old man and ages backwards.

Benjamins life progresses in retrograde motion, from his birth at the close of World War I to his death at the start of the 21st century. During his backwards lifetime, he falls in love with an exquisite beauty named Daisy (Cate Blanchett). As deep and genuine as their love may be, Benjamins reverse biology makes a lasting union impossible.

Desplats haunting score creates a mystical, diaphanous haze through which we watch events in Benjamin Buttons life transpire as if through a scrim of heart-tugging sadness.

All the people Benjamin meets he loses quickly, says Desplat, as they age and die while he gets younger. Because a continuous love relationship with anyone cannot work, his life is composed of heartbreaking flashes of connection. The music has to express the movement of going inexorably forward but still backwards, and the melancholia that is the essence of Benjamins character.

The miracle of the movie is that Benjamin embraces life fully and continuously moves forward on his journey. In doing so, he transcends the limitations of his fate. As the empathic beauty of Desplats score draws us in deeper and deeper, it transforms the cinematic experience into a heartwarming affirmation of love.

The movie, says Desplat, has everything that a film can offer to a composer: A humanistic script by Eric Roth of a mans epic journey living his life biologically in reverse through a century, a heartbreaking love story played with intensity by two of the most glamorous and gifted actors of our times, the pulse of jazz in the city where he was born, a twist of witty humor, the metaphysical question of death, and the pure visual magic created by a genius director.

The composer, who was born in Paris in 1961, has received worldwide recognition for creating an ideal musical language for cinema. Desplat received his first award nomination, the Csar Award of France (the French movie industrys main equivalent to the Oscar), at the age of 36. Since then, he has been on a roll, receiving 13 other nominations and nine awards for nine different films. In the three-year period ending in 2008, his wins included the BMI Film & TV, European Film, World Soundtrack, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (The Queen); the Silver Berlin Bear, Csar, and toiles dOr Awards (De battre mon coeur sest arrt); the Golden Globe, World Soundtrack and LAFCA Awards (The Painted Veil); and Taiwans Golden Horse Award (Se, jie),

Finding a way to weave together music and dialogue with Benjamin and Daisys ongoing narration posed a particular challenge for Desplat. The music has to be powerful, yet very silent, he explains. It must be very delicate and prudent never showing off while always conveying the characters underlying emotions. And since Benjamin is a very silent man, the music must express great empathy with his situation as it illumines his moments of sadness and questioning.

To mirror Benjamins retrograde existence, Desplat created a main theme that can be played backwards as well as forwards. Other themes come and go, and chords switch from major to minor, as the clock ticks and characters disappear from the story.
The orchestras colors have to capture the genuine innocence with which Benjamin embraces the human beings that he meets through his life, and the circular motion of the adventurous world around him, says Desplat. To bring the movies sound world to life, Desplat, David Fincher, and Executive Soundtrack Album Producer and Sound Designer Ren Klyce enlist the 87 exceptional musicians of the Hollywood Studio Symphony.
The movie begins in New Orleans in the 21st century, just before Katrina hits. As it flashes back to the time of Benjamins birth, in New Orleans in 1918, and follows his retrograde journey through life, Desplats haunting music finds its counterpart in the forthright, authentic sounds of the jazz era in New Orleans, as performed by Bix Beiderbecke, The Boswell Sisters, Louis Armstrong, and other greats. The contrast between the two sound worlds, as heard on the two separate CDs, speaks volumes.
Writing this score has been a beautiful, creative experience, says Desplat. Eternal thanks to Ren Klyce, who was so supportive of my work, and David Fincher for having created such a fabulous, magical world of its own.
Paramount Pictures The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is slated for release in the U.S., Australia, and parts of Southeast Asia on December 25th, and in the rest of the world in early 2009. The soundtrack is available in stores December 16, 2008.

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Louis Lortie performs Chopin led by Thomas Sndergrd making North American debut


Canadian pianist Louis Lortie performs Chopin with NAC Orchestra led by Thomas Sndergrd in his North American debut on December 11 and 12

Ottawa (Canada) Louis Lortie, Ķone of perhaps half a dozen pianists who it is worth dropping everything to go and hear, according to Londons Daily Telegraph, performs Chopins Piano Concerto No. 1 with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12 at 8 p.m. in the NACs Southam Hall. The NAC Orchestra will be led by Danish rising star conductor Thomas Sndergrd who is making his North American debut with these concerts. The program opens with Concerto for Orchestra, a fresh creation by Canadian composer Ana Sokolovic which she says was inspired by Beethoven and Rossini. The lyric intensity of Sibeliuss Symphony No. 5, written as part of the composers 50th birthday celebrations, concludes the evening.

There will be Musically Speaking Pre-Concert Chats titled Chopin ou le matre de la petite forme offered in French both nights at 7 p.m. by music critic Jean-Jacques Van Vlasselaer.

It was pure, elegantly informed passion that drove the performance. Ķ an exquisite presentation. ĶThanks to Lortie, [it] was a night to remember. Daytona Beach News Journal

Canadian pianist Louis Lortie has been praised for the fresh perspective and individuality he brings to a deliberately broad spectrum of the keyboard canon. He is known for his interpretation of Chopin, Ravel and Beethoven and often performs major contemporary works. He has performed under the baton of conductors Kurt Masur, Seiji Ozawa, and Charles Dutoit, to name just a few. In May, 2008, Mr. Lortie concluded his multi-year project to play and conduct all 27 Mozart Piano Concertos. This season he presents Death in Venice for the first time at the Orford Festival, a special recital with film of the canals, the paintings and the reflections of Venice. Mr. Lortie has made over 30 recordings on the Chandos label, ranging from Mozart to Stravinsky. As his schedule permits, he teaches at Italys renowned piano institute at Imola.

Conductor Thomas Sndergrd, born in 1969, was described as a sensation when he made his debut with the Royal Danish Opera in 2005 and is widely regarded as one of the very best young Danish conductors. He has now conducted all the Danish orchestras and has premiered many new Scandinavian works. Notable recent debuts have included CBSO, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, all of which resulted in immediate re-invitations. Concert plans for the current season and beyond include debuts with the Orchestre Mtropolitain du Grand Montral and the Northern Sinfonia, as well as return visits to the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Radio Philharmonie Saarbrcken and many Scandinavian orchestras.

Tickets for these Bostonian Bravo Series concerts on Thursday, December 11 and Friday, December 12 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NACs website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

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Casse-Noisette est de retour en direct et en haute dfinition dans les cinmas Cineplex Divertissement


La production Casse-Noisette du Ballet national du Canada est de retour en direct et en haute dfinition en exclusivit dans 79 cinmas Cineplex Divertissement

Toronto, ON 2 dcembre 2008 (TSX: CGX.UN). la suite du trs grand succs de la toute premire diffusion de la production Casse-Noisette du Ballet national du Canada, Casse-Noisette en direct et en haute dfinition (HD) est de retour en exclusivit dans encore plus de cinmas Cineplex Divertissement partout au pays. Cette reprsentation unique du ballet Casse-Noisette sera diffuse dans les cinmas Cineplex Divertissement participants le 13 dcembre 2008 14 h HNE. La prvente de billets a dbut en ligne sur cineplex.com et la billetterie des cinmas participants.

Je suis trs fire de pouvoir partager notre production de Casse-Noisette avec les Canadiens et Canadiennes partout au pays. Cette anne, encore plus de cinmas y participent, et nous pourrons faire dcouvrir cette grande tradition des ftes un nombre encore plus grand de familles, a affirm Karen Kain, directrice artistique.

Nous sommes trs heureux de prsenter cette anne encore Casse-Noisette aux spectateurs de nos cinmas partout au Canada, a affirm Pat Marshall, vice-prsidente, Communications et relations avec les investisseurs, Cineplex Divertissement. Le ballet Casse-Noisette est une tradition des ftes que le plus de gens possibles devraient avoir la chance de dcouvrir. Nous avons ajout des cinmas afin de rendre ce spectacle le plus accessible possible.

Casse-Noisette en direct et en haute dfinition est un partenariat entre le Ballet national du Canada, Cineplex Divertissement et Bravo!. la suite de la diffusion le 13 dcembre, Casse-Noisette sera prsent sur les ondes de Bravo! une date ultrieure qui sera annonce sous peu.

Casse-Noisette en direct et en haute dfinition est rendue possible grce TD Waterhouse, et la participation financire additionnelle de John et Claudine Bailey.

Le ballet Casse-Noisette sera film au Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts de Toronto, au moyen de six camras en haute dfinition, et sera diffus en direct dans des cinmas partout au Canada, y compris les 11 cinmas suivants du Qubec :

Cinma Cineplex Odeon Brossard

9350, boul. Leduc

Brossard, Qubec

Cinma Colise Kirkland

3200, rue Jean-Yves

Kirkland, Qubec

Cinma Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin

350, rue mery

Montral, Qubec

Cinma Cineplex Odeon Beauport

825, rue Clemenceau

Beauport, Qubec

Cinma Galaxy Sherbrooke

4204, boul. Bertrand-Fabi

Sherbrooke, Qubec

Cinma Galaxy Victoriaville

1121, boul. Jutras Est

Victoriaville, Qubec

Cinma Colossus Laval

2800, rue du Cosmodme

Laval, Qubec

Cinma Banque Scotia Montral

977, rue Ste-Catherine Ouest

Montral, Qubec

Cinma Starcit Montral

4825, ave. Pierre-de-Coubertin

Montral, Qubec

Cinma Cineplex Odeon Ste-Foy

1200, boul. Duplessis

Ste-Foy, Qubec

Cinma Fleur-de-Lys

4520, boul. des Rcollets

Trois-Rivires, Qubec

Voici le prix des billets : enfants de 3 12 ans : 9,95 $, ans : 17,95 $ et adulte : 19,95 $ (les taxes sont en sus). Nous offrons aussi un forfait familial au prix de 49,95 $, qui comprend deux billets dentre pour adulte ou pour an et deux billets dentre pour enfant. Le forfait familial est seulement offert la billetterie des cinmas participants. Visitez le cineplex.com pour de plus amples dtails sur les billets et les cinmas participants.

Casse-Noisette

La production de Casse-Noisette du Ballet national du Canada fait dornavant partie de la tradition des ftes. Se droulant dans la campagne russe du 19e sicle, Casse-Noisette allie les paysages naturels dtaills et les paysages feriques et extravagants o le monde recouvert de glace scintillante de la reine des neiges et les splendeurs du palais dor de la fe Drage se ctoient. La prestation daprs-midi du 13 dcembre est dune dure de 115 minutes et comprend un entracte de 20 minutes.

Casse-Noisette : chorgraphie et libretto par James Kudelka, musique par Pyotr Ilyich Tchakovski, conception des dcors et des costumes par Santo Loquasto et conception de lclairage par Jennifer Tipton.

La production Casse-Noisette du Ballet national du Canada sera prsente du 6 au 28 dcembre au Four Seasons Centre de Toronto. Prire de visiter thenutcracker.ca pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements.

Casse-Noisette sera aussi mis en scne par diverses compagnies de ballet au Canada durant la priode des ftes dont Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral. Veuillez visiter le http://www.grandsballets.com/en/index_achat-de-billets.cfm pour plus de dtails.

Pour obtenir une liste de toutes les productions de Casse-Noisette mises en scne au Canada, prire de visiter le www.national.ballet.ca.

propos de Cineplex Divertissement LP

Cineplex Divertissement LP est la plus importante entreprise dexploitation de salles de cinma au Canada. Elle possde, loue ou exploite en coentreprise 130 cinmas totalisant 1 325 crans et accueille chaque anne quelque 61 millions dinvits. Cineplex Divertissement LP, dont le sige social est situ Toronto au Canada, exploite des cinmas de la Colombie-Britannique jusquau Qubec. Elle est la plus importante entreprise dexploitation de cinma numrique, 3D et de films en version IMAX au pays. Fire dtre canadienne, lentreprise de plus de 8 000 employs exploite les cinmas des marques reconnues suivantes: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players - qui inclut les cinmas Colise, Colossus et StarCit - en plus de la chane Cinema City et les cinmas Banque Scotia. Les parts du Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, qui dtient environ 76 % de Cineplex Divertissement LP, sont ngocies la Bourse de Toronto sous le symbole CGX.UN. Pour plus de dtails, visitez www.cineplex.com.

propos de Bravo!

Bravo! est un oasis dans le paysage tlvisuel o les spectateurs se donnent rendez-vous avec les arts, que ce soit de lopra classique, un documentaire sur lart, un concert film dans la salle de spectacle Bravo! ou un film lavant-garde, Bravo! donne loccasion aux spectateurs de vivre des expriences enrichissantes qui portent la rflexion. Donnez-vous rendez-vous avec les arts chaque soir sur les ondes de Bravo! (www.bravo.ca). Bravo! est la proprit de CTV Limited, une division de CTVglomedia, compagnie multimdia numro un du Canada.

La saison 2008-2009 est prsente par CTV et The Globe and Mail.

TD Waterhouse est le commanditaire prsentateur de la production torontoise de Casse-Noisette prsente au Four Seasons Centre.

Casse-Noisette est rendue possible grce la participation financire des assureurs de production Sandra et Jim Pitblado, Lawrence et Ann Heisey et un ami anonyme du Ballet national.

Le Ballet national du Canada est reconnaissant de la participation de : ACTRA, Canadian Actors Equity Association, I.A.T.S.E., Toronto Musicians Association, Local 149 et A.F.M.

Le Ballet national du Canada tient remercier les organismes suivants de leur appui continu : le Conseil des Arts du Canada; lOffice du dveloppement conomique et lOffice du dveloppement et de la culture de la Cit de Toronto; lHonorable James Moore, ministre fdral du Patrimoine canadien et des Langues officielles; le gouvernement de lOntario; la Fondation des arts de lOntario et la Fondation Trillium de lOntario.

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The National Ballet of Canadas The Nutcracker Live in High-Definition Returns Exclusively to 79 Cineplex Entertainment Theatres

Toronto, ON December 2, 2008 (TSX: CGX.UN) Due to the tremendous success of last years first-ever presentation of The National Ballet of Canadas The Nutcracker, The Nutcracker live in High-Definition (HD) returns exclusively to an expanded number of Cineplex Entertainment theatres across the country. The one-time only presentation of The Nutcracker will be shown in select Cineplex Entertainment theatres on December 13, 2008 at 2:00 pm EST. Advance tickets are on sale now online at www.cineplex.com as well as at participating theatre box offices.

I am extremely proud to be able to share our production of The Nutcracker with Canadians nationwide. And this year, we will expand our reach even more, bringing this great holiday tradition to a greater number of communities across the country, says Karen Kain, Artistic Director.

We are excited to once again present The Nutcracker to our theatre audiences across the country, says Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment. The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition that should be experienced by as many people as possible and we have expanded the number of theatres to ensure everyone can enjoy it.

The Nutcracker live in HD is a three-way partnership between The National Ballet of Canada, Cineplex Entertainment and Bravo!. Following the simulcast on December 13, The Nutcracker will be broadcast on Bravo! at a later date that will be announced shortly.

The Nutcracker live in HD is presented by TD Waterhouse, with additional funding by John and Claudine Bailey.

The Nutcracker will be captured by six HD cameras at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto and transmitted live via satellite to the following theatres throughout Quebec:

Cineplex Odeon Beauport Cinemas

825, rue Clemenceau

Beauport, PQ

Cineplex Odeon Brossard Cinemas

9350, boul. Leduc

Brossard, PQ

Colise Kirkland Cinemas

3200 rue Jean Yves

Kirkland, PQ

Starcit Montreal Cinemas

4825, ave. Pierre de Coubertin

Montreal, PQ

Galaxy Cinemas Sherbrooke

4204, boul. Bertrand-Fabi

Sherbrooke, PQ

Galaxy Cinemas Victoriaville

1121, boul. Jutras-Est

Victoriaville, PQ

Colossus Laval Cinemas

2800 Cosmodome Street

Laval, PQ

Scotiabank Theatre Montreal

977, Ste-Catherine W

Montreal, PQ

Cineplex Odeon Latin Quarter Cinemas

350, rue Emery

Montreal, PQ

Cineplex Odeon Ste. Foy Cinemas

1200, boul. Duplessis

Ste. Foy, PQ

Galaxy Cinemas Trois-Rivieres

4520 boul. des Rcollets

Trois-Rivieres, PQ

Admission for children ages 3-12 is $9.95, for seniors is $17.95 and general admission is $19.95, plus applicable taxes. A special Family Pack price is also being offered for $49.95, plus applicable taxes, which includes two adult or two senior admissions and two child admissions. The Family Pack is available at participating theatre box offices only. A special group rate is also available for groups of twenty or more at $16.50 per person (general admission) and $8.50 per child. For more information on group rates, call 1-800-313-4461. For more information on tickets and theatre locations, visit www.cineplex.com.

The Nutcracker

The National Ballet of Canada's The Nutcracker is a magical holiday tradition. Set in the rustic world of rural 19th-century Russia, The Nutcracker blends an affectionately detailed natural setting with an extravagant dreamscape of wonders, from the glittering, ice-coated world of the Snow Queen to the awe-inspiring splendour of the golden palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The December 13 matinee performance runs 115 minutes, with a 20 minute intermission.

The Nutcrackers choreography and libretto are by James Kudelka, music is by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set and costume design are by Santo Loquasto and lighting design is by Jennifer Tipton.

The National Ballet of Canada's The Nutcracker is live on stage in Toronto from December 6 28, 2008 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Visit thenutcracker.ca for more information and to buy tickets.

Ballet companies across Canada perform their own productions of The Nutcracker this holiday season, including Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montral. For details, visit http://www.grandsballets.com/en/spectacle.php?spectacle=10.

For a listing of all presentations of The Nutcracker on stage across Canada, visit http://www.national.ballet.ca/TheNutcracker/live.html.

About Cineplex Entertainment LP

As the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada, Cineplex Entertainment LP owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,325 screens serving approximately 61 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex Entertainment operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the largest exhibitor of digital, 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of more than 8,000, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy and Famous Players including Colossus, Coliseum and SilverCity, in addition to Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. The units of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, which owns approximately 76% of Cineplex Entertainment LP, are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol CGX.UN). For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.

About Bravo!

Bravo! is an oasis in the television landscape where viewers make a regular appointment with the arts. Whether its a classic opera, an art documentary, a concert performance in the Bravo! Concert Hall, or a cutting-edge film, Bravo! gives viewers an opportunity for enriching and thought-provoking experiences. Make an appointment with the arts each night on Bravo! (www.bravo.ca). Bravo! is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company

The 2008/09 Season is presented by CTV and The Globe and Mail.

TD Waterhouse is the presenting sponsor of the Toronto production of The Nutcracker at the
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Nutcracker is made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra & Jim Pitblado, Lawrence & Ann Heisey and an anonymous friend of the National Ballet.

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges ACTRA, Canadian Actors Equity Association, I.A.T.S.E., Toronto Musicians Association, Local 149 and A.F.M.

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Department; The Government of Canada through the Honourable James Moore, Minister, the Department of Canadian Heritage; the Government of Ontario; the Ontario Arts Foundation; the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

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Fred Sherratt receives the 2009 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award

FRED SHERRATT RECEIVES
THE 2009 WALT GREALIS SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Broadcasting pioneer and former chief of CHUM Limited to be honoured at The 2009 JUNO Awards

Toronto, ON (December 2, 2008) - The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is pleased to announce broadcasting pioneer Fred Sherratt as the recipient of the 2009 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. The Award recognizes an outstanding individual who has contributed to the growth and advancement of the Canadian music industry. Sherratt will be presented with the Award during the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards on Saturday, March 28, 2009 in Vancouver, BC.

"I am extremely honoured that CARAS has named me this year's recipient of the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award and that my name will be inscribed alongside the Canadian music greats who preceded me," said Fred Sherratt. "My entire broadcasting career has been 'mainly about the music' and it has been a privilege to participate in the dynamic growth of the Canadian music industry."

"Fred Sherratt has dedicated a lifetime to ensuring the highest broadcast standards in Canadian radio and television as well as the delivery of quality music and entertainment programs across the country," said Melanie Berry, President of CARAS.

Earlier this year, CARAS and CTVglobemedia jointly established annual music scholarships named after Fred Sherratt. The MusiCounts Fred Sherratt Awards were given out to 11 outstanding post-secondary graduates of Canadian music education programs. Sherratt is perhaps best known as the former Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer of CHUM Limited and is credited for helping to build the organization into one of Canada's leading media conglomerates.

Fred Sherratt's significant contributions to the broadcasting industry have garnered him recognition and numerous awards over his distinguished career. In 2008, Sherratt became the inaugural recipient of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted to the Broadcast Hall of Fame in 1995 by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters. He has also been awarded the CAB Distinguished Service Gold Ribbon Award in 1984, and in 1993 received the Ted Rogers Senior/Velma Rogers Graham Award for his pioneering spirit and contributions to the broadcasting system.

Sherratt began his broadcasting career in 1948 as an announcer in Truro, Nova Scotia, before moving to Ontario to work in the broadcasting division of the Thomson newspapers. In 1956, he co-founded and launched a brand new radio station in Simcoe, Ontario, AM 1560 CFRS. By 1960, Sherratt became associated with CHUM Limited operating its newly acquired station, CKPT in Peterborough, ON.

He returned to Nova Scotia in 1965 when CHUM Limited acquired CJCH Radio Halifax. In 1969, he was appointed Vice President Programming and Operations and a Director of CHUM Limited and moved to Toronto.

In 1971, Sherratt partnered with CHUM Limited and a group of Nova Scotia investors to purchase CJCH-TV, which he subsequently developed into the Atlantic Television System (ATV). After a decade of building the brand, ATV launched the Atlantic Satellite Network (ASN), the first advertiser-supported, satellite-delivered television service of its kind that essentially operated without any broadcast transmitters. ASN also served as the Educational Television Service in Atlantic Canada through a unique public/private partnership of universities, governments and CHUM. Sherratt continued to work as a Director of CTV Television Network Limited during the years that CHUM owned ATV.

After nearly four decades since becoming involved with CHUM Limited, Sherratt retired from his role as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in September 2000 when he was appointed Vice Chair of the company, a position he held for three years.

Sherratt continues to actively participate in industry affairs and has served on the boards and committees of most major broadcasting associations in Canada. He was a Director and member of the Executive Committee of Canadian Association of Broadcasters as well as the Television Bureau of Canada, and served a three-year term as Chairman of the Board of BBM, Bureau of Broadcast Measurement.

He was also a Director of Balmur Entertainment Ltd., founded by Canadian songbird Anne Murray, overseeing its music television properties, song catalogue and record production activities. Sherratt currently serves on the Board of Governors of Trent University.

For a complete list of Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award recipients, go to www.junoawards.ca. A high-resolution photo of Fred Sherratt is also available for download on the JUNO Awards website.

Sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards include FACTOR, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage's "Canada Music Fund," The Province of British Columbia, The City of Vancouver, Music BC and Radio Starmaker Fund.

Broadcast sponsors of The 2009 JUNO Awards are Garnier, Pepsi, Pontiac and Rogers.

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'academie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards. For more information on the 38th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' (CARAS) please visit our websites at
www.carasonline.ca and www.junoawards.ca.

About CTV:
CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster, offers a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming. It has the number-one national newscast, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LLOYD ROBERTSON, and is the number-one choice for prime-time viewing. CTVglobemedia Inc. is Canada's premier multi-media company which owns CTV Inc. and The Globe and Mail. CTV Inc. also owns radio stations across the country, and leading national specialty channels. Other CTVglobemedia investments include an interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and in Dome Productions, a North American leader in the provision of mobile high definition production facilities. More information about CTV may be found on the company website at
www.ctv.ca.

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Monday, December 1, 2008

Music in Monk Time featuring Jane Fair and Jane Bunnett


MUSIC IN MONK TIME

FEATURING JANE FAIR AND JANE BUNNETT

December 14, 2008 3:00 pm. at the Art of Jazz Salon

TORONTO The Art of Jazz is pleased to announce that, on Sunday December 14, 2008 at 3:00 p.m., MUSIC IN MONK TIME, a band devoted to the compositions of Thelonious Monk is performing for the first time in 20 years. Formed by Jane Fair and Jane Bunnett in 1988, this band performed at all the major venues across Ontario. With wall to wall crowds at their final performance at the Bermuda Onion, Geoff Chapman stated Monk Time, a good time for a long time (Toronto Star, December 1990).

Jane Fair is heard too infrequently in Toronto. Her recent release Chances Are on Cellar Live, has received stunning reviews and made two of CODA Magazine's critic's top ten lists for 2007. Jane Fair was Jane Bunnetts first teacher and is considered to be a groundbreaking female jazz artist in Canada. Their collaboration and contrasting styles are perfect for the music of Thelonius Monk. They will be joined on stage by Kieran Overs, Norman Marshall Villeneuve, Mark Kieswetter, Larry Cramer and Bonnie Lester.

This concert is the pre-launch of an exciting new Art of Jazz Salon series that will begin in 2009\ and will feature both local and international jazz artists performing in this intimate, acoustic setting. For further information about Art of Jazz concerts, clinics, and workshops, go to www.artofjazz.org.

Tickets prices are $15 and seating is very limited. Performance begins at 2:00 pm. Tickets go on sale December 1 at the Art of Jazz Studio 416 840-7663 or by email jazz@artofjazz.org. The Art of Jazz Salon is located at The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill Street, Building 74, Studio 202.

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Piaf: Love Conquers All

PIAF: LOVE CONQUERS ALL

a passionate one woman musical drama by Roger Peace with 13 French songs originally performed by Edith Piaf

presented by Tone Poet Productions

A story of courage and love, Edith Piaf lived to sing. Her life and songs are interchangeable.

Her place in history irreplaceable.

Cast:

Naomi Emmerson as Edith Piaf, piano: John Gilbert

Associate Director: Adam Blanshay

Location: Centaur Theatre, 453 St Franois-Xavier, Old Montreal (Metro: Place D'Armes), Quebec H2Y 2T1 Canada

Dates: January 28th February 8th 2009

Times: Matinee: Wed., Sat. & Sun. 3pm,

Evening: Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. 7:30pm

Tickets: General Admission $36.50 - $42.00 (tax included), Seniors $36.50

Students/Theatre Professionals: $30.00, Group Rate (10+) $36.50,

Student or Senior Groups (15+) $27.50, Rush tickets (10 per show one hour before curtain) $24.00 cash only

(prices include GST and QST. Ticket charges will apply)

Box Office: (514) 288-3161

Click below to see the Promo Video on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiLgN3UDpZ4

Show Synopsis

The Off- Broadway hit, Piaf: Love Conquers All presents the life and loves of the remarkable French singer who stood only 4'10". Born in 1915 in the streets of Paris in abject poverty, she rose to international stardom. Her voice is unique and her music reaches through generations and across oceans. Though extremely successful, she struggled with morphine addiction and alcohol abuse. Rheumatism crippled her health, but she never stopped singing. Through Peace's intimate and touching script Ms. Emmerson, as Piaf, invites the audience to share a cocktail while she shares anecdotes of her passion for men, music and morphine. Some of Piaf's most famous songs "La Vie En Rose", "Milord", "Non, Je ne Regrette Rien" - are presented in French and are beautifully supported by live acoustic piano. Runs approximately 105 minutes plus a 15 minute intermission. www.lvrproductions.com

Tone Poet Productions (formerly LVR Productions) with Naomi Emmerson as the Artistic Producer and Jake Langley as President, was created in Toronto, Canada in 2005 to present the production Piaf: Love Conquers All at The Toronto Fringe Festival. It was picked as "Top Ten of The Fringe" and tickets sold out! The production then toured Ontario and Quebec, Canada in the summer of 2006 to great success. The Company is now based in Brooklyn and was honored to present the USA Premiere of this bilingual drama as part of the FringeNYC. The production was awarded "Outstanding Musical" and was chosen to participate in The Fringe Encore Series. It had its official Off-Broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse and ran for 10 weeks in 2007-2008. It played at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in South Carolina and then in the Philippines. Piaf: Love Conquers All was written in 1992 and was first performed by Patsy Gallant in Montreal at the Diligence Dinner Theatre then at The Place Des Arts. Ms. Emmerson first performed it in Toronto in 1993 at the Limelight Supper Club.

Review quotes:

"Emmerson brings audiences just about as close to the real-life woman as they may ever get." Curtain Up

"Emmerson possesses a remarkable voiceĶthe "Little Sparrow" in Piaf flies." Village Voice

"Ķ gorgeous singingĶmakes the songs fresh and powerful." offoffonline.com

"Emmerson delivers a true tour de force performanceĶtruly a theatrical force to be reckoned with" nytheatre.com

"a bewitching work of heart and soul." Cabaret Exchange

"Emmerson's stunningly passionate portrayal of Piaf transcends any language." Curtain Up

"4 stars"- she's hard to look away from." Time Out New York

"EmmersonĶpaints a portrait of a real person, and you'll regret rien by seeing her." The Toronto Star

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Stphanie Lapointe, porte-parole du 4e Festival de films sur les droits de la personne de Montral

STPHANIE LAPOINTE, auteure-compositeure-interprte,
porte-parole du 4e Festival de films sur les droits de la personne de Montral
du 12 au 22 mars 2009 Montral,
dans le cadre de la 10e Semaine dactions contre le racisme
au Cinma du Parc et au Cinma ONF
www.ffdpm.com

Lancement du 1er concours de photoreportage sur les droits humains


Le Festival de films sur les droits de la personne de Montral (FFDPM) a le plaisir dannoncer que lauteure-compositeure-interprte, STPHANIE LAPOINTE, artiste de talent galement implique dans des causes humanitaires et sociales, a accept dtre la porte-parole de cette 4e dition qui se droulera du 12 au 22 mars 2009 Montral, au Cinma du Parc et au Cinma ONF, dans le cadre de la 10e Semaine dactions contre le racisme (SACR). Lartiste lancera son prochain album qui paratra au Qubec et en France en fvrier 2009 sur MUSICOR.

Certains films de la programmation seront galement prsents au Muse de la Civilisation Qubec. Le FFDPM annonce galement le lancement du 1er concours de photoreportage sur les droits humains.

Membre du Human Rights Film Network, et linstar des autres grandes villes comme New York, Paris, Londres ou Genve, le FFDPM veut rappeler par le 7e art, limportance du respect des droits et liberts de la personne, et rendre un hommage aux nombreux artisans qui utilisent leur camra pour porter un regard non censur sur la condition humaine partout dans le monde. Par la prsentation de films documentaires et de fiction en provenance de plusieurs pays, de dbats aprs les projections avec ses invits, le FFDPM dsire crer un espace de dialogue autour de la problmatique de lintolrance et dnoncer les atteintes la dignit.

Pour sa 4e dition, une partie de la programmation sera consacre au devoir de mmoire et de conscience travers plusieurs uvres invoquant des faits qui ont marqu notre poque. Le FFDPM soulignera, par une programmation spciale, le 20e anniversaire de la Convention relative aux droits de lenfant, document important adopt par lONU le 20 novembre 1989. Un hommage lIrak sera prsent le jour du 6e anniversaire de linvasion de ce pays, soit le 20 mars 2009. Des uvres qui tmoignent de limportance de lart comme outil de mobilisation et de rsistance en zone de conflit et comme instrument de paix seront galement prsentes au cours de cette dition, sous le thme Art et rsistance. Ne dtournez pas le regard !

Festival comptitif, le FFDPM remettra, cette anne encore, plusieurs prix, dont un prix du public.

1er concours de photoreportage sur les droits humains
Beaucoup de photographies sont devenues travers le temps des icnes dune poque ou dun conflit. Ce concours organis par Anthropographia, ouvert jusquau 15 janvier 2009, est offert tous les photographes qui dsirent faire connatre leurs uvres et manifester leur engagement dans le domaine des droits humains. Les photographies slectionnes seront prsentes sous la forme d'expositions et de diaporama sur les sites et crans du 4e FFDPM. Inscriptions sur le site http://anthropographia.org <http://anthropographia.org> ou www.anthropographia.com

Un jury compos de Franois Bugingo (journaliste et animateur, prsident et porte parole de Reporters sans frontires Canada), Benot Aquin (photographe, laurat du prix Pictet 2008), Pierre Pascal (Rdacteur en chef du magazine francophone Passe-Frontire ), Mary Ellen Davis (ralisatrice de documentaires engags) et Roy Hartling (photographe), remettra trois prix.

STPHANIE LAPOINTE
http://www.stephanielapointe.mu
Auteure, compositeure et interprte de talent, Stphanie Lapointe est aussi une artiste engage qui dsire promouvoir certains projets de dveloppement international. En 2005, elle est porte-parole de lexpdition Au sommet pour Care, et gravit, au profit de la fondation Care Canada, le plus haut sommet dAfrique, le Kilimandjaro. Elle est depuis lautomne 2007, lambassadrice dUnicef Qubec.

Au printemps 2008, elle est de laventure de ciel ouvert, et part, avec les cinastes Eza Paventi et Dominique Laurence, au Soudan et au Rwanda, afin de raliser, avec le soutien de Radio-Canada International et dUNICEF Qubec, six courts mtrages qui racontent le quotidien des hommes, des femmes et des enfants qui ont vu leur existence bouleverse suite aux crises humanitaires au Darfour et au Rwanda. Des sujets tels que le courage, la rsilience et le souvenir sont abords travers six rcits personnels. Quatre de ces portraits documentaires seront prsents au 4e FESTIVAL DE FILMS SUR LES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE DE MONTRAL, dans le cadre dune projection-confrence. Depuis son sjour au Rwanda et au Darfour, Stphanie a pour projet un long-mtrage documentaire.

Laurate du concours Star Acadmie en mars 2004, Stphanie Lapointe fait ensuite des dbuts remarqus la tlvision dans la srie Le Ngociateur. En 2005, elle interprte le rle de la jeune mre d'Aurore dans le film ponyme ralis par Luc Dionne. Son premier album, Sur le fil, est en nomination aux Prix Juno 2005 dans la catgorie meilleur album francophone . En 2006, Stphanie reoit deux nominations lors du 28e gala de l'ADISQ : Rvlation de l'anne et Meilleur vido clip pour la chanson La mer, ralis par Dominique Laurence, galement couronn Best French Video lors de la soire des Much Music video Awards Toronto.

Stphanie Lapointe travaille l'criture et aux arrangements de son prochain album qui paratra au Qubec et en France en fvrier 2009 sur MUSICOR.

Conseil des gouverneurs
Le FFDPM est soutenu par un Conseil des gouverneurs constitu en 2006, qui regroupe des personnalits reconnues pour leur engagement social, politique, conomique et culturel, et proccupes par les questions des droits de la personne. Le FFDPM est depuis janvier 2007, membre du Human Rights Film Network (HRFN), rseau international fond Prague en 2004 dans le but de promouvoir le cinma engag en le rendant accessible au plus grand nombre, et daccrotre la circulation des films consacrs aux droits humains dans les festivals.
www.ffdpm.com / www.inforacisme.com

Le Festival de films sur les droits de la personne de Montral (FFDPM) remercie ses partenaires, Amnistie internationale, la Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, Equitas, CIDIHCA, le Cinma ONF et Images interculturelles.



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Bravissimo/Dec 28/RTH


BRAVISSIMO! The Greatest Hits of Opera!

Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 2:30 PM /Roy Thomson Hall

Tickets $155 - $75 - 416-872-4255 or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

www.roythomson.com / www.masseyhall.com


Bravissimo! The Greatest Hits of Opera! is a dazzling performance of beloved arias, duets and overtures from the worlds most popular operas. Opera aficionados and newcomers to the world of opera enthusiastically embraced this innovative opera extravaganza last year as it premiered in Torontos acoustically perfect Roy Thomson Hall. This year Bravissimo! returns to Toronto, followed by a debut performance in the renowned Orchestra Hall at Symphony Center in Chicago.

Featuring an all-star international cast, Bravissimo! offers opera lovers an afternoon of irresistible melodies from such favourites as Carmen, Madame Butterfly, The Barber of Seville, Samson and Delilah, La Bohme, The Pearl Fishers and many more. Leading this stellar cast will be the famous Italian Maestro, Giovanni Reggioli, with Japanese star soprano Akiko Nakajima, star mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera from Spain, an exciting new tenor, Daro Schmunck, from Argentina, and Canadas own prominent tenor, Marc Hervieux. Completing this impressive line up of international singers will be a young and already leading baritone, Lucas Meachem, from the United States. To complement the cast will be Narrator Rick Phillips, a well-known Canadian broadcaster, writer and lecturer in the world of opera.

Elegant phrasing, intense, eloquent, disciplined, incandescent are but a few of the words used to describe the conducting of the young Italian maestro, Giovanni Reggioli. Throughout his impressive career he has led many world-acclaimed orchestras, worked with celebrated conductors including Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Chailly and Bruno Bartoletti, conducted Washingtons Operalia Gala featuring Placido Domingo, as well as the Washington Opera Gala, televised for PBS, working alongside Valery Gergiev. For Bravissimo! Maestro Reggioli will be conducting the 75-piece Opera Canada Symphony in Toronto and in Chicago a 75-piece orchestra assembled from the Chicago Philharmonic, featuring members of Lyric Operas orchestra.

For artist bios and more information, please visit www.glatzconcerts.com.

Co-presented with Attila Glatz Concert Productions

Bravissimo! The Greatest Hits of Opera!

Sunday, December 28, 2008 at 2:30 PM / Roy Thomson Hall

60 Simcoe Street, Toronto

Tickets $155 - $75 - Call 416-872-4255 or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

www.roythomson.com

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Dec 14: Christmas FanFair concer presented by NACO Players' Association


National Arts Centre Orchestra Players Association presents

Christmas FanFair concert

Sunday, December 14

Bake sale 10:30 a.m. Concert 12 noon.

The musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra present their ever-popular annual Christmas FanFair Concert and Carol Sing-Along in support of the Snowsuit Fund and the Food Bank in the main foyer of the National Arts Centre at 12 noon.

Come early at 10:30 for the famous annual bake sale of home-baked seasonal specialties by the Friends of the NAC Orchestra. Light lunch and refreshments available for purchase in the foyer.

Hosted by Max Keeping, this free one-hour concert will feature the musicians of the NAC Orchestra conducted by Winston Webber and the renowned Ottawa Regional Youth Choir under director Kevin Reeves. There will also be, as usual, a few surprises along the way.

Of course, the concert will include the famous FANFAIR CHRISTMAS CAROL SING-ALONG FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Santa Claus himself will be in attendance! Bring the whole family!

Begun in 1989, this the second decade for the Christmas FanFair benefit produced by the musicians of the National Arts Centre Orchestra to benefit the Snowsuit Fund and the Food Bank.

Free parking until 14:00 at the NAC! (FanFair audience only)


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Ottawa Chamber Music Society - Constantinople cancelled

Ottawa (December 1, 2008) The Ottawa Chamber Music Society, the National Arts Centre and the Gryphon Trio announced today that they are canceling their co-presentation of Constantinople originally scheduled for two performances, on Wednesday February 4 and Thursday February 5 at 7:30 PM in the National Arts Centre Theatre.

"We deeply regret having to make this decision but it is the prudent thing to do in these uncertain economic times. Constantinople is the result of a remarkable artistic journey that the Gryphon Trio was looking forward to sharing with Ottawa audiences, but it is a complex and expensive production to mount. By withdrawing Constantinople at this time, we make it easier for the Society to concentrate its resources on its primary activity, the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival," stated co-Artistic Director and Gryphon Trio member Roman Borys.

In place of Constantinople, the Gryphon Trio and special guest mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah will present a benefit concert for the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival featuring a spectacular all-Beethoven program. The concert will take place at Dominion-Chalmers United Church and will include a selection of Beethoven's charming Op. 108 Scottish Songs, the Trio in G major Op. 1, No. 2, and will conclude with the Trio in B flat Op. 97 Archduke, one of the greatest chamber works of all time.

"The National Arts Centre supports this difficult decision. It's a challenging time for the arts in our community. The Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival has become a pillar of the classical music scene and we want to do what we can to see the Festival flourish for years to come," said Christopher Deacon, Managing Director NACO.

All Constantinople ticket holders have been personally contacted and offered a refund.

Single tickets for the benefit concert can be purchased for the special sale price of $30- $47 and are available at the Ottawa Chamber Music Society box office only or by calling 613-234-8008. Special holiday subscriptions are available through the OCMS box office with benefits including access to the best seats in the house and up to 60% savings.

***


Ottawa (1er dcembre 2008) La Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa, le Centre national des arts et le Gryphon Trio annoncent aujourd'hui qu'ils annulent leur coproduction de Constantinople qui devait tre prsente les mercredi 4 et jeudi 5 fvrier 2009 19h30 au Thtre du Centre national des arts.

Nous regrettons profondment de devoir prendre cette dcision, que la prudence nous dicte en ces temps incertains. Constantinople, aboutissement d'un cheminement artistique remarquable que le Gryphon Trio souhaitait partager avec l'auditoire Outaouais, est complexe et coteux produire. En retirant Constantinople ce moment, il sera plus facile la Socit de ddier ses nergies son activit de premier plan, le Festival international de musique de chambre d'Ottawa a dclar le co-directeur artistique et membre du Gryphon Trio, Roman Borys.

En lieu et place de Constantinople, le Gryphon Trio et leur invite spciale, la mezzo-soprano Julie Nesrallah, prsenteront en concert bnfice pour le Festival international de musique de chambre d'Ottawa un programme tout- Beethoven. Le concert aura lieu le jeudi 5 fvrier 19h30, l'glise-Unie Dominion-Chalmers. On y entendra entre autres des extraits des charmants Chants d'cosse (Op. 108), le Trio in sol majeur Op. 1, No. 2 et le Trio en si bmol Op. 97 (Archiduc), l'une des plus grandes uvres de chambre de tous les temps.

Le Centre national des arts soutient cette difficile dcision. Les temps sont durs pour notre communaut artistique. Le Festival international de musique de chambre d'Ottawa est devenu un pilier de la scne musical classique et nous tenons faire tout ce que nous pouvons afin qu'il florisse dans les annes venir , a dclar le directeur administratif de l'OCNA, Christopher Deacon.

Tous les dtenteurs de billet pour Constantinople ont t personnellement contacts et ont reu une offre de remboursement.

Les billets pour le concert bnfice sont en vente au cot de 30 $ 47 $ et sont disponibles uniquement auprs de la billetterie de la Socit de musique de chambre d'Ottawa ou en appelant le 613-234-8008. Des abonnements spciaux du temps des Ftes sont disponibles auprs de la billetterie de la SMCO. Les bnfices incluent l'accs aux meilleures places et des rabais allant jusqu' 60.

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