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 EVOC���s 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 EVOC���s signature operatic arias (fifteen songs from the band���s 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 Kiesewalter���s 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. It���s 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 David���s maturation as an artist and expressing the breadth of his enormous creative range,��� said David Harrison, executive director of Parsons Dance.

EVOC���s 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 CD���s, 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 dance���s 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 19^th 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 Year���s 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, Jacob���s 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 Verdi���s Aida. The Arena is one of Italy���s most respected operatic venues. In September 2007, he directed and choreographed Gotham Chamber Opera���s production of Mar��a de Buenos Aires, which made its world premiere at a sold-out engagement in New York, at NYU���s Skirball Center for the Arts.

East Village Opera Company was formed in New York City���s East Village in 2004 by Canadians Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross. The East Village Opera Company turned the heads of New York���s music community with a series of electric genre defying shows at Joe���s 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 band���s appeal is evident in both cases. The Chicago Tribune raved ���Nobody puts a fresher, friskier contemporary spin on opera���s 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. EVOC���s 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 Canterbury���s 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 Who���s 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 York���s Joe���s Pub. Within a year the band had signed a multi-record deal with Decca/Universal, and has since released two CD���s: East Village Opera Company (2005) and Olde School (2008). Tyley has his master���s degree in voice studies from London���s 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 O���Neill 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 Dragone���s Carmen, which premiered at The Jolla Playhouse and will open in Madrid, 2009. She is currently writing lyrics for Cirque du Soleil���s, Le Reve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. AnnMarie���s 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 LuEsther���s 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 Joyce���s 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 19^th 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

Free concerts: New Music, Classics, Jazz

Chamber Music America (CMA)���the national service organization for the chamber music profession���will 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. Luke���s Lutheran Church, 308 W. 46^th 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. Luke���s Lutheran Church, 308 W. 46^th 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

Annonce de publication CMBV

Choral Masses and No��ls at the time of Louis XV: Louis Gr��non, a composer rediscovered at Le Puy-en-Velay

These four amazingly modern masses by Louis Gr��non, 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 No��ls pour ch��ur au temps de Louis XV : Louis Gr��non, un compositeur red��couvert au Puy-en-Velay

Les partitions des 4 messes de Louis Gr��non, ��dit��es par Jean Duron au Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles, viennent compl��ter notre connaissance du r��pertoire sacr�� du temps de Louis XV. Ces ��uvres, dont on d��couvrira la grande qualit�� musicale et la modernit��, sont les premi��res publications issues de la d��couverte r��cente d'un fonds musical au Puy-en-Velay. La Messe en No��l, parodiant notamment des th��mes 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 aust��re mais br��ve Missa quinti toni r��servent ��galement de tr��s belles surprises. Toutes se chantent en ch��ur avec basse continue, parfois avec deux bassons concertants.

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

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 Asia���s largest music industry event

Music China, Asia���s 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 world���s 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 11^th 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. What���s 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

WSO's 12 Reasons to Celebrate!

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 Beethoven���s 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 WSO���s 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 WSO���s promotional and educational programs. 7. 2nd annual WSO Conducting Symposium attracts international participants The WSO���s 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. Women���s Committee makes generous contribution to WSO Endowment Fund, in honour of 60th Anniversary At a recital on November 23, 2008, the Women���s Committee of the WSO presented a cheque for $10,000 in honour of the Orchestra���s 60th Anniversary last year. These funds are to be contributed to the WSO Endowment Fund which is held in the Winnipeg Foundation. The Women���s 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 sstemler@wso.mb.ca 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.

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 Centre���time well spent.

Programmes de subventions du CALQ 2009-2010

Montr��al, 19 d��cembre 2008 - Les programmes de subventions pour le fonctionnement et les projets pour l'ann��e 2009-2010 du Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qu��bec (CALQ) sont disponibles sur son site Web, �� ses bureaux �� Montr��al et �� Qu��bec. Les dates limites d'inscription pour la plupart d'entre eux sont les 1er et 15 mars 2009.

Ces programmes sont destin��s aux organismes artistiques et litt��raires afin de soutenir leur fonctionnement, leurs projets de production, de promotion, de diffusion, de tourn��es au Qu��bec ou hors Qu��bec, d'accueil de spectacles ��trangers, ainsi que l'organisation d'��v��nements 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 sc��ne, des arts m��diatiques, des arts visuels, des m��tiers d'art, de l'architecture et de la litt��rature.

Pour 2009-2010, le Conseil a adopt�� trois orientations qui le guideront dans l'attribution des subventions au fonctionnement aux organismes m��ritants. Pour l'ann��e 2009-2010, il consid��rera en priorit�� les organismes ��mergents ou de la rel��ve, ceux qui proposent des initiatives structurantes (services collectifs, mise en commun de ressources, fusion, etc.) ou ceux qui apportent une contribution compl��mentaire au d��veloppement de la discipline, de la r��gion ou de publics.

Depuis 1994, le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Qu��bec soutient dans toutes les r��gions du Qu��bec la cr��ation, l'exp��rimentation et la production dans les domaines des arts de la sc��ne, des arts visuels, des arts m��diatiques, de la recherche architecturale, des m��tiers d'art et de la litt��rature et en favorise le rayonnement au Qu��bec, 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.

La nuit de No��l �� l'��glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste

La nuit de No��l �� l'��glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste
lorsque le Myst��re s'exprime aussi en musique

C'est par un r��cital de l'organiste Jacques Boucher que s'amorcera la nuit de la Nativit��, le 24 d��cembre �� 21 h 30, en l'��glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montr��al.

Voir le COMMUNIQU�� en pi��ce jointe.

Chantal Poulin
Coordonnatrice des ��v��nements culturels
��glise Saint-Jean-Baptiste,
4237, avenue Henri-Julien, Montr��al, Qc, H2W 2K7
T��l��phone : 514 842-9811, T��l��copieur : 514 842-8450
www.eglisestjeanbaptiste.com
info@eglisestjeanbaptiste.com

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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 Canada���s 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 L���Op��ra de Montr��al 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 Wagner���s 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.

Opera America Announces Opera Fund Director-Designer Showcase Finalists

New York, NY���OPERA 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 America���s 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 America���s 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 field���s 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 America���s 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 Fund���s 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

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 MJF���s 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 country���s 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. Moody���s 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 label���s 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.

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

Communiqu�� D��claration de la FCCF �� l'annonce du nouveau Cabinet Charest : La responsabilit�� envers la francophonie canadienne serait-elle remise en question? Ottawa, 18 d��cembre 2008 - La Pr��sidente de la FCCF, Mme Raymonde Boulay-Leblanc a ��mis la d��claration 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 f��licitations au nouveau ministre mais avoue ��tre tr��s inqui��te car ce portefeuille perd le titre de ministre responsable de la Francophonie canadienne. �� l'heure actuelle, alors que les milieux artistiques et culturels qu��b��cois et franco-canadiens �� travers le pays vivent une crise sans pr��c��dent, la solidarit�� au sein de notre francophonie canadienne est non seulement de mise mais se doit de rester prioritaire. Dans la l��gislature pr��c��dente, le poste de Ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et ministre responsable de la Francophonie canadienne occup�� par M. Pelletier a toujours jou�� un r��le 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 v��ritable volont�� politique vis-��-vis de la francophonie canadienne, et finalement que va-t-il advenir des ��nonc��s de la Politique en mati��re de francophonie canadienne du gouvernement du Qu��bec? �� Dans ce contexte particulier, la FCCF veut rencontrer prochainement le Premier Ministre du Qu��bec et le Ministre responsable des Affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes et entend obtenir des r��ponses claires. Pour Mme Boulay-LebLanc �� Il est ��vident que la FCCF va continuer de collaborer avec le gouvernement du Qu��bec. Nous partageons une vision commune de notre avenir francophone. Il faut consolider voire augmenter les ��changes avec la communaut�� artistique et culturelle qu��b��coise ; nos artistes, nos organismes, nos cr��ations 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 !

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 EVOC���s 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 EVOC���s signature operatic arias (fifteen songs from the band���s 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 Kiesewalter���s 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. It���s 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 David���s maturation as an artist and expressing the breadth of his enormous creative range,��� said David Harrison, executive director of Parsons Dance.

EVOC���s 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 CD���s, 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 dance���s 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 19^th 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 Year���s 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, Jacob���s 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 Verdi���s Aida. The Arena is one of Italy���s most respected operatic venues. In September 2007, he directed and choreographed Gotham Chamber Opera���s production of Mar��a de Buenos Aires, which made its world premiere at a sold-out engagement in New York, at NYU���s Skirball Center for the Arts.

East Village Opera Company was formed in New York City���s East Village in 2004 by Canadians Peter Kiesewalter and Tyley Ross. The East Village Opera Company turned the heads of New York���s music community with a series of electric genre defying shows at Joe���s 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 band���s appeal is evident in both cases. The Chicago Tribune raved ���Nobody puts a fresher, friskier contemporary spin on opera���s 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. EVOC���s 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 Canterbury���s 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 Who���s 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 York���s Joe���s Pub. Within a year the band had signed a multi-record deal with Decca/Universal, and has since released two CD���s: East Village Opera Company (2005) and Olde School (2008). Tyley has his master���s degree in voice studies from London���s 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 O���Neill 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 Dragone���s Carmen, which premiered at The Jolla Playhouse and will open in Madrid, 2009. She is currently writing lyrics for Cirque du Soleil���s, Le Reve, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. AnnMarie���s 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 LuEsther���s 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 Joyce���s 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 19^th 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

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

Montr��al , le jeudi 18 d��cembre - 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 s��r, �� Venise, pour la peinture et la musique. Plus qu'une ��volution, c'est une r��volution qui va se r��pandre largement en Europe et s'y d��velopper pendant des d��cennies. 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 d��ferlement de cette musique baroque sur toute l'Europe, avec des compositions de musiciens italiens que nous pourrons d��couvrir ou red��couvrir.

Giuseppe Valentini (1681-1753) est originaire de Florence. Violoniste, peintre, po��te 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 v��cu en Allemagne, chez le Duc de W��rtember, jusqu'�� sa mort, en 1758. De ce compositeur, Arion a choisi d'interpr��ter les trois mouvements du Concerto en sib majeur pour violon, basson, cordes et continuo (op.1)

Pietro Antonio Locatelli est n�� �� Bergame en 1695. ��l��ve de Corelli �� Rome, il est surtout reconnu comme un virtuose du violon. Certains le voient, aujourd'hui comme le pr��curseur de Paganini. Apr��s 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 admir��s de son temps. Le �� pr��tre roux �� est, aujourd'hui, consid��r�� comme l'un des plus importants compositeurs de la p��riode baroque. Au programme de ce concert, le Concerto en r�� mineur pour fl��te, violon, basson et continuo RV 96. Puis nous entendrons Cessate Omai Cessate ainsi qu'une des ��uvres les plus c��l��bres de Vivaldi, le Stabat Mater pour alto, cordes et continuo, deux ��uvres interpr��t��es par Matthew White, alto masculin.

: : : Soliste invit�� : Matthew White, alto masculin

La carri��re d'artiste lyrique du montr��alais Matthew White l'a d��j�� men�� partout en Am��rique du Nord, en Europe, ainsi qu'en Asie et en Nouvelle-Z��lande. On l'a vu �� l'��uvre dans des productions d'op��ra 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'Isra��l, 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'ann��e 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. V��ritable porte-drapeau qu��b��cois, 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, pr��s de 25 disques enregistr��s et des invit��s 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 d��buts, l'orchestre a la volont�� de partager sa passion et de faire vivre l'exp��rience 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 Montr��al (220 avenue Vincent-d'Indy, Montr��al)

Billets : 29$ - 52$

28 janvier 2009, 20h

Salle Redpath de l'Universit�� McGill (3461 rue McTavish, Montr��al)

Billets : 21$ - 42$

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

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 country���s 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 Op��ra national de Lyon (1997), the Berlin Philharmonic (1999), the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (2003) and, in April 2008, with the Orchestre symphonique de Montr��al. 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.

Op��ra - The Rape of Lucretia

��cole de musique Schulich de l'Universit�� McGill

Concerts et publicit��

Op��ra McGill pr��sente

The Rape of Lucretia de Benjamin Britten

les 28, 30 et 31 janvier 2009, Salle Pollack

Montr��al, le jeudi 18 d��cembre 2008 ��� Le mercredi 28 janvier, le vendredi 30 janvier et le samedi 31 janvier, �� 19 h 30, �� la salle Pollack, Op��ra McGill pr��sente The Rape of Lucretia de Benjamin Britten. La production sera sous-titr��e en fran��ais et en anglais. Les billets sont en vente au guichet de la salle Pollack au prix de 27 $ et de 22 $ (��tudiants et a��n��s), du lundi au vendredi, de 12 h �� 18 h et une heure avant chaque repr��sentation. Information et guichet : 514-398-4547. Les billets sont ��galement en vente sur le r��seau ADMISSION. Cette production comprend 15 chanteurs ainsi que l'Orchestre symphonique de McGill, sous la direction de Julian Wachner. Les d��cors sont assur��s par Vincent Lef��vre. Patrick Hansen, directeur des ��tudes d'op��ra de McGill, est le metteur en sc��ne.

The Rape of Lucretia est un op��ra en deux actes dont le r��le principal a ��t�� taill�� sur mesure pour l'extraordinaire contralto, Kathleen Ferrier, qui l'a interpr��t�� en 1946. Le livret anglais de Ronald Duncan s'inspire de la pi��ce Le Viol de Lucr��ce d'Andr�� Obey. Il s'agit de la premi��re ��uvre o�� Britten fait mention de son �� op��ra de chambre �� et les textures simplifi��es de l'orchestre �� 13 instruments, o�� le r��citatif est accompagn�� par le piano, servent �� renforcer la vision du compositeur.

R��sum�� de l'intrigue :

L'action se d��roule �� Rome, vers 510 avant J.-C, alors que les ��trusques sont les ma��tres de Rome et dans un camp �� l'ext��rieur de la ville, les g��n��raux romains Junius et Collatinus se divertissent en compagnie de Tarquinius, prince ��trusque. Collatinus affirme que sa femme Lucr��ce est tout �� fait fid��le, une exception au sein de cette soci��t�� d��cadente. Jaloux, Junius demande �� Tarquinius de mettre cette fid��lit�� �� l'��preuve et le fier ��trusque se rend �� la maison de Lucr��ce. Puisque Lucr��ce ne c��de pas �� ses avances, il la viole. Elle raconte ensuite son viol �� son mari. Ce dernier tente de la consoler, mais elle se suicide.

Canadian Tenors Debut in Winnipeg

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 (Puccini���s 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 industry���s 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.

DAM accueille un nouveau conseil d'administration

Montr��al, le 15 d��cembre 2008 ��� Monsieur Martin Choquette et madame Sophie Bensa��d, co-pr��sidents sortants de Diversit�� artistique Montr��al (DAM) ont le plaisir d'annoncer l'��lection de ��ric M'Boua et Damian Nisenson, comme nouveaux co-pr��sidents de l'organisme. L'��lection a eu lieu lundi le 1^er d��cembre, lors de l'assembl��e g��n��rale tenue en pr��sence d'acteurs clefs de la diversit�� artistique et d'��lues de la Ville de Montr��al, mesdames Isabelle Dos Santos et Eleni Fakotakis; la directrice du Conseil des arts de Montr��al, madame Danielle Sauvage; le conseiller en d��veloppement de partenariats (Immigration-Qu��bec Sud de Montr��al) du Minist��re de l'immigration et des communaut��s culturelles, monsieur G��rard Chagnon; le directeur de la Direction du d��veloppement culturel et des biblioth��ques de la Ville de Montr��al, monsieur Jean-Robert Choquet; et le chef de division, Action culturelle et partenariat de la Ville de Montr��al, monsieur Paul Langlois.

��ric M'Boua, entrepreneur et travailleur de la culture est aussi musicien et chanteur. Son exp��rience professionnelle en France et au Canada lui ont permis de d��velopper une sensibilit�� particuli��re et des connaissances fines de l'univers international des arts et de la culture. Damian Nisenson, com��dien, saxophoniste est un musicien prolifique dans l'univers artistique Montr��alais. Il est aussi directeur artistique de l'��tiquette de musique Malasartes.

Lors de l'assembl��e g��n��rale, six autres administrateurs ont ��t�� ��lus, citons : mesdames Afef Benessaieh, professeur d'��tudes internationales �� l'Universit�� York; Lucie Didi��, charg�� de projets �� H��ritage Montr��al; Natalie McNeil, directrice de d��veloppement des arts et des industries culturelles �� la F��d��ration culturelle canadienne fran��aise; Nadia Rousseau, conseill��re strat��gique �� la Diversit�� �� Radio-Canada; et messieurs Peter Farbridge, com��dien, ��crivain et enseignant et Mohsen El Gharbi, com��dien et auteur. Gr��ce �� l'engagement de ces nouvelles recrues sur le conseil d'administration, DAM b��n��ficie d��sormais de l'apport d'administrateurs exceptionnels provenant des milieux artistique, culturel, ��ducatif et m��diatique.

Mentionnons la re-��lection de ��va Quintas, directrice de projets �� Culture pour tous et de Jane Needles, directrice g��n��rale du Qu��bec Drama Federation. Les membres du conseil d'administration de DAM souhaitent la bienvenue aux nouveaux administrateurs et remercient sinc��rement les membres sortants pour leur implication et leur d��vouement aupr��s de DAM ces deux derni��res ann��es. Madame Bobo Vian, com��dienne et directrice artistique du Th����tre Q Art; madame Guilaine Royer, Responsable des arts de la sc��ne du MAI (Montr��al, arts interculturels); et monsieur Mehdi Benboubaker artiste, entrepreneur et ��diteur de R��ussir Ici ont achev�� leur mandat aupr��s de DAM, ainsi que monsieur Martin Choquette, pr��sident sortant, nomm�� pr��sident honoraire de l'organisme.

Cr��e en 2006, DAM rassemble tous ceux qui sont interpell��s 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 pr��sence vigilante pour assurer l'inclusion de la diversit�� artistique dans les politiques et les actions des instances artistiques et culturelles. DAM r��pond �� un r��el besoin des artistes de divers h��ritages culturels. Plus sp��cifiquement, il s'agit de les aider �� mieux s'ins��rer dans le r��seau culturel et artistique de la m��tropole pour qu'ils participent �� part enti��re �� la vie culturelle Montr��alaise que ce soit �� la t��l��vision, �� la radio, dans les festivals, dans toutes les salles de spectacle et les ��v��nements publics qui rythment la vie montr��alaise. Il s'agit aussi de les guider dans les r��seaux de diffusion et les r��seaux artistiques et culturels �� Montr��al, de veiller �� ce que les pratiques professionnelles influenc��es par tous les h��ritages culturels soient reconnues et que les artistes aient davantage acc��s au financement pour contribuer �� la cr��ation artistique.

Parmi les actions mises en ��uvre, mentionnons le Guide des publics, outil en cours de d��veloppement �� l'intention des diffuseurs. Ce Guide a pour objectif de faciliter la rencontre entre les diffuseurs montr��alais et les publics des communaut��s culturelles. Les Lundis pluriels, rendez-vous de r��seautage mensuel pour artistes et travailleurs de la culture, organis�� en partenariat avec Culture Montr��al et le MAI. Des s��ances d'information sur mesure pour guider les artistes dans les r��seaux artistiques et culturels montr��alais. La gestion du r��pertoire en ligne des artistes de divers h��ritages culturels sur le site Web www.diversiteartistique.org. DAM remercie le Conseil des arts de Montr��al, la Ville de Montr��al, le Minist��re de l'Immigration et des Communaut��s culturelles, le Minist��re de la culture, des communications et de la condition f��minine et le Patrimoine canadien pour leur soutien.

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 St��phan 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, V��ronique Matthieu on violin and Andr��e-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 Boh��me. 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 sortil��ges.
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 Anton��n Dvo��k'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 drop��off 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

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, Pl��cido Domingo, Jos�� Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Dmitry Hvorostovsky, Sergei Leiferkus, Maria Guleghina and Juan Diego Fl��rez.

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

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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, ON�ĶIf you���ve had enough of winter already, 4th Line Theatre is pleased to offer a little piece of summer for your holiday gift-giving! This season, they���re 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 d���oeuvres 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 2^nd and August 12^th 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 Theatre���s 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).

A history or theatre buff on your holiday gift list may also appreciate receiving a published script. Doctor Barnardo���s Children, Crow Hill: The Telephone Play and Cavan Blazers scripts are available for $15 each. Copies of Leanna Brodie���s 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, Canada���s 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.

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.

MIDEM Classical Awards 2009 Nominations

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), Bj��rn 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), R��my 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 C��te 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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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 Canada���s 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 Sheng���s The Stream Flows for solo violin performed by Xu. Together, Xu and Choi pay tribute to Elliott Carter���s 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 Melby���s 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 duo���s 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

WSO Premiere Victor Davies Tuba Concerto

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 piece���s 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 tuba���s 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: Beethoven���s Symphony No. 8, perhaps his most lighthearted work; Spring���s 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.

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

Les Monologues du vagin - The Vagina Monologues

��v��nement charitable, de culture, d'art et de divertissement

L'exp��rience des vagins comme vous ne l'avez jamais v��cu!

Montr��al, QC Canada le 16 d��cembre 2008 ��� Les Monologues du vagin de retour �� Montr��al

V-Day Montr��al pr��sente la pi��ce gagnante d'un prix Obie Les Monologues du vagin tel qu'��crit par Eve Ensler, pour la premi��re fois au magnifique Th����tre Outremont les 27 et 28 f��vrier 2009.

D��couvrez les histoires de femmes de tous les coins du monde racont��es par un ensemble de femme de divers horizons, choisies �� partir de la diverse communaut�� montr��alaise. Produit et r��alis�� par des hommes et des femmes de tous les jours d��vou��s �� mettre fin �� la violence. Avec des pi��ces en anglais et d'autres en fran��ais, le spectacle est fait sur mesure pour Montr��al. Il garanti de vous donner une exp��rience orgasmique.

�� Les billets sont maintenant en vente en temps pour la p��riode des f��tes chez Ticketpro (http://ww1.ticketpro.ca/event.php?event_id=1438)

90% des recettes iront au Centre de pr��vention des agressions de Montr��al (www.cpamapc.org/fr)
10% des recettes b��n��ficieront le �� plein feu �� 2009 de V-Day International �� Halte au viol de nos plus pr��cieuses ressources : Pouvoir aux femmes dans la R��publique d��mocratique du Congo�� (www.vday.org)

�� Avant-premi��re jeudi soir, pr��sentations vendredi soir et samedi soir.

�� Deux billets disponibles sur demande �� ��tre utilis��s comme prix.

�� Forfaits corporatifs ��galement disponibles.

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

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Les Monologues du vagin - The Vagina Monologues

CULTURE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CHARITY EVENT

Experience vaginas like you've never had before!

Montr��al, QC Canada December 16th, 2008 - THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES RETURN TO MONTREAL

V-Day Montr��al 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 Montr��al 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 Montr��al. 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 Montr��al is the community-based branch of the V-Day International movement. V-Day Montr��al, 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.

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 Niagara���s 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 world���s most diverse wine regions, Project Niagara has the potential to become Canada���s next great cultural tourism destination.���

Mr. Herrndorf was on hand for last night���s 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 study���s 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.

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 Lynch���Staunton 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 Lynch���Staunton to the Canada Council.

The seven Victor Martyn Lynch���Staunton Award recipients were chosen through a nomination process by the Grants to Professional Artists peer assessment committees during the 2007���2008 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 Mus��e national des beaux-arts du Qu��bec (Qu��bec 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 Th����tre National de Lille-Tourcoing, Nord Pas-de-Calais, in France, Nebbia (2007) by Cirque ��loize, Bacchanale (2008) for Th����tre d'Aujourd'hui and La petite pi��ce en haut de l'escalier (2008) at Th����tre 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), Th����tre 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 Th����tre du Nouveau Monde and the Audience Award for the costumes in Le Revizor (2003) at Th����tre Denise���Pelletier. 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 Mus��e d'art contemporain in Montr��al, 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 + Sch��ttle 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 Montr��al+ (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 M��tropolitain du Grand Montr��al. 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.

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

GERMAN VIOLINIST ARABELLA STEINBACHER

With pianist Robert Kulek

Recital at Place des Arts - Th����tre Maisonneuve

Presented by The Pro Musica Society

Monday, February 2, 2009 at 7:30pm

Place des Arts - Th����tre Maisonneuve

(260, blvd. de Maisonneuve West, Montr��al)

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, Canada���Munich-based, twenty-six-year-old violinist Arabella Steinbacher ��� "The Fr��ulein 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, Montr��al) 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 Dohn��nyi. 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 Dohn��nyi. 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 Dohn��nyi, 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'Op��ra de Paris at Salle Pleyel in Paris under Christoph von Dohn��nyi; 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.

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

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

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 Haydn���s

L���ISOLA DISABITATA

(Desert Island)

February 18 ��� 28, 2009

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

L���isola disabitata is Mark Morris���s 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. L���isola 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 don���t 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 arrives�Ķ

L���isola disabitata had its premiere at the Esterhazy palace in 1779 and was Haydn���s favorite of his own operas.

Gotham Chamber Opera is New York City���s leading company dedicated to the highest quality productions of chamber operas rarely performed in opera houses today. The company���s 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 Mozart���s Il Sogno di Scipione; Darius Milhaud���s Les Malheurs d���Orph��e; Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu���s Dada opera, Les Larmes du Couteau; and Swiss composer Heinrich Sutermeister���s Die schwarze Spinne. In February 2005, Gotham presented the U.S. stage premiere of Handel���s Arianna in Creta. Also in 2005, Lincoln Center Festival and Spoleto Festival USA presented Gotham Chamber Opera���s U.S. premiere of Ottorino Respighi���s fantastical puppet opera, La bella dormente nel bosco featuring the puppetry of Basil Twist. In the spring of 2006, Benjamin Britten���s Albert Herring received its first professional staging in New York in more than 30 years, and in winter 2007, Rossini���s 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 Piazzolla���s tango opera Mar��a 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 Montsalvatge���s El gato con botas (Puss in Boots), a collaboration with Basil Twist and Mois��s Kaufman.

Performances of L���isola 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 Th����tre 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; L���Allegro, 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 Mayor���s 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��� L���Allegro, 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 Central���s Premium Blend.

L���isola 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.

Op��r���actuel 08

Un dernier rappel.
La compagnie lyrique de cr��ation CHANTS LIBRES pr��sente Op��r���actuel 08 Works In Progress, mardi 16 et mercredi 17 d��cembre 2008 �� 20 h �� l���Usine C et propose au public de vivre une aventure stimulante et singuli��re : celle de participer �� la premi��re apparition sc��nique de cinq op��ras, que des compositeurs et librettistes sont en train d���crire. Ci-dessous le communiqu��.

Je ne serai pas �� mon bureau du 15 d��cembre au 9 janvier. Pour assister �� l���une des deux soir��es ou pour des entrevues avec Pauline Vaillancourt ou les artistes : 514-841-2642

Belle travers��e en l���an 2009.

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

COMMUNIQU�� ��� POUR DIFFUSION IMM��DIATE

OP��R'ACTUEL 08 WORKS IN PROGRESS
Dans les coulisses de la cr��ation lyrique
Mardi 16 et mercredi 17 d��cembre 2008, 20 h
Usine C
1345, avenue Lalonde, m��tro Beaudry, Montr��al
Billetterie : (514) 521-4493 - $10 - Adulte $ 5 - ��tudiants/A��n��s
Info : http://www.chantslibres.org

La cr��ation lyrique, les nouvelles approches de l���art vocal et les derniers d��veloppements artistiques et technologiques, sont au c��ur de la mission de Chants Libres, dirig�� par la soprano et metteur en sc��ne Pauline Vaillancourt.

Pour la troisi��me ��dition de son ��v��nement Op��r���actuel 08 Works In Progress, la compagnie lyrique de cr��ation propose au public de vivre une aventure stimulante et singuli��re : celle de participer �� la premi��re apparition sc��nique de cinq op��ras, que des compositeurs et librettistes sont en train d���crire.

Cinq ��uvres lyriques (parmi trente soumises) ont ��t�� s��lectionn��es suite �� un concours lanc�� en 2007 par Chants Libres, pour permettre l���mergence de nouvelles partitions lyriques, int��resser les jeunes chanteurs aux nouvelles formes d���op��ra et faire valoir aupr��s du public la multiplicit�� des styles, t��moins d'une ��poque.

Au cours de ces deux soir��es, le public pourra donc entendre des extraits de cinq op��ras en gestation, ��crits par les compositeurs Silvio Palmieri, Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qu��bec), Elma Miller (Ontario), Justine Chen (New York) et Lyubomir Denev (Bulgarie), et interpr��t��es par de jeunes chanteurs et musiciens issus d���ateliers de cr��ation contemporaine.

Les compositeurs (except�� Lyubomir Denev) assisteront �� Op��r���actuel 08 et d��couvriront, en m��me temps que le public, les premi��res sonorit��s issues de leur partition, ce qui aura un effet boomerang sur la poursuite de leur travail d���criture, revitalis�� par l���coute ��live��. Les deux soir��es seront ��galement enregistr��es pour servir de documents de travail aux cr��ateurs.
Cet ��v��nement est r��alis�� avec la participation de l���Atelier de musique contemporaine de l���Universit�� de Montr��al, sous la direction de Cristian Gort, l���Atelier de musique de chambre de l���Universit�� de Montr��al sous la direction de Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt et de l���Ensemble Musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique du Qu��bec �� Montr��al, sous la direction de V��ronique Lacroix, et la participation des ateliers de l���Ecole des m��dias de l���UQAM, sous la direction de Simon-Pierre Gourd.

Vous ��tes interpell��s par un Op��ra ouvert �� notre temps et par des cr��ateurs, de jeunes chanteurs, des musiciens et des chefs qui travaillent les ��uvres lyriques dans un esprit de libert��. Prenez place au 3e Op��r���actuel 08 Works In Progress.

Au programme :

�� Die Rettung
Op��ra-th����tre musical �� la m��moire des Juifs Bulgares durant la seconde guerre mondiale.
Composition : Lyubomir Denev - Livret : Vladimir Danovsky (Bulgarie)
Extraits : Sc��nes 1-2-3-6-9
15 musiciens, ch��ur de 8 voix d���hommes, un narrateur, Vincent Ranallo et une soliste, Anick St-Louis, soprano
Atelier de musique contemporaine de l���Universit�� de Montr��al, direction Cristian Gort.
L����uvre sera cr����e �� l���Op��ra de Munich et �� l���Op��ra de Bamberg en 2009.

�� Torquato Tasso
Un po��me dramatique et musical �� l'imagerie baroque, sur la vie d'un artiste hors du commun.
Composition : Silvio Palmieri (Qu��bec) - Livret : Daniele Pieroni (Italie)
Extrait : Ouverture et premi��re sc��ne
Piano, Philippe Prud���homme et baryton, Vincent Ranallo
Atelier de musique de chambre de l���Universit�� de Montr��al, direction Jean-Eudes Vaillancourt

�� L'Art d'aimer
All��gorie 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 Gr��goire, t��nor - Fran��ois Dub�� basse
Atelier de musique Avenir du Conservatoire de Musique de Montr��al, direction V��ronique Lacroix

�� The Maiden Tower
Op��ra de chambre inspir�� d���une l��gende Azerba��djane.
Composition et livret : Justine Chen (New-York)
Extraits : ��pilogue & sc��nes 1-2-3
11 musiciens et 4 solistes : Maude Paradis, Anick St-Louis, sopranos - Sylvain Par��, t��nor - Simon Charette, baryton - Traitement ��lectronique en direct : Justine Chen
Atelier de musique contemporaine de l���Universit�� de Montr��al, direction Cristian Gort

�� Op��ra_lit�� - Operality
Op��ra-installation-performance
Composition : Simon-Pierre Gourd (Qu��bec) - Livret : d���apr��s l����uvre litt��raire Cahier d���un retour au pays natal d���Aim�� C��saire
3 extraits seront entendus au cours de la soir��e. En prime, un enregistrement de 3 voix du public.
Voix, Pauline Vaillancourt, 2 conteurs, Dany Laferri��re et Jerry Alexandre, et informatique-��lectronique en direct et sph��res sonores (Groupe de recherche-cr��ation en m��dia exp��rimental).

CHANTS LIBRES - Fond��e en 1990 par la soprano Pauline Vaillancourt, la compagnie lyrique de cr��ation poursuit sa mission de cr��er de nouvelles formes d���op��ra. Offrant un r��pertoire op��ratique adapt�� aux couleurs de la modernit��, Chants Libres explore constamment de nouvelles techniques et approches de l���art vocal, et travaille en ��troite collaboration avec des cr��ateurs et des chercheurs de toutes les disciplines. La compagnie a cr���� douze op��ras : Alternate Visions (2007, virtuel���opera) de John Oliver et Genni Gunn ; L���archange (2005 Oper���installation) de Louis Dufort et Alexis Nouss ; Pacamambo l���op��ra (2002) de Zack Settel et Wajdi Mouawad ; Manuscrit trouv�� �� Saragosse (2001) de Jos�� Evangelista et Alexis Nouss ; L���enfant des glaces (2000, ��lectr���op��ra) de Zack Settel et Pauline Vaillancourt ; Lulu,le chant souterrain (2000, techn���op��ra) d���Alain 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 d���un peu d���air (1992) de Claude Ballif et Raynald Tremblay ; Ne bl��mez jamais les b��douins (1991) d���Alain Thibault et Ren��-Daniel Dubois. PROCHAINE CR��ATION: du 19 au 22 novembre 2009 : L���eau qui danse, la pomme qui chante et l���oiseau qui dit la v��rit�� de Gilles Tremblay et Pierre Morency, sur une mise en sc��ne de Robert Bellefeuille.

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 innovativ