Toronto Summer Music Festival Opens

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009

Opened with a World Premiere and Concludes with an Opera Extravaganza

The fourth annual Toronto Summer Music Festival (TSM) opened last night with the world premiere pairing of Grammy and Juno Award-winning violinist James Ehnes, and Leeds International Competition winner, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, in concert together. This spectacular event was just the beginning of the Festival, which continues until August 13.

August concerts begin with beloved Toronto pianist, Anton Kuerti. Kuerti, who is an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Canadian Governor General's lifetime artistic achievement award in 2008, sold out his previous appearances with TSM. On August 1, Kuerti will present a programme which includes two composers whose anniversaries are being celebrated by the Festival this year: Haydn (Sonata in E Flat Major) and Mendelssohn (17 Variations S��rieuses, Op. 54, and Scherzo �� Capriccio in F Sharp Minor); and Beethoven's Sonata in F Minor and Robert Schumann's Sonata in G Minor, Op 22.

Long-time collaborator with the TSM, violinist Mayumi Seiler will be joined by fellow violinist Ian Swensen on August 4. Swensen is a winner of the top prize in both solo and chamber music sections of the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg International Competition. Performing together as a duo for the very first time in Toronto, Swensen and Seiler will play rarely performed pieces by Bart��k, Corelli, Martinu, Purcell, Saraste, Shostakovich, Telemann, and Vivaldi.

Two hot young string quartets will grace the stage of Walter Hall on August 6: Cecelia String Quartet and the Tokai String Quartet. They bring fresh energy and insight to the works of Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. In addition, they will present a world premiere of Jacques H��tu's Hommage �� Mendelssohn. H��tu himself will present the pre-concert lecture.

Star French flutist Patrick Gallois will be joined by his wife, pianist Cecilia L��fstrand, on August 8. Gallois, who enjoys extraordinary success as a flute soloist, is also currently the Artistic Director and principal conductor of Sinfonia Finlandia. The pair will present an evening of sparkling duo sonatas by Desbi��re, Gaubert, Poulenc, and Prokofiev.

Juno Award-winning fan favourite and one of the premier chamber ensembles in North America, Gryphon Trio will perform on August 11. They will play Mendelssohn's Trio No. 2 in C Minor and Haydn's Trio in C Major. They will be joined by the sublimely elegant soprano, Monica Whicher, in a variety of Scottish Folk Songs, arranged by Beethoven and Haydn.

Opera Extravaganza will close the festival on August 13, conducted by TSM Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann. She will be joined by star alumni of the TSM's Opera Studio in a varied and delightful programme of arias from Cilea, Donizetti, Verdi, and Mozart, duets from Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Richard Strauss, and ensembles from Donizetti and Verdi. Singers will include sopranos Melinda Delorme, Teiya Kasahara and D��sir��e Till, mezzo-sopranos Erica Iris Huang and Lauren Segal, tenors Joey Niceforo and Paul Ouellette, baritone Phillip Addis, and bass-baritone Tomislav Lavoie.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 21 - August 13, 2009

AUGUST CONCERTS

Anton Kuerti: Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: "Bicentennials and Sonatas" presented by Stephen Cera

Swensen & Seiler: Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "A Sm��rg��sbord of Paris: Musical Duets over the Centuries" presented by

Dr. Timothy McGee

Cecilia String Quartet and Tokai String Quartet: Thursday, August 6 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Mendelssohn: The Child Prodigy" presented by Jacques H��tu

Gallois & L��fstrand: Saturday, August 8 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "The Monk and the Rascal: A Look at Francis Poulenc's dual personality" presented by Charl��ne St. Aubin

Gryphon Trio with Monica Whicher: Tuesday, August 11 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Scotland the Exotic? Scottish Folksong Settings by Haydn and Beethoven" presented by Dr. James Kippen

Opera Extravaganza: Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: Presented by one of Canada's leading experts on opera, Ian Scott

JULY CONCERTS

James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker: Tuesday, July 21 at 8pm *

Pressler & Friends: Thursday, July 23 at 8pm ***

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends: Saturday, July 25 at 8pm **

Anagnoson & Kinton: Tuesday, July 28 at 8pm **

Leipzig String Quartet with Karl Leister: Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ***

Penderecki String Quartet: Friday, July 31 at 8pm **

Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

Pre-concert lectures are free and take place at 6:45pm the night of the concert in Room 330, Edward Johnson Building

*Carlu Concert Hall, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto
**Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

***MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto