News
2015-16 Concert Season Begins At The Royal Conservatory Of Music
Three concerts in September and October SOLD OUT
Two special concert series begin: TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On
and Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage
The “Order of Canada” Band comes to Koerner Hall
Simone Dinnerstein returns and Masaaki Suzuki
conducts the Bach Collegium Japan
Exciting season updates
As The Royal Conservatory of Music’s 2015-16 concert season begins, three concerts are already sold out, and have been for months: Philip Roth’s Everyman featuring Meryl Streep and Takács Quartet on October 17, which will be The Conservatory’s Season Gala, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club’s “Adíos Tour” on September 27, and Joan Armatrading on October 3. The only seats that remain for these three concerts are BMO Rush Tickets that are sold on the day of the concerts, 90 minutes before curtain.
One of the greatest film actresses of all time, Meryl Streep, and one of the world’s great ensembles, the Takács Quartet, join forces for an evening of readings and chamber music. Streep reads from Phillip Roth’s novel Everyman and the Quartet plays excerpts from Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden,” the Elegy from Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 2, Arvo Pärt’s Psalom, and the Passacaglia from Britten’s String Quartet No. 3.
TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On
To salute the resilient spirit of the people of the Caribbean and US Gulf Coast affected by the devastating Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, The Royal Conservatory presents a special concert series. It opens on September 27 with the sold out Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club concert, featuring Omara Portuondo, Eliades Ochoa, Guajiro Mirabal, Barbarito Torres, Jesús “Aguaje” Ramos, which is presented in association with Small World Music.
The series continues on October 24 with Jane Bunnett & Maqueque and Emeline Michel. For more than 30 years, celebrated Canadian flutist and saxophonist Jane Bunnett has been bridging the gulf between Cuba and North America, introducing jazz audiences to some of the finest musicians that the island has to offer. Now, with her new Juno Award-winning sextet Maqueque, she introduces the world to some of Cuba’s most promising female musicians. Emeline Michel, the reigning Queen of Haitian Song, shares the evening. She is a captivating performer, versatile vocalist, and one of the premier Haitian songwriters of her generation, beloved for combining traditional Haitian rhythms with social, political, and inspirational lyrics.
Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage
The great Australian songwriter Peter Allen wrote the song, “Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage,” after being annoyed that audiences were talking through a club performance by his friend Dusty Springfield. This season, Koerner Hall brings seven brilliant ladies whose voices demand attention, beginning on October 3 with Joan Armatrading (sold out). “One of the most admired and respected singer-songwriters on both sides of the Atlantic,” (Huffington Post) Armatrading makes a stop in Toronto during her farewell tour. The first female UK artist to debut at number 1 in Billboard’s blues charts and to be nominated for a Grammy in the blues category, brings her favourite songs, including “Love and Affection,” “Willow,” “Drop The Pilot,” and “Me Myself I,” along with new songs. Canadian singer/songwriter Liam Titcomb opens the show.
On October 30, Koerner Hall is transformed into the streets of Paris as French singer Anne Carrère celebrates Edith Piaf @ 100. Piaf’s amazing life story and career is remembered through never before seen photos and images, English translations of the lyrics, and, of course, the unforgettable music. The Conservatory will also present celebratory birthday concerts honouring Yehudi Menuhin (100), Frank Sinatra (100), and Oscar Peterspn (90) later in the season.
Music Mix
Called “classical-music tricksters” by the Seattle Times, violinist Aleksey Igudesman and pianist Richard Hyung-ki Joo have created this outrageously funny show for those who listen to Mozart, love Mozart, don’t care at all for Mozart, and have never even heard of Mozart! On October 18, And Now Mozart will change nothing, except enhance your love of music and tone your stomach muscles by laughing. Presented in partnership with Show One Productions.
The “Order of Canada” Band, a star-studded group of Order of Canada recipients, including Jens Lindemann, Tommy Banks, Guido Basso, Terry Clarke, Phil Dwyer, Phil Nimmons, Don Thompson, Dave Young, and Joseph Macerollo, appears on October 23. The centerpiece of the concert is Canadiana Suite, an arresting eight-movement work by Oscar Peterson, describing a musical journey that represents every region of Canada. Arranged by Peterson’s legendary 92-year-old friend and fellow jazz musician Phil Nimmons, Canadiana Suite has never before been performed in this unique big band arrangement.
Classical Music
The Invesco Piano Concerts series kicks off with American pianist Simone Dinnerstein in her return to Koerner Hall on October 25 with a program of Robert Schumann, J. S. Bach, Schubert, and the Canadian premiere of Philip Lasser’s Breughel Suite. The New York-based pianist gained an international following as a result of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales. She was named to many “Best of 2007” lists, including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker.
Masaaki Suzuki and the Bach Collegium Japan make their Koerner Hall debut with an all Johann Sebastian Bach program on October 28. Founded with the aim of introducing Japanese audiences to period instrument performances of great works from the Baroque period, the Collegium has acquired a formidable international reputation through their acclaimed recordings of the major choral works. The Times has written of Maestro Suzuki: “it would take an iron bar not to be moved by his crispness, sobriety and spiritual vigour.”
The Mazzoleni Masters concert series begins on September 20 with distinguished international pianist and pedagogue, John Perry, in a program of Mozart, Brahms, Beethoven, and Schubert. Celebrating his 80th year, this season will see him performing in China, Germany, and United States, culminating in his Carnegie Hall return. The ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) will present a free Culture Days performance on September 26. Over the last ten years, the Ensemble has become one of Canada’s pre-eminent cultural ambassadors, raising international appreciation of The Royal Conservatory and Canada’s rich musical life. Their program includes works by Mozart, Shostakovich, and Mieczys?aw Weinberg.
Julian Kuerti conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and Alexis Hatch on October 2. In his return engagement Kuerti, the Principal Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de la Universidad de Concepción in Chile and frequent guest conductor for orchestras across North America, conducts a program of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B Minor, played by Ms. Hatch. Hatch, who won The Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition, is currently studying with Paul Kantor and Barry Shiffman at The Royal Conservatory’s Glenn Gould School.
On October 24, The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists presents a free Taylor Academy Showcase Concert, featuring the leading young classical
2015-16 Season Updates
The Conservatory has added the return engagement of cabaret star Meow Meow on Thursday, May 5, 2016, at 8pm as part of the Quiet Please, There’s a Lady On Stage concert series. The singer, who “blends performance art, cabaret, and pop culture into a style that defies labeling” (Preview Magazine), sold out her Koerner Hall debut on February 2, 2013.
In additional news, the Sinatra @ 100 concert line-up has been updated with the participation of Joe Sealy (music director), CBC Radio 2’s Tom Allen (host), and singers Brent Carver, Barbara Lica, Jackie Richardson, Suba Sankaran, Matt Forbes, and Justin Bacchus. The concert takes place on December 12.
The Royal Conservatory’s 2015-16 concert season is made possible through the generous support of:
Major and Series Sponsors and Supporters: AIMIA, BMO, Invesco, RBC Foundation, TD Bank Group, David G. Broadhurst, Leslie & Anna Dan, Michael & Sonja Koerner, In honour of R.S. Williams & Sons Company Ltd., Rebanks Family, The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, and anonymous donors (2)
Performance Sponsors and Supporters: Alexanian Carpet & Flooring, Bösndorfer, Downtown Porsche, Georgian Capital, Michael Foulkes & Linda Brennan, Ian Ihnatowycz & Marta Witer, Brayton Polka, Deborah Leibow & Ken Snider
Wine & Beverage Sponsors: Blackstone, Inniskillin, Mill St. Brewery, Acqua Panna & S. Pellegrino
Media Sponsors: Classical 96.3 FM, JAZZ.FM91, NOW, WholeNote, Musicwork
Government Supporters: Canada Arts Presentation Fund-Canadian Heritage, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council
2015-16 Concert Season Begins at The Royal Conservatory of Music
John Perry (Mazzoleni Masters) – Sunday, September 20, 2015 at 2pm | MCH; $25
The ARC Ensemble (Mazzoleni Masters) – Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 3pm | KH; Free – Culture Days
Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club® “Adiós Tour” (TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On – Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 7pm | KH; SOLD OUT! BMO Rush Tickets will be available.
Julian Kuerti conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra (Royal Conservatory Orchestra) – Friday, October 2, 2015 at 8pm | KH; $25-$55
A Very Special Solo Evening with Joan Armatrading (Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage) – Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 8pm | KH; SOLD OUT! BMO Rush Tickets will be available.
Philip Roth’s Everyman featuring Meryl Streep and Takács Quartet (Season Gala – Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 8pm | KH; SOLD OUT! BMO Rush Tickets will be available.
Igudesman & Joo: And Now Mozart (Music Mix) – Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 3pm | KH; $40-$85
The “Order of Canada” Band (Jazz; Music Mix) – Friday, S October 23, 2015 at 8pm | KH; $40-$100
Taylor Academy Showcase Concert (The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists) – Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 4:30pm | MCH; Free
Jane Bunnett & Maqueque and Emeline Michel (TD Jazz: Katrina 10 Years On) – Sunday, October 24, 2015 at 8pm | KH; $40-$80
Simone Dinnerstein (Invesco Piano Concerts) – Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 3pm | KH; $35-$85
Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Bach Collegium Japan (Chamber Music) – Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 8pm | KH; $40-$95
Edith Piaf @ 100 (Quiet Please, There’s a Lady on Stage) – Saturday, October 30, 2015 at 8pm | KH; $40-$90
Venue Legend: KH Koerner Hall; MCH Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz Hall; CT Conservatory Theatre
Tickets and subscriptions are available online at www.performance.rcmusic.ca, by calling 416.408.0208, or in person at the Weston Family Box Office.
Become a Royal Subscriber: select any 4-6 concerts and save 10%; select any 7+ concerts and save 15%; both levels receive special subscriber benefits.
A limited number of $10 BMO Rush Tickets are available starting 90 minutes before all performances presented by The Royal Conservatory.
All concerts take place at The Royal Conservatory of Music – TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto.
The Order of Canada Band
Putumayo world Music is sad to inform its legion of followers that Dan Storper, the beloved founder of Putumayo, passed away on the morning of May 22, two days after his 74th birthday.
Dan shared his passion for music and cultural diversity with the world and we believe he helped make it a better place. He touched the lives of so many people and those who knew him will remember him as a good soul with a kind heart, a positive spirit and a great sense of humor. He will be deeply missed.
There have been many articles written in recent days about Dan’s life and his legacy. Here are some of our favorites:
Dan Storper: A Musical Legacy – Offbeat Magazine
Dan Storper, who brought global music to Western audiences through Putumayo, dies at 74 – San Francisco Chronicle
Dan Storper, Putumayo Founder Who Brought World Music to the Masses, Dies at 74 – Wall Street Journal
Before he passed away, Dan expressed his desire for us to continue the Putumayo mission of celebrating the world by presenting exceptional music by artists from near and far. We will do our best to honor Dan’s memory with the passion, attention to detail and tasteful curation that he always expected.
We will continue to release twice-monthly digital albums on the Putumayo Discovery label as well as updating and adding to Putumayo’s extensive offerings of official playlists and album recreations.
While Dan is no longer with us, the Putumayo beat goes on. We look forward to sharing the journey ahead with you, our loyal fans and supporters.
Join us in celebrating the life of Dan and the legacy he created through Putumayo. On this memorial page https://www.putumayo.com/danstorpermemorial we have a comment section open for personal recollections, a message to the family or a few words to the Putumayo team. This is the place to share a favorite memory, funny anecdote, or touching story that captures Dan’s energy, humor and passion for life or to let us and his family know what Putumayo has meant to you personally.
Born of the philosophy that music knows no borders, Zafarán emerges as a vibrant force in the world music scene with the release of their self-titled debut album Zafarán (to be released 6/27/15). The international ensemble—formed in 2020 by musicians hailing from Italy, Sweden, and the USA—invites listeners on a sweeping journey through time and across cultures, celebrating the shared humanity found in Mediterranean musical traditions.
With driving rhythms, virtuosic improvisation, and masterful arrangements, Zafarán brings a contemporary sensibility to age-old folk stylings. The album weaves together Southern Italian chants, Sephardic love songs, Romani laments, and Turkish and Greek folk melodies into an intricate, emotionally rich tapestry.
At the heart of it all is the commanding and soulful voice of Carmen Marsico, the award-winning Italian vocalist from Basilicata, whose performances anchor the ensemble’s boundary-breaking sound. Marsico is joined by longtime collaborator Björn Wennås—musical director of their previous band Newpoli—on classical guitar, mandola, and the 10-stringed chitarra battente. Rounding out the ensemble are Dan Meyers, contributing flutes, duduk, ocarina, ciaramella, and vocals, and Davide Roberto delivering dynamic and colorful percussion.
The group’s name, Zafarán, is steeped in symbolism. Derived from Arabic via old Persian, “zafarán” refers to saffron—the most precious of spices in the ancient world. In Carmen’s native Lucania (Basilicata), the word evolved to describe the prized sweet red peppers of the town of Senise. Just as the farmers of Lucania adapted an ancient word to describe a New World crop, Zafarán the band embraces and reinterprets traditional forms, crafting something uniquely global and timeless.
“When we started writing our own music and also doing arrangements of field recordings we got very interested in how songs traveled,” says Marsico. “We wanted to trace how different cultures influence the music as it moved from one society to another over time. When one group moves into another country, they will definitely start influencing the folk music of that country. And you end up with this musical amalgam of two cultures. This was really interesting to us and something we really wanted to explore on the album.”
Recorded in the historically multi-cultural hub of Rome during the summer of 2022, Zafarán is a celebration of the musical connections that bind us across geography and history. With each track, the ensemble puts a unique stamp in your passport to a borderless world, where sound and spirit transcend division.
This ethos is perhaps best illustrated by the album’s eighth track “Üsküdar/Mi Scuordu/Apo Xeno Topo,” a traditional song recorded in three parts, showing its evolution from its origins in Turkey and migrating through Sicily and Greece.
Reflects recorder player Dan Myers, “ ‘Üsküdar’ is one of the most popular folk songs in Turkey; everybody knows it. It originally came out of the Ottoman Empire from about the 18th century, and it’s a really popular melody to the point where we have collected that melody set with texts in over 20 different languages from different countries around the Mediterranean. It’s such a popular song around that area that other people adopted it. ‘Apo Xeno Topo’ is the Greek version of it, and the words are not the same at all, but the tune is the same. We wanted to put those together to show here’s this Turkish piece and there were also Greek musicians who’ve been singing it for a very long time, albeit with different lyrics, but that tune really got around.”
Zafarán definitely view their own interpretations and arrangements of these songs as a continuation of that cross-cultural interplay across place and time. For example, “Naci en Alamo” is a popular Spanish song traditionally played in the flamenco style:
“I am a classical guitarist, however, I’m not a flamenco player so I’m not going to embarrass myself trying to record something flamenco,” jokes Björn Wennås. “We really started thinking ‘how can we make this our own?’ Because we don’t want to copy something, we’re not going to play it in a flamenco way. So I was like, ‘well, I’m going to take an instrument that is not my primary, the mandola, and just try to create something new, something original that doesn’t have any kind of influence from anywhere.’ That gave us the framework of approaching this song in a completely different way because, all of a sudden, we were void of tradition and we had a blank slate. I feel like this is kind of how we approach a lot of the songs on this record.”
The legendary Omara Portuondo is soul touching as ever on her latest album VIDA. Wonderfully produced by the Grammy Nominated Singer Gaby Moreno, with songs carefully selected together with her son, Ariel Jimenez, VIDA features an impressive line up of some of Latin Americas most emblematic artists, singing alongside the Cuban Novia del feeling. VIDA is an album destined to become a classic!
VIDA is the latest album release by Omara Portuondo, the grand Cuban “Lady of Feeling”. At the age of 90, Omara found her self stuck in Havana due to the pandemic, and the busy lady, like everyone else, had to put the tours on hold. Known for her compassion and her sense of humanity, Omara naturally chose to express herself through music in those significant times of human history. Omara has so much love to give and with her tremendous energy, she invited life long friends and colleagues to participate in the long distance project, a way to keep each other close. Omara’s son, Ariel Jiménez Portuondo, who has been taking care of Omara’s career and her well-being for the past two decades, organised the recordings, well knowing his mothers need of action. Ariel found the perfect artistic producer, the recently Grammy nominated Guatemalan singer- song writer, Gaby Moreno, who has a similar soft and kind personality as Omara. This album is a tribute to Omara’s musical legacy.
The album starts with a beautiful duet, the Latin Grammy Nominated song Bolero a La Vida by Gaby Moreno. On “VIDA” Omara sings together with a stellar line up of legendary singers. Anyone who has loved Cuban and Latin music of the last 50 years will recognise the beauty of the timeless songs. “VIDA” reflects Omara’s thoughts and feelings during this heavy period, as well as being a general homage to life. Like so many others, she found herself mourning dear friends lost to the pandemic. The ballads “Silencio” and “Duele” reflect her ‘melancolía’. Besides Covid, the year 2020 brought to the surface another pandemic: the one of systemic racism and violence. Unfortunately the murder of George Floyd was just reflecting that what has been a reality for black people in the US since the times of slavery. “I was very sad and upset by the murder of George Floyd. I told myself, it is time to sing “Now” again!”, Omara explains, and by this song, she elegantly show her protest in support of BLM. The song was originally song by Lena Horne in 1963, and in the 70’es, Omara made it famous in Cuba.
YouTube Video – Omara Portuondo ft. Gaby Moreno
Deep inside Omara’s heart, there’s always joy and optimism, surplus and gratitude for what became her destiny as a singer, as an artist, as a woman, as a human. Gaby Moreno’s “Bolero a la Vida”, got them a Latin Grammy Nomination, “Honrar la Vida” sung beautifully together with Rubén Blades, “Sé Feliz” with Keb’ Mo’ and “Gracias a la vida” with Natalia Lafourcade, all reflect Omara’s eternal positive spirit. “Con 2 que se quieran”, sung together with Amaury Pérez and Alexander Abreu, is an explosion of a party to leave you with a smile, dancing down your road of life.
One World is honoured to once again present our beloved Cuban Queen who has touched our hearts a lifetime. The upcoming tour will begin magically in India, and continue to Europe, USA, Mexico Colombia and more… Let’s celebrate Omara World Wide!
Content source: One World
Sharon Isbin: A Small Orchestra on Gossamer Wings
Remembering Putumayo founder Dan Storper
Zafarán: Celebrating Mediterranean Traditions and Borderless Musical Vision
Beth Levin: Heiligenstadt… En route to The Divine.
Orli Shaham Serves Champagne, Fizz and Finesse with her Mozart: The Complete Piano Sonatas
Frederick Block: Chamber Works
Barbara Hannigan: The Art of Divining… through Divination
Noémie Raymond | Zhenni Li-Cohen: Dialogues
Barbican Quartet: Worthy 1st Prize Winners of ARD International Music Competition
Heloísa Fernandes: Quintessentially Brasilian
Inna Faliks: The Art of the Sublime
9 Horses: Strum
Banda Magda Presents: Yerakina
Isabel Bayrakdarian – Ravel, Sayat-Nova & Kradjian: Troubadour and the Nightingale
Interview with Paul Bender & Perrin Moss of “Hiatus Kaiyote”
Conversation with Chris McKhool from Sultans of String
A Fascination With “Bombay”: Richard Bennett; Bombay Dub Orchestra
Conversation with Paraguayan Guitarist Extraordinaire Berta Rojas
Badi Assad – Between Love and Luck
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) : The Art of Fugue
Fatoumata Diawara – Fatou
Ludovico Einaudi: Taranta Project
Henry Cole & The Afrobeat Collective: Roots Before Branches
Clarice Assad: Imaginarium
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Albums12 years agoBanda Magda Presents: Yerakina
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Albums13 years agoIsabel Bayrakdarian – Ravel, Sayat-Nova & Kradjian: Troubadour and the Nightingale
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Interviews13 years agoInterview with Paul Bender & Perrin Moss of “Hiatus Kaiyote”
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Interviews13 years agoConversation with Chris McKhool from Sultans of String