Orchestras Canada

We’ve heard from two more groups who have made it easier for their patrons to give to Haitian relief efforts: Last weekend, Orchestra London joined a number of other London organizations in the Haitian Relief effort, accepting donations from concert patrons for the Canadian Red Cross, in support of the ongoing efforts to provide emergency relief [...]

Read the full story

At least three Ontario orchestras will be announcing their 2010-11 seasons this week, including Sinfonia Toronto, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Windsor Symphony Orchestra.  Might it be that they are launching now to maximize subscribers’ opportunities to renew before the 8% provincial tax increase kicks in on May 1?  We’ll summarize highlights in next [...]

Read the full story

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has announced a five-year extension of Bramwell Tovey’s contract as Music Director.  Maestro Tovey began his post as Music Director of the VSO in the year 2000; this extension will see him at the helm through the 2014-2015 Season. The continuation of this partnership will celebrate a significant period of artistic [...]

Read the full story

This week, Montreal’s Quatuor Molinari is presenting the winning works from its fourth International Composition Prize, featuring new string quartets by competition winners Snezana Nesic of Serbia, David Philip Hefti of Switzerland, Dae-Seob Han of South Korea and Zhenzhen Zhang of China.  The composers were featured on a Dialogue event on Wednesday night at the [...]

Read the full story

The Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières is now accepting applications for its 26th annual music competition, this year devoted to string instruments (violin, viola, cello and bass).  The application deadline is March 1, and the competition will take place over two weekends, April 9-11 (preliminary rounds) and April 17 (when the three finalists perform their concerto [...]

Read the full story

The Edmonton Symphony has just launched its Piano Spectacular contest – a YouTube driven initiative through which budding Mozarts and Bartóks can post a video demonstrating why they deserve the chance for an hour on stage with the Winspear Centre’s Steinway concert grand piano. Here’s the fine print: A panel of judges selected by the [...]

Read the full story

Earlier this month, Orchestras Canada staff member Jennifer Caines wrote to our Youth Orchestra and Community Orchestra members, asking them to send a letter to their MPs about the potential impact of a new Stretch Tax Credit on Canada’s smaller-budget orchestras.  We at OC were thrilled to hear not only that the New Brunswick Youth [...]

Read the full story

SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) has just announced the appointment of Eric Baptiste as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as of May 16, 2010, replacing André LeBel who announced his plans for retirement last year.  Baptiste currently holds the position of CEO of the International Confederation of the [...]

Read the full story

We are always looking for ways of better communicating the value of the arts to decision-makers – and to our fellow citizens, too.  And we know we’re not alone.  The Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati has recently published a report entitled The Arts Ripple Effect:  A Research-Based Strategy to Build Shared Responsibility for the Arts. [...]

Read the full story

From January 19 to 31, the resident companies of the Grand Théâtre de Québec will take part in a collaborative fundraising campaign for the Red Cross’s relief efforts in Haiti.  Participating organizations include the Grand Théâtre de Québec , the Club musical de Québec, the Opéra de Québec, the Théâtre du Trident and campaign organizer, [...]

Read the full story