Orchestras Canada

The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil has launched a new fundraising event – and they’ve got some high-powered (if slow-moving) help along the way. The orchestra has recently announced that retired Montreal Alouette football star Bruno Heppell will be joining a team of runners led by music director Marc David and made up of board members, musicians and friends of the orchestra to take part in the orchestra’s first ever partnership with the Club des Coureurs sur Route du Mont Saint-Bruno, scheduled for June 10. The runners will complete a course of 5, 10 or 20 kilometers through the wooded trails of Mont Saint-Bruno National Park – and each runner has set the goal of raising no less than $100 per kilometre completed. All funds raised will go to the Fondation OSDL, to help underwrite the costs of the orchestra’s 2012-13 season. For more information, please visit osdl.ca.

Congratulations to the outstanding Canadians with connections to Canada’s orchestras who were named to the Order of Canada at the end of December. They include mezzo soprano Catherine Robbin; cellist, conductor and founder of I Musici de Montreal,Yuli Turovsky; and super-volunteer Ana P. Lopes, a recent chair of the board of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

We’ve recently learned of two recently-appointed composers-in-residence with Canadian orchestras – and we’d like to welcome them to the family. Serge Arcuri is the new (and first-ever!) composer in residence with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, which performed one of his existing works on January 10, and will be giving the world premiere of a new work in February. You can find out more about him here.

Simon Bertrand, an award-winning Quebec composer (and nominee for a Prix Opus 2011) has just been appointed as composer in residence with the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil. In this new position, he’ll be creating original compositions and arrangements for the orchestra, while working closely with music director Marc David. To share his experiences as composer-in-residence, he’s created a blog at residenceosdl.wordpress.com.

Massive symphonic spectaculars are all very well, but sometimes it’s nice to hear smaller ensemble repertoire performed in an intimate environment. If you agree with this assertion, it’s a good week or so in Canada! Here are some chamber orchestra/chamber ensemble highlights from member orchestras.

The Windsor Symphony wraps up its 63rd concert season today, April 29, with a pair of performances of music by Bach and Telemann at Assumption University Chapel, led by harpsichordist/conductor Jeannette Sorrell of Cleveland’s Apollo’s Fire.

The Kamloops Symphony’s chamber music series wraps up tomorrow, April 30, with a program of music by Cesar Franck, Camille Saint-Saens, Vincent d’Indy, and Phillipe Gaubert, performed by KSO core professional musicians Catharine Dochstader (flute), Sally Arai (clarinet), Martin Kratky (cello) and guest Dimiter Terziev (piano).

The Saskatoon Symphony’s Chamber Orchestra series concludes this Saturday, April 30, with a program that celebrates the “spirit of a creative explosion, centred in Paris after the First World War, when traditional views on art, music, and writing were challenged and reshaped.” Works on the program include a pair of Gymnopédies by Erik Satie, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Harry Somers’ Picasso Suite and Respighi’s Gli Uccelli.

On May 5, the chamber orchestra of the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil (led by Music Director Marc David) performs Boucherville composer Michel Massé’s Requiem pour Roxanne at the Sainte-Famille church in Boucherville. The work, “filled with light and serenity” is dedicated to the memory of the composer’s niece, who died from complications of cystic fibrosis at the age of 11.

On May 6, Musaeus, the core ensemble of the Lethbridge Symphony, presents a program entitled “Life Lessons”, including Britten’s Simple Symphony, Smetana’s String Quartet “From My Life”, and a work by J-P Christopher Jackson, a composer and musicologist long associated with the Department of Music at the University of Lethbridge, entitled Bromptons, An English Rhapsody. This last work features bass baritone John Conlon, and is based on an unfinished pastoral romance written by Brian Tyson, a bittersweet memory of one man’s youth.

The Hamilton Philharmonic and Music Director James Sommerville have announced the orchestra’s 2011-12 season with a program that features five Masterworks and five Pops concerts, along with free lunch time programs presented in partnership with the Hamilton Public Library. The Masterworks series includes such well-known soloists as James Ehnes and Stewart Goodyear, and also features the Masterworks’ series debut of the world renowned Hamilton Children’s Choir. New this season are post-concert Q&A sessions with the artists following three of the programs. Pops artists include Chantal Kreviazuk; Celtic supergroup Cherish The Ladies, blues/roots/rock singer Matt Andersen; and A Gospel Christmas, featuring the Toronto Mass Choir.

The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil has announced its 2011-12 season, its 26th. The program, designed by music director Marc David, boasts an expansion of both the orchestra’s main and chamber orchestra series (with the latter now featuring a total of three performances at the acoustically sumptuous église Sainte-Famille in Boucherville), well-known guest soloists, and a season-closing performance of Berlioz’s Symphonique Fantastique.

The Toronto Summer Music Festival has launched its 2011 season, its first under the artistic direction of Douglas McNabney. The 4-week festival will run from July 19 to August 13, and events will take place at Koerner Hall and Walter Hall in downtown Toronto. The program includes 13 mainstage concerts plus an array of masterclasses and other educational programs, and will run the gamut from solo piano recitals by such luminaries as Kirill Gerstein and Andre Laplante to a Mahler program by the National Youth Orchestra of Canada led by session conductor Jonathan Darlington.

Congratulations to the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil, which raised an impressive $150,000 for its foundation at its eleventh annual Wine Tasting event on March 17.

The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil has announced the appointment of composer, accompanist, conductor, arranger, producer François Dompierre as official spokesperson for its 25th anniversary. Commenting on his appointment, M. Dompierre said, “it’s inspiring to see how a professional orchestra has flourished in Longueuil. I salute the vision of pioneers who dreamed it would be possible, and the passion of the musicians who have served this vision over the years!” He will appear with the orchestra at a special concert dedicated to film music on February 24.

Norman Reintamm, music director of Toronto’s Cathedral Bluffs Orchestra, has been designated by his peers as a prominent Torontonian, recognizing his personal contribution to the
dynamic growth of greater Toronto. To celebrate this, and the contribution of others who have received this recognition, Norman has been invited to a reception at the Ontario Legislature, hosted by the Speaker of the Legislature, the Hon. Steve Peters and MPP Tony Ruprecht on February 23, 2011.

Congratulations to the Foundation of the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil, which recently netted $125,000 at its gala ball. The event, under the patronage of Rosaire Sauriol, senior vice president of Dessau, was part of the orchestra’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Four hundred attendees took part in the evening, a highlight of which was the opportunity to dance to the sounds of the full orchestra.

There was also good news out of Winnipeg, where Corus Entertainment presented a cheque in the amount of “over $35,000” to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Speaking about the gift, the WSO’s executive director Trudy Schroeder said that “the funding will be used to further the development of emerging Canadian professional talent in a combination of pops and classical programs in our 2010-2011 performance season.” And from the donor’s perspective? “Our City and Province is a better place to live and work when we have strong Arts, Entertainment and Professional Sports Organizations. The donation we are making today will allow the WSO to continue to be one of the top symphony orchestras, not only in Canada, but the world.”

The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil will kick off its 25th season with an outdoor concert on August 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Parc de la Cité in Saint-Hubert – a site able to accommodate up to 20,000 audience members! The concert, led by OSL music director Marc David, will feature tenor Marc Hervieux and the repertoire will celebrate classical and popular works from Quebec and the Francophonie. As a prelude to the concert, members of the Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de la Montérégie (led by Luc Chaput) will give a short performance.

The Regina Symphony Orchestra has announced details of this summer’s outdoor concert, set to take place in Wascana Park on Sunday, August 22nd. The program, led by RSO music director Victor Sawa will feature music by Mozart, Brahms, celebrated film composers, and Tchaikovsky’s inevitable 1812 Overture, as well as an ode to the Saskatchewan Roughrider centennial! It’s an action-packed day, with pre-concert family entertainment from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the RSO performance running from 5 to 7 p.m. And this year, the event is even more special than usual, as a number of sponsors have teamed up to allow the orchestra to make the concert a free admission event. For more information, please visit here.

The brass quintet of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra continues its free concert tour of Windsor and area this August, with Quintets and Sunsets, part II! You can hear the group perform favourites from Gershwin & Berlin to Mozart & Handel on August 14 at 7 p.m. at Navy Yard Park in Amherstburg, and on August 15 at 7 p.m. at Coventry Garden in Windsor East.

The University of British Columbia School of Music is presenting a special concert series in BC’s lower mainland in collaboration with the Taipei National University of the Arts from July 16 to 25. The TNUA is the most prestigious training institution for the arts in Taiwan, and has enjoyed a formal partnership with UBC since 2007. The series includes performances with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and what’s billed as a “the largest gathering of bassoonists to play on a stage in Canada!” with student bassoonists from UBC and TNUA, along with members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and National Broadcast Orchestra, all accompanied by a choir and dancers. “This is a great event and further strengthening of our wonderfully productive and stimulating relationship. We are delighted to welcome the students and faculty to Vancouver again,” said Martin Berinbaum, Director, UBC Summer Music Institutes. For more information about the concerts, you can visit here.

And as for summer concerts in the future…earlier this month, the board of directors of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivières confirmed its support for the construction of a new amphitheatre, to be built on the shores of the St. Lawrence River by the city of Trois-Rivières. Board chair Jean-Marc Vanasse underlined the central role that the facility will play in allowing the orchestra to offer a summer season; for his part, music director Jacques Lacombe highlighted his interest in turning the new facility into a venue for collaboration between the orchestra and the other performing arts. For more information, please visit here.

Meanwhile, the National Arts Centre and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra have decided not to proceed with Project Niagara, a combined effort to launch an international summer music festival in Ontario’s Niagara region. Citing “a complex economic and political environment that made it difficult to secure government capital funding for the Project”, NAC President and CEO Peter Herrndorf stated “it’s been an extraordinary labour of love for everyone involved. And we very much hope that others will follow in our footsteps to pursue this dream in the years to come.”

The Foundation of the Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil has announced that its fourth annual “pâtés chinois” (shepherd’s pie) fundraising event has netted $57,000 – funds that will be used to support the orchestra’s educational programs. The event is a partnership with celebrated Montérégien and Montréalais restaurants and their chefs, who do their best to turn a traditional comfort food into a gourmet delight. This year, 450 patrons took part, and it’s so popular that the event was completely sold out three weeks ahead of schedule! “We are delighted that this event has become a cherished tradition,” says Foundation directeur général Gilles Choquet.

Since 1999, over 50,000 young people have come in contact with the orchestra through its educational programs. For more information about the OSDL, please visit their website here.

The torrent continues!  This week, we salute the 2010-11 season launches of the following groups:

Orchestra London has announced its 2010-11 season, a year of transition as the orchestra quietly continues its search for a successor to Music Director Timothy Vernon.  The season includes orchestral classics, chamber orchestra repertoire and a healthy dose of pops as well.  To learn more, you can visit their website here.

The Toronto Summer Music Festival has announced its fifth season under the artistic direction of Agnes Grossmann.  The festival – devoted to the theme “Songs of the Earth” – runs from July 20 to August 13, and features an array of Canadian and international soloists and ensembles, along with dance, puppets and visual art.  As well, the festival will include the world-premiere of a new Mahler-inspired work by Glenn Buhr.  For more information, please visit  here.

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has announced its season – a dizzying array of (as the website blurb says) “classical treasures, stunning VSO Pops concerts, the very best in fun and educational entertainment for children and families, and some of the world’s greatest classical musicians” – under the leadership of VSO Music Director Bramwell Tovey.  For more information, please visit the VSO’s website here.

The Georgian Bay Symphony of Owen Sound, ON has launched its 2010-11 season – its 38th.  Music Director John Barnum has assembled a season consisting of 5 Main Series concerts and a pair of Music in the Afternoon concerts, beginning in October 2010 and ending in April 2011. The season will focus on young guest artist from the area who have or are about to launch their musical careers. Soloists include cellist Sebastian Ostertag, pianist Renee Kruisslbrink and violinist Katya Poplyansky.  For more information, please visit the GBS website here.

The Orchestre symphonique de Longueuil, led by Music Director Marc David, has announced festive plans for its 25th anniversary season. Programming highlights include a free open-air performance to launch the season, a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, and such soloists as pianist André Laplante, tenor Marc Hervieux, and violinist Jonathan Crow.  For more information, please visit the OSDL’s website here.