The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra has just announced the appointment of their new music director, Arthur Post – and the orchestra has launched its 50th anniversary season at the same time!  Maestro Post has been music director of the San Juan Symphony (of Colorado and New Mexico) for the last eight seasons, and has also served as Assistant and subsequently Resident Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Associate Conductor of the Israel Philharmonic and Resident Conductor of the New World Symphony.  He trained at Yale, the Juilliard School, and Tanglewood – and has been specifically cited for his “groundbreaking programming that combines the masterworks of the orchestral repertoire with music reflecting local cultures and concerns”.  Maestro Post will assume his duties with the TBSO in the fall of 2010.

While we’re still in Thunder Bay, we’ll convey hearty congratulations to TBSO General Manager Leanne Atkinson and her husband Johnnie, who have just welcomed 9 pound, 14 oz. baby boy Nolan to the world!  Ms Atkinson will be on parental leave until mid-February 2011; Clint Kuschak is serving as Interim General Manager during her leave.

Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra of Ottawa has just announced the appointment of Kevin Mallon as its new Artistic Director, beginning with the 2010-11 season. Mr. Mallon is founder and Music Director of the Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble, and is also Music Director of the Toronto Chamber Orchestra. Each group has a recording contract with Naxos, and under Mr. Mallon’s direction, they have made more than 50 recordings for the label. Commenting on his new appointment, Mr. Mallon said “I am delighted to have been chosen to be the next Music Director of The Thirteen Strings! Our work together in January was rewarding. We all had a terrific time working together – the glove fit!”  For more information about Thirteen Strings, you can visit their website here.

Lucie Paquin, head of media relations at the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal for the past three years, has recently left the post for a communications role at the Muséums Nature de Montréal. During the transition period, OSM programme editor and coordinator Caroline Louis will be filling the role.

The National Arts Centre Orchestra has just appointed violinist Jessica Linnebach as its Associate Concertmaster, following a successful audition. Ms Linnebach, 27, has been a valued member of the NAC Orchestra family for two decades. She first performed as a soloist with the Orchestra in 1990 at the age of seven, joined the Orchestra on a tour of Europe and the Middle East a decade later, and participated in the NAC’s Young Artist Program (YAP) in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Ms Linnebach then joined the Orchestra as a full-time member in the 2002-2003 season. A passionate chamber musician, Jessica is a founding member of the Zukerman ChamberPlayers, a string quintet led by Pinchas Zukerman that was formed in 2003.

Immediately following the national launch of Culture Days, the Ontario Arts Council announced the appointment of Aubrey Reeves as Ontario’s Culture Days Animator/Coordinator for the next six months. Aubrey will be a resource for Ontario artists and arts organizations interested in participating in culture days. Aubrey will work in partnership with the Ontario Culture Days Task Force and the national steering committee. She will: Provide organizing advice to potential presenters on how to develop a free, participatory activity for Culture Days or incorporate an existing arts activity on that weekend; Connect groups or artists in the same community that wish to share spaces or other resources for their Culture Day activity; Work with the national steering committee to develop tips and tools for successful events; Facilitate communication and networking between Ontario Culture Days participants; Support alliances between artists and municipalities. She can be reached by email at on@culturedays.ca or by phone at Toll-free 1-800-387-0058 ext. 5077, or 647-258-5077 in Toronto.

Congratulations to Jacques Lacombe, music director of the Orchestre symphonique de Trois-Rivieres, for his critically acclaimed debut in the role of Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony. You can read the New York Times review of the performance here.

The Ontario Arts Council has also announced the appointment of artist, educator, producer and arts administrator Aengus Finnan as Touring and Audience Development Officer. In his new role, Aengus will work to reinforce OAC’s ongoing commitment to touring, presenting and audience development for the arts. “We consider the issue of building audiences the biggest challenge facing artists and arts organizations today,” said John Brotman, Executive Director. “With his 15-year experience as an established artist and at the helm of a successful music festival, we know that Aengus will bring leadership to this area.”

On April 22, Aradia Ensemble (Kevin Mallon, director) will give a free hour-long lunch-time concert at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre, featuring excerpts from Samuel Arnold’s Polly, written as a sequel to the composer’s highly successful The Beggar’s Opera.

Aradia’s recording of Polly, which will be released for sale at the concert, is a world premier recording.  Aradia Ensemble Director Kevin Mallon will be joined by Laura Albino as Polly, Marion Newman as Jenny Diver, Jason Nedecky as Ducat, Loralie Kirkpatrick as Trapes, Gillian Grossman as the Indian Scout, Sean Watson as Morano and introducing Kyra Folk- Farber as Mrs. Ducat.

This week, April 16 and 17, the Kamloops Symphony (under the direction of Bruce Dunn) will present a pair of Charlie Chaplin movies, complete with live accompaniment.  The films are The Rink and The Adventurer, and they’ve been freshly scored for smaller orchestra by Carl Davis.  As the KSO’s media release advises, “a large screen will fill the stage to provide a larger than life view of The Rink and The Adventurer. American composer Aaron Copland’s Music for the Theatre sets the stage for an evening of hilarity.”

Les Violons du Roy (led by principal guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and featuring violinist Vadim Guzman) will present a dynamic and varied program of music from North and South America, tonight (April 16) at the Palais Montcalm.  Works include Chavez’s Toccata for percussion, Villa Lobos’s Bachianas brasileiras #9, two tangos by Piazzolla, Prevost’s Scherzo, Barber’s Adagio, and Bernstein’s Serenade for violin, strings and percussion.

From May 4 to 13, the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal (led by Music Director Kent Nagano) will present a comprehensive Beethoven festival that includes all nine symphonies, the Triple Concerto, and a new work by Booker Prize-winning author Yann Martel, narrated by Michel Dumont and set to the ballet music from Creatures of Prometheus.  Featured soloists in the “Triple” are James Ehnes, violin; Antonio  Meneses, cello; and Menahem Pressler, piano.

A new film documentary, entitled “Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal”, co-produced by the NFB, has been singled out for the best Canadian film award at this year’s International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA).  The documentary by German filmmaker Bettina Ehrhardt follows maestro Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal during the OSM’s 75th season, described as “a vintage year for at-home performances and concert tours”.  Congratulations to all!

Once the cascade of season launches begins, it can’t be stopped!  This week, we heard from the following orchestras about their plans for the 2010-11 season

Orchestre symphonique de Montreal:  Next season marks the final year for the OSM in its long-time venue, the salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts – and it’s a big one.  The season opens with a major outdoor concert (led by music director Kent Nagano) that features Cirque Éloize, Luck Mervil, and Dany Laferrière, all directed by Denis Bouchard – and will include a concert version of Das Rheingold, a program on Beethoven’s celebration of nature featuring David Suzuki, Mahler and Dutilleux cycles, and such guest artists Anne-Sophie Mutter, Salvatore Accardo, Midori, June Anderson, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Yefim Bronfman, Alain Lefèvre, André Laplante, Nikolai Lugansky, Peter Serkin,  Mischa Maisky, Mikhaïl Pletnev, Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Roger Norrington and others.  For more information, please visit here.

Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec:  The noted chamber orchestra and choir celebrate their 27th season under the direction of Bernard Labadie, and tenth season with principal guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni.  Their Quebec season consists of 26 concerts over the course of the season, and presents both baroque and classical-era works (principally under the direction of M. Labadie) and romantic and contemporary repertoire (led by M. Zeitouni), featuring emerging and established Canadian and international soloists.  Concerts take place at the capital city’s lovely Palais Montcalm.

Earlier this week, we were tickled to receive pictures of Music Director Kent Nagano and members of the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal in their debut appearance “on-stage” at their new concert hall.  Well, actually, they’re in the midst of a construction site, they’re wearing safety boots and hard hats…but work on the new building is well underway, and work is on schedule for a September 2011 grand opening!

Two of Canada’s better-travelled orchestras have headed to Mexico this month for the 37th annual Festival international Cervantino de Guanajuato.  Both the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal and Tafelmusik will perform at the festival, which brings together over 2000 artists from 30 different countries and is generally considered to be Latin America’s premiere multidisciplinary festival.  The theme of this year’s festival is Galileo Y El Telescopo: 400 AÑOS, named in honour of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009). 

The OSM will perform three carefully-chosen works under the direction of Jean-François Rivest at the festival, including Claude Vivier’s Orion, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (with the ever-stellar Marc-Andre Hamelin) and Holst’s The Planets.  Tafelmusik will perform its Galileo Project: Music of the Spheres program, a multi-disciplinary event that features the orchestra, astronomers, a stage director, a set and lighting designer, and astronomical photographers. The Cervantino edition of The Galileo Project will broaden Tafelmusik’s reach to Spanish-speaking audiences of the world thanks to the translation of the narrated text from English to Spanish. Assuming the narrator’s role is Mario Iván Martínez, one of Mexico’s most accomplished classically-trained actors who has a parallel career as a singer specializing in early music. Martínez was a member of the prestigious Ars Nova ensemble for 15 years, and his acting roles include Dr. John Brown in the internationally hailed film, Like Water for Chocolate. 
 
For more information about the OSM, you can visit their website here; for more information on Tafelmusik, you can visit their website here.