Orchestras Canada

ADMINISTRATIVE

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal
OSM Standard Life Competition Coordinator / Coordonnateur du Concours OSM Standard Life
Application Deadline / Date Limite: August 5 août 2011

AUDITIONS

Regina Symphony Orchestra
Assistant Principal Trumpet
Assistant Principal Viola
Assistant Principal Bassoon
Utility & Per Service positions, all sections
Application Deadline / Date Limite: August 28 août 2011

The Regina Symphony Orchestra is partnering with its provincial music industry association and Saskatchewan music fans to choose the pre-concert entertainment for its major outdoor concert this summer. Symphony Under the Sky is scheduled for August 21 at Wascana Park, and this year’s pre-concert entertainment will be selected by a panel of judges and an on-line voting process, with the winners to be announced July 22.

For more information about the event – and the competition’s progress to date – please visit www.reginasymphony.com.

The Regina Symphony Orchestra has launched a new Education & Outreach Fund, intended to underwrite the Regina Symphony’s community education and outreach activities.

While the RSO has historically had a strong commitment to education and outreach work, the new fund – kickstarted by the 2011-12 season opening concert and gala on September 17 – is intended to enable consistent, year-over-year program implementation and development.

Programs to be underwritten by the fund include the following initiatives for 2011-12:

• RSO In Schools will send the Regina Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players into Regina-area schools for over 40 concerts;

• The Build the Band program will see the orchestra partner with a Regina secondary school (Campbell Collegiate in 2011-12) to enrich current offerings with training, mentoring and private lessons, Arts Administration classes, and an in-depth songwriting course, taught by Saskatchewan-raised singer/songwriter/pianist, Jeffery Straker;

• Music on the Road will see the RSO “adopting” communities in southern Saskatchewan through a series of one-day events that include daytime school concerts and a community concert in the evening. This program debuted in Weyburn SK earlier this month; future residencies are planned for Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Gravelbourg, Weyburn, Estevan, Melville and Yorkton.

Finally, the RSO is partnering with the Regina Public Library on a series of free concerts throughout the season that feature RSO musicians as soloists and ensemble members.

Earlier this week, the Regina Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Victor Sawa, announced its 2011-12 season. Highlights include the orchestra’s free Symphony Under the Sky celebration at Wascana Park in August, a season-opening gala with pianist Jan Lisiecki, a celebration of Liszt’s 200th birthday, inventive pops programming, a series for children, chamber music concerts performed by the orchestra’s principal players, and a New Creations festival. As well, the orchestra will give the world premiere of a new orchestra work by Regina composer Matthew McLellan.

ADMINISTRATIVE / ADMINISTRATIF
Regina Symphony Orchestra
Director of Development
May 2 mai 2011

CONDUCTORS / CHEFS D’ORCHESTRE
Halton Youth Symphony
Conductor
April 30 avril 2011

Administrative/Administratifs

Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
Development Manager
Application Deadline/Date limite : March 18 mars 2011

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Application Deadline/Date limite : March 18 mars 2011

Auditions

Teaching/Enseignant

Don Wright Faculty of Music – The University of Western Ontario
Assistant Professor in Clarinet
Application Deadline/Date limite : April 1 avril 2011

North Bay Symphony
Principal Second Violin and Symphony Strings School Teacher
Application Deadline/Date limite : April 21 avril 2011

On January 8, the Regina Symphony teams up with Regina-based musician Jason Plumb for a Pops series concert that focuses on made-in-Saskatchewan music.

Here’s what the RSO media release has to say about Mr. Plumb: “A key part of the iconic and Juno award winning Saskatchewan music group The Waltons during the 1990s, Jason has forged a strong solo career backed by The Willing for almost ten years. His most recent release, Wide Open Music, features material from his days with The Waltons, songs from his solo work and some new songs about Saskatchewan. Also featured on the album is an original song written by Jason that has become one of the official anthems of the Rider Nation “Paint the Whole World Green”. Commissioned by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the song has become synonymous with the spirit and pride Saskatchewan fans have for the green and white.”

reginasymphony.com

Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society has just named Canadian violinist Aisslinn Nosky as its new concertmaster, starting in 2011-12. Speaking about the announcement, Society artistic director Harry Christophers noted “Aisslinn showed great style and leadership as guest concertmaster. She has the right combination of energy, experience and talent to fill this important position and assist in leading the Society toward its Bicentennial in 2015.” Ms Nosky will continue in her role as a member of Toronto’s Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

The Regina Symphony Orchestra has just named Maxim Antoshin as its new Executive Director, starting in January 2011. He succeeds Natasha Bood in the role. Originally a bassoonist, Mr. Antoshin received his musical training in Europe. More recently, he was Director of Marketing and Audience Services at Theatre Northwest in Prince George, BC – and in 2009, he was selected as one of ten fellows in the year-long John F. Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute. He is currently a Development Officer for the National Arts Centre Foundation in Ottawa.

Every year at about this time, we brace ourselves for all the media releases about Canadian orchestras’ holiday programming. How best, we wonder, to generate all the enthusiasm that’s due for all of the upcoming Nutcracker and Messiah performances?

This year, we’ve got all that – and much, much more. Here’s a coast to coast round up of the holiday events that we’ve heard about so far.

Vancouver
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents a remarkable 18 performances of three different holiday-themed programs this year. In the lead? Thirteen performances of the VSO’s Traditional Christmas program, led by Music Director Bramwell Tovey, and featuring the UBC Opera Ensemble, Enchor and narrator Christopher Gaze. This program travels to six different communities in Metro Vancouver, including Burnaby, South Delta, Surrey, North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Downtown Vancouver. Before Christmas, The orchestra also gives 3 performances of Vivaldi’s complete Four Seasons, featuring concertmaster Dale Barltrop, and presents a pair of Holiday Hooray! programs (without orchestra) in its Tiny Tots series. vancouversymphony.ca

Edmonton
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra kicks off its holiday season “boogie woogie style” on November 30, with a performance entitled The Days of Christmas, featuring pianist/vocalist Michael Kaeshammer and special guest Jill Barber. As the ESO media release says, “Having started out studying classical piano in his childhood, Michael Kaeshammer’s real passion lies in the boogie-woogie and stride piano playing styles of the likes of Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, and Pete Johnson, to name a few. Ever the crowd-pleaser, [he] will showcase his skill and creativity performing specialized arrangements of I’ll Be Home for Christmas, Mary’s Boy Child, Winter Wonderland, and Merry Christmas, Baby.” ESO resident conductor Lucas Waldin leads the program. edmontonsymphony.com

Calgary
The Calgary Philharmonic is presenting a full array of holiday programming, including performances of Handel’s Messiah, the Sing Along Messiah, a traditional Christmas program, a program with the Canadian Tenors, a Christmas program with Christian singer/songwriter Michael W. Smith, and a new year’s Salute to Vienna concert. cpo-live.com

Regina
The Regina Symphony Orchestra presents an eclectic holiday program on December 4 that features a lobby performance by the Conservatory of Music’s Amadeus Strings, selections from The Nutcracker, audience sing-alongs, a medley of music from The Polar Express, a celebrity performance of Haydn’s Toy Symphony (possibly written by Leopold Mozart), and the symphonic debut of 2010 Regina Symphony Singing Star contest winner, Paula Haubrich. RSO Music Director Victor Sawa is on the podium, and “in the spirit of the season, the RSO will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items for the Regina Foodbank at this concert.” reginasymphony.com

Toronto
On December 6 at 9 pm ET on Bravo!, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir will be featured in the premiere television broadcast of its popular annual Sing-Along Messiah, produced by 90th Parallel Productions. This historic television event was recorded live last January at Toronto’s Koerner Hall, and is produced by Gordon Henderson and Stuart Coxe and directed by Dave Russell. The broadcast complements Tafelmusik’s four live performances of Handel’s Messiah from December 15th to 18th at its home venue, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, and a performance of Sing-Along Messiah on Sunday December 19th at Massey Hall. tafelmusik.org

Timmins
The Timmins Symphony has had the great joy of announcing that its 2010 production of The Nutcracker Ballet (scheduled for November 27 and 28) was completely sold out two weeks ahead of the performances. Said music director Matthew Jones, “We are delighted that the Timmins has embraced this community production and that our local dancers and actors will be performing to full houses of family and friends. We thank Timmins for supporting Nutcracker this Holiday Season.” timminssymphony.com

Montreal
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal celebrates the end of 2010 with three different programs led by Music Director Kent Nagano. The festivities kick off with a program featuring piano prodigy Jan Lisiecki (Grand Prize winner at last year’s OSM Standard Life Competition), renowned contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 9. Then, the OSM carries on with one of its longest-running Christmas traditions: Handel’s Messiah at Notre-Dame Basilica, with the OSM Chorus and singer soloists Dominique Labelle, Daniel Taylor, Michael Schade and Tyler Duncan. And finally, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, backed by the Chœur des enfants de Montréal, will perform traditional Christmas melodies with the OSM at the Basilica. The two Christmas concerts at the Basilica will be telecast during the holiday period by Radio-Canada, this season’s official broadcaster. osm.ca