Orchestras Canada

The Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and its busy Music Director Victor Sawa recently announced their 2011-12 season. Reflecting the SSO’s growing audiences, the program will include an additional concert added to each of the Masters and Pops series, and two additional concerts geared to children and youth Featured soloists include pianist Helen Kashap, the Beatles tribute show Classical Mystery Tour, Canada’s Platypus Theatre, children’s entertainer Sylvia Chave, and Gainer the Gopher! The keystone of the season is Gustav Mahler’s Fifth.

Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra and its artistic director Kevin Mallon have announced their 2011-2012 season, a six concert survey of baroque, classical and contemporary chamber orchestra repertoire. Highlights include an all-Bach program, an appearance by piano doyen Menahem Pressler in a Mozart piano concerto, a work by Michael C. Baker for solo double bass (featuring Joel Quarrington), and a semi-staged version of Handel’s “greatest opera”, Giulio Cesare, in conjunction with the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.

The Festival international du Domaine Forget has announced its summer season, and it prominently features an enhanced partnership with Bernard Labadie and Les Violons du Roy. The chamber orchestra will part not only in the opening and closing concerts of the festival (June 25 and September 4), but will also take part in concerts with the festival’s distinguished teaching faculty. As well, members of the orchestra will lead master classes on baroque style.

Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra has just announced their 35th season, its first with new Artistic Director Kevin Mallon. The season includes 6 concerts with repertoire ranging from Baroque to contemporary. The season opens on Friday, October 29, 2010 with “Bienvenue,” a concert of welcome that includes guest violinist Yosuke Kawasaki, Concertmaster of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. For more information, you can visit Thirteen Strings Chamber Orchestra’s website here.

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.”