March 2007 - Nr. 3
Young artists in Toronto
The amount of artists in Toronto is mind-boggling. Sometimes I think there are more artists than any other category of profession. Every once in a while another group pops up on the horizon. About one year ago I got a notice from Kimberley Schemeit, informing me that she had formed a group with another young woman, called the Alicier Arts Chamber Music. Somehow we did not connect, I am sorry to say, but we caught up with Kimberly and her merry band of musicians for a Valentine’s concert in the lovely St. George-on-the-Hill Anglican Church on Dundas Street, near Royal York, Toronto. In this lovely setting all too few people congregated to partake in what was billed as a Schubert concert, but Schubert was not the main attraction at all. Instead we were treated to a lovely merry-go-round of love-inspired or love-inspiring musical pearls by a variety of composers, performed by a variety of artists.
Our
readers might remember Kimberly Schemeit and her sister Karin from days gone
by in the Austrian Club on Beverly Street, and a bit later on, when Karin
was a young Caravan Princess in the Austrian pavilion and she was conducting
the Austrian children’s choir, which her sister Kimberly later took over.
Eventually they both got too busy with their studies and profession as
musicians and teachers respectively and had to give up this
community
work. But occasionally we heard Kimberly at a spring or Christmas concert
perform on her flute.
Therefore I was delighted to have an opportunity to meet up again with this talented young woman. I was eager to see what she had accomplished and I must say I am impressed. Anyone who loves music should indulge in a concert now and then performed by young and coming artist such as one can experience with Alicier Arts. The enthusiasm of young people is infectious.
What young artist have to do to gain and grow an
audience base is nowadays quite formidable. The offers are so many that it
is hard to choose. Mostly one goes with something familiar. Well, you have
that here, one of our own making
good,
and if that is not enough, the music played is by composers we all cherish.
The artists are Canadian, in other words, they have varied ethnic
backgrounds, such as
Peter
Cosby, a cello player par excellence, graduate of the Royal Conservatory of
Music’s Glenn Gould School. The professionalism and skill are absolutely
astounding. His virtuosity is apparent with every stroke of his bow.
Then
there was Noritome Seguichi, a young piano player in his mid twenties,
looking like a school boy, but with a powerful punch. The Chopin Sonata,
Opus 58, he played with such bravura it lifted not only him but also the
audience off their seats.
Phoebi Tsung, violin, and Marika Kamachi, piano,
and Cameron Ogilvie, violin, all performed extraordinarily well, as did
Kimberly Schemeit.
And
Allison Marcaccini sang her heart out with such convincing temperament and
styling, that we forgot that we were in a church. Her timbre always matched
the song perfectly. Besides having a fabulous soprano voice she is also a
great actress. And yet, like a lot of wonderful artists, she makes her
living primarily as a teacher.
 |
| One last curtain call |
This was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon and hopefully the next time we will see a few more of our compatriots in the pews of this enchanting church on the hill.
In the meantime, if you are in or around Kitchener Waterloo, perhaps you would like to indulge in more Brecht than we had here in Toronto. The University of Waterloo and its Centre for German Studies is putting on a Brecht Fest under the motto of "Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral". A German Buffet and the Caucasian Chalk Circle with preceding cabaret scenes can be enjoyed for all of 20.00 dollars March 23, from 4pm to 22 pm, at the St. Paul’s College. Call 519-888-4567, X 32260, or go to www.wcgs.ca to find out more! Also offered on March 20, 6:30pm, is a concert and workshop with Rapp, Jazz and Rock Artist Clueso from Germany, in conjunction with the Goethe Institute, in the Gradhouse. Admission is free, so go check it out and have some fun.
If I do not see you at any of these venues then we meet perhaps at the social event of this month, March 3rd, the Ball Austria, this year honouring Franz Lehar.
As you can see, there is no reason not to get a good fill of our culture right here in Canada.
Until next time
Sybille Forster-Rentmeister
Comments to: sfr@echoworld.com
