July 2010 - Nr. 7
What is Classical?
Aug. 6-8
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Part of World Routes Summer Festivals 2010 at Harbourfront Centre TORONTO, ON – Returning to Harbourfront Centre this summer for its
second incarnation, What is Classical?
examines the definition of “classical music” from a broad range
of cultural perspectives. It explores the boundaries of the
genre around the world and here at home. This FREE weekend festival (Aug 6-8) does not limit itself to world-class classical
music performances, however; it also features dance, film, panel
discussions, workshops and family activities. Full Event Listings by Genre:MUSIC:Djoumbush & Warhol Dervish Quartet Saturday, Aug.7, 6-7:30 p.m. & Sunday, Aug. 8, 3-4 p.m. (Redpath Stage) Montreal-based Djoumbush was formed in 2006 by Nicolas Royer-Artuso and Lucas Moore. The group’s name is inspired by the phonetic spelling of cümbüs, a Turkish musical instrument used most often in Roma and ‘gypsy’ styles, and also a term roughly translated to mean ruckus, a nod to their high-energy rhythms! Warhol Dervish Quartet is a chamber music collective popular in Montreal’s chamber music and contemporary classical scene. Together, mixing Western and Turkish classical forms, rhythms and instrumentation, they offer a new answer to the question, “What is classical?” Urban Flute Ensemble Friday, Aug. 6, 7-8 p.m. & Saturday, Aug. 7, 10-11 p.m. (Redpath Stage) Non-traditional in all respects – its rarely-seen instrumentation, its emphasis on the classical concert as an experience (which is partly theatrical), its core repertoire of baroque and contemporary works – Urban Flute Ensemble with flutist Jamie Thompson, violinist Max Scheinin and cellist Lucas Tensen aims to provide Toronto with unique concerts that reflect the unorthodox sensibilities of its members. They will also appear throughout the site all weekend with spontaneous concerts, where and when you least expect! Vidushi Sumitra Guha Friday, Aug. 6, 8-9 p.m. & guest artist with Harry Manx, 9:30-11 p.m. (Sirius Stage) Vidushi Sumitra Guha’s award-winning vocal style blends the two schools of Indian classical music, Hindustani and Carnatic. A recipient of the Order of India, her incredible mastery of the form has been honed over nearly four decades of performing worldwide. She also leads a vocal workshop Sunday afternoon. The Tabla Guy & Mason Bach Friday, Aug. 6, 9 p.m. & guest artist with Harry Manx, 9:30-11 p.m. (Sirius Stage) Both Toronto-based, The Tabla Guy (Gurpreet Chana) and Mason Bach focus on creating and exploring electronic music and genres such as tech house, drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep by bringing together their classical training in tabla and violin, respectively, and integrating it with current technology. Musician/composer/producer Chana is one of the most sought-after artists in Canada due to his incredible ability to create great art within any musical genre; he has worked with such artists as Nelly Furtado, Wyclef Jean, Pete Rock, Bally Sagoo, The Bombay Dub Orchestra and Lady Sovereign. Bach is a producer and classical violin master forging new pathways in the field of computer-aided live performance. He has composed for television, film and interactive multimedia, blending classical traditions with the vast diversity of contemporary electronic music. Harry Manx Featuring special guests Gurpreet “The Tabla Guy” Chana & Vidushi Sumitra Guha Friday, Aug. 6, 9:30-11 p.m. (Sirius Stage) “Mysticssippi” blues man Harry Manx has been called an essential link between the music of the east and west. With his signature style of Indian-inspired blues, Manx has created a distinctive sound that is hard to forget and deliciously addictive, partly thanks to a unique 20-stringed sitar/guitar hybrid called the mohan veena, designed by one of his musical mentors. Manx has released nine albums in an eight-year span and shows no signs of slowing down. He is joined by special guests Gurpreet Chana (The Tabla Guy) and Vidushi Sumitra Guha for an unforgettable concert experience. Orchestra Piazza Vittorio ***CANADIAN PREMIERE*** Saturday, Aug. 7, 8-10 p.m. OPEN REHEARSAL: Saturday, Aug. 7, 3:30 p.m. (Sirius Stage) Directed by Mario Tronco, 16 musicians from 11 countries and three continents, speaking eight different languages, come together to create world music in the true sense of the word. This is the first orchestra founded on public support of providing 25 musicians with meaningful employment. One of Harbourfront Centre’s largest undertakings this summer, this concert (an adaptation of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute) and related film screening, both Canadian premieres, should not be missed. Generously supported by the Italian Cultural Institute. The Labyrinth Project: Outdoor Late Night Labyrinth Featuring Global Classical Improvisations & The Urban Flute Ensemble Saturday, Aug. 7, 10 p.m. (Ann Tindall Lawn) Co-produced with Euterpe Corporation Harbourfront Centre’s outdoor site transforms into a twinkling late-night labyrinth where audience members can experience a deeper connection with both the music and with themselves. The Labyrinth Project takes the listening and experiencing of music to a whole new level, with international classical artists broadening the listeners’ experience of – and appreciation for – the globalocal pallet of instrumentation. Labyrinths are currently being used worldwide as a way to quiet the mind, recover balance in life, and encourage meditation, insight, self-reflection and stress reduction. They are open to all people as a non-denominational, cross-cultural blueprint for well-being. The practice of labyrinth walking is said to integrate the body with the mind and the mind with the spirit. Gamelan Gong Sabrang & Seka Rat Nadi Sunday, Aug. 8, 1-2 p.m. (Redpath Stage) This concert brings together two very different tuned percussion orchestras, or gamelans, from the neighboring Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. Gamelan Gong Sabrang (Gamelan Across Oceans) is a Toronto community group that performs concert and dance music from Central Java. Seka Rat Nadi (Together As One) is a quartet specializing in music that accompanies Balinese shadow puppet plays and Hindu religious rituals. The Labyrinth Project: John Burke’s music performed by Ensemble Vivant ***WORLD PREMIERE*** Saturday, Aug. 7, 3-4:30 p.m. & Sunday, Aug. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. (Brigantine Room) Co-produced with Euterpe Corporation John Burke is an award-winning Canadian classical music composer with a strong relationship to music-as-medicine. Burke has composed an extensive repertoire of ambient music to accompany the contemplative practice of walking meditation, as experienced in The Labyrinth Project, and he continues to develop environmental events which offer a rich experience of deep listening imbued with the ethos of the mythic journey. The world premiere of his new work in this field will be performed by Ensemble Vivant (piano, violin and cello), a group that has been recording and performing to sold-out houses across North America and Europe for over 20 years. They aim to reveal rarely heard works from the classical repertoire as well as new versions of vastly diverse styles from jazz to musical theatre to Latin dance. Beyond Mozart with Beyond the Pale Sunday, Aug. 8, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Sirius Stage) Mixing Klezmer (a Yiddish musical tradition from Eastern Europe), Balkan and Romanian styles of with an eclectic range of North American influences, this Toronto-based sextet has been pushing the boundaries of Eurofolk fusion for over a decade. Beyond the Pale was commissioned by CBC Radio 2 to commemorate the 250th birthday of Mozart in 2006 by creating new interpretations of his work. This concert features some of the results, including funk, reggae, extended improvisations and odd-metre Balkan time signatures applied to some of the most familiar classical work in the world. Italy’s Orchestra Piazza Vittorio will join Beyond the Pale for an unforgettable finale to the What is Classical? Festival.
DANCE:
FILM:
PANELS &
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