The Royal Conservatory of Music Sets April 2017 Lineup with Jazz, Classics, Family Concerts and More
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 28, 2017
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TD Jazz: The Art of the Trio
The penultimate concert of the series features Jason Moran and The Bandwagon & Alexander Brown Trio on April 1. Pianist Moran has established himself as a risk-taker and innovator of new directions for jazz as a whole, and in this concert he is joined by his long-time trio members, bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits. Cuban trumpeter Alexander Brown's music reflects his unique path, blending classical, rhythm & blues, hip-hop, Afro-Caribbean, and Brazilian styles. Since coming to Canada almost 10 years ago, he has enlivened Toronto's jazz scene wherever he plays, and on this occasion he performs with bassist Justin Gray and drummer Ethan Ardelli.
Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage
Two concerts that are part of this popular concert series take place in April. On April 19, Colombian superstars Monsieur Periné, who are making their Canadian debut, and Canadian singer Patricia Cano, of Peruvian heritage, take the audience on a journey through the music of South America.
Beloved singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash will perform music from her acclaimed 2014 album, The River & the Thread, which was recognized with three Grammy awards, on April 27. The songs, written by Cash and her long-time collaborator and husband, John Leventhal, evoke the American South's rich landscape.
World Music
Born in Artemisa, Cuba, and now based in Smithers, BC, Latin Grammy and Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Alex Cuba's sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks, and powerful guitar riffs relinquish conventional Latin music stereotypes in favour of his own Latin soul music. In a unique Canada 150 concert only heard in Koerner Hall on April 8, he is joined by his father, Jim Cuddy (from Blue Rodeo), and other special surprise guests.
Music Mix
Wayne Shorter's Signature Sound, sense of economy and expression on both tenor and soprano sax, his writing prowess, probing solos, and his enigmatic philosopher presence, have all made him a jazz immortal. On April 22, the Wayne Shorter Quartet includes the returning Danilo Pérez on piano, John Patitucci on bass, and Brian Blade on drums.
Raoul and The Big Time perform a unique concert, specially created for Koerner Hall, titled "Down in the Delta" on April 29. Presented in association with the Toronto Blues Society, the performance goes deep into the soul of the Mississippi delta with special guests Super Chikan, Big Dave McLean, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod, and Divine Brown. "Raoul Bhaneja brings just the right amount of vocal attitude and from-the-gut harp work ... delivering tasty and distinctive results." (Roots Music Report)
Family Concerts
Former member of the rock band Del Fuegos, Dan Zanes, closes out the concert series with music where sea shanties, English music hall, North American and West Indian folk music, play party songs, the spirit of early rock-and-roll, and soulful originals collide. On April 22, he will be joined by Claudia Eliaza on vocals, guitar, flute, and percussion. "Zanes' kids music works because it is not kids music; it's just music - music that's unsanitized, unpasteurized, that's organic even."(The New York Times Magazine)
Classical Concerts
"One of the most versatile and charismatic musicians in the world," (Musical America) Bramwell Tovey conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra on April 7. The program includes Kelly-Marie Murphy's A Thousand Natural Shocks and Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben, and violinist Jennifer Murphy, Rebanks Fellow of The Royal Conservatory and winner of the Glenn Gould School Concerto Competiton, joins the Orchestra for Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major. The concert is preceded by a Prelude Recital at 6:45 pm in Koerner Hall.
Invesco Piano Concerts series concludes on April 9 with the fifth appearance of Louis Lortie in Koerner Hall. On this occasion, he performs an all-Chopin program, consisting of 12 Études, Op. 10, 12 Études, Op. 25, and 24 Preludes, Op. 28. The London Times describes the beloved Canadian pianist's playing as "ever immaculate, ever imaginative" and celebrates his "combination of total spontaneity and meditated ripeness that only great pianists have." The concert will be preceded at 7:15 pm by a pre-concert chat with Rick Phillips.
Two Chamber Music concerts take place in April and close out the series: Les Violons du Roy with Philippe Jaroussky on April 13 and the Montrose Trio & Friends on April 28.
Les Violons du Roy, Québec City's chamber orchestra and resident ensemble at the Palais Montcalm, will be conducted by Mathieu Lussier and joined by the ethereal, sensuously beautiful voice of extraordinary French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky for a program of Baroque works by Händel, Bach, Fux, and Graun.
A Canadian all-star evening of chamber music, care of Montrose Trio (featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker, violinist Martin Beaver, and cellist Clive Greensmith), will include Brahms's Piano Trio No. 1. The group will also be joined by Barry Shiffman (viola), Allyson McHardy (mezzo-soprano), Erika Raum (volin), Desmond Hoebig (cello), Teng Li (viola), and Sharon Wei (viola) to perform Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence and Brahms's Alto Songs. The concert opens with the winners of The Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition, which takes place the day before this concert.
Free Concerts
As part of the Sunday Interludes concert series, pianist Anton Nel will perform works by Mozart and Schumann on April 2. La Scena Musicale has called him "a consummate artist ... [with] that rare ability to lift music off the page and into the hearts and minds of his listeners." Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert on April 12 offers the chance to hear young artists on the cusp of major careers. These concerts feature solo and chamber works performed by Rebanks Fellows currently enrolled in the one-year Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program at The Glenn Gould School. Aimia Discovery Series features the Glenn Gould School Chamber Competition Finals on April 27, where talented ensembles of The Glenn Gould School compete for over $11,000 in prizes and the chance to perform a Prelude Recital in Koerner Hall preceding a Royal Conservatory Orchestra performance during the 2017-18 concert season. Finally, The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists presents the Academy Chamber Orchestra on April 30. The Orchestra is comprised of string students from The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists.
Tickets and subscriptions are available online at www.performance.rcmusic.ca, by calling 416.408.0208, or in person at the Weston Family Box Office. Become a Royal Subscriber: select any 4-6 concerts and save 10%; select any 7+ concerts and save 15%; both levels receive special subscriber benefits. A limited number of $10 BMO Rush Tickets are available starting 90 minutes before all performances presented by The Royal Conservatory. All concerts take place at The Royal Conservatory of Music TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto.
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