The Royal Conservatory Of Music And S.N.A.P. Films Inc. Present THE MUSIC FROM THE CUBAN

To replace the originally scheduled Richard Bona and Alfredo Rodríguez Band and Pedrito Martínez Group concert on October 24, Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts, has programed a special concert and free livestream, Music from The Cuban, featuring Hilario Durán, on the same date.

Dean of Toronto jazz piano, Hilario Durán, composed the remarkable soundtrack to the just-released film, The Cuban, starring Oscar Award winners Louis Gossett Jr. and Shohreh Aghdashloo. His Koerner Hall concert (in which he will be accompanied by vocalists Ana Golja, Evaristo Machado, and Marta Elena Pérez; Jay Danley on guitar; Alexis Baro on trumpet; Roberto Occhipinti on bass; Amhed Mitchel on drums; Jorge Luis Torres "Papiosco" on congas; and Luis Orbegoso on timbales) will include clips from the movie as well as on-stage and online chat between Mehta, Durán, director Sergio Navarretta, and cast members following the concert.

The heart of The Cuban is music, which dissolves the boundaries of age, ethnicity, gender, culture, and politics. It bridges the present with the past and has the power to trigger memory and awaken long-forgotten emotions. Afro-Cuban jazz permeates the film, drawing in the audience in the same way it draws in the characters. It brings vibrancy and joy to a previously stale environment and it triggers the pulsating, sensuous, and colourful world of the characters' imagination. The plot follows a naïve pre-med student as she gets her first job in a nursing home. An unexpected friendship with Luis, an elderly Cuban musician, reignites her love of music and changes her life forever.

Virtuoso player, arranger, composer, and bandleader, Hilario Durán, is one of the most important contemporary Cuban pianists and, as Cuba's premier exponent of Latin jazz, is renowned for his piano playing and composing skills. He was born into a musical family in Havana and, after graduating from Cuba's Amadeo Roldan Conservatory, he experienced the waning days of the glorious orchestras that drove musical innovation on the city's scene. In the 1970s, he was Chucho Valdés's chosen successor in Cuba's most modern big band, Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna; years later, Durán joined trumpeter Arturo Sandoval's band for nine years, touring worldwide and performing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Michel Legrand, among many others. Chucho Valdés has declared Hilario Durán to be one of the greatest Cuban pianists of the 20th century, calling the Grammy nominated and multi Juno Award winner "an unparalleled pianist, composer, and arranger of the first order."

Sergio Navarretta is an internationally recognized award-winning director who is fiercely passionate about bringing meaningful content to the screen. He made his directorial debut with Looking for Angelina, a powerful feature film about one of the most sensational murder cases in North American history. The film won numerous awards, was showcased at festivals around the world, played to sold-out theatres in 15 Canadian cities, and ranked among the top five in box office revenues for Canadian films at the time. His follow-up feature, The Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship, starring Enrico Colantoni (Veronica Mars) and Krista Bridges (Heroes Reborn), premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Oscar weekend. Colossal is currently available on all VOD platforms in the US and Canada. The Cuban, a passion project, is his third feature. Navarretta, who has a background in music from The Royal Conservatory of Music, attended York University and is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.

Reduced Capacity and Special Ticketing Structure for Safe Physical Distancing

We have reduced the number of seats available to ensure safe physical distancing at all our concerts.

Tickets are now purchased by section, rather than for specific seats - individual specific seats are not being sold.

Patrons can choose print-at-home tickets or to pick up their tickets at the box office on the day of the performance. Tickets are not currently being sent by mail.

On the day of the concert, the Conservatory will help patrons access seat(s) within the section they have purchased, to ensure physical distancing protocols are followed.

Ticket purchasers will be provided with more information and special instructions prior to the concert date.

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