The Royal Conservatory Of Music To Present THE QUIET PLEASE, THERE'S A LADY ON STAGE Series And More This Spring

May and June events have been announced at The Royal Conservatory Of Music. Stacey Kent Trio and Alison Young Trio close out the Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage series, The Jon Cowherd Trio shares an evening with Larnell Lewis & Joy Lapps, Peter Oundjian, Stewart Goodyear, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, perform in Koerner Hall and then at Carnegie Hall.

Kronos Quartet presents a program titled Five Decades as part of the 21C Music Festival. Brentano Quartet is joined by pianist Jonathan Biss and bassist Joseph Conyer. American violinist Hilary Hahn returns to Koerner Hall with pianist Andreas Haefliger

Royal Conservatory Orchestra

Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and RCM Honorary Fellow, Maestro Peter Oundjian is joined by The Royal Conservatory's Artist in Residence, Stewart Goodyear, and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra to perform in two extraordinary venues – Koerner Hall on May 3 and the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on May 7! Oundjian has been hailed as a masterful and dynamic presence in the conducting world and has developed a multi-faceted portfolio as a conductor, violinist, professor, and artistic advisor. He has been celebrated for his musicality, an eye towards collaboration, innovative programming, and an engaging personality. Proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times and “one of the best pianists of his generation” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, RCM alumnus Goodyear is an accomplished concert pianist, improviser, and composer. He has performed with major orchestras from around the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, among many others. The program consists of Kelly-Marie Murphy's Curiosity, Genius, and the Search for Petula Clark, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”).

Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage

Award-winning American jazz singer Stacey Kent performs music from her latest release, Summer Me, Winter Me, and “one of the most versatile musicians in Canada” (Jazz FM91), Toronto saxophonist, vocalist, and composer Alison Young opens with her trio on May 4. Kent, renowned for her ability to cut to the emotional heart of her songs with delicately nuanced interpretations that transcend borders and defy categorization, has been praised by All About Jazz: “Stacey Kent has practically done it all over the past twenty years, selling north of two million albums, putting her gorgeously delicate stamp on standards, introducing fresh tunes into the canon, racking up awards, and bringing her flawless voice to fans in more than fifty countries.” The Juno Award nominated Young has toured across the world with acts such as Corey Hart, Joe Sealy, Big Rude Jake, Johnny Reid, and The Shuffle Demons, and was chosen as one of the Best 35 Canadian Jazz Artists under 35 by the CBC. “Alison Young is a rising star in Toronto and beyond. One of the most versatile musicians in Canada,” said JAZZ.FM91.

Jazz Concerts

The Jon Cowherd Trio and Larnell Lewis & Joy Lapps share a soulful double bill on May 11. Cowherd has worked extensively with a broad array of players and singers from the jazz, pop, and rock worlds, including Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlile, k.d. lang, Rosanne Cash, Iggy Pop, Glen Hansard, Cassandra Wilson, John Scofield, and Lizz Wright. The Jon Cowherd Trio features three of the most imaginative, sensitive, and wide-ranging artists in modern jazz, who are also Koerner Hall favourites: pianist and Hammond B3 player Cowherd, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade. Grammy Award-winning musician, composer, producer, and Snarky Puppy drummer Larnell Lewis has established himself among the most diverse and in-demand drummers in the world and internationally lauded musician Joy Lapps treats the steelpan as a tool for engagement, anchoring her artistry in a profound, community-centered musical tradition.

21C Music Festival

To celebrate 50 years of making music, Kronos Quartet will perform Five Decades, a carefully curated selection of its work, spanning brand new works and signature pieces from composers around the world on May 9, such as the Canadian premieres of Aleksandra Vrebalov's ilektrikés rímes and Sun Ra, Terry Riley & Sara Miyamoto's Kiss Yo' Ass Goodbye; the Ontario premieres of Peni Candra Rini's Movement I from Segara Gunung and Nicole Lizée's ZonelyHearts; the Toronto premiere of Steve Reich's Triple Quartet; and one of their signature pieces, George Crumb's Black Angels. The 50th anniversary tour marks the debut of Kronos Quartet's recently appointed cellist Paul Wiancko, performing alongside founder and violinist David Harrington, and longtime members John Sherba (violin) and Hank Dutt (viola). Kronos has received over 40 awards, including the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes, some of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. According to The New York Times, “The Kronos Quartet has broken the boundaries of what string quartets do.”

Classical Music

Chamber and String Concerts

On May 10, the critically acclaimed Brentano String Quartet performs Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13 as well as Schubert's “Trout Quintet” with virtuoso pianist Jonathan Biss and the Philadelphia Orchestra's principal double bassist Joseph Conyers. Since its inception in 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. Described as “passionate, uninhibited and spellbinding” (The Independent), the Quartet has performed across five continents in the world's most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress in Washington, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Tokyo's Suntory Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. World-renowned pianist Biss channels his deep musical curiosity into performances and projects in the concert hall and beyond. In addition to performing with today's leading orchestras, he continues to expand his reputation as a teacher, musical thinker, and one of the great Beethoven interpreters of our time. Described by the Grand Rapids Press as “a lyrical musician who plays with authenticity that transcends mere technique,” Conyers has performed with numerous orchestras as soloist, including the Alabama, Flagstaff, and Richmond symphonies, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Sphinx Symphony. He was assistant principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2010 and won the job of Principal Bass in May 2023.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn melds expressive musicality and technical expertise with a diverse repertoire guided by artistic curiosity. She is currently artist-in-residence at both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and London's Wigmore Hall, and is co-founder and vice president of artistic partnerships of the AI-music initiative Deepmusic.AI. Hahn is a prolific and celebrated recording artist whose 21 feature albums on Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, and Sony have all opened in the top ten of the Billboard charts. On June 6, she will be accompanied by pianist Andreas Haefliger, acclaimed for his sensitivity, musical insights, and transcendent pianism in an all-Johannes Brahms program, including Violin Sonatas Nos. 1-3.

The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists presents the Academy Chamber Orchestra on May 1, featuring Canada's leading young classical musicians in this premier ensemble comprised of high school-aged strings students. The second half of this concert will feature the winners of the Academy Concerto Competition.

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