The Toronto Symphony Orchestra announced that it had received a historic donation of $14.7 million from the estate of H. Thomas and Mary Beck. The donation surpassed the $10 million donation from the estate in 2019. In a statement orchestra CEO Mark Williams said, “The Beck family’s long-standing commitment to this city has been exemplified by their unwavering support of {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2023-24 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal performances. First up, Sir Andrew Davis conducts Fauré’s Requiem with the Amadeus Choir. The program also includes music by Mozart and the world premiere of Ed Frazier Davis’ “Sanctus Est Verum Lumen.” Performance Date: Nov. 8-11, 2023 Mezzo {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced that Gustavo Gimeno’s contract was being extended throughout 2030. The conductor is the 10th music director in the company’s history, kicking off his tenure back in 2020-21. “It is my extreme pleasure to continue to lead this wonderfully refined Orchestra,” said Gimeno in an official press statement. “The special bond that the musicians and {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced the appointment of composer Trevor Wilson as its RBC Resident Conductor, and the extension of Simon Rivard’s position as conductor of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. Wilson will begin his residency in September, which will last through the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. He was selected from a body of conductors across Canada and worldwide. {…}
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2022-23 season featuring world stars and many masterpieces. The season will celebrate 100 Years of Artistic Achievement and Community Impact. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal performances. Michael Francis conducts Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in Mozart’s Requiem and a program that also includes music by Beethoven. Performance Dates: Jan. {…}
Toronto’s Against the Grain Theatre has announced the upcoming run of its new opera-film, “Bound.” “Bound” features four storytellers, each of whom had challenging yet very different journeys finding their place and voice in Canada. These perceived outsiders include Dr. Nadiya Vasdani, who attended med school in the Caribbean and completed her residency in Flint, Michigan during the water crisis; {…}
Cathy Beck, Chair of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has announce that Mark Williams has been appointed the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. Williams, who will begin as CEO in April 2022, is a senior leader in the orchestra sector, having held positions at the San Francisco Symphony and IMG Artists New York. He is currently Chief Artistic {…}
(Credit: © Jag Gundu) The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral for its recording of Massenet’s “Thaïs.” The recording stars Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Nathan Berg, Liv Redpath, Andrea Ludwig, Emilia Boteva, and Neil Aronoff. Sir Andrew Davis led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Jonathan Crow leading the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. {…}
The CBC Virtual Orchestra will release a world premiere performance of Vivian Fung’s “Prayer.” The online recording, created in isolation with musicians from 28 different orchestras throughout Canada, will be led by Metropolitan Opera music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Audiences will get a chance to experience the world premiere globally on July 1, 2020 via CBC Music. “’Prayer’ is, in essence, {…}