The Megaphone – Liz Parker's Blog

Philip, me, and Andrew. Aren't they cute?

I am a lucky, lucky girl.  I get to publicise amazing music and work with extraordinary clients like Vanessa J. Goymour.  She’s the GM and Artistic Director of Jeunesses Musicales Ontario, which promotes young classical musicians at the start of their careers.  JMO also creates youth educational concerts.

The Duo Concertante photo shoot I coordinated/art directed; I was so pleased to see this on a poster at Ontario Contact. Thank you, Alison McTavish, of Kanon Artists!

Today, I page-turned (don’t forget, people, the Foundress is a Professional Page Turner) for pianist Philip Chiu, who played with violin stud Andrew Wan at the COC’s free noon-hour concert.  I was totally blown away yet a bit torn, as I couldn’t really enjoy the concert from the audience perspective.  So for JMO’s Twilight Series concert, featuring Andrew and Philip in the same recital, I sat in the audience to enjoy it proper-like.   Maessiaen, Kelly-Marie Murphy, Franck, and Kreisler fit the bill.  I didn’t know Murphy’s Dance Me to Your Beauty with a Burning Violin was originally written for my clients, Duo Concertante.  I’d just seen a lovely poster of them at Ontario Contact, featuring an photo that I’d art directed. 

As for the Franck – I’ve heard a few performances of that in my time, but man oh man, these guys dug in like their lives depended on it.  They played with the same vigour the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra did Monday night.

Tom Allen, a former JMO artist, introduced the artists.  I LOVED what he said.  He talked about the importance of music education.  He talked about what JMO did for him when he was starting out as a trombonist.  He also talked about El Sistema and how crucial it is to continue arts funding.  I am so appreciative of Tom’s opening remarks; I want him to run for public office so I can vote for him.  Thank you, Tom.

Vanessa J. Goymour of JMO, working it at Ontario Contact

Andrew is flanked by TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian and his wife, Nadine.

For years I used to joke that classical music was my religion, and my lessons were even on Sunday mornings, when most people are in church.  My “church” will always be any venue where great music happens. 

So tonight I went to see the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in its Canadian debut with star conductor, Gustavo Dudamel (who’s sinfully adorable).  And yes, I expected to be blown away.  But what I *didn’t* expect was WHAT would blow me away – the sheer force, the power, the exuberance, and wait for it, my favourite word – the EBULLIENCE – of the orchestra players. 

THANK YOU, LARA ST. JOHN, for asking me to be her date.  Thankyouthankyouthank you.

It was the best of both worlds: young orchestra players who still perform with stars in their eyes.  Yet these players are incredibly gifted and disciplined; a well-oiled machine with a precision that blew my mind; energy that only comes from a youth orchestra, and a sense of assuredness that, again, may only come from a group of young players who don’t quite realise the difficulty of the repertoire.

And then the audience.  I’ve never heard Toronto freak its ass off *quite* like that.  Even without the audiby proud Venezuelans in the audience, I’m quite sure the gala crowd would have flipped out anyhow. 

And the encores!  OMG.  The first was Bernstein’s Mambo.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtnjixhvOTU 

Again the best of both worlds: the symphonic world and the WORLD MUSIC world.  Imagine seeing an orchestra sway from side to side, twirl their stringed instruments, twirl their trumpets, stand up, shout, and shake their bootie.  Why the bloody hell won’t more orchestras loosen up like this?  I felt like I was at an outdoor orchestra concert in Rio or something.  Then they finished with Ginstera’s Estancia Danza final (Molambo). 

I was beside myself.

This concert fulfilled the very deep need in me to experience something both classical and explosively cathartic.  This is not to say hearing the TSO and a shit-hot pianist do the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor isn’t cathartic.  But to see 250 young musicians with its youthful conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, let ‘er rip and get up and move around on stage…..WHY CAN’T WE HAVE THIS MUCH FUN AT THE SYMPHONY?  I’ve never seen anything like this.

Must I emigrate to South America to experience more of this?  I’ve always wondered if I was Latina in a past life, which would be a far cry from the Canadian-born Japanese-English person I actually am.

Hearing tonight’s concert confirms it. 

Lara St. John is one of the coolest violinists I know. Actually, she’s one of the coolest PEOPLE I know. She’s urban, hip, with lots to say, and a lot of fun to have a drink with. I first met her about 15 years ago or so, when I was publicising a concert with the Vancouver Symphony. Based on her image, her penchant for notoriety, I had a feeling we’d get along JUST FINE. We’re both rebellious girls with older, responsible brothers.

What strikes me most about Lara (apart from her being about a foot taller than me) is her drive to make classical music as approachable as possible. This has been my own MO since – well, birth, really. And I see nothing wrong with using your sex appeal and fashion sense to do so – as long as you have the goods to back it up. And Lara does – in spades. Her most recent projects include a recording of Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, which includes Piazzolla: The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (which she’s performing on Friday. Yay!). A hot version of Vivaldi? Why not? And what about polka music? Once considered a frumpy and kitschy musical backdrop to a Munich-style beer house, Lara is re-inventing the genre with her Polkastra ensemble in a recording cleverly entitled “Apolkalypse Now”.

Check her out live this Friday (Oct. 23) at Toronto’s Glenn Gould Studio, 8 PM. The repertoire: HAYDN’s Quartet, Op. 42; VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS’ The Lark Ascending; PIAZZOLLA’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires; and TCHAIKOVSKY’s Serenade. Tix are $40 – $12 and available at the Roy Thomson Hall box office at King and Simcoe, or by calling 416 872 4255. Online purchases: www.sinfoniatoronto.com.

Whether it’s to hear some great music, or what Lara’s going to wear, or both – I hope you’ll check this opening night of Sinfonia Toronto.

Upcoming Sinfonia Toronto dates:

December 11: violinist Catherine Manoukian and percussionist Filippo Lattanzi

January 22: pianist Yuval Fichman

March 12: violinist Hyuk-Joo Kwun and pianist Sangwook Park

April 9:  pianist Heather Schmidt and violinist Xiaohan Guo

May 14:  Premium Concert with cellist Shauna Rolston. 

Gala event: Saturday, February 13 at 8 PM: Latin Lovers Ball at Arcadian Court.

When Measha Brueggergosman asked me to assist in promoting her benefit concert for AMREF, I said yes immediately.  Measha…?  Singing for a great cause….??  You bet.  I mean it’s obvious that Measha is a singing sensation, and a hoot to work with…but she’s also giving her time to such a worthy cause, AMREF (African Medical & Research Foundation).  Pianist Andreas Kern is flying in from Berlin for this; he is also her co-host on Arte Lounge, a TV show about the arts in Germany.  CBC Radio’s Jian Ghomeshi of “Q” fame (or, more like, the man who showed nerves of steel and a whole lotta class during the Billy Bob interview debacle) will interview Measha before the 2nd half of the concert.

I first met Measha a few years ago when I did PR for the TSO.  What struck me most (apart from the usual: her presence, talent, hair, hilariously expressive manner of speaking, etc.) was her dressing room.  Most opera singers indulge in lots of good makeup – it’s required.  But Measha takes makeup to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.  I actually recall snapping a pic of a MOUNTAIN of MAC eyeshadows in her dressing room (which I confessed to her RIGHT AWAY, so don’t worry, she’s not creeped out). 

It’s been great to see Measha evolve from gifted performer and fashion icon (which she still is) to a Goodwill Ambassador for AMREF.  In case the poster I upload is too wee to see – the deets are: Sat. Oct. 17 / 5:00 PM / St. Andrew’s Church (King and Simcoe) / Tix $175, $125, $60 … 50% off for students or groups of 10; call 416 961 6981 or info@amrefcanada.org / All proceeds go to AMREF.  Click on the link to see Measha herself chat up the event…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbWZvNZ5W2U

….and I hope to see you there. 

JEUNESSES MUSICALES’ 09/10 SEASON KICKS OFF WITH  THE TWILIGHT SERIES
First concert: Thursday, October 29 / Andrew Wan, violin / Philip Chiu, piano
5:00 PM: cocktails; 6:00 PM: performance
Arts and Letters Club, 14 Elm Street (northwest of Yonge & Dundas)
Tickets: $25 (includes taxes and one beverage) - 416 536 8649 or vgoymour@jeunessesmusicales.ca
 
October 5, 2009
 
TORONTO, ONTARIO – The 2009/2010 season of Jeunesses Musicals marks the 60th anniversary of Jeunesses Musicales Canada, and the 30th anniversary of Jeunesses Musicales Ontario (JMO)!  A new look is involved, too – JMO will launch its new website later this month. Upcoming is the Twlight Series, a four-concert series all taking place at the Arts and Letters Club on 14 Elm Street in Toronto.  The goal of this series is two-fold: one, to develop the careers of young classical musicians and bring affordable quality concerts to patrons; the second, to foster the love of classical music to audiences of all ages, but in particular, to the new young patrons who are discovering classical music, and want to know more about it. 
 
The first concert of the Twilight Series takes place on Thursday, October 29, at 6:00 PM. Andrew Wan and Philip Chiu will perform Olivier Messiaen’s Theme and Variations, César Frank’s Sonata in A Major for violin and piano, Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s “Dance me to your Beauty with a Burning Violin”, and Fritz Kreisler’s “Tambourin Chinoise” Op.3.
 
This evening will feature a pre-concert cocktails gathering for all ticket-holders at 5:00 PM.  Perfect for those wanting to take in some music in a small oasis away from the urban scene nearby, and avoid the rush hour commute.  “This is an exciting series and we’re so proud to present a new generation of gifted young performers,” said Vanessa J. Goymour, General Manager of Jeunesses Musicales Ontario.  “And I’m excited to encourage more young patrons who love music to attend, unwind after the work day, and take in a concert in a gorgeous, intimate setting and meet the performers after, and learn more about the music and the artists in a casual way.”
 
Described as “tremendous” and “wildly virtuosic” by the New Zealand Listener, Canadian violinist Andrew Wan is equally at home as a soloist or a chamber musician. Concertmaster for the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, he has also serve as guest concertmaster for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and for the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.  Winner of the Juilliard and Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competitions in 2007, Andrew Wan made his New York concerto debut performing Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor with the Juilliard Orchestra under James DePriest in Alice Tully Hall, and his Aspen debut performing Saint-Saëns’ Third Violin Concerto with the Aspen Sinfonia under Michael Stern in the Benedict Music Tent.  Andrew Wan has concertized extensively throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand, performing concertos with numerous orchestras such as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Musica Eterna of Havana, Cuba. He has appeared in recital with the New Zealand Trio, violinist Cho-Liang Lin, principal bassist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Christopher Hanulik, concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Herbert Greenberg, David Wakefield of the American Brass Quintet, and with eminent pianists Margo Garrett, Stéphane Lemelin, and Jane Coop. Andrew Wan is a founding and current member of the N-E-W Piano Trio — with pianist Julio Elizalde and cellist Gal Nyska — which took First Prize and the Audience Award at the Plowman Chamber Music Competition and the Grand Prize at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition this past spring. Next season, the trio will make its debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and will also present concerts in Florida, Missouri, California, Maine, New Jersey, New York, and Canada. Andrew Wan is generously supported by the Canada Council, is currently on the PreCollege Ear Training Faculty at the Juilliard School, and serves as Masao Kawasaki’s teaching assistant. He is rotating concertmaster and assistant concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra. Andrew Wan performs on a 1744 Michel’Angelo Bergonzi violin, and gratefully acknowledges its loan from the David Sela Collection.
 
In his short career, pianist Philip Chiu has had great success as an accompanist, chamber musician, and soloist. He has been widely acclaimed for the brilliance and sensitivity of his playing, as well as for his ability to communicate with audiences. Second prize winner of the 2007 Bösendorfer National Piano Competition, Philip Chiu has appeared recently in the Glenn Gould Studio, the Stratford Summer Music Festival, and the Orford Arts Centre Festival. Last year, he also performed about twenty concerts with pianist Janelle Fung on a JMC tour.  In addition to collaborating with fellow young musicians, Philip Chiu has also had the honour of performing with such artists as the renowned erhu player George Gao, Joel Quarrington, Jonathan Crow, and Joseph Alessi, principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic. He is also an avid chamber musician, and has been coached by such artists as William Preucil, Tsutsumi Tsuyoshi, Jacques Rouvier, and André Roy.  Philip Chiu holds an ARCT Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music and a Performance Diploma from the Glenn Gould School of Music. He has studied with Jenny Regehr and is currently working with Marc Durand and Jimmy Brière at the Université de Montréal.
 
Upcoming Twilight Series concerts all at Arts & Letters Club, 5:00 cocktails, 6:00 performance:
Wednesday, November 18/09
Sergei Saratovsky, piano
Mozart: Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333
Debussy: Estampes
Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9

Wednesday, April 7/10
Ariel Barnes, cello
Bryan Wagorn, piano
JS Bach: Cello Suite No. 1, G Major
Beethoven: Sonata for Cello & Piano,
                   Op. 102, No. 1, C Major
Schumann: Funf Stuck im Volkston,
                   Op. 102, A minor
Mozart: Variations on a Theme of Duport,
              K. 573
Brahms: Sonata for Cello and Piano,
              Op. 37, E minor

Thurs. May 6/10
Janelle Fung & Philip Chiu, piano duo
Tchaikovsky, arr. Langer: Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a
Ravel: Ma Mère L’Oye
Debussy, arr. Ravel: Préude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Stravinsky, arr. Chiu & Fung:
                 Firebird; Danse infernale
George & Ira Gershwin, transcribed by Gregory Stone: Berceuse Finale
“I Got Rhythm” (Impromptu Variations)

Founded in 1979 Jeunesses Musicales Ontario (JMO), is a non-profit arts organization that fosters the careers of outstanding young professional Ontario and Canadian classical musicians at home and abroad, and promotes the development of the arts in Ontario by bringing affordable classical music to audiences. Jeunesses Musicales Ontario is a branch affiliate of Jeunesses Musicales of Canada (JMC), part of the historic, highly acclaimed international federation known as Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI). The 2009/2010 season marks the 30th anniversary of JMO and the 60th anniversary of JMC.
 
 
Media contact:
Liz Parker,
Foundress, LIZPR
liz@lizpr.com / 416 544 1803
www.lizpr.com

Jeunesses Musicales contact:
Vanessa J. Goymour, General Manager
Jeunesses Musicales Ontario
vgoymour@jeunessesmusicales.ca
www.jmontario.ca