The Megaphone – Liz Parker's Blog

If you’re not sure what to get your sweetie (and let me guess: you’re a guy who hasn’t ordered the flowers yet, right?), consider the gift of romance – tickets to two of the biggest opera stars in the world performing in “An Italian Opera Spectacular”.  Get 10% off all tickets between now and February 15.

Sunday, March 20 at 8 PM, Roy Thomson Hall / DMITRI HVOROSTOVSKY & SONDRA RADVANOVSKY with Orchestre de la Francophonie , conducted by Constantine Orbelian & Jean-Philippe Tremblay / Tickets: $148.75 – $65

Click on the link and enter code FB10 for your 10% discount on all tickets:

http://ev8.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev69/se/DisplayPromoList.d2w/report?linkID=rthmh&RSRC=RTHMHweb&RDAT=event&caller=PR

For more information: www.showoneproductions.ca

Show One Productions is founded and produced by Svetlana Dvoretskaia.

When I was 7, I first saw ballet at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.  It was the Royal Ballet from London, performing “Swan Lake”.  I still remember the principal dancers: David Wall and Monica Mason.  I went backstage with my parents to get autographs.  I will never forget the MOUNTAIN of toe shoes in the corner of Ms. Mason’s dressing room.

Fast forward 11 years, and I’m sitting in an outdoor cafe in Spain, waiting for the flamenco dancer to appear.  And she did, in a flaming red ruffled dress, behind the musicians who set the mood with guitar strums and compas (rhythmic clapping).

I was hooked.

I vowed someday to try flamenco, and another 10 years later, I did – I taught Vancouver flamenco dancer/teacher Rosario Ancer’s kids piano, in exchange for dance classes.

Dancing is the most zen thing ever – you REALLY are “in the moment” because if your mind wanders for even a second, you lose the beat, the choreography, everything.  And flamenco is such an intense, inward dance, hot and cold at the same time – both dancer and audience must be focussed.

To balance out the intensity of flamenco, there is the dance of Cuba – warm, overtly friendly, reaching out to audience members, with dance roots in Africa.    Now, imagine combining the two, and you have Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba.

This dance troupe has played to sell-out crowds in Canada a few years ago, and it’s back to tour the country again.  The tour features “Fuerza y Compás”, which means “Strength and Rhythm”.  LADC is comprised of 16-18 extremely buff women who dance a combo of Spanish flamenco and Cuban/Afro-Cuban dance, with 6 musicians in tow.  LADC makes its Markham Theatre debut March 16 at 8 PM.

It’ll be March break, so if you and your family are doing the “staycation” thing, consider heating up a chilly night in March by checking out the hot music of this amazing dance troupe.

See you there!

Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba / Markham Theatre debut / 171 Town Centre Boulevard (Warden & Hwy #7) / Tuesday, March 16 at 8 PM / $44, $49, $59 / Box office: Mon-Fri, 11-6 / 905 305 SHOW (7469).  FREE PARKING.

http://www.stationbleue.com/artistes.e/alfonsodancecuba_li.concerts.php

or www.markhamtheatre.ca

SINFONIA TORONTO’s Masterpiece Series: “Dynamic Duo”

TORONTO DEBUTS FOR TOP PRIZE VIOLINIST AND PIANIST

Nurhan Arman, conductor / Hyuk-Joo Kwun, violin / Hyejin Kim,  piano

Friday, March 12 at 8 PM / Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front Street West) / Tickets: $40 adult, $32 senior, $12 student + $4.50 box office charge

Purchase online at www.sinfoniatoronto.com or call the Roy Thomson Hall box office: 416 872 4255 or visit in person at King and Simcoe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, February 5, 2010

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Sinfonia Toronto’s upcoming concert features two young Korean artists on the brink of major international careers. Violinist Hyuk Joo Kwun began his career as a child prodigy, studied in Russia, and won Denmark’s Carl Neilson competition at nineteen.  Pianist Hyejin Kim’s career is also taking off after her studies in Germany and her competition wins.  This is a valuable opportunity to catch two future superstars. The repertoire features the Toronto premiere of JUNO winner Canadian composerJohn Burge’s A Light Fantasic Round; Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor; and Dvorak’s String Quartet Op. 105 in A-flat Mjaor orchestrated by Nurhan Arman.

Violinist Hyuk Joo Kwun was born in Seoul, Korea in 1985. He performs regularly throughout Russia, South Korea, Israel, Germany and Lithuania. His Russian engagements have included performances with the Moscow National Orchestra and the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra. He has played in Tel-Aviv with the Haifa Philharmonic under Maestro Schlomo Mintz and Suwon Philharmonic in the Seoul Art Center. In June 2004 he won first prize at the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition in Denmark.  Previous wins include the Grand-prix in the Kloster-Schontal Competition of Germany and the Grand Prix in the Third Yampolsky Competition in Russia. Hyuk Joo Kwun began his violin studies at age three and was accepted at the Korean National Institute of Arts in Seoul at age six with Professor Nam Yun Kim. In 1995, Hyuk Joo moved to Russia and studied in Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory under Professor Eduard Grach.

Pianist Hyejin Kim has been praised by critics for being “truly passionate, sensitive, and musical… an extremely polished and expressive pianist.” She has performed in Korea, United States, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia and many other countries. Ms. Kim appeared as soloist with the Yaroslavl Philharmonic, State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Seoul Philharmonic, Pilsen Philharmonic, Grosseto Orchestra, Slovak Sinfonietta of Zilina, Kharkov Philharmonic, Martinu Philharmonic, Nurnberg Symphony, and many others. In 2005, she became the youngest prize-winner of the Busoni International Piano Competition. Most recently, she was a winner of the Hong Kong International Competition. Ms. Kim holds a Master of Musical Arts from the University of Hans Eisler in Berlin, and a Bachelor Diploma from the University of Berlin where she studied under Professor Fabio Bidini. For the 200th Chopin anniversary, Ms. Kim is invited to play Chopin’s two piano concertos in the Golden Hall of Vienna’s Musikverein.

Upcoming concerts this season:

April 9/10: Pianist Heather Schmidt and violinist Xiaohan Guo

April 10/10: Music at La Maquette with harpist Floraleda Sacchi; champagne reception, recital, dinner, & silent auction; $80 with tax-deductible receipt of $35,

May 14/10: Premium Concert with cellist Shauna Rolston.

2010/2011 MasterpieceSeries on sale now!

October 1/10: Marc Grauwels, Flutist

November 12/10: Giancarlo De Lorenzo, Guest Conductor; Cecilia Loda, Mandolinist

December 10/10: Vicente Campos, Trumpeter

January 21/11: Judy Kang, Violinist

March 11/11: Sara Buechner, Pianist

April 15/11: Andrea Tyniec, Violinist

May 13/11: Andre Laplante, Pianist

Subscriptions are available now; single tickets will be available June 1, 2010.

For more information, please visit www.sinfoniatoronto.com.

Sinfonia Toronto gratefully acknowledges hotel sponsor The Strathcona Hotel and major season support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council and the Metcalf Foundation.

Media contact:

Liz Parker, Foundress

liz@lizpr.com / 416 544 1803 / www.lizpr.com

….from astonishing-precocious child star to a fully seasoned, mature performer.  And this is not always easy to do: I’ve seen and heard plenty of stories (growing up in the music word) about child prodigies who can’t cope with the pressure of becoming adult musicians.  Sarah Chang seems to have made the transition seamlessly.

When I first heard of her, she looked something like this:

Totally adorable.  Then I was doing PR for the Vancouver Symphony, and was sent a press kit of her looking like this:

Like, whoa!  As a teen, she seemed to babify overnight.  And her sound deepened, matured, and she played with an assuredness that had nothing to do with fearless youth, but of someone who had the chops.

Now, her PR stills are looking positively editorial:

It’s a wonderful thing when someone as gifted as Sarah succeeds with the transition to adulthood, both as a performer and someone who understands the importance of image.  They say image isn’t everything – but someone devoid of what works in that realm will hinder her own ability to forge ahead, even with a large talent.  And of course, an artist who is image-conscious without talent won’t progress either – at least, not for long.

Sarah Chang performs at Markham Theatre in recital with pianist Andrew von Oeyen.  This is their only Canadian visit this season. They will perform Brahms’ Sonatensatz and Sonata No.  3; Fantasy by Christopher Theofanidis; and Franck’s Sonata in A+.  Tickets are $49 – $69.  905 305 SHOW (7469)  or visit www.markhamtheatre.ca.

See you there!

Michael Maniaci is hilarious.  He’s very animated, outgoing, and offers up plenty of enjoyable conversation.  I first met him in the fall of 2009 to discuss his album, “Mozart: Arias forMale Soprano” (Telarc).   When I’ve talked about his album to friends, even my “music friends” ask what the deal is with his voice.  ”Is he a countertenor?” they ask.  ”No.”  ”And he’s a GUY, right?” “Yes.”  ”Did he have his -” “No,” I quickly answer.   For whatever reason, his voice didn’t “break” in the usual manner when he was a teenager.

What’s amazing is he was blessed with a serious musical gift to make the very best out of his unusual voice – which is as high as a soprano (he has a high C) but with the strength and power of a man.   He’s as close to sounding like the castrato of an era gone by.   To see Michael explain, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2liGFJFuGk

This CD, recorded with Boston Baroque under its founding maestro, Martin Pearlman, is Michael’s debut recording.  It’s on the Telarc label, and is available in Canada and the US on Tuesday, January 26th.

I’ll keep you posted on future visits to Toronto.  And you bet when Michael’s in town, he can be spotted chowing down on Fune’s Mountain Rolls with me in tow.