The Nathaniel Dett Chorale Commemorates 10th Anniversary Season With Culturally Rich Concert Series

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale

commeMOrateS 10^th anniversary season

Founder, Artistic Director Brainerd Blyden-Taylor

For Immediate Release, Monday, February 9, 2009 - 2009 is a landmark year for Toronto���s Nathaniel Dett Chorale. Their triumphant Washington-based performances during the recent US Presidential Inauguration were heralded as Canada���s gift to the American public ��� a sentiment that brought the Chorale congratulations and accolades from coast to coast. On Wednesday, February 25^th and Saturday, February 28^th, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale will celebrate yet another milestone as they commemorate their 10^th Anniversary Season with Voices of the Diaspora, a musical evening which will reunite a host of Chorale members at the the acoustically dazzling Glenn Gould Studio in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

A powerful program, Voices of the Diaspora pays tribute to Africa���s cultural, artistic and creative impact by featuring favourite R. Nathaniel Dett works alongside several contemporary Afrocentric compositions including the Canadian premiere of ���The Angel Spoke" by Robert L. Norris; the Ontario premiere of ���Africa��� by Brian Tate a work commissioned for the National Youth Choir and containing a combination of Ghanaian and Latin sacred texts; as well as an encore performance of ���Go Down Death��� by Canadian composer Stewart Goodyear.

Named for the celebrated African-Canadian composer, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is Canada's first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues. The Chorale is comprised of classically trained, multi-faceted vocalists whose work stretches beyond the traditional repertoire of a classical chamber choir, challenging audiences to broaden their vision to include all genres of music appropriate to the traditions of the African diaspora. The thrilling 21-voice Chorale is directed by Brainerd Blyden-Taylor and has performed its jubilant repertoire extensively throughout North America, sharing the stage with internationally recognized artists such as Juno Award-winning jazz pianist Joe Sealy, opera star Kathleen Battle, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. During its 10-year history, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale has showcased a remarkable spectrum of talent with alumni that include soprano Measha Bruggergosman, impresario Andrew Craig, and Alana Bridgewater, star of the hit musical We Will Rock You.

Share the Music, an arts and education outreach program presented by the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall with the purpose of enriching the lives of young people through exposure to world-class performers and related educational activities, has purchased 30 tickets for underserved youth to attend The Nathaniel Dett Chorale���s February 28th performance. The young guests will also attend an intimate pre-concert chat by Artistic Director Brainerd -Blyden Taylor.

Tickets for the Glenn Gould Studio series available in person at the Roy Thomson Hall box office, 60 Simcoe St., by calling 416.872.4255 or online at www.roythomson.com.

For more information please visit www.nathanieldettchorale.org.

LMMC - communiqu�� de presse pour le concert du 22 f��vrier avec Hilary Hahn (2 formats)

Rosemary Neville
Secretary-treasurer / Secr��taire-tr��sori��re
Ladies' Morning Musical Club
1410 Guy Street / 1410, rue Guy
Suite 12 / bureau 12
Montr��al, QC H3H 2L7
Tel.: 514-932-6796
Fax: 514-932-0510

e-mail / courriel: lmmc@qc.aibn.com
site: http://www.lmmc.ca
Office hours: Monday to Friday 10:00 to 1:00
Heures de bureau: du lundi au vendredi 10h �� 13h

Les billets de la s��rie de Concerts LMMC sont disponibles par t��l��phone ou par courriel jusqu'a 13h le vendredi pr��c��dant chaque concert, et en personne au guichet de la Salle Pollack une heure avant le concert. Le co��t des billets est 35$ (15$ pour ��tudiants ayant moins que 26 ans avec carte d'��tudiant), taxes incluses. Seulement l'argent comptant est accept�� au guichet. Les billets sont non-remboursables.

Tickets to the LMMC concert series can be purchased by telephone or by e-mail until Friday at 1 p.m. prior to each concert, and in person at the Pollack Hall Box Office, one hour prior to each concert. Tickets are $35 ($15 for students under 26 years of age with student I.D.), tax inclusive. Only cash is accepted at the box office. All purchases are non-refundable.

Dorothy de Val in York U Faculty Concert Feb 10

Dorothy de Val is 'Flirting with Mr. Darcy' in the York U Faculty Concert Series

Toronto, January 28, 2009: British music specialist Dorothy de Val steps into the spotlight with her English country dance music ensemble Playford's Pleasure in Flirting with Mr. Darcy, the third performance in the Faculty Concert Series of York University's Music Department. Revisit romance with an evening of lighthearted dance music from the age of Jane Austen in York's Tribute Communities Recital Hall on February 10.

Playford's Pleasure are inspired improvisers, putting a delightful modern spin on popular tunes of bygone times. Pianist de Val, fiddler Stephen Fuller and York music instructor, flautist Barbara Ackerman will perform songs from the era of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. The program includes pieces issued by the renowned 17th-century music publisher John Playford as well as works by Henry Purcell, Nathaniel Kynaston and a host of anonymous composers.

Playford's Pleasure will be joined on stage by The Regency Dancers, led by York graduate student, dance historian and caller Karen Millyard. The dancers will perform to the live music for several numbers including The Physical Snob (c.1800) Grimstock (1652), Shrewsbury Lasses (1765), and The Fandango (1774).

Thanks to the published instructions in dance collections and manuals of the day, English country dance is one of the earliest re-creatable social dance forms. The style is rooted in the 17th-century gentry and courts of England and France. The tunes themselves were derived from everything from ballads to operas, with a wide variety of styles spanning sweet and melodic, to melancholic, to lively and rhythmic. Though it may be more than 300 years old, the music - and the flowing, graceful social dances set to it - remain accessible and engaging to contemporary audiences. Toronto has a number of thriving clubs with monthly dances and concerts, where traditional performance mingles with the new.

"It's been said that if you can walk and you know your left from your right, you already know the basics of English country dance," said de Val. "And with the caller giving directions, dancers don't need to rely on memorization. This helps account for the art form's continuing popularity."

De Val's research into British folksong revival introduced her to Millyard and Toronto's English country dance community two years ago. She formed her trio Playford's Pleasure shortly after.

De Val studied piano in Toronto with Boris Berlin and Pierre Souvairan and graduated with distinction from the Royal College of Music performance program in London, England. Appointed to the College's internationally renowned Museum of Instruments, she began performing on the collection's fine harpsichords and early pianos. Her research on the folk music revival in England in the early 20th century includes publications on the scholar and collector Lucy Broadwood and the composer Percy Grainger. She taught at the Royal Academy of Music and at the University of Oxford before joining York's Music Department, where she is professor of musicology.


What: "Flirting with Mr. Darcy" - Dorothy de Val headlines the York U Faculty Concert Series
When: Tues. February 10 at 7:30pm
Where: Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade East Building, York University, 4700 Keele St. [Map]
Admission: $15, students & seniors $5
Box Office: 416.736.5888 | www.yorku.ca/perform/boxoffice

The VSO raW

Symphony at the Roundhouse: contemporary music

in the cool, intimate surroundings of the

Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown

Vancouver BC ��� The VSO presents the Vancouver Sun Symphony at the Roundhouse, a three-concert series featuring a wide and eclectic range of contemporary orchestral music ��� including works by cutting edge Canadian composers ��� at the Roundhouse Community Centre in downtown Vancouver. An important aspect of the orchestra���s artistic operations, the Roundhouse series features Music Director Bramwell Tovey, as well as Assistant Conductor Evan Mitchell, and a number of soloists from the orchestra. Each concert is carefully programmed by Composer-in-Residence Scott Good, ensuring an interesting and exciting mix of music that reflects what is current in the orchestra music scene and showcases the extraordinary talents of VSO musicians.

The first concert of the series this season is performed on February 9, at 8pm. The VSO raW features works by James Rolf, Helena Tulve, Ka Nin Chan and VSO Resident Composer Scott Good. Assistant Conductor Evan Mitchell conducts.

In raW (2003), by Toronto composer James Rolfe, J.S. Bach���s Second Brandenburg Concerto is heard as if filtered through Bob Marley���s War (Bach���s first movement), Burning Spear���s The Invasion (second movement), and John Philip Sousa���s Stars and Stripes Forever (third movement). These pieces were melded together over the course of many drafts, as if by an artist who alters a photograph by hand creating a new work with fleeting echoes of the originals. It was written just before the American invasion of Iraq, although the connection of the titles of the source pieces was only made in hindsight. raW was commissioned and premiered by Ergo Concerts with the assistance of a grant from The Toronto Arts Council. It received the 2006 Jules L��ger Prize for Chamber Music, and has been performed across Canada, as well as in the U.K. and Scotland. (Program Notes �� 2008 James Rolf)

Helena Tulve has studied composition at the Estonian Academy of Music with Erkki-Sven T����r and has graduated from Jacques Charpentier���s composition class at the Conservatoire Superieur de Paris. At present Tulve teaches composition at the Estonian Academy of Music. Her music has been performed in Europe, USA and Canada. �� travers (1998) was commissioned by The NYYD Ensemble. The piece begins with the flute in a high register and then unhurriedly changes to lower ones. Given the general slowness of the musical course, a few unexpected gestures brief oboe solos, the entering of brass instruments are heard as major events. At the end of the piece the flute returns to its initial material but is now joined by the whole ensemble, implying a renewed context. The musical setting itself will give us a clue to a possible meaning of the title of the piece. (Program Notes �� 2008 Helena Tulve)

Commissioned by the Ensemble Contemporain de Montr��al with a grant from Canada Council, Par-��i, par-l�� is a social comment on the diversified cultures of Canada. The French title reflects the composer���s interest in Quebec���s heritage. The words, par-��i, par-l�� [���this way, that way���] which are quite musical in themselves, are sung by the instrumentalists in this one movement work. On a personal level, this work also reflects the composer���s search for his own identity. Born in Hong Kong as a British subject of Chinese origin, Ka Nin Chan has spent two-thirds of his life in Canada. The composer laments the fact that when China took over Hong Kong in 1997, his birthplace began to treat him like a foreigner. The music expresses this inner conflict throughout. The spatial location of the musicians in relations to the audience enhances visually and aurally this personal musical statement. (Program Notes �� 2008 Ka Nin Chan)

The compositional emphasis of Scott Good���s Variations for Chamber Orchestra is to explore a variety of timbres, moods, and structures for a chamber orchestra with a single connecting thematic idea. Chamber orchestra is a unique ensemble. It is the synthesis of the intimacy of chamber music with the size and sonic impact of an orchestra, thus, posing an interesting challenge to explore the dichotomy of these contrasting musical concepts. (1) Theme ��� The theme is presented over the opening gesture. As each note is sounded, the orchestration and harmony thickens. Starting with solo flute, the ensemble builds to a dense and loud texture. (2) Fast ��� Fleeting gestures are paired with long melodies in the beginning of this movement. Constantly surging, a groove is finally established, and rushes the work to the ending. (3) Slow ��� The low instruments are featured in this dirge like movement. Relating to instruments and are paired with long melodies above. Jazz like harmonies are eluded to throughout. (4) Spirited ��� This quick little movement is defined by a complex repeating eight measure rhythm. The theme is divided into three distinct sections, yet still maintaining the regularity of the unusual rhythmic pattern. (5) Fugatto ��� The subject of this ���fugue��� consists of four distinct melodic riffs. The countersubject contrasts the subject with irregular short note gestures. This movement is an experiment in erratic form, and should feel at times improvised, although it is highly notated. (Program Notes �� 2008 Scott Good)

CONCERT INFO

The Vancouver Sun Symphony at the Roundhouse Series:

the VSO raW

Monday, February 9, 8pm, Roundhouse Theatre

Evan Mitchell, conductor

James Rolf raW

Scott Good Variations for Chamber Orchestra

Helena Tulve �� Travers

Ka Nin Chan Par-��i, Par-l��

Tickets $27 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

Series Sponsor: The Vancouver Sun

Financial Support By: Socan Foundation

BIOGRAPHIES

Evan Mitchell, Assistant Conductor

Conductor Evan Mitchell is proving to be one of Canada���s most promising young conductors. Currently the Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony, Evan is slated to play a key role in programming, artistic development and of course performance with the VSO, leading the orchestra through a wide assortment of concerts.

Equally at home with chamber music, opera and full symphonic masterpieces, Evan has enjoyed critical acclaim with recent operatic performances including Britten���s Albert Herring, Ward���s The Crucible, Hindemith���s ���Hin und Zuruck��� and the world premiere of Glenn James��� opera ���To Daniel.��� Evan also won positions with the National Academy Orchestra of Canada for four consecutive years as both conductor and percussionist and now holds the title of Associate Mentor with the orchestra. Highlights include conducting violin soloist Elizabeth Pitcairn, the concertmaster of the New West Symphony and owner of the Mendelssohn Stradivarius 1720 ���Red Violin.���

Evan is an advocate of contemporary music. Recently the resident conductor of NUMUS New Music Ensemble, he has premiered several new works, toured across Canada conducting a festival of contemporary Chinese music and recorded works for the CMC, collaborating with such Canadian artists as the Pentaedre Wind Quintet, Penderecki String Quartet and Dancetheatre David Earle. Evan has also conducted and performed works during the highly acclaimed Open Ears Festival.

As a percussionist Evan has enjoyed equal success. In demand as a recitalist and concert soloist (recent performances of the Rosauro Marimba concerto and the Mayuzumi Xylophone concerto), Evan���s percussive performance has been hailed as ���breathtaking in (his) sensitivity��� as well as ���wizardly��� and ���awe-inspiring.��� Evan has toured Canada, the United States and abroad, including a memorable tour as Canadian ambassador during a concert tour with virtuoso composer/percussionist Nebojsa Zivkovic, during which he performed as concert soloist and along with the composer in a sold out performance of Zivkovic's celebrated ���Trio per Uno��� at the Stuttgart International Theatre. Evan is a frequent performer with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and has performed with Orchestra London and the Toronto Symphony. Evan has also been a faculty member and guest lecturer with Wilfrid Laurier University, primarily as Music Director of the Flute Ensemble.

Awards include First Prize at the Werlde Musik Kontest in Kerkrade, Netherlands, finalist at the upcoming TD Canada Trust Elora Festival Competition and Winner in Marching category as part of the Kavaliers DCI Drum Corps. Evan is also the winner of the 2006 Pioneer Leading Edge Arts Award.

Evan is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University where he completed an Bachelor of Music degree as a percussion major; he is also a graduate of the University of Toronto, where he studied on a full scholarship sponsored by Elmer Iseler and Victor Feldbrill, earning a Masters degree in conducting. His principal conducting teachers include Raffi Armenian, Doreen Rao, Paul Pulford and Boris Brott. Additionally, he has studied and performed in concert series with Denise Grant, Martin Fischer-Dieskau and most notably, Helmuth Rilling, in the inaugural Toronto Bach festival.

A Baroque Celebration with Canadian Legend, soprano Nancy Argenta

The VSO Presents Canadian Soprano Nancy Argenta

In A Baroque Celebration

Vancouver BC ��� Canadian soprano Nancy Argenta will grace the Chan Centre stage on February 6^th and 7^th and the Centennial Theatre stage on February 9^th for A Baroque Celebration ��� a celebration of beautiful baroque and chamber music by Muffat, Bach, Mozart and Schubert. All concerts take place at 8pm and will be conducted by Victoria Symphony Music Director Tania Miller, former VSO Associate Conductor.

���Argenta���s voice possesses a bell-like clarity, but the tone has a natural, unforced lyricism �Ķ Feeling is released with simplicity, and no undue archness or artifice interferes with her appealing directness of manner.���

- Globe and Mail

����Ķ(Tania Miller) has absolute authority over the score, clarifying its dense textures, her long term thoughts giving it the shape it needs and bringing out every detail, its variety, its delicious orientalisms, the ravishments of the slow movement. She has the gift of disappearing into the music, the sign of a true conductor. It was 45 minutes of bliss."

- The Vancouver Sun

A true Canadian superstar, Nancy Argenta began her career in Vancouver taking voice lessons with Jacob Hamm and at the University of Western Ontario with Martin Chambers. After winning the S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatt�� Competition in 1980, she began her studies in Europe with her mentor Vera Rosza. Her professional operatic debut was in Hippolyte et Aricie at the 1983 Aix-en-Provence Festival. Since then, she has been in high demand world-wide for her clear and flexible soprano voice that is seen as ideal for classical-era music. Although Argenta is regarded as ���the supreme Handel soprano of our age��� she is also renowned for her interpretations of Bach, Mozart, Shubert and Purcell. The VSO is honoured to share the stage with this Canadian star in her element.

At only thirty-five years of age, Victoria Symphony���s Music Director Tania Miller is the youngest Music Director of any major Canadian orchestra today. She has also made history by being the first Canadian woman to be appointed to such a prestigious position within Canada. Prior to her appointment in Victoria, Maestra Miller was the VSO���s Associate Conductor and she is always a Vancouver audience favourite. Her expertise in baroque music from her work as the Assistant Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival is sure to impress both baroque enthusiasts and casual listeners of this concert.

CONCERT INFO

Bach & Beyond and North Shore Classics Series:

A Baroque Celebration

Friday & Saturday, February 6 & 7, 8pm, Chan Centre

Monday, February 9, 8pm, Centennial Theatre

Tania Miller, conductor

Nancy Argenta, soprano

Muffat Concerto Grosso No.12, Propitia Sydera

Bach Cantata No.209, Non sa che sia dolore

Mozart Il re pastore, K.208: L���amero saro costante

Mozart Voi avete un cor fedele, K.217

Schubert Symphony No.6, Little C Major

Internationally-renowned soprano Nancy Argenta makes her VSO debut, with Victoria Symphony Music Director Tania Miller. This is an evening of beautiful baroque and chamber music at its best.

Tickets for February 6 & 7: $35 to $59 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available ONLY through Ticketmaster outlets, Charge-by-Phone at 604.280.3311 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca

Tickets for February 9: $37 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

The VSO���s Bach & Beyond Series Endowed By:

The Chan Foundation of Canada

The presentation of this series is made possible in part through the generous assistance of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts of the University of British Columbia.

BIOGRAPHIES

Tania Miller, conductor

Tania Miller���s reputation as a consummate musician, leader, and communicator has grown rapidly in today���s orchestral scene. At the age of thirty-five, Ms. Miller is the youngest current Music Director of a major Canadian orchestra and the first Canadian woman to be appointed to such a significant position in Canada. The 2007/2008 Season will mark Ms. Miller's fifth season as Music Director of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.

Prior to her work in Victoria, Ms. Miller was with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra from 2000-2004, first as Assistant Conductor and finally as Associate Conductor. Her many North American guest conducting engagements include the Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Windsor, Oregon, Orchestre M��tropolitain du Grand Montreal, Toledo, London (ON), and Saskatoon Symphony Orchestras, and she recently made her European debut conducting the Berne Symphoniker in Switzerland where she will return in the 2008/2009 season.

Tania Miller co-founded the Michigan Opera Works in 1997 with a mandate to provide performance opportunities for emerging young professional artists. She also served as Artistic Director and conductor from 1997-2000, and led productions of Handel���s Semele, Britten���s The Rape of Lucretia, Purcell���s Dido and Aeneas, and Mozart���s Cosi fan Tutte. Ms. Miller has also conducted with Detroit���s Friends of Opera in performances of Puccini���s La Boheme. In 2000, she was asked to conduct a production of Offenbach���s Les Contes d���Hoffmann in 2000 with Opera McGill of Montreal on short notice when their conductor fell ill. The performances were such a success that she was invited back the following season to conduct Mozart���s Le Nozze di Figaro.

Ms. Miller has worked extensively in the areas of Baroque and contemporary music. Her work as the Assistant Conductor of the Carmel Bach Festival from 1997-2001 gave her a unique opportunity to work closely with the internationally renowned conductor Bruno Weil and many of the world's leading Baroque artists. Tania began her work in the field of contemporary music as Assistant conductor of the Banff Festival of the Arts in 1997 in Banff, Canada. She has been a frequent guest conductor with the Toronto contemporary ensemble ERGO, with whom she premiered a number of compositions in Munich, Toronto and New York.

Originally from Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Tania Miller received her D.M.A and Master's degree in conducting from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan; studying with teachers Kenneth Kiesler and H. Robert Reynolds.

Nancy Argenta, soprano

With a repertoire spanning three centuries, Nancy Argenta has been hailed as the supreme Handel soprano of our age and praised for her performances of works by composers as diverse as Mahler, Mozart, Schubert and Schoenberg. Her ability to adapt from large scale orchestral works to chamber music and recitals has earned her great recognition and praise.

Conductors include Ozawa, Gardiner, Davis, Blomstedt, Pinnock, Hogwood and Norrington with orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Singapore Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Toronto, Montreal, Sydney and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. In opera, concert and recital she has appeared at many leading festivals including Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, Mostly Mozart and the BBC Proms. Her discography of over 50 recordings includes Bach's St John Passion, B Minor Mass, Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio with Gardiner, Purcell's King Arthur and Haydn Masses with Pinnock and Hickox, Mozart's Requiem, Magic Flute and Don Giovanni with Norrington. As an EMI/Virgin Solo Artist she has recorded Schubert Lieder, Scarlatti Cantatas and two discs of Bach Solo Cantatas as well as two of Purcell songs, the first of which, O Solitude, was honoured with a Classic CD Award. Recent CD releases include Handel's Saul with Paul McCreesh (Archiv), Handel's Resurrezione with the Combattimento Consort and Lost is my quiet a collection of English Music from Purcell���s time.

As a devotee of the song repertoire of all periods, Nancy Argenta tours widely as a recitalist, presenting songs with their "original" keyboard accompaniment of harpsichord, fortepiano or modern piano. Recent recital locations with Maggie Cole, keyboards have included The Netherlands, Hungary, Israel, Canada and Spain.

Recent concerts include performances with Die K��lner Akademie for concerts in Spain with Michael Chance, a programme of Purcell and Handel with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, a programme celebrating 100 years of English Music with the NDR Radiophilharmonic Orchestra in Hannover and the St Matthew Passion in Hamburg. Future concerts include the North Carolina Symphony, the Vancouver Bach Choir and performances of the St Matthew Passion with the Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival in Ohio.

The VSO's February Concert Listings

The VSO���s February Concert Listings ��� Hot Concerts for a Cold Winter Month!

Vancouver, BC ��� February kicks off with a fun concert for kids starring the Magic Circle Mime Co. who will perform the classic musical tale of Peter & The Wolf. Next up is a celebration of great baroque and chamber music with Canadian soprano Nancy Argenta, and the VSO���s good friend Tania Miller, Music Director of the Victoria Symphony.

The month continues with the first concert of the eclectic Vancouver Sun Symphony at the Roundhouse series, entitled the VSO raW featuring the works of James Rolf, Helena Tulve, Ka Nin Chan and VSO Resident Composer Scott Good. The Roundhouse series presents contemporary orchestral music in the cool, intimate surrounding of the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown.

There is also a very special concert for Valentine���s Day: the VSO has the perfect concert featuring piano powerhouse Ian Parker and the romantic music of Tchaikovsky���s Romeo & Juliet, as well as Ravel���s exciting Piano Concerto and Bizet���s Romantic Carmen Suite.

Next, the VSO presents the legendary Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, one of the world���s greatest and most famous orchestras, in a very special concert celebrating their fiftieth anniversary. This is a rare chance for Vancouver audiences to hear such a legendary music-making institution, in a concert that also showcases world-renowned German violinist Julia Fischer who will lead from the violin.

The month wraps up with two extraordinary classical concerts: brilliant Canadian pianist Louis Lortie makes his welcome return to Vancouver after too long an absence, performing works by Liszt; followed by electrifying violinist Kyoko Takezawa playing Elgar���s epic Violin Concerto in B minor.

An exciting and busy month for Lower Mainland audiences!

CONCERT INFO

Spectra Energy Kids��� Koncerts Series:

Magic Circle Mime: Peter & The Wolf

Sunday, February 1, 2pm, Orpheum Theatre

Evan Mitchell, conductor

Magic Circle Mime, entertainers

Without upsetting the Maestro, three musicians and a conductor's assistant must outwit a fearsome wolf that threatens orchestra and audience alike. The concert hall becomes the dramatic setting and musicians are the characters of the story as Prokofiev's classic musical tale springs to life, putting kids on the edge of their seats. Magic Circle Mime Co. performs with every major orchestra in North America as one of the top children���s entertainment groups in the business.

Tickets $26 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

Series Sponsor: Spectra Energy

Premier Education Partner: TELUS

Bach & Beyond Series:

A Baroque Celebration

Friday & Saturday, February 6 & 7, 8pm, Chan Centre

Tania Miller, conductor

Nancy Argenta, soprano

Muffat Concerto Grosso No.12, Propitia Sydera

Bach Cantata No.209, Non sa che sia dolore

Mozart Il re pastore, K.208: L���amero saro costante

Mozart Voi avete un cor fedele, K.217

Schubert Symphony No.6, Little C Major

Internationally-renowned soprano Nancy Argenta makes her VSO debut, with Victoria Symphony Music Director Tania Miller. This is an evening of beautiful baroque and chamber music at its best.

Tickets $35 to $59 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available ONLY through Ticketmaster outlets, Charge-by-Phone at 604.280.3311 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca

The VSO���s Bach & Beyond Series Endowed By:

The Chan Foundation of Canada

The presentation of this series is made possible in part through the generous assistance of the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts of the University of British Columbia.

Radio Sponsor:

CHQM-FM

North Shore Classics Series:

A Baroque Celebration

Monday, February 9, 8pm, Centennial Theatre

Tania Miller, conductor

Nancy Argenta, soprano

Muffat Concerto Grosso No.12, Propitia Sydera

Bach Cantata No.209, Non sa che sia dolore

Mozart Il re pastore, K.208: L���amero saro costante

Mozart Voi avete un cor fedele, K.217

Schubert Symphony No.6, Little C Major

Internationally-renowned soprano Nancy Argenta makes her VSO debut, with Victoria Symphony Music Director Tania Miller. This is an evening of beautiful baroque and chamber music at its best.

Tickets $37 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

The Vancouver Sun Symphony at the Roundhouse Series:

the VSO raW

Monday, February 9, 8pm, Roundhouse Theatre

Evan Mitchell, conductor

James Rolf raW

Scott Good Variations for Chamber Orchestra

Helena Tulve A Travers

Ka Nin Chan Par-��i, Par-l��

Tickets $27 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

Series Sponsor: The Vancouver Sun

Financial Support By: Socan Foundation

Musically Speaking Series:

Tchaikovsky���s Romantic Romeo & Juliet

Saturday, February 14, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Ian Parker, piano

Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra

Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major

Bizet Carmen Suite

Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet

The Parker family is a family of pianistic powerhouses; Ian Parker returns to perform Ravel���s exciting Piano Concerto. Also, the Romantic music of Bizet and Tchaikovsky round out a perfect Valentine���s evening.

Tickets $20 to $56 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

Video Screen Sponsor: TELUS

Video screen presentations created and produced by students and staff of digital video productions at Columbia Academy.

Specials:

The VSO Presents the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields

Sunday, February 15, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, orchestra

Julia Fischer, soloist and leader

Mozart Divertimento for Strings in F, K.138

Bach Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, BWV 1041

Bach Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Major, BWV 1042

Walton Sonata for Strings

The VSO presents one of the world���s most famous and important orchestras, on the fiftieth anniversary of their founding by Sir Neville Marriner. Exciting violinist Julia Fischer leads from the violin in a beautiful program of Mozart, Bach and Walton.

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Co-Presented By:

Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad

Surrey Nights Series:

Tchaikovsky���s Romantic Romeo & Juliet

Monday, February 16, 8pm, Bell Performing Arts Centre

Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Ian Parker, piano

Aaron Young Olympic Commission

Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major

Bizet Carmen Suite

Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet

The Parker family is a family of pianistic powerhouses; Ian Parker returns to perform Ravel���s exciting Piano Concerto. Also, the Romantic music of Bizet and Tchaikovsky round out a perfect Valentine���s evening.

Tickets $37 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

This series has been endowed by a generous gift from Werner and Helga H��ing

PricewaterhouseCoopers Masterworks Silver Series:

Fantasies and Odysseys: the Exciting Music of Liszt and Strauss

Saturday & Monday, February 21 & 23, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Bramwell Tovey, conductor

Louis Lortie, piano

Beethoven The Ruins of Athens: Overture

Liszt Totentanz

Liszt Fantasy on Motives from Beethoven���s Ruins of Athens

Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30

Brilliant Canadian pianist Louis Lortie makes his welcome return to Vancouver after too long an absence. Hear him perform the exciting music of Liszt, then thrill to the musical masterpiece by Richard Strauss that launched 2001: A Space Odyssey to fame.

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Generously Supported By:

Series Sponsor: PricewaterhouseCoopers

February 23 Concert Sponsored By: Friends of the VSO

Video Screen Sponsor: TELUS

Video screen presentations created and produced by students and staff of digital video productions at Columbia Academy.

Masterworks Gold Series:

Epic Elgar and Rachmaninoff, with Kyoko Takezawa

Saturday & Monday, February 28 & March 2, 8pm, Orpheum Theatre

Andrew Litton, conductor

Kyoko Takezawa, violin

Walton Crown Imperial

Elgar Violin Concerto in B minor, Op. 61

Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44

Celebrated conductor Andrew Litton takes the reins in a concert featuring exciting violinist Kyoko Takezawa, and a rarely performed Romantic gem by Rachmaninoff.

Tickets $25 to $78.50 (Student, Senior and Subscriber discounts available)

Tickets available by phone at 604.876.3434 or online at www.vancouversymphony.ca

Concert party at the Old Mill: New series of cuisine and concerts begins wednesday, April 15

Starting April 15 with the Grand Salon Orchestra

Old Mill Inn hosts concert party to Canada's finest artists.

Monthly Concerts Wednesdays in Spring and Fall

The Old Mill Inn and Spa, at 21 Old Mill Road, on the Humber River, is Toronto���s premier place for great dance music and excellent cuisine in a party atmosphere. And a new series of six Wednesday evening Concert Parties with leading Canadian musicians is just the ticket�Ķand then some!

Live dance music has been a tradition at The Old Mill since 1921, and this year marks the 95^th anniversary of the Old Mill. What could be better than to revive the music and spirit of the age? On Wednesday, April 15, Kerry Stratton is ���Puttin��� on the Ritz��� as he conducts his 18-piece Grand Salon Orchestra in an evening that evokes the elegant, sophisticated salon era of the 1920s and ���30s, with the enduring music of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the Gershwins, and energetic dances like The Charleston. The Grand Salon���s irresistible rhythms will have audiences up and dancing all evening!

The Grand Salon ��� Canada���s palm court orchestra ��� launches the new Concert Party at the Old Mill series. These evenings continue in the spring and fall, presenting some of Canada���s finest musicians in repertoire sure to appeal to a wide range of music-lovers. The effervescent Maestro Stratton (host of Conductor���s Choice, Sundays on Classical 96.3 FM) hosts the six concerts, talking about the music and recounting colorful anecdotes.

Following the Grand Salon���s April 15 opening concert are soprano Mary Lou Fallis (���the fabulousest, Canadianest diva of them all��� ��� Toronto Star) pianist Peter Tiefenbach and the Amaro String Quartet (May 6); Jazz in a Classical Key with pianist Gene DiNovi, clarinetist James Campbell and bassist Dave Young (June 10); Quartetto Gelato (September 23); and Fiddle On Fire, with violin virtuoso Lance Elbeck, joined by a pianist and dancer (October 21).

Maestro Stratton and his Grand Salon return for the final concert, November 4. Mezzo-soprano Barbara Sadegur will be special guest in another evening of dining and dancing ��� a Remembrance Day salute to the songs of Vera Lynn that buoyed the Allies during World War II.

Concert Party dinners begin at 6 pm (�� la carte from the menu). Concerts ($39) start at 8 p.m. To reserve, call 416-236-2641 or e-mail info@oldmilltoronto.com. For more information, visit www.oldmilltoronto.com.

Michael Kalmar, President of The Old Mill Inn, comments, ���I enjoy the entire spectrum of music. Music and dancing are fabulous social activities that have a wonderful ability to make you feel great! I like to add the element of dining, in an up-close and personal experience that is hard to find today.���

The following is description for each Concert Party (all Wednesday evenings):

April 15/09: Kerry Stratton���s Grand Salon Orchestra ��� Puttin��� On the Ritz ��� Under the baton of its eloquent and effervescent founder, Kerry Stratton, the Grand Salon Orchestra recreates the elegant, sophisticated salon era of the 1920s and ���30s, with irresistible music by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the Gershwins. And remember The Charleston? A hit wherever it performs, the Grand Salon will inspire you with its infectious rhythms!

May 6/09: Mary Lou Fallis, soprano; Peter Tiefenbach, piano; & the Amaro String Quartet ��� Up for an evening of fun and great music? Canada���s foremost musical comedienne, soprano Mary Lou Fallis ��� famed for her Diva Diaries on CBC Radio, and for her Primadonna series of one-woman shows ��� joins pianist Peter Tiefenbach and Toronto���s versatile Amaro String Quartet for an evening of hilarity and delight. And from the brilliantly inventive mind of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, our string quartet performs the great ���Dissonant��� Quartet, K.465.

June 10/09: Jazz in a Classical Key ��� Gene DiNovi, piano, James Campbell, clarinet, Dave Young, bass ��� As Gene DiNovi says: The question is: ���Does every great classical musician dream of being a great jazz musician, or vice versa?��� Magic occurs when two of Canada���s jazz greats, Gene DiNovi and Dave Young, join forces with James Campbell (���Canada���s pre-eminent clarinetist and wind soloist��� ��� Toronto Star). Together, they meld the classical and jazz worlds into a fascinating and entertaining musical program. Their joint CD Manhattan Echoes (Marquis Classics) is selling out on Amazon.com. You gotta hear what they do with tunes like Hoagy Carmichael���s Stardust, or Fat Waller���s Jitterbug Waltz!

September 23/09: Quartetto Gelato ��� Peter DeSotto, tenor/violin/mandolin; Alexander Sevastian, accordion; Kornel Wolak, clarinet; Carina Reeves, cello ��� Classical in intent, eclectic by design, Quartetto Gelato not only thrills its audiences with the mastery of six instruments, but also offers the wonderfully unexpected bonus of a brilliant operatic tenor. Performed without scores, their shows radiate a sense of spontaneity and excitement rarely seen on the classical stage. Quartetto Gelato has enchanted audiences and critics worldwide with its exotic blend of musical virtuosity, artistic passion and charismatic presence.

October 21/09: Fiddle On Fire ��� Lance Elbeck, violin, with accompanying pianist and dancer ���A delightfully entertaining musical theatre presentation, Fiddle On Fire stars the versatile virtuoso Lance Elbeck as ���The Fiddler��� with accompanying pianist, and a dancer performing in Celtic and modern dance styles. The great Leonard Bernstein recognized Lance���s talents at an early age, and solo appearances with the Chicago Symphony and the New York Philharmonic followed, with Bernstein conducting. Elbeck���s Fiddle on Fire evening portrays the historical relationship of several famous violin virtuosi, while the ���Fiddler��� dazzles the audience with a fascinating display of violin wizardry. It���s entertaining, informative, and totally lighthearted!

November 4/09: Kerry Stratton���s Grand Salon Orchestra ��� Vera Lynn: We���ll Meet Again ��� With Barbara Sadegur, Mezzo-Soprano ��� The songs of the Allied ���Forces Sweetheart��� Vera Lynn buoyed the spirits of the entire free world during World War II. On the eve of Remembrance Day, Kerry Stratton conducts his Grand Salon Orchestra in enduring melodies from the 1940s. With her powerfully moving mezzo-soprano voice, Barbara Sadegur recreates the happier moments of those years, with such memorable Vera Lynn favorites as White Cliffs of Dover and We���ll Meet Again in an unforgettable close to our first season of the Concert Party at the Old Mill series.

Concert Party: Historical Notes:

The Concert Party concept originated in New York���s ballrooms in the 1960s and lasted 30 years as the ���in��� place to go. Celebrities, such as famed pianist/conductor Skitch Henderson, jazz pianist Billy Taylor, and journalist and broadcaster Alistair Cooke, read the program notes for the audience ��� much as Kerry Stratton will do at the new Concert Party at the Old Mill series.

The Old Mill became an entertainment hub as a tea garden and place of leisure on the first day of World War I, 95 years ago, in 1914. A destination for live dance music since the early 1920s, the Old Mill featured the resident duo of pianist Nelson Hatch and violinist Cec Ryder. After playing dance music for patrons since 1921 in the Print Room, in 1929 they expanded to a nine-piece live orchestra.

More info on The Old Mill���s history is available at www.oldmilltoronto.com/History.html. A link to old photos is at the bottom.