Duo Concertante to appear in Classical 96 lobby concert April 8 - launches "It Takes Two"

IT'S A TORONTO CD LAUNCH FOR NEWFOUNDLAND'S DUO CONCERTANTE;
CD RELEASE: "IT TAKES TWO"; LIVE PERFORMANCES AT
THE NEW CLASSICAL FM 96.3 AND THE COC'S FREE CONCERT SERIES

Toronto, ONTARIO - East coast violin/piano pair Duo Concertante (violinist Nancy Dahn and pianist Timothy Steeves) is thrilled to release its fourth CD, entitled "It Takes Two", a Marquis Classics/EMI Canada recording of encore chestnuts to please and delight any classical music fan. Excerpts from the CD will be performed and broadcast live at The New Classical 96.3 FM on Wednesday, April 8, at 1:20 PM and classical music fans can tune in or watch on the internet at http://www.classical963fm.com. The Duo will also perform on Tuesday, May 5 at the Canadian Opera Company's Free Concert Series from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

The uniqueness of this album originates with the arrangements. When violinist Nancy Dahn and pianist Timothy Steeves wanted to release an album of encore pieces, they approached Canadian composer Clifford Crawley for inspiration - and the collaboration was mutually rewarding. "We wanted to present encore pieces which featured both instruments equally," explain Nancy and Timothy. "When we approached Clifford about arranging some materials, we suggested some of our favourite opera arias, jazz tunes, and orchestral pieces. He had great ideas and for the next year created the 14 arrangements that comprise this disc. We are indebted to his great skill, enthusiasm, and generous spirit. The title of the disc should really be 'It Takes Three.'"

Duo Concertante's previous recordings, all under the ATMA Classique label, reveal the pair's wide range: "Wild Honey" (2003), highlighting Canadian composers Kelly-Marie Murphy, Chan Ka Nin, Omar Daniel, Jean Lesage, and Andrew Paul MacDonald; "Of Heart and Homeland" (2002), was a disc of Janàcek, de Falla, Shostakovich, Michael Parker, Smetana, Dvorák, and Piazzolla; and "à Deux" (1998), which featured Beethoven, Stravinsky, Ravel, and Brahms.

"It Takes Two" repertoire list: de Abreu: Tico Tico; Gershwin: Lady Be Good (medley); Saint-Saëns: Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix; Khachaturian: Sabre Dance; Grieg: Solveig's Song; Gillespie: A Night in Tunisia; (trad): The Lark; Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet; Sibelius: Valse triste; Rodgers: "It's a Grand Night for Falling in Love with the Most Beautiful Girl on a Carousel"; Bonfá: Black Orpheus; Tchaikovsky: June - Barcarolle; Mozart: Rondo alla Turka; and Puccini:
Humming Chorus.

"It Takes Two" will be available April 14, 2009 and available online at www.marquisclassics.com.

Since forming in 1997, Duo Concertante has been acclaimed for performances characterized by brilliance, subtlety, and passion, across North America and abroad. Hailed for their "artistry, poetry, impeccable technique", and "exceptional warmth and intimacy", violinist Nancy Dahn and pianist Timothy Steeves are renowned for their extraordinary teamwork and powerfully-charged performances which them apart from more conventional violin/piano collaborations. The San Francisco Classical Voice wrote, "Brilliant, saucy and soulful . . . you hear splendid sweet nuances everywhere; Duo Concertante makes a powerful case for thinking of violin/piano sonatas as duo music, rather than as music for a pianist and a violinist." www.duoconcertante.com

Clifford Crawley was born in 1929 and educated in England. Affiliated with the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre, he has over 80 published compositions. He believes "originality is not necessarily something new, but often [the result of] looking at the familiar in a different way," which perfectly sums up his contribution to "It Takes Two." He is Professor Emeritus at Queen's University, having taught composition and music education there from 1973 to 1993. He has worked as a music consultant in Central America and Asia, and participated in many Composer/Artist in the Classroom programs. He now lives and enjoys an active musical life in St. John's, Newfoundland. www.musiccentre.ca

East Coast Music Awards Honours Jill Barber

EAST COAST MUSIC AWARDS HONORS JILL BARBER! 

Toronto, ON – Fresh off her Ontario / Quebec tour, Canadian songstress Jill Barber is celebrating after winning two East Coast Music Awards last night.  Winners were announced at the East Coast Music Awards Gala held in Corner Brook, NL.

 

Barber is thrilled to once again be recognized by the ECMA's for her musical talents.  "It means a great deal to me to receive these awards," remarks Barber. "I took a different approach and followed my heart with this album and I feel so fortunate that the response has been so positive." Barber and her recently released album Chances (Outside Music) won in the following categories:

· Female Recording of The Year

· Jazz Recording of The Year

"The most impressive thing about the album is Barber's songwriting. At first listen, Chances' 10 tracks come across as a collection of well-covered standards, familiar, but unidentifiable. It's not until you hit the liner notes that you realize Barber has written them all." The Hamilton Spectator.

Barber will be performing at the notable South by Southwest Music Conference held in Austin, Texas as well as two Canadian west coast dates this April.

 

March 21st      Austin, TX                   Habana Calle 6 (SXSW Showcase)

April 3rd           Victoria, BC                Alix Golden Hall

April 4th           Vancouver, BC           The Rio Theatre

 

Weblinks: www.jillbarber.com and www.myspace.com/jillbarbermusic

Mireille Proulx

Mireille Proulx en concert dans les Maritimes

La violoniste et compositeure de jazz Mireille Proulx donnera deux concerts dans les provinces Maritimes au mois d’août: le 8, à l’Église historique de Barachois au Nouveau-Brunswick dans le cadre de la série « Été Musical », ainsi que le 9, au Indian River Festival sur l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard, dans l’Église St. Mary’s à Kensington.

Qualifiée d’inclassable et bourrée de talent, Mireille Proulx met sa solide formation classique au service du jazz, qu’elle aborde avec une élégance et un goût très sûr. Ses compositions nous livrent une musique tour à tour sensuelle, audacieuse, contemplative et passionnée.

Au programme on entendra des œuvres extraites des remarquables albums qui ont valu à la musicienne la reconnaissance spontanée du public et de la critique – Il y avait des pélicans, Infini rendez-vous et Le Jardin de Nuit – ainsi que des œuvres inédites.

Mireille Proulx sera accompagnée au piano par John Sadowy.

L’Église historique de Barachois est située au 1350, route 133 à Grand Barachois, Nouveau-Brunswick.

Pour information : Normand Robichaud, directeur, 506-532-2976

L’Eglise St. Mary’s est située sur la route 104 à Kensington, Île-du-Prince-Édouard.

Renseignements : 902-836-4933; 1-866-856-3733

Le concert du 8 débute à 20 heures, celui du 9 à 14 heures 30.

Mireille Proulx in concert in the Maritimes

Montreal, July 3, 2008 – Jazz violinist and composer Mireille Proulx will be giving two concerts in the Maritime provinces in the month of August: on the 8th at the Barachois Historical Church in New Brunswick as part of the series “Été Musical,” and on the 9th at St. Mary’s Church in Kensington on Prince Edward Island as part of the Indian River Festival.

Described as unclassifiable and overflowing with talent, Mireille Proulx puts her rock-solid classical training at the service of jazz, to which she brings an elegance and irreproachable taste. Her compositions deliver a music that is by turns sensual, daring, contemplative and impassioned.

The program will consist of excerpts from three remarkable albums that have delighted the public and critics alike – Il y avait des pélicans, Infini rendez-vous and Le Jardin de Nuit – in addition to new works.

Mireille Proulx will be accompanied on the piano by John Sadowy.

The Barachois Historical Church is located at 1350 Route 133 in Grand Barachois, New Brunswick.

For information: Normand Robichaud, director, 506-532-2976

St. Mary’s Church is located on Route 104 in Kensington, Prince Edward Island.

Information: 902-836-4933; 1-866-856-3733

The concert on the 8th begins at 8 p.m., the concert on the 9th at 2:30 p.m.