Toronto Summer Music Festival Opens

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009

Opened with a World Premiere and Concludes with an Opera Extravaganza

The fourth annual Toronto Summer Music Festival (TSM) opened last night with the world premiere pairing of Grammy and Juno Award-winning violinist James Ehnes, and Leeds International Competition winner, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, in concert together. This spectacular event was just the beginning of the Festival, which continues until August 13.

August concerts begin with beloved Toronto pianist, Anton Kuerti. Kuerti, who is an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Canadian Governor General's lifetime artistic achievement award in 2008, sold out his previous appearances with TSM. On August 1, Kuerti will present a programme which includes two composers whose anniversaries are being celebrated by the Festival this year: Haydn (Sonata in E Flat Major) and Mendelssohn (17 Variations Sˆ©rieuses, Op. 54, and Scherzo ˆÝ Capriccio in F Sharp Minor); and Beethoven's Sonata in F Minor and Robert Schumann's Sonata in G Minor, Op 22.

Long-time collaborator with the TSM, violinist Mayumi Seiler will be joined by fellow violinist Ian Swensen on August 4. Swensen is a winner of the top prize in both solo and chamber music sections of the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg International Competition. Performing together as a duo for the very first time in Toronto, Swensen and Seiler will play rarely performed pieces by Bartˆ„k, Corelli, Martinu, Purcell, Saraste, Shostakovich, Telemann, and Vivaldi.

Two hot young string quartets will grace the stage of Walter Hall on August 6: Cecelia String Quartet and the Tokai String Quartet. They bring fresh energy and insight to the works of Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. In addition, they will present a world premiere of Jacques Hˆ©tu's Hommage ˆÝ Mendelssohn. Hˆ©tu himself will present the pre-concert lecture.

Star French flutist Patrick Gallois will be joined by his wife, pianist Cecilia Lˆfstrand, on August 8. Gallois, who enjoys extraordinary success as a flute soloist, is also currently the Artistic Director and principal conductor of Sinfonia Finlandia. The pair will present an evening of sparkling duo sonatas by Desbiˆ®re, Gaubert, Poulenc, and Prokofiev.

Juno Award-winning fan favourite and one of the premier chamber ensembles in North America, Gryphon Trio will perform on August 11. They will play Mendelssohn's Trio No. 2 in C Minor and Haydn's Trio in C Major. They will be joined by the sublimely elegant soprano, Monica Whicher, in a variety of Scottish Folk Songs, arranged by Beethoven and Haydn.

Opera Extravaganza will close the festival on August 13, conducted by TSM Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann. She will be joined by star alumni of the TSM's Opera Studio in a varied and delightful programme of arias from Cilea, Donizetti, Verdi, and Mozart, duets from Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Richard Strauss, and ensembles from Donizetti and Verdi. Singers will include sopranos Melinda Delorme, Teiya Kasahara and Dˆ©sirˆ©e Till, mezzo-sopranos Erica Iris Huang and Lauren Segal, tenors Joey Niceforo and Paul Ouellette, baritone Phillip Addis, and bass-baritone Tomislav Lavoie.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 21 - August 13, 2009

AUGUST CONCERTS

Anton Kuerti: Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: "Bicentennials and Sonatas" presented by Stephen Cera

Swensen & Seiler: Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "A Smˆrgˆ€sbord of Paris: Musical Duets over the Centuries" presented by

Dr. Timothy McGee

Cecilia String Quartet and Tokai String Quartet: Thursday, August 6 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Mendelssohn: The Child Prodigy" presented by Jacques Hˆ©tu

Gallois & Lˆfstrand: Saturday, August 8 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "The Monk and the Rascal: A Look at Francis Poulenc's dual personality" presented by Charlˆ®ne St. Aubin

Gryphon Trio with Monica Whicher: Tuesday, August 11 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Scotland the Exotic? Scottish Folksong Settings by Haydn and Beethoven" presented by Dr. James Kippen

Opera Extravaganza: Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: Presented by one of Canada's leading experts on opera, Ian Scott

JULY CONCERTS

James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker: Tuesday, July 21 at 8pm *

Pressler & Friends: Thursday, July 23 at 8pm ***

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends: Saturday, July 25 at 8pm **

Anagnoson & Kinton: Tuesday, July 28 at 8pm **

Leipzig String Quartet with Karl Leister: Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ***

Penderecki String Quartet: Friday, July 31 at 8pm **

Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

Pre-concert lectures are free and take place at 6:45pm the night of the concert in Room 330, Edward Johnson Building

*Carlu Concert Hall, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto
**Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

***MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

Toronto Summer Music Festival August Concerts

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2009

Opened with a World Premiere and

Concludes with an Opera Extravaganza

The fourth annual Toronto Summer Music Festival (TSM) opened last night with the world premiere pairing of Grammy and Juno Award-winning violinist James Ehnes, and Leeds International Competition winner, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, in concert together. This spectacular event was just the beginning of the Festival, which continues until August 13.

August concerts begin with beloved Toronto pianist, Anton Kuerti. Kuerti, who is an Officer of the Order of Canada and was awarded the Canadian Governor General's lifetime artistic achievement award in 2008, sold out his previous appearances with TSM. On August 1, Kuerti will present a programme which includes two composers whose anniversaries are being celebrated by the Festival this year: Haydn (Sonata in E Flat Major) and Mendelssohn (17 Variations Sˆ©rieuses, Op. 54, and Scherzo ˆÝ Capriccio in F Sharp Minor); and Beethoven's Sonata in F Minor and Robert Schumann's Sonata in G Minor, Op 22.

Long-time collaborator with the TSM, violinist Mayumi Seiler will be joined by fellow violinist Ian Swensen on August 4. Swensen is a winner of the top prize in both solo and chamber music sections of the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg International Competition. Performing together as a duo for the very first time in Toronto, Swensen and Seiler will play rarely performed pieces by Bartˆ„k, Corelli, Martinu, Purcell, Saraste, Shostakovich, Telemann, and Vivaldi.

Two hot young string quartets will grace the stage of Walter Hall on August 6: Cecelia String Quartet and the Tokai String Quartet. They bring fresh energy and insight to the works of Haydn, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. In addition, they will present a world premiere of Jacques Hˆ©tu's Hommage ˆÝ Mendelssohn. Hˆ©tu himself will present the pre-concert lecture.

Star French flutist Patrick Gallois will be joined by his wife, pianist Cecilia Lˆfstrand, on August 8. Gallois, who enjoys extraordinary success as a flute soloist, is also currently the Artistic Director and principal conductor of Sinfonia Finlandia. The pair will present an evening of sparkling duo sonatas by Desbiˆ®re, Gaubert, Poulenc, and Prokofiev.

Juno Award-winning fan favourite and one of the premier chamber ensembles in North America, Gryphon Trio will perform on August 11. They will play Mendelssohn's Trio No. 2 in C Minor and Haydn's Trio in C Major. They will be joined by the sublimely elegant soprano, Monica Whicher, in a variety of Scottish Folk Songs, arranged by Beethoven and Haydn.

Opera Extravaganza will close the festival on August 13, conducted by TSM Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann. She will be joined by star alumni of the TSM's Opera Studio in a varied and delightful programme of arias from Cilea, Donizetti, Verdi, and Mozart, duets from Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Richard Strauss, and ensembles from Donizetti and Verdi. Singers will include sopranos Melinda Delorme, Teiya Kasahara and Dˆ©sirˆ©e Till, mezzo-sopranos Erica Iris Huang and Lauren Segal, tenors Joey Niceforo and Paul Ouellette, baritone Phillip Addis, and bass-baritone Tomislav Lavoie.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 21 - August 13, 2009

August Concerts

Anton Kuerti: Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: "Bicentennials and Sonatas" presented by Stephen Cera

Swensen & Seiler: Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "A Smˆrgˆ€sbord of Paris: Musical Duets over the Centuries" presented by

Dr. Timothy McGee

Cecilia String Quartet and Tokai String Quartet: Thursday, August 6 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Mendelssohn: The Child Prodigy" presented by Jacques Hˆ©tu

Gallois & Lˆfstrand: Saturday, August 8 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "The Monk and the Rascal: A Look at Francis Poulenc's dual personality" presented by Charlˆ®ne St. Aubin

Gryphon Trio with Monica Whicher: Tuesday, August 11 at 8pm **

Pre-concert lecture: "Scotland the Exotic? Scottish Folksong Settings by Haydn and Beethoven" presented by Dr. James Kippen

Opera Extravaganza: Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm ***

Pre-concert lecture: Presented by one of Canada's leading experts on opera, Ian Scott

July Concerts

James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker: Tuesday, July 21 at 8pm *

Pressler & Friends: Thursday, July 23 at 8pm ***

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends: Saturday, July 25 at 8pm **

Anagnoson & Kinton: Tuesday, July 28 at 8pm **

Leipzig String Quartet with Karl Leister: Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ***

Penderecki String Quartet: Friday, July 31 at 8pm **

Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

Pre-concert lectures are free and take place at 6:45pm the night of the concert

in Room 330, Edward Johnson Building

*Carlu Concert Hall, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto
**Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

***MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

Toronto Summer Music Festival Highlights

For Immediate Release: June 23, 2009 o Please include in your listings/announcements

Fourth Annual

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Highlights include opening night concert featuring

James Ehnes and Jon Kimura Parker

For the second consecutive year the popular Toronto Summer Music Festival will open at the historic and spectacularly refurbished Carlu Concert Hall. On Tuesday, July 21, two extraordinary Canadian artists will appear together for the first time - Grammy and Juno Award-winning violinist James Ehnes and Leeds International Competition winner, pianist Jon Kimura Parker. The duo will perform Mozart's Sonata in G, Prokofiev's Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Kernis's Air, and Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Piano.

The rest of the festival will be as stellar as this very special opening. Imaginative Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann has once again planned her festival around a central theme. This year's theme, Eternal Stars, will reflect shining star artists as well as three star composers whose anniversaries are being celebrated this year - Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn and Bohuslav Martinu.

Festival favourites, such as legendary pianists Menahem Pressler and Anton Kuerti, violinist Mayumi Seiler, the Gryphon Trio, and the Leipzig String Quartet, return to Toronto again this year. They will be joined by other chamber music greats - popular Canadian duo pianists James Anagnoson and Leslie Kinton, French star flutist Patrick Gallois and Swedish pianist Cecilia Lˆfstrand, cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi with violinist Yasuko Ohtani and violist Yoshiko Kawamoto, clarinetist Karl Leister, soprano Monica Whicher, and Penderecki String Quartet, Cecilia String Quartet, and Tokai String Quartet.

The Festival will close with Opera Extravaganza on Thursday, August 13, featuring some of the star alumni of the TSM Opera Studio, accompanied by the National Academy Orchestra, and conducted by Maestra Agnes Grossmann.

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 21 - August 13, 2009

James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker: Tuesday, July 21 at 8pm *

Pressler & Friends: Thursday, July 23 at 8pm ***

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends: Saturday, July 25 at 8pm **

Anagnoson & Kinton: Tuesday, July 28 at 8pm **

Leipzig String Quartet with Karl Leister: Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ***

Penderecki String Quartet: Friday, July 31 at 8pm **

Anton Kuerti: Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ***

Swensen & Seiler: Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm **

Cecilia String Quartet & Tokai String Quartet: Thursday, August 6 at 8pm **

Gallois & Lˆfstrand: Saturday, August 8 at 8pm **

Gryphon Trio with Monica Whicher: Tuesday, August 11 at 8pm **

Opera Extravaganza: Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm ***

Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

*Carlu Concert Hall, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto

**Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

***MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

Toronto Summer Music Festival announces 2009 lineup

Fourth Annual

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

From July 21 to August 14

Renowned conductor and Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann is thrilled to present the fourth annual TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL (TSMF) in Toronto this summer. The finest artists from the world of chamber music will come to the city from July 21 to August 14, 2009. This year's Festival theme, Eternal Stars, will highlight the performances from such distinguished artists as Menahem Pressler and Anton Kuerti, as well as star composers, three of whom have significant anniversaries this year - Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, and Bohuslav Martinu.

One of the biggest highlights of the Festival will be the return of perhaps the most outstanding chamber musician of our time, pianist Menahem Pressler. On July 23, Menahem Pressler & Friends - his relatively newly formed quartet - will play piano quartets by Mozart and Dvorak.

For the second consecutive year, the Festival will open at the spectacularly refurbished Carlu Concert Hall, formerly the Eaton Auditorium. On Tuesday, July 21 TSMF will present two extraordinary Canadian artists, together for the first time - Grammy and Juno award-winning violinist James Ehnes and Leeds International Competition winner, pianist Jon Kimura Parker. The duo will perform pieces by Mozart, Prokofiev, Kernis, and Ravel.

The TSMF will also be the first to present another exciting, newly-formed duo - Ian Swensen and Mayumi Seiler. On August 4, these two brilliant violinists, both of whom are accomplished soloists as well as chamber musicians, will perform rare Baroque pieces as well as Bartok's Duos and Shostakovich's Three Violin Duos.

Duo concerts will also include the immensely popular Canadian pianists James Anagnoson and Leslie Kinton (who most recently sold out concerts at The Royal Conservatory) on July 28. They will play, among other pieces, Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448, the only composition Mozart wrote for two pianos. In the last duo recital, on August 8, French star flutist Patrick Gallois and Swedish pianist Cecilia Lˆfstrand will present Sonatas by Gaubert, Prokofiev, and Poulenc, as well as Desbriˆ®re's Cinq Piˆ®ces ˆâtrangers.

On July 25, the foremost Japanese string players - cellist Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends (violinist Yasuko Ohtani and violist Yoshiko Kawamoto) - will unleash the power of Czech folk music in Martinu's String Trio No. 2. The program also includes one of Mozart's greatest achievements in the field of chamber music, his Divertimento in Eb Major, K. 563.

On July 30, the celebrated Leipzig String Quartet will make their annual pilgrimage to the TSMF, this time with clarinetist Karl Leister, who served as the principal clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic. He will join the Quartet in Brahms' Clarinet Quintet in B Minor. On July 31, the Penderecki String Quartet, one of Canada's most celebrated ensembles devoted to exciting new music, will play Hatzis' award-winning Quartet No.2, The Gathering. On August 6, two of Canada's up and coming young quartets - Cecilia String Quartet & Tokai String Quartet will join forces to perform Mendelssohn's Octet in Eb Major, op. 20.

Another Toronto favourite group and Juno award-winners, the Gryphon Trio, will appear on August 11 with soprano Monica Whicher in a programme of Scottish Folk Songs. Other works on the programme will include Hayden's Trio in C Major and Mendelssohn's Trio No. 2 in C Minor.

Legendary pianist Anton Kuerti will present the only solo recital during the Festival on August 1, after selling out his TSMF concerts for two consecutive years. Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schuman, and, of course, Beethoven will be on the programme of this renowned Beethoven expert.

Opera Extravaganza on Thursday, August 13, will feature some of the star alumni of the TSMF Academy Opera Studio, accompanied by the National Academy Orchestra, and conducted by TSMF Artistic Director Maestra Agnes Grossmann. The evening will be filled with some of the most beautiful and powerful operatic arias, duets, and ensembles.

Prior to each concert lecturers such as Iain Scott, Keith Horner, and composer Christos Hatzis, will introduce the works being performed that evening. The Lecture Series are free.

Agnes Grossman said: "This summer we are celebrating two composers, who have been shining key figures in the evolution of the musical universe: Joseph Haydn - father of the Viennese classical period in the age of Enlightenment and Felix Mendelssohn - "the brightest light amongst composers of the Romantic Era" (Robert Schumann). Through our great performers, Toronto Summer Music's 2009 Festival, with this year's theme "Eternal Stars", will celebrate for our fourth season, stellar moments of musical interpretation."

TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

July 21 - August 15, 2009

James Ehnes & Jon Kimura Parker: Tuesday, July 21 at 8pm *

Pressler & Friends: Thursday, July 23 at 8pm **

Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi & Friends: Saturday, July 25 at 8pm **

Anagnoson & Kinton: Tuesday, July 28 at 8pm *

Leipzig String Quartet with Karl Leister: Thursday, July 30 at 8pm ***

Penderecki String Quartet: Friday, July 31 at 8pm **

Anton Kuerti: Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ***

Swensen & Seiler: Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm *

Cecilia String Quartet & Tokai String Quartet: Thursday, August 6 at 8pm **

Gallois & Lˆfstrand: Saturday, August 8 at 8pm **

Gryphon Trio with Monica Whicher: Tuesday, August 11 at 8pm **

Opera Extravaganza: Thursday, August 13 at 7:30pm ***

Festival passes ($120 - $300) and single tickets ($20 - $75) are available online www.torontosummermusic.com or by calling 416.597.7840

*Carlu Concert Hall, 444 Yonge Street, 7th Floor, Toronto

**Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto

***MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music, 80 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto