Celebrating 30 years, Algoma Conservatory announces schedule

Celebrating 30 years of concerts, the Algoma Conservatory Concerts series is back with seven concerts scheduled in the coming months.

Following are full details on the upcoming schedule and performing acts:

Algoma Conservatory Concerts is finally back and celebrating 30 years of  concerts with outstanding Canadian and international touring artists. Their classical series of seven concerts launches on Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Thursday, Oct. 27 with the Canadian Piano Quartet. This series will be held in The Loft - the new concert and recording venue at the Algoma Conservatory at 75 Huron Street. With an outstanding acoustic, leather arm chairs and a capacity of just 150, it is an ideal chamber music venue for comfort and sound. Due to the limited capacity each artist will present two performances.

Tickets are available online at the Algoma Conservatory website under events - or they can be quickly reserved by simply calling (705) 971-4197 or by email  Tickets to all events on this series are $35 for adults and $20 for those 30 years of age or under. There is also a 20 per cent discount if ordering a series - and full priced single tickets can be credited towards a series at the first concert.

Following are the concerts on the 2022-23 Classical Series. In addition to these concerts Algoma Conservatory Concerts is presenting several series of mixed genre concerts including jazz and singer/songwriters. There are also other special events including additional classical concerts. There is a complete list on the Conservatory website.

Concert No. 1: Canadian Piano Quartet
Wednesday Oct. 26 or Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022 - 7:30 pm.. - The Loft

The Canadian Piano Quartet (CPQ) includes two of the music world’s best known married couple piano duos: Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann (Duo Bergmann), Edward Turgeon and Anne Louise-Turgeon (the Duo Turgeon). Both are winners of the Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition.

Widely regarded as leaders of the multi-piano genre, the duos have established fine reputations through concerts, prizes captured at some in the world’s most prestigious duo piano competitions, recordings, broadcasts, creation and premiere of new works as well as judging activities. Over the years, the duos found themselves meeting up at different festivals in Canada and abroad, each time enjoying friendship and a chance to celebrate the rich world of chamber music for four to eight hands. In 2018, the duos decided to take things one step further, creating the Canadian Piano Quartet. After the success of CPQ’s first concert in White Rock, British Columbia, it was decided that CPQ should hit the road! CPQ’s 2019-20 season includes concerts from coast to coast.

Additional information

Concert 2: Ofra Harnoy - cello with Mike Herriott - trumpet/piano
Tuesday, Nov. 15 or Wednesday Nov. 16, 2022 - 7:30 p.m. - The Loft

• Five-time Juno Award Winner
• Order of Canada

“Born to the instrument” New York Times
“Ofra Harnoy is stunning the world” Times of London

Ofra Harnoy has established herself as one of the greatest cellists on the world’s concert stage. She is one of Canada’s most celebrated personalities and is a Member of the Order of Canada. By joining the international artists roster of RCA Victor Red Seal in 1987, Ms. Harnoy became the first Canadian classical instrumental soloist since Glen Gould to gain an exclusive worldwide contract with a major record label.

Ofra Harnoy was born in Israel and immigrated to Canada at age 6. She studied with William Pleeth, Vladimir Orloff, Mstislav Rostropovich and participated in master classes with Janos Starker, Pierre Fournier, and Jacqueline du Pré. She has given concerts on five continents and has played at the request of Prince Charles, President Bill Clinton, three Canadian Prime Ministers, and several times for the Imperial Japanese family.

Ms. Harnoy has recorded more than 40 solo albums and commands a vast repertoire. She has also premiered many important works including the world premiere of the Offenbach cello Concerto in G, the world premiere of the Viotti cello Concerto in C, many world premiere Vivaldi cello concertos and the North American premiere of the Bliss Cello Concerto. Among her many recording and live performance collaborations are: Placido Domingo, Sting, Sir Charles Mackerras, Loreena McKennitt, Colin Tilney, Igor Oistrakh, Jesse Cook, Cyprien Katsaris, Claudio Scimone, Charles Dutoit, Jeffrey Tait, Anton Kuerti, and Emmy Verhey.

Ms. Harnoy has won numerous music competitions and in 1982 was the youngest first prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Award which led to her Carnegie Hall debut.

Ofra Harnoy is a gifted interpreter who wins critical raves for her performances all over the world. She has toured extensively in Europe, the Far East, Australia, and the Americas, and has performed with many of the top orchestras and most noteworthy conductors of our time. Her recording catalog spans many musical styles and genres and she has won many awards and distinctions for her recordings, including 5 JUNO Awards (Canada), the Grand Prix du Disque, and Critics Choice Awards from a number of international magazines. Ofra Harnoy was once named by Maclean’s (Canada’s national weekly magazine) as one of the 12 Canadians in all fields who bring most credit to their country.

Canadian trumpeter Mike Herriott, a respected multi-instrumentalist in both the classical and jazz genres, is in demand as a lead trumpeter, jazz improviser, orchestral soloist, bassist, arranger and composer. He has toured extensively through North America and South East Asia and has shared the stage with a host of luminaries, including Maynard Ferguson, Rob McConnell, Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Michael Buble, Slide Hampton, Kenny Wheeler, Phil Nimmons, Maria Schneider, Seth MacFarlane and more.

His recording career is diverse, including CDs, radio, television and film soundtracks including the Canadian Brass (JUNO nomination 2011), the Vancouver Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies (Emmy winner 2011), Michael Bublé (JUNO winner, Grammy Winner), Jann Arden (JUNO nomination 2018, 2019), Paul Brandt, Richie Sambora, and for Warner, Universal, Sony, Disney, CBC, CTV, and NBC.

As soloist, Mike has performed with numerous symphony orchestras and big bands across Canada and abroad. He is in demand in the studio, in concert, and as lead trumpet in the orchestras of musical theatre productions in Toronto, as well as on tour throughout North America and abroad. Mike is often invited to perform as guest principal trumpet with symphony orchestras throughout Canada.

Mike has several recordings under his own name, and with New York-based guitarist Sean Harkness in the Harkness-Herriott Duo (H2). November, 2013, brought the release of the Mike Herriott solo CD entitled Off the Road, featuring Mike on a variety of musical instruments and including special guest, 10-time Grammy winner, Arturo Sandoval. His solo album, Isn’t Life Grand, is Mike’s 7th recording as leader/composer/multi-instrumentalist and was released in 2016.

In 2018, he began a musical collaboration with his wife, Ofra Harnoy, which has brought them international respect and recognition from touring and their recording projects. They record for Analekta (Montreal) and released their first of a five-album contract in 2019 with the second – Ofra Harnoy, On the Rock – released in September, 2020.

Concert 3: St. John-Mercer-Park Trio (violin, cello, piano)
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 - 7:30 p.m. - The Loft or Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023 - 2 p.m. - The Loft

Three of Canada’s chamber music superstars.

Scott St. John - violin; Rachel Mercer - cello; Angela Park - piano

Program: Haydn D major trio, Kevin Lau short trios (Timescape and A Simple Secret), Darren Sigesmund trio, Mendelssohn C minor Trio

Additional artist information at:
www.scottstjohn.com/wp/
www.rachelmercercellist.com
www.angelapark.com

Concert 4: Buzz Brass
Saturday, Feb. 25 or Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023 - 7:30 pm - The Loft
Presenting the program - Famous Inspirations

From Montreal - One of the finest brass quintets in Canada
www.buzzcuivres.com/en/

Winner — Editor’s Award 2015 — Three Weeks Edinburgh newspaper
Ten top picks among the titanic array of productions taking the stage at the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe/The History of Music

Winner — ”TRILLE OR” Award 2015
Francophone solo artist or group from outside Ontario having most distinguished itself in Ontario (Canada)/L’histoire de la musique

Winner—OPUS Award 2014
Concert of the Year — Multiple Repertoire

Program: Famous Inspirations - Thanks to outstanding original transcriptions, rediscover famous compositions from the turn of the 20th century by giants such as Debussy, Ravel, Dvořák, Liszt and others, including Khachaturian’s celebrated Sabre Dance. The programme, as inspired as it is inspiring, consists of veritable timeless masterpieces that all audiences will be able to appreciate. Come and hear these works under the new incomparable light that Buzz Brass casts upon them!

Musicians: Sylvain Lapointe (founder|trumpet), Frédéric Gagnon (solo trumpet), Pascal Lafrenière (horn), Jason de Carufel (trombone), Sylvain Arseneau (bass trombone).

Since 2002, Buzz Brass quintet has been travelling all over the globe to captivate classical music lovers. Whether its concerts consist of brass quintet alone or together with guest musicians, the original artistic propositions it presents leave nobody cold. With over 1,600 appearances to its credit, the ensemble has reached more than 350,000 music lovers throughout North America, Europe and China. The numerous awards and distinctions that Buzz Brass has earned over the years (Opus, ADISQ, and Trille Or) attest to both the quality and the relevance of its musical performances. Thanks to numerous innovative programmes, praiseworthy recordings, a unique repertoire and a vision of classical concerts that reaches out to a wide audience, the group now features among the most reputable brass quintets in Canada. Its appearances abroad (Edinburgh’s 2015 Fringe Festival, Beijing’s 2016 Meet in Beijing Arts Festival, and New York’s 2018 Chamber Music America) enable Canadian musicians’ know-how to shine forth and inspire youths from everywhere to learn music. Its latest productions have had Buzz collaborating with established symphony orchestras such as those of Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Winnipeg and Quebec City as well as with Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra.

Concert 5: Ensemble Caprice
Sunday, March 26, 2023 - 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. - The Loft

Presenting Vivaldi's Gloria

Directed by two-time JUNO winner: Matthias Maute

Two outstanding ensembles from Montreal join forces to present Vivaldi’s Gloria with choir and chamber orchestra. The sound of this large ensemble in The Loft will be stunning.

This is part of a three-year, cross-Canada project that will produce 12 albums featuring choral singing from the 1500s to today on the ATMA label.

Concert 6: Joe Trio
Friday, April 14 or Saturday, April 15 - 7:30 p.m. - The Loft

Cameron Wilson, violin; Charles Inkman, cello; Allen Stiles, piano

Joe Trio is not your average piano trio. They don't want to be neatly categorized, but instead strive for diversity, versatility, and more than a little humour and unpredictability. Their repertoire consists of the classics – from Papa Haydn to Uncle Shostakovich, new works by contemporary composers, and their own arrangements of popular, jazz and rock tunes. And they're not afraid to mix together so many styles of music into a single piece it makes your head spin. More than virtuosi, the Trio's members are fantastic performers who engage the audience in a way few classical musicians can. Amply witty, charming, and tremendously musical, Joe Trio leaves audiences with a new appreciation for classical music.

Since Joe Trio was formed in 1989, this classically trained violin-cello-piano threesome has presented hundreds of concerts throughout Canada and the United States – ten provinces, one territory, and thirty-six states so far. They've played everywhere from Whitehorse to Corpus Christi, and from Sacramento to St. John's, and even in Ely, Nevada. Joe has been heard on National Public Radio in the United States, RTE Lyric FM in Ireland, and on many CBC Radio shows including the old Morningside show, Disc Drive, The Music Room, West Coast Performance, and Quirks and Quarks. As well as giving concerts, the Trio enjoys offering their services for education outreach programs, and has played many school shows for children of all ages.

They recorded their first CD, A Cup of Joe in 1997, and their second album, recorded with CBC and entitled Set 'em up, Joe (2001), was nominated for Best Classical Performance at the West Coast Music Awards. In 2003, they joined forces with Canadian broadcaster and writer Stuart McLean when Joe fiddler Cameron Wilson set the music to McLean's "A History of Canada", and have since collaborated with Stuart on a number of concerts including a broadcast on The Vinyl Cafè. In 2005, Joe recorded a commissioned piece called Rooster Bob Boogie for Ireland's RTE Lyric FM radio. In 2008, the trio toured the British Columbia Gulf Islands and the US Midwest and debuted their symphony show with the Victoria Symphony. In 2009 they toured the Canadian Maritimes and in 2010 performed their symphony show with the Prince George Symphony. In 2011 Joe recorded their third CD, Cold Cuts. That same year, violinist Cameron Wilson premiered his film noir operetta Supernatural Noir co-written with librettist Kico Gonzalez Risso which included Joe Trio as the house band for the production. 2011 was also the year Joe travelled to Smithers BC to premiere another work by Cameron Wilson, "Fragile Magic" (the Salmon Symphony) which involved the trio coaching and performing in a weekend of workshops and classes with local string instrumentalists, choirs and first nations drummers. In October 2014, the trio joined forces with Stuart McLean again this time on a Vinyl CafÈ tour of BC and Alberta. In 2017 the trio played a symphony pops show with the Vancouver Island Symphony in Nanaimo BC. Most recently Joe has performed in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Washington State, Utah and California.

Highlights of concerts in 2019 were performances for the CBC Vancouver Nooners concert series, the Ottawa Chamberfest Chamberfringe Series, the Music Niagara Festival and the Stratford Summer Music Festival.

Concert 7: New Orford String Quartet
Friday,  April 21 or Saturday April 22 - 7:30 p.m. - The Loft

One of Canada’s finest string quartets. The sound will be stunning in The Loft. Two performances to choose from below.

Andrew Wan - violin - concertmaster of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Johnathan Crow - violin - concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Sharon Wei - viola - concert violist
Brian Manker - cello - Principal cello, Montreal Symphony Orchestra

Programme: Kelly-Marie Murphy - Oblique Light, Bartok #4, Intermission, Schubert G Major

Four musicians with equally stellar pedigrees formed the New Orford String Quartet with the goal of developing a new model for a touring string quartet. Their concept – to bring four elite orchestral leaders and soloists together on a regular basis over many years to perform chamber music at the highest level – has resulted in a quartet that maintains a remarkably fresh perspective while bringing a palpable sense of joy to each performance. The Toronto Star has described this outcome as “nothing short of electrifying.

The New Orford String Quartet has seen astonishing success, giving annual concerts for national CBC broadcast and receiving unanimous critical acclaim, including two Opus Awards for Concert of the Year, and a 2017 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album. Recent seasons have featured return engagements in Chicago, Montreal and Toronto, as well as their New York City debut on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series.

The original Orford String Quartet gave its first public concert in 1965, and became one of the best-known and most illustrious chamber music ensembles. After more than 2,000 concerts on six continents, the Orford String Quartet gave its last concert in 1991. Two decades later, in July 2009, the New Orford String Quartet took up this mantle, giving its first concert for a sold-out audience at the Orford Arts Centre. The New Orford has since gone on to perform concerts throughout North America and lead residencies at the University of Toronto, Schulich School of Music, Mount Royal University, and Syracuse University. In September 2017 the Quartet became Ensemble in Residence at the University of Toronto, and was recently named Artistic Directors of the Prince Edward County Music Festival, where they made their curatorial debut in September 2018.

In 2011, the Quartet recorded its debut album of the final quartets of Schubert and Beethoven, released by Bridge Records to international acclaim. The recording was hailed as one of the top CDs of 2011 by La Presse and CBC In Concert and nominated for a JUNO Award in 2012. Critics have described the recording as “…flawless… a match made in heaven!” (Classical Music Sentinel); “a performance of rare intensity” (Audiophile Audition); and “nothing short of electrifying… listen and weep.” (The Toronto Star). Their follow-up album of the Brahms Op.51 Quartets was equally well-received, and received the 2017 JUNO for best chamber music album.

The New Orford is dedicated to promoting Canadian works, both new commissions and neglected repertoire from the previous century. New Orford String Quartet projects have included performances of major Canadian string quartets from the 20th century including works by Glenn Gould, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Jacques Hétu, R. Murray Schafer, and Claude Vivier, as well as commissions of new works from composers such as Francois Dompierre, Gary Kulesha, Airat Ichmouratov and Tim Brady. The Quartet thrives on exploring the rich chamber music repertoire; recent collaborations include those with pianists Marc-André Hamelin and Menahem Pressler.

The Quartet regularly tours in the major cities of North America, including Washington, D.C., Toronto, and Los Angeles; at the same time, the members feel strongly about bringing this music to areas that don’t often hear it, and as a result perform frequently in remote rural locations and smaller Canadian communities. The New Orford String Quartet is Artist in Residence at the University Club of Toronto.