by Tim Crouch, Director of Marketing & Patron Experience “Rituals connect us to our past. They awaken collective memories–how we got to today–but they are also harbingers, illuminating a galaxy of future possibility.” Soundstreams Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney has laid out his vision for the 2019/20 season, one that Ludwig van Toronto is already calling… Read More
From the article” “In short, Hell’s Fury is a remarkable piece of musical theatre, a show that will leave a deep dent in the heart, gut and memory long after the applause has died down. This is one of those magical moments in theatre where every single element comes together so that one emerges from… Read More
Juro Kim Feliz is a pianist and composer, hailing from the Philippines and currently based in Toronto, Canada. A recipient of the Goethe South East Asian Young Composer Award (1st place, 2009), his music has been performed in music festivals and workshops in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Israel, Greece, Switzerland, Italy, the United Kingdom,… Read More
Soundstreams is delighted to see Odaabaanag, the yearlong collaboration between Jumblies Theatre and Soundstreams, coming to life. While composer Melody McKiver works on music for string quartet and recorded voices (inspired by Steve Reich’s Different Trains), a companion piece for community choir is now being rehearsed and workshopped in Toronto, composed by Melody’s mother and… Read More
“First though, a very preliminary view of an intriguing work in progress being co-produced by Soundstreams and Jumblies Theatre. Anishinaabe composer Melody McKiver has been commissioned by these two organizations to compose a work for string quartet and recorded voices. As synchronicity would have it, I was introduced to McKiver in a local restaurant, in… Read More
From the Article: “As artistic director Lawrence Cherney said from the stage on Saturday February 2, the concert we were about to hear was “the hottest ticket in town.” It was going to be another one of those epic Steve Reich nights reminiscent of when Reich’s music was performed at Massey Hall in April 2016…. Read More
Soundstreams is thrilled to be working with multi-genre artist Melody McKiver on our upcoming project “Odaanaabag” in collaboration with Jumblies Theatre. Melody McKiver is an Anishinaabe musician, media artist, traditional powwow dancer and artist, and arts educator of mixed ancestry. Melody is an enrolled member of Obishikokaang Lac Seul First Nation on their mother’s side, and their… Read More
“Since its premiere in 1988 by the Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich’s Different Trains became an instant favourite. Its rhythmic drive and hypnotic movement are immediately relatable, and the spoken fragments and train horns quickly create a vignette of the past. However, as we get comfortable with the tableau of the first movement, we are abruptly… Read More
We are pleased to announce the participating composers for Soundstreams’ seventh annual Emerging Composer Workshop (ECW). Our six, 2019 participants reflect the global reach of the ECW with participants coming from Canada, United States, United Kingdom, China, and Norway. Each year the ECW hosts an international and a local mentor composer, as well as a… Read More
“Soundstreams’ presentation of the Latvian Radio Choir (LRC) with artistic director Sigvards Klava, in concert at Metropolitan United Church on November 17 at 8pm, has significance in a number of ways. Founded in 1940, the 24-voice LRC is one of the few professional choirs that owes its existence to a national public broadcaster. It was… Read More
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Percussionist Ryan Scott forgot to bring tin cans to Shanghai. When leaving for Shanghai, Scott not only packed this own bag, he also brought a bag full of mallets, gongs and other percussion equipment the master percussionist didn’t think he could get on the other side of the world. The catch was, he only brought… Read More
For a typical classical piano concert, one would imagine a single grand piano with its lid open, its brilliant inside encased in silky, heavy blackness. Sometimes, there are two pianos — there are a handful of orchestral and chamber two-piano favourites that are programmed regularly. But six pianos? Yes, please! On October 12, 2018, 6… Read More
From the article: “To Soundstreams fell the distinction of presenting a program of new music from North America, relatively little of which has been performed at this week-long event over the years – a reflection, its artistic director [Wen Deqing] admits, of his background. His own advanced training as a composer took place mostly in… Read More
Montreal based composer, Nicole Lizée is one of the Canadian artists in Shanghai with Ensemble Soundstreams. Lizée has the honour of being the first Canadian invited to be Composer in Residence for the Shanghai New Music Week, presented by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. As part of her residency, Lizée delivered a lecture on Sunday, September… Read More
Percussionist Felix Mills is extending the reach of our educational programs from the Gladstone Hotel’s Melody Bar, to neighbourhoods across the GTA, and even aiding with touring and travelling productions. We’re very pleased to welcome him to the Soundstreams team, with support from the Metcalf Foundation’s Performing Arts internship program. We’ve pulled him away from… Read More
We’re very pleased to welcome Jordan Snyder, a student in OCAD’s Integrated Media program, who has joined us for the summer. As we take the first steps to bring The Journey back to life, Jordan will be working with us to develop the educational school programs affiliated with the opera. We sat Jordan down to… Read More
From the Article: “The singers were excellent. Soundstreams had recruited four of Canada’s best: soprano Vania Chan, mezzo-soprano Andrea Ludwig, tenor Colin Ainsworth and bass-baritone Stephen Hegedus. Not only did they deftly navigate Lang’s treacherous vocal shoals, they also ably accompanied themselves on various percussion instruments. John Hess conducted from a discreet corner aisle. Susie… Read More
From the article: Canada continues to produce some of the finest composers in the world, but they merit greater recognition at home and abroad. Lawrence Cherney has dedicated an entire career to providing a national and international platform for their talents as a means of creating a lasting legacy for their work. For these efforts,… Read More
From the article: “Musicians in general are prone to adapt new technology. Beethoven was so taken with Johann Nepomuk Maelzel’s new invention, the metronome, that the composer himself came up with a marketing plan to help sell the thing. It was Frederick’s collection of newfangled “forte-pianos” that lured Bach senior to the royal court in… Read More