“Trumpet declares. It prompts and signals. And on October 3, 2019, the trumpet(s) shall sound, at the Soundstreams 2019-20 opener: Top Brass. Three virtuosos: Ole Edvard Antonsen, Jens Lindemann and Ingrid Jensen, will gather to create a complex portrait of the trumpet, from the familiar golden Baroque of the past, to the present and its… Read More
The Three Woes Composed by Anna Pidgorna This piece is inspired by the end of the world prophesy in the Book of Revelations, in which seven trumpets bring in various catastrophes, which wipe out much of life on earth, herald the final judgement, and establish paradise on Earth. The last three trumpets are known as… Read More
TORONTO – September 30, 2019 – Daniel Weinzweig, president of the Soundstreams Board of Directors announced today that Executive Director Ben Dietschi will be leaving Soundstreams after seven years, the last four as lead administrator. He departs November 18 to begin a principal role at another arts and culture organization. The board has determined an… Read More
by Ben Dietschi, Executive Director Reflections on PAC 2019 I’ve just returned from The Performing Arts Connections conference in Queensland, Australia, where I was joined by 300+ presenters, producers, artists, and other government and industry representatives. I had the honour of pitching Two Odysseys: Pimooteewin / Gállábártnit, the world’s first opera in Cree and Sámi…. Read More
by Felix Mills, Metcalf Foundation Intern – Community Engagement Associate Working with the choir and having this kind of collaboration with my daughter is huge. My mother went to residential school so it’s very much part of our family history. The fact that we’re working with elders from my family’s home territory is very important… Read More
by Tim Crouch, Director of Marketing & Patron Experience Soundstreams continues to make moves on the international stage, and has been invited to pitch our latest project, Two Odysseys, at CanadaHub, a special showcase as part of the famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival that will showcase the very best of Canada’s contemporary performance scene. In addition… Read More
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