Toronto, ON – Sinfonia Toronto has announced its 2023-2024 Silver Anniversary season. The orchestra will celebrate its 25th season with premieres by Canadian and international composers and with the return of many audience favourites – both beloved works and popular guest artists.
Commenting on the new season, the orchestra’s music director Nurhan Arman said, “All of us at Sinfonia Toronto are grateful for all the years of support by our loyal audiences in the GTA and throughout Ontario. From our early days onward we have performed for Ontario audiences all over, from Sarnia to Sault Ste-Marie, Barrie to Brockville and many other wonderful communities.”
“And we have carried the name of our great city internationally, with tours in Europe, South America, China and the United States, gaining fine reviews and the love of audiences everywhere we have performed. We are proud of our artistic achievements for listeners in our halls, to our recordings, and recently livestreams viewed on multiple continents. We are looking forward not only to the anniversary season but many more seasons to come!”
To celebrate this milestone anniversary Maestro Arman has commissioned Canadian and international composers to write short works celebrating the occasion. Each program next season will include the world premiere of a new work. Participating composers are from Canada, the US, Algeria, Armenia, France, Portugal and Ukraine.
Commenting on the roster of guest artists, Maestro Arman noted, “For next season we have invited back some of the great soloists our orchestra enjoyed making music with who have also been favourites with our audiences. To give just a few examples, we will begin the season with violinist Elisso Gogibedaschwili. This amazing violinist was just 13 years-old when she made her Canadian debut with us. Today she is an international star, performing all over the world with major orchestras and prominent chamber musicians. Toronto pianist Dmitri Levkovich also has appeared with us several times, always with long ovations from our audiences. Our international guest artists are invited with a view to establishing ties with Canadian composers. The great Italian flutist Mario Carbotta has played Canadian composers John Weinzweig and Michael Baker here, then in Europe. Luisa Sello, another superb Italian flutist returning next season, has commissioned Toronto composer Chan Ka Nin to write a piece for her, to premiere here and in Italy.”
Sinfonia Toronto President Dr. Edward Thompson adds, “On behalf of all my colleagues on our board, Maestro Arman, our terrific musicians, our wonderful volunteers and all our patrons and partners, I want to congratulate everyone connected with the orchestra, and also to express great appreciations for the orchestra’s major supporters through our first 25 years. Core funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council has been crucial, together with occasional project and travel grants. We are also grateful for important project support from several Province of Ontario Ministries, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Canada through the Community Foundations of Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.”
The orchestra will continue serving both downtown Toronto and uptown and the 905 with concerts downtown at the Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre and the Jane Mallett Theatre and in North York in George Weston Recital Hall at the Meridian Arts Centre. In addition to the regular concert series Sinfonia Toronto will announce several special events to celebrate the anniversary. Details of the 2023-2024 concerts are posted at sinfoniatoronto.com.
Through the past 23 seasons Sinfonia Toronto has received glowing reviews on tour in Europe, the US, South America and China. It has released four CD’s, including a JUNO winner, and performs throughout Ontario. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman, the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman has conducted in 24 countries in Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian State Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.
