Canadian Music - my/maSCENA

Gwen Hoebig: Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s concertmaster extraordinaire

By Holly Harris on 31 January 2025 Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Orchestral, Vancouver

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra wraps up its 2024-25 season on a poignant note this spring as its revered concertmaster, Gwen Hoebig, steps down from the position she’s held for an astonishing 37 years. The Vancouver-born musician lauded for her impeccable artistry currently holds the mantle as Canada’s longest-serving concertmaster, following the retirement of L’orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s Richard Roberts in September 2022 after his own 40 seasons. When asked what she’s most proud of from her decades-long tenure, Hoebig replies succinctly: “My playing, and also my relationship with my colleagues. … My overriding goal as concertmaster has always been to…

Credit: Vancouver Sun

Remembering Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1941-2025)

By Madeline Boldt on 29 January 2025 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Classical, Classical Music, Obituaries, Orchestral, Toronto, Vancouver

Legendary Japanese conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama has passed away at the age of 84. A cornerstone of Vancouver’s classical music scene, Akiyama led the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for over 13 years. Under his leadership from 1972 to 1985, the VSO transitioned from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to the Orpheum, marking a new era of growth, increased ticket sales, and a revitalized sound. Early Life and Career Born in Japan in 1941, he launched into the world of classical music in 1964 when he made his debut with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. His immediate success earned him the roles of both Music…

Liona Boyd. Photo: Don Dixon

Liona Boyd to Be Inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame

By Newswire on 25 November 2024 Arts Industry, Canadian Music, Classical Music, Newswire

Canada’s Walk of Fame proudly announced today that Liona Boyd, internationally celebrated classical guitarist, composer, and five-time Juno Award winner, is among the first round of Inductees to be honoured in 2025 under the Arts & Entertainment category. This milestone coincides with the 50th anniversary of Boyd’s debut album, released in 1974. Joining an illustrious group of past inductees such as Gordon Lightfoot, Anne Murray, Celine Dion, and Leonard Cohen, Boyd’s induction recognizes her unparalleled contributions to music and her influence on Canadian culture. “I am deeply grateful and proud to be included among such distinguished members of Canada’s Walk of…

CD Review | David Potvin Catharsis (Leaf Music, 2024)

By Kristen Whittle on 31 May 2024 Canadian Music, CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Piano

David Potvin’s Catharsis honours the term’s meaning through an emotional and vulnerable performance of sombre yet powerful works, all by Canadian composers.

Orchestre de l’Agora and its founding conductor, Nicolas Ellis

Farah Alibay at the Festival de Lanaudière

By Newswire on 29 April 2024 Classical Music, La Scena Online, Montreal, Orchestral, Quebec City, Quebec Music

The Festival de Lanaudière is delighted to announce that aerospace engineer Farah Alibay will headline the Festival’s opening concert next July 6.

David Potvin (Photo provided)

David Potvin: Honouring Canadian Repertoire

By Bridget Esler on 29 March 2024 Canadian Music, Discovery CDs, Piano

Pianist David Potvin struggled to settle on a name for his debut album, which comes out on April 19 under Leaf Music.

Mishka Lavigne (left) and Tim Brady (right) (Photos provided)

Mishka Lavigne: Librettist to Tim Brady’s Information

By Justin Bernard on 29 March 2024 Montreal, Opera, Quebec Music

On the heels of Backstage at Carnegie Hall, composer Tim Brady pursues his journey into the world of opera with Information, the second instalment in a cycle of four entitled Hope.

Nadia Labrie (Photo provided)

Nadia Labrie: Finding the Beauty

By Catherine Kustanczy on 29 March 2024 Canadian Music, Montreal, Winds

French-Canadian flute player Nadia Labrie is famous for her classical recordings of works by Schubert, Bach, and Mozart.

Recurrence album cover

Recurrence: Iranian Feminism, Mathematics, and Erosion

By Zenith Wolfe on 2 February 2024 Canadian Music, Interviews, Piano, Toronto

Iran’s growing feminist movement, the role of mathematics in music, and the impacts of erosion on sea stacks are but a few of the topics explored on Leaf Music’s Recurrence.

CD Review | The Robbie Songs Project (Leaf Music, 2023)

By Zenith Wolfe on 2 February 2024 Canadian Music, CD and Book Reviews, Choral

The Robbie Songs Project is a beautiful homage to the late Robbie Smith, a Nova Scotian songwriting legend and member of the folk duo Naming the Twins.

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