Classical Music - my/maSCENA

Lebrecht Weekly | Diyang Mei plays Bowen and Walton’s Viola Concertos Like Heifetz on Roller-Skates

By Norman Lebrecht on 18 October 2024 CD and Book Reviews, Lebrecht Weekly, Strings

It is nothing short of a scandal that not one concerto for viola and orchestra has broken into the standard concerthall repertoire. There are at least fifty violin concertos that get regularly played and half a dozen for cello and orchestra. Yet, among a plethora of viola concertos by good composers – from Arnold to Bartok, Schnittke to John Williams – not one gets as much as a half-chance for public attention. In any other field, this would be considered illegal discrimination. The present release is a dazzling ear-opener. York Bowen, slightly younger than Ralph Vaughan Williams, was a shy chap…

Kyle Ketelsen as Méphistophélès in the Canadian Opera Company’s new production of Faust, 2024. Photo: Michael Cooper

Review | COC’s Faust a Devilishly Dazzling New Production

By Denise Lai on 15 October 2024 Concert Reviews, Opera, Toronto

Few legendary figures have inspired more literary, cinematic, ballet and musical works than Faust. Numerous symphonic and operatic pieces have been written by famous composers such as Berlioz, Beethoven, Wagner, Schumann, Liszt, Mahler and more. The most famous opera, Faust, was written by Charles Gounod, which is also touted to be the composer’s best operatic work. The Canadian Opera Company has a brand new production that is a pleasure to the eyes and ears. The aging Faust is disillusioned with life and is about the end it with poison. Blaming God for his misery, he sarcastically appeals to Satan for…

Photo: George Garnier

Lebrecht Weekly | Doric String Quartet Strikes a Perfect Balance Between Beethoven’s Early Quartets and Later Milestones

By Norman Lebrecht on 11 October 2024 CD and Book Reviews, Chamber Music, Lebrecht Weekly, Strings

The fashion these days is to remix the 16 Beethoven quartets, selecting one from each period – early, middle and late – in concert and record cycles. It doesn’t always work, but the latest release from the Doric String Quartet, a mid-career UK ensemble, strikes a perfect balance between two of the opus 18 quartets and major milestones from later on. Opus 18/2 in G major is one of Beethoven’s invitations to the dance, a proposition more in the mind than on the floor. Opus 18/5 in A is all in the mind, one of his most self-contemplative works, so…

Katia Makdissi-Warren. Photo: Damian Siqueiros

Chants libres & Oktoecho : Première of Sainte Marine

By Justin Bernard on 10 October 2024 Contemporary, Interviews, Opera

Ancient stories, attributed to lesser-known figures, are sometimes strikingly modern. This is the case of St. Marina, known as Marina the Monk, a woman who devoted her life to God despite her life’s tribulations and the prejudice she endured. After her mother’s death, Marina’s father decided to disguise her as a boy and take her to the Qannoubine Monastery in Lebanon, reserved for men. There, she became known as “Brother Marin,” and her sex was only discovered by the community after her death. Her life was deeply marked by a false accusation of rape involving the daughter of an innkeeper.…

Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques: 30 Years of Promoting Canadian Singers

By Wah Keung Chan on 10 October 2024 Arts Industry, Opera

Every fall, young singers from across Canada prepare for auditions and competitions. The rewards are usually cash prizes and recognition. The set of auditions of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques (JAL) organized by Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20 (TL20), however, is different—the jury includes many European opera directors and the prizes consist of contracts or tours in Europe. “I believe in giving singers the experience of auditioning and performing in Europe,” said tenor Alain Nonat, the group’s founder. Originally from Paris, Nonat trained as a heldentenor and continued his studies in Montreal before returning to Europe in 1970 to begin his career. Returning…

Editorial (October 2024)

By Wah Keung Chan on 10 October 2024 Classical Music, Music Competition

Welcome to the October 2024 national issue of La Scena Musicale, which features our annual October special on Rising Stars with profiles of 10 promising musicians (pp. 22-25), along with our annual Competition Guide (p. 18). Our French cover story is about pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, whose recent international victories in Montreal (MIMC) in May and Leeds in September make him the latest Canadian to shine in the piano world. Our English cover spotlights the Azrieli Music Prizes and its gala concert in Montreal on Oct. 28. This year’s edition focuses on choral music in works by Josef Bardanashvili, Yair Klartag,…

Pennell, bass-baritone Nicholas Murphy, soprano Chelsea Kolic, mezzo-soprano Ilanna Starr, soprano Olivia LaPointe, baritone Mikelis Rogers (All photos submitted by artists).

Seven New Opera Singers Selected as Finalists of COC’s Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition

By Newswire on 9 October 2024 Classical Music, Music Competition, Newswire, Opera

Toronto – Seven of Canada’s most talented new opera singers have been named as finalists for the Canadian Opera Company’s Centre Stage: Ensemble Studio Competition on October 30, 2024 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The annual fundraiser and vocal competition showcases the very best in emerging opera talent, with all proceeds supporting the COC’s prestigious artistic career development program, the Ensemble Studio. “It is an immense privilege each year to hear so many emerging singers across the country and to witness their exceptional level of artistry,” says Dorian Cox, Director of the Ensemble Studio. “Centre Stage is…

Dabin Zoey Yang.

Dabin Zoey Yang (violin) – Prix d’Europe

By Kaitlyn Chan on 9 October 2024 Classical Music, Music Competition, Violin

Violinist Dabin Zoey Yang is this year’s winner of the Prix d’Europe, an annual scholarship that has bolstered many artists’ careers since its creation in 1911. Yang is currently pursuing her master’s of Musical Arts at Yale School of Music under the guidance of Prof. Augustin Hadelich. Her love of music began at a young age when she realized how she could use her own hands to make beautiful sounds. “I loved implementing my (own) musical ideas into my music,” says Yang, as she continues to work toward creating a unique sound in her playing. Yang embraces her shortcomings and…

Ryan Zhu.

Ryan Zhu (piano) – Sylva Gelber

By Kaitlyn Chan on 9 October 2024 Classical Music, Music Competition, Piano

Pianist Ryan Zhu is a lover of learning. As the recipient of the 2024 Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award and the Walter Prystawski Prize, it is impossible to deny Zhu’s skill. However, Zhu does not allow himself to plateau at his current standard of excellence. He finds inspiration and lessons in every aspect of his musical journey from the advice of his early teachers to the way nervousness can highlight “wonderful nuances” in a piece. This willingness to be open to life’s lessons has allowed Zhu to carve out his musical identity, helped by the many muses and educators surrounding…

Elizabeth Polese as the Governess in Opera 5's The Turn of the Screw, 2024

Opera 5 Announces Their 2024-25 Season and First Ever Toronto Opera Festival

By Newswire on 9 October 2024 Newswire, Opera, Toronto

TORONTO, ON – Today Opera 5 announces our 2024/2025 season, including the launch of the brand new Toronto Opera Festival. This festival in June 2025 features a series of performances, including the world premiere of Come Closer by Canadian Composer Ryan Trew with a libretto by Opera 5 General Director Rachel Krehm, Opera 5’s first production of musical theatre with performances of Elegies: A Song Cycle by William Finn, and a Gala Performance featuring our Portfolio Artist Interns. Opera 5’s Toronto Opera Festival is Toronto’s first-ever festival of opera and musical theatre celebrating Canadian creation and performers, while creating a…

Browsing: Classical Music