Highlights | Musicians Respond to Hamas Attack on Israeli Music Festival

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Welcome to La Scena Musicale’s weekly Highlights, a roundup of classical music news from Canada and beyond. In light of the recent Hamas attacks in Israel, ensembles and musicians from around the world have cancelled shows in the Middle East, and put out statements condemning the attack.

Music World Responds to Hamas Attacks

The Oct. 7 attack was carried out at Israel’s electronic music festival Supernova (Al Jazeera), hosted in celebration of the Jewish harvest-related holiday Sukkot. Hamas killed around 260 of the roughly 3,500 festival-goers. Some concert workers, including 31-year-old Daniel Levy, have spoken out about being chased and followed by Hamas gunmen (ABC News).

Two Canadians, including 22-year-old Ben Mizrachi, are confirmed to have been killed in the attacks (CBC), while a third has been reported missing.

Several Israeli ensembles have postponed shows, including The Israel Camerata Jerusalem, Israel Philharmonic, and Israeli Opera (Opera Wire). Bruno Mars cancelled both his second Israel performance (Rolling Stone) and his following show in Qatar (Consequence of Sound), leaving behind his equipment as he fled the country. Cleveland Orchestra (cleveland.com), which was slated to perform three concerts in the country, has also cancelled its Israel tour.

Yet some musicians are keeping the music alive: members of the Israel Philharmonic are hosting small home concerts (Slipped Disc) to comfort people who were displaced by the attacks. Israel Chamber Project is continuing its performances as scheduled (Datebook) with different programs, seeing as some of their musicians have been unable to fly home.

Berlin-based classical pianist and composer Daniel Barenboim condemned the Hamas attack in an Instagram post, calling it an “outrageous crime” and a “tragedy that will loom for a long time to come.” As a historically vocal critic of Israel’s presence in the Gaza Strip, he added that he has “always believed that the only path to peace between Israel and Palestine is a path based on humanism, justice, equality and an end to the occupation rather than military action.” He finds himself grounded in this position now “more strongly than ever.”

Celebrity musicians have also condemned the attacks, including Madonna, who wrote in an Instagram post that “conflicts can never be resolved with violence.” Don McLean, the legendary singer-songwriter behind “American Pie,” reflected on the destruction of Israeli neighbourhoods he holds close to his heart in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Having lived in Israel, I remember the neighborhoods I now see being bombed. I knew the people who faced this kind of hatred everyday and went to a party every night because life is something to celebrate and it is so precious. Being there changed me forever.

— Don McLean (@donmclean) October 9, 2023

Recent and Upcoming Shows

B.C. septet Naadaleela will combine Persian, Indian, Chinese, and Taiwanese classical traditions with North American jazz for their Oct. 21 concert (Stir) at Capilano University’s BlueShore Financial Centre.

Jordan de Souza (Photo by Brent Calis)

Canadian Opera Company’s Jordan De Souza (Toronto Star) is a Mississauga native, but as he conducts this season’s La Bohème from Oct. 6 to 28 in Toronto, he takes pride in the fact that he’s presenting a Wagner piece that influenced him so heavily as a teenager to his close family.

A concert based on Stardew Valley, the hit video game about farming and bringing together a rural community, is coming to Montreal and Toronto (Exclaim!) next March. Tickets are on sale as of Oct. 13.

Candlelight is looking to scare Ottawa’s classical music fans this year with a Listeso String Quartet concert featuring “spooky tunes like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and the theme tunes from films and series like Stranger Things, Psycho and the Rocky Horror Picture Show,” according to Secret Ottawa. The concert will be hosted at Knox Church on Oct. 26.

Recordings

Roger Waters released a 50th anniversary recording of his band’s famous album Dark Side of the Moon on Oct. 6. The question on everyone’s mind: how does the redux compare to the original recording (La Presse)?

Jeremy Dutcher, winner of the 2018 Polaris Music Prize, will be releasing his second album, Motewolonuwok. Though he’ll be including English lyrics for the first time, he still sees the album as part of the “Indigenous Renaissance.”

Jeremy Dutcher

At the Festival du nouveau cinéma, Richard Desjardins unveiled the documentary Chip Chip – Chopin par Desjardins (Le Journal de Montréal) in honour of his greatest and musical inspiration, Chopin.

In the upcoming biopic Maria, Angelina Jolie will play the role of Maria Callas (Classic FM), an American-Greek soprano who was one of the most influential opera singers of the 20th century. Also known as ‘La Divina,” Callas had a voice that critics called “God-given” (Classic FM). The biopic is expected to come out in 2024.

Awards, Appointments, and Competitions

Andrew Balfour (Photo by Kristen Sawatzky)

Jacques Lacombe has been appointed music director for Vancouver Opera. The Order of Canada member has been the ensemble’s guest conductor on multiple occasions over the last two decades.

Clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer is this year’s artist in residence for the Orchestre Métropolitain (La Presse), but due to medical issues, he’ll only be working as the ensemble’s conductor. As he steps away from his role as soloist, clarinetist Pierre Génisson will take his place for their October 18 Brahms-centric concert at Bourgie Hall.

Andrew Balfour will be joining Vancouver Bach Choir (Stir) as its 2023-2024 composer in residence. On Oct. 20, he’ll be conducting the Waawaa-Steewak concert, which features Balfour’s titular work contrasted against Mexican and Portuguese Renaissance music.

Local News

Nova Scotia Symphony members are protesting after Shimon Walt, who has been their principal cellist for 47 years, was fired without severance (Slipped Disc). Over 1,000 people looking to have him reinstated have signed a petition.

In a new profile about cellist Alisa Weilersten and OSM director Rafael Payare, Ronald Blum explores how family has always played a big role in their musical careers (La Presse).

Montreal Symphony Orchestra instrumentalists are teaching young cellists (CTV News) who can’t afford lessons.

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra “posted a $1.3M deficit last season” (Global News) after the pandemic altered the 75-year-old ensemble’s business model. They’re only bringing in 70 percent of their previous audiences despite playing the typical 80 concerts per season.

Obituary

Maurice Bourgue (Gramophone), the principal oboist for Orchestre de Paris, a performer for dozens of other orchestras, and the Paris Conservatory’s Professor of Oboe for 13 years, passed away at 83.

Jorge Lavelli (Opera Wire) has passed away at 90. The French-Argentine opera director was best known for his work at the Paris Opera and the Vienna State Opera.