Nota Bene
SPRING
2018
migrations 2018
Welcome to NYO Canada’s Biannual Newsletter! • Bienvenue au bulletin biannuel de NYO Canada! Celebrating Canada’s finest emerging artists • Met en scène le meilleur de notre relève artistique
migrations 2018
IN THIS ISSUE... MIGRATIONS 2018 INTERNATIONAL TOUR MAESTRO JONATHAN DARLINGTON 2018 FEATURED COMPOSERS
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
AWARDS
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
NYO DOCUMENTARY
HELP US FLY TO EUROPE!
THE MIGRATIONS 2018 TD TOUR concerts in germany and scotland highlight summer activities After traveling across the country as a part of the Canada 150 celebrations last summer, we are thrilled to announce the details of our Migrations 2018 TD Tour. Taking place over three weeks in July and August, the 8-city Migrations 2018 TD Tour will be one of the single largest Canadian-European tours in the history of the NYO and the first of a series of hybrid tours we plan to undertake that include Canadian and International engagements. “Coming off our successful Edges of Canada tour, we are tremendously excited to take 95 of the top young classical musicians in the country across the Atlantic for the orchestral event of the summer,” says NYO Canada Executive Director Barbara Smith. “The Migrations theme is found in many aspects of our 2018 activities, extending beyond our travels to Europe and into the repertoire itself. For instance, although both Copland and Gershwin were composers from Brooklyn, the pieces we are performing are those which explored folk culture that was exotic and foreign to them - Catfish Row (the South) and Appalachian Spring (nature).” (For details on our selected repertoire, see p. 3.) 2018 marks the first trip to Germany and Scotland in decades and will include performances at some of the most magnificent venues in all of Europe. For the very first time, NYO Canada will be presented as a part of the Young Euro Classic at the Berlin Konzerthaus, a 200-yearold theatre considered one of the top-5 concert venues in the world. A second concert date
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is scheduled at the Staatstheater in Kassel, one of Germany’s longest-running concert halls dating back to 1502. The finale takes place as we close out our tour as part of the Edinburgh International Festival – Scotland’s premier classical music festival celebrating their 70th anniversary this summer. While our students are excited to share the best of what they have to offer in Europe, their five Canadian engagements across Ontario and Quebec are also dear to their hearts. In addition to performances in St. Catharines as a part of Music Niagara and our third concert at Montréal’s La Maison Symphonique in as many years, Canadian highlights will include: •
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An opening concert at the Festival of the Sound in Parry Sound, Ontario’s first annual international summer classical music festival. This festival is programmed by NYO Canada faculty member and world-renowned clarinetist James Campbell (Juno Award Winner and Order of Canada Recipient) A July 29th concert at prestigious Koerner Hall offered absolutely free to the public as part of Toronto Summer Music’s first-ever Community Day Before departing for Europe, NYO chamber groups will perform as a part of the famed Ottawa Chamberfest, the largest international festival of its kind
Stay tuned to nyoc.org as we release further details, including information about how to reserve your concert tickets!
Berlin Konzerthaus
Kassel Staatstheater
Showcasing Canadian Excellence 3 Prestigious Invitation-only Festivals Featuring some of the best performers from Germany and across the world, Kultursommer Nordhessen has been enriching the cultural landscape of the region of North Hessen since 1989. Held between May and August each year, the festival offers a wide range of programming at the most beautiful places in North Hessen—from classical music to jazz, from theater to a cappella, along with children’s programming that is suitable for all ages. The Young Euro Classic, established in Berlin, Germany in 2000, is a significant international music festival for young musicians. Young Euro Classic is one of the world’s most important international platforms for young orchestral musicians in the European classical music tradition, and serves as a continuing platform for its development. Spanning 17 days, the Festival presents top youth orchestras from all around the world.
The Edinburgh International Festival brings audiences and artists together from all over the world. For three weeks in August, Scotland’s capital becomes an unparalleled celebration of the performing arts and an annual meeting point for people of all nations. Every year, the International Festival present a programme featuring the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. It is a great honor to be invited.
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migrations
National Tour Sponsor Commanditaire de la tournée nationale
2018
TOUR AT A GLANCE
CONDUCTOR - JONATHAN DARLINGTON
concert dates
repertoire
Appalachian Spring (Suite for Orchestra) Catfish Row Symphony No. 3 Ein Heldenleben Op. 40 Symphonie n° 4, Op. 54 (Le Poème de l’Extase) Horn Concerto No. 2
Copland Gershwin Vaughan-Williams Strauss Scriabin Strauss
Parry Sound St. Catharines Toronto Montréal Ottawa Berlin Kassel Edinburgh
July 24 July 26 July 29 August 1 August 3 August 8 August 10 August 14
*repertoire subject to change
tickets
nyoc.org/migrations
more information
info@nyoc.org • 1-888-532-4470
concert presenters
sponsors Nota Bene • Spring 2018
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jonathan darlington 2018 conductor
Born and educated in England, Maestro Darlington has conducted an impressive array of ensembles in many of the world’s greatest concert halls and opera houses. Recent engagements include performances in opera and concert with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Staatsoper, the Staatskapelle Dresden at the Semperoper, l’Orchestre National de France, the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Paris Opera Orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and l’Orchestre de Paris. After beginning his career as a freelance pianist, Jonathan Darlington made his conducting debut in 1984 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, directing Francesco Cavalli’s “Ormindo” from the harpsichord. Whilst still essentially a keyboard player, an important stepping-stone in his conducting career was the Berlioz Festival in Lyon, initially as assistant to Serge Baudo for Les Troyens in 1987, and two years later to John Nelson for Benvenuto Cellini. In 1990 Myung-Whun Chung engaged Jonathan as assistant and subsequently as deputy to the music director at the Paris Opera. It was there that he made his acclaimed debut in 1991 with Le nozze di Figaro, starring a dream cast which included Renee Fleming and Ferrucio Furlanetto. He remained with the Paris Opera as deputy music director until 1993, conducting productions of Die Zauberflöte and Das Lied von der Erde. His Swan Lake with the Paris Opera Ballet was recorded for video in 1992. His success at the Paris Opera led to numerous engagements with other international orchestras and opera houses and he decided to return to the freelance world, this time as a conductor. In 1996 he was invited to become part of the musical team at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Düsseldorf – Duisburg) and in 2002 he was offered the position of Music Director of the Duisburger Philharmoniker. In the same year he also became Music Director of Vancouver Opera, a position he holds to this day. Jonathan Darlington is both a “Laureate” (LRAM) and “Fellow” (FRAM) of the Royal Academy of Music, London and as a French resident is proud to hold the distinction of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
john estacio composer JUNO nominated composer John Estacio is a recipient of the 2017 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Artist Award. His works are frequently recorded, performed and broadcast on international radio and television. His Trumpet Concerto was commissioned by 19 Canadian orchestras and will be performed throughout the country in the 2017/18 season. He has written four operas and has also composed a full-length orchestral score for Cincinnati Ballet’s King Arthur’s Camelot. His music has been performed at Carnegie Hall by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Edmonton Symphony. He is the recipient of the NAC Award for Composers and his music was performed by Pinchas Zukerman and the National Arts Centre Orchestra during their tours of China and the UK. In 2017, the NACO and conductor Alexander Shelley will tour across Canada with his orchestral work, I Lost My Talk, inspired by Rita Joe’s poem and commissioned for the Right Honourable Joe Clark on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
alison yun-fei JIANG composer
Chinese-Canadian composer Alison Yun-Fei Jiang (b. 1992) fuses influences from various sources and aesthetics such as the French impressionistic composers, film scores, and Chinese traditional opera, creating music for concert and dance with epic melodic gestures in a dynamic, dramatic, and colorful nature. A winner of the 2016 Toronto Symphony Orchestra Call for Scores, Alison’s music has been recognized with a 2nd Prize (the Serge Garant Awards) in the 2017 SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers, a 2016 Libby Larsen Prize from the IAWM (International Alliance for Women in Music) Search for New Music Competition, a Finalist in the 2017 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, and a 2015—2016 JCC Manhattan/NYU Tisch Call for Music commission.
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faculty spotlight
nyo canada welcomes new faculty for 2018 nadia côté – horn Recently named 4th Horn with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), Nadia Côté first studied with Michel Gingras at the Conservatoire in Chicoutimi and John Zirbel at McGill University in Montreal. She also took part in masterclasses in Germany with Johannes Ritkowsky and Wolfgang Wipfler. As a freelancer, she was active for nearly 25 years with various orchestras including OSM, NACO, Orchestre Métropolitain and Les Violons du Roy. She is currently a teacher at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal and Schulich School of Music at McGill University. Nadia joins our existing NYO Horn Faculty, which includes Jamie Sommerville and Gabe Radford.
vanessa fralick – trombone Vanessa Fralick is the Associate Principal Trombone of the Toronto Symphony, a position she began in 2013 after three years with the St. Louis Symphony. In addition to these two positions, she has also performed with major orchestras in San Francisco, Boston, Montreal, Malaysia, Utah and Jacksonville. An active educator, Vanessa is on faculty at the University of Toronto, the National Music Camp of Canada, and is the brass coach of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. We are thrilled to welcome Vanessa to our NYO Faculty, which includes trombonists Peter Sullivan and Gordon Wolfe.
jose franch-ballester – clarinet A recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2008, and winner of both the Young Concert Artists and Astral Artists auditions, Jose Franch-Ballester is a solo artist and chamber musician in great demand. As a concerto soloist, he made his New York debut in 2006 with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Lincoln Center and has since performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and various orchestras in his native Spain. He is also a dedicated music educator, who is currently working as assistant professor of clarinet and chamber music at the University of British Columbia. Jose joins James Campbell and Kimball Sykes to round out the clarinet section of our faculty.
lori gemmell – harp The current Principal Harpist with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Lori Gemmell has toured Europe and Japan with the Nouvelle Ensemble Moderne and teaches privately at Wilfred Laurier University and at Redeemer University College. She plays regularly with the Toronto Symphony, the COC and National Ballet orchestras and is a member of the Four Seasons Harp Quartette. Lori Gemmell joins Caroline Lizotte as our two harp coaches for our Summer Training Institute.
gryphon trio Approaching its 25th anniversary, the Gryphon Trio has impressed international audiences and the press with its highly refined, dynamic performances and has firmly established itself as one of the world’s preeminent piano trios. With a repertoire that ranges from the traditional to the contemporary and from European classicism to modern-day multimedia, the Gryphons are committed to redefining chamber music for the 21st century. Honours include two Juno Awards for Classical Album of the Year, and the prestigious 2013 Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts from the Canada Council
daniel scholz – viola Joining David Harding and Neal Gripp as our third violist on faculty, Daniel Scholz is the Principal Viola of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and is a member of the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society, and the Rembrandt String Quartet. As a solo artist, Daniel has also performed with Musickbarock, the Okanagan Symphony, the Vancouver Chamber Players and has toured Europe with the Nordic Symphony of Tallinn, Estonia as Guest Principal Viola. Highly sought after as a teacher, Daniel is an instructor at the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba as well as the conductor of the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra.
kelly zimba – flute The current Principal Flute with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Kelly Zimba has performed with the Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Palm Beach Symphony Orchestras, and was a two-time fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center. As a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician, she has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, Royal Albert Hall, and the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, Chile. In addition to performing, Kelly served for two years on the faculty of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Sitka, Alaska, where she was also an Artist-in-Residence in January 2018. Kelly joins fellow TSO flautist Camille Watts as our second flute coach on faculty.
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awards spotlight meet our 2018 award of excellence winners Lead Sponsor, Awards of Excellence
Eileen Coyne, RI Horn Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory
Rachel Domingue, ON Oboe University of Texas at Austin
Emily Rekrut-Pressey, MB Viola University of Toronto NYO Alumna, ‘17
Lukas Hildebrand, BC Percussion University of British Columbia
Nicholas Richard, NB Bassoon University of Ottawa NYO Alumnus, ‘15, ‘16
Alison Kim, BC Violin New England Conservatory of Music
Roxanne Sicard, QC Violin Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal NYO Alumna, ‘16, ‘17
Astrid Nakamura, ON Violin Earl Haig Secondary School, NYO alumna, ‘17
Samuel-San Vachon, QC Double Bass University of Montréal NYO Alumnus, ‘16, ‘17
Our Awards of Excellence, valued at $5,000, celebrate the most advanced students who show superior musicianship skills during our TD National Auditions. We would like to congratulate our deserving 2018 winners, and to all of our NYO musicians, who will each receive a $1,200 scholarship upon completion of the Migrations 2018 TD Tour. To view our full 2018 Orchestra roster, please visit nyoc.org/orchestra. We would like to thank our many generous donors who have contributed to our 2018 Student Scholarship Program. If you are interested in learning more about how you can sponsor a student in the Orchestra, please contact Hilary Knox, Manager of Development, at (416) 532-4470 x 231 or hknox@nyoc.org
michael measures prize announcement second award added for 2018 Since 2011, the Michael Measures Prize has been awarded in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts to one NYO Canada student who is an “outstanding, young Canadian musician who plays an orchestral instrument.” With previous winners including cellist Bryan Cheng, violinist Blake Pouliot, and oboist Hugo Lee, the prize includes a cash award of $25,000 and an opportunity for the winner to perform a solo concerto at multiple concerts during our annual summer tour. This year, we are excited to announce that the Canada Council will be awarding a second Michael Measures Prize to a talented member of the 2018 Orchestra. The lucky winner of this second award will receive a $15,000 award, with a featured performance and presentation opportunity to take place during our 2018 Migrations TD tour. We would like to thank the Canada Council for their generous support of this program and for giving us the chance to showcase one of the top musicians in this year’s Orchestra. Bryan Cheng, cello Michael Measures Prize 2017
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Please stay tuned to our website as we will be making an announcement this June regarding our two award winners.
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board appointments 2018 james hunter appointed as nyo’s next chair of the board We are thrilled to welcome James Hunter as NYO Canada’s new Chair of the Board. As his first order of business, Mr. Hunter will lead the charge on our Canada-Europe tour in 2018, taking us for the first time to Germany and to his native country, Scotland, where he will represent the orchestra and help us connect to new communities overseas. James has served the orchestra faithfully for the past 5 years, most recently as Vice Chair and Fundraising Chair, where he brought our fundraising to an all-time high, and spearheaded our first $1 million endowment gift. James Hunter qualified as a chartered accountant in London, England in 1976 and joined the Toronto office of KPMG in 1977. In 1987, James was elected as a partner in KPMG and retired from KPMG in 2010. At KPMG, James specialized in bank audits, corporate restructuring, and forensic assignments. He was Head of Forensic (President KPMG Forensic) in Canada from 2003 to 2010 and latterly Head of KPMG Risk and Compliance Services (Ontario and Atlantic). He formerly served as Chair of Youth Employment Services and Treasurer of Meadowvale Theatre. He is a graduate of Edinburgh University (M.A. English Language and Literature) and is currently a Trustee of North American Office – University of Edinburgh Inc.
with grateful thanks our community thanks outgoing chair todd buchanan After 5 incredible years taking the Orchestra from strength to strength, we thank Todd Buchanan for his tireless work on behalf of our entire community. Elected Chair of the Board in 2012 having previously held the position of Treasurer on the Board, Todd (who is a partner at KPMG) has significantly advanced this organization and set us on a firm foundation for an exciting future. “Todd has transformed our organization in ways that will be felt by young musicians for generations to come,” says Executive Director Barbara Smith. “He led a complete shift in our board culture, recruited outstanding volunteer leaders, brought us to new heights in fund development, led us through a complete rebranding, and brought us to international profile with trips to India, China and Portugal. In the final year of his tenure as Chair, Todd took us on the most ambitious tour in our history during Canada’s sesquicentennial, inspiring us to raise our sights further than we ever thought possible, and supporting all of us to reach for ever-moreambitious goals.” Everyone at NYO is grateful to Todd, whose calming presence during challenging times, solid expertise and leadership, and beloved sense of humour has inspired us all. Todd will be regarded as the historic and pragmatic change agent who set us on a course for long term success in the decades ahead. He is our great friend, and we are delighted he will continue to serve our board as past Chair, and work with us in many capacities in the years ahead. “Thank you, Todd, for everything. We can’t express how much your work and friendship mean to us.” Barbara Smith, Executive Director
NYO Canada is also pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Latimer as Vice-Chair, while Jonathan Boulakia and Randall Smallbone have been re-elected as Board Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. We are grateful to all our Board members who serve the orchestra so faithfully. Our volunteers make it all possible! Randall Smallbone Treasurer
Jonathan Boulakia Secretary
Kevin Latimer Vice-Chair
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coming soon! nyo canada documentary 2017 tour film to be released this spring Last summer, the activities leading up to our Edges of Canada tour were the subject of an upcoming documentary film in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada and Opus 59 Films. Directed by John Bolton, the film follows the Orchestra from the very first day at our Summer Training Institute to the last concert at Vancouver’s Chan Centre for the Peforming Arts. Please stay tuned to nyoc.org for information regarding the film’s release date and future screenings.
help us fly to europe! donate your unused aeroplan miles today With our Migrations 2018 TD tour being highlighted by 3 concerts in Germany and Scotland, it is no surprise that travel is one of our single largest expenses this year. By airplane alone, we will be flying over 8,000 kilometres to perform at some of the most prestigious classical music festivals in Europe. Moving a 95-musician orchestra and group of staff members is no easy task and we could use your help in making our travel plans possible. Between now and the start of our tour, we’re asking everyone in the NYO community to donate any unused Aeroplan miles towards our Migrations tour. Every mile we receive counts. Visit nyoc.org/donate and learn more about how you can help us fly to Europe this summer.
Editorial Contributions: Dan McKinnon, Kate Eccles, Marjorie Maltais, Hilary Knox, Jonathan Welmers, Barbara Smith and Bo Lee
National Youth Orchestra of Canada 59 Adelaide St. E. - Suite 500 • Toronto, ON, M5C 1K6 Toll Free - 1.888.532.4470 • Toronto - 416.532.4470 • Fax - 416.532.6879 info@nyoc.org • www.nyoc.org Charitable Registration No. - 10776 4557 RR0001
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NYO Canada expresses sincere appreciation to David Popoff for the design of this newsletter We are grateful to Charles Frappier and Associates Inc. for their ongoing pro bono translation services
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