Chad Lawson program

Chad Lawson

March 11, 2023

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

Jane Mallet Theatre

TO Live would like to acknowledge Tkaronto, which is a Mohawk word meaning the place in the water where the trees are standing.

We live and work on the traditional territory of Haudenosaunee-speaking nations, including the Huron-Wendat, Seneca, and Mohawk. Haudenosauneespeaking nations have been here since time immemorial, and were more recently joined by the Mississaugas of the Credit.

This place has many Indigenous ports, including where the Humber and Rouge rivers meet other waterways such as Lake Ontario. Ancient longhouses— typical Haudenosaunee housing structures—have been found along both these rivers and in the north of Toronto near modern-day York University. This territory is covered by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) Confederacy and the Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the lands and the relationships around the Great Lakes.

What this means is that by living and working here, we all have a responsibility to the environment and to each other, to treat each other and the environment with peace and respect. This means we have responsibilities to honour, renew, and consistently uphold the values and relationships outlined in the ancient agreements.

Today, Toronto is home to Indigenous peoples and settlers from around the world. Let us all come together in an atmosphere of respect and peace to do good work together with good minds. Let’s start building stronger and healthier relationships with each other and the spaces we inhabit in Tkaronto, Ontari:io, Kanata.

Let’s hold our minds together in kindness. Nia:wen. Thank you.

© Dawn Maracle

Photo credit: Julian Kingma

Welcome letter from TO Live

Welcome to the Jane Mallett Theatre in St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Thanks for joining us for Chad Lawson’s Toronto premiere performance. Tonight, we will hear selections from Mr. Lawson’s latest album breathe, which has been in the top 10 on classical music charts and playlists since its release in September 2022. The atmosphere will be a calm and tranquil one, and likely a welcome respite from the from the speed and hyperconnectivity of our everyday lives.

Please consider joining us at TO Live for some of our other upcoming presentations featuring extraordinary artists from around the world and around the corner. On April 19 here in the Jane Mallett Theatre, the Australian Chamber Orchestra will offer two free programs: Sounds of Australia at 1pm, which features an allAustralian repertoire in a program designed for students in grades five to eight; and Anatomy of a String Quartet at 5:30 pm, which will feature the four principal chairs of the ACO rehearsing and performing Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. On April 20 the ensemble will perform at the George Weston Recital Hall in a concert highlighted by Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. On May 3, Dream House Quartet featuring piano duo Katia and Marielle Labèque alongside guitarists Bryce Dessner (The National) and David Chalmin (La Terre Invisible) will perform works by Thom Yorke, Philip Glass, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, and Bryce Dessner. A full listing of concerts, theatre, and dance presentations is available on our website.

Once again, thank you for joining us and supporting live music. We welcome you to you to sit back, enjoy the music, and breathe.

Max

President & CEO

Director of Commercial Programming & Partnerships

Clyde Wagner

Rubino

A note from Chad Lawson

As we sit here together, surrounded by the shared experience of live performance, let us take a moment to appreciate the power of art and the way it brings us together. Let us reflect on the beauty and emotion that music can evoke, and the way it can touch our hearts and move us in ways we never thought possible.

I invite you to be present in this moment, to feel every note, every melody, every emotion. Be open to the beauty and magic that surround us and allow ourselves to be transported to a place of joy, wonder, and awe.

It is with great anticipation and a sincere sense of gratitude that I join TO Live in celebrating you—the beautiful souls who chose to join us this evening to witness the beauty of this moment unfold before our eyes.

Thank you. May this performance be a source of inspiration, connection, and joy for us all.

Most sincere gratitude,

Chad Lawson  Steinway Artist, pianist, and composer

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Chad Lawson Steinway Artist, pianist, and composer

Steinway Artist, pianist, and composer Chad Lawson is a modern-day master of reinvention: his bold interpretations of the classics, electronic loops, and atmospherics resonate with EDM fans and neo-classical traditionalists alike. Lawson is a streaming star with tens of millions of followers and has become known as the artist creating “classical music for the Spotify generation” through contemporary techniques and an emotive, arresting signature sound. He is equally at home performing his own renditions of contemporary hits such as Billie Eilish’s “when the party’s over” (number 26 in the classical charts), as he is performing Chopin sonatas.

Chad is the host and creator of the iHeart-nominated and acclaimed mental wellness podcast Calm It Down (over 400,000 downloads). In a world full of noise, his meditative music invites us all to take a moment and reconnect with who we are. He makes music for the mind, body, and soul. Chad wrote the music for the podcast Lore and, with it, toured the U.S. for the first time. Soon after, it became a successful TV series by Amazon. His music has been used for The Walking Dead, Vampire Diaries, and Viceland, as well as in many commercials, including for Delta Airlines and Microsoft.

Chad’s major-label debut solo piano album You Finally Knew was released on Universal/DECCA in September of 2020. It has garnered over 110 million streams globally, outperforming giants such as Andrea Bocelli, Max Richter, and Lang Lang; rose to number five in the Billboard classical charts; and was number one on Spotify U.K. new releases. His original single “Stay” has been on the Billboard classical charts top 25 for over 55 consecutive weeks.

Chad’s music has created a soothing musical cocktail that is an antidote for this age of anxiety. On his new album breathe, he expands on the intentionality he brought to his 2020 effort You Finally Knew. Partly informed by his work as creator and host of the Calm It Down podcast, breathe ultimately establishes Chad as an essential voice exploring the intersection of music and wellness.

Chad has sold out performances at Amsterdam’s Congertgebow and Hamburg’s Elphilharmonie Kleine Saal, performed a livestream at Wigmore Hall, and been featured on NPR’s All Things Considered as well as CBS Sunday Morning.

Program

Ballade in C Minor, The Piano

Stay, You Finally Knew

Nocturne in F Minor, Chopin Variations

Waltz in C Sharp Minor, Chopin Variations

One Day You Finally Knew, You Finally Knew fields of forever, breathe

Prelude in D Major, You Finally Knew when the party’s over, Billie Eilish

Intermission

to hold the stars in the palm of your hand, breathe irreplaceable, breathe

Matilda, Harry Styles

Nocturne in A Minor, The Piano

She Dreams of Time, You Finally Knew for such a gaze of wonder, breathe with you, breathe this is what love is, breathe

Nocturne in E Flat Major, Chopin Variations

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez

Backstage with Chad Lawson

Chad Lawson talks music, meditation, and visiting Toronto for the first time this March.

Think classical music isn’t for you? American pianist and composer Chad Lawson is on a mission to change your mind by pushing the boundaries of the genre into the modern day. Known as the artist creating “classical music for the Spotify generation,” his bold interpretation of the classics, electronic loops, and atmospherics resonate with EDM fans and neo-classical traditionalists alike.

Chad’s soothing original songs and top-40 piano covers are major digital hits—he boasts 650 million streams globally and a million listeners on Spotify every month. His latest album, breathe, made in collaboration with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Abbey Road’s recording studios, recently hit number one.

A certified breathwork practitioner, Chad stays grounded by focusing on mental wellness and meditation. In September 2020, he was inspired to create Calm It Down—a podcast that guides listeners through breathing and meditation techniques—after receiving messages from fans who said his music helped them through dark times. Today the podcast is frequently at the top of the Apple Music mental health podcast charts in Canada.

TO Live recently chatted with Chad to learn more about his music creation process, how meditation helps him prepare for a show, and why he can’t wait to try a peameal bacon sandwich when he visits Toronto for the first time.

Where do you find inspiration?

Well, that’s kind of a tricky question. As much as I would love to say I find inspiration in experiences like a beautiful sunset or perhaps a personal moment with someone and that’s where my music comes from, I actually write from an entirely different approach. I’m not someone who writes at a set time every day or to a routine. I’ve tried that and it completely fails.

I’ve learned I need to wait until I have a melody in my head, and then another melody, and then another and then I sit down to write out only the melody. After the melodies are written, I find what chords support it and go from there. I do this because I’m waiting for the song to tell me what it’s about, rather than me trying to tell the song how it should emotionally behave.

That said, I find that melodies are more prone to come to me when I’m away from music, away from my studio. Usually while I’m on a run, in a sweaty yoga session, reading, or doing some form of passive creativity.

What led you to become an artist?

I wasn’t raised in a musical family but as a child, we would watching a television show called Sha-Na-Na (a variety series hosted by the American rock and roll and doo-woop group of the same name). Keep in mind this was the early 1980s! But each week I would watch the group’s piano player, Screamin’ Scott Simon, having the time of his life. Even though I was only five and had no idea what a piano was, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. My parents rented a piano and I started taking lessons and haven’t stopped since. I still take lessons (remotely) to this day!

What’s the importance of the performing arts in your life?

Music serves as a gateway for us to tap into our own emotional bliss. A soothing melody on the piano can transport us to another world, allowing us to express ourselves in ways barely imaginable.

Whether playing a piano in a small jazz club or singing from centre stage at a symphony hall, music is an act of creativity and connection, creating a bridge between our innermost emotions and those around us. Through music, we can share our special stories with others, imbued with the peace and beauty that come from this noble art form. With every performance, performers around the world collectively amplify that unique creative energy, inspiring all of us to pursue new possibilities and experience their very best selves.

I love it, just absolutely love it. The overwhelming sense you get when you see incredible talent in a performance, sculpture, film, painting, even a meal that resonates with you to the core—those experiences that raise the hair on the back of your neck or move you to cry with their stories are part of what make life so worth living. There is nothing like the experience of being in awe of something someone else has created.

What are you making space for in your life?

Oh, I love this question. Thank you for asking. More and more I’m making “space” in my life.

I’m learning that sometimes the best thing I can do for myself is to give myself space. In many ways, I’m carving out a place for breathing room—a chance to step away from any obligations or distractions and get back in touch with my true self, my creative self. The self that wants to create because it’s fun, not because it’s for hire or a new album needs to be released.

It’s important to know that creating space isn’t about taking a break from life, it’s about making something of life; space gives me the chance to reconnect with my inner voice and uncover what really matters to me. When I make “space” for myself, I unlock my creative potential and invite clarity and peacefulness into my mind.

Not to mention, space is my favourite note! It’s that gap between two notes where the magic lies, allowing the listener to process what they just heard before moving to the next note of new exploration.

What can’t you live without?

What a to-the-point-of-life question, isn’t it? I think it would be interesting to wake up every day and ask this of ourselves. Throwing in the “what can I live without?” question at the end of the day would help rid ourselves of what we don’t need…but I’m getting off topic.

The pandemic definitely showed us all what we actually can live without. Life is full of essential things that make it possible, and I’m lucky enough to have a few that really brighten my days. My wife and kids bring me infinite amounts of love and happiness, giving life so much meaning. Hearing a beautiful melody creates the perfect escape; my dog Derby’s unconditional friendship keeps me in check (always).

Long hikes in the mountains remind me just how majestic nature can be; a really great cup of coffee perks up any day; my time on the yoga mat brings a sense of balance to life’s ups and downs; sunflowers provide clarity when nothing else can; the sun gives us warmth and light even on our darkest days. Empathy encourages understanding and compassion in others around you; hope inspires progress when progress seems impossible…and last but certainly not least, my wife’s delicious chocolate chip cookies. The sweet-tooth struggle is real in my DNA.

What’s your pre-show ritual?

There’s generally not a lot of downtime when it comes to touring as it’s a Groundhog Day of up early, catching a flight or train, dropping bags at hotel, hitting the yoga mat, soundcheck venue, play, and meet and greet afterwards, then hitting the hotel usually around 11 pm or midnight. Rinse, repeat.

So, when touring, there is often little downtime to centre oneself before a performance. I make it a priority, when possible, to take an hour of silence and alone time to be able to come to the show present and with a clear head. I take this time to meditate, do some breath work and sometimes even some simple stretches, as this helps me prepare both mentally and physically for the show ahead.

Each audience brings something different with them—a certain life energy that needs tuning into before I can best serve them as a performer. Through this important personal preparatory practice, I am able to find perspective in the constantly changing circumstances of travelling from place to place.

What’s the last show you saw?

I’m a jazz head at heart, and my goodness what a long pause of live music over the past few years with the pandemic. So, when jazz drummer Jeff Tain Watts brought his group to my area it was like opening a box of musical goodness. He had Dave Kikoski on piano and I’ve always loved Dave’s playing so that was a super, super treat.

I tried to catch Fred Hersch and Esperanza Spalding at the Village Vanguard in New York City last week, but every show was sold out. I’m not alone in my

excitement of live music returning to say the least!

What’s your favourite thing to do in Toronto?

This is actually my first time coming to Toronto! I know, I know. I’m like the last person in the world to visit as I’ve heard so many incredible things. I absolutely cannot wait. I am all things food, which is why I travel. Yes, music is lovely but the foooooood. So, I’ve heard something about peameal bacon sandwiches. What?! So, needless to say I’ll be on the hunt in trying to find the best one when there. If you have any input or advice, please LET ME KNOW!

What does it mean to you to be able to showcase your work at TO Live?

To say I’m incredibly grateful to share my music with the audience of TO Live is an understatement. I don’t take the chance to share my music and emotions in a live setting lightly—there is nothing quite like connecting with people in a personal, relatable way. The energy of being on stage, hearing the smiles (yes, you can hear them) and knowing some of these songs have been the soundtrack to some of their lives…it’s magical.

Love what you heard? Listen at home with the Toronto program playlist.

Tonight, Chad Lawson is playing a mix of original music and covers of classical masters like Chopin and contemporary hitmakers like Billie Eilish. Listen to this beautiful program anytime you want by adding the TO Live show playlist to your Spotify account.

Click here to listen.

TO Live donor listing

TO Live acknowledges the generosity of our supporters through donations to TO Live and the TO Live Foundation.

1R32 Foundation

2608701 Ontario Inc.

Jocelyne Achat & Kenneth Maclean

Shirley Arnold

Arts Capital

John & Claudine Bailey

Barbara Basta

Eva Bednar

Sandra Bellisario

Bruce Bennett

Shira Bernholtz

Eleanor Bothwell

Elspeth Bowler

Doris Chan

Wendy Chong

Diana Cockburn

Judith C. Cole

bob collins

Leona Cotoia

Cheryl Cottle

Jacqueline Cushnie

Lori DeGraw

Suzanne Denis

Anne Dumais

Penelope Evans

Alicia Excell

Arts Capital

Shirley Farr

Mary Ann Farrell

Matt Farrell

Alan Feller

David Fiske

Nina Flowers

Darrell Flynn

Clarence Ford

Robert & Julia Foster

Linda Galen

Derek Genova

Charles Gibbs

Deborah Gourgy

Peter Grav

Wayne Hawes

Elaine Iannuzziello

IATSE Local 58 Charitable Fund

Imaginus Canada

Lev Ioussoufovitch

Rob Italiano

Janice Johnson

Christine Kelsey

Andrew Kempa

Megan Kotze & Michael Longfield

Laura Lee Kozody

Young Wook Kwon

Maggie Lam

Alan Levine

Kathryn Liedeman

Karen Liedeman

Jodi Lindsay

Edith Lo

Jennifer MacLachlan

Hailee Mah

Ruth & Harold Margles

Laurie Markus

Steve McAdam

Randy McCall

David McCracken

Cayla McCullough

Linda McGuire

Isabel Menanno

William Milne

Leslie Milthorpe

Susan Moellers

Peter Neuschild

Sorina Oprea

Jennifer Parkin

Frances Hunter

Brenda Polzler

John Quirke

Grant Ramsay

Brandon Rattan

Josephine Ridge

Christian Roderos

Phillip Roh

Jeffrey Rohrer

Carol Rowntree

Carole Sisto

Stephanie Slobodnik

Debbie Smith

David Smith

Natalia Sorokov

Karyn Spiesman

Richard Spooner

St. Lawrence Market BIA

Evelyn Steinberg

Katie Sultan

Josie Tait

Erinn Todd

Alicja Turner

Asha Varadharajan

Vida Peene Fund

Taylor Vince

Peeranut Visetsuth

Vital Link Ice Cream

Clyde Wagner & Steven Tetz

Patricia Wheelan

Denise Wise

Edwin Zukowski

Anonymous (5)

The above donations were made as of December 31, 2022.

TO Live staff and board

Board of directors

Lori DeGraw

Chair

Councillor Gary Crawford

Vice Chair

Paul Bernards

Myriam Gafarou

Kevin Garland

Mustafa Humayun

Owais Lightwala

Gave Lindo

Dawn Maracle

Kathleen Sharpe

Gillian Smith

Executive management

Clyde Wagner

President & CEO

Isabel Vicente Menanno

Director of the Office of the CEO & Board Relations

Special projects

Leslie Lester

Vice President of STLC

Redevelopment

Development

Sandra Bellisario

Vice President of Philanthropy & Sponsorship

Madeleine Skoggard

Director of Philanthropy & Sponsorship

Ashley D'Andrea

Senior Manager, Leadership Giving

Nikita Patel

Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships

Lawrence Tan

Assistant Manager of Partnerships & Events

Lubiana Ahmed

Philanthropy Operations Assistant

Jun Yoon

Philanthropy Operations Assistant

Finance and administration

William Milne

Vice President of Finance & Administration

Thomas Grady

Director of Finance

Hayde Boccia

Director of Finance

Michael Johnson

Controller

Sabrina Li

Senior Financial Accountant

Paul Gagnon

Client Settlement Services Manager

Dorian Barton

Client Settlement Services Assistant

Gladys Torres

Payroll Specialist

Nooshin Ashraf-Zadeh

Accounting Assistant

Nelum Dissanayake

Accounting Assistant

Fiona Liu

Accounting Assistant

Fiona Wan

Accounting Assistant

Charles Mayne

Office Clerk

Information technology

David McCracken

Director of Information Technology

Michael Cadiz

IT Support Technician

Chahat Khandhar

Systems Administrator

Scott Spence

IT Coordinator

Human resources

Michelle Carter

Vice President of Human Resources & Organizational Culture

Mohamed Othman

Director of Human Resources

Mini Chhabaria

Human Resources Generalist

Melissa Creighton

Human Resources Generalist

Marketing and communications

Jeff Rohrer

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

Stephanie Canarte

Director of Marketing

Grant Ramsay

Media Relations Officer

Stephen Crooks

Senior Digital Marketing Manager

Vanessa Grant

Senior Content Marketing Manager

Lauren Finateri

Marketing Manager, Promotions & Partnerships

Emma Forhan

Digital Content Creator

Shaun Lee

Graphic Designer

Jaya Arora

Social Media & Web Content Coordinator

Joshua DeFreitas

Marketing Specialist

Jimena Perez

Marketing Coordinator

Box office

Tom Kerr

Director of Ticketing Services

Sandie Chui

Manager of Ticket Services

Fran Holywell

Box Office Manager

Liz Bragg

Box Office Manager

Thomas Quinlan

Box Office Assistant Manager

Holly Merkur-Dance

Box Office Assistant Manager

Clayton Batson

Box Office Duty Manager

Jennifer Norman

Box Office Duty Manager

Brittney Channer

Box Office Duty Manager

Michelle Cruz

Box Office Duty Manager

Operations

Matthew Farrell

Vice President of Operations

Edward Delavari

Director of Capital Projects

Luke Belfontaine

Senior Project Manager

BahramAghakhan

Project Manager

Michael Gutowski

Project Manager

Patron services

Sean Tasson

Director of Patron Services

Lynn Frenette

Patron Services Manager

Derek Genova

Patron Services Manager

Tara Hitchman

Patron Services Manager

Natalie Ireland

Events Manager

Lina Welch

Assistant Patron Services Manager

Kelsey McGuigan

Assistant Patron Services Manager

Christian Lavigne

Assistant Patron Services Manager

Peter Harabaras

Patron Services Duty Manager

Andrew Muirhead

Patron Services Duty Manager

Bruna Pisani

Patron Services Duty Manager

Kizzie St Clair

Patron Services Duty Manager

Maria Waslenko

Patron Services Duty Manager

Stephen Lee

Executive Chef

Juliana Fay

Catering Manager

Facilities

Abiodun Ojekunle Director of Facilities

Jarryd Fish

Facilities Manager

Evan Ramdin

Chief Building Operator

Robert MacLean

Building Operator

Ryan Nerona

Junior Building Operator

Omar Nurse

Stage Door Security Supervisor

Colin Dyble

Stage Door Security

Henry Fernandes

Stage Door Security

Margreta Kristiansen

Stage Door Security

Mohammed Shaikh

Stage Door Security

Tushar Somani

Stage Door Security

Mohuddin Memon

Stage Door Security

Reza Moradi

Stage Door Security

Sangay Lhamo

Stage Door Security

Mohamed Zuhair

Maintenance Supervisor

Roger Alves

Maintenance

Robert Bischoff

Maintenance

Mizrah Mohemed

Maintenance

Catherine Patrick

Maintenance

Rosalina Silva

Maintenance

Rosa Victoria

Maintenance

Christine Vivlan

Maintenance

Vivian Hije

Maintenance (housekeeping)

Roderick Padasdao

Building Operator

Marciano Ramos

Jr. Building Operator

Ehsan Rahman

Jr. Building Operator

John Vickery

Housekeeping Supervisor

Ahmed Akinpelu

Housekeeping

Rhowen Jane Bunda

Housekeeping

Michael Kim

Housekeeping

Elliott Lewis

Housekeeping

Mabel Liwag

Housekeeping

Ian Romero

Housekeeping

Adam Sikora

Housekeeping

Lauren Smith

Housekeeping

Alicia Surujbally

Housekeeping

Matthew Pannell

Handyperson

Eduardo Costales

Handyperson

Programming

Josephine Ridge

Vice President of Programming

Max Rubino

Director of Commercial

Programming & Partnerships

Ariana Shaw

Producer

Zac Mansfield Producer

Shannon Murtagh Producer

John Kiggins

Programming Manager

Nathan Sartore

Programming Coordinator

Courtney Voyce

Bookings Manager

Alyssa Hu

Bookings Coordinator

Alex Whitehead

Bookings Coordinator

Scott North

Director Corporate & Private Events

Michaela Aguirre

Social Media Specialist

Communities and outreach

Tasneem Vahanvaty

Director of Communities and Outreach

Jasmine Vanstone

Communities and Outreach Coordinator

Production

Kristopher Dell Director of Production

Zoe Carpenter

Senior Production Manager

Anthony (TJ) Shamata

Senior Production Manager

Bruce Bennett

Senior Manager, Theatre Systems and Special Projects

Chris Carlton

Production Manager

Paul McKenna

Production Manager

Armand Baksh-Zarate

Production Manager

Susanne Lankin

Production Manager

Meridian Hall stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Richard Karwat

Head Electrician

Steve McLean

Head Carpenter

Marcus Sirman

Head of Properties

Ross Tuskey

Head Sound Operator

David Baer

Assistant Carpenter

Zsolt Kota

Assistant Sound Operator

Michael Farkas

Assistant Electrician – AV

Jason Urbanowicz

Assistant Electrician

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Wes Allen

Head of Properties, Bluma Appel Theatre

Jay Blencowe

Head Carpenter, Bluma Appel Theatre

Keijo Makela

Head Sound Technician, Bluma Appel Theatre

IATSE Local 822

Susan Batchelor

Wardrobe Head, Bluma Appel Theatre

Meridian Arts Centre stage crew

IATSE Local 58

Aaron Dell

Head Technician, Lyric Theatre

Russell Hawley

Head Technician, George Weston Recital Hall

Patrick Hales

Assistant Head Technician, George Weston Recital Hall

Grant Primeau

Head Technician, Greenwin Theatre

Duncan Morgan

Head Technician, Studio Theatre