News release ~ for immediate release ~ April 24, 2013
SINFONIA TORONTO PLAYS FINAL CONCERT OF THE SEASON
Toronto, Ontario - Nurhan Arman will conduct Sinfonia Toronto in its final concert of the season featuring virtuoso pianist Dmitri Levkovich onFriday, May 10, at 8 pm in Glenn Gould Studio. Mr. Levkovich will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program also includes Dvorak’s famous Serenade and the premiere of Salt and Vinegar, a work by the orchestra’s Composer-in-Residence, eminent Toronto composer Chan Ka Nin.
Dmitri Levkovich
, pianist and composer, has been described by the press as “one of the truly elect, an artist with technique, a ravishing touch, sensitivity, perspective and intelligence. Seldom do these qualities come together so compellingly.” Donald Rosenberg of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote “The competition’s poet appears to be Dmitri Levkovich, who takes music-making into another realm. Everything was beautifully polished, fluent and defined.”
Mr. Levkovich has won top prizes in numerous international competitions, most recently First Prize in the Jose Iturbi Piano Competition. Other prizes include Hilton Head (First Prize), Viardo (First Prize as well as Public Favourite Prize), Cleveland (Chopin Prize), New Orleans (Second Prize), and has been featured as soloist with many orchestras, including the Louisiana Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. He has appeared in concert in Austria, France, Canada, Chile, Japan, Israel, Mexico, Poland, United Kingdom, Ukraine and the United States.
Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and others.
Tickets are $39 adult; $32 senior and $12 student. They can be purchased from 416-
Details at a glance:
Friday, May 10, 2013; 8 pm Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front Street West)
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
DMITRI LEVKOVICH, Pianist
Program
CHAN KA NIN Salt and Vinegar
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 chamber version
DVORAK Serenade
Tickets $39 adult; $32 senior; $12 student
News release - for immediate release - March 17, 2013
SINFONIA TORONTO MOVES ON AFTER BORODIN QUARTET CANCELS
Toronto - Sinfonia Toronto found itself in an awkward situation last Friday when the renowned Borodin Quartet walked out on its contract with the orchestra. The quartet has backed out of April appearances in Ontario and Quebec after their Montreal concert was cancelled by the promoter. The Quartet was to have performed with Sinfonia Toronto on April 18 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
"This cancellation is most unfortunate. ST had invested a considerable amount of resources towards this performance, and now with one month's notice they have abandoned us." said Nurhan Arman, the orchestra's music director. "When we were approached by their representative with a proposal to perform together, we welcomed their offer immediately and added this concert to our series. We agreed to their preferred date even though we had already a concert planned only a few days earlier. This was a shocking surprise."
After considering potential replacements, Sinfonia Toronto has decided to proceed with the April 18 concert 'String Delights' with all the same repertoire previously announced: Mozart, Beethoven, Knipper and Elgar. "We'll play the exact same program we had planned, with our own terrific musicians, and we'll augment the orchestra with additional fine Toronto musicians. I am confident that we'll perform a brilliant concert and show off Sinfonia Toronto plus some of our city's amazing musicians. We will respond with an artistic triumph."
'String Delights' concert will take place on Thursday, April 18 at the George Weston Recital Hall. For more information please visit
www.sinfoniatoronto.com
News release ~ for immediate release ~ March 15, 2013
JUNO WINNER ALEXANDRE DA COSTA PLAYS WITH SINFONIA TORONTO
JUNO-Award winning Canadian violinist Alexandre Da Costa has been taking Europe by storm for a decade. One of his rare Toronto appearances several seasons ago brought Sinfonia Toronto’s audience to its feet cheering his spectacular virtuosity. Back by popular demand, he will join Sinfonia Toronto and conductor Nurhan Arman on Friday, April 12, 8 pm for a Masterpiece Series concert at Glenn Gould Studio.
Mr. Da Costa will perform Mozart’s Violin Co
ncerto in A and Sarasate’s mesmerizing Zigeunerweisen, the famous “Gypsy Airs.” Also featured on the program are Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich’s evocative Postcards from the Sky and an orchestral version of Mendelssohn’s beloved Octet for Strings.
Alexandre Da Costa was born in Montreal. Winner of too many national and international first prizes to count, he has given more than a thousand concerts and recitals throughout North America, Mexico, Europe, United Kingdom and Asia. He has performed in major halls such as Vienna’s Musikverein, Berlin’s Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, Hamburg’s Musikhalle and Madrid’s National Auditorium, and has played with prestigious orchestras such as the London Royal Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony, Hamburg Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Prague Philharmonic, Sinfonia Toronto and Spain’s National TV & Radio Symphony.
As recording artist, he has issued 12 CD’s and in 2012, he won the JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year for his recording of concertos by Michael Daugherty on the Warner Classics label with the Montreal Symphony under Pedro Halffter.
Now in its 14th season, Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and others.
Tickets are $39 adult; $32 senior and $12 student. They can be purchased from 416-
872-4255 or at http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com/
Subscriptions to the 7-concert Masterpiece Series are $189 adult; $169 senior and $99 students
by phone at 416-499-0403, or $10 off each price with the online discount at http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com/
News release ~ for immediate release ~ February 5, 2013
ANGELA CHENG AND RIVKA GOLANI TO PERFORM WITH SINFONIA TORONTO
Sinfonia Toronto really meant it when naming 2012-13 “A Season of Stars.” The orchestra’s next concert will feature the brilliant Canadian pianist Angela Cheng and also one of the world’s foremost violists, Rivka Golani. Ms. Cheng will play Mozart’s charming and witty Piano Concerto No. 9, the “Jeunehomme,” and Ms. Golani will be heard in the world premiere of JUNO-Award-winning Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich’s Viola Concerto, a work commissioned by Sinfonia Toronto and Rivka Golani that will display all the emotional and melodic intensity for which Mr. Mozetich is famous.
Music Director Nurhan Arman will conduct the concert on Friday, March 8 at 8 pm in Glenn Gould Studio. The orchestra will also perform Britten’s folk-style Simple Symphony and Czech composer Josef Suk’s Meditation on an old Bohemian Choral.
Consistently cited for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty and superb musicianship, pianist Angela Cheng is one of Canada's brightest stars. She has appeared as soloist with virtually every orchestra in Canada, as well as the Birmingham Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Saint Louis Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Utah Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic, among others.
Rivka Golani
is recognized as one of the most outstanding violists of modern times. Her contributions to the advancement of viola technique have already given her a place in the history of the instrument, and have been a source of inspiration to other players as well as many composers who have been inspired by her mastery to write for the viola. More than 250 works have been composed for Rivka so far, including 65 concertos, a record unmatched by any other violist in history.
Ms. Golani has performed as soloist with many of the world’s most prominent orchestras, such as the BBC Symphony, BBC Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, Montreal Symphony, and numerous others.
Now in its 14th season, Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman
is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and others.
Tickets
are $39 adult; $32 senior and $12 student. They can be purchased from 416-
Details at a glance:
Friday, March 8, 2013; 8 pm Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front Street West)
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
ANGELA CHENG, Pianist and RIVKA GOLANI, Violist
Program
BRITTEN Simple Symphony
SUK Meditation on an Old Bohemian Choral
MOZETICH Viola Concerto world premiere
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9
Tickets
$39 adult; $32 senior; $12 student
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News release ~ for immediate release ~ December 27, 2012
MOZART & KANCHELI - TWO GREAT COMPOSERS, TWO SOLOISTS, MUCH MOZART
Sinfonia Toronto’s next concert will spotlight masterpieces by two great composers: Mozart and Georgian composer Giya Kancheli. The brilliant clarinetist Julian Milkis and Sinfonia Toronto’s beloved concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown will each be featured in one of these masterpieces, conducted by Music Director Nurhan Arman on Friday, January 25 at Glenn Gould Studio. Ms. Brown will play Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.2 and Mr. Milkis will play the Canadian premiere of Kancheli’s Night Prayers for Clarinet, Tape and Strings, as well as an intriguing new setting of the famous slow movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 transcribed for clarinet and strings by Toronto composer/arranger Alexander Levkovich. The program also includes a Mozart’s Quartet in A Major in an orchestral version.
Julian Milkis
has established himself as a pre-eminent international soloist and chamber musician, appearing on the principal stages of Europe, the Far East and the Americas. He has performed solo and chamber concerts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Hamburg Philharmonic Hall, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and has played with the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Moscow State Symphony, Vivaldi Chamber Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, Orchestre Symphonique Francaise, CBC Vancouver Orchestra and Hermitage Chamber Orchestra among many others.
Mary-Elizabeth Brown
has delighted audiences around the world and earned accolades for her “ability to unfold bittersweet magic” (Rhein Main Presse) and for her “perfect command of her instrument” (Florsheim Zeitung). In addition to her current post as Concertmaster of Sinfonia Toronto, she is in demand as guest leader, chamber musician and soloist, and has led orchestras under the batons of noted conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Kryszstof Penderecki, Lorin Maazel, Helmuth Rilling and Placido Domingo. She has given concerts at the Festival Campos do Jordao (Brazil), Mozarteum Uruguay, the White House, Indian River Festival, Elora Festival and Banff Summer Arts Festival, and has recorded for Cambria Records, EMI and Marquis Classics.
Now in its 14th season, Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman
is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and others. In February he will guest conduct Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma in Rome's prestigious Auditorium Conciliazione.
Details at a glance:
Jan 25 2013, 8 pm Glenn Gould Studio
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
JULIAN MILKIS Clarinetist
MARY-ELIZABETH BROWN Violinist
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 2
KANCHELI Night Prayers for Clarinet and Strings
MOZART Andante from Piano Concerto No. 21
MOZART String Quartet K 169 in orchestral version
MOZART String Quartet K 169 in orchestral version
News release - for immediate release - November 19, 2012
ITALIAN FLUTIST SERENADES THE SEASON
Popular Italian flutist
Mario Carbotta will return to
Sinfonia Toronto to light up the holiday season on
Friday, December 14, at 8 pm in
Glenn Gould Studio. Music Director
Nurhan Arman will conduct a festive and varied program. Mr. Carbotta will be heard in Morricone’s famous Gabriel’s Oboe, Borne’s brilliant Carmen Variations and Ontario composer John Burge’s nostalgic Forgotten Dreams. Other works on the program include Strings Together by the orchestra’s
composer-in-residence Chan Ka Nin, and Beethoven’s String Quartet op 18, no. 3 in an orchestral version.
Mario Carbotta
has appeared as soloist with many prominent orchestras such as the I Solisti Aquilani, La Scala Strings, Milano Classica, the Mannheim Kammerorchester, Mainzer Kammerorchester, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, the Prague Virtuosi, Tonkünstlerorchester, Niederosterraich Wien, the Thüringen Symphony, the Oldenburgische Staatsorchester, Israels’ Raanana Symphonette, the Istanbul Symphony, and Portugal’s Orquestra Algarve. He has premiered numerous works for flute and recorded the complete flute works of Saveiro Mercadante, Nino Rota and Alessandro Rolla. The December 14 concert will mark his third collaboration with Sinfonia Toronto.
Now in its 14th season,
Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman
is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Lisbon Metropolitan Orchestra, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and others.
Details at a glance:
Dec 14 2012, 8 pm Glenn Gould Studio 250 Front St. West
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
MARIO CARBOTTA Flutist
CHAN KA NIN Strings Together world premiere
BORNE Fantasy on a Theme from Bizet’s Carmen
BURGE Forgotten Dreams
MORRICONE Gabriel’s Oboe
BEETHOVEN String Quartet op 18, no 3 orchestral version
Tickets: $39 adult; $32 senior; $12 student
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News release - for immediate release - October 17, 2012
PIANO PRODIGY PLAYS CHOPIN WITH SINFONIA TORONTO
Pianist Anastasia Rizikov’s youth and virtuosity will both amaze in Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at Sinfonia Toronto’s Masterpiece Series concert on Friday, November 16. The performance at 8 pm in Glenn Gould Studio will also feature guest conductorBerislav Skenderovic leading the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s beloved Serenade for Strings.
Canadian pianist Anastasia Rizikov is a remarkably poised and precocious 14-year-old who is already achieving remarkable acclaim. At age 11, she was First Prize winner of the Rotary International Piano Competition in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, in the category for competitors up to 28 year old! She was the youngest winner in the competition’s 18 year history, and won over other pianists more than twice her age. Nationally, Anastasia is also a First Prize winner in both the Canadian Music Competition (CMC) and the Canadian Chopin Competition.
Guest Conductor Berislav Skenderovic, has studied at the Hochschule fur Musik in Munich under Wolfgang Sawalisch and Sergiu Celibidache. He has served as Ballet Conductor at the Bavarian Opera Studio, as Resident Conductor of the Croatian National Theatre, as Chief Conductor of the Sarajevo Radio Symphony and the Capetown Philharmonic in South Africa, and has conducted throughout Europe, South America and Asia.
Now entering its 14th season,
Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Details at a glance:
Friday, Nov 16 2012 Glenn Gould Studio
SINFONIA TORONTO / BERISLAV SKENDEROVIC Guest Conductor
ANASTASIA RIZIKOV Pianist
Program
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2
TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade
Tickets $39 adult; $32 senior; $12 student
_____________________________________________________________
News release - October 23, 2012 - for immediate release
SINFONIA TORONTO TO PLAY IN TORONTO AND MONTREAL WITH TCHAIKOVSKY GOLD MEDALIST
Sinfonia Toronto
will launch its new season with a
Gala Concert
featuring Cellist
Narek Hakhnazaryan
on Saturday, October 27 in the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Immediately the next day the orchestra will repeat the same concert in Montreal's Theatre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts. The orchestra’s Music Director
Nurhan Arman
will conduct a varied program ranging from Mozart to Khachaturian.
An instant sensation
as he won the Gold Medal in the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition,
Narek Hakhnazaryan
will perform Haydn’s sparkling Cello Concerto in C Major and also Paganini’s Moses Variations, a virtuoso showpiece which will give his spectacular technique full range. Other works on the program include Arutunian’s brilliant Sinfonietta and Khachaturian’s colourful Masquerade Suite.
Hailed as a “seasoned phenom”
by the Washington Post, Narek has already appeared with the Chicago Symphony, the London Symphony, the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Mentored by the late Mstislav Rostropovich, Narek was the only cellist invited to tour on behalf of the Rostropovich Foundation, performing under its patronage in Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Greece, Turkey, and Canada. Emerging as one of the most significant cellists on the world stage, Narek has performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, including concerts at Paris’ Salle Pleyel, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall.
Now entering its 14th season,
Sinfonia Toronto
has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CDs including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman
is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and many others.
Toronto concert tickets
are $49 adult; $39 senior and $19 student. They can be purchased by phone from
(416) 250-3708
or online at
http://www.tocentre.com/georgeweston/sinfoniatorontogala
Montreal concert tickets and details
can be seen at
http://www.pda.qc.ca/pda-evenement/10883/sinfonia-toronto.en.html
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News release - September 19, 2012 -
for immediate release
SINFONIA TORONTO ENGAGES THREE OUTSTANDING VIOLINISTS
Sinfonia Toronto has just engaged three outstanding violinists to fill
vacancies for two one-year positions due to leaves of absence and one
permanent position due to a relocation.
In announcing the winners, Music Director Nurhan Arman commented, "We
were delighted with the overall level of applicants, and especially with
our final results. The three violinists joining the orchestra will bring a
fantastic lustre to our violin sections; they are all brilliant performers".
Violinist Dezso Salasovics, appointed to the first violin section, is a
Fourth and Special Prize winner at the prestigious Carl Flesch
International Violin Competition. A native of Budapest, Hungary Mr.
Salasovics has appeared as soloist with many orchestras and has played with
the Rotterdam Philharmonia and with the Staatsoper Orchestra in Vienna.
Violinist Alex Toskov, joining the second violin section, has performed
as soloist with the Serbian Radio Symphony, served as concertmaster of the
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra in 2006 and of the Deutsch-Skandinavische
Jugend Philharmonie in 2009. Originally from Serbia, in Canada Mr. Toskov
won the Glenn Gould School's 2011 Chamber Music Competition.
Canadian violinist Tanya Charles, who will step into the first violin
section, studied at the University of Toronto and the Glenn Gould School.
She has been concertmaster of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra and the
National Youth Orchestra. She is a member of the Gould String Quartet,
and regularly performs with many orchestras in Ontario.
Sinfonia Toronto will begin its new season with a Gala
Concert on October 27 in the George Weston Recital Hall featuring
phenomenal cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan.
News release - September 19, 2012 -
for immediate release
TCHAIKOVSKY GOLD MEDALIST OPENS SINFONIA TORONTO SEASON
Sinfonia Toronto will launch its new season with a Gala Concert on Saturday, October 27 in the George Weston Recital Hall in the
Toronto Centre for the Arts
. The orchestra’s Music Director
Nurhan Arman
will step onto the podium
at 8 pm to conduct a varied program ranging from Mozart to Khachaturian.
An instant sensation as he won the Gold Medal in the 2011 Tchaikovsky Competition, Narek Hakhnazaryan will perform Haydn’s sparkling Cello Concerto in C Major and also Paganini’s Moses Variations, a virtuoso showpiece which will give his spectacular technique full range. Other works on the program include Arutunian’s brilliant Sinfonietta and Khachaturian’s colourful Masquerade Suite.
Hailed as a “seasoned phenom” by the Washington Post, Narek has already appeared with the Chicago Symphony, the London Symphony, the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Mentored by the late Mstislav Rostropovich, Narek was the only cellist invited to tour on behalf of the Rostropovich Foundation, performing under its patronage in Russia, Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Greece, Turkey, and Canada. Emerging as one of the most significant cellists on the world stage, Narek has performed throughout the US, Europe and Asia, including concerts at Paris’ Salle Pleyel, Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall.
Now entering its 14th season, Sinfonia Toronto has toured in Europe twice, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CDs including a JUNO winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its rich repertoire includes the string orchestra music of the 19th and 20th century, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances feature outstanding international artists and some of the most sought-after Canadian musicians.
Nurhan Arman
is a popular guest conductor in Europe. He has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the United States. Among the many orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Milano Classica, Belgrade Philharmonic and many others.
Tickets
are $49 adult; $39 senior and $19 student. They can be purchased by phone from (416) 250-3708 or online at http://www.tocentre.com/georgeweston/sinfoniatorontogala
Subscriptions
to the 8-concert Masterpiece Series are $229 adult; $202 senior and $114 student
at http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com/ or from 416-499-0403 with an additional $10 per subscription for phone orders.
Details at a glance:
Saturday, October 27, 2012; 8 pm George Weston Recital Hall (5040 Yonge Street)
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
NAREK HAKHNAZARYAN, Cellist
Program
MOZART Divertimento K 136
HAYDN Cello Concerto in C
PAGANINI Moses Variations
ARUTUNIAN Sinfonietta
KHACHATURIAN Masquerade Suite
Tickets
$49 adult; $39 senior; $19 student
(416) 250-3708 or http://www.tocentre.com/georgeweston/sinfoniatorontogala
_________________________________________________________________
February 15, 2012
Media release, Toronto - for immediate release
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS NURHAN ARMAN?
Where is
S
infonia Toronto’s Music Director
Nurhan Arman
these days
?
Jumping continents to appear with four different orchestras in rapid succession. He will be on the podium in Italy with the Filarmonica Italiana next week leading an all-Beethoven program,
part of a Beethoven cycle
taking
place in the historic, 14th-Century University of Pavia in Lombardy.
One of Italy's prominent orchestras
Filarmonica Italiana is comprised of 120 musicians. It performs both the symphonic and operatic repertoire under conductors like Fabio Luisi and Nello Santi. It has toured in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland and has made many recordings of both opera and symphonic works. It regularly tours and records with renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli.
Just after his work with the Filarmonica Italiana Maestro Arman will return to Serbia to conduct the Vojvodina Symphony on March 5 in a program that consists of Franck's Symphony in D Minor and the Dvorak Cello Concerto with CellistLaszlo Fenyoe, winner of the Pablo Casals Competition.
After a stop-over back home in Toronto to direct Sinfonia Toronto in a concert that will include Vivaldi's Four Seasons on March 9 in Glenn Gould Studio, Maestro Arman is off to Europe again for a return engagement in Prague's Smetana Hall with the Nordbohmische Philharmonie. The concert will feature Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 and Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Alexei Tartakovski.
Then it's from the Old World to the New, when he travels to Brazil for Beethoven's 8th Symphony with the Sergipe Philharmonic on April 26, and back to Toronto in time to prepare Sinfonia Toronto's early May concert.
Nurhan Arman
has conducted throughout the world to great critical acclaim. Earlier this season he led
the Kharkiv Philharmonic and the State Hermitage Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Russia.
__________________________________________________________________________________
News release -
for immediate release - February 6, 2012
SINFONIA TORONTO ANNOUNCES 2012-2013 SEASON
Toronto - Sinfonia Toronto has just announced its 2012-2013 season, the orchestra's 14th under the artistic direction of conductor
Nurhan Arman. Next season the orchestra will again present a 7-concert
Masterpiece Series featuring a rich variety of guest artists
. All concerts except the season's opening concert will take place
in
Glenn Gould Studio. The series will open on October 27 with a special Gala Concert at
George Weston Recital Hall featuring the brilliant cellist
Narek Hakhnazaryan. Mr. Hakhnazaryan became an instant sensation last June when he won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow. The October 27 concert with Sinfonia Toronto will be Mr. Hakhnazaryan's Canadian debut.
In making the announcement Maestro Arman commented "I am thrilled with the combination of fantastic soloists and amazing repertoire that we'll be presenting to Toronto audiences. I particularly want to mention our collaboration with the phenomenal cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, who will also tour to Montreal with us, and the premieres of works by several living composers. I am delighted that we're continuing our Composer-in-Residence program next season with the very distinguished Toronto composer
Chan Ka Nin."
Subscriptions to Sinfonia Toronto's 7-concert Masterpiece Series are available online at
sinfoniatoronto.com, with special "early-bird" prices of $179 adults; $159 seniors and $89 students. The "early-bird" sales period ends and prices will go up on March 12.
____________________________________________________
News release ~ for immediate release ~ January 26, 2012
VIVALDI FOUR SEASONS AND THE 'PAGANINI OF THE BASS' WITH SINFONIA TORONTO
Sinfonia Toronto’s next Masterpiece Series concert will feature Antonio Vivaldi's
The Four Seasons and the virtuosic Double Bass Concerto No. 2 by Bottesini performed by orchestra's solo double bassist
Calum MacLeod. Korean violinist
Jeonghwan Yoon will star in the Vivaldi masterpiece.
In commenting on the program, Music Director
Nurhan Arman states “It is a wonderful opportunity to perform the Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 with a soloist from within the orchestra. This incredibly challenging piece is a treat for the orchestra and audience.”
Music Director, Nurhan Arman will conduct the concert on Friday, March 9 at 8 pm in Glenn Gould Studio. The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance No. 15, and Montreal composer Vania Angelova’s Pagan Dances on Burning Coals.
Bassist Calum MacLeod is active as both a classical and jazz double bassist. Calum has been performed with such orchestras as the Oshawa/Durham Symphony Orchestra, Peterborough Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Niagara, Esprit Orchestra, Talisker Players, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Korean violinist Jeonghwan Yoon has performed with orchestras such as Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra.
On their October 2010 to Spain, Sinfonia Toronto received calls for encores at every performance, and performed an astounding four encores at l’Auditori in Barcelona. The chamber orchestra has been praised for it’s commitment to performing works by Canadian composers. The orchestra’s repertoire includes selections from every stylistic period. Recent recordings include the JUNO winner Flanders Field Reflections, a Marquis Classics (EMI) CD of music by John Burge, and most recently Hollywood Flute, featuring acclaimed flutist Louise DiTullio.
Maestro Arman’s engagements during the 2011-2012 season include concerts with the State Hermitage Orchestra St. Petersburg Camerata, Filarmonica Italiana, Kharkov Philharmonic, Serbia's Vojvodina Symphony, the Sergipe Philharmonic of Brazil and the Czech State Philharmonic in Prague's Smetana Hall.
Details at a glance:
VIVALDI FOUR SEASONS
Friday, March 9, 2012; 8 pm Glenn Gould Studio (250 Front Street West)
SINFONIA TORONTO / NURHAN ARMAN, Conductor
JEONGHWAN YOON, Violin
CALUM MACLEOD, Bassist
Program
ANGELOVA Pagan Dances, Toronto premieere
BOTTESINI Double Bass Concerto No. 2
VIVALDI The Four Seasons
DVORAK Slavonic Dance No. 15
Tickets $40 adult; $32 senior; $12 student