SINFONIA TORONTO

News release - for immediate release - November 24, 2025

Sinfonia Toronto’s ‘BAROQUE & BEYOND Holiday Treats’ Celebrates the Season

Toronto, ON - The Ezra Duo will join Sinfonia Toronto for Mendelssohn's Double Concerto for Violin and Piano at the Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre on December 11, part of a program brimful of melodic holiday delights.

Music Director Nurhan Arman will also lead a sparkling Vivaldi sinfonia, the first Ontario performance of a neo-romantic work by Winnipeg composer Larry Strachan, the beloved orchestral Overture and Pifa from Handel’s Messiah and Jenkins' Palladio, the famous “A Diamond is Forever” music.

"I am really looking forward to collaborating with the Ezra Duo on the beautiful and fascinating Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin and Piano. Our first three concerts are linked in a sense. In November we followed Dvorak with a youthful work by Janacek and for this wonderful program we salute the young genius of Mendelssohn again, after his lively 2nd Symphony opened our new season in September."

Recognized as “an iconic team” (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner), The Ezra Duo blends their charismatic stage presence with unique and relatable programming. Formed in 2016 while violinist/violist Jacob Clewell and pianist Sasha Bult-Ito were students at The Glenn Gould School, Ezra has gone on to become one of North America’s most interesting string/piano duos.

The duo has garnered an impressive list of accomplishments, including recital tours of their Women in Music, Art of the Duo, and Colorfully Contemporary programs in the US and Canada, an appearance in Carnegie Hall, and a performance as guests at a G7 Summit event held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Jacob and Sasha are top prizewinners of numerous international competitions both individually and together, are frequent guests with orchestras and chamber ensembles across North America, and are increasingly involved with premieres of new music written specifically for Ezra.

Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning especially often to Europe. Maestro Arman has conducted orchestras around the world, including the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Régional d'Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Belgrade Philharmonic and dozens of orchestras in Italy, with many return engagements.

Sinfonia Toronto is in its 27th season. It has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving outstanding reviews. The orchestra has released seven CDs; one of them earned the JUNO Award. Under the baton of Maestro Arman, the orchestra performs an extensive repertoire that spans the great string orchestra works of the 18th to 21st centuries. Dedicated to fostering new music, Sinfonia Toronto has introduced audiences to numerous premieres by contemporary composers.

Tickets for the December 11 concert are available at sinfoniatoronto.com

Sinfonia Toronto is supported by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

Contact for more information:

Margaret Chasins, Director of Operations

margaretchasins@sinfoniatoronto.com

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Media release - for immediate release

October 7, 2025

SINFONIA TORONTO'S FLUTE MAGIC OPENS DOWNTOWN SERIES

Toronto, ON - Virtuoso flutists Susan Hoeppner and Luisa Sello will join Sinfonia Toronto to play the world premiere of a new work by Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho. Maestro Nurhan Arman will conduct the orchestra in Romantic works by Glazounov and Janacek. The concert will take place November 6, at 7:30 pm in superb acoustics of the Trinity-St. Paul's Centre.

Maestro Arman comments: "Our 'Flute Magic' concert is a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds and contrasting styles. The program ranges from Vivaldi to the world premiere of the great Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho's 'Celestial Concerto', written for Sinfonia Toronto and two star flutists. I'm delighted to be performing it with the brilliant Canadian flutist Susan Hoeppner and Italian flutist Luisa Sello, who returns to us after huge applause two years ago."

The concert opens with Glazounov's Theme and Variations, highlighting the Russian composer's skill in exploiting the many textures and colours of the string orchestra. Alice Ping Yee Ho's Celestial Concerto for Two Flutes and Strings uses flutes’ great expressive range in three movements depicting mythical birds. Vivaldi's vivid Sinfonia in G Major was originally an overture to his opera ‘Faith Betrayed and Avenged.’ The evening concludes with Leoš Janáček's Suite for Strings, a vibrant work reflecting his heritage and inspiration rooted in Czech folk music.

Toronto flutist Susan Hoeppner is an international soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She has performed in North and South America, Europe, Japan and China, and has recordings on iTunes, Spotify, Marquis Classics, EMI, Centrediscs/Naxos and Grammophon BIS. A graduate of Juilliard, she offers masterclasses and teaches at the Glenn Gould School, the RCM Taylor Academy and the University of Toronto. In the summer she teaches at Canada’s Domaine Forget and the Campus Internazionale della Musica d'Arte in Italy.

Italian flutist Luisa Sello has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician across Europe, the US, Canada, South America, Eastern Europe, and Asia. She has appeared with Sinfonia Toronto, Wiener Symphoniker, Salzburger Krammerorchester, and Milan's Teatro alla Scala Orchestra under Riccardo Muti, among many others.. A visiting professor at the University of Music in Vienna, she has led master classes at universities in Cologne, Aachen, Moscow, Madrid, Miami, Tallinn, Zagreb, Beijing, Shanghai, and Buenos Aires. She holds Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from Italy and Paris, specializing in flute and Contemporary and Baroque performance practice.

Sinfonia Toronto is now in its 27th season. It has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released seven CDs, including a JUNO Award winner. Under the baton of Maestro Nurhan Arman, the orchestra performs an extensive repertoire that spans the great string orchestra works of the 18th to 21st centuries. It is committed to introducing new works and has premiered several compositions by contemporary composers.

Tickets for the November 6 concert are available at sinfoniatoronto.com

Sinfonia Toronto is supported by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

Contact for more information:

Margaret Chasins, Director of Operations

margaretchasins@sinfoniatoronto.com

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Media Release - August 25, 2025

SINFONIA TORONTO OPENS SEASON WITH VIRTUOSO VIOLIN SOLOIST

Toronto, ON - Sinfonia Toronto will launch their 27th season on Saturday, September 27 in George Weston Recital Hall. Music Director Nurhan Arman will lead the orchestra in a program featuring three popular composers and a brilliant virtuoso, Russian-American violinist Igor Pikayzen.

Maestro Arman comments, "Our season opening concert focuses on three great composers in different stages of their careers. Mendelssohn must have been about 13 years old when he wrote his String Symphony No. 2. Dvorak composed his Serenade for Strings during a happy period in his life; at 34, he was already enjoying great success. Shostakovich was at the end of his career and in poor health when he wrote his extraordinary Violin Sonata Op. 134.”

“These composers lived under strikingly contrasting conditions. In today’s terms Mendelssohn's dad would be a billionaire; Dvořák’s talent pulled him out of his family’s poverty; and Shostakovich had to compose cautiously under the scrutiny of Soviet Russia’s “social realism” watchdogs. What they have in common is the universal appeal of their music. The three works on this concert resonate with their amazing creativity."

The September 27 program traces the evolution of string writing across three eras. Mendelssohn's Symphony shows precocious genius and the Classical influence of Mozart; Dvořák's Serenade brims with Romantic-period lyricism and reflections of Czech folk music; and an orchestral version of Shostakovich's Sonata for Violin includes a colourful array of percussion instruments.

Violinist Igor Pikayzen has performed as a soloist with leading orchestras worldwide, including the London Philharmonic, Russian State Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México, Sinfónica Nacional de Chile, Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa, National Symphony of Georgia, Zhejiang Symphony Orchestra and many others. He has appeared in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Tchaikovsky Hall. He performs at major international festivals and directs the Edelio summer music festival in Connecticut. Grandson of the legendary Soviet violinist Viktor Pikayzen, Igor Pikayzen was born in Moscow. He received his bachelor's from Juilliard and a master's and artist diploma from the Yale School of Music and his DMA from the CUNY Graduate Center. In 2019 he was appointed Professor of Violin at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.

Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning especially often to Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Régional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Belgrade Philharmonic and dozens of orchestras in Italy, with many return engagements.

Sinfonia Toronto, now entering its 27th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released seven CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner. Under the baton of Maestro Nurhan Arman, they perform an extensive repertoire including all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries and premieres of many new works.

Tickets for the September 27 concert are available at sinfoniatoronto.com

Sinfonia Toronto is supported by the Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).

Contact for more information:

Margaret Chasins, Director of Operations

margaretchasins@sinfoniatoronto.com

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Media release - February 10, 2025

For immediate release

SINFONIA TORONTO ANNOUNCES 2025-2026 SEASON

Musical Masterpieces and World Premieres

Toronto, ON (January 27, 2025) – Sinfonia Toronto has unveiled its 27th season. Under the baton of Music Director Nurhan Arman the orchestra will present a captivating journey through timeless classics and groundbreaking new works. The 2025-2026 season promises memorable experiences for music lovers of all ages, showcasing the orchestra's exceptional artistry and commitment to innovative programming.

During the next season Sinfonia Toronto will continue to offer three different concert series:

Masterpiece Series: Seven brilliant concerts in Toronto's finest halls - the orchestra's signature series and the best subscription value.

Downtown Concerts: Four intimate performances at the Trinity-St. Paul's Centre presenting superb soloists and captivating repertoire.

North York Concerts: Three concerts of musical masterpieces in the magnificent acoustics of George Weston Recital Hall at the Meridian Arts Centre.

Guest Soloists: A roster of nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians and emerging young Canadian performers will join the orchestra. Returning to Sinfonia Toronto are violinist Igor Pikayzen, Italian flutist Luisa Sello and pianist Anya Alexeyev. Making their Sinfonia Toronto débuts are Berlin Philharmonic oboist Christoph Hartmann, Canadian virtuoso cellist Noémie Raymond, Canadian flute star Susan Hoeppner, soprano Kripa Nageshwar, The Ezra Duo and the brilliant young violinist Evan Pyne.

World Premieres: The orchestra continues its dedication to contemporary composers by presenting world premieres of new works that enrich the repertoire and expand the horizons of classical music. World premieres of works by Canadian composers Alice Ping Yee Ho, Norbert Palej, David Jaeger, Colin Eatock and Petros Shoujounian are scheduled throughout the season.

Quotes: "We are thrilled to present our 27th season, a testament to Sinfonia Toronto's enduring commitment to artistic excellence and community engagement," says Nurhan Arman, Music Director of Sinfonia Toronto. "This season is a celebration of already-beloved masterpieces and beautiful new music, showcasing the wonderful talent of our own musicians and exciting guest soloists. We invite you to join us on an extraordinary musical journey."

Subscription Benefits: Subscribers enjoy a range of exclusive benefits, including:
- Priority seating and series savings
- Free ticket re-issues and exchanges
- Invitations to special events
- Access to pre-concert talks and behind-the-scenes insights

How to Subscribe: Early bird subscriptions are available until May 10, 2025, offering significant savings. First-time subscribers benefit from a reduced-price welcome offer. All subscriptions are available on the Sinfonia Toronto website at www.sinfoniatoronto.com or by calling 416-499-0403.

About Sinfonia Toronto: Sinfonia Toronto is a renowned chamber orchestra dedicated to presenting fine classical performances for audiences in Toronto and beyond. Under the leadership of Music Director Nurhan Arman, the orchestra has earned a reputation for innovative programming, exceptional quality and commitment to fostering a lifelong love of music.

Sinfonia Toronto, now in its 26th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released six CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner. Under the baton of Maestro Nurhan Arman, they perform an extensive repertoire including all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries and premieres of many new works.

Sinfonia Toronto is supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, Government of Ontario and the Socan Foundation.

Contact for more information:
Margaret Chasins, Director of Operations
margaretchasins@sinfoniatoronto.com

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SINFONIA TORONTO
http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com
4005 Don Mills Road, Suite 253
Toronto ON M2H 3J9 Canada
416-499-0403