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THE SCOOP | RCM Launches Third Annual 21C Music Festival

By Michael Vincent on January 19, 2016

Tanya Tagaq
Tanya Tagaq

After two successful seasons of contemporary music at the 21C Music Festival, The Royal Conservatory of Music has announced what looks to be another ambitious line-up and a crown jewel in Toronto’s new music season.

Over five days, seven concerts and over 26 premieres, the top purveyors of the brave new world of classical music will descend upon Toronto May 25-29 and create what has become one of the most important New music festivals in the city.

“This 3rd edition of the festival has allowed us to attract an even richer array of talent than in previous years. Opening the festival with the boundary-breaking Kronos Quartet, a stalwart of the contemporary music scene, exemplifies exactly what the festival seeks to do: continually search for the new, experiment, take risks, and bring new partners under our tent,” said Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts at The Royal Conservatory.

Festivals like this have become a celebration of the future of music and here’s why:

RCM has extended commissions with new works by Polaris Music Prize-winning throat singer Tanya Tagaq, jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau, award-winning BC composer Rodney Sharman, Canadian composer, saxophonist, media artist and dancer John Oswald, Ukrainian-Canadian composer and media artist Anna Pidgorna, and Japanese/Canadian composer Hiroki Tsurumoto.

21C day 1

Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson

Wednesday, May 25 begins with the Kronos Quartet as well as premieres by Nicole Lizée (Fibre-Optic Flowers), Mark Applebaum (Darmstadt Kindergarten), Franghiz Ali-Zadeh (Regs) and a highly- anticipated world premiere, Sivunittinni (The future children) by Tanya Tagaq. The opening night also includes Tagaq and the Kronos Quartet performing their piece Nunavut alongside Laurie Anderson’s Flow. The artists will stick around for a post-concert chat afterwards.

Dai Fujikura
Dai Fujikura

21C day 2

May 26 features Japan: NEXT curated by Continuum Artistic Director Ryan Scott that combines Eastern and Western sounds into new works by Japanese composers, including Dai Fujikura, Hikari Kiyama, and Misato Mochizuki. The Continuum Ensemble will take the stage with visiting UK artists to premiere works by Canadian composer Michael Oesterle and a world premiere piece by Hiroki Tsurumoto.

Brad Mehldau
Brad Mehldau

21C day 3

May 27 is all about two artists: Brad Mehldau and John Oswald. The American jazz pianist makes a return to Koerner Hall to perform “Three Pieces After Bach”, a new co-commission with The Royal Conservatory of Music/Koerner Hall, Carnegie Hall, The Dublin National Concert Hall and Wigmore Hall. The concert will swing like a pendulum between Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier” and his own jazz compositions for solo piano.

The audience then shifts focus to John Oswald 21C After Hours: Blackout at 10:30 p.m. Oswald resurrects his electro-acoustic Pitch concert series started in the 1970s with  Marvin Green. In pitch black darkness, the late-night show includes Element Choir and the Radiant Brass Ensemble, a group formed by Oswald 10 years ago.

21C day 4

Jherek Bischoff
Jherek Bischoff (Photo: Angel Ceballos)

May 28 starts early with Cinq à Sept, an afternoon concert with premieres by Anna Pidgorna and Rodney Sharman. Up next is ambient orchestral music composer, Jherek Bischoff, with Brooklyn-based trio Dawn of Midi and Toronto-based group The Visit. Bischoff, an artist who made big waves in the US for his album “Scores: Composed Instrumentals”, will use the event to present the release of his new album “Cistern”.

James Ehnes
James Ehnes (Photo: B Ealovega)

21C day 5

May 29 brings Canadian violinist James Ehnes and pianist Andrew Armstrong to Koerner Hall, to perform works by Vancouver Symphony conductor Bramwell Tovey, Aaron Jay Kernis (“Two Movements with Bells”) and James Newton Howard (“133… At Least”).

At a glance

9 WORLD PREMIERES

Michael Oesterle: Look on Glass
Tanya Tagaq: Sivunittinni (The future children)
John Oswald: 4 world premieres as part of Blackout
Anna Pidgorna Title TBA
Hiroki Tsurumoto Title TBA
The Visit Title TBA

10+ CANADIAN PREMIERES

Jherek Bischoff: New works
Aaron Jay Kernis: Two Movements (with Bells)
Brad Mehldau: Three Pieces After Bach; After Bach 1: Rondo; After Bach 2: Ostinato; After Bach 3:; Toccata; Improvisation on Bach I & II
Mark Applebaum: Darmstadt Kindergarten
Nicole Lizée: The Golden Age of the Radiophonic Workshop Fibre-Optic Flowers)

4+ ONTARIO PREMIERES

Laurie Anderson: Flow (arr. Jacob Garchik)
Dawn of Midi: New works
Mary Kouyoumdjian: Bombs of Beirut
Geeshie Wiley: Last Kind Words (arr. Jacob Garchik)

3 TORONTO PREMIERES

Rodney Sharman: Notes on “Beautiful” Title TBA
Bramwell Tovey: Title TBA
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh: Regs (Dance)

Ensembles

21C Ensemble
Continuum Contemporary Music
Dawn of Midi (USA)
Element Choir
Kronos Quartet (USA)
Okeanos (UK)
Radiant Brass Ensemble
The Visit

Soloists

Andrew Armstrong, piano (USA)
Jherek Bischoff, bass (USA)
Jeanie Chung, piano
Brian Current, conductor
Christine Duncan, Element Choir conductor
James Ehnes, violin
Brad Mehldau, piano (USA)
Ryan Scott, Continuum Contemporary Music Artistic Director
Barry Shiffman, violin
Tanya Tagaq, vocals
Andréa Tyniec, violin

All concerts will be streamed online at http://www.rcmusic.ca/livestream

#LUDWIGVAN

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Michael Vincent
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