October 2 – 30, 2012
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St. W. (at University Avenue)
The Free Concert Series in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is a unique opportunity to experience diverse artistic programming in what has become one of Toronto’s most exciting cultural hubs. Six inspiring series offer concerts, dance performances and engaging presentations that feature both up-and-coming young artists and established international stars. All performances are FREE to the public, with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early as late seating is not available.
Radical Cycle
October 2, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Jazz Series
Drawing on diverse musical backgrounds, award-winning instrumentalists Sageev and Dani Oore perform music from their new CD, Radical Cycle. They weave together a series of classical art songs (by Brahms, Schubert, Berg and others) into a magical “cycle” for piano and saxophone, encompassing a confluence of traditions including classical, jazz, klezmer and improvisation.
The Shape of Things to Come
October 3, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Vocal Series
COC Chorus Master Sandra Horst and director Michael Albano lead the artists of the UofT Opera Division through an exciting preview of their 2012/2013 season. The program includes highlights from some of the best-loved operas by Britten, Donizetti, Offenbach and von Flotow.
Unfolding
October 4, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Piano Virtuoso Series
Celebrated Canadian pianist and composer John Kameel Farah presents his genre-bending mix of Eastern and Western music, drawing on traditional and avant-garde influences, as well as electronic and acoustic arrangements. This program of original compositions offers a compelling sonic narrative about the unfolding of life.
Flûte alors!
October 9, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Chamber Music Series
Proving that the recorder has musical life far beyond grade school, the brilliant Kaleidoscope Recorder Consort showcases the instrument at its finest. The eclectic concert explores music ranging from Bach to the Beach Boys.
Highlights from Die Fledermaus
October 11, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Vocal Series
The young artists of the COC Ensemble Studio sparkle in a presentation of highlights from “waltz king” Johann Strauss’s enchanting comedy, Die Fledermaus, which is currently being presented at the Four Seasons Centre in a new COC production.
PROGRAM TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE
October 16, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Flamenco Fantástico
October 17, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Dance Series
After last season’s successful, capacity-filled dance event in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, the Toronto International Flamenco Festival returns to the Free Concert Series to celebrate the power and grace of flamenco dance with a special showcase of Canadian and international artists.
Pura Vida
October 23, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
World Music Series
Venezuelan-born vocalist Eliana Cuevas – hailed as “Canada’s emerging Latin music queen” (680 News) – is joined by Jeremy Ledbetter on piano and Luis Orbegoso on percussion for an intimate afternoon of original, scintillating Latin Jazz.
Love and Transfiguration
October 25, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Chamber Music Series
Artists of the COC Orchestra present two sumptuous late Romantic masterworks for string sextet: the Prelude to Richard Strauss’s opera Capriccio and Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. While Capriccio is a light-hearted look at a woman’s conscious struggle to choose between two suitors, Verklärte Nacht is an enigmatic journey through the murky unconscious of a woman coming to terms with her past who discovers the promise of redemption in the form of blossoming love.
Wandering Fantasies
October 30, 2012 12 – 1 p.m.
Chamber Music Series
From Gypsy jazz to New Orleans blues to Spanish classical, the spirited Guitar Nomads Trio (Alexandre Éthier, Dan Livingstone and Stéphane Tellier) offers a concert that transcends musical borders.
About the Canadian Opera Company
Based in Toronto, the Canadian Opera Company is the largest producer of opera in Canada and one of the largest in North America. The COC enjoys a loyal audience support-base and one of the highest attendance and subscription rates in North America. Under its leadership team of General Director Alexander Neef and Music Director Johannes Debus, the COC is increasingly capturing the opera world’s attention. The COC maintains its international reputation for artistic excellence and creative innovation by creating new productions within its diverse repertoire, collaborating with leading opera companies and festivals, and attracting the world’s foremost Canadian and international artists. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, hailed internationally as one of the finest in the world. Designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects, the Four Seasons Centre opened in 2006, and is also the performance venue for The National Ballet of Canada. For more information on the Canadian Opera Company, please visit its award-winning website, coc.ca.
