Events

• Music Ed Plus Chamber Music Ensembles

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | By Brock University

  

  Saturday, December 10, 2016 from 11am-1pm in the St. Catharines Public Library Atrium – Central Library

  The performance will feature a five-piece jazz ensemble, coached by Zoltan Kalman, performing jazz standards and old favorites. In addition, there will be a flute, vocal and piano ensemble who will be singing and playing a more classically-oriented program, coached by Colin Maier.

  The Music Ed Plus co-curricular program – a specialized Experience Plus program – is currently in its fourth year of operation and looks forward to showcasing the musical talents of its chamber music ensembles. These concerts are part of their mandate for community engagement in both the Brock community as well as for the general public in the Niagara Region.

  Event address:
  54 Church St.
  St. Catharines, ON
  L2R 7K2
  www.stcatharines.library.on.ca

  Free community event

  Tags: free, music, st.catharines
  Categories: Events, Music Ed Plus Chamber Music Ensembles

• RBC Foundation Music@Noon – December 6

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | By Brock University

  

  RBC Foundation Music@Noon
  Our Tuesday Music@Noon series is generously sponsored by the RBC Foundation. This free concert series takes places most Tuesdays at noon throughout the academic year. Held in the acoustically excellent Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, our Music@Noon series provides ample opportunities for artists to display their creativity.

  Performing on December 6, 2016: Piano & guitar students

  Tags: Brocku, concert, free, music
  Categories: Events, RBC Foundation Music @ Noon Series

• The University Wind Ensemble – The Sounds of Music

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | By Brock University

  

  The Brock University Wind Ensemble kicks off the holiday season with The Sounds of Music on stage in Partridge Hall

  On Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 7:30 pm, the Department of Music’s University Wind Ensemble will explore the full breadth of wind ensemble repertoire as they present an evening of captivating melodies on stage in Partridge Hall at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre. The evening will also include a selection of holiday classics featuring the Enchorus Children’s Choir from Burlington, ON.

  Under the baton of conductor Zoltan Kalman, the University Wind Ensemble features the talents of 60 musicians drawn from Brock University, elementary and high schools within the Niagara Region, and the broader music community. This concert also includes musicians from Burlington’s Symphony on the Bay: Kelley Hindrichs; Michael Hindrichs; Peter Macdonald; Mary-Anne Pearson; David Pearson; and Graham Young, as well as the Niagara Symphony: Janice Fralick and Patrick Beard.

  Elementary and high school students performing with the Wind Ensemble are: Christine Kim, a grade eight student from Glynn A. Green Public School (Fonthill); and Lucas March from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School (St. Catharines).

  The evening program features masterworks of the past and present, including Frank Ticheli: “Blue Shades”; Percy Grainger: “Children’s March”; Leonard Bernstein: “Divertimento”; Michael Kositsky: “Songs Without Words”; Richard Rodgers: “The Sound of Music”; Giuseppe Verdi: “Aïda”; Josef Zawinul: “Birdland”; Leroy Anderson: “A Trumpeter’s Lullaby”; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: “The Flight of the Bumble-Bee”; Bruce Broughton: “Overture to Miracle on 34th Street; Douglas E. Wagner: “A Family Christmas Spectacular”; and Paul Jennings: “Christmas Finale”.

  Kalman states, “The University Wind Ensemble is thrilled to play in Partridge Hall, as we present a repertoire of all time classical and easy listening favourites as well as delightful holiday selections featuring the Enchorus Children’s Choir.”

  Such performances from the Department of Music are a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and the breadth of talent and creativity at Brock University.

  Join us for The Sounds of Music on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 7:30 pm, held in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $10† general admission; $5† eyeGo high school program († applicable taxes). Current students of the MIWSFPA may each redeem a complimentary ticket with valid ID.

  Purchase tickets through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722; online: http://firstontariopac.ca; e-mail: boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca ; or at the door.

  Did you know there are more than 1,000 parking spots available in nearby parking garages, surface lots and on city streets within a five-minute walk to our address at 15 Artists’ Common? Visit: http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/livein/ParkingLotsGarages.asp for a list of parking locations.

  (Media release)

   

  Tags: concert, holidays, music, st.catharines
  Categories: Events, The University Wind Ensemble

• Brock University Choirs – Laudate: Praise!

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | By Brock University

  

  Viva Voce! Choral Series
  The Viva Voce Choral Series features Brock’s student choral ensembles (men’s, women’s and mixed choruses) as well as Avanti Chamber Singers (avantichambersingers.com), who serve as Ensemble-in-Residence for the Department of Music. Under the direction of retiring conductor Harris Loewen, these excellent choirs perform multiple concerts throughout the academic year. They have also engaged in community outreach, collaborated with choirs in Canada and the U.S., and produced CD recordings of works by Niagara composers.

  Brock University Choirs – Laudate: Praise!
  December 3, 2016 at 7:30 pm
  Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

  Tickets: $15† adults; $10† seniors & students; $5† eyeGo program.
  † Applicable fees and taxes are extra.
  Available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722 or Long Distance Toll Free: 1.855.515.0722; online: firstontariopac.ca

  Tags: concert, holidays, music
  Categories: Events, Viva Voce Choral Series

• Guitar Extravaganza draws packed house

  Tuesday, October 25, 2016 | By Nikki Prudden

  

  (Source: The Brock News, Tuesday, October 25, 2016 | by Alison Innes)

  It was a full house at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for Guitar Extravaganza II Saturday night. Fifty guitarists, including Brock University music students, alumni and faculty, as well as guitarists from Hamilton and Niagara region, joined together to celebrate the instrument. The evening featured solo and duet performances and concluded with the musicians coming together as The Mighty Niagara Guitar Orchestra to perform a special piece. Composed and conducted by Brock instructor Timothy Phelan, Fantasia para una dama was performed with renowned Canadian guitar virtuoso Emma Rush for the first time in North America.

  This is the second year for the Guitar Extravaganza. The event was organized by Brock University Department of Music, with support from the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.

  Tags: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Guitar Extravaganza, Guitar Extravaganza II
  Categories: Events, In the Media, News, Special Events

• The Viva Voce! Choral Series presents Avanti Chamber Singers – Water Music: Of Rain, River and Sea

  Tuesday, April 19, 2016 | By Brock University

  The Avanti Chamber Singers celebrate spring and the conclusion of their 10th Anniversary Season with “Water Music: Songs of Rain, River and Sea”

  On Saturday, April 30, 2016, the Avanti Chamber Singers (ACS) present a beautiful and varied evening of original choral works and arrangements on the subject of water in all its forms. The audience will hear classical works, spirituals, folk songs and selections from the “Great American Songbook.”

  The program will feature, symbolically, ten different soloists from the choir. Several multi-talented choristers will also serve as flutists, and the ACS will be joined by guest pianist Karin Di Bella, Chair of the Department of Music at Brock University.

  The variety of composers and arrangers featured in this all-English program include international names (Barber, Copland, Elgar, Holst) as well as a range of Canadians, including those from Ontario (Daley, Telfer, Weaver) and, most importantly, Niagara (John Butler, Matthew Royal). The “Great American Songbook” is represented by well-known songwriters Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin and Henry Mancini.

  Conductor Harris Loewen states, “Water has been a favourite subject and symbol for poets and musicians over the centuries, and seems a fitting focus for a spring concert and a 10th anniversary conclusion. I think audiences will really love letting this beautiful program just flow over them!”

  ACS alumni are encouraged to come and celebrate with us. Please contact the choir through their website (avantichambersingers.com), to arrange for free admission to the concert and reception.

  The Viva Voce Choral Series, presented by the Department of Music is a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and Brock University.

  Join us for an evening of superb music on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m., held at Covenant Christian Reformed Church, 278 Parnell Rd., St. Catharines. Admission at the door is $25 adults; $20 seniors & students; $5 eyeGo high school program. A $5 discount is available for advance tickets (excluding eyeGo) and can be purchased in St. Catharines at BookSmart (Scott & Vine Plaza) and Thorold Music (Glendale Avenue).

  -30-

  For more information contact: Marie Balsom, Communications
  Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
  T: 905.688.5550, ext. 4765 | E: mbalsom@brocku.ca | W: brocku.ca/miwsfpa

  Tags: 10th anniversary, Avanti Chamber Singers, Great American Songbook, Harris Loewen, Viva Voce Choral Series, Viva Voce!, Water Music: Of Rain River and Sea
  Categories: Events, Media Releases, News, Viva Voce Choral Series

• University Wind Ensemble breathes new life into an eclectic mix of classics with “Rhythm of the Night”

  Monday, March 14, 2016 | By Brock University

  

  The University Wind Ensemble

  The Brock University Wind Ensemble breathes new life into an eclectic mix of classics on stage at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

  The University Wind Ensemble combines the best of beloved genres in a style that brings audiences together — young and old, classical connoisseurs and roots enthusiasts, jazz aficionados and bluegrass buffs. The theme Rhythm of the Night centres on Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and fuses jazz, classical, and roots music to create a dynamic, genre-bending concert experience. This performance will be held in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.

  Under the baton of conductor Zoltan Kalman, the University Wind Ensemble features the talents of 60 musicians drawn from Brock University, high schools within the Niagara Region, and the broader music community. This concert includes Kelly Hindrichs, Peter Macdonald, Mary-Anne Pearson, David Pearson, and Graham Young from Hamilton’s Symphony on the Bay, as well as Joanne Romanow from the Burlington Concert Band.

  High school students from the Niagara Region include: Makayla Todd and Todd Morgan from Laura Secord SS (St. Catharines), and Lindsey Cook from E. L. Crossley SS (Pelham).

  The evening program features masterworks of the past and present, including “Manzoni Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi; “The Year of the Dragon” by Philip Sparke; “Slava!” by Leonard Bernstein; “Sevens” by Samuel Hazo; “Songs of Sailor and Sea” by Robert Smith; “The Bandwagon” by Philip Sparke; “Loch Lomond” by Frank Ticheli; “Suite from Indiana Jones” and from Star Wars, “The Marches” by John Williams; and “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin.

  Kalman states: “The ensemble is thrilled to play in Partridge Hall, a state-of-the-art performance venue at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre! We’re proud to present a repertoire jam-packed with dynamic and contagious rhythm that will surely take your breath away!”

  Such performances from the Department of Music are a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and the breadth of talent and creativity at Brock University.

  Join us for Rhythm of the Night on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Tickets are $8 general admission, $5 eyeGo high school program (+HST), and are free to current MIWSFPA students with valid student ID. Purchase tickets through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905-688-0722; online: firstontariopac.ca; e-mail: boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca ; or at the door.

  Did you know there are more than 1,000 parking spots available in nearby parking garages, surface lots and on city streets within a five-minute walk to our address at 15 Artists’ Common? Visit: stcatharines.ca/en/livein/ParkingLotsGarages.asp for a list of parking locations.

  Media Day: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 6 p.m., held in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario PAC.

  Tags: classical, jazz, Partridge Hall, Rhythm of the Night, roots, university wind ensemble, uwe, wind ensemble, Zoltan Kalman
  Categories: Events, Media Releases, News, The University Wind Ensemble

• The Brock University Wind Ensemble presents “Full Steam Ahead” on stage at the Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

  Monday, November 16, 2015 | By Brock University

  Whether you’re a jazz aficionado or a connoisseur of the classics, the Brock University Wind Ensemble is sure to strike a chord.  Full Steam Ahead will be the ensemble’s inaugural performance held in the Cairns Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.

  Under the baton of conductor Zoltan Kalman, the University Wind Ensemble features the talents of 60 musicians drawn from Brock University, high school students within the Niagara Region, and the broader music community. This concert includes Janice Fralick from the Niagara Symphony; Mary Sobota and Joanne Romanow from the Burlington Concert Band; and Kelly Hindrichs, Peter Macdonald, Frances Cohen, Mary-Anne Pearson, David Pearson, and Graham Young from Hamilton’s Symphony on the Bay.

  High school students from the Niagara Region showcased in this performance include: Lindsey Cook from E. L. Crossley SS (Pelham); and Makayla Todd and Todd Morgan from Laura Secord SS (St. Catharines).

  The Wind Ensemble’s program features masterworks of the past and present, including “La Gioconda” by Amilcare Ponchielli; “Selections from Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin; “Children of Sanchez” by Chuck Mangione; “Orient Express” by Philip Sparke; “The Lord of the Rings” by Johan de Meij; “The Christmas Song” by Mel Tormé; “Christmas on Broadway” by John Higgins; “Lost in the Woods” by Department of Music alumus Chris Barletta; and “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein.

  Kalman states: “The players and I are incredibly excited about our inaugural performance in the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre! In celebration of our new performance home I have programmed a repertoire like none other in the history of the Wind Ensemble. It will feature a stimulating and grandiose mix of different musical styles that will definitely leave our audience breathless, will demonstrate the exceptional talent and brilliance of this group, and will allow us to soar to new heights.”

  Such performances from the Department of Music are a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and the breadth of talent and creativity at Brock University.

  Join us for Full Steam Ahead on Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in Cairns Recital Hall. Tickets are $8 general admission, $5 eyeGo high school program (+HST), and are free to current MIWSFPA students with valid student ID. Purchase tickets through the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905-688-0722; or online at boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca

  Media day: Tuesday, December 1, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. in Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

  Tags: cairns recital hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Full Steam Ahead, university wind ensemble, uwe, wind ensemble, Zoltan Kalman
  Categories: Events, Media Releases, News, The University Wind Ensemble

• Avanti Chamber Singers launches 10th Anniversary Season with Nocturne: Songs of the Night

  Monday, November 16, 2015 | By Brock University

  Saturday, November 21, 2015 marks the first concert of the season, presenting a fascinating combination of classical compositions and jazz arrangements from the “Great American Songbook.” Held at Covenant Christian Reformed Church in St. Catharines, the choir will be joined for the jazz segments of the evening by the Twilights Jazz Trio, featuring Lesley Kingham on piano, Rob McBride on bass and Devon Fornelli on drums.

  This 10th anniversary season celebrates the Avanti Chamber Singers’ accomplishments since they began their first rehearsals under the leadership of founding conductor Harris Loewen. Since then, the choir has presented concerts within the Niagara region and beyond. They also hold the distinction of being the Ensemble-in-Residence for the Department of Music, Brock University, where Loewen is an Associate Professor.

  Along the way, the Avanti Chamber Singers (ACS) have released three CDs of choral music by Niagara composers, continuing the Voices of Niagara CD series begun by the former Niagara Vocal Ensemble, also conducted by Loewen. All recordings in the series, including Avanti’s Glorious Light (Xmas), Gate of the Year (Sacred), and Beauty is Before Me are still available through the ACS or the Department of Music.

  This coming season will offer three regular concerts, all with a thematic orientation. Following Nocturne, on November 21, Avanti Chamber Singers will perform Animalia: The Lighter Side of the Animal Kingdom on February 20, and Water Music: Of Rain, River and Sea on April 30. The concerts present an engaging variety of musical styles, ranging from classical and jazz to folksongs and spirituals.

  The Avanti Chamber Singers are also active as a guest ensemble this season. In mid-November, the choir is on stage with Kenny Rogers for four shows at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. On December 5, ACS and other guest artists join the Brock University Choirs in the Cairns Recital Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, for a concert that will feature premieres of three choral works by Brock University composers. The final guest performance will be with the Brock University Choirs on April 2, 2016, where the joint choral forces will partner with the Trillium Brass in a new version of Peter Landey’s thrilling Gloria.

  Conductor Harris Loewen states, “I’m so proud to celebrate a decade milestone with this wonderful group of singers, some of whom have been performing and recording with the choir since its inception. We are really looking forward to this busy but satisfying season, as we continue to have fun learning and making beautiful music together.”

  The Viva Voce Choral Series, presented by the Department of Music, is a key part of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts’ mandate in building connections between the community and Brock University. (For more information about ACS, visit: avantichambersingers.com).

  Come and celebrate this 10th anniversary launch on Saturday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m., held at Covenant Christian Reformed church, 278 Parnell Road, St. Catharines. Admission at the door is $25 adults; $20 seniors & students; $5 eyeGo program for high school students. A $5 discount is available for advance tickets (excluding eyeGo), and can be purchased at two St. Catharines locations: BookSmart (Scott & Vine Plaza) and Thorold Music (Glendale Avenue).

  For more information contact: Marie Balsom, Communications
  Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
  T: 905-688-5550, ext. 4765 | E: mbalsom@brocku.ca | W: brocku.ca/miwsfpa

  Tags: 10th anniversary, Avanti Chamber Singers, Devon Fornelli, Harris Loewen, Lesley Kingham, Niagara, Niagara composers, Nocturne: Songs of the Night, Rob McBride, Twilights Jazz Trio, Viva Voce Choral Series, Viva Voce!
  Categories: Events, Media Releases, News, Viva Voce Choral Series

• DART, MUSI and MARS present in Toronto at PLS (Poculi Ludique Societas) Festival of Medieval Theatre

  Wednesday, June 10, 2015 | By Brock University

  COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS, FRIENDS & FAMILY, If you were in Toronto in early June you were fortunate to see a performance of:

  Visitatio Sepulchri
  (the Visit to the Sepulchre)

  A 12th-CENTURY EASTER MUSIC DRAMA
  acting version transcribed and translated
  by W. L. Smoldon from the ‘Fleury Playbook’

  A collaboration between:
  Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies,
  Department of Dramatic Arts, Department of Music

  Part of the PLS (Poculi Ludique Societas) Festival of Medieval Theatre.

  When: Saturday, June 6, 7 p.m.
  Sunday, June 7, 2:30 p.m.
  Where: Trinity College Chapel University of Toronto,  6 Hoskin Avenue

  Music Director: Dr. Brian Power, Department of Music
  Stage Director: Professor Virginia Reh, Department of Dramatic Arts

  

  The company of Visitatio Sepulchri in the Trinity College Chapel. Photograph by Mrs. Chin Tso.

  Tags: Brian Power, easter, music, musical theatre, PLS Festival of Musical Theatre, Poculi Ludique Societas, Toronto, Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto, visitatio sepulchri
  Categories: Events, News