Welcome
2010-2011
Individual Tickets
$35 regular | $25 seniors / arts workers
$10 students
Subscriptions (7 events)
$170 | $100 | $40
Subscription Renewals
$140 | $85 | $35
Pick 3 (or more)
each $28 reg | $17 snr | $8.50 student
Call NMC @ 416 961–9594
All prices include 13% HST
Repertoire, dates and artists subject to change
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Introductions @ 7:15 | Concerts @ 8:00
For general enquiries or to join our electronic mailing list please write to nmc@interlog.com
New Music Concerts
157 Carlton Street, Suite 203
Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5A 2K3
Tel. 416 961-9594
Fax 416 961-9508
Photography: André Leduc
Robert Aitken Artistic Director
David Olds General Manager
Daniel Foley Associate and Webmaster
40th anniversary season
Latest update: Thursday, August 26, 2010
40th anniversary season
Lets Hear It From Beckwith - Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Musical Theatre of Rick Sacks - Wednesday, October 13, 2010 *
Generation 2010 - Sunday, November 14, 2010
Elliott Carter at 102 - Friday, December 10, 2010
Diotima Quartet - Friday, January 14, 2011
Jonathan Harvey - Sunday, March 6, 2011
Art Music Promotion - Sunday, April 10, 2011
Malaysian Voices - Sunday, May 8, 2011
* Special non-subscription event
Now embarking on its 40th season, New Music Concerts enjoyed a leadership role in Toronto’s new music scene throughout its history. Founded in 1971 by internationally acclaimed Canadian musicians Robert Aitken and Norma Beecroft, NMC presented its first concert in January 1972 with guest composer/conductor Luciano Berio. Since that time most of the world’s renowned composers including John Adams, Harrison Birtwistle, Pierre Boulez, John Cage, Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Peter Maxwell Davies, Morton Feldman, Philip Glass, Heinz Holliger, Maurizio Kagel, Helmut Lachenmann, Toru Takemitsu, Iannis Xenakis, Walter Zimmermann and, early in their careers, rising stars like Tan Dun, Toshio Hosokawa, Jörg Widmann and Raminta Serksnyte, have come to Toronto at NMC’s invitation. Our strong support of Canadian composers through commissions and performances and by combining them with international artists has promoted their success. A short list of some of our most notable Canadian commissions includes Claude Vivier’s Zipangu, Barbara Pentland’s Eventa, Harry Somer’s Chura Churum, John Beckwith’s Eureka, Harry Freedman’s Strands of Blue, Alexina Louie’s Sanctuary, John Weinzweig’s Prisoner of Conscience, Bruce Mather’s Ausone, Gilles Tremblay’s Triojubilus, plus Omar Daniel’s Zwei Lieder nach Rilke and Chris Paul Harman’s Amerika both of which went on to win the Jules Léger Prize.
Since its inception NMC has presented more than 325 concerts, commissioned more than 125 Canadian and international works and performed some 700 Canadian and world premieres. As English Canada's senior contemporary music society, NMC's prime activity is producing high calibre concerts of contemporary music, but our activities have included a very broad range of presentation from contemporary classics, to electroacoustics, mixed- and multi-media presentations, sound sculpture, radiophonic works, films and music theatre (including world premiere performances of R. Murray Schafer’s Princess of the Stars on Heart Lake in 1981 and the North American premieres of John Cage’s Roaratorio at Convocation Hall and Thorkell Sigurbjornsson’s Grettir at the Betty Oliphant Theatre). Current programs reflect the ongoing concern to balance all aspects of our mandate to profile established and emerging Canadian and international composers. Far from resting on its laurels, New Music Concerts’ energy has, if anything, increased in recent years as will be seen in the coming anniversary season. It features concerts of recent works by senior composers John Beckwith and Elliott Carter and new works by Geoffrey Palmer, Paul Steenhuisen, Robert Pritchard, Keith Hamel, André Ristic and Kee Yong Chong. Chong will also curate a concert of music by Malaysian composers active today. The Ensemble contemporain de Montréal and the young composers of Generation 2010 will show us what the future has to offer in this country and the dynamic Diotima Quartet will present some exciting international string quartet repertoire from recent years including Roger Reynolds’ centenary tribute to Elliott Carter. A particular highlight of the season will be the Portrait of Jonathan Harvey, a concert which had to be postponed from last season due to the health of the respected British composer. (Renewing subscribers will receive a 15% discount in lieu of last year’s concert.) In addition to our subscription series, percussionist Rick Sacks will present an evening of his own theatrical compositions in a fundraising performance to benefit New Music Concerts. All in all it promises to be an exceptional year.
