Serious Smile

53rd Season / 408th Event

Artistic Direction
Brian Current

Thursday, Feb.13.2020

Harbourfront Theatre

Concert - 8pm
Introduction - 7:15pm

Info

This evening continues our founding Artistic Director Robert Aitken’s legacy of excellence in presentation, while showcasing the future of what NMC might look like. We bring you world-class innovative technology alongside performances by Toronto’s top musicians and a proud development of the young Canadian voices of Corie Rose Soumah, Brandon Chow and Keiko Devaux.

While we are certainly questioning the idea of authority, gender and Eurocentricity in contemporary classical music – and are pivoting the organization with this in mind - we also believe that, where appropriate, it is still important to perform masterworks from the late 20th Century as it is reminds us how composers felt after the witnessing the calamity of World War II. In this spirit we present the textural wonder of Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto. In fact, the last time it was performed professionally in Toronto, it was conducted by Robert Aitken in 1973 at the outset of NMC. Exciting times are ahead for NMC!

Programme

  • Alexander Schubert (Germany) Serious Smile for Piano, Drums, Cello, Conductor, and Electronics (2014)
  • Corie Rose Soumah (Canada) Litanies pour en retour for Solo Cello and Electronics (2018)
  • Brandon Chow (Canada) Regnvejr I Skoven for Soprano, Violin, and Electronics (2018)
  • Keiko Devaux (Canada) Salt for String Quartet (2018)
  • György Ligeti (Hungary/Austria) Chamber Concerto for Chamber Orchestra (1969-70)

Gallery