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  Event of the 2009.10 Season – Koerner Hall Grand Opening FestivalJune 20, 2009 An event Toronto has been waiting for, the opening of the spectacular new Koerner Hall at the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, will finally arrive on Friday, September 25, 2009, on what would have been Glenn Gould's 77th birthday. The opening night gala concert is just the beginning of the ten-concert Grand Opening Festival, running until October 17. For the Festival, Mervon Mehta, Executive Director, RCM Performing Arts, has engaged the cream of the crop of artists from all genres represented in the special inaugural season. "The concerts of Koerner Hall's inaugural season cross all musical genres" noted Mehta. "What they all have in common is their high quality. These artists will reveal Koerner Hall's amazing acoustics while also reflecting The Royal Conservatory's commitment to the world's finest performing artists. I am particularly thrilled that we will present artists from over 20 countries, many of whom will mark their Canadian or Toronto debuts with us, and over 20 artists from right here at home." The Grand Opening concert at Koerner Hall will feature The Royal Conservatory's very own ARC (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) as well as the Royal Conservatory Orchestra with celebrated Canadian icon, pianist Anton Kuerti, conducted by the next hottest young French-Canadian conductor, Jean-Philippe Tremblay. Special guests will include the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and vocal soloists Erin Wall (soprano), recent RCM graduate mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta, renowned Canadian tenor Richard Margison, and fellow Canadian bass Robert Pomakov. The programme will include Spirits of the House, a world premiere by R. Murray Schafer, especially commissioned by Michael Koerner for this occasion, and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy. The evening will be rounded out by a video tribute to Royal Conservatory graduate, the famed pianist Glenn Gould, as a special celebration on his birthday. Master jazz musician, composer, and Grammy Award-winner, Chick Corea, will be reunited with two members of his legendary jazz-rock fusion band, Return to Forever, bassist Stanley Clarke, and jazz funk drummer Lenny White, in a special concert that will also feature Juno Award-winning Toronto vocalist Sophie Milman. Genre bending will continue with three masterful virtuosos: Béla Fleck (banjo), Zakir Hussain (tabla), and Edgar Meyer (double bass) performing together for the first time, seamlessly blending classical, bluegrass, and world music, in a concert presented in association with Small World Music. The incomparable Emerson String Quartet will appear at Koerner Hall twice this season. The previously announced concert in May will be complemented by another, during the Grand Opening Festival, this time joined by the one and only pianist Menahem Pressler. Both evenings will be devoted to the music of Dvorák and all of his Cypresses will thus be presented in one season. In the first concert Pressler will join the Quartet in Dvorák's Piano Quintet in A, which they recorded together to great critical acclaim. The Royal Conservatory will participate in Scotiabank Nuit Blanche for the first time this year. Artistic Director of The Glen Gould School's New Music Ensemble, Brian Current, has created a sound and light installation throughout the entire TELUS Centre. Evocative lighting will enhance James Tenney's work, In a Large Open Space - one chord performed by musicians on various instruments, with ever-expanding layers of electronic music. The RCM-centric programming will continue with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, this time under Toronto Symphony Orchestra Music Director Peter Oundjian, who will lead the orchestra in Respighi's Pines of Rome and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, with Glenn Gould School 2009 Concerto Competition winner Sam Deason. One of the greatest and most beloved singers of our time, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade, will make a stop at Koerner Hall on her farewell recital tour. Described by the New York Times as "one of America's finest artists and singers," she will be joined by some of her friends in a not to be missed evening! Two more singing sensations will sing solos as well as duets in another special evening - Hong Kong pop music superstar Frances Yip (perhaps best known for being a co-presenter at the British Farewell Ceremony to mark the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong) and Cantopop star Anthony Lun, who has composed no less than 42 number one hits, and released over 20 albums. Blues will be represented by multiple Grammy Award-winner Keb' Mo' with Special Guests, in a soulful concert blend of blues, contemporary rock, folk, and jazz. World music could not be in better hands than those by "the Godfather of World Music", the legendary sitarist Ravi Shankar. Shankar will be joined by his daughter, Anoushka Shankar, in what is sure to be one of the highlights of the inaugural season. Certain to become one of the world's great concert spaces, Koerner Hall will be an acoustically superb, 1135-seat venue for all genres of music. To enhance the concert-going experience, there will be pre and post performance presentations throughout the season, including stage chats with the artists, post concert performances by Glenn Gould School students, faculty and local musicians and master classes by international performers that are open to public. In addition, the RCM and Koerner Hall will be at the heart of Toronto culture by presenting many of the performances in partnership with a wide variety of other presenters, such as Roy Thomson Hall, Small World Music, Soundstreams, Batuki Music and Toronto Downtown Jazz. Several of Toronto's finest ensembles will also perform in the new hall including Tafelmusik, Esprit Orchestra, Opera Atelier, The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and The Women's Musical Club. "Along with The Royal Conservatory's many supporters we look forward to the upcoming season with great anticipation," remarked Dr. Peter Simon, President of The Royal Conservatory. "The Conservatory is poised to expand its reach even further as Koerner Hall opens for its inaugural season." Founded in 1886, The Royal Conservatory is the largest and oldest independent arts educator in Canada. It is an internationally-renowned centre for performance and learning providing opportunities for personal development through music and arts education in over 300 communities across and Canada and a dozen countries around the world. Each year more than 500,000 Canadians take part in RCM programs, exams and public school initiatives. "The opening of Koerner Hall marks the completion of the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, which will serve as a cultural centre in Toronto for local and international artists for many years to come," said Joe Natale, president, TELUS Consumer Solutions. "At TELUS, we take great pride in seeing our technology fuel growth in the arts community. TELUS is honoured to support this innovative, state-of-the-art facility as part of our commitment to Toronto's arts community and creative culture." The RCM 2009-2010 Koerner Hall Inaugural Concert Season is made possible through the generous support of: The official season sponsor of the 2009-10 Koerner Hall Concert Season: TELUS Season media sponsor: The Globe and Mail Classical Series sponsor (Chamber Series, Vocal Series & String Series): Classical 96.3 FM Jazz Series sponsor: Jazz FM GRAND OPENING FESTIVALGrand Opening of Koerner Hall: Friday, September 25, 2009, 8:30pm Corea, Clarke & White with Sophie Milman: Saturday, September 26, 2009, 8pm Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer: Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 8pm Emerson String Quartet with Menahem Pressler: Thursday, October 1, 2009, 8pm Nuit Blanche: Music Inside/Out: Saturday, October 3, 2009, 7pm - 7am Peter Oundjian conducts the Royal Conservatory Orchestra: Friday, October 9, 2009, 8pm Frederica von Stade and Friends: Saturday, October 10, 2009, 8pm Frances Yip & Anthony Lun: Thursday, October 15, 2009, 8pm Keb' Mo' & Special Guests: Friday, October 16, 2009, 8pm Ravi Shankar & Anoushka Shankar: Saturday, October 17, 2009, 8pm PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED 09.10 SEASON CONCERTSVenezuelan Brass Ensemble (Chamber Music): Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 8pm Midori with Robert McDonald (String Concerts): Friday, October 30, 2009, 8pm Jon Kimura Parker (Piano Series): Sunday, November 8, 2009, 3pm Zukerman Chamber Players and Michelle DeYoung (Chamber Music): Saturday, November 14, 2009, 8pm Sara Tavares & Tony Gouveia (World Music): Thursday, November 19, 2009, 8pm James Ehnes (String Concerts): Friday, November 27, 2009, 8pm The Paquito D'Rivera Quintet (Jazz): Saturday, December 5, 2009, 8pm Tallis Scholars (Vocal Concerts): Friday, December 11, 2009, 8pm Quartetto Gelato & Ethel (World Music): Saturday, January 16, 2010, 8pm Mark O'Connor (String Concerts): Saturday, February 13, 2010, 8pm Absolute Ensemble with Simone Dinnerstein (Chamber Music): Thursday, February 18, 2010, 8pm Tiempo Libre (Jazz): Saturday, February 20, 2010, 8pm András Schiff (Piano Series): Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 8pm Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester (World Music): Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 8pm Roby Lakatos (String Concerts): Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 8pm Danilo Perez: 21st Century Dizzy (Jazz): Saturday, March 27, 2010, 8pm Yefim Bronfman (Piano Series): Thursday, April 1, 2010, 8pm Louis Lortie (Piano Series): Sunday, April 11, 2010, 3pm Jane Bunnett and The Cuban Piano Masters (Jazz): Saturday, April 17, 2010, 8pm Cherryholmes (World Music): Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 8pm Christian Tetzlaff (String Concerts): Sunday, April 25, 2010, 8pm Yuja Wang (Piano Series): Saturday, May 1, 2010, 8pm Emerson String Quartet (Chamber Music): Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 8pm Gerald Finley (Vocal Concerts): Sunday, May 9, 2010, 3pm Tickets for the Grand Opening of Koerner Hall range between $100-$250 Ticket prices for all the other concerts range between $20-$250 Select any 4+ concerts and save 10% Select any 7+ concerts and save 15% Tickets are available online at www.rcmusic.ca, by calling 416.408.0208, or in person at The RCM Box Office, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto All events take place at The Royal Conservatory's home, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West. More information about the 2009-2010 Concert Season is available on The Royal Conservatory website at www.rcmusic.ca. Jeff Embleton Barbora Krsek |
