Concert To Commemorate National Day Of Truth & Reconciliation At The Royal Conservatory

For the second year, Indigenous artists gather at The Royal Conservatory to honour those affected by residential schools and offer hope for the future on September 29 in a Concert to Commemorate National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, co-curated by Denise Bolduc and Mervon Mehta, and features an all-Indigenous roster of artists.

As people arrive, they will be greeted by a big drum outside, in the Reta Lila Weston Music Court.

The event in Koerner Hall opens with an opening prayer and song by Elder Marie Gaudet and her daughter, Emily Dick, followed by the evening's host – poet, activist, storyteller, educator, creative consultant, and social entrepreneur, Zoey Roy. The commemoration also includes a residential school survivor story by Cultural Knowledge Keeper Jimmy Dick, a hand drum solo by Isaiah Cada, and a solo set by singer-songwriter Julian Taylor.

In the second half of the evening, Emily Dick offers a testimony as a child of a survivor of a residential school and Zoey Roy a spoken word piece. Choir pieces for 12 voices, by Cree composer and conductor Andrew Balfour, nominated for the 2023 Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble), will be sung by the Miyasin Ensemble: Ambe (Ojibway) - Come in All You Two-Legged Creatures, There is Good Life Here; Awasis (Cree) – Child; Omaa Bindig  (Ojibway) - Here Inside; Gaze Upon the Trees, based on a poem by Dr. Duke Redbird; and Quilak (Inuktitut) – Sky. Balfour has also written a special world premiere, titled Miyasin (Cree) - It's Good, Beautiful, which will include many of the evening's artists, plus award-winning trumpeter/composer/educator and masters graduate of the Berklee Global Jazz Institute, Andrew McAnsh. The evening ends with a prayer and healing dance by Marie Gaudet and company.                    

A Postlude concert in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria - Orchestra Level, will follow the Koerner Hall event with Lacey Hill. This Oneida Wolf Clan, Six Nations born and bred independent singer/songwriter describes her music as “Indigenous Soul” grown from a passion for making music since she was a little girl. Hill has previously appeared both in the Postlude concerts at The Royal Conservatory as well as in Koerner Hall in 2020 with singer-songwriter Susan Aglukark, the first Inuk artist to win a Juno Award.

Additionally, during the evening, the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto will set up a marketplace in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria where the audience will be able to purchase a wide selection of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit handcrafted jewelry as well as many beautiful gift ideas.

The event is presented in association with the Woodlands Cultural Centre, located on the Six Nations of the Grand River. Net proceeds from the concert will support the Woodlands Centre in honour of the late Robbie Robertson, who was raised by a Six Nations mother and served as co-chair of the WCC's current capital campaign. Robertson is an honorary Fellow of The Royal Conservatory.    

The Royal Conservatory is proud of its consistent record of engagement with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, its work with underserved youth in low-income communities, its work with new Canadians, and in uniting all Canadians through music and the arts. In Koerner Hall, Indigenous artists such as Tomson Highway, Tanya Tagaq, Richard Van Camp, The Jerry Cans, Sarain Fox, Nimkii and the Niniis, Rebecca Cuddy, Ian Cusson, Elliot Britton, Andrew McAnsh, Susan Aglukark, Lacy Hill and Buffy Sainte-Marie have shared their work, and several of those have received Honorary Fellowships.

In addition to the Truth and Reconciliation event outlined above, this season we also welcome five-time Juno Award-winning musician, best selling author, and visual artist Tom Wilson who will be a special guest on a concert with Steven Page with Craig Northey and Kevin Fox on September 30, trumpeter Andrew McAnsh will return on October 20 to perform with Omar Kamal, and Ojibway artist and flautist Jeffrey “Red” George will appear as part of two concerts with Loreena McKennitt on December 10.

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line, 1-800-721-0066, is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience.

Presented in association with Woodland Cultural Centre

Concert to Commemorate National Day of Truth & Reconciliation

Friday, September 29, 2023 at 8pm

Koerner Hall

The Royal Conservatory of Music

TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Tickets start at $40. A limited number of Rush Tickets are available starting 3 hours before all performances presented by The Royal Conservatory. Ticket prices will vary. Rush Tickets are limited to two tickets per person. 

Seat locations are assigned at the discretion of the box office and locations may vary. Rush Tickets are available by phone only, on a first-come first-served basis.

Tickets and subscriptions are available online at www.rcmusic.com/performance, by calling 416.408.0208, or in person at the Weston Family Box Office.

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