Tafelmusik Announces Fall 2019 Community Engagement

As part of its growing commitment to contributing to community life in a meaningful way, Tafelmusik today announced its fall community activities, which take place in several different GTA neighbourhoods: North York, Etobicoke, Bloordale, and The Annex. In collaboration with Aga Khan Museum and Nuit Blanche, Arts Etobicoke, Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Toronto, and Toronto Plaza Hotel, and in keeping with the season theme of "Old meets New," Tafelmusik hopes to invite interested community members to engage with the beauty of music from the past in a way that is relevant to our world today. Details are listed below.

"As engaged and dedicated citizens of the city of Toronto, we want to learn more about the role that music plays in people's lives and break down barriers that might make someone hesitant to engage with music from the past. We are delighted to partner with local organizations to offer a range of experiences. From short, inexpensive, family-friendly concerts with refreshments, to a recording launch and artistic Q&A, to chamber concerts in a yurt and neighbourhood mall, each event is designed to connect with audiences and encourage their feedback. We invite people to bring along their curiosity and explore with us," said Executive Director Carol Kehoe.

Families and children are welcome at Tafelmusik's second annual Fall Social on September 14, which celebrates the Annex community in the orchestra's home venue of Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul's Centre. The 45-minute program includes evocative music by Telemann, Vivaldi, and Locke, and refreshments will be served in the garden following the concert.

An Italian-infused recording launch hailing the release of Vivaldi con amore, Tafelmusik's first album with Music Director Elisa Citterio, takes place on September 23 at Istituto Italiano di Cultura. The event features an informal Q&A with Elisa and Istituto director Alessandro Ruggera.

Tafelmusik is thrilled to partner with Arts Etobicoke for the first time to present Neighbourhood Concert: East meets West on September 24. This relaxed, one-hour, family-friendly concert at Cloverdale Mall pairs music by Handel and Telemann with traditional Arabic song and Klezmer. Narrator Alon Nashman and Trio Arabica join members of Tafelmusik to tell the story of how the coffeehouses of the past were an important space for cultures to share and learn from each other. Based on Alison Mackay's award-winning multimedia program Tales of Two Cities: The Leipzig-Damascus Coffee House, this concert celebrates the rich musical traditions of East and West in a theatrical way, with musicians and a narrator performing against a backdrop of projected images. FREE admission for children.

"We're thrilled to be working with Tafelmusik and to bring their brand of exceptional high-calibre work to Etobicoke," said Wendy Rading, Interim Executive Director of Arts Etobicoke. "This multi-media concert is an opportunity for Etobicoke residents to access arts and culture experiences right in their own backyard that are traditionally only found downtown. Moreover, thanks to the fantastic support of Cloverdale Mall, we have an excellent and accessible venue to offer this experience. We hope it is the beginning of much more to come."

Members of Tafelmusik return to perform at the Aga Khan Museum in North York on October 5 as part of Nuit Blanche, Toronto's annual, city-wide celebration of contemporary art. Performed in a Mongolian yurt, this free chamber concert comprises two 30-minute sets of music by Vivaldi and other baroque composers.

On October 9, a quartet of Tafelmusik musicians performs a one-hour chamber music concert for refugees at the Toronto Plaza Hotel, which is currently under contract with the City of Toronto to house some 500 homeless people and asylum seekers. The program includes music by Fasch, Bach, Telemann, and Handel.

In the first Haus Musik concert of the season, Tafelmusik's baroque flair and artistry meets folk favorites from Yorkville's colourful past. Café Counterculture, October 10 at the Burdock Music Hall, compares café culture in 1730s Leipzig with one a bit closer to home - 1960s Yorkville. Sonatas by Bach and friends will be interspersed with new arrangements of iconic songs by Buffy Saint-Marie, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, and others. Curated by orchestra member Marco Cera with guest artists Andrew Downing, double bass, and Alex Samaras, vocals, Café Counterculture is a trip down memory lane well worth taking.

"Each time Tafelmusik tours, whether it's to China, South Korea, France, or Manitoulin Island, we are reminded that the language of music is universal. We are fortunate to be based in Toronto, a city that vividly represents the vitality and diversity of our world. It makes sense, then, to share music and ideas with the many communities and neighbourhoods that make up our city. From Etobicoke to North York, and from the Annex to Bloordale, we see music as a way of building bridges and embracing audiences across a wide spectrum," said Music Director Elisa Citterio. LISTING INFORMATION: COMMUNITY EVENTS

Fall Social
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra directed by Elisa Citterio
Saturday, September 14, 2019, 4pm
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Tickets: $5 | Free admission for children under 2
Tafelmusik Box Office: (416) 964-6337 or tafelmusik.org

Vivaldi con amore CD launch
in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Cultura
Monday, September 23, 2019, 6:30pm
496 Huron Street
FREE admission with registration through the Istituto Italiano di Cultura. SPACE IS LIMITED.
For more information, visit iictoronto.esteri.it

Neighbourhood Concert: East meets West
in partnership with Arts Etobicoke and special support by Quadreal Property Group
Tuesday, September 24, 2019, 7pm
Cloverdale Commons, Cloverdale Mall,
250 The East Mall, Etobicoke
Family Friendly | Adults $10; free admission for children
Featuring members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Tricia Ahern and Cristina Zacharias, violins | Patrick Jordan, viola | Pippa Macmillan, double bass | with guests Alon Nashman, narrator | Maryem Tollar, voice & qanun | Demetri Petsalakis, oud | Naghmeh Farahmand, percussion
Tickets available at the door or through Tafelmusik Box Office: (416) 964-6337 or tafelmusik.org

Nuit Blanche
in partnership with Aga Khan Museum
Saturday, October 5, 7:30-8:45pm
Mongolian yurt, Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Dr, North York
Featuring members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Cristina Zacharias, violin | Marco Cera, oboe | Dominic Teresi, bassoon | Lucas Harris, lute
FREE admission
For more information, visit agakhanmuseum.org

Haus Musik: Café Counterculture
1730 Leipzig to 1960 Yorkville
Thursday, October 10, 8:30pm
Burdock Music Hall, 1184 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Featuring members of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra Elisa Citterio, violin | Marco Cera, oboe | Dominic Teresi, bassoon; Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord; Andrew Downing, double bass;
Alex Samaras, vocals.
Tickets: $20 advance | $25 door | Doors at 7:30pm
Tafelmusik Box Office: (416) 964-6337 or tafelmusik.org
STANDING EVENT. LIMITED SEATING.

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