The Royal Conservatory Of Music Adds Three Concerts To 2023.24 Season

The Royal Conservatory of Music has announced additional concerts for the 15th anniversary concert season, which begins on Friday, September 29 with a Concert to Commemorate National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, co-curated by Denise Bolduc and Mervon Mehta, featuring an all-Indigenous roster of artists. 

Following his sold-out Koerner Hall concert last season, Joshua Redman, widely revered as the greatest jazz saxophonist of his generation, returns on February 2 with a brand-new project. His new album where are we marks his first ever with a vocalist – the mesmerizing Gabrielle Cavassa. Co-winner of the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, Cavassa is an enthralling emerging musician whose artistry is as influenced by Amy Winehouse as by Billie Holiday. Described by Redman as “a meditation on America and the power and importance of place,” this new project features music that references specific geographical locations in the United States: Bruce Springsteen's Streets of Philadelphia, Count Basie's Going to Chicago, Rodgers & Hart's Manhattan, and John Coltrane's Alabama, all interpreted with the improvisational brilliance and melodic invention that is a hallmark of Redman's artistry – and of this remarkable ensemble.

World-renowned guitarist and vocalist John Pizzarelli has been hailed by The Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” He returns to Koerner Hall on April 19 with a new album that showcases his versatility and virtuosity in exploring the timeless songs of Broadway and Hollywood. Stage & Screen features a selection of songs from musicals and movies spanning almost a century and marks the 40th anniversary of Pizzarelli's debut album, I'm Hip (Please Don't Tell My Father), which launched his illustrious career as one of the most acclaimed interpreters and innovators of the standards songbook. He will present songs by legendary composers like Richard Rodgers, Leonard Bernstein, Sammy Cahn, and Jule Styne, as well as those that have become synonymous with iconic films like Casablanca. Pizzarelli is joined by his new trio, featuring bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, who share his passion and chemistry for making music.

Caity Gyorgy, a two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian vocalist known for singing bebop and swing music, will open the evening. Gyorgy has performed at popular clubs and jazz festivals across Canada and the USA, and has worked and recorded with incredible musicians and groups including Christine Jensen, Pat LaBarbera, Jocelyn Gould, Ira Coleman, Allison Au, Bryn Roberts, and Postmodern Jukebox. In addition to performing, Caity is also an avid writer and composes songs in the style of the Great American Songbook. Her compositions have been sung by other vocalists around the world and she has released several albums of original and standard music.

Due to popular demand, a second concert by the Grammy Award-winning jazz singing sensation Samara Joy has been added on February 25. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the Today Show, and millions of likes on TikTok – cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. Joy's musical lineage stretches back to her grandparents Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, both of whom performed with Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and runs through her father, who is a singer, songwriter, and producer, who toured with gospel artist Andraé Crouch. In 2019, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and has since performed with legends like Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, and Bill Charlap.

November 10 will be an unforgettable night of jazz and world music featuring two incredible artists from across the globe as Edmar Castañeda joins the “sensational” (Downbeat) Django Festival Allstars. The Django Festival Allstars, featuring Dorado Schmitt and sons Samson and Amati, bring the music of the legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt fully into the 21st century. Their unique, high-energy performances pay tribute to Reinhardt who is considered one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Reinhardt's driving, swinging style became known as “hot jazz” and it continues to grow in popularity throughout the world, in great part to the success of the Django Festival Allstars, who honour the traditions of the music, adding their own interpretations, arrangements, and original compositions with stunning virtuosity. Latin Grammy Award nominated Colombian-born Edmar Castañeda has made a name for himself as the preeminent jazz harp virtuoso, a master at realizing beautiful complexities of time while skillfully drawing out lush colours and dynamic spirit. Castañeda's frequent collaborator, the legendary Paquito D'Rivera has remarked: “Edmar is … an enormous talent, he has the versatility and the enchanting charisma of a musician who has taken his harp out of the shadow to become one of the most original musicians from the Big Apple.”

Performance Sponsors and Supporters: b espresso, Bristol Gate Capital Partners, Tammy Brown, Burgundy Asset Management, a gift in memory of Robert Calvin, Deloitte, Ashraf El-Bakri, Judith Gelber, Stephen Grant & Sandra Forbes, Claudia Krawchuk, Bill & Janet L'Heureux, John McKenzie, Kelly Meighen, Eileen Mercier & Charles Hantho, a gift in memory of Gary Miles, Tom's Place, TSX Inc., and anonymous donors Government Supporters: Government of Canada, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 10am

Concerts added to The Royal Conservatory of Music's 2023.24 season

Django Festival Allstars featuring Dorado Schmitt and sons Samson & Amati

with special guest Edmar Castañeda

(Music Mix): Friday, November 10, 2023 at 8pm | KH; from $50

Joshua Redman: where are we

(Special Performances): Friday, February 2, 2024 at 8pm | KH; from $60

Samara Joy

(Special Performances): Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 7pm | KH; from $55

John Pizzarelli and Caity Gyorgy

(Special Performances): Friday, April 19, 2024 at 8pm | KH; from $60

All concerts take place at The Royal Conservatory of Music TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto

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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