The Royal Conservatory of Music Reschedules Stewart Goodyear With The Penderecki String Quartet And The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir

The Royal Conservatory of Music regrets to announce that, due a member of our company of artists being in quarantine, this concert, originally scheduled for Saturday, November 27, 2021 is being re-scheduled for Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 8pm.

Proclaimed "a phenomenon" by the Los Angeles Times and "one of the best pianists of his generation" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Artist in Residence and an alumnus of The Royal Conservatory, Stewart Goodyear, is accomplished as an orchestral soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, and composer.

On this evening, Goodyear will perform the world premiere of his piano quintet based on themes from Ludwig van Beethoven, joined by the Penderecki String Quartet. He writes: "My piano quintet was commissioned by the Penderecki String Quartet and the Canada Council for the Arts. It was composed in 2020 and pays homage to the spirit of Beethoven. The first movement is a passacaglia on the almost atonal eleven-note sequence from the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. The second movement is a Ländler, fused with gestures of rhythm and blues and calypso. The third movement is a fast toccata, sampling themes of Beethoven similarly to a hip-hop track. The last movement starts as a lament and ends with a glimmer of hope, the inspiration directly taken from the challenges of the pandemic and the need for Beethoven's spirit during these tumultuous times."

He then tackles the composer's final monumental work (Symphony No. 9) by paring it down to solo piano and voices (Professional Singers of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, soprano Charlotte Siegel, mezzo-soprano Beste Kalender, tenor Zachary Rioux, and baritone Korin Thomas-Smith).

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