(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 11, 2007.)
With all seats sold for the 8 p.m. July 21 Hawksley Workman concert, the Huntsville Festival of the Arts has added another show.
Some tickets are still available for a 2 p.m. show on the same day at the Algonquin Theatre.
The cost is $35 for adults and $25 for youth under 18. Tickets can be purchased at the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Poet laureate guest presenter at Poetry Café
(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 11, 2007.)
Fringe festival event celebrates 5th anniversary in style at the Algonquin Theatre.
By Gillian Brunette
“Growth and more growth” is how Huntsville Festival of the Arts board member June Salmon describes the Poetry Café.
“We have growth in poets, talent and experience through the café and the community’s spirit. We also have growth in terms of venue. We started at Seven Main Café five years ago with eight participants and now we have up to 26 poets who have performed for us,” Salmon said.
Sixteen of those homegrown poets will take part in the event next Monday, July 16. All are well-known friends of the Poetry Café and recent anthology. All have been involved since the beginning.
The evening is also one of firsts: the first time it has been staged at the Algonquin Theatre, and the first time a major guest poet has been invited to take part, Salmon said.
The evening begins with readings from local poets. “One of the poets is Huntsville High School student Skyler Brooks, who participated in the Huntsville Festival of the Arts Grand Slam Poetry workshop,” said Salmon.
Following intermission, celebrated poet laureate of the City of Toronto Pier Giorgio Di Cicco takes the stage.
In addition to being a multi-faceted poet, Di Cicco is the curator of the Toronto Museum project and Centre for Global Cities and principal of Municipal Mind: Agents for the Urban Motive. He has authored 18 books of poetry, teaches at the University of Toronto and has just released Municipal Mind: Manifestos for the Creative City, a guidebook on civic aesthetic and the relationship between urban renewal, creativity and citizenship.
The evening concludes with an open mike with members of the audience invited onstage to participate in a great evening celebrating poetry.
Tickets for the Poetry Café are $10 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Fringe festival event celebrates 5th anniversary in style at the Algonquin Theatre.
By Gillian Brunette
“Growth and more growth” is how Huntsville Festival of the Arts board member June Salmon describes the Poetry Café.
“We have growth in poets, talent and experience through the café and the community’s spirit. We also have growth in terms of venue. We started at Seven Main Café five years ago with eight participants and now we have up to 26 poets who have performed for us,” Salmon said.
Sixteen of those homegrown poets will take part in the event next Monday, July 16. All are well-known friends of the Poetry Café and recent anthology. All have been involved since the beginning.
The evening is also one of firsts: the first time it has been staged at the Algonquin Theatre, and the first time a major guest poet has been invited to take part, Salmon said.
The evening begins with readings from local poets. “One of the poets is Huntsville High School student Skyler Brooks, who participated in the Huntsville Festival of the Arts Grand Slam Poetry workshop,” said Salmon.
Following intermission, celebrated poet laureate of the City of Toronto Pier Giorgio Di Cicco takes the stage.
In addition to being a multi-faceted poet, Di Cicco is the curator of the Toronto Museum project and Centre for Global Cities and principal of Municipal Mind: Agents for the Urban Motive. He has authored 18 books of poetry, teaches at the University of Toronto and has just released Municipal Mind: Manifestos for the Creative City, a guidebook on civic aesthetic and the relationship between urban renewal, creativity and citizenship.
The evening concludes with an open mike with members of the audience invited onstage to participate in a great evening celebrating poetry.
Tickets for the Poetry Café are $10 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Pianist André Laplante in concert July 17
(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 11, 2007.)
Virtuoso musician has won awards at the Geneva and Sydney International Competitions and the Tchaikovski Competition in Moscow.
By Gillian Brunette
Canadian pianist André Laplante has been compared to Ashkenazy, Horowitz, and Rudolph Serkin, placing him in the elite circle of virtuoso pianists who do not hesitate to take risks.
The Huntsville Festival of the Arts brings the talents of Laplante to the Algonquin Theatre stage on Tuesday, July 17 at 8 p.m.
The program will feature Moment Musical #2 in A Flat Major (Schubert), Variations in F Minor (Haydn), Sonata in C Major, op. 53 (Beethoven), Sonetto del petrarca #104 (Liszt) and Sonata op. 35 in B Flat Minor (Chopin).
Laplante firmly established his reputation after attracting international attention by winning prizes at the Geneva and Sydney International Competitions and being awarded the silver medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
André Laplante
In 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2004 won the Juno award for orchestral recordings. He has appeared with the Montreal and Chicago symphonies, the Czech Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Centre, the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Sir Nevill Marriner, toured Europe with the Toronto Symphony under Andrew Davis, and the Royal Philharmonic under the late Sir Yehudi Menuhin during its extensive tour of America.
Recent seasons have also included a major concert tour of China, recital tours of the Far East, Australia and North America, and appearances at major music festivals across Canada as well as the Debussy Festival (France), Pecs Festival (Hungary), Cascais Festival (Portugal), Salzburg Festival (Austria), and the TCU-Van Cliburn Institute (USA).
Laplante has served as a juror of the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, the International Music Festival in Australia, the CBC National Competition (Canada’s most prestigious), the Honens International Piano Competition, the William Kapell International Piano Competition and the Van Cluburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs.
An active recording artist, Laplante’s releases include works by Liszt (Félix 1995), Ravel and Rachmaninov, as well as an award-winning Brahms album (Félix 1996).
He has also recorded for CBC and Melodia. His recording of Tchaikovsky No. 1 with Joav Talmi and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, was nominated for the 2001 Felix Award.
In 1999, Laplante received two Opus Awards for live performances: Best Concert in Montréal and Best Concert in Québec Province.
Tickets for André Laplante are $35 for adults and $20 for youth under 18 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Virtuoso musician has won awards at the Geneva and Sydney International Competitions and the Tchaikovski Competition in Moscow.
By Gillian Brunette
Canadian pianist André Laplante has been compared to Ashkenazy, Horowitz, and Rudolph Serkin, placing him in the elite circle of virtuoso pianists who do not hesitate to take risks.
The Huntsville Festival of the Arts brings the talents of Laplante to the Algonquin Theatre stage on Tuesday, July 17 at 8 p.m.
The program will feature Moment Musical #2 in A Flat Major (Schubert), Variations in F Minor (Haydn), Sonata in C Major, op. 53 (Beethoven), Sonetto del petrarca #104 (Liszt) and Sonata op. 35 in B Flat Minor (Chopin).
Laplante firmly established his reputation after attracting international attention by winning prizes at the Geneva and Sydney International Competitions and being awarded the silver medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
André LaplanteIn 2005 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2004 won the Juno award for orchestral recordings. He has appeared with the Montreal and Chicago symphonies, the Czech Philharmonic in Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Centre, the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Sir Nevill Marriner, toured Europe with the Toronto Symphony under Andrew Davis, and the Royal Philharmonic under the late Sir Yehudi Menuhin during its extensive tour of America.
Recent seasons have also included a major concert tour of China, recital tours of the Far East, Australia and North America, and appearances at major music festivals across Canada as well as the Debussy Festival (France), Pecs Festival (Hungary), Cascais Festival (Portugal), Salzburg Festival (Austria), and the TCU-Van Cliburn Institute (USA).
Laplante has served as a juror of the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition, the International Music Festival in Australia, the CBC National Competition (Canada’s most prestigious), the Honens International Piano Competition, the William Kapell International Piano Competition and the Van Cluburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs.
An active recording artist, Laplante’s releases include works by Liszt (Félix 1995), Ravel and Rachmaninov, as well as an award-winning Brahms album (Félix 1996).
He has also recorded for CBC and Melodia. His recording of Tchaikovsky No. 1 with Joav Talmi and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, was nominated for the 2001 Felix Award.
In 1999, Laplante received two Opus Awards for live performances: Best Concert in Montréal and Best Concert in Québec Province.
Tickets for André Laplante are $35 for adults and $20 for youth under 18 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
African Guitar Summit unites Canada’s best guitarists for performance here July 12
(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on July 11, 2007.)
Musical magic created through the combination of international experts’ individual styles.
The African Guitar Summit, a star-studded collaborative project uniting the talents of Canada’s best guitarists of African origin, is coming to the Algonquin Theatre July 12 as part of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts summer season.
The 8 p.m. concert will include Madagascar Slim, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Pa Joe and Mighty Popo. Each one is an expert with his individual style. Together they create real musical magic.
REACH FOR THE TOP: The African Guitar Summit unites the talents of Canada’s best guitarists of African origin. The group plays in a Huntsville Festival of the Arts concert at the Algonquin Theatre on July 12.
Madagascar Slim (Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Jean Longin) was born on Halloween night in 1956 in Madagascar. He didn’t really decide what he wanted to do with his life until he heard Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix on the radio.
While he didn’t speak a word of English, he spent many long hours trying to duplicate the solo from that song. Later he heard the records of B.B. King and came to appreciate the more direct and simple form that Hendrix had used as a starting point.
Slim’s first CD, OmniSource, won the 2000 Juno for Best World Music Album.
Guitarist and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo is originally from Guinea, West Africa. He has earned a matchless reputation internationally for the excellence of his musicianship and the excitement of his live shows, whether performing solo or with his band Bafing.
His dexterous guitar playing, with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, places him in the front ranks of African musicians. Since then he has recorded five highly acclaimed albums of his own compositions, resulting in several Juno Award nominations and two Junos in the Best Global Recording category.
The Mighty Popo was born in Ngagara, a neighbourhood in Bujumbura, Burundi populated largely by Rwandan and Congolese emigrés and refugees. He grew up listening to local contemporary and traditional music along with music from the rest of Africa and beyond, as Ngagara was a soundscape in which Soweto, Kingston, Bahia and New Orleans lived side by side.
To Popo all this music formed one continuum, and when he left Burundi for Canada his musical journey took him down paths his ears had already travelled at home. As Popo gained experience as a performer, the various musical elements he first began absorbing in Ngagara became integrated in a mature musical vocabulary, and a brilliant and versatile sideman developed into a leader whose creative vision has given a voice to his old neighbourhood.
Pa Joe was born in the twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. His musical talent emerged early in his childhood, and he picked up the guitar at eight years old. He was informally schooled in guitar by C. K. Mann and Deroy Ebo Taylor, but considers himself primarily self-taught.
Pa Joe is the only actual musician in his family, although the family has been in the music business for over 50 years. Pa Joe was introduced to African music stars of all kinds, including Jewel Ackah, with whom he played and toured. After completing school he took over the leadership of Osamirima Band.
Since coming to Canada Pa Joe has played with Samara, Highlife Stars, Show-D-Man, and the legendary AfroNubians.
Tickets for African Guitar Summit are $32 for adults and $20 for youth under 18 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Musical magic created through the combination of international experts’ individual styles.
The African Guitar Summit, a star-studded collaborative project uniting the talents of Canada’s best guitarists of African origin, is coming to the Algonquin Theatre July 12 as part of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts summer season.
The 8 p.m. concert will include Madagascar Slim, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Pa Joe and Mighty Popo. Each one is an expert with his individual style. Together they create real musical magic.
REACH FOR THE TOP: The African Guitar Summit unites the talents of Canada’s best guitarists of African origin. The group plays in a Huntsville Festival of the Arts concert at the Algonquin Theatre on July 12.Madagascar Slim (Randriamananjara Radofa Besata Jean Longin) was born on Halloween night in 1956 in Madagascar. He didn’t really decide what he wanted to do with his life until he heard Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix on the radio.
While he didn’t speak a word of English, he spent many long hours trying to duplicate the solo from that song. Later he heard the records of B.B. King and came to appreciate the more direct and simple form that Hendrix had used as a starting point.
Slim’s first CD, OmniSource, won the 2000 Juno for Best World Music Album.
Guitarist and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo is originally from Guinea, West Africa. He has earned a matchless reputation internationally for the excellence of his musicianship and the excitement of his live shows, whether performing solo or with his band Bafing.
His dexterous guitar playing, with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, places him in the front ranks of African musicians. Since then he has recorded five highly acclaimed albums of his own compositions, resulting in several Juno Award nominations and two Junos in the Best Global Recording category.
The Mighty Popo was born in Ngagara, a neighbourhood in Bujumbura, Burundi populated largely by Rwandan and Congolese emigrés and refugees. He grew up listening to local contemporary and traditional music along with music from the rest of Africa and beyond, as Ngagara was a soundscape in which Soweto, Kingston, Bahia and New Orleans lived side by side.
To Popo all this music formed one continuum, and when he left Burundi for Canada his musical journey took him down paths his ears had already travelled at home. As Popo gained experience as a performer, the various musical elements he first began absorbing in Ngagara became integrated in a mature musical vocabulary, and a brilliant and versatile sideman developed into a leader whose creative vision has given a voice to his old neighbourhood.
Pa Joe was born in the twin cities of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. His musical talent emerged early in his childhood, and he picked up the guitar at eight years old. He was informally schooled in guitar by C. K. Mann and Deroy Ebo Taylor, but considers himself primarily self-taught.
Pa Joe is the only actual musician in his family, although the family has been in the music business for over 50 years. Pa Joe was introduced to African music stars of all kinds, including Jewel Ackah, with whom he played and toured. After completing school he took over the leadership of Osamirima Band.
Since coming to Canada Pa Joe has played with Samara, Highlife Stars, Show-D-Man, and the legendary AfroNubians.
Tickets for African Guitar Summit are $32 for adults and $20 for youth under 18 and are available from the Algonquin Theatre box office, 789-4975, or online at www.algonquintheatre.ca.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
2007 summer festival is fully rolling
Greetings everyone!
The 2007 Huntsville Festival of the Arts summer season is off to a wonderful start, as many of you will already be aware. In fact, some performers have proven so popular, according to advance sales, that a second show has been added to the original schedule.
There have also be a few "treats" added, such as opening acts for some artists which were arranged after the main brochure was printed. So, be sure to check our main website for updates and other information:
www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca
We are eager to have your feedback by about the shows on the main stage at the Algonquin Theatre or "fringe" events at other venues, as well as any festival activities. Please let us know what you think, what performers you would like to see in the future, or anything else you would like to say. Send your thoughts to:
comments@huntsvillefestival.on.ca
I will pass on any comments to the board of directors and, with your permission, I will try to post relevant excerpts on this blog.
Trumpeting the arts,
Jenny
The 2007 Huntsville Festival of the Arts summer season is off to a wonderful start, as many of you will already be aware. In fact, some performers have proven so popular, according to advance sales, that a second show has been added to the original schedule.
There have also be a few "treats" added, such as opening acts for some artists which were arranged after the main brochure was printed. So, be sure to check our main website for updates and other information:
www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca
We are eager to have your feedback by about the shows on the main stage at the Algonquin Theatre or "fringe" events at other venues, as well as any festival activities. Please let us know what you think, what performers you would like to see in the future, or anything else you would like to say. Send your thoughts to:
comments@huntsvillefestival.on.ca
I will pass on any comments to the board of directors and, with your permission, I will try to post relevant excerpts on this blog.
Trumpeting the arts,
Jenny
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)