Esprit at 40 – Astounding!
For Immediate Release – September 7, 2022
ESPRIT AT 40. ASTOUNDING!
Esprit Orchestra’s 40th Anniversary Season (2022-2023) begins with a fall-winter subscription concert series celebrating Maestro Alex Pauk’s founding of Canada’s foremost, unique, full-sized orchestra exclusively devoted to presenting the music of today. A 2023 spring series will be announced in November.The opening three concerts, on October 27, November 27 and January 25, all presented in Toronto’sstunning and acoustically superb Koerner Hall, exemplify Esprit’s programming of the best music by thegreatest living composers from around the world including Thomas Adès, and Unsuk Chin. Canada’s best composers such as John Rea, Colin McPhee, José Evangelista and Alexina Louie are also represented.Additionally, Esprit’s commitment to developing new repertoire continues with World Premieres ofcommissioned works by Canadians Andrew Staniland and James O’Callaghan, as well as a repeatperformance of an Esprit commission by Ottawa composer Christopher Goddard. Esprit’s Pre-concertTalks, hosted by esteemed Canadian composer Alexina Louie, are featured at 7:15pm prior to eachconcert.
Kicking off this special season is SPIRA (October 27th, 2022), a riveting program marked by the CanadianPremiere of the masterful Unsuk Chin’s Spira (Concerto for Orchestra), a fascinating work of virtuosity,unconventional textures and sonorities depicting growth and metamorphosis in the natural world. Openingthis program is Christopher Goddard’s Les tringles des sistres tintaient, a work that reimagines thefamous gypsy song from the second act of Bizet’s Carmen. Concluding this program is the iconic Asyla, byThomas Adès. Given its Canadian Premiere by Esprit Orchestra in 2004, the alternately violently raucousand deeply meditative Asyla has become one of the most well-known, frequently performed new orchestralworks of our time, thrilling audiences around the world through its expansive and dynamic sound world.
Esprit Orchestra’s 40-year commitment to highlighting superb Canadian music and performers continueswith VIOLINISSIMO (November 27th, 2022), a program featuring four astounding Canadian contributionsto the violin concerto repertory with soloists being concertmasters from three great Toronto orchestras.Aaron Schwebel (National Ballet of Canada Orchestra), Marie Bérard (Canadian Opera CompanyOrchestra) and Stephen Sitarski (Esprit Orchestra) will respectively perform the Violinissimo by JoséEvangelista, Figures hâtives by John Rea, and Six Enigmas (World Premiere) by Andrew Staniland.The concert’s special finale will feature all three soloists in a performance of Alexina Louie’s shimmering,electrifying Triple Concerto for Three Violins and Orchestra.
As part of the Royal Conservatory of Music’s 21C Music Festival, Esprit Orchestra will present TAIKOLIVE! (January 25, 2023), a trip to the fantastical soundworld of Japanese composer Maki Ishii’s Mono-prismfeaturing the return of the spectacular Toronto Taiko drumming group Nagata Shachu. EspritOrchestra is thrilled to have rising star Canadian cellist Cameron Crozman join Esprit for the WorldPremiere of James O’Callaghan’s Overbound. With eight loudspeakers surrounding the audience,Overbound blends solo cello, electronic and orchestral sound in a dynamic, immersive experience of soniccolours and textures. Rounding out this distinctive program is Tabuh-tabuhan for two pianos and orchestraby Colin McPhee. Influenced by the Balinese Gamelan tradition and the composer’s time living in Bali,McPhee’s lively work features upbeat and vibrant melodic and rhythmic motifs that transport listeners toanother time and place of an exotic nature.
ESPRIT ORCHESTRA KOERNER HALL SUBSCRIPTION SERIESRoyal Conservatory of Music TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning 273 Bloor Street WestIndividual concert tickets start at: Adult $45; Senior 65+ $45; Under 30 $27; Student $25 Pleasvisit espritorchestra.comConcerts: 8pm Pre-Concert Talks: 7:15pm
October 27th, 2022- SPIRA
November 27th, 2022- VIOLINISSIMO
January 25th, 2023- TAIKO LIVE!
*World Premiere Performance Commissioned by Esprit
** Canadian Premiere
Season Sponsor:
Esprit Orchestra is Canada’s only full-sized orchestra devoted exclusively to performing and promoting new orchestralmusic. Esprit Orchestra gratefully acknowledges Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council,Azrieli Foundation, SOCAN Foundation, Ontario Arts Foundation, The Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation,The Mary-Margaret Webb Foundation, Timothy & Frances Price, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne, Power Corporation ofCanada, RBC Foundation, The Max Clarkson Family Foundation, The Charles H. Ivey Foundation, The AmphionFoundation and Anonymous for their generous support.
Media Contact:
Cameron Dube
Administrative Coordinator
(416) 815-7887
cameron@espritorchestra.com