TORONTO SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES OVER 20 EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS IN ITS “MAGICAL WORLD OF MUSIC” PROGRAM
PRESTIGIOUS SUMMER ACADEMY DOVETAILS
WITH FESTIVAL CONCERT SERIES
April 18, 2007 (Toronto) - For those who believe that mid-summer means wading through those hazy, lazy days, be prepared to enter into “The Magical World of Music.” July 23-August 19, 2007 promises to raise the heat with harmony and excitement as the second annual Toronto Summer Music Festival features a veritable symphony of over 60 internationally acclaimed artists performing in over 30 events. “The Magical World of Music” will offer concerts, workshops and lectures.
The Festival's muse and Artistic Director, the celebrated conductor Agnes Grossmann, will blend rich musical fare to engage the arts lover at large as well as an opportunity for students at the Toronto Summer Music Academy to work with some of the leading artist-pedagogues of our time.
“The Magical World of Music” explores the ways in which music affects our moods, emotions and intellect.
This year, the highly anticipated lineup features such distinguished performers as pianist Anton Kuerti, the Berlin Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet, the Leipzig String Quartet, pianist Menahem Pressler, vocal recitals featuring Canadian sopranos Karina Gauvin and Lorna MacDonald with pianists Michael McMahon and Cameron Stowe respectively, percussion group NEXUS, the Juno-Award winning Gryphon Trio, St. Lawrence String Quartet with Shauna Rolston, the string trio of Mayumi Seiler, Teng Li and Anthony Elliott, and pianist André Laplante.
The four-week festival culminates with four fully-staged performances of Rossini’s Barber of Seville, conducted by Maestra Grossmann with stage direction by Michael Patrick Albano and special pre-concert talks with Canada’s own operatic expert Iain Scott. A day of opera for young people led by opera presenter Clayton Scott and in collaboration with the clay studio of the Gardiner Museum concludes the season.
“Energized by last year’s success, the decision to explore how music and the arts move and inspire us was a natural progression for this year’s season,” said Grossmann.
The Festival dovetails with The Toronto Summer Music Academy. The Academy gives young musicians who are at the threshold of their careers an opportunity to study with an international faculty of the highest quality and reputation.
The Academy program is focused on enhancing music performance skills and offers a series of individual master classes, chamber music coaching, percussion and voice workshops and student performance opportunities. With limited enrollment, study is varied and intense giving students a rare opportunity to interact with the faculty and other emerging professionals in a dynamic environment.
Tickets for all events are available by calling 416-813-4091.
More information about the Toronto Summer Music Festival
and the Toronto Summer Music Academy can be accessed at www.torontosummermusic.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Naomi Strasser or Stephen Shinn
Aerial Communications Group
416.787.6577
naomi@aerialpr.com; stephen@aerialpr.com