Offcentre Music

Join us for the inaugural concert of our 14^th Season as we celebrate our favourite city, Toronto. We hope the TTC won’t mind Streetcar 501’s detour as it leaves Queen Street and makes a stop at Off Centre’s home in Glenn Gould Studio. Performing the works of Michael Colgrass, Harry Freedman, Alexina Louie, James Rolfe, R. Murray Schafer and Peter Tiefenbach among others will be soprano Shannon Mercer, baritone Olivier Laquerre, flutist Robert Aitken, violinist Jacques Israelievitch, John Rudolph on marimba, accordionist Joseph Macerollo, and the Zarankins. Speakers will include actor/writer/director Don McKellar, actor Tracy Wright, Toronto Star architecture critic Christopher Hume, and our very own Stuart Hamilton.

The inhabitants of Toronto are going to hate us: bass baritone Peter McGillivray and pianist Boris Zarankin bring in the Winter early - on November 23rd, with Schubert’s immortal vocal cycle, Die Winterreise. But not to worry, we promise a taste of the Spanish Costa del Sol too – to balance out the afternoon Turina and Granados will be on hand! As always, Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin will delight us with their four hand piano duo.

Sponsored by the Spanish Consulate General.

Our Italian Salon features Rossini’s La Petite Messe Solennelle for four soloists (direct from Italy!) - soprano Serena Farnocchia, mezzo soprano Francesca Provvisionato, tenor Antonio Poli, bass Paolo Pecchioli, two pianos – Inna Perkis and Boris Zarankin, accordion –Joseph Macerollo and chorus lead by Robert Cooper. Enjoy La Petite Messe Solenelle as it was originally performed in Comtesse Louise Pillet-Will's private Parisian Salon!

sponsored by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana and Nina & John Varga.

What unites Hungarians and Russians? No emotional inhibitions, a shared appreciation for gypsy melodies, and, of course, a love of borscht and goulash. Join lecturer Dr. Julia Zarankin, mezzo soprano Krisztina Szabo, sopranos Allison Angelo and Joni Henson, baritone Giles Tomkins, violinist Marie Berard, double bassist Joel Quarrington, cellist Winona Zelenka, and the entire Zarankin Family on this Magyar-Russki' journey.

sponsored by Anna and Leslie Dan.

Whose spirit is the most Romantic? The nightingale – the 19^th century symbol of yearning, of unrequited love – sings his sorrowful song in Spain as he does in Germany. From Granados to Brahms, join our nightingale in celebration of the equally restless flamenco and Sturm und Drang spirits, performed by baritone Russell Braun, sopranos Monica Whicher and Lucia Cesaroni.

co-sponsored by the German and Spanish Consulate Generals.

Off Centre Music Salon gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture. The Foundation receives annually $100 million in government funding generated through Ontario’s charity casino initiative.