In 2014, the U of T Women’s Chamber Choir had the opportunity to perform at Lincoln Center in New York City. Bravo!
Author Archive for Tyler Greenleaf – Page 6
A champion of Canadian music and music education, Victor Feldbrill was the Resident Conductor at the Faculty of Music from 1968-1982.
Dundern published his biography in November 2010.
This was not too long ago, just in 2017, but we really like this photo featuring Sarah Amelard and Joel Allison in a scene from Handel’s Imeneo. Directed by Tim Albery, in an intimate setting the performers and audience were all on MacMillan Theatre stage. We may still be finding sand on stage from this production.
Imeneo March 2017 Sarah Amelard, Joel Allison by Richard Lu
File this under the department of “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Musicians often hold multiple roles simultaneously inside and outside of music throughout their careers. It was no different in the 1960s. Here, in this article in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record in 1968, composition professor Talivaldis Kenins discussed the difficulties that face composers.
Faculty of Music composition professor Talivaldis Kenins taught at the Faculty of Music from 1952 to 1984. The stamp was issued by the Latvian government in 2012 in honour of him for the 100th anniversary of Latvia in 2018.
Kenins Kitchener-Waterloo Record article 8 March 1968
We can thank Greta Kraus for the strength of the classical music community in Toronto today.
Arriving to Toronto in 1939, Greta Kraus went on to form the Toronto Baroque Ensemble and the Aitken-Kraus Duo with flutist Robert Aitken. She taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music from 1943-69 and at the Faculty of Music from 1963 until near her death in March 1998. Known as an outstanding and influential performer, teacher and accompanist, she also coached singers ranging from Teresa Stratas to Russell Braun.
“At 3:00 p.m. on 8 May 1998, a congregation of approximately three hundred individuals assembled in Walter Hall at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, to pay tribute to one of Canada’s preeminent musicians and teachers, the harpsichordist and pianist Greta Kraus (b. Vienna, 3 August 1907; d. Toronto, 30 March 1998). It was a wonderful event, both sad but at the same time exhilarating as a celebration of her rich life. There were tapes of Greta playing and speaking, tributes by former students and colleagues, and live performances by some of those whom she had coached. The outpouring of love and respect for this special person was enormous, one of those extraordinary events those of us fortunate enough to attend will remember for a long time.”
Greta Kraus at harpsichord late photo
In 1994 composition professor Chan Ka Nin won his first JUNO Award for Best Classical Composition for “Among Friends”, performed by the Amici Chamber Ensemble. He went on to win another Best Classical Composition JUNO in 2002 for “Par-çi, Par-la”. Professor Chan joined the Faculty of Music in 1982 and retired at the end of the 14-15 academic year.
Almost 10 years ago the Faculty of Music Opera Division performed Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto. Principal coach and conductor Miah Im joined the Faculty in summer 2008 and this was her first U of T Opera production.
Production photo features Catherine (Marchant) Spanu as Carolina and Erica Iris Huang as Fidalma.
Miah Im conducting Il Matrimonio Segreto November 2008
