A look at the fall seasons of arts organizations in the Toronto-Hamilton area -in 6 questions
THE HAMILTON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
1.What is your name and connection to this organization?
Tara Bryk, Manager of Marketing and Development
2.How is your organization important to Canadian culture and to culture in general?
The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) supports Canadian culture through the hiring of Canadian artists, and the performance and commission of Canadian works. This season in particular highlights the essence of Hamilton and the vastness of Canada’s artists and music scene.
The HPO welcomes Canadian guest artists Janina Fialkowska, Ian Thomas, the Canadian Brass and Katherine Chi, along with Music Directors of other Canadian orchestras including Bernhard Gueller, Ivars Taurins and Eric Paetkau. The HPO is also thrilled to present Canadian works from composers Robert Rival, Kelly Marie-Murphy and our own Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte.
In addition to our mainstage concert series at Hamilton Place, new programming such as the annual What Next Festival of New Music and the free HPO Gallery Series bring the live orchestral experience to a broader range of people. As a key contributor to culture in the Greater Hamilton Area, the HPO is an important part of this community.
3.Please give me 3 to 5 highlights of this coming fall season and tell us why each one will be special.
*Opening Night: Chopin & Beethoven, September 19, 2015: The first concert of a season is always special and this concert is no different. Canadian pianist Janina Fialkowska performs the music she’s best known for, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
*A Life in Song: Ian Thomas and the HPO, October 17, 2015: Ian Thomas started his career as a member of Tranquility Base, a group-in-residence with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in the 70s. We’re thrilled to have the Hamilton native return to his hometown in this world premiere of his work with live orchestra.
*In Remembrance: Songs of Courage and Honour, November 7, 2015: This year marks 70 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe. An annual tradition at the HPO, this evening of music honours our community’s military personnel and families.
*Totally Mozart, November 28, 2015: This all-Mozart program explores three distinct styles of this ubiquitous classical composer – an overture, a symphony and a concerto.
*Home for the Holidays with the Canadian Brass, December 19, 2015: The world-renowned Canadian Brass return to their hometown in this annual concert of popular holiday hits.
4.What’s the best way to get tickets? Do you have a discount policy of some kind?
Tickets are available online at hpo.org or through the HPO Box Office by calling 905-526-7756. The HPO offers single tickets starting at just $17 and concert packages from $64. Group rates are also available. Please contact the HPO Box Office for more information.
5. Please give me three words that best describe what your organization has to offer.
Classical. Masterful. Contemporary.
6.What are the age groups of people who buy your tickets and what do they say about your organization and its cultural offerings?
The HPO audience varies greatly in age and interest. At each performance you will find new concertgoers, subscribers who have attended for decades and everyone in between!
Through the Young Patrons Circle, the HPO provides opportunities for audience members under 35 years of age to get involved with their city’s professional symphony. Now in her second year, here’s what Olivia has to say about her experience with the HPO’s Young Patrons Circle. “I think it is a great program and I was very happy with my subscription last year! The seats were great and I liked as a young person being able to support a local arts organization. I also think that by making this affordable for young people it allows them to be able to renew each year and it starts a lifelong commitment to going to symphonies.”
The HPO is also very fortunate to have long-time subscribers like Betty, who have made the HPO an integral part of their lives. Betty shares, “I’ve been a happy subscriber for 69 years. Ever since I was able to pay for my own subscription. I was just a little girl then but I’ve always taken to classical music. Your concerts over the years have played a very important part of my life. I hope the Philharmonic will continue for many years so that others can enjoy it too.”
SINFONIA TORONTO
1.What is your name and connection to this organization?
Nurhan Arman, Music Director and Conductor
2. How is your organization important to Canadian culture and to culture in general?
Sinfonia Toronto contributes to Canadian culture and to the art-form immensely. It has commissioned, premiered and recorded many compositions by Canadian composers. It tours nationally and internationally promoting Canadian performers and Canadian music.
3. Please give me 3 to 5 highlights of this coming fall season and tell us why each one will be special.
As a chamber orchestra we are mobile and able to serve the GTA. This year we are presenting four Downtown Concerts at Glenn Gould Studio and three North York concerts at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. We look forward to many premiere performances by Canadian and international composers. We will be performing with several nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians. One of Poland’s finest violinists Marta Magdalena Lelek will make her Canadian debut with us on December 11. Also a winner at the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition Jan Milosz Zarzycki will make his Canadian debut with Sinfonia Toronto guest conducting the November 12 concert. Our opening concert on October 24 will feature the amazing Canadian pianist Dmitri Levkovich who is enjoying a brilliant career in Europe as the recent winner of the German Piano Award. He’ll be playing Beethoven’s 1st Piano Concerto and we’ll be playing the North American premiere of Canadian-Russian composer Airat Ichmouratov’s Chamber Symphony No. 4. Our in-school educational programs ‘Concert Under Construction’ are one of my personal favourites.
4.What’s the best way to get tickets? Do you have a discount policy of some kind?
The best way is purchasing them online from http://sinfoniatoronto.com We have regular discounts for seniors and students. Our ‘First-time Subscriber’ offer is probably the best classical music value in Toronto. Occasionally we announce special single ticket sales on all our social media platforms.
5.Please give me three words that best describe what your organization has to offer.
Excitement, inspiration, creativity.
6.What are the age groups of people who buy your tickets and what do they say about your organization and its cultural offerings?
We are pleased that Sinfonia Toronto audiences come from a wide range of demographics. They are from every corner of GTA and some neighboring cities. Average age is probably about 40. Our active social media presence has clearly contributed to the audience’s wide mixture.
THE PLAYERS’ GUILD OF HAMILTON
1. What is your name and connection to this organization?
Dan Penrose, President of the Board of Directors
2. How is your organization important to Canadian culture and to culture in general?
We are the oldest continuing community theatre in North America, run entirely by dedicated volunteers. As such, we feel a desire and obligation to offer our experience and knowledge to the burgeoning Arts scene in Hamilton and area. We provide a high standard of theatre to the theatre-goers in the community and offer both mentoring and needed venue space to emerging artists of any media at a “no risk” cost to learn and practice their craft. We are a source of entertainment, a resource to other groups and recognized leaders in Hamilton’s Arts community.
3. Please give me 3 to 5 highlights of this coming fall season and tell us why each one will be special.
*Our annual Open House (unfortunately held on Sept 12th) celebrated our 140th season. We opened our doors to an interested public for guided tours of our 1878 building along with entertainment, costume and art displays, food and prizes and all at no cost.
*Sept 18th through Oct 3rd is our first production by Canadian playwright, Norm Foster. The play showcases some seasoned and some new talent to our audience and fulfills our desire to present Canadian content.
*Nov 27th through Dec 12th is play number two, a new Christmas themed comedy, murder mystery around the detective legend, Sherlock Holmes. The play brings together actors from Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford and Oakville in this delightful play.
*October 17th we will be hosting a legitimate and active ghost hunting group to investigate and verify the long-standing belief that our 137 year old building is home to a number of spirits.
4. What’s the best way to get tickets? Do you have a discount policy of some kind?
Best way is to reserve at 905 529 0284 or online and www.playersguild.org
We offer discounts to groups as well as discounts or complimentary tickets to students and young artists depending on perceived need.
5. Please give me three words that best describe what your organization has to offer.
Entertainment, resources and mentoring
6. What are the age groups of people who buy your tickets and what do they say about your organization and its cultural offerings?
Our main demographic is over 50 and most of those are repeat patrons. They love us and are very dedicated to our group. We are developing more younger patrons and see a growing number of 30 to 50’s coming to our shows.
TARRAGON THEATRE
1.What is your name and connection to this organization?
Richard Rose, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre since 2002.
2. How is your organization important to Canadian culture and to culture in general?
Tarragon Theatre is one of Canada’s most important arts institutions. For 45 years, Tarragon Theatre has created, developed and produced new plays by home-grown artists as well as significant works from the world stage, vitally contributing to the important legacy of a Canadian culture. Since its founding, over 190 works have premiered at Tarragon and over 500 scripts have been created and workshopped, receiving 34 nominations and 11 wins for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Tarragon received the 2012 Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in recognition of producing and developing leading edge and thought-provoking Canadian Theatre, both nationally and on the world stage.
3. Please give me 3 to 5 highlights of this coming fall season and tell us why each one will be special.
Tarragon’s 2015/16 season features plays by 7 playwrights who are new to Tarragon audiences
*We are opening our season with international sensation Blind Date, a ‘spontaneous theatre’ event created by Rebecca Northan that sees a brave audience member act out a blind date live on stage with her each night.
*Hit-show An Enemy of the People is back by popular demand from the 2014/15 season, featuring an all new cast including Laura Condlln in the lead role of Dr. Stockmann (formerly played by Joe Cobden).
4. What’s the best way to get tickets? Do you have a discount policy of some kind?
Tickets are available at http://tickets.tarragontheatre.com or by calling 416-531-1827, with discounts for seniors, students, arts workers, and patrons under 35 years of age. If you fall into the latter two categories (under 35/arts workers), visit www.tarragontheatre.com/tarragon22. We also have $15 Rush Tickets on sale two hours prior to every performance, in person at the theatre, subject to availability.
5. Please give me three words that best describe what your organization has to offer.
New Canadian plays.
6. What are the age groups of people who buy your tickets and what do they say about your organization and its cultural offerings?
Tarragon’s season will appeal to people of all ages. At every production, we have subscribers who have been visiting our theatre for 45 years, and new audiences visiting us for the first time. In the words of a 15-year subscriber: “Tarragon continues to present creative, provocative theatre.”