Tag Archives: Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—In Concert with the TSO

Tonight Erika and I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas shown with the Toronto Symphony playing the score live, conducted by Sarah Hicks at Roy Thomson Hall. As with the 100 Years of Film Music concert we attended earlier this week, … Continue reading

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100 Years of Epic Film Scores from the TSO

The Toronto Symphony program “100 Years of Epic Film Scores” is a kind of history lesson, while celebrating the role music has played in film for over a century. The significance of the century comes from it being TSO’s 100th … Continue reading

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Yuja Wang, Magnus Lindberg, Anton Bruckner and the TSO

As we tentatively poke our heads out, looking for signs that normal life has resumed after the pandemic, concerts like tonight’s from the Toronto Symphony affirm relationships & collaboration, the latest in a series of celebratory moments in the orchestra’s … Continue reading

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Gimeno prepares the taste-buds for Bronfman’s Beethoven

It was a unique Toronto Symphony concert. Conductor Gustavo Gimeno said he had never conducted six items on a program before. It was pretty radical for me too, although I was fortunate. I noticed the unorthodox program and wrote about … Continue reading

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Provocative TSO program: a glimpse of Gimeno

It’s fun getting to know the new music director of the Toronto Symphony, Gustavo Gimeno. I’m excited both by the programming and the performances. Assembling concerts involves a curating process, picking & choosing pieces for performance. Forgive me for repeating … Continue reading

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Gemma New, Kerson Leong and the TSO: “allez grand ou rentrez chez vous”

Last night I heard the first of the Toronto Symphony’s weekend of romantic works, responding passionately to their guest conductor, the New Zealand-born Gemma New. I noticed her intense display of commitment, yet so respectful of every collaborator in this … Continue reading

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Electrifying opener for Gimeno and TSO

Tonight’s concert by the Toronto Symphony was a fitting beginning to their centennial season, a genuinely celebratory evening. The program message from Music Director Gustavo Gimeno is very promising: “The creation of contrast is at the heart of what I … Continue reading

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TSO + Rajaton = ABBA

This week the Toronto Symphony under their pops conductor Steven Reineke presented three concerts of the music of ABBA featuring Rajaton, the Finnish vocal ensemble. While they describe themselves as an a cappella ensemble –singing their vocals accompanied—it was electrifying … Continue reading

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Gimeno + Hannigan = Ear-candy

It was a splendid formula. Far be it from me to propose something as reductive as math in the headline, only that the concert is titled “Gimeno + Hannigan”, which is certainly a quick overview. Between them Gustavo Gimeno and … Continue reading

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Alexander Shelley is coming to town

Before there were convoys and honking horns, it used to be said that living in Ottawa gave you advantages, because of your proximity to the seats of power. Yet maybe there’s still some truth to it when we look at … Continue reading

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