There should be a chill within the air in Toronto, however the Etobicoke Philharmonic might be celebrating spring with a live performance. Ukrainian-Canadian soprano Natalya Gennadi performs as a soloist within the combined program.
The live performance, titled Jubilations of Spring, takes place on Friday, Could 9 at Martingrove Collegiate Institute, with a Saturday matinee on Could 10 on the brand-new Humber Cultural Hub Recital Corridor.
We spoke to EPO Music Director Matthew Jones and bassoonist Dorothy Ward, together with soprano Natalya Gennedi, concerning the upcoming live performance, and the brand new relationship with Humber Polytechnic.
EPO & Humber Polytechnic
EPO is creating a relationship with Humber Polytechnic, whose Lakeshore Campus is within the midst of a change right into a centre for arts and tradition. Whereas the revitalization challenge remains to be underway, EPO’s Saturday afternoon live performance will happen in its model new recital corridor.
Ultimately, the Humber Cultural Hub will provide movie, media and different performances for audiences, in addition to changing into a centre for fostering the following technology of expertise. The event comes as a refreshing distinction at a time when many different academic establishments are drastically slicing again and even eliminating music and different arts applications.
Humber Polytechnic, already identified for its jazz division, is increasing its orchestral music choices. EPO Music Director Matthew Jones was instrumental in bringing Humber and the orchestra collectively to debate EPO changing into the in-house orchestra for a brand new live performance corridor (but to be constructed), amongst different particulars.
“From my aspect of issues, from the orchestra’s aspect of issues, we’re all the time trying not solely to develop our viewers however our future gamers,” he explains.
The proposed relationship would provide college students efficiency and different alternatives whereas showcasing EPO and its work. “We get to enter their surroundings,” he says. “I really like issues which might be win-win.”
“We’re very nascent on this relationship,” provides EPO bassoonist Dorothy Ward. The orchestra has already labored with Humber and its college students for just a few years on particular initiatives, together with for a 2023 efficiency titled Cultural Cabaret. As she factors out, it’s not solely about making musical intersections, however about fostering a way of group. A Venezuelan pupil created preparations for the 2023 efficiency that noticed the symphony carry out with a rap artist, and others have labored on advertising initiatives for EPO.
“The musical intersections have already began,” Ward says.
Jones says a proposed bigger live performance corridor which might turn out to be EPO’s new residence might be a multifunctional area, encouraging collaborations with disciplines exterior strictly music, together with video, multimedia, and theatre.
Jones additionally sees the discussions with Humber as permitting the orchestra to maneuver ahead. He factors out that orchestras are, on common, considerably behind the curve in terms of utilizing expertise.
“The entry to the expertise that Humber desires, will even transfer us ahead as effectively.”
He’s been in contact with Humber because the work progresses. “We had been very happy and impressed with what’s happening,” he says of the work to this point at Humber. “I believe EPO deserves a brand new place to play,” he provides. “I’m actually, actually happy to see this one coming.
Natalya Gennadi
Ukrainian-Canadian soprano Natalya Gennadi earned a Dora Mavor Award nomination for her debut in Tapestry Opera’s Oksana G in 2017.
Because the 2024 recipient of the New Voices mentorship program grant with Soundstreams, Natalya produced, carried out, and likewise designed video, sound, and costumes, for a bit titled Grandma’s Scarf, which explored the connections between Ukrainian and Indigenous individuals in Canada within the early twentieth century.
Earlier this 12 months, she sang the position of Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with the Stratford Orchestra, and in June, she is going to sing soprano solo in Verdi’s Requiem with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra, Orpheus Choir of Toronto, and Resound Choir.
Throughout her time because the 2023 Civic Engagement Artist in Residence with Pacific Opera Victoria, Natalya produced quite a few multimedia digital and dwell initiatives, together with an autobiographical quick movie Natalya with a Y, which turned a finalist within the Noteworthy Mission nomination on the Opera America Digital Excellence Awards 2024.
Her personal experiences on this planet of opera to this point have bolstered the significance of multimedia collaborations, like her Natalya with a Y quick movie, which used puppetry, AI, CGI, and cease movement animation, amongst different components. “I needed to strive many issues,” she says of the expertise.
The autobiographical movie touches on themes of immigration, motherhood, and what success really seems to be like. “It’s humorous, it’s unhappy,” she says. Within the movie, a younger immigrant involves Canada with goals of changing into an enormous opera star. “Years later… she’s holding sweaters in a retail store,” she laughs.
However, it factors to the notion that success means being who you might be with a way of authenticity, and to sing in your individuals.
“I dwell in Etobicoke, and I sing on this place,” she says.
Repertoire
At Spring Jubilation, Gennadi might be performing Adele’s Laughing Music, and Klänge der Heimat (Sounds of my homeland) from Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, together with ‘We’ll Collect Lilacs within the Spring’ by Welsh composer Ivor Novello, from the musical romance Perchance to Dream and ‘There might be a Storm Tonight’ from Filumena, a Canadian-made opera composed by John Estacio, with a libretto by John Murrell.
Natalya’s trying ahead to the live performance. “I’m within the spring mode,” she says. “I name it a journey,” she says of the repertoire she’ll carry out, which ranges from Vienna to Saskatchewan and locations in between.
“The centre of gravity for this system is Schumann,” Jones says.
The composer himself dubbed his first symphonic work a “Frühlings Symphonie” (Spring Symphony), and he accomplished it inside a month. It was composed between January and February — anticipating spring, in different phrases, quite than revelling in it absolutely. It premiered on March 31, 1841.
“It’s a fairly sturdy piece of music,” Jones provides. “It’s fairly joyous.”
The final EPO live performance, he factors out, featured Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10, a bit stuffed with the composer’s fears and bitterness over the Stalin regime.
“We didn’t need to depart them for the summer season with Shostakovich 10,” he laughs. Schumann’s No. 1, whereas primarily a extra upbeat piece, additionally explores spring in all its usually messy glory. “It’s sophisticated music,” Matthew provides.
“That is his first symphony. Lots of first symphonies aren’t as refined as this one out of the gate — I believe it’s a tremendous premonition of what’s to come back.”
Composer Alice Ho might be readily available to listen to the orchestra carry out her piece Jubilations of Spring. The piece is impressed by a Chinese language legend, and is scored for strings and percussion.
“I believe we’re actually fortunate that she’s becoming a member of us,” Jones says.
- Discover extra particulars and tickets for the Mom’s Day adjoining performances on Could 9 and 10 [HERE].
Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra: 2025/26
EPO has additionally simply introduced their 2025/26 season. Right here’s a sneak peek on the programming:
Demons and Angels (October 17, 2025)
Dvorak: Symphony No. 8
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Donnelly: Grave Digger’s Waltz
Our Story (November 21, 2025)
Kulesha: Celebration Overture
Mozart: Symphony No.31 Paris
Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture
Winter Sweets (December 12, 2025)
Bach: Concerto for two Violins — Soloists Mark Whale, Erick Wawrzkiewicz
Sibelius: Finlandia
Holmès: La nuit et l’amour
Dramatic Metamorphosis (March 27, 2026)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5
Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations — Joel Quarrington, Double Bass
Spring Fling (Could 8, 2026)
Beethoven: Pastorale Symphony
Florence Worth: Piano Concerto — Luke Welch, Piano
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Additionally on the calendar: a Black Historical past Month live performance titled Hymns To Freedom, orchestrated by Corey Butler, and that includes singer and actress Jackie Richardson.
With the aim of creating the music extra accessible, notably to seniors who might have bother getting out on a Friday evening, EPO presents shorter applications on a Saturday afternoon on December 13, 2025, and Could 9, 2026. EPO can also be a associate group to Canoo, a non-profit that appears to attach new Canadians with tradition in numerous methods, together with free tickets to concert events.
- Look ahead to extra particulars of the upcoming season after Could 10 [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.