Based mostly in Toronto, íchos Collective is a bunch of women-identifying music and humanities producers who intention to curate and current a live performance collection that can carry collectively artists and works of many alternative genres. The collection kicked off in February 2025, and continues on March 30 at Hope United Church within the metropolis’s east finish.
Each native and worldwide artists can be featured within the various music collection, with a objective of supporting girls within the arts.
We spoke to musicians Carla Perrotta-Pyrgos and Jaye Marsh of íchos Collective concerning the group and their plans.
íchos Collective: The Interview
The origins of the íchos Collective come again to a selected occasion.
“It goes again to […] when the KW Symphony introduced they have been folding,” explains Perrotta-Pyrgos.
A dialog started among the many musicians of the KWS about what was doable going ahead. “It’s very obvious that to have a profession as a freelancer, you must forge your individual path,” she says.
A girl-based ensemble was an concept that Perrotta-Pyrgos, Marsh, and others had been toying with for some time. The sudden void left by the collapse of the KWS was the catalyst to place their concepts into motion.
Jaye recollects connecting in conversations with different girls within the arts, and the way isolating it may really feel at instances to shoulder the tasks of motherhood and concurrently try and maintain a inventive profession alive.
“Carla and I have been chatting simply after KW introduced its troubles,” Marsh recollects.
These smaller conversations started to grow to be bigger and extra frequent, and a call was made to create the Collective as a way of mutual assist. It may be particularly troublesome to garner the eye of producers and presenters within the classical music world. “It’s exhausting to seek out assist in case you’re not already vital,” Marsh says.
She describes how overwhelmingly relieved she felt after their first venture got here collectively again in 2024. “I didn’t understand how alone I felt.”
Right now, after a nicely acquired first live performance, there’s extra cause for cautious optimism.
“I believe additionally, the tide appears to be considerably turning on this financial system,” Carla says. Nonetheless, persons are cautious with their cash, and spending extra strategically, as she notes. “It’s a want to supply not only a live performance, however an expertise that folks will get pleasure from.”
With so many options and different live performance experiences vying for viewers {dollars}, a contemporary strategy is required to herald new audiences. “It’s the brand new classical manner,” Perrotta-Pyrgos says. “You may’t maintain doing the identical factor over and over anticipating a special outcome.”
“Place” is a spoken phrase piece commissioned by íchos Collective, music by íchos Collective. Introduced throughout the Freestyle Symphony workshop collection, June 2024:
In relation to the live performance collection, they’re making an attempt out some new concepts and combos. Viewers reactions can be key to future instructions.
Jaye explains, “One of many driving issues [is] connecting individuals, connecting with our audiences.” As she factors out, orchestral musicians are historically considerably distant from the viewers. “There are such a lot of layers between us and the viewers.”
Making a extra casual and immersive ambiance has confirmed common. “We’re discovering that lots of people are responding to our want to attach.” On the February 2025 live performance, for instance, viewers members got hand drums, a five-minute discuss with drummer Rikki LaCoste, after which invited to take part in one of many items.
“He introduced a bit little bit of that magic,” Marsh says. Viewers members have been wanting to know: will this occur for each live performance?
“The truth that we’re girls led and neighborhood minded has been a powerful dialog starter wherever we [are],” she says.
It’s that reference to the viewers that creates a really immersive expertise.
As Perrotta-Pyrgos notes, the concept isn’t to interchange the standard live performance corridor, however to supply another.
“Possibly they don’t need to hear a Mahler symphony,” Carla says, “they’re in search of some type of intimate expertise that they may have enjoyable with, and depart pleased.”
Being nearer to the viewers creates a special expertise for musicians too.
“As a musician, I actually get pleasure from listening to how the music is affecting individuals,” says Marsh. When it comes to ambiance, it’s extra the cheering, talkative vibe of a pops live performance than the standard silent solemnity of the live performance corridor. “It’s a completely totally different vibe,” she says. “It’s the vitality that fuels me as a musician. I actually loved that suggestions.”
The viewers for the primary live performance within the collection was smallish however enthusiastic. One of many items carried out was in workshop stage, and Marsh talked to the viewers about its improvement.
“Folks actually appreciated that actual, behind the scenes look,” Jaye says. “It was actually enjoyable to discover that manner of enjoying.”
It’s opposite to the standard live performance corridor decorum, which dictates that each one the works introduced be totally ready and perfected. As a musician, she explains, it’s vital to have the ability to transfer away from that notion of absolute perfection. The viewers appeared to get pleasure from it.
“I believe it was an entire expertise.”
The Live shows
Live shows happen on Sundays with doorways open at 2:30 p.m. at Hope United Church (2550 Danforth Avenue), a part of the HOPE Live shows collection.
The Sunday afternoon live shows are free, however donations are welcomed. Future dates embody:
- March 30: Ona Ensemble
- April 27: Pet Sounds Reinvented: the Seashore Boys basic, Baroque-style
- Could 25: Greg Harrison
- June 22: íchos Ensemble
The venue is one among few that supply reside classical music in Toronto’s east finish. Hope United Church’s music-friendly and community-minded congregation provided a spot that was appropriate with íchos’ personal objectives.
Future live shows provide quite a lot of sounds. The Ona Ensemble’s tackle acoustic Brazilian music is gaining in reputation.
“On the threat of sound cliche, they’re so sizzling proper now,” says Perrotta-Pyrgos.
Members of the Collective share duties, inviting musical mates to their programming. “All of us lastly get an opportunity to be gamers in addition to presenters,” Carla says. “We’re already planning for subsequent yr.”
Pet Sounds is a Baroque tackle Brian Wilson and the Seashore Boys. “It’s a largely Baroque ensemble doing a Baroque-inspired recreation of this album,” explains Jaye. Greg Harrison, who performs in Could, lives not removed from Marsh within the east finish. “He’s a composer percussionist. He makes use of electronics to govern his sound.” The New Brunswick native will workshop new items and speak about his course of in addition to performing. “He’s an incredible pedagogue, and likewise a pacesetter in improvisation and constructing creativity,” she says.
The íchos Ensemble closes out the live performance collection in June. One factor the ensemble has been exploring is improvisation. “It’s not likely taught anymore,” she says of classical music schooling. “We’re pushing our personal envelopes in enjoying.”
Marsh calls what they’ll be doing structured improvisation facilitated by know-how. “I’m placing my flute by results pedals and loopers and issues like that,” she says. “It’s tapping into that creativity I believe we neglect now we have as classical musicians.”
It’s actually true that the world of classical music tends to encourage an strategy that emphasizes the composer’s unique intentions over the person inventive voice of the performer, all whereas equipping stated performers with the technical abilities to go far past.
“We have now numerous instruments already.”
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.