Celebration of Small Ensembles May 6

Celebration of Small Ensembles May 6 / 5:00pm

Music Toronto invites you to the Celebration of Small Ensembles – ancient, classic and 21st century music boldly curated and performed by small ensembles. A new space for social gathering and musical discovery. All curious listeners are welcome.

Celebration of Small Ensembles events will take place in the late afternoon on Saturday May 6th, May 20th, and June 3rd. Please note that this page is for tickets to the May 6th event only.

We are also offering a 3-Concert Pass for $90. If you would like to purchase the pass instead, please click here to visit that ticket purchase page.

Presented with support from Laishley Reed LLP, Wholenote Media Inc., the Government of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.

Program Details

Sounds of Conflict

Classical

Daniel Dastoor, violin / Brian Woods, piano

Featuring works for violin and piano by Poulenc, Suk, Ravel, and Janáček, Sounds of Conflict celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, and the power of creativity to transcend the trauma and upheaval brought on by change, chaos and war.

Madame Speaker - the Phonating Pianist

Contemporary Classical

Madeline Hildebrand, piano and voice

“Pianists, traditionally speaking, don’t…speak. We don’t even perform with our faces in full view. What happens when our necks turn, breaking that wall, to address the audience? Is it invasive? Is it intimate?” In this performance, Madeline’s spirited and dynamic persona explores the cutting edge canon of music for speaking and singing pianist.

Classics, Swing, and the American Songbook

Jazz

Jurecka, Farrugia, Johnston Trio

Drew Jurecka, violin / Adrean Farrugia, piano / Clark Johnston, bass

Expressive, dynamic and improvisatory, small ensemble jazz is at its best an intimate setting. A set list featuring classics from the American Songbook and the Swing era offer multiple departure points for brilliant diversions, explorations and musical juxtapositions.

Performer Biographies

Dastoor/Woods Duo

Formed in 2020 at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, the Dastoor-Woods Duo is made up of Canadian violinist Daniel Dastoor and American pianist Brian Woods. Inspired by their passion for chamber music, Dastoor and Woods look forward to performances in both Canada and the United States, as well as competitive appearances both as soloists and as a pair. The Duo already boasts a wide repertoire, encompassing works from the Classical era to the 21st Century, and has recorded in such prestigious venues as Koerner Hall. Originally from Montreal, Daniel Dastoor currently studies with Ian Swensen at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, pursuing an Artist Diploma in Chamber Music. Brian Woods recently graduated from the Glenn Gould School, where he studied with John O’Conor, and currently lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where he is actively working as a soloist and chamber musician.

Madeline Hildebrand

Canadian pianist Madeline Hildebrand is happiest with her hands full. Praised as “extraordinary” with “an instinctive understanding of beautiful sound” (Jon Kimura Parker), Madeline infuses traditional repertoire with riveting energy and carves at the cutting edge of contemporary, all while juggling audio cables and awe-inspiring chops.

Whether cooperating with a singer or a sine wave, Madeline’s collaborative instincts lead much of her work. She was recently featured on composer T. Patrick Carrabré’s award winning album, 100,000 Lakes (2021) and in the Banff Centre’s 2022 Classical: Evolution artist development program.

Musical highlights include sharing the stage with Philip Glass in a performance of his Etudes (Winnipeg’s New Music Festival 2018), transforming a riverbank into a dazzling interactive light show featuring six pianos (Winnipeg Nuit Blanche 2020) and performing coast to coast in Canada, U.S.A, Italy, Romania, Armenia, and Georgia.

Madeline is completing her doctorate at Stony Brook University (New York).

Drew Jureka

Drew Jurecka is a Grammy-nominated violinist, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Performing regularly with his Jazz Trio, with the Venuti String Quartet and as the bandoneonist with Payadora Tango Ensemble. He’s toured with artists including Jill Barber, Jeff Healey, John McDermott, Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe.

As a studio musician and arranger, Drew’s arrangements and playing can be heard on film, TV and video game soundtracks as well as hundreds of records for artists including Dua Lipa, Alvvays, Dermott Kennedy, Mastodon, Ron Sexsmith, Donovan Woods, Buffy St Marie, Laila Biali, Barbra Lica, Jill Barber.

Drew's arrangements have been performed by groups including the Toronto Symphony, the National Arts Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, The Art of Time Ensemble, the Gryphon Trio.

Production credits include Jill Barber, Barbra Lica, Banners, VC2, Payadora Tango Ensemble. He has released one record with his Jazz trio, and several records with his other projects.

Adrean Farrugia

Award winning pianist and composer Adrean Farrugia is one of Canada’s most sought after pianists and composers. He has performed around the globe with artists including Ernie Watts, Sheila Jordan, Brad Goode, Cyrille Aimee, Matt Dusk, Molly Johnson, Joel Frahm, Ernesto Cervini, The Worst Pop Band Ever and others. Adrean serves on the faculties of Mohawk College and Humber College and has played on more than 40 albums to date garnering 2 Juno awards, 8 Juno award nominations.

Clark Johnston

Clark Johnston performs regularly with Drew Jurecka, Adrean Farrugia, James Brown, Neil Brathwaite, and Ashley St Pierre, as well as many other great musicians. Clark has released three CDs with Shields Johnston Fielding featuring his original compositions and can be heard on many other people’s recordings. Clark is currently on faculty at McMaster University and Hillfield Strathallan College.