Event Details

The Kindred Spirits Orchestra has performed since 2009, to a great acclaim, sold-out audiences, and standing ovations at the legendary CBC Glenn Gould Studio in downtown Toronto. As of the 2011, the Kindred Spirits Orchestra has also established a 6-concert subscription series at the Flato Markham Theatre, in addition to 3 community-outreach and 2 educational concerts. Led by the charismatic Maestro Kristian Alexander, the Kindred Spirits Orchestra is enjoying an enormous popularity among York Region's residents and continues to attract avid audiences across the Greater Toronto Area.

The Kindred Spirits Orchestra performs a wide range of compositions by Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Handel, Tchaikovsky, Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and many others. Ardent supporter of contemporary music, the Kindred Spirits Orchestra created, also in 2011, Markham Contemporary Music Festival, an annual event that has brought to life great pieces of the 20th century by Lutoslavsky, Stravisnky, Philip Glass, Honegger as well as by illustrious Canadian composers such as Garry Kulesha, Brian Current, Larysa Kuzmenko, Daniel Friedman, Kevin Lau, and Constantine Caravassilis. During the past few years alone, the orchestra has regularly worked with internationally renowned soloists such as pianists Christina Quilico, James Parker and Maxim Bernard, violinists Jacques Israelievitch, Joelle Kee and Marc Djokic, cellist Rachel Mercer, soprano Rebecca Whelan, and tenor Keith Klassen, among many others.

This application is for the“Markham Contemporary Music Festival 2017”, taking place June 9 to 29, 2017 in several venues around Markham, including a new outdoor venue, the Unionville Millennium Bandstand (details about programming at this venue will be confirmed in March). Building on their six successful editions, the Festival will be expanding considerably in 2017. Programming highlights include:

(1) June 9: Official opening of Markham Contemporary Music Festival. An evening filled with activities for families and children – “Make your own musical instrument” workshop and “Write your own song” workshop animated by musicians of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.;

(2) June 10: Kindred Spirits Orchestra concert. Two early works from British composer Benjamin Britten Sinfonietta and Simple Symphony;

(3) June 11-21: World Musical Instruments Collection at the International Music Academy;

(4) June 13, 20 and 27: A three-part performance and workshop series by Maestro Kristian Alexander and the KSO;

(5) June 14 and 25: “Shostakovich et Stalin”, film screening and lecture (in French) about the artistic struggle and human tragedy of Soviet composers during the communism;

(6) June 17: Recital of internationally renowned pianist Christina Petrowska-Quillico featuring compositions by Canadian contemporary composers;

(7) June 19 and 23: Lecture (in French) and documentary film about the life and work of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen;

(8) June 29: Verdi’s “Overture to La forza Overture to La forza del destino”, Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Orchestra, and “ Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”, and

(9) June 29: Official closing of Markham Contemporary Music Festival.