Latest news with #TorontoSymphony
Calgary Herald
7 days ago
- General
- Calgary Herald
Ford: Too many blind to the beauty of our past
Article content The grass was soft, the waterfront location cool and the forum was unique. Article content A performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture by the Toronto Symphony was memorable in and of itself. But to have its dramatic climax accompanied by cannon fire from the decommissioned warship HMCS Haida turned that 1970s experience into a lifetime memory. More than 50 years later, I can still hear the drums, brass and the cannonade as clearly as if it were yesterday. Article content Ontario Place opened the waterfront to landlocked city dwellers. Many won't understand what I am talking about. Ontario Place closed in 2012, labelled as neglected, an expensive drain on the provincial budget. Article content Complaints about cost and purpose started as soon as the ground was broken for its construction. It was called an expensive boondoggle and, if memory serves me well, a columnist for the Hamilton Spectator carped about the waste of money, which could have been spent on more important projects. I believe he mentioned water treatment. Article content Article content Before the newly renovated and mostly privatized islands are opened to those with money to spend on specialized spa treatments, I remember the glory days. I remember the glorious feeling of being able to sit on grass with a breeze off the lake and the freedom from the stifling heat of my apartment. Indeed, there are still public parks and open spaces, but Ontario Place was something special. Article content All of this is occasioned by its renovation and the release of the final design. Did I mention it will include a $400-million parking garage and, in 2029, the relocation of another downtown gem, the Ontario Science Centre? Article content Should any of this matter to Calgarians? It should, before those who see no beauty in age and longevity 'reform' this city. Consider the world's oldest building still in use: Rome's Pantheon, built to honour the gods around 125 AD. Since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic church.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Tech CEO pays USD 400,000 to conduct orchestra: What exactly does a music conductor do?
Last week, Canada-based entrepreneur Mandle Cheung, chairman and CEO of tech firm Computer Talk Technology, led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as the ensemble's conductor. At Roy Thomas Hall, which houses the Toronto Symphony, Cheung presented Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection', one of the most popular works by the Romantic Austrian composer. But what made matters interesting was that 78-year-old Cheung, an amateur conductor and western classical music buff who always wanted to lead an orchestra, paid a whopping 400,000 US dollars to the movers and shakers of the Toronto Symphony to be allowed to conduct. While there was much criticism from musicians, Cheung was unperturbed. 'I had seen the magic of the guy standing in front of the orchestra with a stick. So I said, 'Why can't I do it, too?… I can afford to do it, that's the main thing. So when it came across my mind, I said, 'Hey, maybe I should give it a try,' Cheung told The New York Times last week. The organisers had allowed Cheung to go ahead to increase the revenue of the orchestra, which otherwise runs on ticket sales and charity, avenues that are often unable to cover all the costs. To many, a conductor waving his baton in a series of gestures and wrist flicks may seem incomprehensible. So what exactly is the conductor doing? Is there something mysterious and enigmatic about his presence? A Living Pulse A conductor is a philosopher, a linguist, a scholar and an artiste, all rolled into one. Those from the community are actually interpreters of the scores written by a slew of composers, often from many years ago. They know the score technically as well as emotionally and come with the understanding of unifying a large number of people to present a score in its entirety. While the musicians usually come fully trained in how to play these scores and go through rigorous audition processes to make it to noted orchestras around the world, it is the conductor who sets the emotional and rhythmic tone of an orchestra and the performance. Where does the music need to be brazen and bright, where does it need to be subtle and tender? The tone, the cadence, all of these are decisions made by the conductor. Secondly, an orchestra consists of a large number of often very brilliant musicians who come with different personalities, ideas, egos, biases, likes and dislikes. A conductor brings them all together into an undivided space and tries to present a composer's vision through the musicians in a cohesive manner. They keep everyone and every note together. Leonard Bernstein, one of the greatest conductors of the century, said on his Omnibus show 'The Art of Conducting'(1955), 'The conductor must not only make his orchestra play — he must make them want to play… And when this happens — when everybody shares his feelings, when 100 men are sharing the same feelings, exactly, simultaneously, responding as one to each rise and fall of the music, to each point of arrival and departure, to when all that is happening then there is a human identity of feeling that has no equal elsewhere.' The first recorded incident of an individual 'conducting' an orchestra goes back to 709 BC in Greece. Some Egyptian and Sumerian reliefs from 2800 BC also depict hand signals to guide musicians. These were mostly timekeepers. But a conductor as a musical specialist was accepted in 1784. Before this, instrumentalists and composers led the orchestras. An English journalist in the 1830s called a conductor a 'charlatan who fatigues himself and tires the spectator's eye… thinks that everything is done by himself'. But the more the orchestras swelled, the more discrepancy there was in rhythm and cohesiveness of the music. The role of the conductor thus became paramount. This was a person who understood the composer's idea, studied and knew the scores, besides fully comprehending the purpose of the piece and its emotional depth. Increasingly, the triumph of a show was dependent on how brilliantly the composer brought everything together. The right hand that holds the baton manages and regulates the beats and rhythmic patterns. The swiftness in the movement of the baton indicates how upbeat and downbeat the music is. The patterns, often not apparent to many in the audience, can be equated with the number of beats in a bar and here the conductor is keeping time. While setting the volume of a section in the orchestra, the conductor may point the baton at a musician or a group; some simply raise an eyebrow or look in a particular direction to signal to an artiste to come in and start their piece. This is called a cue in Western classical music. The left hand of the conductor usually conveys the temperament of the notes in various phases during a composition. Usually, circular motions indicate the flow, staccato movements can indicate more explicit and pronounced notes, and closing and opening a fist can indicate stopping and then releasing a phrase or a set of notes. While musicians do read the score and know it well, they also rely heavily on a conductor to guide them. The conductor's body language and its impact on a performance In all of this, the conductor's expressions, his breathing, and his body language are also significant in giving direction and subtle differences in performances by the same orchestra, besides a huge impact on the audience. For example, Bombay boy Zubin Mehta is a more subtle and serene conductor known for minimal gestures, but Bernstein was extremely animated and would get very intense while conducting, so much so that he would jump off the podium during culmination moments. British conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who turned 70 this year, has the full range – from spirited to subtle. Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century, was vigorous and precise like a military commander, while another Italian conductor, Claudio Abbado, was known for his graceful physicality. Then there is the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, known for his frenetic and rapid style. All of them are passionate conductors who perceive a composer's music differently.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Tech CEO pays USD 40,000 to conduct orchestra: What exactly does a music conductor do?
Last week, Canada-based entrepreneur Mandle Cheung, chairman and CEO of tech firm Computer Talk Technology, led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra as the ensemble's conductor. At Roy Thomas Hall, which houses the Toronto Symphony, Cheung presented Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection', one of the most popular works by the Romantic Austrian composer. But what made matters interesting was that 78-year-old Cheung, an amateur conductor and western classical music buff who always wanted to lead an orchestra, paid a whopping 400,000 US dollars to the movers and shakers of the Toronto Symphony to be allowed to conduct. While there was much criticism from musicians, Cheung was unperturbed. 'I had seen the magic of the guy standing in front of the orchestra with a stick. So I said, 'Why can't I do it, too?… I can afford to do it, that's the main thing. So when it came across my mind, I said, 'Hey, maybe I should give it a try,' Cheung told The New York Times last week. The organisers had allowed Cheung to go ahead to increase the revenue of the orchestra, which otherwise runs on ticket sales and charity, avenues that are often unable to cover all the costs. To many, a conductor waving his baton in a series of gestures and wrist flicks may seem incomprehensible. So what exactly is the conductor doing? Is there something mysterious and enigmatic about his presence? A Living Pulse A conductor is a philosopher, a linguist, a scholar and an artiste, all rolled into one. Those from the community are actually interpreters of the scores written by a slew of composers, often from many years ago. They know the score technically as well as emotionally and come with the understanding of unifying a large number of people to present a score in its entirety. While the musicians usually come fully trained in how to play these scores and go through rigorous audition processes to make it to noted orchestras around the world, it is the conductor who sets the emotional and rhythmic tone of an orchestra and the performance. Where does the music need to be brazen and bright, where does it need to be subtle and tender? The tone, the cadence, all of these are decisions made by the conductor. Secondly, an orchestra consists of a large number of often very brilliant musicians who come with different personalities, ideas, egos, biases, likes and dislikes. A conductor brings them all together into an undivided space and tries to present a composer's vision through the musicians in a cohesive manner. They keep everyone and every note together. Leonard Bernstein, one of the greatest conductors of the century, said on his Omnibus show 'The Art of Conducting'(1955), 'The conductor must not only make his orchestra play — he must make them want to play… And when this happens — when everybody shares his feelings, when 100 men are sharing the same feelings, exactly, simultaneously, responding as one to each rise and fall of the music, to each point of arrival and departure, to when all that is happening then there is a human identity of feeling that has no equal elsewhere.' The first recorded incident of an individual 'conducting' an orchestra goes back to 709 BC in Greece. Some Egyptian and Sumerian reliefs from 2800 BC also depict hand signals to guide musicians. These were mostly timekeepers. But a conductor as a musical specialist was accepted in 1784. Before this, instrumentalists and composers led the orchestras. An English journalist in the 1830s called a conductor a 'charlatan who fatigues himself and tires the spectator's eye… thinks that everything is done by himself'. But the more the orchestras swelled, the more discrepancy there was in rhythm and cohesiveness of the music. The role of the conductor thus became paramount. This was a person who understood the composer's idea, studied and knew the scores, besides fully comprehending the purpose of the piece and its emotional depth. Increasingly, the triumph of a show was dependent on how brilliantly the composer brought everything together. The right hand that holds the baton manages and regulates the beats and rhythmic patterns. The swiftness in the movement of the baton indicates how upbeat and downbeat the music is. The patterns, often not apparent to many in the audience, can be equated with the number of beats in a bar and here the conductor is keeping time. While setting the volume of a section in the orchestra, the conductor may point the baton at a musician or a group; some simply raise an eyebrow or look in a particular direction to signal to an artiste to come in and start their piece. This is called a cue in Western classical music. The left hand of the conductor usually conveys the temperament of the notes in various phases during a composition. Usually, circular motions indicate the flow, staccato movements can indicate more explicit and pronounced notes, and closing and opening a fist can indicate stopping and then releasing a phrase or a set of notes. While musicians do read the score and know it well, they also rely heavily on a conductor to guide them. The conductor's body language and its impact on a performance In all of this, the conductor's expressions, his breathing, and his body language are also significant in giving direction and subtle differences in performances by the same orchestra, besides a huge impact on the audience. For example, Bombay boy Zubin Mehta is a more subtle and serene conductor known for minimal gestures, but Bernstein was extremely animated and would get very intense while conducting, so much so that he would jump off the podium during culmination moments. British conductor Sir Simon Rattle, who turned 70 this year, has the full range – from spirited to subtle. Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, one of the most influential conductors of the 20th century, was vigorous and precise like a military commander, while another Italian conductor, Claudio Abbado, was known for his graceful physicality. Then there is the Russian conductor Valery Gergiev, known for his frenetic and rapid style. All of them are passionate conductors who perceive a composer's music differently.
New York Times
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tech C.E.O. Pays $400,000 to Conduct the Toronto Symphony
The musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra took their seats at Roy Thomson Hall on Wednesday for a performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony. Then a stage door swung open, and out walked the conductor. He was not a world-renowned maestro or even a trained musician. The man who walked out, wearing a crisp white shirt and taking the podium, was Mandle Cheung, a 78-year-old technology executive who had paid the Toronto Symphony nearly $400,000 to lead it for one night. Cheung, a lifelong fan of classical music who played in a harmonica band in high school and has dabbled in conducting, persuaded the orchestra to allow him to act out his long-held dream of leading a top ensemble. 'I had watched the videos and heard the recordings,' Cheung, the chairman and chief executive of ComputerTalk Technology in Toronto, said in an interview. 'I had seen the magic of the guy standing in front of the orchestra with a stick. So I said, 'Why can't I do it, too?'' He added: 'I can afford to do it, that's the main thing. So when it came across my mind, I said, 'Hey, maybe I should give it a try.'' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Geek Girl Authority
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Concert Review: MARVEL STUDIOS' INFINITY SAGA CONCERT EXPERIENCE
On a surprisingly windy summer day in Toronto, Marvel fans came together to experience the Infinity Saga like never before. The Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience combined select scenes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe with live orchestral music from the franchise to produce an immersive experience unlike a regular movie-going one. The concert was brought to the city by Kashamara Productions, a Canadian-based special events company. The concert music was conducted by renowned Japanese-American conductor Sarah Hicks, and brought to life by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. About the Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience Photo courtesy Monita Roy Mohan The Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience debuted in 2024 and has since slowly been doing the rounds of North America. There were supposed to be two Toronto concerts, but the Friday show was cancelled. The Saturday show, which is the one I attended, therefore, had a packed audience, which was spectacular because the thunderous clapping and hooting reverberated across the expansive Meridian Hall. RELATED: Marvel Studios Announces Expansive Avengers: Doomsday Cast The concert kicked off with Hicks saying 'Avengers Assemble' to thunderous applause. After a short trailer of the MCU, the show began with the Marvel fanfare. But of course. The concert charted the journeys of key characters from the Infinity Saga, with a focus on the big three—Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). We got to see a few full scenes of their most heroic moments, all with the live orchestra's music playing alongside. Other hero tributes included nods to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), surprisingly Hope Van Dyne/Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), as well as Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and, of course, an emotionally heavy dose of T'Challa/Black Panther, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. There were loud cheers for Thor and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), but also, randomly, Thanos (Josh Brolin). RELATED: Sadie Sink to Star in Spider-Man 4 The pre-intermission section of the Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience was joyful and bright. The inclusion of humorous fight scenes and banter from The Avengers added to the ebullience. Post-intermission was much darker, but it was absolute perfection—the second part almost exclusively covered Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame . It was intense and ever-so emotional. The Music of Marvel Photo courtesy Monita Roy Mohan The Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty of stunning themes and musical interludes, but the franchise doesn't always get the credit it deserves for its music. Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience spotlights the more memorable musical moments of the franchise. I couldn't stop swaying and bobbing to many of my favorite tunes, like the theme from Thor , and the Oscar-winning music of Black Panther . RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World and the Importance of Self-Love A huge cheer went up for the Thor: Ragnarok theme. But the cheers and hoots for The Avengers theme, which played over the scene of the six original Avengers coming together, were deafening. The audience drowned the music out with our applause. While the music was glorious, there were a few missteps. I loved the inclusion of 'The Star-Spangled Man,' but I could not hear the lyrics. Not sure why the voices were completely drowned out by the music. The scene introducing Thor, 'Wakanda,' and Killmonger's theme seemed muted, as if the key percussions were missing. But the music picked up after that. RELATED: Denzel Washington Teases Black Panther 3 Role The Characters Photo courtesy Monita Roy Mohan The Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience emphasized the journey of some of the main characters. So, despite one audience member loudly yelling for Bucky (Sebastian Stan), Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier was hardly in the concert. Interestingly, despite the Snap scene being played out almost in full, Bucky's part was cut out. Strange choice. There was far too little of the Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) tribute. Only her theme tune and a short montage were played. But she got her due later in the concert. The loud hollers for Captain Marvel's epic entrance in Endgame made my heart sing. For all the hate that the ladies of Marvel, especially Brie Larson as Carol, get from the online community, an experience like Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience is a nice reminder that there are actual fans out there who don't revel in prejudice. RELATED: The Missing Women From the Avengers: Doomsday Cast I found the choices of Steve's scenes spectacular—they truly did showcase his heroism. But they also inadvertently showed off how brave and strategic Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) was. My favorite part of the concert was the obvious love for Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). One woman screamed throughout the scene when Wanda staved off Thanos' attack while destroying the Mind Stone, and the love of her life, Vision (Paul Bettany). It was a bit much, but we felt the love. Another audience member stood up and clapped while Wanda fought Thanos in Endgame . The concert also gave us the funeral and farewell for Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) that the all-male writing-directing team of Avengers: Endgame didn't bother to give her. Not only that, but the Black Widow tribute was absolutely stellar. As Natasha Romanoff fell to her death in Vormir, the concert cut to a collection of scenes of Black Widow throughout the MCU, including the dream sequences of the Red Room and numerous touching moments between Natasha and her sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). The tears flowed freely. Literally, the best part of the show. RELATED: Movie Review: Thunderbolts* An Unmissable Experience The Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience ended the way Avengers: Endgame did, concluding decades of nostalgia and investment in these characters with Alan Silvestri's unforgettable musical refrain. Yes, there were more tears. The Concert Experience isn't just a way to re-tread the journeys of the Avengers, it also recontextualizes the meaning they have to us — the audience and fans — and to the new heroes who've joined the MCU since the Infinity Saga ended. RELATED: Why Did Thunderbolts* Even Bother Including Taskmaster? We've all watched Marvel films in theatres far and wide, but the best part of the concert was that it gave us fans the ability to do the things that are not possible in the movie hall — we screamed, we clapped, we hooted. We re-lived the magic of Marvel, one musical theme at a time. Who Is Bob Reynolds, the Newest Hero Introduced in THUNDERBOLTS*? Monita has been championing diversity, inclusivity, and representation in entertainment media through her work for over a decade. She is a contributor at Bam Smack Pow, and her bylines have appeared on 3-time Eisner Award-winning publication Women Write About Comics, Geek Girl Authority, HuffPost, (formerly Soundsphere/Screensphere, FanSided's Show Snob, and Vocal. She was also a TV/Movies features writer at Alongside her twin, Monita co-hosts the pop culture podcast Stereo Geeks.
