Founder and artistic director Atis Bankas is looking at Music Niagara’s 26th season as the start of a new quarter-century of bringing some of the world’s greatest musicians to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
There are several familiar faces returning to the summer series, including classical pianist Viktor Paukstelis, the Toronto All-Star Big Band, the Odin String Quartet, World Music acts Quartetto Gelato and Los Variants, soul singer Luke McMaster, and Alex Pangman and the Sweet Hots.
“I like familiar faces,” Bankas told The Local just before embarking on a mini-tour to Montreal and Ottawa with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “Our audiences do, too. But I also like debuts as well, in view of the fact that we are experiencing a rejuvenation of our audience.”
The first six concerts of the season, which begin on June 16, all feature acts that are new to Music Niagara. And five of them are by choral groups consisting of young singers from Oakville, Ontario, San Francisco, Indonesia, China and Monaco in the new Young Virtuoso and Voices of Tomorrow series.
“In some ways it’s a continuation of our choral festival that took place in 2019, just before the pandemic,” said Bankas. “This time we have national and international youth choirs. It will be an interesting experience, and it’s a bit of a new beginning that we hope to build on for future seasons, maybe even the return of a choral festival.”
New venues are also part of the new beginning. Nine of the season’s 21 scheduled shows will take place inside a tent at Ironwood Cider House on Lakeshore Road. And on Monday, July 1, NOTL resident and Juno-nominated jazz pianist Paul Tobey helps celebrate Canada Day down the road at Spirit in Niagara Distillery.
“I got to know Paul two summers ago when he came to our Viktor Paukstelis concert,” explained Bankas. “He’s focusing on his first career as a jazz pianist after running a business for many years. And he’s played Spirit in Niagara before.”
The fabulous Emma Meinrenken returns for three shows this summer. The first is a duet with cellist Cameron Crozman on July 19. She’ll be back with her Kiri Quartet on August 10 and 11 for a concert followed by a masterclass, both at Grace United Church.
“The masterclasses are part of our performance academy,” explained Bankas. “It’s a behind-the-scenes of the music business, what it takes to be on the road to becoming a professional musician and performer.”
Violinist and music educator Solomiya Ivakhiv also appears for a masterclass on Sunday, July 20, the day after she performs with pianist Steven Beck in the third annual Glory to Ukraine concert. Started at the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the concert celebrates Ukrainian music and culture.
“I stick to my principles,” Bankas claimed. “The war in Ukraine is a human disaster in every way. Nothing was provoked, it is criminal. I feel we have to support the victims of this aggression. We’re fighting this through musical means.”
British composer and conductor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor takes the spotlight at St. Mark’s Church, when pianist Victoria Korchinskaya-Kogan, cellist Jonathan Tortolano and Ukrainian violinists Roman Nykorovch and Liubomir Kliufinsky will accompany violinist Bankas for a tribute.
“I’ve played with Jonathan for many years,” Bankas explained. “His father William published two books on Colerige-Taylor’s life. That was so long before much attention was paid to Black composers. We’ll be playing his music and music from composers who influenced him. And Dr. Tortolano will narrate the concert.”
Bankas is excited about the new partnership with Ironwood Cider House, which has hosted Music Niagara events in previous seasons but never to this extent. The season closes out with a pops series with five concerts in five days from Monday, August 12 to Friday, August 16, featuring Quartetto Gelato, The Fitzgeralds, Los Variants, Luke McMaster and a three-man tribute to Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson. All will be held inside the new tent at the cider house.
“It’s an exciting new space,” Bankas raved. “It’s fitting that this new quarter of our existence begins with a long-term relationship with a new venue where we can produce interesting events and new ideas. It’s perfect for our pops series.”
As well, to celebrate the launch of the season, Music Niagara is presenting a special pre-season concert featuring pianist Sofya Gulyak on Monday, May 13 at St. Mark’s Anglican Church. Bankas and Torotlano will accompany the virtuoso pianist for a repertoire encompassing music from Chopin, Liszt and Czech composer Bedřich Smetana.
Information and tickets for the pre-season show and the summer concert series, including student pricing and six-pack options, are available at musicniagara.org.
Full Music Niagara Festival 2024 Summer Series Lineup
Pre-Season concert - Monday, May 13 - Sofya Gulyak, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Sunday, June 16 - The Oakville Choir for Children and Youth, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Tuesday, June 25 - Young Women’s Chorus of San Francisco, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Wednesday, June 26 - Manado State University Choir, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Sunday, June 30 - YIP’s Chinese Choir, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Monday, July 1 - Paul Tobey, Spirit in Niagara Distillery
Friday, July 5 - Monaco Boys Choir, Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre, Niagara Falls
Friday, July 19 - Emma Meinrenken and Cameron Crozman, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Saturday, July 20 - Glory to Ukraine concert, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Sunday, July 21 - Solomiya Ivakhif Masterclass, Grace United Church
Saturday, July 28 - Tribute to Samuel Coleridge Taylor, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Monday, July 29 - Alex Pangman and the Sweet Hots, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Tuesday, July 30 - Odin String Quartet, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Sunday, August 4 - Viktor Paukstelis, St. Mark's Anglican Church
Monday, August 5 - Toronto All-Star Big Band, Ravine Estate Winery
Saturday, August 10 - Kiri Quartet, Grace United Church
Sunday, August 11 - Kiri Quartet Masterclass, Grace United Church
Monday, August 12 - Guartetto Gelato with Sarah Albu, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Tuesday, August 13 - The Fitzgeralds, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Wednesday, August 14 - Los Variants, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Thursday, August 15 - Luke McMaster - Icons of Soul, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
Friday, August 15 - Rogers, Richie and Robinson, The Tent at Ironwood Cider House
