Celebration of Small Ensembles - April 5

Celebration of Small Ensembles - April 5, 4:00-6:00 pm

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 between 4-6 pm on Saturday April 5th, May 3rd, and June 7th. Please note that this page is for tickets to the April 5th event only.

3-Concert Pass $90. click here to visit pass purchase page.

Arts Workers $20

Students and minors FREE by request (limited availability). Adults (up to two) accompanying minors half price. Submit requests to tickets@music-toronto.com.

Program Details

4:00 pm

Madeline Hall, guitar

From Bach to Brouwer with a twist of free jazz

Sonata Parra Guitarra Op. 61 - Joaquin Turina (1882-1949)

I. Lento — Allegro— Allegretto Tranquillo

Suite for Solo Cello No.6 in D Major, BWV 1012 - J.S Bach (1685-1750)

I. Prelude
VI. GIgue

Shard - Elliot Carter (1908-2012)

El Decameron Negro - Leo Brouwer (b. 1939)

I. El Arpe de Guerrero (Harp of the Warrior)
II. La Huida de los Amantes por el Valle de Los Ecos (Flight of the Lovers Through the Valley of Echoes)
III. Balada de la Doncella Enamorada (Ballad of the Young Girl in Love)

Sonata For Guitar op. 47 - Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

I. Esordio
II. Scherzo
III. Canto
IV. Finale

5:00 pm
Thalea String Quartet

Christopher Whitley, violin
Kumiko Sakamoto, violin
Lauren Spaulding, viola
Alex Cox, cello

THE NATURAL WORLD

Terry Riley - Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector

J. Haydn - Op 33 No 3: i. Allegro moderato

A. A. Tucker- Radha in the Forest

A. Dvorak - American Quartet: iii. Milton Vivace

G. Smith - Porcupine Wash: ii. Barrel Cactus

J. Haydn - Op 33 No 3: ii. Scherzo Allegretto

Danish String Quartet - Peat Dance

Performer Biographies

Madeline Hall, guitar

Madeline Hall (b. 2002) is a Canadian guitarist and composer based in New York City. Named on CBC's 2023 list of "30 under 30 top Canadian classical musicians", Madeline is described as a "tremendously authoritative and powerful performer" (CBC Radio). Madeline is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School, studying under prof. Sharon Isbin. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Western University (London, ON) where she studied with prof. Wilma van Berkel.

Madeline has won numerous prizes in competitions throughout Canada and the United States, including the Quebec International Music Competition, the Grand Metropolitan International Music Competition, Boston GuitarFest, and the Kiwanis Festival of London’s Rose Bowl Prize. She is a three-time first prize winner of the Ontario Music Festivals Association provincial guitar competition.

Madeline was a featured guitarist in the Ottawa Guitar Society's 2021-2022 concert season as part of their Young Artists Series, in which she performed a program of contemporary guitar repertoire and premiered her composition "Supernova" for guitar, percussion, and soprano saxophone. Other compositions of Madeline's that have been performed include Foliage for String Orchestra and Electronics (premiered by the First St. Andrew's Strings Ensemble), and a handful of her compositions have been performed by Western University Jazz combos. Also an accomplished jazz guitarist, Madeline was selected to be a featured artist on the Jazz FM.91 (Toronto) program Jazzology.

Madeline performs on a 2020 Stephane Ferré guitar.

Thalea String Quartet

The Thalea String Quartet brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have shared the stage with luminaries of the chamber music world, including members of the Emerson, Brentano, and St. Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, Detroit hip hop icon Mahogany Jones, and visionary R+B artist Charlotte Day Wilson.

Committed to shaping and contributing to the future of the string quartet repertoire, the Thalea String Quartet has premiered dozens of new works and has collaborated on new commissions with composers including Osvaldo Golijov, Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker, and Tanner Porter.

Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. The Thalea String Quartet has presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across North America, including the Berkelee College of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and San Francisco State University. They have presented lectures and led discussions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and Wayne State Medical School in Detroit, where they presented a workshop on non-verbal communication to first year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet. Committed to youth mentorship and community music education, the Thalea String Quartet serve as teaching artists for Washington Performing Arts. The ensemble served as faculty and artistic advisors for the inaugural 2023 Fischoff Summer Chamber Music Intensive. Pioneers of virtual educational programming, the Thalea String Quartet has developed a variety of digital content, including two digital video series for students of all ages and the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, which brought together students from across North America for an eight-week intensive study of the music of Florence B. Price, Joseph Haydn, and Antonín Dvořák.

The Thalea String Quartet served as the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland from 2020-2023. The quartet has also held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin and the San Francisco Conservatory. They served as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium for the 2019-20 season and were the 2019-20 Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They were the 2022 and 2023 resident ensemble at the Lakes Area Music Festival and were 2023 visiting artists at the Garth Newel Music Center. The Thalea String Quartet were top prize winners at the 2018 Fischoff Competition and 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.

Christopher Whitley (violin) is from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Kumiko Sakamoto (violin) is from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; Lauren Spaulding (viola) is from San Antonio, Texas; and Alex Cox (cello) is from South Palm Beach, Florida.

Christopher and Kumiko perform on instruments generously on loan from the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank. Christopher performs on a 1900 Stefano Scarampella violin and Kumiko performs on an 1820 Joannes Franciscus Pressenda violin.

Madeline Hall

Thalea String Quartet