Stage Door News
Stage Door News
This Month on the Bloor St. Culture Corridor
Mark the beginning of spring with fantastic arts and culture events across the Bloor St. Culture Corridor! Take a stroll down Bloor Street and visit one of the many cultural centres spanning Bathurst to Yonge, bringing you live music, museum exhibitions, film, art exhibitions, arts and language classes, and more!
The Music Gallery
The Music Gallery shows in April are all about the wonders of "comprovised" music - composition mixed with improvisation. April 6's Emergents III concert is an intergenerational encounter focused on the late Toronto guitarist and composer Ken Aldcroft, in which emerging artists perform selections from his repertoire with guidance from Ken's former bandmates. Before the show there is a panel discussion about the history of mass media coverage of creative music in Toronto, featuring well-known journalists Mark Miller, Carl Wilson, Jennie Punter and more. After the show, stick around for the annual silent auction and more fundraising fun. On April 29, the Music Gallery welcomes the legendary multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, whose musical experiences range from free jazz "energy music" of the 1960s to more contemplative, electronically inflected sounds today. He joins Quebec duo Not The Music. Opening is Montreal's Mercury, a duo of one of Canada's foremost clarinetists Lori Freedman and bassist Nicolas Caloia. For more information please visit musicgallery.org.
Japan Foundation, Toronto
This April, the Japan Foundation, Toronto will have a series of films on fashion, starting with Hula Girls! on April 12. In our gallery space, Tokyo Before/After photography exhibition will be on view, April 11-July 11, featuring 80 works by classic and contemporary Japanese photographers. On April 11 join the monthly BYOB (bento) free lunchtime Japanese class. For more information please visit jftor.org.
Soundstreams
On April 21 at 8pm, Soundstreams presents Freddy's Tune: Turntable Bach, Strings Attached at Trinity-St. Paul Centre. In 1747 Bach's visited his patron Frederick the Great, the King of Prussia. King Freddy, a talented amateur musician handed Bach a theme and challenged him to improvise. That became the basis for Bach's magnum opus The Musical Offering. The Gryphon Trio joins forces with DJ SlowPitchSound, drummer Dafnis Prieto, trombonist / composer Scott Good, and bassist extraordinaire Roberto Occhipinti, to create a contemporary, cross-genre Musical Offering. From the world premiere of a Bach remix, to an arrangement of John Adams' dazzling Phrygian Gates, expect an energetic evening inspired by Bach's timeless brilliance. For more information please visit soundstreams.ca.
Royal Ontario Museum (The ROM)
This April at the ROM, don't miss the last chance to explore the spectacular designs of Christian Dior before this special exhibition closes on April 8. The powerful exhibition Here We Are Here: Black Canadian Contemporary Art explores the deep rooted histories and enduring presence of Black culture in Canada, on until April 22. Renowned Caribbean Canadian writer NourbeSe Philip delivers a moving performance of a selection of poetry related to the murder of Africans on board the slave ship Zong at ROM Speaks: Zong!, April 10. Join leading climate change scientist and activist Dr. James Hansen to hear about current climate change research, and projections of the impact of greenhouse gases on our planet at ROM Speaks: Climate, Energy and Policy, April 16. ROM Speaks tickets are $18 Members, $15 Students, $20 General, includes a reception and one host drink. The ROM is Canada's pre-eminent museum of art, culture, and nature. Become a ROM member and enjoy unlimited free admission to special exhibitions and more. For more information, please visit rom.on.ca.
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory's KUNÉ - Canada's Global Orchestra will perform at Koerner Hall on April 7 in a concert that launches their self-titled release on Universal Music Canada. The evening also features David Buchbinder
and Hilario Durán with their band Odessa/Havana. Italian pianist Beatrice Rana, in her Koerner Hall debut on April 8, will perform works by Schumann, Ravel, and Stravinsky. Malian singer, songwriter, and actress, Fatoumata Diawara is centre stage at Koerner Hall on April 12, and Okavango African Orchestra opens the show. On April 29, American and Indian jazz meet as legendary tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and jazz bassist Dave Holland are joined by the band in
Crosscurrents: Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland. Max Raabe and his Palast Orchester return to Koerner Hall on April 18. The Amici Chamber Ensemble celebrates its 30th anniversary with Isabel Bayrakdarian and friends on April 27. The next day, French cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Jérôme Ducros will play sonatas by Brahms and Rachmaninov, and some of their favourite French and Russian pieces on April 28. For information and tickets please visit rcmusic.com/performance.
Tafelmusik
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir presents Bach B-Minor Mass, one of the supreme pieces of music ever written. Whether you are a performer or listener, this piece captivates your heart and soul. Experience Bach's choral masterwork at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, April 5-8. Directed by Ivars Taurins, featuring soprano Dorothee Mields, mezzo-soprano Laura Pudwell, tenor Charles Daniels, and baritone Tyler Duncan. Then, Tafelmusik heads to Vienna & Madrid with Close Encounters, an intimate chamber concert on April 21 at Temerty Theatre, TELUS Centre. Bohemian composer Johann Baptist Vanhal and Salzburg's native son Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart saw their careers flourish in Vienna, while the Italian cellist Luigi Boccherini composed music with a distinctive Spanish flair after settling in Madrid. Travel with them to their adopted cities in this program of bright and charming classical gems for oboe and string trio. For tickets and more information, call 416.964.6337 or visit tafelmusik.org.
Istituto Italiano di Cultura
The Istituto Italiano di Cultura in collaboration with R & Company and Design Exchange present Super Design, an exhibition of Italian Radical Design. The show has been over a decade in the making and has come together through extensive research, passionate collecting, and interviews with protagonists of the movement. Iconic masterpieces such as Pratone from Ceretti-Derossi-Rosso, Fiore Artificiale by Gino Marotta, or Capitello from Studio65. On April 9 at 6pm, Innis Town Hall Theatre, Italy Inspires Canada Lecture with Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Lamborghini. Domenicali will focus on two main topics: young generations and innovation in the super sports automotive industry. He will elaborate on his relation with young people and highlight the paramount importance of the competencies that they bring in today's competitive arena. He will also explain the mega trends in the automotive industry and Lamborghini's response to customer experience, innovation, and know-how. For more information please visit iictoronto.esteri.it
Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre
April at the MNjcc begins with a charming romantic film comedy, Hanna's Journey, Sunday April 8 in the Al Green Theatre. Also in the Al Green Theatre, on April 16, don't miss a live mixed media show from Israeli podcast Israeli Story that embraces stories of Israelis overcoming social divides: Mixtape. On Thursday April 12, commemorate Yom Hashoah (Israeli Holocaust Remembrance Day) with reflections, a candle lighting ceremony, and a special presentation by Professor Piotr Wróbel who will discuss the 75th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Meet the author Leonard Wise when he discusses his new book Charles Pachter - Canada's Artist, on Thursday April 26. Come visit the Third Floor Exhibit: Fireworks and Fantasy, Melanie Gruson-Wood's abstract canvases that are full of colour and energy. Ongoing until April 29. For more information please visit mnjcc.org.
The Toronto Consort
The Toronto Consort is proud to present guest ensemble Quicksilver, a hot new group of virtuoso players of early Baroque music, April 13 & 14, 8pm. At one of their recent concerts, The New York Times reported that "the audience was on its feet cheering and hooting as if it were at a rock show." Quicksilver's Fantasticus features extravagant music from 17th-century Germany for violins, sackbut, dulcian, and continuo, with works by Buxtehude, Bertali, Weckmann and Schmeltzer. Excellent seats available for only $45. For information and tickets, visit TorontoConsort.org
Bata Shoe Museum
Spring into April at the Bata Shoe Museum! Make sure to visit before April 15 for your last chance to see Fashion Victims: The Pleasures and Perils of Dress in the 19th Century. Also on April 15, the BSM is excited to co-present with Hot Docs Ted Roger's Cinema, a screening of the 2017 documentary Manolo Blahnik: The Boy Who Made Shoes for Lizards, at Hot Docs Ted Roger's Cinema, 506 Bloor St W., 11am, $17. Tickets can be purchased online at hotdocscinema.ca. The film will be followed by a Q&A with BSM Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack and is in anticipation of the upcoming exhibition, Manolo Blahnik: The Art of Shoes, opening at the BSM on May 16. For those interested in learning the skill and artistry of moccasin making, there are a limited number of spaces left in the next session of the Manitobah Mukluks Storyboot School, hosted by the BSM, beginning April 7 and running until June 2. Every weekend there is Weekend Family Fun, featuring activities for kids ages 3-12. For more information please visit batashoemuseum.ca.
Toronto Reference Library
The Toronto Reference Library Appel Salon series continues with writer Kim Thúy visiting the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon on April 25. Check out the full Appel Salon line-up with upcoming events featuring Rachel Giese, Meg Wolitzer and more. In celebration of National Poetry Month, the Toronto Public Library is hosting its first ever Spark Poetry Festival, April 27-29. Programming highlights include Dan Chiasson, poetry editor for The New Yorker, discussing the poetry of Joni Mitchell, and a reading with Natasha Trethewey, two-time U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner. Artists capture illuminating views of our city streets, in the Library's Toronto Revealed exhibition running until April 22 in the TD Gallery. This exhibition showcases paintings, drawings and prints of Toronto streets from the library's Canadian Documentary Art Collection. For more information please visit torontopubliclibrary.ca.
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
This Spring, the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival celebrates 25 years of outspoken voices and outstanding stories. Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema kicks off the festivities early with Epilogues, April 9-26, a five-film series checking in with some of the most memorable subjects in Festival history, including local heavy metal heroes Anvil, David McCallum and British neurosurgeon Henry Marsh. The 2018 Hot Docs Festival runs April 26-May 6 with screenings at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema and across the city. Programs include: The Changing Face of Europe, Made In Mexico, Outstanding Achievement Award Retrospective Honouring Barbara Kopple, and Special Presentations. For more information please visit hotdocscinema.ca.
Gardiner Museum
Make some time for art-making and collaboration with a visit to YOKO ONO: THE RIVERBED. A three-part participatory exhibition, YOKO ONO: THE RIVERBED invites you to contribute to the exhibition by creating with ceramic pieces, twine, rocks, and more. Included with general admission. On April 12, the Gardiner Museum partners with The Rude Collective, Xpace Cultural Centre, and Pleasure Dome to bring you Eyeblink: Hashtag Solidarity, an art party that explores bourgeois activism within the arts. There will be art, drinks, a DJ set, and more. $10 General/$8 Gardiner Friends. For more information please visit gardinermuseum.com.
Museum of Estonians Abroad/VEMU
In April at the Museum of Estonians Abroad/VEMU, the exhibit Two Edges of a Lifespan will be on display. April 5 at 7pm, Chef Susi Holmberg will be leading another Cooking with Susi workshop, focusing on Estonian bread. April 25 at 7pm, folklorist Marju Kõivupuu from Estonia will be giving a lecture on the topic of Estonian Traditions and Identity in Changing Times. In Estonian. April 26, 7:30pm, the Estonian Studies Centre in collaboration with Bloor St. Culture Corridor partner Alliance Française will be screening another film in the L'Estonie au Cinéma series: Seenelkäik (Mushrooming), at Alliance Francaise, 24 Spadina Rd. On April 28 at 6pm, VEMU will be hosting its 7th fundraising dinner. Keynote speaker Marju Kõivupuu will be speaking on the topic of 100-Year-Old Estonia During the Year of European Cultural Heritage 2018. In Estonian. Tickets: $150. All events are free of charge unless otherwise noted, donations welcome. For more information please visit vemu.ca.
A Different Booklist Cultural Centre
Spring is here and A Different Booklist Cultural Centre is hot off the Storytelling Festival! Coming up, the spoken word event R.I.S.E is on Monday, April 5. Afterwards, celebrate the spirit of new beginnings at Paint Night Series for the ladies continuing with the amazing Nicole Alexander on April 20. The launch of the series was a big success, and things will only get more colourful! Paint Night tickets are $45, refreshments included. Complement these moments or enjoy new experiences by experiencing the updated exhibition Welcome to Blackhurst II: African-Canadians in Medicine & STEM. For more information please visit adifferentbooklist.com.
for Culture, Arts, Media and Education
At 918 Bathurst on April 12, hear River Moon, Flower Garden: The Music of Fuhong Shi. 7:30pm, PWYC. Friday, April 13, comedian Arthur Simeon presents The Blackest Panther. $20 tickets at torontocomedyclub.com. On Saturday, April 21, 918 Bathurst welcomes Wavelength Music Series with a concert featuring Tess Roby and Dorothea Paas. $10 tickets at wavelengthmusic.ca. Sunday, April 22, Ryerson New Media students present: Diende Visus | New Media Art Show. Friday, April 27, Spur of the Moment Shakespeare Collective returns for their annual Shakesbeers Showdown: Jurrasic Bard. There will be beer, Shakesbeer, laughs, and maybe even dinosaurs. For more information please visit 918bathurst.com.
Alliance Française Toronto
At Alliance Française this April, the Movie Thursday Series continues on April 5 with Summer's Tale by Eric Rohmer, Over My Dead Body by Brigitte Poupart on April 12, 'Round Midnight by Bertrand Tavernier on April 19, and Mushrooming by Toomas Hussar, on April 26. All films at 7:30pm. Also, a children's puppet show Toutou by Vox Theatre will be on Sunday, April 15, 2pm. Talks in April include From the Seamstress to the Consumer: Fashion Victims and Clothing with Alison Matthews David on April 11, and Preserving the Past for the Future with Gilles Huot on April 18. Both talks at 7pm. In the Gallery Pierre-Léon, an exhibition by Toronto French School Visual arts talents at TFS is proudly on display, April 23-April 27. An Evening of Slam - Free Together concert will be presented on Saturday, April 7, by Joy, Caylah, Yao and D-Track, the concert 100 Years of Jazz Double Bass with Bernard Dionne and his guests on April 21, and finally, Dance, Dance! The Transformation of the World by Jean Rondeau on April, 27. All concerts at 8pm. For more information please visit alliance-francaise.ca.
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2018-04-01
Toronto: Events on the Bloor Street Culture Corridor in April 2018