The Baroque Bassoon in North America, 2011

I've decided that, rather than update the same old post as new information comes up, I am going to write a quasi state-of-the-union in baroque bassooning once a year. It makes the most sense, as everything I write seems to fall out of date pretty quick, and with the more I learn about the scene, the more there is to write.

A Question to You

One year ago, I began theheckeler.ca to act as both a journal of my activities and as a medium to voice my opinions and ideas for musical performance. Recently, I have become quite interested in writing about young groups and their strategies for success. 2012 will see theheckeler.ca continue this "Emerging Artist Series", as well as my usual banter.

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a Youtube video of Sally Jackson playing a concerto for bassoon by Capel Bond. It was a pleasant surprise for two reasons: one, I had never heard a recording of Ms. Jackson (though a video of her demonstrating different bassoons is in one of my most read posts), and two, theheckeler.ca was mentioned in the blurb below the video. I invite you all to take a look at it which can be seen here.

Agoraphobic? Try Opera da Camera!

Opera da Camera (from left to right)
Taylor White
Meagan Zantingh
 Kathrin Welte
 Benjamin Kwong

Though you and I may not realize it, operatic singers live an interesting dilemma. Their most fruitful work comes, of course, from playing a major role in an opera or appearing in front of an orchestra, interestingly enough but, once out of school, singers don't often get the chance to perform a blend of styles, both popular and classical, in recital. Four very talented graduates of McGill's Schulich School of Music have decided it's time for that to change.

Canada's only recorder quintet? Flute Alors!

photo by Pierre-Étienne Bergeron and Daniel-Jean Primeau
Flute Alors! (from left to right)
Marie-Laurence Primeau
Vincent Lauzer
Alexa Raine-Wright
Caroline Tremblay
Jean-Michel Leduc

Montreal, North America's most European city. A veritable oak of a city with a rich heritage and a deeply-rooted early music community supporting notable groups such as Arion, Ensemble Caprice, and Les Idees Heureuses. The city is also home to many prestigious music schools including Universite de Montreal, McGill University, Le Conservatoire de musique de Quebec a Montreal, and Concordia University.

A typical Saturday evening's choice of concerts include the Opera, the various orchestre (OSM, Arion, I Musici, Orchestre Metropolitaine, etc.), the universities' ensembles, and, occasionally, a bright group of recorder virtuosi named Flute Alors!