Author Archive for maestra – Page 9
Posted November 30, 2013
[Excerpted below – Read full article at MusicalToronto.org]
On Tuesday [December 3, 2013] night at Lula Lounge, Toronto-based clarinetist Kornel Wolak joins a clutch of Canadian musicians recreating a celebratory concert held in Rome last July. There such is a circle of ironies behind the event that you have to laugh as well as cheer their success.
The local irony is an old one: We all know you can’t be a true Canadian star unless you have made it big somewhere else.
…
I want to fold a third irony into this little equation: of an immigrant who actually knows how great this place is and how much cultural potential it has arriving to discover that he will find more work outside Canada, leading him — and us — straight back to Irony Number One.
Anne Summers Dossena, who divides her time between Canada and Italy, has for more than 20 years run the non-profit, Toronto-based International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. She managed to get a roster of Canadians together last for a July 5 concert in Rome celebrating this country as part of a larger international musical event.
…
The concert helps us celebrate the music we end up making, rather than the struggles of getting there.
Wolak’s big, sleepy eyes open wider and he laughs as he realises he is getting more work in his native Poland now that he lives in Canada. ”Isn’t that funny; I had to leave so that I could get work there,” he says of an adventure that began nearly 10 years ago.
Back in Poland, Wolak has been asked to play solo, in ensembles, as well as act with his clarinet in a play about Witold Lutoslawski, the Polish conductor and composer whose 100th birth anniversary fell at the start of this year.
The High Park-area resident has also made a significant foray into Central and South America, giving orchestral and solo concerts as well as masterclasses in Ecuador and Chile earlier this fall.
In Canada, he continues to tour with Toronto jazz pianist Chris Donnelly, boosted by their excellent recent album, Common Ground. And, on February 15, he is soloist with the Ontario Philharmonic in an all-Mozart programme.
The touring not only re-energized Wolak, it introduced him to a clarinet maker in Chile who has just made a new set of instruments for him.
“It’s like getting a new life,” Wolak beams. He has been looking for years for a handmade clarinet that has more character in its sound than one can get from a mass-produced instrument. “It’s so important to be able to talk to the maker himself and to explore his philosophy of sound,” says Wolak.
The musician, who is still in his early 30s, says that solo-concert options are pretty limited no matter how great you are, so he has also started something he calls the Wolak Clarinet Extravaganza, which extends his genre-busting duo work into quartet form — with accordion or piano, a vocalist and guitar.
So the Brahms, Schubert, Rossini and Eatock-playing clarinetist we’ll hear on Tuesday represents only one side of an artist trying to find every available opportunity to make music — and make a living.
You’ll find the details of Tuesday night’s programme as well as all sorts of other related information here.
– John Terauds, MusicalToronto.org, November 30, 2013
Read full article
Review Posted Monday, November 18, 2013
[Excerpted below – View the complete article here.]
The concert on November 17th, Rhapsody in Blue, was a marrying of two genres—classical and jazz. On stage with the Orchestra were guests maestro Airat Ichmouratov, clarinetist Kornel Wolak and pianist Chris Donnelly. It was an immensely energetic, comedic and virtuoso display of musical talent.
Some of the most timeless and ever-popular works played were Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom”, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Concerto No. 2 in G minor “Summer” and, my personal favorite, George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”. Wolak and Donnelly were witty and charming with hilarious banter between their shared performances. Together they took a Bach piece to the next level with, none other than, spoons. That’s right—two stainless steel Ikea spoons! Donnelly could get himself a second Juno-nomination for his amazing percussion abilities. He held on to a variety of intricate rhythms while Wolak played illustrious Bach melodies, while managing not to pass out from a lack of oxygen. The crowd loved every second of it.
Each song was carefully curated for that specific concert. Audience members were treated with the first-ever live playing of Torontonian Hilario Duran’s “Suite Latinoamericana”, a piece that was specifically commissioned for the show…
By James Reaney, The London Free Press
A duo ready to play anything and everything from Vivaldi to Oscar Peterson joins forces with Orchestra London this weekend.
“The music we perform reflects our individual histories, but also what happens when you put two distinct artists together,” pianist Chris Donnelly said in media material.
“This program is our common ground. What makes this collaboration special is that two artists, with vastly different musical histories, can still share the stage together, connect with each other, and (presumably) connect with audiences. Hence, the wide variety of musical styles.”
Juno-nominated Canadian pianist Donnelly is a master of jazz and classical music. His Wolak/Donnelly Duo mate is acclaimed clarinet player Kornel Wolak, who was born in Poland.
“I notice that after working with Chris for the past two years, I have gained a more relaxed or spontaneous approach to the classical compositions we play and I know that Chris says the exact opposite,” Wolak said. “His approach has become more systematic. It is a great learning curve for both of us. Most important is that our audiences seem to truly enjoy our concerts.”
Sunday [November 17th] afternoon’s program at Centennial Hall is to include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Canadian icon Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom, works by Vivaldi, Rossini andmore.
The Wolak/Donnelly Duo’s 2013 album Common Ground is on Alma Records.
This week, Kornel Wolak will be performing in a series of concerts featuring the music of Witold Lutoslawski. This multidisciplinary music project for children and youth combines music, with elements of acting, choreography, dancing and animation. Its mission is to educate the public about Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, his biography and music, on the 100th anniversary of his birth . The project concept involves a broad presentation of the person and works of Witold Lutoslawski as a great composer, a man thoroughly educated, sensitive and emphasizing the importance of art in society.
Kornel will be performing in the following concerts for the Lutoslawski Project (“Pan Lutoslawski”) in Lodz, Poland over the next week:
Nov 6 – 11a.m.
1st Premiere – Lodz Opera House
Nov 7 – 11a.m.
2nd Premiere – Lodz Opera House
Nov 8 – 12p.m.
W. Siemiaszkowa Theatre, Rzeszow
Nov 10 – 5p.m.
Nowy Sacz Cultural Centre, Lodz
More information at www.panlutoslawski.pl
Airat Ichmouratov, conductor
Kornel Wolak, clarinet; Chris Donnelly, piano – Rhapsody in Blue
Sunday, November 17th, 2013 at 2:30pm – Centennial Hall, London, Ontario
The charming Wolak-Donnelly Duo blend jazz standards and traditional classics for an entertaining afternoon of music. Selections include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Oscar Peterson’s jazz classic Hymn to Freedom, Ennio Morricone’s beloved Cinema Paradiso theme and music by Bach and Rossini.
For more information and for tickets, please visit:
orchestralondon.ca/events/rhapsody-in-blue/