A 30th anniversary of superlatives
Thank you, Hamilton — let’s celebrate Brott Festival’s 30 remarkable years
This letter is my thanks to the Hamilton community where I have lived and flourished since 1969.
I know you are saying 1969 is way more than 30 years. Yes, it is. But this year we are celebrating Brott Festival’s 30 remarkable years.
My wife, Ardyth, and I have been blessed with a hearth and home, raised three wonderful children and pursued varying careers in music, law, writing and motivational speaking. We are so grateful to the people of Hamilton for their consistent support and enthusiasm.
We have structured this 30th anniversary as our thank you to Hamilton.
It is packed with the world’s most amazing music of all genres performed by worldrenowned Canadian artists.
Our superb National Academy Orchestra of Canada is sought after every year by more than 300 applicants, professional musicians, all graduates of university and conservatory programmes worldwide — only 50 are chosen who are mentored by principal players of Canada’s established orchestras, swelling their ranks to 65 members.
Bringing this national program to Hamilton is a coup for our city and its citizens.
They will perform 15 concerts throughout the summer in addition to our fall and winter programming of Education Concert series, “Messiah,” a fundraiser, and a multicultural Canada 150 celebration.
Our 30th anniversary is all about raising our voices in song.
Our BrottChorus is hand-picked and 100 voices strong, made up of community members who love to sing and do it with energy and conviction.
They are being meticulously prepared by Norman Reintamm and Stephane Potvin, two wonderful maestros whom I mentored at the earliest stages of their careers and who join me in giving back to you, our community.
You can hear them on Aug. 17 at FirstOntario Concert Hall, formerly Hamilton Place, for A Choral Spectacular featuring Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” Mahler’s 2nd Symphony Resurrection and scenes from Orff ’s “Carmina Burana.”
Bringing opera to Hamilton, the most complete of art forms, has become a goal for us. Opera brings together great solo voices, choruses, costumes, sets, lighting, direction and a full symphony.
We particularly thank the City of Hamilton for their support, which is a huge encouragement.
BrottOpera is a two-performance affair; a PopOpera of favourite arias, duos and ensembles and a fully staged and costumed production of Bizet’s “Carmen” directed by Opera McGill’s Patrick Hansen and performed by a highly gifted ensemble of opera singers, auditioned in Toronto, Montreal and New York. Both presented at the McIntyre Theatre, Mohawk College on July 6 and 13.
At Fieldcote on July 9 Canadian baritone superstar Gino Quilico joins us for a night of his favourite arias and songs.
On July 1 — Canada’s 150 birthday — join us at Bayfront Park for a concert starring Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, visual artist and rock sensation Sarah Slean.
Slean and her band join us for an evening of musical fireworks, which culminates in a choreography of music and pyrotechnics, lighting up the sky and our hearts as we celebrate!
Back to the classics, a mini Beethoven Festival on Aug. 1 and 2 will include Beethoven’s Seventh and Fifth symphonies, the Violin Concerto performed by Bénédict Lauzière, who will be making her Hamilton debut, and the Fifth Piano Concerto featuring piano legend Valerie Tryon. The Mini Festival will take place at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and feature pre-concert chats at 6:30 p.m.
On July 20, celebrated Quebec violinist and Juno Award-winner Alexandre Da Costa will wow audiences with favourite arrangements from Strauss’s “Rosenkavalier,” Debussy’s “La Mer” and Ravel’s “Bolero” at Mohawk College, McIntyre Theatre.
The NAO travels to the lawn at Windermere in Muskoka July 16 at 3 p.m., to Koerner Hall as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival on Aug. 4, and to Parry Sound for the Festival of the Sound on Aug. 12.
Popular concerts will include James Bond at LIUNA Station on Aug. 11, a traditional Last Night of the Proms at FirstOntario Concert Hall featuring tenor David Curry and soprano Lauren Margison, and Hot Jazz on the Water featuring the Dominic Mancuso Group at the Bay City Music Hall June 30. What a party! And it’s all for you Hamilton. Come out and celebrate with us.