On tap (March 12-14)

This new calendar listing kicking off here is really meant to focus on community-based Toronto music organizations such as concert bands, choirs, either amateur or professional, youth or adult, festivals and charitable fundraisers.
What it doesn’t cover is the big name acts coming to town or, at the other end of the spectrum, the daily club listings.

In support of World Kidney Day and National Kidney Month, the PKD Foundation of Canada is holding the Ultrasound Dance Party (ages 19 and over) on Thursday, March 11 at The Boat (in Kensington Market), 158 Augusta Avenue. Doors open at 10 p.m. Admission is $5, which all goes toward polycystic kidney research in Canada. Link here.

Music Toronto, dedicated to facilitating chamber music downtown, presents the Toronto debut of the Hugo Wolf Quartett Thursday, March 11, 8 p.m. at the St. Lawrence Centre, as part of its quartet series. Visit http://www.music-toronto.com/quartets_09-10.htm

Canadian Music Week is Canada’s leading annual entertainment event dedicated to the expression and growth of the country’s music, media and entertainment industries.
Combining five information-intensive conferences; a trade exposition; a film festival; four awards shows and the nation’s largest New Music Festival – Canadian Music Fest – CMW spans a five-day period from March 10 to March 14 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel and various downtown Toronto venues, attracting participants from across the globe. The New Music Festival itself will attract 700 bands, in 45 venues over the five days. For more information, visit www.cmw.net

The non-profit Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir presents ‘Bach in Leipzig’ Wednesday, March 10 to Sunday, March 14 at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre.
Times are March 10, 7 p.m., March 11, 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and March 14 at 3:30 p.m.
An imaginative concert from Alison Mackay, creator of Metamorphosis, Chariots of Fire and The Galileo Project, it’s directed by Jeanne Lamon and Ivars Taurins and featuring Tafelmusik Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Tafelmusik’s neighbourhood in Toronto’s Annex has much in common with the 18th century German city of Leipzig - the same size and population , a university, coffee shops,, bookstores, colourful local characters and ensemble of singers and orchestral musicians who love to perform the stunning cantatas and instrumental works of J.S. Bach. In this unique narrated musican performance, choir, orchestra, trumpets and drums will highlight the variety and breadth of Bach’s music for Leipzig, introducing the local merchants, society ladies and town councillors for whom Bach composed his magnificent works. Visit http://www.tafelmusik.org/

Rock & Roll Heaven, on O’Connor Drive in East York, will again be rockin’ an entire weekend in March, this time for the Children’s Wish Foundation. From Friday, March 12 to Sunday, March 14, more than 26 bands are expected to volunteer their services and take to the stage. A $10 donation is requested per night. Among the performers will be the organizer, Andy O’Connor, who is a member of one of the tribute bands that will be playing (Rumbleseat). Downtown born, O’Connor lives a stone’s throw from Rock & Roll Heaven on Victoria Park (on the Scarborough side). By day, he’s owner/president of Gottesman Sign, one of the oldest sign companies in Toronto. Last year’s inaugural weekend, he said, managed to raise $10,000 for Sick Kids Hospital, and despite the recession, they‘ll try to match that again this year. Original bands are featured on Friday, while tribute bands mostly take over Saturday and Sunday. Check out full line-up at http://www.rnrheaven.ca/

Sinfonia Toronto, Toronto’s Chamber Orchestra, continues its Masterpiece Series Friday, March 12, 8 p.m. at Glenn Gould Studio, presenting violinist Hyuk Joo Kwun and pianist Hyejin Kim. Log onto http://www.sinfoniatoronto.com

Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra presents its annual pops concert Saturday, March 13, 8 p.m., at the P. C. Ho Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave., at Progress Avenue. Tickets $25, seniors and students $20. Jazz great Jim Galloway, and his ensemble, the Wee-Big Band, will join the CBSO’s 60 piece orchestra for the North American premiere of Hot and Suite. It’s a composition by Rosemary Galloway, a member of the CBSO bass section. Hot and Suite had its world premiere at the Edinburgh Festival earlier this year. In keeping with the CBSO’s guiding principle of fostering the development of young musical talent, the orchestra will be joined by the jazz ensemble from Scarborough’s Sir Oliver Mowat Collegiate Institute.  
For tickets and information call 416-879-5566 or visit http://www.cathedralbluffs.com/

Music Toronto, dedicated to facilitating chamber music downtown, presents Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, as part of its ‘discovery’ series, Thursday, March 18, 8 p.m. at the St. Lawrence Centre. Log onto http://www.music-toronto.com/discovery_09-10.htm


DON’T FORGET ABOUT ...
Canadian Opera Company at Four Seasons Centre currently on stage ... next performance Richard Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman, April 24-May. 20. See http://www.coc.ca/ for ticket info and specific dates.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Grieg Piano Concerto & Elgar Enigma Variations (Masterworks) Thursday, March 11, Saturday, March 13, 8 p.m. Next show Symphonie Fantastique, March 24/25 (Wed/Thurs), 8 p.m. See http://www.tso.com/ for more info.
Also the downtown Royal Conservatory has a busy schedule, especially in their new Koerner Hall. Log onto http://www.rcmusic.ca/ContentPage.aspx?name=home, click your way to full schedule.
Also click on http://www.roythomson.com/calendar for schedule at Roy Thomson Hall, Massey Hall and Glen Gould Theatre.