Toronto, June 1, 2020 … What better way to welcome summer than to pair baroque music with award-winning, artisanal gelato? Thanks to a new partnership with local gelato wizards Death in Venice, select Tafelmusik at Home virtual concerts may be complemented by home gelato delivery.Hosted weekly by Tafelmusik musicians from their homes, each of the At Home hour-long concerts features solo and duo performances followed by a live Q&A session. The line-up for the remaining concerts is listed below and ranges from elegant baroque sonatas, to toe-tapping traditional Canadian music, to the world premiere a new work by Canadian composer Grégoire Jeay. Concert ticket prices are $5, $10, $20, offered on a Choose-what-you-pay basis. Gelato may be ordered at an additional cost for concerts 3, 4, and 5 (Fantasia, Caprice, and Sonata). Tickets and details are available at tafelmusik.org.
Gelato making, like baroque music, is a centuries-old artform that blends flights of fantasy and creative ingenuity with an emphasis on authenticity, skill, and craftsmanship. Death in Venice gelato takes time-honoured traditions and injects them with energy and verve, making them new. Founder Kaya Ogruce is a Chopped Canada winner known for his inventive flavours, including a new baroque-inspired Rhubarb and Licorice combination.
“It has never been more important for smaller companies to support each other than during this pandemic. There’s an exciting entrepreneurial synergy between Tafelmusik and Death in Venice, and we’re delighted to be partnering with Kaya and his team to bring our followers some sweet moments of delight on a summer evening,” said Tafelmusik’s Executive Director Carol Kehoe.
Upcoming Tafelmusik at Home concerts feature performances by Patricia Ahern, Elisa Citterio, Thomas Georgi, Geneviève Gilardeau, Cristina Zacharias, violin; Brandon Chui, Patrick G. Jordan, viola; John Abberger, oboe; Dominic Teresi, bassoon; Lucas Harris, lute; Charlotte Nediger, harpsichord; Felix Deak, Margaret Gay, Allen Whear, cello; Pippa Macmillan, double bass.
Tafelmusik at Home: Online concert series featuring members of Tafelmusik Baroque OrchestraConcerts 2 to 5 at a glance:
Chaconne Wednesday, June 3 at 7pm EST online
A set by husband and wife team Lucas Harris, lute and Geneviève Gilardeau, violin, pairs elegant baroque sonatas with toe-tapping traditional Canadian music by Métis fiddler Lawrence “Teddy Boy” Houle and Quebecer Pascal Gemme. The soulful sounds of Dominic Teresi’s unaccompanied bassoon and John Abberger’s solo oboe open this evocative program with music by Telemann and Bach.
Fantasia Wednesday, June 10 at 7pm EST online
Treat yourselves to the distinctive sound of solo harpsichord in this concert featuring the world premiere of Phantom of Goldberg by Canadian composer Grégoire Jeay, performed by Charlotte Nediger. The first half features solo turns by violinist Patricia Ahern playing music by Telemann, and violist Brandon Chui performing an arrangement of a Bach partita.
Caprice Wednesday, June 17 at 7pm EST online
Discover composers whose music may be new to your ears! This all-classical concert opens with Thomas Georgi on unaccompanied violin, followed by a sonorous sonata by Sperger featuring cellist Felix Deak and double bassist Pippa Macmillan. In the second half, Patrick Jordan and Margaret Gay, partners in life and art, perform a set of lively duets for viola and cello.
Sonata Wednesday, June 24 at 7pm EST online
Intensely beautiful and universal, Bach’s music represents the artform at its purest, and is performed here by Cristina Zacharias on solo violin and Allen Whear on solo cello. The series concludes with the brilliant artistry of violinist and Music Director Elisa Citterio performing works by Tartini and Roman.
Ticket prices: $5, $10, $20 Choose-what-you-pay
Website: tafelmusik.org
Social Media: Join the conversation on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
Home gelato delivery from Death in Venice is the perfect way to enhance a summer evening while listening to Tafelmusik at Home. Gelato orders may be added to ticket orders for the June 10, 17, and 24 concerts. $11 per pint. Minimum gelato delivery order is four pints. No fee for delivery. The full value of gelato purchases will be transferred to Death in Venice to cover production and delivery of the gelato.
Geographic boundaries for deliveries:
• NORTH: Eglinton Avenue
• SOUTH: Lakeshore Blvd
• EAST: Victoria Park
• WEST: Keele Street
Order deadline: Thursdays at 4 PM
Deliveries are made on Friday or Saturday each week between 3-6pm. Customers will receive a text 20 minutes before their gelato is delivered.
ABOUT DEATH IN VENICE
Death in Venice was established in 2015 by Kaya Ogruce and Maddalena Fuller following their motorcycle trip through Sicily. The company is named after Luchino Visconti’s iconic film set in plague-ridden Venice during the early 20th century. Poetic and poignant with a soundtrack to die for (the adagietto from Gustav Mahler’s fifth symphony), the film is based on Thomas Mann’s 1911 novella. All Death in Venice gelato —including such tantalizing concoctions as Ricotta Lemon Rosemary, Saffron Vanilla Ginger, and Mexican Chocolate Mole — is made with seasonal products from local farmers and suppliers.
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Led by Music Director Elisa Citterio and Executive Director Carol Kehoe, Tafelmusik is an orchestra, choir, and experience that celebrates beauty through music of the past.
Founded over 40 years ago on the pillars of passion, learning, and artistic excellence, Tafelmusik continues to bring new energy to baroque music and beyond. Historically informed performances of 17th- to 19th-century instrumental and choral music (led by Chamber Choir director Ivars Taurins) share the stage with vibrant, insightful multimedia programs, and bold new music written just for the group. Each piece is played on period instruments, underscored and illuminated by scholarship.
Through dynamic performances, international touring, award-winning recordings, and comprehensive education programs, Tafelmusik invites audiences to engage with beauty and experience the breadth of emotion music can inspire.
Media contact: Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications, 416 456-0499
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7