OHS Events
2024 OHS Events
April GGS & UofT Harp Recitals:
Harp Masterclasses at Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto
APRIL 12th, 2024
The Brilliance of Lizotte
an OHS Feature Concert
April 12 at 8pm
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue, Toronto
Concert celebrating harpist/composer Caroline Lizotte including world premiere of a new work for harp and violin.
Featuring
Lori Gemmell, harp
Caroline Lizotte, harp
Sheila Jaffé, violin
Étienne Ratthé, cello
and hosted by Tom Allen
Music by internationally celebrated Québecois composer and harpist CAROLINE LIZOTTE Program includes her Stellae Saltantem, Close for Couloir, Raga & the WORLD PREMIERE of Partita Op.52 for violin & harp.
Program:
Stellae Saltatem for harp and electroacoustic harp, Opus 49
Partita for Violin and Harp, Opus 52 (Premiere)
Close for Couloir for cello and harp, Opus 48
Raga for 2 harps, Opus 41
Come and hear the premiere performance of a brand new mystical creation for violin and harp by internationally celebrated Quebecois composer and harpist, Caroline Lizotte. Partita Op.52 was commissioned by Lori Gemmell through the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Caroline Lizotte and harpist Lori Gemmell have been friends and colleagues for more than 3 decades. Through the joys and sorrows of life, motherhood and music they have shared a close connection. This performance will be the first time that Caroline has created something specifically for her dear friend. Caroline and Lori will play 2 harp duos, the well known Raga, and Stellae Saltantem Op.49, for electric harp and accoustic harp. Etienne Ratthé will join Caroline in playing Close for Couloir, for cello and harp. Joining Lori on violin will be the spectacular and deeply versatile violinist Sheila Jaffé, a kindred spirit in music and life, who brings a deep sensibility and powerful artistry to what will surely be a thrilling evening of music.
Caroline Lizotte Harp Masterclass Saturday April 13th, 2024 at RCM, Toronto
FEBRUARY & MARCH 2024:
A&E Auditions & Evaluations OHS Event:
Sunday February 11th: 1:00pm-4:00pm (online coaching)
Sunday March 3rd: 1:00pm-2:00pm (online outreach recital)
Thank you to all participants, teachers and adjudicator Olga Gross.
A&E:
The Ontario Harp Society is excited to present its third Auditions and Evaluations (A&E) program event. The program comprises of an Auditions session and a second performance event. For the Auditions session, students will perform two solo works of their choice for a guest adjudicator and submit a Performer Worksheet. The pieces presented by the performers do not need to be at a polished performance level for the first event, they may be at a “work in progress” level. The second event enables students to perform their audition pieces again after several weeks of focused practice. Our guest adjudicator will be Olga Gross, an accomplished pianist and harpist. (See full biography below).
The Auditions and Evaluations event offers a fun, educational opportunity for harp students to work intensively on their solo repertoire and receive valuable insight from a professional musician. All A&E participants will receive a certificate of participation from the American Harp Society, Inc.
This event is facilitated online through Zoom. Although A&E is geared towards beginner/intermediate harp students, we encourage students of all ages and levels to consider participating.
2024 OHS Auditions and Evaluations Guest Adjudicator is Olga Gross:
Olga Gross is the pianist with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 1993. She appeared regularly as soloist with the Orchestra and Kent Nagano, notably at the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival, and has participated in many tours with the OSM, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Japan, South America, and Europe. In 2018, she was invited to perform Stravinsky’s Petrushka with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London on their USA tour. She also performs regularly as orchestral keyboard with the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa and participated in their Atlantic Tour in 2017.
As a recitalist, Olga Gross has appeared with saxophonist Branford Marsalis, violinist Chantal Juillet at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center International Chamber Music Festival in New York, and violinist Lorand Fenyves at the Bard Music Festival. Her performances have been broadcast on Germany’s Sudwestfunk Radio, Japan’s NHK Radio, CBC Radio and Radio-Canada. An accomplished harpist, she has received acclaim for her recordings Après le jour, and Jardin de givre with mezzo-soprano Claudine Ledoux.
2023-2024
- November 12th - OHS AGM
- November 19th - OHS Online Workshop Trouble-shooting Harp Issues! with harp technician Karen Rokos
- February/March 2024 - AHS-OHS Auditions & Evaluations: The Auditions and Evaluations (A&E) program, created by the American Harp Society, is a fun and educational performance opportunity for harp students to work intensively on their solo repertoire and receive valuable insight from a professional musician. (see above)
- April 12th - Concert celebrating harpist/composer Caroline Lizotte including world premiere of a new work for harp and violin. (see above!)
2022-2023
- ONLINE WORKSHOP:
Lever Harp & Care Workshop with Peter Wiley - November 6, 2022 - MASTERCLASS:
Livestream of Parker Ramsay masterclass at UofT - March 11, 2023 - SCHOLARSHIP ADJUDICATION - April 22, 2023
- ONLINE WORKSHOP:
Positive Performance Practice Workshop with Grace Browning - April 26, 2023 - OHS AGM - October 30, 2023
2021-2022
- AHS Auditions & Evaluations - 2nd performance - March 6, 2022
- CONCERT by Caroline Lizotte INFO - March 11th, 2022
(photos by Alanna Ellison)
