Celebration of Small Ensembles - June 1

Music Toronto invites you to the Celebration of Small Ensembles – ancient, classic and 21st century music boldly curated and performed by small ensembles. A new space for social gathering and musical discovery. All curious listeners are welcome.

Celebration of Small Ensembles events will take place in the afternoon on Saturday April 6th, May 4th, and June 1st. Please note that this page is for tickets to the June 1st event only.

We are also offering a 3-Concert Pass for $90. If you would like to purchase the pass instead, please to visit that ticket purchase page.

Aaron Schwebel, Luri Lee, Sheila Jaffé, Byungchan Lee, violins
Hezekiah Leung, Ryan Davis, violas
Andrew Ascenzo, Drew Comstock, cellos

Mendelssohn was only 16 years old when he wrote one of his most famous works, the string octet in Eb major for double string quartet in the year 1825. No doubt, this young prodigious composer was being influenced by the great composers and music being performed throughout Europe, and one such piece that he may have crossed paths with is Schubert's famous String Quartet No. 14 "Death and the Maiden," which was written just one year prior and used themes from songs he had written previously. Schubert was a prolific melodist and song-writer and his influence carries into modern-times, and was the inspiration for Dinuk Wijeratne's "A Letter from the After-life" from his Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems, written in 2015.

Dinuk Wijeratne - "A Letter From The After-life" from Two Pop Songs on Antique Poems (2015)
Felix Mendelssoh - String Octet in Eb Major, Op. 20

Pouya Hamidi, piano
Michael Bridge, accordion
Beth Silver, cello
Adam Campbell, percussion

Creating a new musical identity, Ladom Ensemble draws from Balkan, Persian, South American, Turkish and European influences and blends it all in a unique instrumentation that is passionate, sophisticated, & wild. Their original repertoire and arrangements have hints of folksongs, classical, Latin, and a little progressive rock. Ladom doesn’t pretend to represent any specific tradition, but rather expresses an authentic artistic fusion. Ladom Ensemble reflects the beautiful new Western world!

Pouya Hamidi - Distance
Traditional - East Coast Medley
Béla Bartók - Romanian Folk Dances
Traditional - Hora
Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Traditional - Gole Pamchal
A. Piazzolla - Libertango

Founded in 2023 by cellists and co-artistic directors Andrew Ascenzo and Drew Comstock, the Canadian Chamber Orchestra is a new and dynamic self-conducted orchestra that seeks to ignite a passion for music using the power of an orchestra with the intimacy and versatility of a small chamber ensemble. The musicians of the CCO are some of the most in-demand performers and include members of Canada’s top orchestras and chamber ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet, and more. They are at home performing classical music on the world’s largest stages or playing folk music in a living room house party. CCO concerts have something for everyone, and you are sure to discover something new every time you are part of the experience.

The eclectic cultural richness of Ladom Ensemble’s music is a reflection of Canada’s cultural diversity. Like the vibrant colours of a beautifully woven Persian carpet, the intricacies of an Iranian stone mosaic, Ladom’s sound is drawn from the old and brought into a contemporary presentation. Like the traditions of music from that region, Ladom also relies on the equal balance of both structure and improvisation.

Ladom Ensemble creates a sound that represents one of the oldest cultures in the world, one can hear influences drawn from the Balkan, Celtic, Iran, Argentina, and Europe. The elasticity of styles is the musical foundation of these four musicians and their vast experiences create a new sound and experience that will be appeal to all audiences.

The musicians met in Toronto and quickly realized that they shared a passion to create a sound that draws from their unique musical experiences. A sound that would incorporate inspirations from classical tango, Celtic music, Serbian folk dance, Persian classical dulcimer, amongst others. Ladom was formed, not to define one specific tradition, but rather, to express what a modern and authentic Canadian sound experience, that reflects a beautiful new world. As critic Michael Vincent of musicaltoronto.org wrote, “Toronto’s Ladom Ensemble is not your typical chamber group. In many ways, they represent a changing definition of chamber music which sees musicians increasingly looking away from a purely Eurocentric purview…They can play pretty much anything.”

Consisting of founding member Pouya Hamidi on piano, accordionist Michael Bridge, cellist Beth Silver, and Adam Campbell on percussion, Ladom Ensemble has completed three tours by Jeunesses Musicales Canada (September 2017 and April 2019), Debut Atlantic (April 2018) and Prairie Debut (January-February 2019). In Summer 2019, the Aga Khan Museum presented Ladom’s first multi-disciplinary work, a musical storybook based on Rumi’s Fables. That same summer saw the premiere of four new compositions, commissioned by the Iranian-Canadian Composers of Toronto collective. Earlier that year, they released their second full length album, The Walls Are Made of Song. More tours are scheduled, as Ladom continues to spiral upward and outward into the Canadian music scene.

From the stage, the concert transcends styles and the diverse qualities that each musician brings to the ensemble results in an unconventional experience for listeners. Whether it is Michael mixing up words in Farsi and Serbian, or Adam’s Anglophone accent which endears him to francophone audiences, the concert experience from Ladom’s concerts are best said by CBC Radio’s Errol Nazareth – “This is the first time I have heard such a fascinating mix and it really works well. The music can be very elegant and contemplative and it can also be rocking and fiery and there is no denying of the passion of the four musicians investing in their playing.”

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