CHOPIN & SHOSTAKOVICH Sinfonia Toronto Concert

Polish soprano Dominika Zamara joins Sinfonia Toronto and maestro Nurhan Arman for Chopin songs and pianist Anya Alexeyev plays Shostakovich

About this Event

Friday, November 8, 2024, 8 pm Trinity St-Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor St. West

CHOPIN & SHOSTAKOVICH ~ Slavic Gems

Chopin wrote songs? Yes, beautiful folk-inspired gems! Polish soprano Dominika Zamara

interprets a dozen songs, and pianist Anya Alexeyev plays a Shostakovich favourite

SINFONIA TORONTO ~ NURHAN ARMAN Conductor

ANYA ALEXEYEV Pianist ~ DOMINIKA ZAMARA Soprano

Program

KALINNIKOV Serenade

CHOPIN Polish Songs

SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Quintet in G Minor (orchestra version)

BIOGRAPHIES

Anya Alexeyev, Pianist Born in Moscow into a family of musicians, Anya Alexeyev started studying at the Gnessin Music School at the age of five, and in 1989 entered Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory to become a student of the renowned professor Dmitri Bashkirov. The following year she was awarded a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London, where she studied with Irina Zaritskaya. During her student years, Anya Alexeyev won numerous prizes including the John Hopkinson Gold Medal (Royal College of Music), Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s Award for ” the most outstanding contribution to the Royal College of Music”, the First prize at the Newport International Piano Competition, Young Concert Artists Trust, and The Capital Radio/Anna Instone Memorial Prize.

Alexeyev has performed extensively in many countries across Europe (Britain, France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Ireland, Greece, Germany, and Macedonia), as well as in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Malaysia, and South Africa.

She has performed as a soloist on numerous occasions in all of London’s major concert halls – Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, and Barbican Hall. Throughout her career, she has also appeared in such venues as Berlin Philharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Herodes Atticus Theatre at the Acropolis in Athens, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, Great Hall in Moscow Conservatory, Philharmonia Hall in St. Petersburg, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Usher Hall in Edinburgh, Johannesburg Symphony Hall, Dewan Filarmonik in Kuala Lumpur, Palais Montcalm in Quebec City, Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, and Bargemusic in New York.

She has performed concertos with many distinguished orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Moscow State Symphony, Vienna Chamber, The Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National, Deutschland Radio, City of Birmingham Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony and Sinfonietta, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, London Mozart Players, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English Chamber, Belgian National Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto and Quebec Symphony, collaborating with such conductors as Temirkanov, Simonov, Oramo, Bakels, Judd.

Alexeyev has an extensive solo repertoire, ranging from baroque to cutting-edge contemporary music. In addition to enjoying playing standard concert repertoire,she has been following her passion for discovering lesser-known music, which resulted in performances and recordings of rarely played works and premieres. As a collaborative musician, she has participated in many chamber music festivals in Europe and North America.

Alexeyev has recorded for EMI, Dutton Epoch, Toccata Classics, and Marquis Classics labels. Her performances have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 (UK), GMTV (UK), CBC (Canada), Deutschland Radio, and numerous other radio stations around the world. In 1995, she premiered Paul McCartney’s first solo piano piece, A Leaf, which was later released on CD for EMI Classics.

She is a faculty member at Wilfrid Laurier University, the Glenn Gould School, and the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists.

Dominika Zamara, Soprano Dominika Zamara gained musical recognition early in her native Poland. In 2007, she graduated (with honors) from the prestigious Wrocław University of Music, and directly went to Italy, in pursuit of higher artistic study. Having won a scholarship rom the Verona State Conservatory, she performed in masterclasses with some of Italy’s most highly regarded operatic teachers. These include Alida Ferrarini, Bruno Pola, and Enrico De Mori — the latter being highly important for her future professional growth.

Her operatic debut took place in 2010 as Mimi, in Puccini’s “La Boheme” under the direction of Maestro De Mori. Her outstanding vocal qualities, dynamic stage presence, and versatility in multiple genres (opera, lieder and Art song, chamber, and Contemporary music), quickly led to international performances across the globe — Europe, USA, Mexico, Argentina, China, South Korea and Australia.

Notable musical highlights and venues include: Accademia del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Mostra del Cinema and La Biennale di Venezia; the role of Dori in the opera "Un Tramonto" by G. Coronaro, (Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza); Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center (NYC); Manuel Ponce Hall (Mexico City); Verdi Theater, Padua (in the Contemporary opera “La Serva di Padova”); the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (Rome); World Youth Day in Krakow (in the presence of the Pope); Haydn’s oratorio “The Creation” (Chicago); the National Opera Center in New York City; Mythos Opera Festival—Verdi's opera Aida at the Ancient Theater of Taormina; in Sicily, the inauguration of the “InCanto Barocco” Festival; Mercadante Theater (Altamura) - concert arias of S. Mercadante; Vivaldi's Gloria (New York); and at the Sala della Protomoteca, at the Campidoglio in Rome. In 2023, she joined the New York Composer Circle's roster as an International Performing Artist.

Among the numerous prizes and honors Ms. Zamara has received are the Cartagine Prize of Rome; the Fonane Prize of Rome and the Kobiety Charyzmatycznej Prize (Warsaw).

In addition to a broad repertoire — ranging from Baroque to Contemporary (with a propensity for the Mozartian, bel canto and contemporary repertoire), and singing in numerous languages — Zamara has been carrying out a special project: concerts presenting the arias of Vincenzo Bellini and the songs of Fryderyk Chopin — two composers united by a deep friendship and unique collaboration.

In addition to her main role as Concert Artist, she has sought to broaden and combine aesthetically Arts, Culture, and Fashion by assuming the role of Brand Ambassador for the Mather Milani Cosmetic line (Italy), and has presented the highest achievements in fashion — featuring in concert, clothing by world renowned designers, including: Ela Piorun, and Marta Jane Alesani. She was immortalized by Master photographer Stefano Geardi, whose photo won the silver medal in the advertising category, at the prestigious “World's Top 10 Black & White Competition.”

Sinfonia Toronto now in its 26th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released four CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.

Maestro Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.

Host or Publisher Sinfonia Toronto