High Park Choirs' holiday concert: choral artistry beyond expectations
TORONTO, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Join the High Park Choirs of Toronto and artistic director Zimfira Poloz as they perform a repertoire of seasonal music from around the world during their annual holiday concert, "The Moon in Wintertime". The concert takes place on December 11th at 7:00 pm at St. Anne's Anglican Church (270 Gladstone Avenue) in Toronto.
The High Park Choirs (HPC) are known for their rich, flexible, unique sound and innovative use of choreography and visual and sensory artistry. They offer choral music lovers a performance experience well beyond the traditional chorus.
"The Moon in Wintertime" will feature pieces by classical and Canadian composers. Audiences will hear beautiful renditions of familiar sacred and secular favourites. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/senior, and are available at the door.
HPC recently received a grant by the Ontario Trillium Foundation to realize its vision and strategy to reach out to its growing community. To this end, the choirs have entered into several partnerships this season to reach out to disadvantaged children and to collaborate with other arts organizations in the community. "The Moon in Wintertime" will feature dancers from our latest collaboration with Gotta Dance Studio, an award winning studio based in west end Toronto. The dancers will animate Shlomo Gronich's "Piramida," choreographed by Nayo Sasaki-Picou.
The choirs have an ambitious performance schedule to accommodate its growing audience in the Greater Toronto Area. They have recently performed with the Etobicoke Centennial Choir and the Nutifafa Afrikan Performance Ensemble and sang the national anthem for the Toronto Argonauts. HPC is delighted to be taking part once again in the 2nd Annual CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish Carol Sing on December 18th at Yorkminster Park Baptist Church in Toronto. The Carol Sing will also feature special guest performances by international opera stars Isabel Bayrakdarian and Richard Margison. HPC is also the Children's Choir-in-Residence at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto and will be performing with the Faculty in the new year.
Children aged 5 to 18 are welcome to join HPC and receive an excellent choral education in an atmosphere of inclusiveness, fun, teamwork and cultural diversity. The next auditions are being held on January 8th, 2011 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Runnymede United Church. Please contact our choir manager at [email protected] or by calling 416-762-0657 for an appointment.
About Zimfira Poloz
Zimfira Poloz has been the Artistic Director for the High Park Choirs of Toronto since 2004, and under her direction, the choirs have earned praise nationally and internationally. She is a highly respected conductor, educator and adjudicator with a distinguished international reputation. She has been decorated with numerous awards in her long career, including the Honoured Representative of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Award, the city of Hamilton's V.I.P. Award and the Leslie Bell Prize Award for Choral Conducting from the Ontario Arts Council. She is invited regularly by presenters and educators from across Canada, Europe and around the world to act as clinician and educator for festivals, conferences and competitions. She is also invited to serve as a clinician for festivals, lead workshops for educators, and jury international choir competitions, including the renowned Choir Olympics.
About High Park Choirs
The High Park Choirs was founded in 1986 as a girls' choir and now comprises over one-hundred-and-twenty boys and girls aged five to eighteen arranged in five skill-based divisions. The choirs develop the children's choral and musical ability while promoting inclusiveness, fun, teamwork, cultural diversity and choral excellence.
The choirs are guided by highly acclaimed artistic staff whose talent and choice of innovative repertoires, from Bach to Eric Robertson, has drawn singers from 71 schools across the GTA. The choirs have also benefited from collaborations with renowned Canadian and international composers and are the Children's Choir-in-Residence at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Children interested in joining the choirs are encouraged to attend an open rehearsal and audition at Runnymede United Church on December 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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Kathy Tudor
(416) 878-2704
[email protected]
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