The RBC Piano Extravaganza brings today's greatest pianists to the TSO for blockbuster programming February 4 - 14, 2015

Pianos in the City kicks off the festival on February 4 with Steinway pianos across downtown Toronto for free interactive programmes

TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2015 /CNW/ - The piano is one of Western music's most familiar instruments - a staple of popular songs and a star of orchestral repertoire, the instrument is mastered by powerful virtuosos and explored by children playing simple melodies. The TSO's RBC Piano Extravaganza celebrates the instrument, its players and repertoire, and marks the début of the TSO's new New York Steinway grand piano. Curated by GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax, the festival of concerts and community activities is presented in partnership with the Royal Conservatory of Music, and runs February 4 - 14, 2015. TSO.CA/Piano

"Whether played in the comfort of your home, in collaboration with friends, or on stage with a full orchestra, the piano is a versatile and accessible instrument that opens unlimited avenues of expression and creativity to the performer," says Emanuel Ax. "As artists, we want to explore these possibilities, and examine how the piano speaks to us."

At the centre of the RBC Piano Extravaganza are orchestral concerts packed with works for solo piano, duo piano and orchestra. Appearing throughout the festival on the Roy Thomson Hall stage are some of the most acclaimed pianists performing today including Emanuel Ax, Stewart Goodyear, Jan Lisiecki, Pavel Kolesnikov, Yefim Bronfman and piano duo Anagnoson & Kinton playing the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Mozart, and Ravel. TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian leads each Toronto Symphony Orchestra masterworks performance, and for one night only, the TSO presents the National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO) with pianist Yefim Bronfman as Pinchas Zukerman makes his final Toronto appearance as NACO Music Director.

The two-week festival features an array of concerts and activities for all ages and interests. In a special programme for young audiences, Music Director Peter Oundjian and the TSO's newly-appointed RBC Resident Conductor Earl Lee share the podium at a Saturday afternoon programme where pianists from the Royal Conservatory of Music join Emanuel Ax, TSO Principal Keyboard Patricia Krueger and other pianists. The TSO's What Makes it Great?® concert explores the piano, as conductor and commentator Rob Kapilow and Emanuel Ax examine Beethoven's radiant Piano Concerto No. 4.

The RBC Piano Extravaganza kicks off on Wednesday February 4 with Pianos in the City. Between 11:00am and 2:00pm, Steinway pianos will be across downtown Toronto in the CBC Atrium, RBC Plaza, City Hall Rotunda, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and Union Station. Torontonians are invited to play these pianos and Emanuel Ax will stop in at each venue for a brief performance.

"As a committed supporter of the Arts and long-time partner to the TSO, RBC is thrilled to be part of this unique event that invites music lovers from across the city to celebrate the piano in such an open and inclusive way," said George Lewis, Group Head, RBC Wealth Management & RBC Insurance. "We're equally proud to support the TSO's newly appointed RBC Resident Conductor Earl Lee as he makes his much-anticipated public début during the festival, and congratulate RBC Affiliate Composer Kevin Lau on the world première of his new work Foothills of Heaven."

In addition to the Pianos in the City launch event on February 4, free events include a lunchtime concert featuring opera transcriptions for piano at the Four Seasons Centre (February 5); a piano marathon at Koerner Hall (February 8); a masterclass led by Emanuel Ax at the Royal Conservatory of Music (February 13); and a chance for piano students to play the TSO's new New York Steinway grand piano on stage at Roy Thomson Hall (February 14).

CONCERT LISTINGS
All concerts at Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St, unless otherwise noted
Call the TSO ticket line at 416-598-3375 or order online tickets at TSO.CA

Mozart & Chopin Wednesday, February 4 at 8:00pm and Thursday, February 5 at 8:00pm
The RBC Piano Extravaganza begins as master pianist Emanuel Ax shares an extraordinary programme with rising star Pavel Kolesnikov, the winner of the 2012 Honens International Piano Competition. Ax performs a captivating Mozart concerto and Schubert's Impromptu, and Kolesnikov plays a regal work by Chopin. Music by Schubert and Rachmaninoff rounds out the evening. Music Director Peter Oundjian conducts the TSO.

Peter Oundjian, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Pavel Kolesnikov, piano

Schubert: Impromptu
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 14, K. 449
Chopin: Grande Polonaise
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Intermission Chats in the Lobby on February 4 & 5
6:45pm Pre-concert Performance featuring pianists Pavel Kolesnikov and Orion Weiss on February 4 & 5

TICKETS: $33 - $145

What Makes It Great?® Beethoven Piano Concerto 4 Friday, February 6 at 7:30pm
Conductor and charismatic commentator Rob Kapilow and Emanuel Ax explore and reveal Beethoven's radiant Piano Concerto No. 4. As sweet and lyrical a piece as Beethoven ever wrote, it displays his genius in full flight.

Rob Kapilow, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4

Exposed concerts are presented with musical excerpts and commentary during the first half of the concert. A full performance of the work follows intermission.

TICKETS: $29 - $79

Young People's Concert Pianorama Saturday, February 7 at 2:00pm and Saturday, February 7 at 4:00pm
In this special concert for young audiences, superstar pianist Emanuel Ax and the Orchestra are joined by young pianists from around Toronto to perform Saint-Saëns's playful piece, The Carnival of the Animals, with special appearances on screen from animals from the Toronto Zoo. TSO Music Director Peter Oundjian and newly-appointed RBC Resident Conductor Earl Lee are on the podium.

Peter Oundjian, conductor
Earl Lee, RBC Resident Conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Pavel Kolesnikov, piano
Patricia Krueger, piano
Anastasia Rizikov, piano
Yang Liu (CCC Toronto International Piano Competition Winner), piano
Royal Conservatory of Music students: Richard Chao Gao, Amadeusz Kazubowski-Houston, Kyoko Kohno, Coco Ma, Artun Miskciyan, Marko Pejanovic, Anna Vertypolokh, Sunny Zhai, Annie Zhou, piano
David Briggs, organ

Mozart: Variations on "Ah! Vous dirai-je Maman"
Copland: "Hoe-Down" from Rodeo
J.S. Bach: Toccata from Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
Tchaikovsky: Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker
Saint-Saëns: The Carnival of the Animals

Special activities by the Toronto Zoo in the lobby 30 minutes prior to each concert.
Young People's Concerts are performances for families with children ages 5-12.

TICKETS: $20 - $32

National Arts Centre Orchestra Saturday, February 7 at 8:00pm
Pinchas Zukerman makes his final Toronto appearance as Music Director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The hearty programme presents two Brahms concertos, the first featuring Zukerman and Principal Cello of the NAC Orchestra, Amanda Forsyth as soloists, and the second the remarkable pianist, Yefim Bronfman.

Pinchas Zukerman, conductor and violin
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Amanda Forsyth, cello
National Arts Centre Orchestra

Brahms: Double Concerto
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

Intermission Chat in the Lobby

TICKETS: $33 - $145

The Carnival of the Animals Wednesday, February 11 at 8:00pm
Two outstanding pianists pool their talents and parade their versatility in an utterly delightful evening. Emanuel Ax and Jan Lisiecki join forces for Mozart's Concerto for Two Pianos, and then tickle the ivories (and the audience's funny bone) with Saint-Saëns's playful musical menagerie. Peter Oundjian conducts the programme which also features the World Première of Foothills of Heaven (a TSO commission) by RBC Affiliate Composer Kevin Lau.

Peter Oundjian, conductor and narrator
Emanuel Ax, piano
Jan Lisiecki, piano

Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos, K. 316a/365
Kevin Lau: Foothills of Heaven - World Première/TSO Commission
Saint-Saëns: The Carnival of the Animals

Intermission Chat in the Lobby

TICKETS: $33 - $145

The Orchestral Piano Thursday, February 12 at 8:00pm
Peter Oundjian and the TSO share the stage with pianists Emanuel Ax, Stewart Goodyear and piano duo Anagnoson & Kinton performing music by Hindemith, Brahms, and Ravel. Each of the orchestral masterpieces on this programme is preceded by the piano work that inspired them. Brahms and Ravel transcribed their own pieces, while Hindemith "metamorphosed" piano duets by Weber.

Peter Oundjian, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Anagnoson & Kinton, piano duo

Weber: Themes from 8 Pièces brillantes à quatre mains pour le piano and 6 Petites pièces faciles
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses after Themes of Carl Maria von Weber
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn for two pianos
Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn
Ravel: La valse for two pianos
Ravel: La valse

6:45pm Free Pre-concert Performance featuring The TSO Chamber Soloists. TSO.CA/ChamberSoloists
Intermission Chat in the Lobby

TICKETS: $33 - $145

Stay Tuned….More Piano! FREE FESTIVAL EVENTS

• Pianos in the City: Steinway pianos will be in the CBC Atrium, RBC Plaza, City Hall Rotunda, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and Union Station. Torontonians are invited to play these pianos and pianist Emanuel Ax will stop in at each venue for a brief performance (Wednesday, February 4, 11:00am - 2:00pm)
• Lunchtime concert featuring opera transcriptions for piano (Thursday, February 5 at 12:00pm at the Four Seasons Centre - presented in partnership with the Canadian Opera Company)
• Pianopalooza: A plethora of pianists join Emanuel Ax for four free hours of music, including Robi Botos, Anagnoson & Kinton, and many more, each in short performances. (Sunday, February 8, 1:00pm to 5:00pm at Koerner Hall, presented in partnership with the Royal Conservatory of Music)
• Piano Masterclass Emanuel Ax leads a Masterclass for piano students (Friday, February 13 at 10:00am the Royal Conservatory of Music presented in partnership with the RCM)
• Community Piano Event Students from the Royal Conservatory of Music and Regent Park School of Music get the opportunity to play the TSO's new New York Steinway grand piano on the Roy Thomson Hall stage. The public is invited to watch tomorrow's star pianists perform and be mentored by Emanuel Ax. (Saturday, February 14 at 10:00am at Roy Thomson Hall)

ABOUT EMANUEL AX: Born in Lvov, Poland, Emanuel Ax moved to Winnipeg, Canada with his family when he was a young boy. Ax's contributions to the world of classical music are immeasurable. Equally at home with the music of 20th century composers as he is with the music of Haydn and Beethoven, Ax has premiered works by composers such as John Adams, Krysztof Penderecki, and Christopher Rouse. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science and holds Honorary Doctorates of Music from Yale and Columbia Universities. Emanuel Ax is "an extremely satisfying pianist; he is at home in a wide variety of music and his pianism is always thoughtful, lyrical, lustrous" (The Washington Post).

ABOUT THE TSO: Founded in 1922, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is one of Canada's most important cultural institutions, recognized internationally as an outstanding orchestra. Music Director Peter Oundjian leads the TSO with a commitment to innovative programming and audience development through a broad range of performances that showcase the exceptional talents of the Orchestra along with a roster of distinguished guest artists and conductors. The TSO also serves the larger community with TSOUNDCHECK, the original under-35 ticket programme; the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra; and music education programmes that reach over 50,000 students each year.

ABOUT RBC'S COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY AND SUSTAINABILITY: Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) is Canada's largest bank and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We employ approximately 78,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 38 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest Employers, and one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations.

RBC contributed more than $100 million in 2014 to causes that will have a positive and lasting social, economic and environmental impact for generations to come. We are actively involved with charitable organizations around the world and we support our employees in their volunteering efforts. Learn more at www.rbc.com/community-sustainability.

RBC Resident Conductor and RBC Affiliate Composer are part of the RBC Emerging Artists Project, supported by the RBC Foundation.  These positions are also supported in part by the Canada Council for the Arts.

The RBC Piano Extravaganza Presenting Sponsor is RBC Wealth Management.

Pianos provided by Steinway Piano Gallery/Toronto.

The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO Financial Group.

The TSO Official Airline is Air Canada.

The TSO Season Patrons are Pam and Chris Hodgson.

In gratitude for their generous philanthropy, Blake and Belinda Goldring are recognized as Patrons of Emanuel Ax's appearances on February 4 & 5

Hans and Susan Brenninkmeyer are patrons of the TSO's New York Steinway Concert Grand Piano.

SOURCE Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Media Contacts:
Francine Labelle/flINK, 416.593.7769 X267, [email protected]
Laura Quinn, Director of Communications, 416.593.7769 X232, [email protected]
Tony Maraschiello, RBC Wealth Management, 416.974.9334, [email protected]