In Wednesday’s (7/14) Toronto Star (Canada), John Terauds writes about Agnes Grossmann, founder of the Toronto Summer Music Festival and Academy. “There was next to no classical music programming in Toronto in the summertime until Grossmann flew into town four years ago. Now, the Toronto Summer Music Festival and Academy is about to launch its fifth season—when pianist Anton Kuerti takes to the Koerner Hall stage for an all-Schumann recital on July 20. Last year’s festival drew an audience just shy of 10,000 people for its paid recitals and concerts, public lectures, master classes and performances by some of its 137 advanced students.… Grossman does have a good ear for fine music. She also takes pains to show the strength of the festival’s Canadian artists by placing them alongside the world’s finest: German baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Andreas Haefliger give a Koerner Hall recital on July 27, while André Laplante plays solo at the MacMillan Theatre on Aug. 3; the Gryphon Trio tackles Schumann and Messiaen on Aug. 12, while the lauded Vienna Piano trio plays Schoenberg and Mahler on July 24.” Next season Montreal violist and arts administrator Douglas McNabney will take Grossmann’s place.
Posted July 16, 2010
