About the Art of Time Ensemble
“Some of the best
evenings that I have witnessed in Toronto have been performances
by Andrew Burashko's Art of Time Ensemble—a caravan
of classical and popular musicians. Art
of Time leaps over the usual barriers of culture.
So Schumann and Tolstoy can rub shoulders with Ginsberg
and our best contemporary musicians. The result is entertainment
that is often thrilling,
often full of insights—as in the old values
of art that delight and instruct.”
- Michael Ondaatje
Art of Time Ensemble is the creation of renowned
classical pianist and Artistic Director Andrew
Burashko. Not content to rehash basic classical
repertoire, Burashko and Art of Time Ensemble have become
known for their daring interaction with the Toronto cultural
scene.
Now in its twelfth season, Art of Time Ensemble is one
of Canada’s most innovative and artistically accomplished
music ensembles. Their mandate is to give classical music
the contemporary relevance and context it needs to maintain
a broader audience to survive. Since its inception, Art
of Time has steadily grown in reputation as an ensemble
that undertakes and delivers programs that are at once thought
provoking and compelling. Committed to finding new ways
of blending classical music with other genres as well as
other art forms, each Art of Time program is uniquely different
in theme and content.
Over the years, Canada’s highest profile artists have
performed with Art of Time including Peggy Baker, Sarah
Slean, Tom McCamus, Shauna Rolston, Ted Dykstra, Phil Dwyer,
Michael Ondaatje and Steven Page (formerly of the Barenaked
Ladies), among many others.
In addition, Art of Time's core ensemble members include
some of the most superb musicians in the country: violinist
Stephen Sitarski (concertmaster of the Kitchener Waterloo
Symphony); violist Steven Dann (soloist and former principal
violist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Toronto Symphony,
Vancouver Symphony and the National Arts Centre orchestra;
cellist Thomas Wiebe (soloist, member of the Duke Trio and
Professor at the University of Western Ontario); Joel Quarrington
(principal bassist for the Toronto Symphony and the National
Arts Centre Orchestra); Phil Dwyer (renowned composer, arranger
and saxophonist); Rob Piltch (the great Canadian guitarist
and former member of the band Blood Sweat and Tears); and
Jonathan Goldsmith (composer, arranger, producer and brilliant
pianist).
In 2004, Art of Time’s collaboration with Volcano
Theatre of German/Argentinean composer Mauricio Kagel's
Variété led to five Dora Nominations, winning
the award for Outstanding Music. This show was hailed as
"a landmark interdisciplinary collaboration" by
Tamara Bernstein of the National Post.
Art of Time Ensemble has performed throughout Canada and
abroad.
