The Songbook 4 featuring Gregory Hoskins
May 25 & 26, 2010

An eclectic evening of songs...and tangos. One of Canada's most beautiful voices, Gregory Hoskins, sings twelve of his favourite songs.

The concert will include original material and covers by Paul Simon, Nick Cave, Gordon LIghtfoot, Mary Margaret O'Hara, Jane Siberry, Cole Porter, Tom Waits, Radiohead, Leonard Cohen, and others in innovative new arrangements by composers from the worlds of classical, jazz and pop music.

Featuring
Gregory Hoskins Singer

The Musicians
Andrew Burashko Piano
Justin Abedin Guitar
Benjamin Bowman Violin
Phil Dwyer Sax
Amy Laing Cello
Joe Phillips Bass

The Kreutzer Sonata
March 18–21, 2010

Created and presented last season to sold-out audiences, the Art of Time Ensemble is pleased to re-stage this program of music, dance and theatre—inspired by and featuring Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata.

The performance includes Ted Dykstra's dramatic adaptation of Tolstoy’s novella,
The Kreutzer Sonata followed by 15 Heterosexual Duets, created by choreographer James Kudelka.

Featuring
Ted Dykstra Actor
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie Dance

The Musicians
Andrew Burashko Piano
Marie Berard Violin

Press and Media:
The Toronto Star

Shostakovich: A Portrait
Feb 12 & 13, 2010

A celebration of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, this program features two of his greatest chamber works and his rarely performed jazz suite. A work of live cinema and choreography by Peter Mettler and Andrea Nann will accompany the monumental 2nd trio for piano, violin & cello.

Featuring
R.H. Thomson Introduction
Peter Mettler Film
Andrea Nann Dance

Brasil
Dec 4 & 5, 2009

An eclectic program of Brazilian music featuring Bachianas Brasileiras #1 (for 8 cellos) by Villa Lobos, songs by Antonio Carlos Jobim, and a set of songs and compositions performed by Rio’s music legend Guinga.

Featuring
Guinga Singer/Guitarist/Composer
Emilie-Claire Barlow Singer

Abbey Road
Sept 26 & 27, 2009

To mark the 40th anniversary of the release of The Beatles’ Abbey Road, we present the entire album—re-imagined, re-invented, and performed by top Canadian artists from the classical, pop and jazz worlds.

Featured Singers
Kevin Hearn
Raine Maida
Andy Maize
Steven Page
Sarah Slean
John Southworth
Alejandra Ribera

The Arrangers
Shelly Berger
Gavin Bryars
Robert Carli
Kevin Fox
Jonathan Goldsmith
Jim McGrath
Dan Parr
David Occhipinti
Roberto Occhipinti
Cameron Wilson

The Songbook 3 featuring Melanie Doane
May 26 & 27, 2009

A program featuring songstress Melanie Doane, who will be performing songs by Leonard Cohen, Stan Rogers and Tom Waits in fresh new arrangements by innovators from the worlds of pop, jazz & classical music.

Performers
Melanie Doane Vocals
melaniedoane.com

Andrew Burashko Piano
Robert Carli Sax
George Koller Bass
Amy Laing Cello
Rob Piltch Guitar
Marc-Andre Savoie Violin

The Kreutzer Sonata
March 12 & 14, 2009

A program of music, dance and theatre inspired by and featuring Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata. The evening will include 15 Heterosexual Duets choreographed by James Kudelka accompanied by Andrew Burashko, piano, and Marie Berard, violin, as well as a theatrical adaptation of Tolstoy's novella (The Kreutzer Sonata), featuring award winning actor R.H. Thomson, directed by Ted Dykstra.

Performers
R.H. Thomson Actor
Ted Dykstra Actor
Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie Dance

Marie Berard Violin
Andrew Burashko Piano

Press and Media:
The Globe and Mail

Korngold: Source & Inspiration
January 29 & 30, 2009

A performance of Korngold's Suite for piano, two violins and cello, followed by six brand new songs inspired by the Suite.

Written and performed by
Danny Michel, Martin Tielli
& John Southworth

Steven Sitarski Violin
Ben Bowman Violin
Tom Wiebe Cello
Andrew Burashko Piano

Press and Media:
CBC Radio Two
Toronto Star
Globe and Mail
Mondo Magazine
Showtime Magazine
Live Music Report
Youtube Video

Vive la DiF'RANCE
December 12 & 13, 2008

A unique program of dance and French music featuring the choreography of Doug Varone and the music of Claude Debussy, César Franck, Jacques Brel & Olivier Messaien’s Quartet for the End of Time.

Featuring
Peggy Baker Dancer
Martin Tielli Vocals
Rob Piltch Guitar
Jonathan Goldsmith Piano
George Koller Bass
Steven Sitarski Violin
Yegor Dyachkov Cello
James Campbell Clarinet
Andrew Burashko Piano

Press and Media:
Showtime Magazine

Words & Music
October 2 & 3, 2008

An evening exploring literature inspired by music and music inspired by literature. With texts by Allen Ginsberg, Michael Ondaatje, Marcel Proust, Guy Vanderhaeghe, David S. Young, and August Kleinzahler. Music by Jonathan Goldsmith, Tom Walsh, César Franck, Johnny Mercer, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Justin Rutledge.

Musicians
Andrew Burashko
Steven Sitarski
Justin Rutledge
Gregory Hoskins
Michael White
Tom Walsh
Jonathan Goldsmith
George Koller

Spoken Word
Michael Ondaatje
Rick Roberts
Ted Dykstra

Press and Media:
CBC Radio2
Toronto Star
Torontoist
Mondo Magazine BlogTO
Flickr

The Songbook 2: featuring Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies
June 20 & 21, 2008

Steven Page of the Barenaked Ladies, accompanied by an ensemble comprised of some of Canada’s finest musicians including: Phil Dwyer (sax), Rob Piltch (guitar), Igor Gefter (cello), Joe Phillips (bass), Steven Sitarski (violin) & Andrew Burashko (piano).

Songs by Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Siberry and Radiohead; in fresh new arrangements by innovators from the worlds of pop, jazz & classical music such as Gavin Bryars, Rob Carli, Phil Dwyer, Kevin Fox, Jonathan Goldsmith, Jim McGrath, Tom Walsh, Finn Manniche, Glen Buhr and Cameron Wilson.

The program also included a performance of Prokofiev's Sonata No. 1 in F- for Violin and Piano.

Press and Media:
CBC Radio2
Showtime Magazine
BlogTO
Flickr
Odeo.com

Shakespeare: If Music Be…
March 28 & 29, 2008

….. An evening of readings, music and dance inspired by Shakespeare. Music by Erich Korngold, Richard Strauss, John Cage & Sergei Prokofiev; choreography by Peggy Baker and James Kudelka; and staged scenes from Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing & Romeo & Juliet. Performers include Monica Whicher (soprano), Marie Berard (violin), Andrew Burashko (piano), Peggy Baker (modern dancer), Piotr Stanczyk & Rebekah Rimsay (soloists from the National Ballet) actors Tom McCamus, Chick Reid, Cara Ricketts and Marc Bendavid and others. David Ferry will direct.

Press and Media:
Toronto Star
Live Music Report
Artword
Showtime Magazine

View Press Release

Source & Inspiration II
Dec. 14 & 15, 2007

Schumann’s Piano Quintet Op. 44 and 10 original songs inspired by the Schumann Quintet written and performed by Canadian singer/songwriters Martin Tielli, Justin Rutledge, John Southworth, Kyrie Kristmanson, Andy Maize and David Wall. The Schumann Quintet will be performed by Steven Sitarski & Erika Raum (violins), Steven Dann (viola), David Hetherington (cello) & Andrew Burashko (piano).

Press and Media:
CBC Radio Two
Toronto Star

View Press Release

America & the Black Angel
Oct. 5 & 6, 2007

George Crumb’s Black Angels and Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale) accompanied by live-mixed film by Peter Mettler. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl set to music by Canadian composer Jonathan Goldsmith. Plus protest songs by Woody Guthrie & Bob Dylan performed by Josh Finlayson & Andy Maize. Featuring actor Ted Dykstra, and musicians Susan Hoeppner (flute), Tokai String Quartet, Michael White (trumpet) & Andrew Burashko (piano).

View Press Release

Toronto Songbook
May 10 & 11 2007, 8pm

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

Featuring singer/songwriter Sarah Slean, also performing Thomas Wiebe, Rob Piltch, Andrew Burashko, Phil Dwyer and Steven Sitarski.
Songs by Leonard Cohen, Leslie Feist, Mary Margaret O'Hara and many others.
Arranged by Canadian musicians from the worlds of Jazz, Pop and Classical including Jonathan Goldsmith, Steve MacKinnon, James Rolfe, Bruce Cassidy and Phil Dwyer.  This program also included works by Christos Hatzis, Phil Dwyer and Cameron Wilson.

Schubert: Source and inspiration
March 15th and 16th, 2007

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

Featuring the world premiere of 10 new songs composed and performed by Sarah Slean, Andy Maize, Martin Tielli, Danny Michel and John Southworth. Commissioned to incorporate material from Schubert's 2nd Piano Trio. The program will open with the Schubert Trio - performed by Erika Raum (violin), Winona Zelenka (cello) and Andrew Burashko (piano).

A Lid Un A Tfile: An Evening of Jewish Music
January 18th and 19th, 2007

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

With a program name like A Lid Un A Tfile: An Evening of Jewish Music, you would think the Art of Time Ensemble had put together an easily definable evening of music for its most recent production—particularly after the group’s artistic director, pianist Andrew Burashko, specified in his introductory remarks that the evening’s emphasis would be on Ashkenazi Jewish music.……Some of the music was notated, some of it improvised. Some pieces drew from folkloric sources, some from classical compositional form, and a couple from popular music convention.

Things started, appropriately enough, with a doina, a wordless lament out of the klezmer tradition. It began as a duet between Wall and clarinetist Martin van de Ven, then expanded into a quasi-classical treatment, with a string quartet maintaining a tremolo accompaniment for van de Ven’s elaboration on the initial theme.

With that, we had our parameters: A klezmer core to keep the music grounded and accessible, with enough classical trappings to remind us that the Art of Time is, after all, a chamber ensemble at heart.

If it sounds a tad gimmicky spelled out like that, the next piece on the program, Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae, illustrated just how sublime such an approach can be. Written for string quartet, clarinet and soprano, it used its klezmer elements the way Bartok drew from Hungarian folk tunes, and parlayed a knowing gloss on baroque form into something that seemed both timeless and contemporary. Cellist Thomas Weibe’s lyric tone was particularly affecting.

J.D. Considine, Globe & Mail

Arnold Schoenberg: A Portrait
November 9th and 10th, 2006

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

An eclectic program of a 20th century Master featuring Ode To Napoleon, an arrangement of Strauss' Emperor Waltz Transfigured Night and readings from Schoenberg's articles.

Ted Dykstra narrator; Richard Greenblatt reader; Robin Engleman conductor; Marie Berard violin; Ben Bowman violin; Douglas Perry viola; Yosef Tamir viola; Thomas Wiebe cello; David Hetherington cello; Susan Hoeppner flute; Joseph Orlowski clarinet; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Arnold Schoenberg: A Portrait , in the artistry and quality of its presentation was impressive. Andrew Burashko's introduction was just right; thoughtful and informative without being pedantic and Richard Greenblatt's readings from the works of Schoenberg were both outstandingly well recited and well-chosen for the insights they offered into Schoenberg's thinking. Ted Dykstra's rhythmic recital was in tune with the music and the music was expertly rendered by a superb group of musicians.”

Joyce Corbett, The Live Music Report

The American Songbook
May 10th, 2006

International Centre for the Performing Arts, Moscow, Russia

A program of standards in wild new arrangements for jazz singer and a mixed Ensemble of jazz and classical musicians. The program also included Tangos by Christos Hatzis and Cameron Wilson.

Melissa Stylianou vocals; John Johnson reeds; Rob Piltch guitar; Roman Borys cello; Stephen Sitarski violin; Andrew Burashko piano.

All That Jazz
May 9th, 2006

International Centre for the Performing Arts, Moscow, Russia

Jazz influenced music by 20th century composers including Kurt Weill, Mauricio Kagel, George Gershwin, Bohuslav Martinu, Phil Dwyer and others.

John Johnson reeds; Stephen Sitarski violin; Andrew Burashko piano.

Dorothy Livesay: The Woman I Am
April 21st and 22nd, 2006

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

A Portrait of Canadian poet Dorothy Livesay, written by Cindy Bisaillon.
Performed by actor Jennifer Dale and set to live music of Beethoven, Brahms, Weill, Ginastera, Albeniz, Rzewski and many others by Andrew Burashko.

Dimitri Shostakovich: A Centenary Celebration
March 24th and 25th

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

A portrait of Shostakovich featuring the a guitar duet from the Gadfly, 8th String Quartet, Jazz Suite No. 1 & 2nd Piano Trio.
The program also included choreograph/dance by Andrea Nann, Film by Peter Mettler & Nick de Pencier & a reading by Ross Petty.
Amanda Forsyth cello; Steve Dann viola; Erika Raum violin; Annette-Barbara Vogel violin; Rob Piltch guitar; Reg Schwagger guitar; Rick Sacks percussion; Perry White sax; John Johnson sax; Steve Donald trombone; Stuart Laughton trumpet; James Gardiner trumpet; Roberto Occhipinti doublebass; Don Rooke slide guitar; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Now, my memory of the evening is that of the whole, moving from the guitarists’ prelude in the balcony to the lone dancer’s physical expression of the music played by the piano trio against the video backdrop. Even the performance space, the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, was integral to the experience. It’s a small and warm space in which the audience does not feel distanced from the stage. Hats off to Artistic Director Andrew Burashko for the conception and orchestration of this program and to all of the performers who brought his vision to fruition. I feel that I was drawn closer to Shostakovich the man, his music and experiences through Andrew’s multi-media composition.”

Joyce Corbett, The Live Music Report

Russia in Exile
March 7th, 2006

Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, ON

The music of Stravinsky, Glinka, Prokofiev & Schnittke, with poetry by Joseph Brodsky.
Mark Fewer violin; Stephen Sitarski violin; Steve Dann viola; Thomas Wiebe cello; Joseph Phillips double bass; Joaquin Valdepenas clarinet; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Seven of the best musicians around, pooling their skills under the odd but apt title of Art of Time Ensemble (apt because what else is music but the art of time?) played for Russian works at the Glenn Gould Studio...”

Ken Winters, Globe & Mail

Music/Dance
February 3rd and 4th, 2006; March 24th and 25th

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

The music of Prokofiev, John Cage and Gavin Bryars. With choreography by James Kudelka and Peggy Baker.
Tanya Howard dancer; Robert Glumbek dancer; Roberto Campanella dancer; Sasha Ivanochko dancer; Min-Jeong Koh violin; Sarah Nematallah, violin; Carolyn Blackwell, viola; Thomas Wiebe, cello; Roberto Occhipinti, double bass; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Who said "serious" music is difficult? Well, certainly not Andrew Burashko. He’s one of Canada’s most accomplished classical pianists. But over the past few years Burashko has also turned himself into one of Canada’s most innovative presenters of art-music. Burashko’s mission is to explode the myth that serious music -- call it what you will – only appeals to a refined audience. To Burashko’s way of thinking, it’s all to do with perception and packaging. Mix things up, throw in a few surprises, have a bit of fun, and all of a sudden "serious" music becomes very listenable … even for people who can’t tell an arpeggio from a rallentando! Seven years ago Andrew Burashko launched an adaptable ensemble of classical musicians called Art of Time. Art of Time has mixed jazz and classical, worked circus acts into concerts, reached out to other performance disciplines. It’s broken the serious music mould and won rave reviews – even a Dora Award along the way. Tonight, Art of Time does it again with a ravishing program of music and dance...”

Michael Crabb, CBC Radio 1

That Crazy American Music
November 4th and 5th, 2005

Harbourfront Centre Theatre, Toronto, ON

A program of standards in wild new arrangements for jazz singer and a mixed Ensemble of jazz and classical musicians. The program also included Tangos by Christos Hatzis and Cameron Wilson.

Melissa Stylianou vocals; Phil Dwyer reeds; Rob Piltch guitar; Roman Borys cello; Ben Bowman violin; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Andrew Burashko is continuing his restless search to expose classical music to different audiences and to integrate other art forms with the classics. The latest venture takes place tomorrow and Saturday with a season-opener that has a decided jazz spin. His Art of time Ensemble treatment draws from the American standards. Given fresh arrangements by some of Canada’s most innovative arrangers.”

Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star

Erwin Schulhoff: A Portrait
May 8th, 2005

Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto, ON

Forgotten for years after his death in a concentration camp in 1942, Erwin Schulhoff was one of the great composers of his day. Prolific classical composer and brilliant jazz pianist. Schulhoff wrote in many styles. This program features his Hot Sonata and Jazz Etudes as well as his String Sextet and Concertino for flute, viola and double bass.

Susan Hoeppner flute; Phil Dwyer sax; Marie Berard violin; Stephen Sitarski violin; Jethro Marks viola; Max Mandel viola; Thomas Wiebe cello; David Hetherington cello Joel Quarrington double bass; Andrew Burashko piano.

“Revelation of a forgotten voice…a program full of surprises, fine performances and at least one transcendental moment of great beauty…Kudos to Art of Time for both a fine concert and a fine idea, in redeeming the work of a voice, unnaturally stilled, that nonetheless contains much for us to hear and understand”

Robert Harris, Globe & Mail

Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time
March 4th, 2005

Montreal new Music Festival, Salle Pierre Mercure, Montreal, QC

Erika Raum violin; Amanda Forsyth cello; Shalom Bard clarinet; Andrew Burashko piano.

If Music Be...
January 28th and 29th, 2005

Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto, ON

An evening of music and dance inspired by Shakespeare. Music by Korngold, Strauss, Cage and Prokofiev – Choreography by Peggy Baker & James Kudelka – And scenes from the plays that Inspired the music and dance.

“Love, Death and Beauty were stylishly served up on the Betty Oliphant stage last weekend with an intriguing multidisciplinary performance, If Music Be…presented by the Art of Time Ensemble, in association with Peggy Baker Dance Projects and Soulpepper Theatre.
The ensemble dedicated to bringing together artists from a variety of disciplines through innovative programming performed two evenings of music, words and dance inspired by Shakespeare, directed by Andrew Burashko.”

Graham McKelvie, XTRA

Vive la DifFeRANCE
November 24th, 2004

Glenn Gould Theatre, Toronto, ON

A program of French music featuring Works by Debussy, Franck, Messiaen and Jacques Brel, and choreography by Doug Varone.

Martin Tielli vocals; Rob Piltch guitar; Jonathan Goldsmith piano; George Koller bass; Erika Raum violin; Amanda Forsyth cello; Shalom Bard clarinet; Andrew Burashko piano; Peggy Baker dancer.