Toronto Mandolin Orchestra 50th Anniversary, 2006
The year 2006 shall mark the 50th anniversary of the Toronto Mandolin Orchestra. A number of activities are being planned to mark this auspicious occasion. These activities are extensive and ambitious and require a broad spectrum of find-raising initiatives.
Some of the planned activities include:
•
Concert at Glenn Gould Studio, November 2005
The TMO will perform a concert at Toronto’s esteemed Glenn Gould Studio, presenting a retrospective of the finest repertoire of the last few years. The performance will be recorded in its entirety for use in a new CD release.
• 50th Anniversary CD
The TMO will release a 2-disc CD celebrating its anniversary. The first disc of the CD will feature historical archival recordings from throughout the orchestra’s history, the second CD will feature highlights from the orchestra’s current repertoire, recorded live in concert at Glenn Gould Studio.
•New Commissioned Work for TMO
A world premiere on May 28, 2006 of a new work by composer Alexander Levkovich, commissioned in honour of the TMO's 50th.
•Official Gala Concert of the TMO's 50th, October 2006
Featuring guest soloist Tamara Volskaya, virtuoso of the 4-string domra
• Anniversary Banquet
A gala banquet will be held at King’s Garden Banquet Hall in Toronto. The banquet will honour important figures in the history of the Orchestra ancd feature a performance by guest artists.
• Mandolin Summit
A convention will be called to convene a national Canadian Mandolin Society similar in form and function to the Classical Mandolin Society of America (CMSA)
• Coffee Table Book
A beautiful coffee table book documenting the history of the mandolin in Canada will be produced. It will depict the popularity and use of the instrument by a wide range of personalities and in a wide range of community settings. Though mostly pictorial the book will be interspersed with historical commentary, colourful anecdotes, and profiles of key figures in Canada’s mandolin history.
• Historical Photo Exhibit
A historical photo exhibit will be prepared documenting not only the history of the TMO, but of its predecessors and other mandolin orchestras in other Canadian communities. The exhibit will be presented at the gala concert, the banquet, and the founding convention for the Canadian Mandolin Society. It will also serve as the foundation for much of the material to be contained in the proposed coffee table book.