Two Beachers will be performing as part of Buskerfest, running from Aug. 27 to 30 on Yonge Street downtown.
Bassoonist Susan Durnin and percussionist Laura Savage are part of Das Fagott Mannschaft, a cheekily-named group whose name is German for ‘The Bassoon Team.’ The classically trained ensemble performs instrumental covers of pop and rock songs.
Durnin is a founding member of the group, and was educated at the University of Manitoba and the Glenn Gould School at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has been principal bassoonist with several orchestras, including the Winnipeg Youth Symphony and the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra. She has played with the Kitchener-Waterloo, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, and Niagara Symphony Orchestras. Her taste also extends to the modern, having performed at the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium. She is preparing to premiere a work for electric bassoon by Adam Vidiskis.
Savage has been teaching and playing professionally for a decade, after receiving her music performance degree from the University of Toronto. She has played with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Via Salzburg Chamber Ensemble, and at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. She is at present the principal percussionist for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, bandleader and drummer for the Soul Condition Dance Band, and a drummer with the Regimental Band of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.
The Buskerfest schedule will be posted each day of the festival at torontobuskerfest.com. Donations for Epilepsy Toronto will be collected at the gate, and each performer will pass the hat after their show.
–
In early 2014, local artist Jennifer Linton launched a crowdfunding campaign for an animated short film she was producing, called Toronto Alice.
The campaign was a success – Linton’s modest goal of $3,000 was exceeded by more than $700. Professional sound production and voice acting was secured, and the project, a stop-motion animated film animated with her cut-out paper creations, was completed and has been submitted to numerous festivals.
The film features Lewis Carroll’s most famous character, transplanted to a Toronto streetcar. The surrealist-inspired work is now available for free viewing online, alongside a couple of Linton’s other animated endeavours.
–
Jazz lovers now have two local spots every week to catch combos hosted by Beach jazz drummer Greg Pilo. Every Tuesday from 7 to 10 p.m., Pilo is joined by a rotating cast of some of the best jazz players in the country at the Salty Dog Bar & Grill, 1980 Queen St. E. There is no cover charge.
On Sundays, Pilo hosts trios on the rooftop patio at Le Papillon Park, 1001 Eastern Ave., just west of Coxwell. The music moves indoors when the weather refuses to cooperate.
Was this article informative? Become a Beach Metro Community News Supporter today! For 50 years, we have worked hard to be the eyes and ears in your community, inform you of upcoming events, and let you know what and who is making a difference. We cover the big stories as well as the little things that often matter the most. CLICK HERE to support your Beach Metro Community News!
