In a style reminiscent of European salons of the Romantic era, Le Salon de Chant offers a stunning selection of songs and arias that resonate in the heart, in a series of midday and evening concerts running March 2-4 at York University.
Left: Last year’s performers of Le Salon de Chant
Billed as lovely and lyrical, these six classical vocal concerts will feature English and French art songs, German lieder and opera repertoire, sung by young artists from the York University studios of Catherine Robbin, Norma Burrowes, Stephanie Bogle, Christine Stelmacovich and Karen Rymal, partnered by Raisa Nakhmanovich and Susan Black on piano.
Fourth-year York student Jason Borges, who is a tenor, will be singing during the evening concerts. One of Robbin’s students, Borges was a finalist in the recent Kiwanis Rose Bowl competition. Fourth-year York student Melissa Davis, who is a mezzo-soprano, will be performing during the midday concerts. She is the winner of the Newmarket Voice Festival’s top scholarship and a member of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale.
Internationally renowned Canadian mezzo Catherine Robbin, who heads York’s classical vocal performance program, is the coordinator of Le Salon de Chant. She has created a wide-ranging program that includes pieces by Mozart, Clara Schumann, Granados, Bizet, Duparc and Vaughan Williams – engaging works that allow the young performers to showcase their passion and vocal powers in interpreting the beauty of both the poetry and the music.
Right: Catherine Robbin
The music will be presented in an intimate, salon-type setting with cabaret tables and a wine bar for the evening performances, and the female singers will be in period gowns, adding another touch of glamour and retrospection to the ambience.
The concerts will take place March 2-4 with two performances daily at 12:30pm and 7:30pm in the McLaughlin Performance Hall. Midday performances are free and evening performances are $10 and $5 for students.