What’s On Calendar
August 31 – September 2, 2012
IMPORTANT MESSAGE
Harbourfront Centre is disappointed to announce that serious infrastructure issues have forced the closure of its iconic outdoor waterfront rink this winter.
We are also deeply disappointed that we must cancel our 2020–21 skating season, including our Learn to Skate program, as we were all looking forward to getting outside and skating on one of the most beautiful rinks in the city. Learn more here.
Harbourfront Centre continues to monitor the rapidly changing situation regarding the COVID-19 virus. For the health and safety of all our staff and our volunteers, our patrons, supporters and the community, and in line with the advice and guidelines of Toronto Public Health, we will be closed to the public until further notice. Learn more here.
SoundClash Music Award - Winners' Showcase
Friday, August 31, 2012
8:00pm
The votes are in and the winners have been decided! Join us as we celebrate the next generation of musical talents bubbling under the surface of Toronto’s music scene.
Masterclass: The Fellowship of the Strings
Saturday, September 1, 2012
4:00pm
– 6:00pm
Aiming to recreate the sound of these classic European klezmer ensembles, the Festival Strings Masterclass is a unique group of professional and amateur musicians assembled for the 2012 Ashkenaz Festival. Participants will learn the function of melodies and their accompaniments, ornamentation and variation, culminating in a multi-level suite.
Rexite on the Radio: The Golden Age of Yiddish American Music
Saturday, September 1, 2012
6:00pm
– 7:00pm
Yiddish radio matinee idol Seymour Rexite is brought to life in this entertaining retrospective by singer, actor and former Ashkenaz artistic director, Mitch Smolkin, accompanied by renowned pianist and composer Nina Shapilsky.
Yiddish Dance Workshop with Avia Moore
Saturday, September 1, 2012
6:00pm
– 7:00pm
Leading Yiddish dance at events internationally, Avia instills workshops with a sense of tradition while exploring contemporary approaches to the style.
Guy Mendilow Ensemble - Tales from the Forgotten Kingdom: Ladino Songs Renewed
Saturday, September 1, 2012
7:00pm
– 8:00pm
Starting in ancient Spain and winding through Sarajevo and Jerusalem, this award-winning ensemble breathes new life into old Sephardi songs.
Veretski Pass - The Klezmer Shul
Saturday, September 1, 2012
7:00pm
– 8:00pm
Virtuosic musicianship and raw energy come together in an exciting combination of old country Ottoman-era music.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
8:00pm
– 9:15pm
Canada’s first Klezmer revival band celebrates the 30th anniversary of their founding with a very special reunion concert.
Festival Havdallah featuring The Abayudaya
Saturday, September 1, 2012
9:15pm
– 9:45pm
Ashkenaz marks the end of Shabbat and the beginning of weekend festival events with the one of the most beloved Jewish rituals, Havdallah.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
9:45pm
–11:00pm
Mixing sounds from his own history into sample-based beats, the music of Socalled is catchy, smart, hilarious, emotional and timeless.
Global Shtetl Cabaret Hosted By Aviva Chemick
Saturday, September 1, 2012
10:00pm
– 1:00am
An eclectic stage showcasing the diversity and vibrance of Jewish music traditions from all around the world. Hosted by Toronto’s Aviva Chernick.
When Our Bubbas and Zeydas Were Young: Di Schaechter Techter on Stage
Saturday, September 1, 2012
10:00pm
–11:00pm
Attracting a new generation to Yiddish song, the dynamic Schaechter Sisters bring to life the youth of their grandparents in Eastern Europe. Directed by Josh Waletzky.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
11:00pm
– 1:00am
Post-Soviet klezmer and pop collides with reggae, ska, funk and rock in the electrifying music of Opa!, Russia’s hottest new World music party band.
Masterclass: The Fellowship of the Strings
Sunday, September 2, 2012
10:00am
–12:00pm
Aiming to recreate the sound of these classic European klezmer ensembles, the Festival Strings Masterclass is a unique group of professional and amateur musicians assembled for the 2012 Ashkenaz Festival. Participants will learn the function of melodies and their accompaniments, ornamentation and variation, culminating in a multi-level suite.
Parade Crafts with Shadowland Theatre
Sunday, September 2, 2012
12:00pm
– 6:00pm
Help create the festival's largest work of art! Assisted by Shadowland Theatre, kids can create their own costumes and props for the Ashkenaz Parade.
Guy Mendilow Ensemble - Sailors, Sirens & Kings: A Children's Adventure in Song
Sunday, September 2, 2012
1:00pm
– 2:00pm
An exhilarating interactive adventure for children through Ladino songs, stories and games. Led by the Guy Mendilow Ensemble.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
1:00pm
– 2:30pm
A lively showcase of local community groups and up-and-coming ensembles in the Toronto klezmer scene.
Bob Bossin - Songs and Stories of Davy the Punk: My Father's Life in the Gambling Business
Sunday, September 2, 2012
2:00pm
– 3:00pm
Canadian folk music legend Bob Bossin presents a new, one-man show about his father's exploits in Toronto's gambling demimonde of the 1930s and '40s.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
2:00pm
– 3:00pm
Mystery, illusion and laughs abound as The Great Dolgini (aka. Socalled) demonstrates his sleight of hand with a daring display of magic, mischief and misdirection.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
3:00pm
– 4:00pm
Ventanas explores many musical forms and languages from flamenco palos to Balkan broken rhythms, Sephardic diaspora to Hutsul Ukraine.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
3:00pm
– 4:00pm
Legendary Canadian family entertainers mix Yiddishkeit with iconic favourites such as "One Elephant" and "Skinnamarink."
Sunday, September 2, 2012
4:00pm
– 5:00pm
Shashmaqam performs a panorama of the classical and folk music of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, as well as the liturgical repertoire of Bukharan Jews.
Jewish Jug Band Featuring Joshua Skye Engel
Sunday, September 2, 2012
4:00pm
– 4:45pm
Families and kids of all ages join in with Joshua Skye Engel in the return of one of the festival's most popular family programmes.
Storytelling with Dan Yashinsky
Sunday, September 2, 2012
4:00pm
– 4:45pm
In a tribute to the late children's writer and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Ashkenaz presents a two-part series with Toronto storyteller Dan Yashinsky.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
5:00pm
– 6:00pm
One of the world's great cantorial voices, Bensoussan debuts his adventurous new CD, Maroc N Roll, of contemporary Sephardi pop rock.
The Yiddish Songs of Arkady Gendler
Sunday, September 2, 2012
5:00pm
– 6:00pm
This special tribute concert and CD release celebrates the original work of one of the greatest living treasures of Yiddish song.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
5:00pm
– 6:00pm
Join shrewd Todie in Lorie Wolf's new children's play as he teaches Lyzer the Miser a lesson about generosity that he'll never forget!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
6:00pm
– 7:00pm
Showcasing klezmer legend Peter Sokolow on piano and the music of the late, great clarinetist/composer Dave Tarras and clarinetist Naftule Brandwein.
Judith Cohen - Inquisition to Internet: The Musical World of the Portuguese Marranos
Sunday, September 2, 2012
6:00pm
– 7:00pm
From inquisition to internet: the musical world of the Portuguese Marranos, a lecture from Canada's preeminent Sephardic specialist.
Yiddish Dance Workshop with Avia Moore
Sunday, September 2, 2012
6:00pm
– 7:00pm
Leading Yiddish dance at events internationally, Avia instills workshops with a sense of tradition while exploring contemporary approaches to the style.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
7:00pm
– 8:00pm
The musical traditions of Uganda's Jewish community presented by two of their musical and spiritual leaders, Rabbi Gershom Sizomu and JJ Keki.
Basya Schechter's Songs of Wonder
Sunday, September 2, 2012
7:00pm
– 8:15pm
Basya Schechter's new solo project sets the Yiddish poetry of revered philosopher and civil rights activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to original music.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
7:00pm
– 8:00pm
An interactive "show-and-tell" demonstrating dance forms related to various world musical styles and cultures featured in this year's Festival, including dances of Egypt, India and Central Asia.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
8:00pm
– 9:15pm
Israeli composer, producer and performer Shye Ben Tzur mixes Hebrew and Middle Eastern influences with those of the Indian sub-continent.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
9:45pm
–11:00pm
With an explosive, 21st century brew of Yemenite-Jewish song and poetry, West African grooves and American jazz, blues and funk, Yemen Blues is the most exciting new music act out of Israel. Co-presented by Jewish National Fund (JNF).
The Other Europeans: The Broken Sound
Sunday, September 2, 2012
10:00pm
–12:15am
An extraordinarily candid behind-the-scenes look at The Other Europeans and their exploration of music and cultural identity.
Canadian Cabaret Hosted By Finjan
Sunday, September 2, 2012
10:30pm
– 1:00am
A showcase of some of the leading new artists and veterans of the Canadian Jewish music scene. Hosted by the members of Finjan.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
11:00pm
– 1:00am
Toronto's own 13-piece Balkan-klezmer-gypsy-party-punk-super-band brings their lively, street-savvy, Eastern European folk music to Ashkenaz.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
11:00pm
– 1:00am
Revive your spirit with late-night dancing under the stars to music so quiet you can hear the dancers’ feet scrape the boardwalk.
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