The SPOGreatMusic Performance Series: S41E06
Release Date: December 18, 2020
On this sixth episode of our SPOGreatMusic Performance Series (Season 41, 2020/2021), we’re pleased to present the following videos:
Glière’s “Cradle Song” from Eight Duets, Op. 39″
The Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to present this video as part of our “Together, Apart” content, featuring SPO violinist, Julia Zisser and our Music Director and Conductor, Ronald Royer, on cello. To complete this video in the safest way possible, both Julia and Ron recorded their parts separately, at different times and in different locations. We appreciate the help of our SPO Executive Director, Devin Scott, who edited the video and audio parts together for this and all our Holiday videos. We know you’ll enjoy this duet. It will certainly bring joy to your own holiday music selections.
Pietro Yon’s “Gesù Bambino”
Our second “Together, Apart” video features SPO principal clarinetist, Kaye Royer, along with her husband and SPO Music Director/Conductor, cellist Ronald Royer, and our SPO 2020/2021 Artist-in-Residence, pianist Dr. Lisa Tahara. Keeping all of our musicians and team safe is priority #1. Thanks again to our Executive Director, Devin Scott, for all his work this season in editing and/or preparing all of our digital content, including mixing the audio for our SPOGreatMusic Podcast Series episodes. Mr. Royer arranged this piece and we know you’ll find it simply excellent.
“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen“
At this time of year, The Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra would be performing our annual Holiday Concert at The Salvation Army Scarborough Citadel. This year, as you all know, we cannot. So, we wanted to invite one of the music ensembles from the Citadel to participate in our 2020/2021 online digital content. Enjoy this interesting and upbeat arrangement by Marcus Venables, performed by Citadel musicians Steve Brown (Music Director), Jamie Brown, Kerry Brown, Alberto Theola, and Graham Moore.
“Greensleeves” – Traditional
“Greensleeves” is a traditional English folksong favourite, believed to have been composed by Henry VIII for his future love, Anne Boleyn. For centuries, it has been associated with the monarch. Enjoy this duet performance by Kaye and Ronald Royer.
“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
Words and music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Arranged by Brent Edstrom. This tune was first featured in the 1944 MGM film, “Meet Me in St. Louis”. Performed beautifully on piano by Dr. Lisa Tahara.
“I’ll Be Home For The Holidays”
Words and music by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent. Arranged by Dan Coates. Once again, Dr. Lisa Tahara performs for us on the piano. We appreciate Dr. Tahara’s efforts and support of our 2020/2021 online digital performance content very much, and are happy to share her talent on the keyboard with the world.
“Panda In The Rain” – Animated Short Film
“Pat-a-Pan” – Traditional
Arranged by Daniel Kelley. Ronald and Kaye are happy to present their duet of this traditional holiday music. The SPO appreciates the support of all of our musicians who have stepped up to offer you these great performances. Mr. Royer has been working extremely long hours to coordinate content for both our SPOGreatMusic Performance Series, as well as our SPOGreatMusic Podcast series. As our longest-serving SPO Music Director, Ronald continues to be a huge asset for our orchestra and for great music in Scarborough.
“Silver Bells”
Words and music by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. This classic holiday standard was first introduced in the 1951 Paramount Pictures film, “The Lemon Drop Kid”. Performed on piano by Dr. Lisa Tahara.
“We Three Kings Of Orient Are”
Composed by John Henry Hopkins. Arranged by Daniel Kelley. To close out our 2020 Holiday Music offering, our popular SPO husband and wife duo perform this great Holiday music classic. Thanks once again to our digital production team. From our families to yours, have a safe, happy, and musical holiday season. Our SPOGreatMusic Podcast Series returns with a new episode on Friday, January 8, 2021. Our SPOGreatMusic Performance Series returns with new videos on Friday, January 15, 2021. Have a happy New Year!
Performer and Composer Bios
DR. LISA TAHARA: Born in Japan and raised in Vancouver, Dr. Lisa Tahara is a classical pianist and lecturer at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. Over the past 20 years, she has appeared in solo and chamber concerts throughout Europe, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Lisa has also performed as a soloist with several orchestras across Canada and Europe such as the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec and the Danube Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, Lisa was added to the artist roster for Piano Island Management as a result of winning First Prize at the 2019 International Piano Concerto Competition in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Tahara is our SPO Artist-in-Residence for our 2020/2021 Season. Discover more about Lisa on her website https://lisatahara.com/.
JULIA ZISSER: Julia has been a performer with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. We greatly appreciate her efforts to be part of our 2020 Holiday music offering.
DIEGO GUZMAN: Diego is a film composer & classical pianist based in Toronto, Canada. Diego graduated from Carleton University in June 2020 with a Bachelors Degree in Music, majoring in classical piano and composition. He has composed music for award winning short films such as Sand and Stone(2019) and Aliya(2019). Both of these films received the “Best Film Award” at the DIGI60 Spring 2019 Film Festival & DIGI60 Winter 2019 Film Festival. From 2018-2020, Diego composed music for over 10 documentaries, campaign videos, and PSA advertisements produced by Carleton University. He also studied with Gemini Award Winning Film Composer Ed Eagan. In June 2019 he was asked to compose the score for Carleton University’s Music Department commercial. Diego has been playing classical piano since age six & his biggest influences include Chopin, Liszt, Mozart, and Kabalevsky. Diego specializes in emotive orchestral compositions, with strong roots grounded in cinematic epics. He is passionate in storytelling through music and is a strong believer in fine-tuning details. He is also versatile in contemporary electronic music production, capable of producing EDM, HipHop, Pop & Dubstep. Current projects include short films for film directors at the University of Toronto and contract work for Carleton University. To learn more about Diego, visit his website https://www.diegoguzmancomposer.com/.
THE SALVATION ARMY SCARBOROUGH CITADEL: Thanks to Steve Brown, Music Director, and his musicians for recording their holiday music video as part of our digital content offering. If you can support their online “2020 Virutal Kettle Drive” https://kettle.salvationarmy.ca/17021/fill-the-kettle-2020/99638/fillthekettle-scarborough, or drop off non-perishable food items for their local, onsite Food Bank https://www.scarboroughcitadel.ca/food-bank, it would be appreciated. Since mid-March, demands on the Food Bank have been increasing.
RONALD ROYER: Ron is our SPO Music Director and Conductor. Learn more about Ron by visiting his new website, https://ronaldroyer.com/.
KAYE ROYER: Kaye is an active soloist, chamber musician and orchestral performer. She is principal clarinet with the Brantford Symphony, Canadian Sinfonietta, Sinfonia Toronto, Scarborough Philharmonic, Toronto Sinfonietta, and the Stratford Symphony. She has performed with orchestras such as the London Sinfonia, Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, Hamilton Philharmonic, Niagara Symphony, Windsor Symphony, Ontario Philharmonic, Talisker Players, Toronto Concert Orchestra, Arcady Orchestra, Mandel Philharmonic and Orchestra London. She performed with the orchestra on the Ontario portion of a Diana Krall world tour and toured China where she performed as principal clarinet with the Ontario Festival Symphony Orchestra. She has performed in the orchestra for such legends as Sarah Brightman, Michael Bolton, Il Divo, Il Volo, Richard Margison, Diana Kroll, Loreena McKennitt, Natalie McMaster and film composer David Rose.
As a recording artist, she was a featured soloist on Toronto Sinfonietta’s Romancing Chopin and The Winds of the Scarborough Philharmonic’s Canadian Panorama. She has played on The Hollywood Flute of Louise DiTullio, Conrad Chow’s Premieres, and the children’s album The Storyteller’s Bag. She has worked on the soundtracks of such films as Gooby (starring Robbie Coltrane and Eugene Levy), Prisma, The Dog and The Happy Couple, as well as an Alexanian Carpet commercial (actor and musician). She has been heard on radio broadcasts on Canadian stations CFMZ, CJRT-FM, CFWC-FM, and nationally on CBC 1 and 2. Her recordings have been broadcast numerous times in the United States on Satellite Radio and various National Public Radio stations.
Recent engagements include performing and recording a quintet with Máté Szűcs (soloist and former Principal Violist of the Berlin Philharmonic), violinist Joyce Lai, cellist Andras Weber, and pianist Talisa Blackman in the fall of 2019. She was hired as clarinetist to workshop a new production of Scott Joplin’s opera, Treemonisha. Past engagements include playing principal clarinet for live orchestra performances accompanying the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone motion picture in 2018, performing for the opening night of Luminato 2015, and performing for World Youth Day in Toronto attended by Pope John Paul II.
Kaye has performed as a soloist with orchestra in works by composers such as Mozart, Weber, R. Strauss, Beethoven (an arrangement of the violin concerto), Finzi, Milhaud, Dubois, Telemann, Jim McGrath, John Williams and her husband, composer Ronald Royer. She has been a soloist with Sinfonia Toronto, Niagara Symphony, Brantford Symphony, Canadian Sinfonietta, Stratford Symphony, CLW Chamber Orchestra (Los Angles), Susquehanna Symphony (Maryland), Toronto Sinfonietta, Scarborough Philharmonic, Mississauga Symphony, Oakville Chamber Orchestra, and the Symphony Hamilton Chamber Orchestra. She has performed a significant amount of chamber music, working with artists such as violist Jan Reznicek (Janacek Quartet, Czech Republic), violinists Conrad Chow, Carol Fujino, Corey Gemmell and Joyce Lai, the Odin String Quartet, and the Chamber Music Society of Mississauga.
Her principal teachers include Avrahm Galper, Royal Conservatory of Music; James Kanter, Pacific Symphony, Los Angeles; Stephen Pierce, London College of Music, London England; and Larry Combs and John Bruce Yeh, Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
As a teacher, Kaye has an active private studio, as well as serving as the clarinet instructor at Havergal College, St Clements School, Bayview Glen and Cardinal Carter Academy of the Arts. She has presented workshops and clinics at a number of schools, including St. Andrews College, Hillfield Strathallan College, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, and the University of Toronto Schools. She is a Certified Advanced Specialist of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
For more information, see Kaye’s website https://ronaldroyer.com/kaye-royer/.
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