About Amici...
Patricia Parr, pianist, Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinetist, and David Hetherington, cellist formed AMICI in 1985, with their first concert at Harbourfront in Toronto. They launched a three-concert season in 1988-89 and since moving to the critically acclaimed Glenn Gould Studio in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in 1995, have expanded the series to four concerts. There being a limited repertoire for their combination of instruments, the Artistic Directors have commissioned new works and, just as the name of the organization implies, invited friends to perform with them.
Among the Canadian performers are Russell Braun, Measha Brueggergosman, Barbara Hannigan, Michael Schade, Steven Dann, Susan Hoeppner, Andre Laplante, Erika Raum and Scott St. John. AMICI also attracts international artists to perform with them as well. Some of these have included Shmuel Ashkenazy, Ida Kavafian, Cho Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, Arnold Steinhardt and the Orion String Quartet. The artistic control that AMICI members have in determining their programming and guest artists, translates into a pleasant atmosphere for performers and audience alike.
AMICI has toured the Maritimes, the United States, Eastern Europe and Mexico; they also continue to perform locally, in Ontario and in Quebec. In all, Amici has released 9 CDs on the Naxos, Summit, and CBC labels. They won a Juno Award in 1993 and received nominations for their 1995 Messiaen and 1998 Brahms recordings.
Joaquin Valdepeñas, clarinet
Joaquin Valdepeñas was winner of the 2003 Juno award for best
classical recording (the Jacques Hetu Concertos) and is considered one of the
most distinguished clarinettists of his generation. He is principal of the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
makes international appearances as soloist, chamber musician and conductor and
has performed at festivals through out the world including those of Aspen,
Banff, Casals, Edinburgh, Marlboro, Mostly Mozart, Nagano Japan and Vancouver.
He has performed with musicians such as Barbara Bonney, Joshua Bell, Vladimir
Feltsman, Glenn Gould, Steven Isserlis, Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and
Pinchas Zukerman and as well has collaborated with the American, Emmerson, Muir,
St. Lawrence, Orford, Ying string quartets and theKalichstein-Laredo-Robinson
Trio, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the International Sejong
Soloists. Commissioning many works by Canadian composers, He gave the American
premiere of Arias for clarinet and orchestra by Michael Colgrass with the
Buffalo Philharmonic.
Mr
Valdepeñas made his European debut with the BBC-Welsh Symphony on BBC
television, Sir Andrew Davis conducting and has recorded the Mozart Clarinet
Concerto with the English Orchestra (Summit DCD 131) He has also recorded
extensively for CBC, Centrediscs, Naxos, Sony and Summit and was featured in a
PBS documentary about the Aspen Music Festival both as clarinettist and
conductor. Mr Valdepeñas is currently on the faculty of the Glenn Gould
Professional School at the Royal Conservatory of Music
Joaquin
featured in an article that was published by "Performance" Magazine" and
written by Stewart Hoffman:
More...
David Hetherington, cello
David
Hetherington is currently the Toronto Symphony Orchestras Assistant Principal
cellist. He received his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music
and the University of Toronto, and furthered his studies in New York, Italy, and
Germany with Claus Adam, André Navarra and Paul Tortelier. Mr. Hetherington
teaches cello and chamber music at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the
University of Toronto. As a soloist he has performed with the Toronto Symphony
Orchestra, the Niagara Symphony and at the Elora Festival.
With
his own string quartet, Accordes, David performs regularly for New Music
Concerts and other contemporary music organizations. In addition to his
recording activities with Amici, Mr Hetherington has recorded for the CBC and
for Centrediscs, with whom he made the Canadian premiere recordingof Talivaldis
Kenins prize-winning cello sonata. Mr. Hetherington plays a 1695 cello made by
Giovanni Grancino of Milan.David is also active coach and teacher with National
Youth Orchestra of Canada
