ROY THOMSON HALL - NEW SHOWS ANNOUNCEMENT

Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Ava Ensemble

June 6, 2008, at 8PM, Roy Thomson Hall

Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst Members on Wednesday, February 20 at 12 Noon; to the Public on Monday, February 25 at 10 AM

Tickets $69.50-$49.50 / 416-872-4255 or online at www.roythomson.com

Or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Toronto, ON. Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The undisputed master of Persian classical song, singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian, last appeared at a sold-out show at Roy Thomson Hall on March 18, 2006, as part of the "Masters of Persian Music" show. He is a living legend and one of the most recognizable voices in Iran – sweet, soulful and dynamic. Born in 1940 in the city of Mashhad, Shajarian started singing at the age of five under the supervision of his father. At the age of twelve he began studying the traditional classical repertoire (radif) with the great masters of the tradition, including Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeel Mehrtash and Abdollah Davami, from whom he learnt the most ancient tasnifs (songs). He began singing professionally in 1959 at Radio Khorasan and has been a staple of Iranian radio, television and recordings ever since, leading the Persian classical music renaissance that took hold after the 1979 revolution. In 1999 UNESCO presented him with the prestigious Picasso Medal in France, and in 2000, the Ministry of Culture in Iran declared him “Best Classical Vocalist.” A series of US re-issues of Shajarian’s classic Iranian recordings will launch this year with the release of “Bidad” on World Village/Harmonia Mundi USA.
A co-production with Small World Music Society.

“Shajarian is a superstar, the Pavarotti of Persian classical music.” - The Globe & Mail


Buena Vista Social Club presents Omara Portuonda, with special guest Robert Fonseca

June 28, 2008 at 8 PM, Roy Thomson Hall

Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst Members on Wednesday, February 20 at 10 AM; to the Public on Saturday, February 23, at 1 PM

Tickets $79.50-$49.50 / 416-872-4255 or online at www.roythomson.com
Or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office

The Buena Vista Social Club was a members-only club in Havana that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular place to meet and play during the 1940s. In the 1990s, it inspired a recording made by Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians, some of whom were veterans who had performed at the club during the height of its popularity. The recording, Buena Vista Social Club, became an international success, and performances and interviews were captured on film for an Academy Award-nominated documentary of the same name. The success of the album and film sparked a revival of international interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American Music in general.

Omara Portuonda is the female vocalist featured in the film; Robert Fonseca joined BVSC on the piano in 2001 at the age of 26.


MEDIA CONTACT:

Liz Parker, Publicity Manager

Ph: 416 593 4822, Ext. 318 / email: liz.parker@rth-mh.com

THE CORPORATION OF MASSEY HALL AND ROY THOMSON HALL
60 Simcoe Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5J 2H5

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