Collingwood Music Festival kicks off with concert honouring legacy of Canadian conductor Boris Brott

COLLINGWOOD - It was a sold-out house. But there was a notable absence when the National Academy Orchestra (NAO) opened the 2022 Collingwood Music Festival on Saturday.

It was that of Boris Brott, the orchestra's founder and artistic director for more than three decades. The renowned Canadian conductor and motivational speaker was killed in a hit-and-run collision in Hamilton earlier this year.

Saturday night's concert, the festival's first fully in-person concert since its inaugural season in 2019, celebrated the life and legacy of the late composer with a diverse program featuring selections from across North America.

Brott, who was 78 years old when he was killed, left behind an indelible legacy. In addition to the NAO, he also founded the Brott Music Festival, Canada's largest orchestral festival and at which the NAO is the orchestra-in-residence.

But perhaps he will be most remembered for championing Canadian artists and reaching out to new audiences, through his work in broadcasting and his educational concert series for youth.

He reached youth in the millions and inspired them to love music and attend concerts," said Daniel Vnukowski, founder and artistic director of the Collingwood Music Festival, and host of The Classical Jukebox" on The New Classical FM. On my radio station, people phone in and say how they attended Boris's concerts as youth and it changed their lives.

What a loss to the musical community."

The concert opened with Jacques Hetu's Sur les rives du Saint-Maurice," a wistful piece invoking the sounds of the Saint-Maurice River in Quebec, along which Hetu grew up. The program progressed southward to America, with George Gershwin's jazz-infused Rhapsody in Blue," featuring a rousing performance by Vnukowski on piano.

After intermission, the rhapsody was followed by another American composition from two decades later: Appalachian Spring," Aaron Copland's beloved 1944 orchestral suite. The 55-member NAO concluded the evening with a fiery interpretation of Mexican composer Arturo Marquez's Danzon No. 2."

Performing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue" at this concert, honouring Brott, was of particular importance to Vnukowski. The pair had talked about performing the Gershwin classic together for well over a decade - spanning almost as far back as their friendship. This year's festival was supposed to be their opportunity.

He was so excited to come to Collingwood," said Vnukowski, recalling his final call to Brott just two weeks before his tragic death. We were ironing out all the details."

Assuming Brott's role on the conductor's podium Saturday night was Canadian conductor, trombonist and composer Alain Trudel. Also originally from Montreal, Trudel is currently music director for the Toledo Symphony and was named interim artistic director of the Brott Music Festival shortly after Brott's death.

It's a mix between being honoured to be continuing his tradition and mission, but also a little bit sad that it's not him doing it," said Trudel, on his new role. Our job is to keep the legacy alive."

It's fitting that Trudel is assuming the position Brott formerly held. Trudel has known the Brott family for nearly four decades, starting his career in the McGill Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Brott's father, before Brott himself took over.

Boris had this enthusiasm - this energy. He was such a positive guy," said Trudel. The word impossible' was not in his dictionary."

Trudel felt it was imperative to program Appalachian Spring" into Saturday's concert. The suite's second-to-last section, commonly known as the Shaker Melody," is one of Trudel's favourite works.

There's something very peaceful and stable about it," he said. It reminds me of Boris."

In addition to the opening night orchestral performance in honour of Brott, the 2022 Collingwood Music Festival, running until July 15, features eight other events - an eclectic mix of concerts featuring jazz, Indigenous, classical and folk music.

I'm curating from the perspective of trying to capture as many music tastes as possible," said Vnukowski. Hopefully, it challenges people a little bit to stretch their boundaries and try something new."

Highlights include a concert Monday evening featuring Juno Award-winning artist, songwriter, and performer, iskw and Canadian music legend Tom Wilson.

Wednesday night includes a performance by KUNE Global Orchestra. The 12-member ensemble will perform 13 works, including a new work composed by members of the group, called Universal Echoes."

We came up with this idea of exploring the four elements through music and the universal themes of human connection," said Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, a violist and violinist with KUNE. The album for the new orchestral suite is to be released later this year.

The Collingwood Music Festival is one of several stops along KUNE's summer tour of southeastern Ontario - the group's first major in-person tour since the start of the pandemic.

It's invigorating, it's energizing to be back," said Delbaere-Sawchuk. I think that the gratitude and appreciation for these performances is so much more now having lost that for so long."

The Collingwood Music Festival runs until July 15. For tickets, visit collingwoodfestival.com or call 705-416-1317.

Joshua Chong is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star. Reach Joshua via email: jchong@torstar.ca