Consortium Aurora Borealis

Mozart and Beethoven Viola Quintets
2025-05-10 19:30 - 21:30 (America/Thunder_Bay) | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Delight in an elegant evening of gorgeous string quintets by the Classical period’s greatest composers. Two violas in the inner voices provide added richness, in key representatives of the Classic and Romantic viola quintet genre: Mozart’s K. 516 in G minor and Beethoven’s Opus 29 in C. With top TBSO musicians: Katie Stevens and William Sirois, violin; John Sellick and Patrick Horn, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

Dazzling Italian Baroque Arias: Soprano Irina Medvedeva
2025-03-15 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Special guest Irina Medvedeva brings her flexible, supple, yet powerful soprano voice to delight us as she performs music from 18th-century operas and motets by Vivaldi, Handel, and Hasse. Moods range from gentle, lyrical and pastoral to passionate, dramatic and fiery, with virtuosic display! A few opera overtures for strings lend variety. With Katie Stevens, William Sirois, violin; Patrick Horn, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello; Elizabeth Ganiatsos, harpsichord,
Sponsored by: Institute of Italian Studies – Lakehead University.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

Hungarian Strings
2025-02-15 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Truly stunning music for strings by Hungary’s three chief composers of the early 20th century: Zoltán Kodály’s short Intermezzo for string trio and his passionate unaccompanied cello sonata, selected Béla Bartók violin and viola duos, and Dohnányi’s tour-de-force Serenade for String Trio, Opus 10. Katie Stevens, violin; Patrick Horn, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello
Sponsored by: Lynn Barber

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

Café Paris: Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet
2025-01-11 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Mellow moods with smooth, relaxing vibes are back by popular demand! Leader Martin Blanchet brings us his own jazz arrangements in an engaging mix of styles, recreating the warm, intimate atmosphere of a Parisian café, and mixing crossover and jazz. Katie Stevens, violin; E-Chen Hsu, clarinet; Mario Potestio, guitar; Martin Blanchet, bass and vocals; Andrew Bell, percussion
Sponsored by: Robin Smith & Associates: CIBC Wood Gundy

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

An Elizabethan Garland
2024-11-16 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Join us for a costumed, courtly evening of ayres and dance music from the time of Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare! Recorder player Rob Van Wyck, violinist Madonna Lee, harpsichordist Elizabeth Ganiatsos, and soprano Krista Hansen perform works by Morley, Byrd, Dowland, Campion, plus Elizabethan “hit” dance tunes by Playford.
Sponsored by: Elizabeth Ganiatsos

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

From Venice to Vienna: Baroque Strings
2024-09-28 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Celebrating 17th-century string music. Baroque musical style spread northward from Italy towards Austria and Germany. Fanciful and sonorous sonatas by Marini, Bertali, Castello, and Rosenmüller; compositions by virtuoso violinists Biber and Schmeltzer; lively dance music by Falconieri, Merula and Uccellini, plus a surprise by Vivaldi.
With Katie Stevens, William Sirois, violin; Patrick Horn, viola; Peter Cosbey, cello; Elizabeth Ganiatsos, harpsichord
Sponsored by: Saverio Veltri: TD Wealth

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

Violinist Gregory Lewis In Concert
2024-09-14 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
Award-winning violinist Gregory Lewis returns home to perform a diverse programme of virtuosity and lyricism, joined by acclaimed pianist Paul Williamson. Mozart’s elegant Violin Sonata K. 378, Ravel’s show-stopping Violin Sonata No. 2, Smetana’s poignant “From the Homeland”, Richard Strauss’s timeless Violin Sonata, all played on a 1768 Gennaro Gagliano violin, on generous loan by the Canada Council for the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank.
Sponsored by: Tbaytel; Hilda Postenka; Jaro Kotalik & Louisa Pedri

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available 1 month before the concert.

The Brilliance of Baroque Organ: Bach and Buxtehude
2024-05-11 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Mozart proclaimed the organ to be the “King of Instruments”. Christopher Dawes, a leading Canadian concert organist, will demonstrate this truth with his performance of mighty works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Dieterich Buxtehude. These two composers are the principal representatives of the North German organ school of the Baroque period. Buxtehude’s style greatly influenced Bach, who as a youth walked over 400 kilometres to hear him. The programme includes the toccata, praeludium, passacaglia, fantasia, fugue, and chorale prelude genres. Explore the full palette of the organ’s colour. The Casavant organ of St. Paul’s United Church is the ideal instrument for the performance of this repertoire.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Fanciful Flutes
2024-04-21 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Join us in celebrating the flute! Penelope Clarke and Doris Dungan, who for many years made up the TBSO’s flute section, reunite to perform “Fanciful Flutes”, an endearing programme of solos, duos, and trios with cellist Peter Cosbey. At this concert’s heart are Haydn’s spirited “London Trios”, divertimento-type short works written during the composer’s second trip to England and gifted to a baron. We showcase composer Kuhlau, known as “the Beethoven of the flute”, with a Duo Brillante, Devienne, “the Mozart of the flute”, with a flute sonata, and from the Baroque, the prolific Telemann. On the lighter side, we throw in some charming Mozart flute duets from his opera “The Magic Flute”. In keeping with the”Fanciful” idea of the title, we present three unaccompanied Baroque-era cello Caprices and a Telemann Fantasia for solo flute.
Note: this concert occurs on a Sunday as there was an unavoidable scheduling conflict.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Viva Vivaldi! Vibrant Concerti for Flute, Bassoon and Cello
2024-03-16 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Celebrate Italian culture with the return of our annual “Viva Vivaldi!” concert! Marvel in our soloists’ virtuosic and expressive performances. Immerse yourself in all things Venetian with vibrant works by the “Red Priest”. This concert offers up spirited baroque concerti for flute, bassoon, and cello, with soloists Doris Dungan, bassoonist Michael Quigley, and Peter Cosbey respectively. They are supported by our fine string ensemble and harpsichord, led by violinist Katie Stevens. Vivaldi’s exuberant music is sure to dazzle and delight!

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Mozart Meets Beethoven
2024-01-13 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Greet the New Year in style with the music of the immortal composers Mozart and Beethoven, written at the very end of the 18th century! Clarinettist E-Chen Hsu, violinist Katie Stevens, violist Patrick Horn, and cellist Peter Cosbey perform Mozart’s little-known, Clarinet Quartet No. 2 in E flat (an arrangement based on his Violin Sonata No. 28, K. 380, from 18 years earlier!). Beethoven’s gracious String Trio in G, Op. 9, No. 1 and his playful “Duet with two Obligato Eyeglasses” for viola and cello put the strings into the spotlight. Patrick’s Horn’s short “Tunisian Tango”, arranged by him for this occasion, and “Oblivion”, a nostalgic tango by Astor Piazzolla, also arranged by Patrick, rounds off the evening.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets available closer to the concert date.

Music to Delight by Musically Inclined
2023-11-18 19:30 - 21:00 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
The music must go on! We’ve had a change in programming for Saturday’s concert due to an issue outside of our control.
Consortium Aurora Borealis’s long-time friends, local trio “Musically Inclined”, perform “Music to Delight”, a varied and appealing programme of music through the ages arranged for for flute, violin, and cello. Doris Dungan, Madonna Lee, and Marc Palmquist move from the 17th century up to the dawn of the 20th. Included are brisk, happy tunes from the age of Elizabeth I and Shakespeare, excerpts from Baroque suites by Purcell, Bach and Handel, gracious divertimento-style trios by Haydn and Mozart, and short works by Ravel and Kreisler. Ecstatic waltzes by Strauss and Gounod follow, and what better way to wrap up the evening than with a lively set of Scott Joplin rags, including his most famous, the Maple Leaf Rag!

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Gryphon Trio: Celebrating 30 Years!
2023-09-30 19:30 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
We’re thrilled to present Toronto’s renowned three-time JUNO award-winning Gryphon Trio in concert. Noted for its highly-refined, dynamic performances and superb interpretations, the ensemble enjoys an impressive international reputation. Pianist Jamie Parker, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, and cellist Roman Borys will perform a stunning programme consisting of Beethoven’s middle-period “Ghost” Trio, Opus 70, No. 1; Brahms’ poetic and passionate Trio Opus 8, No. 1; and Dinuk Wijeratne’s rhapsodic, evocative “Love Triangle”, commissioned by the Trio. The Gryphon Trio has been long regarded as one of the finest chamber music ensembles in the world.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

The Age of Elegance: A Feast for Flute and Harpsichord
2023-09-16 19:30 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Doris Dungan and Elizabeth Ganiatsos revive their long-standing tradition of opening our series with a concert of Baroque music from Germany and France for flute and harpsichord. Since it’s our 45th anniversary season and they’re Consortium’s longest-serving musicians, they’ve picked favourite pieces going back to their earliest performances. They present works of elegance and charm by J. S. Bach, his forward-looking son C.P.E. Bach, Telemann, Hasse, French virtuoso flautist Blavet, and Leclair.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/ticket

Viva l’Italia! Beauteous Music of the High Baroque
2023-05-06 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
We celebrate the golden age of Italian string music, with a concert of vibrant sonatas for one and two violins from the High Baroque era. We will hear works from Venice and the Veneto by Vivaldi and Albinoni, and from other regions represented by Corelli and Locatelli, composers who were also proficient string players. We welcome back violinists Katie Stevens and Christopher Stork, harpsichordist Elizabeth Ganiatsos, and cellist Marc Palmquist.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

The Captivating Flute
2023-03-18 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Be transported to the drawing rooms of Europe as Doris Dungan, regular performer since 1981, shines in a programme of late Classic and early Romantic chamber music for flute and strings from Vienna, Paris and Copenhagen. Flute Quartet Op. 66, no. 1 in A minor by “the French Mozart” Devienne, will be flanked by early 19th-century flute quintets (two viola parts for added richness): Op. 101 in G major by Krommer and Op. 51, no. 2 in E major by Danish composer Kuhlau. Violinist Katie Stevens is joined by violists Patrick Horn and Christopher Stork, with cellist Marc Palmquist.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet
2023-01-07 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
There is a certain affinity between jazz and the music of the Baroque in which improvisation, both melodic and harmonic, plays an important role. Leader, double bassist, and vocalist Martin Blanchet, sets the mood with his mellow jazz arrangements, including spin-offs on Baroque and Classic tunes. He is joined by violinist Katie Stevens, clarinetist E-Chen Hsu, guitarist Mario Potestio, and percussionist Kevin Brohman. The Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet has a loyal following in Thunder Bay, performing an engaging mix of styles. Cap your busy day off with an evening of smooth and easy-listening tunes!

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Angela Park in Concert
2022-12-06 20:00 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
Award-winning Angela Park, one of Canada’s most sought-after pianists, returns with an exquisite solo programme of Mozart’s Fantasia in D minor, K. 397, Schubert’s Sonata in G major, D. 894, and Beethoven’s Sonata in C major, Op. 53, “Waldstein”. She brings “stunningly beautiful pianism”, “kaleidoscopic colour”, and “brilliant clarity”. One reviewer placed her “in the top echelon of today’s pianists”. Our guest artist has appeared as soloist and chamber musician throughout the world; we are honoured to have her perform for us.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Count, Duke, Prince, King
2022-11-19 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Revel in the delights of Baroque chamber music from the 18th-century German courts. Featuring elegant works by Quantz, Telemann, J. S. Bach, C.P.E. Bach, and King Frederick the Great of Prussia. Solos, trios, and quartets for flute, oboe, violin, harpsichord, and cello will be performed by local musicians Doris Dungan, Colleen Kennedy, Katie Stevens, Elizabeth Ganiatsos, and a guest cellist. We are overjoyed to have our beloved harpsichord return to the stage after 2 and a half years.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Beethoven Rebooted
2022-10-01 20:00 - 21:30 | St. Paul’s United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1B7, Canada
Captivating audiences with their expert playing skills and their energetic, innovative approach, guest cello duo VC2 performs with panache. Their program, “Beethoven Rebooted”, provides a snapshot of the cello repertoire—historic and new compositions—with ties to the great composer. VC2’s Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt introduce their own arrangements of works by Beethoven, including Ludwig’s cello colleagues Duport, Kraft, and Romberg. These works are intertwined with a few commissioned pieces by Canadian composers, again inspired by Beethoven’s cello sonatas. Spanning genres and with influences from jazz to contemporary, and even hints of the rock world, VC2’s program will showcase the diverse future of virtuosic music for cello duo. Holt and Arulanandam bring to audiences “an enthusiasm that is catching”; they will have you on the edge of your seat!

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Romantic Gestures
2022-09-10 20:00 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
Consortium Aurora Borealis is thrilled to open its 44th season with “Romantic Gestures”, an in-person concert celebrating Scandinavia. Violinist Jeremy Bell returns, joined by pianist Shoshana Telner, to perform Violin Sonata No. 2 in G major, Op. 13 by the Norwegian composer Grieg, as well as a sonata movement by Swedish composer Stenhammar.
As a nod to Thunder Bay’s Finnish population, a suite for piano, Op. 75 “The Trees” by Sibelius is included, expressing his love for nature. The concert switches gears to conclude with an exquisite Italian Romantic violin sonata by Respighi. Catch the excitement as our distinguished guest artists wow you with their virtuosic performance.

Admission: $25 Adults / $15 Students / 11 and under free. Purchase Tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Quintessential Quintets
2022-05-26 20:00 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
Five fine local musicians will charm us with three quintets for flute, oboe, violin, viola, and cello by Johann Christian Bach, known as “the London Bach”. He was the youngest son of J.S. Bach, and influenced the music of Mozart, whose oboe quartet plus a flute quartet are also on the programme. These Classic era works date from 1772 to 1781, and will be performed by Doris Dungan, Colleen Kennedy, Katie Stevens, Patrick Horn, and Daniel Parker.

Admission: $20 Adults, $10 Students. Ticket available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Romantic Piano Trios
2022-05-14 20:00 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
Guest violinist Jeremy Bell, always a favourite, returns for our second live concert of 2022, joining forces with pianist Evgeny Chugunov and cellist Marc Palmquist, as we move once more into the much loved realm of Romanticism. Robert Schumann’s Piano Trio No. 3, Op. 110 in G minor (written in 1851) and Anton Arensky’s Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 32 in D minor (from 1894) will sweep you away with their mix of rhapsody and lyricism.

Admission: $20 Adults, $10 Students. Buy tickets: https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Penderecki String Quartet
2022-04-12 20:00 - 21:30 | Trinity United Church, 30 Algoma St. S, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 3A8
We are thrilled to welcome this distinguished Canadian ensemble for their fourth Consortium appearance. The Penderecki String Quartet tours internationally and demonstrates a “remarkable range of technical excellence and emotional sweep”. Violinist Jeremy Bell is joined by his three colleagues to perform Haydn’s landmark String Quartet Op. 20, No. 5 in F minor, Marjan Mozetich’s Juno-winning “Lament in the Trampled Garden”, and Dvořák’s 14th and final string quartet, Op. 105 in A-flat major. This will be a truly exciting concert!
This concert is on a Tuesday.

Admission: $20 Adults, $10 Students. Ticket available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Baroque Bliss
2021-12-07 19:00 - 20:15 | Virtual Concert/Livestream, Virtual Concert - Thunder Bay, Canada
We could not fail to include a concert from our favourite period of music, so we’re pleased to present “Baroque Bliss” with eighteenth-century violin duos by Vivaldi, Leclair, and Telemann. Katie Stevens (TBSO’s Assistant Concertmaster) returns and is joined by Christopher Stork, TBSO’s new Principal Second Violinist. As a special treat, Peter Cosbey will perform J. S. Bach’s Suite No. 2 in D minor for unaccompanied cello.

Admission: $15. This is a virtual concert. Tickets available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Schubert and Beethoven: Viennese String Trios
2021-11-13 19:00 - 20:15 | Virtual Concert/Livestream, Virtual Concert - Thunder Bay, Canada
Enter into the gracious atmosphere of Vienna as Katie Stevens, Patrick Horn, and Peter Cosbey delight us with a concert recorded in the splendid Great Hall of Fort William Historical Park. They will transport us into the very period of the music as they play Schubert’s String Trio in B flat, D. 471, composed in 1816, the same year on which the reconstruction of the Fort is based. We also offer you a performance of Beethoven’s String Trio in E-flat major. Op. 3 from 1794, which would have been in musicians’ repertoire in 1816.

Admission: $15. This is a virtual concert. Tickets available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Mozart and More!
2021-10-23 19:00 - 20:15 | Virtual Concert/Livestream, Virtual Concert - Thunder Bay, Canada
Mozart’s melodiously charming “Kegelstatt” Trio, selections from Max Bruch’s warmly lyrical Eight Pieces, Op. 83, and an arrangement of a Piazzolla Tango by our own Patrick Horn, make up the enticing programme of chamber music for the unusual combination of clarinet, viola and piano, performed by E-Chen Hsu, Patrick Horn, and Mariko Kamachi Cosbey.

Admission: $15. This is a virtual concert. Tickets available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets

Rhapsodic Romanticism
2021-09-25 19:00 - 20:15 | Virtual Concert/Livestream, Virtual Concert - Thunder Bay, Canada
We open our 43rd Season by shining the spotlight on two of our finest local musicians. Piano soloist Evgeny Chugunov will perform impassioned Rhapsodies by Brahms and vignettes from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. Cellist Peter Cosbey will join him in soulful music for cello and piano by Bloch (Three Scenes from Jewish Life) and Arensky. Hungarian Dances by Brahms, arranged for cello and piano, provide a rousing conclusion!

Admission: $15. This is a virtual concert. Tickets available at https://consortiumab.org/tickets
