2024 Asian Heritage Month Events

Voices of the World: Stories of Triumph, Tragedy, and Compassion | Annual Asian Heritage Month Concert

Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Innis Town Hall, University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Avenue. Google map of event venue.

Admission is free | Please register at this link

The Annual Asian Heritage Month Concert—Voices of the World: Stories of Triumph, Tragedy, and Compassion—is curated by Juno and Dora Award winning composers Professor Chan Ka Nin and Alice Ping Yee Ho with Dr. Vania Chan. It will feature music and dance performances by Asian Canadian artists, with original works by Professor Chan and Ms. Ho. A Q & A with the artists will follow the performances to enable the audience to interact with the artists. 

Event Schedule

Welcome and Opening Remarks

MC: Vania Chan

Land Acknowledgement: Vania Chan

Opening Remarks: Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor, City of Toronto

Mr. Justin Poy, Honourary Patron of Asian Heritage Month-CFACI, and Chinese Canadian Legend Award holder

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Performances

(1) Canadian Premieres of pieces by composers from Hong Kong and Taiwan 

Video: https://youtu.be/dQNG2nrEcs4

Alice Ho (piano) and Vania Chan (soprano)

“The Music in the Midnight” 深夜裡聽到樂聲 | Music by Su, Fan-Ling (Taiwan), text by Lin Hueyin

two or three parts of auxiliary polyphony are used. The main expression method is to imitate the pipa-like rotation, and the dissonance or consonance between its parts is the musical ups and downs of the whole song that expresses the poet’s voice and inner struggle. This song is also the first attempt to use the impact of solo vocals against piano keys, such as minor second, major second, increasing and decreasing intervals, and other dissonant consonants, is a major challenge to singing skills.

“To Praise the Lord” by Lam Shun (Hong Kong), text – Psalm 136  | World Premiere

Lyrics:

Psalm 136: (1)

~(Give Thanks) to the LORD, for he is good … His love endures forever.

*~ ~ ~*~ ~ ~*

Psalm 92: (1–5) – (A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day)

IT IS good to praise the LORD

and make music to your name, O Most High,

2 to proclaim your love in the morning

and your faithfulness at night.

3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

and the melody of the harp.

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;

I sing for joy at the works of your hands.

5 How great are your works O LORD,

how profound your thoughts!

(2) Nine Tails Fox | Music by Alice Ho, choreography by Emily Cheung 

Video excerpt: https://youtu.be/0sPGQVMGo6Q

Dancers (Sarah Di Iorio, Alexander Herrera) and Vania Chan (soprano)

Alexander Herrera

Synopsis of A Poem Story of the Nine Tail Fox, by Diana Tso

Two foxes are pursued by hunters for their celestial nine tails. In the selfless effort to save his friend, one fox is injured while keeping the hunters at bay, while the other fox hides. To return his friend’s act of bravery, he transforms himself as an offering of love. In their courtship, they captivate each other with their fiery beauty and insatiable energy forever chasing each other as lifelong lovers.

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

A Poem of the Nine Tail Fox, by Diana Tso

I

feed me oranges, noodles and tofu

as I crawl under your fingernails

seep into your skin

soften my muscles into your breasts

losing my sword

taking over your womb

empowering myself into woman

II

feed me strawberries, noodles and tofu

I strike my tail and a blaze of fire illuminates my darkness

I have the shape of a woman

I have the whisper of a gentle man

at sunrise the shadow of the fox follows me

dogs surround me barking fiercely

begging the moon to hide behind the clouds

afraid to see our souls’ true light

III

we pass the shining orb between our tongues

we pass our souls from one to the other

our souls gliding over our teeth and across our thin smiles

night winds make our pointy ears tingle

we hear a song a thousand oceans away

a soul sister calling our names

a thousand lightnings bolts strike our hearts hungering for the other’s

power

we bite

we bite together

our energy shatters into our open mouths

our souls crumbling and colliding

we are inseparable

(3) Autorickshaw Trio, featuring Suba Sankaran, Dylan Bell and Ed Hanley 

Videos:

Part I: https://youtu.be/t3LMR9pMIFs

Part II: https://youtu.be/alw5cI-vrew

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

1. “Purvi Tillana”

Composer: T. S. Bhagavatar (early twentieth century)

Tillana is a compositional form emerging from the dance genre of south India. It is usually fast-paced and rhythmically energetic, and uses south Indian solfege syllables, drum and dance syllables. It is in the melodic mode Purvi, with a rhythm cycle of three beats.

In this tillana, the composer has combined both the vocal solfege and the rhythmic solfege. The seven notes sa ri ga ma pa dha ni correspond to the western solfege do re mi fa sol la ti. Each of the swara syllables comes from the first letters of their respective individual phrases, such as ni from nishada, ri from rishaba, ga from gandhara, and so on. 

Furthermore, he points at the evolution of the scale that originated from Vedic chant, with three notes—udhatta, anudhatta and svarita (a note above, a note below, and the middle note)—in the text. He also refers to the powerful Indian mystic syllable OM (the Pranava mantra), the nada, or universal sound.     

The rhyming and rhetorical use of the syllable ni that follows the syllabic words, epitomizes the ultimate philosophical and spiritual truth, namely the worship of Brahma, that is, beyond form, shape, religion, etc., and that which is within oneself (Brahma asmi) and not elsewhere. 

2.“The Trouble With Hari“

Composer: Gordon Sheard; Lyrics: Andrew Craig, Suba Sankaran

Commissioned by Autorickshaw with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, this original song speaks of a precocious young girl named Hari, from a south Indian village, who cares more for her pictures and paintings than for following tradition. This is the trouble with Hari, with playful lyrics set to a Brazilian-Hindustani-calypso beat. 

3. Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard

Composer: Paul Simon

Additional composition: Ed Hanley, Suba Sankaran, Trichy Sankaran

4. “So The Journey Goes“

Composer: Suba Sankaran

So The Journey Goes is an autobiographical song loosely based in a bluesy south Indian raga (melodic mode) that’s all about discovering one’s identity and celebrating diversity. As the song says, “your mind’s your voice for every choice, so the journey goes!”

All songs arranged by Autorickshaw (Dylan Bell, Ed Hanley, Suba Sankaran)

(4) Navillera Korean Dance 

Video: https://youtu.be/zX9dirao1LU

Photographs provided by Navillera Korean Dance

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

1. Honam Fan Sanjo
Performed by: HeeRin Kim, Jane Lee and Lucy Lee

This dance was handed down from the Gyobang style of the Honam region, which boasted the highest level of artistry during the Joseon Dynasty. It features beautiful gestures, fine dance moves, and delicate footwork using fans. This is Gyobang Ipchum.

2. Jango dance
Performed by: Yewon Park, Stella Lee and Ayoung Na

The janggo is carried diagonally on the shoulder, and the rhythm is played around the dance. The beautiful lines of the janggutong and the beautiful lines of the dance combine to create an elegant dance that emphasizes the beauty of women, making it the Gyobangjanggu dance. It represents the characteristics.

(5) Toronto Korean Canadian Choir, conducted by Isaac Yisak Seo 

Part I: https://youtu.be/hq2Bczfw5Is

Part II: https://youtu.be/xwkM5tgKrEQ

Soojung Oh, accompanist 

Photographs provided by Toronto Korean Canadian Choir

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

– “Spring in Home Town,” a Korean Folk Song 

– “Korean Fantasy,” composed by Ah Ik Tae 

– “Zadok the Priest” by G. F. Handel

1. Spring in Home Town

Spring in Home Town is a South Korean folk song about missing a beautiful home town. Slow tempo interprets, flowers and trees are ready to flourish once again after a long winter. It gains the tempo as children are happily playing and the glorious ending about how dearly we miss our home town.

2. Korean Fantasy

A fantasy based on the South Korean national anthem. Fragments of the Korean national anthem can be heard in the piece. The piece begins with a glorious opening, excitement from the independence day from Japanese colonialism. Beautiful mountains and land are ours once again. 

3. Zadok the Priest

A British anthem that was composed by G. F Handel for the coronation of King George II in 1727. Celebrating the new king, and wishing God to save the king with the new king’s long life. Soft 16th notes build the dynamic into a glorious opening, and quickly changes into the triplet rhythm to give a steady pulse. It was played on Coronation of The King Charles III in 2023. 

(6) Special performance for Mayor Olivia Chow: A cappella rendition of her favourite song Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah

Vania Chan (soprano), with Suba Sankaran and Dylan Bell from Autorickshaw and Toronto Korean Canadian Choir, conducted by Isaac Yisak Seo

Video: https://youtu.be/5jvuEriUCeo

Photo by Edwin Ho, Chinese Canadian Photographic Society of Toronto

(7) Artist’s Chat

Artists’ discussion, followed by Q&A with the audience.

Video: https://youtu.be/FYU9Y9ctp9o

About the Artists

Artistic Director | Chan Ka Nin

His numerous international awards include Béla Bartók International Composers’ Competition, Barlow International Competitions, International Horn Society Composition Contest, Jean Chalmers Award, PROCAN Young Composers’ Competition and Amherst Saxophone Quartet Composition Competition.

In 2001, his opera, “Iron Road,” written with librettist Mark Brownell, won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Musical. In 2002, his chamber work “Par-çi, par-la,” which was recorded by Ensemble Contemporain du Montréal, won the Juno Award for Best classical composition. In 2017, Sinfonia Toronto’s commission work, “My Most Beautiful, Wonderful, Terrific, Amazing, Fantastic, Magnificent Homeland,” was recorded by the Toronto Symphony on their CD Canada Mosaic SESQUIES. In 2018, “Dragon’s Tale” was awarded the Kathleen McMorrow Award, which recognizes the presentation of contemporary classical music by Ontario composers. “Pikä Talvi” (long winter) was premiered by percussionist Antti Ohenoja and a string quartet in Helsinki in January 2022. His Harp Concerto was premiered by Sinfonia Toronto with harpist Teresa Suen-Campbell in November 2022. His “Welcoming Spring” was premiered by Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra under Naomi Woo in January 2023. This work will be recorded by the same artists next year. His second full length opera, “Dragon’s Tale,” was premiered in June 2023 during Luminato at Harbourfront in Toronto. His recent works in 2023 were a Harp Concerto and a Flute Concerto, “Donas de Fuera.” He will perform this work in his Italian tour of eight cities in November 2024. In the same month, Chan’s trio, “Among Friends,” will be presented by the Chamber Music Society at the Lincoln Center, New York.

Artistic Director | Alice Ping Yee Ho

Her works have been performed by major ensembles including Finnish Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Luxembourg Sinfonietta, Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, China National Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish Radio Choir, Estonia’s Ellerhein Girls’ Choir, Esprit Orchestra as well as the Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Victoria, Nova Scotia, Hamilton, Kitchener Waterloo, and Windsor Symphonies.

A twice JUNO Award nominee, she has an impressive discography released on the Centrediscs, Naxos, ATMA, Navona, Marquis Classics, Blue Griffin, Electra, Leaf Music, and Phoenix labels. She has nine solo albums of her music written for different genres, including three full-length opera recordings of “Chinatown,” “The Monkiest King” and “The Lesson of Da Ji,” which won the 2016 Critic Choice of New York Opera Reviews. 

A noted classical pianist and an active advocate of contemporary music, Alice makes her home in Toronto.

Website: www.alicepyho.com

Artistic Director | Vania Chan

She sings in a variety of styles, performing opera, operetta, early music, musical theatre, oratorio, sacred, jazz and popular music. A lyric coloratura soprano, Vania’s voice has been described as “gently shimmering” (Opera News, NY), “lovely and agile” (Karas Reviews), with “birdlike coloratura” (opera ramblings). She has been praised for her fine acting skills, acclaimed as a “first-rate comedienne” (Halifax Chronicle Herald).

Vania has performed with several prominent performance companies, ensembles and music festivals. In Canada, she has performed with Toronto Operetta Theatre, Voicebox: Opera in Concert, Soundstreams, the Toronto Consort, Confluence Concerts, City Opera Vancouver, among many others. While living in New York City, she performed with several companies in the United States. She was also featured in Early Music America’s Emerging Artists Showcase performing “Handel’s Heroines,” a program of opera arias by Handel, with Rezonance Baroque Ensemble in Bloomington, Indiana. Her most recent trip to Europe was on a tour in 2022 with Soundstreams, travelling to England and Germany to perform the music of Canadian composer Claude Vivier.

Click here for Vania Chan’s complete bio.

Artist | Emily Cheung, Little Pear Garden Dance Company

She was also a finalist for the Muriel Sherrin Award and Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Prizes/ Les Prix Johanna-Metcalf de la scene.

As the Artistic Director of Little Pear Garden Dance Company in Toronto, Ms. Cheung is an active member of the board of directors for Dance Ontario. Her expertise encompasses both Chinese classical dance and Chinese contemporary dance. Ms. Cheung is deeply committed to preserving the essence of traditional Chinese dance, crafting contemporary expressions that pay homage to Chinese heritage, and engaging in collaborative ventures with artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to create works imbued with distinctive aesthetic values.

Artist | Sarah Di lorio

Locally, she has performed in works such as: a duet by Angela Blumberg for Din of Shadows, as a soloist in Canadian Stage’s Dance in High Park Series, and as a soloist for KunnCollective’s event “DAMMA”. This upcoming June she will perform as a soloist in EMiMOTION’s production, “Echoes of the Abyss”. Alongside performing, Sarah is passionate about choreographing. She has created pieces for the Fall for Dance North Festival, ABD’s DaCo Residency, Theatre Oculus’ Fringe Festival film “Venus and Adonis”, and for aspiring dance students at multiple arts high schools across the GTA. She has worked closely with Little Pear Garden for over two years, performing in their film “The 5 Elements” and in their most recent full-length show “Spectrum of Connection.” Sarah is thrilled to now take part in celebrating Little Pear Garden’s 30th Anniversary, sharing the Chinese dance techniques that the company has offered her in “the Goddesses and a Painter” and premiering “Nine-Tailed Fox,” the company’s newest contemporary dance piece.

Artist | Alexander Herrera

Alexander Herrera graduated from the Autonomous University of Chiapas, where he completed his academic training in dance and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Dance through the Titling Seminar held at the Classical and Contemporary Dance School in Mexico City. Throughout his academic journey, he has fostered a deep connection between contemporary dance and his creative approach, which has provided him with opportunities to be part of renowned companies such as “Dramadanza” by Rossana Filomarino, “LaguDanza” by Erika Méndez, and “La Ópera Moctecuzoma” by the Government of Mexico City, among others.

During his career, Alexander has had the privilege of performing on prestigious stages in different states of Mexico, collaborating with various companies such as “Errante” by Sheila Rojas, “Alternative Dance” by CONECULTA, and “Escénica Obra Negra” by Zaira Lobato, among others. His commitment to teaching has been a source of gratification, inspiring and conveying his passion for art in schools both in his hometown and in Mexico City.

As a choreographer, Alexander has created award-winning pieces and received invitations to prominent events. Beyond individual achievements, his greatest satisfaction lies in capturing Chiapas’ culture, events, and identity through his art, thus contributing to the enrichment and dissemination of contemporary dance in Mexico.

Currently, he is working with renowned companies in Toronto, Canada, such as Little Pear Garden Dance Company, Newton Moraes Dance Theatre, and The Parahumans, as well as on projects with Casa Maiz Cultural Centre. Additionally, in his hometown, he has stood out as a choreographer, creating works that address various social issues and receiving recognition at dance festivals and competitions. His academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in dance from UNACH, supplemented by international workshops. Alexander Herrera stands out for his expressiveness and technical abilities, as well as for his commitment to innovation and creative collaboration in the world of contemporary dance. A couple of years ago, he founded the Talante project, which offers various contemporary dance activities such as annual training workshops and creative residencies. 

Artists | Navillara Korean Performing Arts Development

Navillara Korean performing Arts Development (NKPAD) is a professional dance troupe within a non-profit organization. It was founded in 2018 and is directed by Heerin Kim (artistic director and choreographer). Through professional training and numerous beautiful and elegant performances, it promotes Korean traditional cultural heritage widely in Canada. It is an organization that plays a vital role and operates with pride.

Artist | Lam Shun

She studied composition, western orchestration and piano with Law Wing-fai, Chan Wing-wah and Eleanor Wong respectively. Lam won the Exxon scholarship and the Ben van Zuiden Music Fund. Her works including Chinese and western Chamber instrumentations’ work, orchestral, dance music, opera, hymns, songs and musical for children, Solo/ duo piano works and works for Konghou, etc.

Lam’s works had been performed by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Japan’s Ensemble Kochi, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Virtuosi, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (2004), China National Symphony Orchestra (2005), Guangdong National Orchestra (2008), Dun Huang Chinese Ensemble (2010, Shanghai Expo), Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (2011, 28th Shanghai Spring international Music Festival), Hong Kong City Chamber Orchestra (2012),Jiangsu Performing Art Group National Orchestra (2013) and Xingjiang Philharmonic Orchestra (2015), Hong Kong Wind Kamerata (2016), Hong Kong Allegro Singers (2016), and theTaiwan Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (2019 Taiwan Hakka Music Festival;2014). Her compositions had been presented in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, Suzhou, Italy, Paris and Xing Jiang respectively.

Currently she is working as composer, piano educator and accompanist.

Artist | Su Fan-Ling

In recent years, she has been focused on integrating Hakka elements into her compositions, producing works such as “Aeolus” for violin and piano; “Nuwa Patches Up the Sky” for solo violin and strings; “Lion Dance” for solo violin and strings, whose world premiere was performed by the famous violinist Cho-Liang Lin; choral symphonies “Legend of The Three Mountain Kings” for orchestra and “The Footprints of Our Ancestors,” “Legend for Wandering Wayfarer,” “Drama Showing in the Theatre,” “The Fair Lady” and “Water Falling Day” for solo Kungho; “The Rain Falling from the Sky” for pipa and string quartet; “Air Flowing” and solo voice “Open Sea.”

Professor Su’s works have been performed at venues around the world in countries including the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, China and Malaysia by a number of esteemed orchestras, such as the China National Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, Guangdong Chinese Orchestra, Central Music Academy Orchestra of Plucked Instruments, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, National Chinese Orchestra, Taipei Chinese Orchestra, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, etc.

She has also received awards from multiple competitions nationally and internationally: “Ba-Gua” for symphony orchestra won first prize at the composition competition organized by Austrin Composers’ Leaque in 1992; “Himmel-Erde-Mensch” for 15 strings won an honourary medal at the 9th International Competition for Women Composers in Mannheim, West Germany in 1989; chamber pieces “Elements I,” “Himmel-Erde-Mensch,” the “Ba-Gua” and the “Concerto for Piano and Symphony Orchestra” won the Composers’ Award from Council for Cultural Affairs; “Buddha ohne Worte” for Chinese orchestra, “Temple Festival Suite” for Chinese orchestra, “Brautlied” for voice and orchestra, “Legend for Wandering Wayfarer” for orchestra and “The Song of Liu-Chou” won MOE Literature and Arts Creation Awards.

Artist | Toronto Canadian Korean Choir

Artist | Isaac Yisak Seo, conductor of the Toronto Korean Canadian Choir

He is a prize winner from the International Stepping Stone competition, International Flame Paris competition, Montréal Symphony Competition OSM, Canadian Music Competition and more. Isaac was a guest artist at the Orford Art Centre in Québec and his program including Chopin, Beethoven and Canadian composer, Jaque Hetu, was broadcast on CBC’s Classical radio station.

Isaac has studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, University of Montréal and the Conservatory de Belgium. He received a Bachelors degree at the Juilliard School and a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Isaac’s musical mentors include Peter Longworth, Marc Durand, John Perry, Leon Fleisher, Jacques Rouvier, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Evegeny Moguilevsky, Phillip Kawin, Andre Laplante, Anton Kuerti, Alfred Brendel and Martha Argerich. Isaac’s solo piano career has led him to tour major halls in Paris, Rome, New York, Belgium, Atri, Toronto, Montréal and more. Isaac runs a House Concert Series ‘Encore’ (founded in memory of Peter Longworth), inviting internationally acclaimed artists from all around the world to deliver high quality classical music. He is currently serving as an accompanist at the University of Toronto and Canadian Music Competition (CMC) and was Music Director of the St. Timothy Choir in Toronto for two seasons. He will be the artistic director of the TKCC in 2024 and conducts the OYMI Youth Orchestra.

Artists | Toronto Korean Choir Members

Alto | Kathy Haddakar, Marie Conceicao, YoungHee Kim, Anne Park, Young Wha Camp, Yunok Lee, Euiyoung Lee, Suyeon Jin, Sharlon Cha

Tenor | Alexander Cappellazzo, Daniel, Rojas, Eric Yang, Jefferey Liu, Woo Jong Seo, Dae Jun Kim, Jin Ki Lee

Bass | Daniel Rojas, Eric Yang, Jefferey Liu, Alexander Cappellazzo, Ho il Kwak, Jason Kim, Allen Ahn, Bong Lae Chough, Roger Shim, Do Hyun Chun, Kyungnam Choi, Eric Choi

Artist | Diana Tso 楓

Diana Tso is a theatre artist, playwright, storyteller and Dora award winning actor. She graduated from the University of Toronto in English Literature and of Ecole Internationale de Théâtre de Jacques Lecoq in France. She has worked with diverse theatres internationally for over 25 years. She is a member of the Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s ensemble of Pu Songling’s stories.

As artistic director of Red Snow Collective, which creates compelling theatre drawn from eastern and western storytelling aesthetics, her productions focus on empowering the voices of women. Her plays, Red Snow (2012) and Comfort (2016) bring to light the resilience of women in war and her Monkey Queen stories are a reimagining of mythologies from the female perspective. The production of her new play, Carried by the River, a story about women and memory, premieres March 2025 at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

Event co-organizers: Asian Heritage Month—Canadian Foundation for Asian Culture (Central Ontario) Inc.; Toronto Public Library; Asian Institute at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto; Richard Charles Lee Canada Hong Kong Library, University of Toronto; Chinese Canadian Photography Society of Toronto; WE Artists’ Group; Social Services Network; Cambridge Food and Wine Society

Asian Heritage Month Festival is partially funded by the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Asian Canadian Artists in Digital Age is funded by Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund