Ricardo's Recommendations
This is a list of resources recommended by Ricardo Ferro during his interview with Rosemonde Desjardins (member of the Faculty of Music Anti-Racism Alliance). The resources are listed alphabetically.
Aldemaro Romero
Aldemaro Romero is a Venezuelan pianist, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor. He is often credited as the innovator of onda nueva, the new wave of Venezuelan music.
The archive of Aldemaro Romero is held at the University of Miami Libraries' Digital Collections.
U of T community members can listen to a performance of Romero's work “El fuego latino” on Medici TV.
You can also find his works on popular streaming services, such as Spotify.
Bekah Simms
Bekah Simms is a Canadian composer of contemporary classical music, and an alumna of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. You can find Bekah's music on popular streaming sites such as SoundCloud. You can also listen to her piece, "Granitic," on YouTube, complete with score.
Several of Bekah's performances are in the Music Library Collection of Faculty Events, including her compositions "amok as a syndrome", "Box Office", and “Foreverdark”.
Concert: “Celebrating Diversity”
Korin Thomas-Smith is a current student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, completing his Masters of Opera Performance. In February 2020, Korin curated the second annual Celebrating Our Diversity, a concert presented by U of T Music's Vocal Studies students. This concert's program and recording are available in the Music Library's collection of Faculty Events:
You can listen to performances from this and other concerts involving Thomas-Smith as part of Music Library Collection of Faculty Events.
Continuum Contemporary Music
Continuum Contemporary Music is an organization dedicated to fostering the development of contemporary chamber music. In addition to running concert series, Continuum commissions new compositions, tours throughout Canada and Europe, has recorded 3 CDs, and has created an online resource of live concerts since 2010.
You can watch performances and excerpts from their concerts on their YouTube channel.
Cuatro
The cuatro is a family of Latin American sting instruments common in Venezuela and other Latin American countries. There are several variations of the instrument, but many resemble a small to mid-sized guitar. You can learn more about the history of the cuatro. You can also listen to a sample of cuatro music on YouTube.
U of T community members can also access many cuatro recordings through various streaming services that the Music Library subscribes to.
Fuga con Pajarillo
As Ricardo explains in his interview, the Pajarillo is a style of Venezuelan folk music. You can listen to "Fuga con Pajarillo" by Aldemaro Romero on YouTube.
Gustavo Dudamel
Gustavo Dudamel is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist, who is currently the artistic director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. You can read more about his approach to music on his website and explore various resources at the Music Library.
Norbert Palej
Norbert Palej is a concert pianist and conductor. Originally from Cracow, Poland, Palej is currently an Associate Professor of Composition and the artistic director of the annual New Music Festical at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music.
You can hear his "Dark Lullaby" on YouTube. Several of his performances are available through the Music Library Collection of Faculty Events and you can find various of his scores and recordings in the Music Library.
Dr. Ryan Scott
Ryan Scott is a leading Canadian percussionist the current Artistic Director of Continuum Contemporary Music. He is a marimba and multi-percussion soloist, and has performed in Europe, Asia, and Africa in addition to throughout North America.
Ricardo Ferro acknowledges Dr. Scott for his assistance in establishing Green Room Collective.
You can watch Scott performing Anima, by New Music Concert, with his wife, harpist Sanya Eng, on YouTube.
Many of Scott's performances are also available in the Music Library Collection of Faculty Events.
Sami Anguaya
Sami Anguaya is a composing student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music, and a composer, songwriter, and vocalist for Bon Echo. You can find Sami's music on popular streaming services such as SoundCloud.
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela
The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra is a Venezuelan orchestra named for Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan military leader who became a national hero after leading the country to independence from the Spanish Empire.
U of T community members can view performances of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra on Medici TV.