"Everything Waits for the Lilacs" Album Launch Concert
22 February 2024
Excited to have one of my compositions, Fantasia Sopra Sei Temi di Puccini (2021). included, along with works by several outstanding composers (John Burge, Bruno Degazio, Kevin Zi-Xiao He, Daniel Mehdizadeh, Elizabeth Raum, Abigail Richardson-Schulte, & Ronald Royer), on a new album by the fantastic pianist Alexander Panizza: “Everything Waits for the Lilacs.”
The album launch concert will be on Saturday 9th March at 8pm at at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto!
Sponsored by Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra • hosted by Akashic Rekords, The SRG/ILS Group, Universal Music Group • Photography and artwork by Jamie Way
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https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/everything-waits-for-the-lilacs-tickets-837035143647?aff=erelexpmlt
2020 ORFORD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL ONLINE – FINAL CONCERT
1 August 2020
Hello, everyone!
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year, the Orford Summer Music Festival took place online; as such, the final concert for the composition workshop will take place on Friday 7th August 2020, at 2:00pm E.D.T/11:00 am P.D.T. and will be streamed via Livestorm.
The concert is free of charge, and anyone is welcome to attend, so we encourage you all to share the following link among your friends and family! All you will need in order to register is simply to provide your name and e-mail address!
Livestorm link: https://app.livestorm.co/.../concert-stage-composition....
The concert will feature eight new works which were written for this year’s festival, by composers Jules Bastin-Fontaine, Antoine Goudreau, Jenny Tian, Pallas Athena Loredo, Paul Kawabe, Massimo Guida, Ron Berman, and Tomás DÃaz Villegas; these pieces will be performed by Stephen Eckert (piano), Emma Schmiedecke (cello), Matthew Koester (saxophone), and Jeanne-Sophie Baron (violin).
Lastly, we, the composers, would like to thank all of the performers for their excellent work, and also our instructors, Véronique Lacroix, Dorothy Chang, and Jocelyn Morlock, for all their help advice over these past two weeks!
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CANADIAN LEAGUE OF COMPOSERS
11 June 2020
I am excited to announce that I have taken on a role as an Ontario Councillor with the Canadian League of Composers this year!
ORFORD NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL
11 May 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be taking part at the Orford Music Festival this summer!
GRADUATE MUSIC CONFERENCE
11 February 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be participating in the Graduate Music Conference at the University of Toronto, which will take place on the weekend of 7 March 2020, in Geiger Torrel, at the Faculty of Music. I will be presenting portions of my doctoral dissertation, "Drama and Tonal Procedure in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot."
SPOÂ NEW GENERATION COMPOSER'S WORKSHOP
11 January 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be taking part in the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra's New Generation Composer's Workshop in the spring of this year; I will have the opportunity to write a new piece for chamber ensemble, which will be read by members of the orchestra.
DOCTORAL DEFENCE
30 August 2019
After almost eleven years to the day, my time at the University of Toronto has finally come to an end! I am happy to announce that today I passed my doctoral defence of my D.M.A. Thesis Composition Stelle! I would like to thank all of my jury members and professors, in particular my composition advisor Dr. Christos Hatzis and my research supervisor, Dr. Steven Vande Moortele, for all their guidance all of these years, and of course, a very special thank you goes out to all of my family and friends for their support!
DMA COMPOSITION RECITAL
22 February 2019
So, it seems that after I defend my doctoral dissertation "Drama and Tonal Procedure in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot" later this week, my DMA Composition Recital will finally be happening this semester, and if you're free, I'd love it if you'd be able to attend!
The recital will take place on Saturday 9th March 2019 at 7:30pm, in Walter Hall, at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, on the bottom floor of the Edward Johnson Building (80 Queen's Park). Admission is free, so please do feel free to invite whomever you like as well (especially if I've missed anyone!); everyone is welcome! You'll get to hear some fantastic musicians perform some of the music that I've written over the course of my doctoral studies, in case you're curious to hear what I've been working on these past few years.
There will be six pieces of mine included on my recital in total (the first five listed below, which were all written during my DMA, plus an additional piece for choir at the end as well), which will add up to just over an hour of music, plus a brief intermission. A reception will follow in the lobby outside Walter Hall. Hope to see you there!
The programme is:
'Invenzione per Pianoforte,' for solo piano
Amy Seulky Lee – Piano
'A Shropshire Lad,' a song cycle, for voice and piano
Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor – Soprano
Markéta Ornova – Piano
~ Intermission ~
'Three Compositional Studies in Gesture,' for two violins
Eric Kim-Fujita – Violin I
Steve Koh – Violin II
'Sonatina per Quintetto da Camera,' for flute, clarinet, marimba, violin, and cello
Tristan Durie – Flute
Bahar Tavassoli – Clarinet
Jonny Smith – Marimba
Steve Koh – Violin
Amahl Arulanandam – Violoncello
Patrick Murray – Conductor
'Rondo-Allegro,' for piano trio
Virginie Laliberté – Violin
Miso Mok – Violoncello
Jack Zhao – Piano
(Choral work)
Chelsea Van Pelt & Gwendolyn Yearwood – Sopranos
Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor & Victoria Borg – Altos
Ross Mortimer & Kevin Mulligan – Tenors
Michael Broder & Nicholas Borg – Basses
Patrick Murray – Conductor
For those of you who haven't been to the Music Faculty at U of T before, it's located just off of Queen's Park, near the south-western exit of the Museum Subway Station, behind the ROM and the Observatory, and next to the Law Faculty. Once you're inside, you will go straight through the doors into the main lobby; cross the entire lobby, go through the doors, and down both flights of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, continue straight and go through the doors, which will bring you into the lobby outside Walter Hall; the doors for Walter Hall will be on your right. Here is a link to the map:
I've also attached the poster for my DMA recital, which was designed by Giorgia Pellizzari (www.giorgiapellizzari.com), and which is based on the oil painting 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' (ca. 1818), by Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
OGS
11 January 2016
I am excited to announce that this year I have been awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship for my Doctoral research on Giacomo Puccini's Turandot!
MISSISSAUGA FESTIVAL CHOIR CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION
11 November 2015
I am excited to announce that my choral work Infant Joy was selected as the winner of the Mississauga Festival Choir Choral Composition Competition this year!
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My composition will be performed on 5th December, 2015, in Hammerson Hall, at the Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, by the Mississauga Festival Chamber Choir.
VIOLET ARCHER COMPOSITION AWARD
11 June 2015
I am excited to announce that my song cycle Confessions was selected as the winner of the Violet Archer Composition Award this year!
MEMORY WORKED BY MIRRORS – REVIEW
5 May 2014
This month, after successfully defending my Master's Thesis Confessions, I was also fortunate enough to have my score for Stephen Broomer's short film Memory Worked by Mirrors at FAWN's "Synesthesia III: Film & Music."
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Below I have included an excerpt from a review of the concert by Michael Vincent of Ludwig Van Toronto:
"The highlights were the final two films Memory Worked by Mirrors by Stephan Broomer, and The Storm by Blake Williams.
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Set to a score by Massimo Guida, the former was all about the ephemeral nature of memory. The film focused on a mirror in the filmmaker’s backyard that reflected his childhood home. The mirror becomes a shadowy portal, distorting scant images of structure, sky, and earth. Originally a silent film, Guida added a musical narrative with dramatic arcs, and textural colours that conveyed a deeper understanding of the film, which would have come across as more of a study in moving image, rather than a stand alone work."
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https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2014/05/04/review-fawn-offers-up-new-work-for-new-blood/
SSHRC CGS SCHOLARSHIP
11 January 2013
I am excited to announce that I have been awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for my Master's research on the music of Alfredo Casella!
THE NEXT STUDENT COMPOSERS' CONCERT
19 November 2012
Hello everyone! Join my fellow composition students and I for yet another wonderful night of exciting, new music on Tuesday November 27th, 2012. The second Student Composers' Concert of the academic year, and the last one of 2012, will take place from 7.30-9.30 at Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many excellent pieces by my peers, the concert will feature my composition for two marimbas Ilusões do Carnaval, which will be performed by percussionists Étienne Levesque and Jöel Cormier. A reception will follow shortly afterwards, and feel free to join us if we decide to go out after the concert as well.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here is the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
THE "FANFARE OF ILLUMINATION"
19 November 2012
In 2012, I was approached by University College, University of Toronto, to compose an original fanfare for the first annual "University College Alumni of Influence Gala". Through some research, a copy of the University College song was found in the University College Archives, known as the 'University Galop', (the 'Galop' was a French dance, called so due to the use of galloping, dotted rhythms in the accompanying music) composed in 1861, by 'A. Matriculant' and dedicated to his fellow graduands. I decided to incorporate the main theme of the song into certainsections of the fanfare, as well as using the galloping rhythms throughout the work in the underlying texture. I decided to entitle the work "The Fanfare of Illumination" due to the College's Latin Motto Parum claris lucem dare (to shed light upon that which is obscure), which is also a reference to the brilliant colours used in the work and the ways in which the University of Toronto strives to illuminates the minds of its students through the high standards of education that it provides. 'The Fanfare of Illumination' was premiered on November 15th, 2012, at the Eglington Grand Theatre by the University of Toronto Brass Chamber Ensemble, to great acclaim, introduced by Adam Growe of 'Cash-cab' fame, and conducted by Dr Jeffrey Reynolds of the University of Toronto.
I would like to thank everyone at the Faculty of Music, University College, and the many others, who made this opportunity possible; it was a wonderful experience and I hope that the music added to the enjoyment of those extraordinary individuals being honoured that evening, for their outstanding contributions to society.
Massimo Guida.
Review:
University College Magazine - News:
"Among the highlights of the evening was the Fanfare of Illumination, a unique score composed by master's student Massimo Guida in honour of UC students and performed by members of U of T's Faculty of Music."
http://www.uc.utoronto.ca/news/university-college-recognizes-top-alumni-inaugural-awards-ceremony
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ROB FORD: THE OPERA – REVIEWS
19 February 2012
Rob Ford: The Opera
La Scena Musicale Magazine and Blog:
"The four composers are quite skillful in their (generally sparse) orchestration, sticking with tonal music and avoiding the intellectual - and thus potentially less accessible - approach. Worthy of particular praise is Massimo Guida's contribution in Scene's 1 and 2. He composes with a particularly strong melodic inspiration, his lyricism greatly enhanced by the excellent singing of Andrew Haji (Rob Ford)."
http://blog.scena.org/2012/01/rob-ford-opera-rip-roaring-cautionary.html
The Toronto Star:
"But as the second scene begins — with dry ice billowing from Rob’s crib, his outstretched fingers reaching up like a hand from the grave and orchestral flourishes reminiscent of Jerry Goldsmith’s score from The Omen — it’s clear something is hilariously wrong."
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1119529--rob-ford-the-opera-has-packed-crowd-roaring-with-laughter
The Globe and Mail:
"The four composers – Massimo Guida, Adam Scime, Anna Hostman and Saman Shahi – came up with a surprisingly coherent work, mostly in a modernist style that wouldn’t be out of place in a Hollywood film noir."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/rob-ford-the-opera-its-an-honour-to-be-spoofed-right/article2311204/
CBC Radio:
"The cathartic libretto was by a known, Michael Patrick Albano, and the music by four student composers, Massimo Guida, Anna Höstman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi. [...] Bracketed as a classroom production, the afternoon was a fantastic success. The music was interesting but not difficult,"
"The most pathetic moment in Rob Ford was early for me, when baby Rob sings about losing the self-assurance of youth, of a world that revolves around him. Clever and funny, it also brought a partisan audience (momentarily) closer to their enemy. There are few arts that do tragicomedy so well.
Starchy staples of international opera no more effective now
So opera can change perspectives..."
http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/2/Rob-Ford-The-Opera-makes-a-case-for-relevance
Torontoist:
"...the music was clever and funny..."
http://torontoist.com/2012/01/rob-ford-operas-lucky-charm/
Mooney on Theatre:
"...the music is composed by Massimo Guida, Anna Hostman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi, all student composers. Each of them composed a specific scene (or scenes), which could be a recipe for chaos but it worked seamlessly."
"The music was beautiful."
http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2012/01/22/rob-ford-the-opera-university-of-toronto-faculty-of-music/
NEW VIDEO CLIPS OF "ROB FORD: THE OPERA" AND "PRÉLUDE FOR GUITAR"
17 February 2012
Here are some youtube video clips from Rob ford the opera and of my Prelude for guitar. The recording has also been uploaded to my music player. Thanks again to Patrick Power for playing it so well. Feel free to check out his youtube channel and his website to listen to his music.
Rob Ford: The Opera Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1sJmfsIGR8&feature=related (My music ends at 2:43)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5to-u61Rb-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYN4dGN8KX8 (Rob Ford's Aria, Scene 2 - Massimo Guida, performed by Andrew Haji)
Prelude for Guitar: (Performed by Patrick Power)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ducjpfbL-A
Another review by the CBC of: Rob Ford: The Opera.
http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/2/Rob-Ford-The-Opera-makes-a-case-for-relevance
26 January 2012
Hi everyone! If you're longing still for more new music a fantastic week of it at the "Toronto New Music Festival" then feel free to koin my fellow composition students and I for wonderful, night of exciting new music on Tuesday February, 2012. The 3rd Student Composer Concert of the academic year will take place at from 7.30-9.30 in Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many fantastic pieces, the concert will feature my "Prélude for Guitar", which will be performed by the fantastic guitarist and composer, Patrick Power, who has also studied with Eli Kassner.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
ROB FORD: THE OPERA – THANK YOU!
26 January 2012
Thank you for everyone who came out to see "Rob Ford: The Opera." It was a tremendous success and it was incredible how something that large could come together in such a short period of time (2 weeks!). All the singers and the performers did a fantastic job and I would like to thank them along with my colleagues Adam Scime (Composer of Scenes 3-4), Anna Höstman (Composer of Scene 5) and Saman Shahi (Composer of Scene 6) for writing some truly outstanding music; it was a pleasure collaborating with you all! A big thank you also to the librettist Michael Albano, Conductor Rafael Luz and the stage director Erik Thor, as well as all the cast, crew, orchestra and chorus. Over 800 people were watching in the theatre (the balcony which usually remains unused, had to be opened up to spectators!) and over 100 more were watching a transmitted version on the television screens in the lobby. The Opera received a lot of press coverage (including articles on the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star) and I have posted some links in the "Reviews" page (Videos and photos of the performance can be viewed here.) Beforehand we had also been advertised on CBC radio, Classical 96.3 FM and Global TV. Thank you everyone for making it possible and for attending. Thank you also to my family friends and professors for all your support!
Massimo.
ROB FORD: THE OPERA – SNEAK PEEK
20 January 2012
Here's the link for a radio interview with the librettist Michael Albano and tenor Andrew Haji who plays Rob Ford in the opera. There are also some excerpts of the music:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2188875265
And here is the brief article discussing the audio clip:
http://www.cbc.ca/hereandnowtoronto/episodes/2012/01/20/rob-ford-the-opera/
0.00-0.50 - Music from Scene 6, Composed by Saman Shahi (Margaret Atwood and the whole Ensemble Cast)
1.45-2.50 - Music from Scene 2, Composed by myself, Massimo Guida (Rob Ford)
2.50-4.00 - Music from Scene 4, Composed by Adam Scime (Rob Ford and Margaret Atwood)
4.10-5.07 - Music from Scene 5, Composed by Anna Hostman (Rob Ford, Margaret Atwood & Chorus)
CAST:
Rob Ford – Andrew Haji
Margaret Atwood – Rosanna Murphy
Mother – Eliza Johnson
Father – Fabian Arciniegas
Homeless Woman – Caitlin Wood
Injured Cyclist – Conrad Seibert
Unhappy Seagull – Jamilynn Gubbe
Secretaries, Minions, Protestors, Librarians and Chorus -
Adanya Dunn, Laura Widgett, Chelsea Van Pelt, Conrad Siebert, Michelle Siemens, Anna Sharpe, Mahi Raptis, Beth Polese,
12 January 2012
Hello everyone!
I'm inviting you to come see a new opera which I co-composed with my fellow peers Anna Hostman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi. The libretto was initially written by Michael Albano as part of an assignment for the "Introduction to Operatic Composition" Course, but has now began to attract a lot of attention. The libretto consists of a fictional absurdist caricature of the life of Rob Ford, which is based on the city's reaction to current Mayor of Toronto.
The performance will be in Macmillan Theatre, in the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, at 2.30 on Sunday, January 22nd. Be sure to get there early as it is expected to be a full performance and admission is free! The duration of the opera should be around 70 minutes.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Here is some more information about the cast and the opera:
An Opera written by Massimo Guida (Scenes 1 & 2), Adam Scime (Scenes 3 & 4), Anna Hostman (Scene 5), and Saman Shahi (Scene 6 - The Finale).
Libretto written by Michael Albano, performed by the GamUT Contemporary Ensemble and Chorus, conducted by Rafael Luz and stage direction by Erik Thor. This surrealist fantasy is loosely based on the personality of the city's mayor.
Producer: U of T Faculty of Music
Admission: Free
Where: Edward Johnson Building, room: MacMillan Theatre, 80 Queen's Park, Toronto, M5S 2C5, 416-978-5776, www.music.utoronto.ca
When: Jan 22 2012 at 2:30 pm
CAST:
Rob Ford – Andrew Haji
Margaret Atwood – Rosanna Murphy
Mother – Eliza Johnson
Father – Fabian Arciniegas
Homeless Woman – Caitlin Wood
Injured Cyclist – Conrad Seibert
Unhappy Seagull – Jamilynn Gubbe
Secretaries, Minions, Protestors, Librarians and Chorus -
Adanya Dunn, Laura Widgett, Chelsea Van Pelt, Conrad Siebert, Michelle Siemens, Anna Sharpe, Mahi Raptis, Beth Polese,
Here are some links and articles about the opera:
http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhallpolitics/article/1110187--in-rob-ford-the-opera-atwood-is-god?bn=1
http://www.blogto.com/arts/2012/01/rob_ford_opera_bridges_art_and_politics/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/local+director+writes+opera+inspired+by+mayor+rob+ford/6442553135/story.html
http://www.blogto.com/events/50143
http://torontoist.com/2012/01/rob-ford-is-invited-to-an-opera-about-himself/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/rob+ford+the+opera/video.html?v=2183746358#interviews/video
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/1277125--opera-holds-mayor-accountable
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/globe-to/what-the-rob-ford-opera-really-needs-besides-rob-ford/article2294416/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/rob+ford++the+opera/video.html?v=2183588574#video
http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/localnews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10331673
http://www.music.utoronto.ca/about/news/new0105.htm
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/local/article/1062866--judgment-day-awaits-mayor-in-operatic-spectacle
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
HELLO, AGAIN!
1 April 2011
Hi everyone, this is a belated thank you amidst exams, papers, projects, final assignments, revision and stress to everyone who came to the concert, and thank you especially to Wesley for learning such a difficult piece! Thank you also to Professor Chan for all his help and everyone else involved. I uploaded parts of the recording if anyone is interested in listening to it. Can't believe it's almost the end of the year!
All the best!
Massimo.
STUDENT COMPOSER CONCERT - WALTER HALL, MARCH 22ND
3 March 2011
Hi everyone! Join my fellow composition students and I for wonderful, epic night of great, fun, exciting new music on Tuesday March 22nd, 2011. The final Student Composer Concert of the year will take place at from 6-9.30 in Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many fantastic pieces, the concert will feature my latest composition, my piano sonata: "Per AC," performed by Wesley Shen. We'll probably be going out afterward as well if anyone is interested.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
IN THE NEWS
What’s Happening: Announcements, Press Reviews, and Upcoming Events and Performances
2020 ORFORD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL ONLINE – FINAL CONCERT
1 August 2020
Hello, everyone!
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year, the Orford Summer Music Festival took place online; as such, the final concert for the composition workshop will take place on Friday 7th August 2020, at 2:00pm E.D.T/11:00 am P.D.T. and will be streamed via Livestorm.
The concert is free of charge, and anyone is welcome to attend, so we encourage you all to share the following link among your friends and family! All you will need in order to register is simply to provide your name and e-mail address!
Livestorm link: https://app.livestorm.co/.../concert-stage-composition....
The concert will feature eight new works which were written for this year’s festival, by composers Jules Bastin-Fontaine, Antoine Goudreau, Jenny Tian, Pallas Athena Loredo, Paul Kawabe, Massimo Guida, Ron Berman, and Tomás DÃaz Villegas; these pieces will be performed by Stephen Eckert (piano), Emma Schmiedecke (cello), Matthew Koester (saxophone), and Jeanne-Sophie Baron (violin).
Lastly, we, the composers, would like to thank all of the performers for their excellent work, and also our instructors, Véronique Lacroix, Dorothy Chang, and Jocelyn Morlock, for all their help advice over these past two weeks!
​
CANADIAN LEAGUE OF COMPOSERS
11 June 2020
I am excited to announce that I have taken on a role as an Ontario Councillor with the Canadian League of Composers this year!
ORFORD NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL
11 May 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be taking part at the Orford Music Festival this summer!
GRADUATE MUSIC CONFERENCE
11 February 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be participating in the Graduate Music Conference at the University of Toronto, which will take place on the weekend of 7 March 2020, in Geiger Torrel, at the Faculty of Music. I will be presenting portions of my doctoral dissertation, "Drama and Tonal Procedure in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot."
SPOÂ NEW GENERATION COMPOSER'S WORKSHOP
11 January 2020
I am excited to announce that I will be taking part in the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra's New Generation Composer's Workshop in the spring of this year; I will have the opportunity to write a new piece for chamber ensemble, which will be read by members of the orchestra.
DOCTORAL DEFENCE
30 August 2019
After almost eleven years to the day, my time at the University of Toronto has finally come to an end! I am happy to announce that today I passed my doctoral defence of my D.M.A. Thesis Composition Stelle! I would like to thank all of my jury members and professors, in particular my composition advisor Dr. Christos Hatzis and my research supervisor, Dr. Steven Vande Moortele, for all their guidance all of these years, and of course, a very special thank you goes out to all of my family and friends for their support!
DMA COMPOSITION RECITAL
22 February 2019
So, it seems that after I defend my doctoral dissertation "Drama and Tonal Procedure in Giacomo Puccini's Turandot" later this week, my DMA Composition Recital will finally be happening this semester, and if you're free, I'd love it if you'd be able to attend!
The recital will take place on Saturday 9th March 2019 at 7:30pm, in Walter Hall, at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, on the bottom floor of the Edward Johnson Building (80 Queen's Park). Admission is free, so please do feel free to invite whomever you like as well (especially if I've missed anyone!); everyone is welcome! You'll get to hear some fantastic musicians perform some of the music that I've written over the course of my doctoral studies, in case you're curious to hear what I've been working on these past few years.
There will be six pieces of mine included on my recital in total (the first five listed below, which were all written during my DMA, plus an additional piece for choir at the end as well), which will add up to just over an hour of music, plus a brief intermission. A reception will follow in the lobby outside Walter Hall. Hope to see you there!
The programme is:
'Invenzione per Pianoforte,' for solo piano
Amy Seulky Lee – Piano
'A Shropshire Lad,' a song cycle, for voice and piano
Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor – Soprano
Markéta Ornova – Piano
~ Intermission ~
'Three Compositional Studies in Gesture,' for two violins
Eric Kim-Fujita – Violin I
Steve Koh – Violin II
'Sonatina per Quintetto da Camera,' for flute, clarinet, marimba, violin, and cello
Tristan Durie – Flute
Bahar Tavassoli – Clarinet
Jonny Smith – Marimba
Steve Koh – Violin
Amahl Arulanandam – Violoncello
Patrick Murray – Conductor
'Rondo-Allegro,' for piano trio
Virginie Laliberté – Violin
Miso Mok – Violoncello
Jack Zhao – Piano
(Choral work)
Chelsea Van Pelt & Gwendolyn Yearwood – Sopranos
Gwenna Fairchild-Taylor & Victoria Borg – Altos
Ross Mortimer & Kevin Mulligan – Tenors
Michael Broder & Nicholas Borg – Basses
Patrick Murray – Conductor
For those of you who haven't been to the Music Faculty at U of T before, it's located just off of Queen's Park, near the south-western exit of the Museum Subway Station, behind the ROM and the Observatory, and next to the Law Faculty. Once you're inside, you will go straight through the doors into the main lobby; cross the entire lobby, go through the doors, and down both flights of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, continue straight and go through the doors, which will bring you into the lobby outside Walter Hall; the doors for Walter Hall will be on your right. Here is a link to the map:
I've also attached the poster for my DMA recital, which was designed by Giorgia Pellizzari (www.giorgiapellizzari.com), and which is based on the oil painting 'Wanderer above the Sea of Fog' (ca. 1818), by Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840)
OGS
11 January 2016
I am excited to announce that this year I have been awarded an Ontario Graduate Scholarship for my Doctoral research on Giacomo Puccini's Turandot!
MISSISSAUGA FESTIVAL CHOIR CHORAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION
11 November 2015
I am excited to announce that my choral work Infant Joy was selected as the winner of the Mississauga Festival Choir Choral Composition Competition this year!
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My composition will be performed on 5th December, 2015, in Hammerson Hall, at the Living Arts Centre, Mississauga, by the Mississauga Festival Chamber Choir.
VIOLET ARCHER COMPOSITION AWARD
11 June 2015
I am excited to announce that my song cycle Confessions was selected as the winner of the Violet Archer Composition Award this year!
MEMORY WORKED BY MIRRORS – REVIEW
5 May 2014
This month, after successfully defending my Master's Thesis Confessions, I was also fortunate enough to have my score for Stephen Broomer's short film Memory Worked by Mirrors at FAWN's "Synesthesia III: Film & Music."
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Below I have included an excerpt from a review of the concert by Michael Vincent of Ludwig Van Toronto:
"The highlights were the final two films Memory Worked by Mirrors by Stephan Broomer, and The Storm by Blake Williams.
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Set to a score by Massimo Guida, the former was all about the ephemeral nature of memory. The film focused on a mirror in the filmmaker’s backyard that reflected his childhood home. The mirror becomes a shadowy portal, distorting scant images of structure, sky, and earth. Originally a silent film, Guida added a musical narrative with dramatic arcs, and textural colours that conveyed a deeper understanding of the film, which would have come across as more of a study in moving image, rather than a stand alone work."
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https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2014/05/04/review-fawn-offers-up-new-work-for-new-blood/
SSHRC CGS SCHOLARSHIP
11 January 2013
I am excited to announce that I have been awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for my Master's research on the music of Alfredo Casella!
THE NEXT STUDENT COMPOSERS' CONCERT
19 November 2012
Hello everyone! Join my fellow composition students and I for yet another wonderful night of exciting, new music on Tuesday November 27th, 2012. The second Student Composers' Concert of the academic year, and the last one of 2012, will take place from 7.30-9.30 at Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Edward Johnson Building, Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many excellent pieces by my peers, the concert will feature my composition for two marimbas Ilusões do Carnaval, which will be performed by percussionists Étienne Levesque and Jöel Cormier. A reception will follow shortly afterwards, and feel free to join us if we decide to go out after the concert as well.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here is the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
THE "FANFARE OF ILLUMINATION"
19 November 2012
In 2012, I was approached by University College, University of Toronto, to compose an original fanfare for the first annual "University College Alumni of Influence Gala". Through some research, a copy of the University College song was found in the University College Archives, known as the 'University Galop', (the 'Galop' was a French dance, called so due to the use of galloping, dotted rhythms in the accompanying music) composed in 1861, by 'A. Matriculant' and dedicated to his fellow graduands. I decided to incorporate the main theme of the song into certainsections of the fanfare, as well as using the galloping rhythms throughout the work in the underlying texture. I decided to entitle the work "The Fanfare of Illumination" due to the College's Latin Motto Parum claris lucem dare (to shed light upon that which is obscure), which is also a reference to the brilliant colours used in the work and the ways in which the University of Toronto strives to illuminates the minds of its students through the high standards of education that it provides. 'The Fanfare of Illumination' was premiered on November 15th, 2012, at the Eglington Grand Theatre by the University of Toronto Brass Chamber Ensemble, to great acclaim, introduced by Adam Growe of 'Cash-cab' fame, and conducted by Dr Jeffrey Reynolds of the University of Toronto.
I would like to thank everyone at the Faculty of Music, University College, and the many others, who made this opportunity possible; it was a wonderful experience and I hope that the music added to the enjoyment of those extraordinary individuals being honoured that evening, for their outstanding contributions to society.
Massimo Guida.
Review:
University College Magazine - News:
"Among the highlights of the evening was the Fanfare of Illumination, a unique score composed by master's student Massimo Guida in honour of UC students and performed by members of U of T's Faculty of Music."
http://www.uc.utoronto.ca/news/university-college-recognizes-top-alumni-inaugural-awards-ceremony
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ROB FORD: THE OPERA – REVIEWS
19 February 2012
Rob Ford: The Opera
La Scena Musicale Magazine and Blog:
"The four composers are quite skillful in their (generally sparse) orchestration, sticking with tonal music and avoiding the intellectual - and thus potentially less accessible - approach. Worthy of particular praise is Massimo Guida's contribution in Scene's 1 and 2. He composes with a particularly strong melodic inspiration, his lyricism greatly enhanced by the excellent singing of Andrew Haji (Rob Ford)."
http://blog.scena.org/2012/01/rob-ford-opera-rip-roaring-cautionary.html
The Toronto Star:
"But as the second scene begins — with dry ice billowing from Rob’s crib, his outstretched fingers reaching up like a hand from the grave and orchestral flourishes reminiscent of Jerry Goldsmith’s score from The Omen — it’s clear something is hilariously wrong."
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1119529--rob-ford-the-opera-has-packed-crowd-roaring-with-laughter
The Globe and Mail:
"The four composers – Massimo Guida, Adam Scime, Anna Hostman and Saman Shahi – came up with a surprisingly coherent work, mostly in a modernist style that wouldn’t be out of place in a Hollywood film noir."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/rob-ford-the-opera-its-an-honour-to-be-spoofed-right/article2311204/
CBC Radio:
"The cathartic libretto was by a known, Michael Patrick Albano, and the music by four student composers, Massimo Guida, Anna Höstman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi. [...] Bracketed as a classroom production, the afternoon was a fantastic success. The music was interesting but not difficult,"
"The most pathetic moment in Rob Ford was early for me, when baby Rob sings about losing the self-assurance of youth, of a world that revolves around him. Clever and funny, it also brought a partisan audience (momentarily) closer to their enemy. There are few arts that do tragicomedy so well.
Starchy staples of international opera no more effective now
So opera can change perspectives..."
http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/2/Rob-Ford-The-Opera-makes-a-case-for-relevance
Torontoist:
"...the music was clever and funny..."
http://torontoist.com/2012/01/rob-ford-operas-lucky-charm/
Mooney on Theatre:
"...the music is composed by Massimo Guida, Anna Hostman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi, all student composers. Each of them composed a specific scene (or scenes), which could be a recipe for chaos but it worked seamlessly."
"The music was beautiful."
http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2012/01/22/rob-ford-the-opera-university-of-toronto-faculty-of-music/
NEW VIDEO CLIPS OF "ROB FORD: THE OPERA" AND "PRÉLUDE FOR GUITAR"
17 February 2012
Here are some youtube video clips from Rob ford the opera and of my Prelude for guitar. The recording has also been uploaded to my music player. Thanks again to Patrick Power for playing it so well. Feel free to check out his youtube channel and his website to listen to his music.
Rob Ford: The Opera Clips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1sJmfsIGR8&feature=related (My music ends at 2:43)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5to-u61Rb-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYN4dGN8KX8 (Rob Ford's Aria, Scene 2 - Massimo Guida, performed by Andrew Haji)
Prelude for Guitar: (Performed by Patrick Power)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ducjpfbL-A
Another review by the CBC of: Rob Ford: The Opera.
http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/2/Rob-Ford-The-Opera-makes-a-case-for-relevance
26 January 2012
Hi everyone! If you're longing still for more new music a fantastic week of it at the "Toronto New Music Festival" then feel free to koin my fellow composition students and I for wonderful, night of exciting new music on Tuesday February, 2012. The 3rd Student Composer Concert of the academic year will take place at from 7.30-9.30 in Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many fantastic pieces, the concert will feature my "Prélude for Guitar", which will be performed by the fantastic guitarist and composer, Patrick Power, who has also studied with Eli Kassner.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
ROB FORD: THE OPERA – THANK YOU!
26 January 2012
Thank you for everyone who came out to see "Rob Ford: The Opera." It was a tremendous success and it was incredible how something that large could come together in such a short period of time (2 weeks!). All the singers and the performers did a fantastic job and I would like to thank them along with my colleagues Adam Scime (Composer of Scenes 3-4), Anna Höstman (Composer of Scene 5) and Saman Shahi (Composer of Scene 6) for writing some truly outstanding music; it was a pleasure collaborating with you all! A big thank you also to the librettist Michael Albano, Conductor Rafael Luz and the stage director Erik Thor, as well as all the cast, crew, orchestra and chorus. Over 800 people were watching in the theatre (the balcony which usually remains unused, had to be opened up to spectators!) and over 100 more were watching a transmitted version on the television screens in the lobby. The Opera received a lot of press coverage (including articles on the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star) and I have posted some links in the "Reviews" page (Videos and photos of the performance can be viewed here.) Beforehand we had also been advertised on CBC radio, Classical 96.3 FM and Global TV. Thank you everyone for making it possible and for attending. Thank you also to my family friends and professors for all your support!
Massimo.
ROB FORD: THE OPERA – SNEAK PEEK
20 January 2012
Here's the link for a radio interview with the librettist Michael Albano and tenor Andrew Haji who plays Rob Ford in the opera. There are also some excerpts of the music:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2188875265
And here is the brief article discussing the audio clip:
http://www.cbc.ca/hereandnowtoronto/episodes/2012/01/20/rob-ford-the-opera/
0.00-0.50 - Music from Scene 6, Composed by Saman Shahi (Margaret Atwood and the whole Ensemble Cast)
1.45-2.50 - Music from Scene 2, Composed by myself, Massimo Guida (Rob Ford)
2.50-4.00 - Music from Scene 4, Composed by Adam Scime (Rob Ford and Margaret Atwood)
4.10-5.07 - Music from Scene 5, Composed by Anna Hostman (Rob Ford, Margaret Atwood & Chorus)
CAST:
Rob Ford – Andrew Haji
Margaret Atwood – Rosanna Murphy
Mother – Eliza Johnson
Father – Fabian Arciniegas
Homeless Woman – Caitlin Wood
Injured Cyclist – Conrad Seibert
Unhappy Seagull – Jamilynn Gubbe
Secretaries, Minions, Protestors, Librarians and Chorus -
Adanya Dunn, Laura Widgett, Chelsea Van Pelt, Conrad Siebert, Michelle Siemens, Anna Sharpe, Mahi Raptis, Beth Polese,
12 January 2012
Hello everyone!
I'm inviting you to come see a new opera which I co-composed with my fellow peers Anna Hostman, Adam Scime and Saman Shahi. The libretto was initially written by Michael Albano as part of an assignment for the "Introduction to Operatic Composition" Course, but has now began to attract a lot of attention. The libretto consists of a fictional absurdist caricature of the life of Rob Ford, which is based on the city's reaction to current Mayor of Toronto.
The performance will be in Macmillan Theatre, in the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, at 2.30 on Sunday, January 22nd. Be sure to get there early as it is expected to be a full performance and admission is free! The duration of the opera should be around 70 minutes.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Here is some more information about the cast and the opera:
An Opera written by Massimo Guida (Scenes 1 & 2), Adam Scime (Scenes 3 & 4), Anna Hostman (Scene 5), and Saman Shahi (Scene 6 - The Finale).
Libretto written by Michael Albano, performed by the GamUT Contemporary Ensemble and Chorus, conducted by Rafael Luz and stage direction by Erik Thor. This surrealist fantasy is loosely based on the personality of the city's mayor.
Producer: U of T Faculty of Music
Admission: Free
Where: Edward Johnson Building, room: MacMillan Theatre, 80 Queen's Park, Toronto, M5S 2C5, 416-978-5776, www.music.utoronto.ca
When: Jan 22 2012 at 2:30 pm
CAST:
Rob Ford – Andrew Haji
Margaret Atwood – Rosanna Murphy
Mother – Eliza Johnson
Father – Fabian Arciniegas
Homeless Woman – Caitlin Wood
Injured Cyclist – Conrad Seibert
Unhappy Seagull – Jamilynn Gubbe
Secretaries, Minions, Protestors, Librarians and Chorus -
Adanya Dunn, Laura Widgett, Chelsea Van Pelt, Conrad Siebert, Michelle Siemens, Anna Sharpe, Mahi Raptis, Beth Polese,
Here are some links and articles about the opera:
http://www.thestar.com/news/cityhallpolitics/article/1110187--in-rob-ford-the-opera-atwood-is-god?bn=1
http://www.blogto.com/arts/2012/01/rob_ford_opera_bridges_art_and_politics/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/local+director+writes+opera+inspired+by+mayor+rob+ford/6442553135/story.html
http://www.blogto.com/events/50143
http://torontoist.com/2012/01/rob-ford-is-invited-to-an-opera-about-himself/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/rob+ford+the+opera/video.html?v=2183746358#interviews/video
http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/1277125--opera-holds-mayor-accountable
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/globe-to/what-the-rob-ford-opera-really-needs-besides-rob-ford/article2294416/
http://www.globaltoronto.com/video/rob+ford++the+opera/video.html?v=2183588574#video
http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/localnews/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10331673
http://www.music.utoronto.ca/about/news/new0105.htm
http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/local/article/1062866--judgment-day-awaits-mayor-in-operatic-spectacle
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!
Massimo.
HELLO, AGAIN!
1 April 2011
Hi everyone, this is a belated thank you amidst exams, papers, projects, final assignments, revision and stress to everyone who came to the concert, and thank you especially to Wesley for learning such a difficult piece! Thank you also to Professor Chan for all his help and everyone else involved. I uploaded parts of the recording if anyone is interested in listening to it. Can't believe it's almost the end of the year!
All the best!
Massimo.
STUDENT COMPOSER CONCERT - WALTER HALL, MARCH 22ND
3 March 2011
Hi everyone! Join my fellow composition students and I for wonderful, epic night of great, fun, exciting new music on Tuesday March 22nd, 2011. The final Student Composer Concert of the year will take place at from 6-9.30 in Walter Hall, on the bottom floor of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. Among many fantastic pieces, the concert will feature my latest composition, my piano sonata: "Per AC," performed by Wesley Shen. We'll probably be going out afterward as well if anyone is interested.
For those who don't know where the Faculty of Music is, it's on Avenue Road, by the Museum Subway Station, next to the ROM and the Law Faculty, behind the Observatory. Here's the map:
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,+Queens+Park,+Toronto,+Ontario&aq=0&sll=43.678268,-79.402136&sspn=0.127627,0.308647&ie=UTF8&hq=Faculty+of+Music,+University+of+Toronto,&hnear=Queen%27s+Park,+University+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontario&ll=43.666506,-79.393505&spn=0.003795,0.009645&z=17
Hope to see you all there!
Thanks, all the best!