Aug 14, 2024 – 7:30-8:30pm
MacEwan Barn – Riverwood Conservancy
The Odin Quartet, formed in 2015 and hailing from the heart of Toronto’s musical scene, derives its name from the Norse god Odin, revered for his insatiable thirst for wisdom and knowledge. Embodying Odin’s spirit of exploration, the quartet endeavors to redefine classical music’s role in contemporary storytelling.
Together, their collective artistry forms the cornerstone of the Odin Quartet’s musical exploration and innovation. Committed to broadening the reach of classical music, the quartet champions modern Canadian compositions alongside classical masterpieces, offering audiences a diverse and enriching musical experience.
Their performances have graced renowned festivals and concert series including Music Toronto, Music Niagara, Luminato Festival, Guelph Connections, Concerts Ponticello and Ottawa Valley Music Festival, captivating audiences with their emotive interpretations and innovative programming.
During the challenging times of the pandemic, the Odin Quartet launched a project called “Lockdown Lullabies”, commissioning 28 original compositions from composers worldwide and premiering them over 2 evenings. These compositions, originating from diverse corners of the globe, including Canada, the UK, USA, Hong Kong, Norway, Brazil, France, Italy, China, and Spain fostered artistic connections across borders, serving as a beacon of hope and resilience during uncertain times.
Since 2018, the quartet has proudly served as the Ensemble-in-Residence for the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, further solidifying their role as cultural ambassadors and community leaders in the Canadian music scene. Notably, the quartet has been featured as soloists with the orchestra on a new work by Samuel Bisson entitled “EPITAPH foratonality” which showcases the quartet’s collaborative spirit and their commitment to pushing the boundaries of classical music.
Odin Quartet, under the Universal label, has released two albums, “Journey Through Night” (2021) and “Between the Lines” (2023), both offering premiere recordings that showcase the ensemble’s innovative approach and mastery in the contemporary classical music landscape. Additionally, their featured appearances on albums such as “From Oblivion to Hope” by Frank Horvat, “Jamaican Quartets” by Ted Runcie and “Happy Alchemy” by Shannon Graham showcase their ability to seamlessly integrate into diverse musical landscapes
Renowned for their collaborative spirit, the Odin Quartet has partnered with a diverse array of artists from the classical, world, jazz and pop/rock worlds, forging connections that transcend traditional boundaries and inspire new musical horizons. They have had the honour of sharing the stage with virtuoso violinist Atis Bankas and celebrated pianists Alexander Panizza and Victoria Kogan whose dynamic interpretations, technical brilliance, and emotive storytelling have captivated audiences worldwide.
Bios
ALEX TOSKOV, winner of The Glenn Gould School Chamber Music Competition 2011, is a recipient of various scholarships such as Norwegian Government scholarship, The Royal Conservatory full tuition scholarship, and Serbian Fund for highly gifted students. In early 2015, Alex established The Odin Quartet, which has performed at Music Toronto, Music Niagara and Luminato festivals. The Quartet is maintaining a busy career premiering new music, as well as in recording studios. In September 2012, after a successful audition, Alex became a member of Sinfonia Toronto. He plays in the first violin section and had an opportunity to lead the orchestra on a few occasions including a gala concert in Roy Thomson Hall in June 2016. Alex toured South America in 2018 and China in 2019 with Sinfonia Toronto.
Recently, Mr. Toskov has appeared as the concertmaster of Toronto Mozart Players, Toronto Artist Symphony, Toronto Philharmonic, Toronto Operetta Theatre, Scarborough Philharmonic, Casa Loma Symphony, principal of Toronto Concert Orchestra, and has recorded various soundtracks for CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. He also performed with Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Air Canada Centre), Diana Krall (Massey Hall), Josh Groban (Sony Centre), Il Divo (Queen Elisabeth Theatre), Evanescence (Budweiser Stage), and Owen Pallett (Massey Hall). Alex participated at St. Gallen Festival in Austria 2004, Stavanger Chamber Music Festival in Norway 2009, and Colours of Music Festival 2012 & 2013. Mr. Toskov performed as a soloist with Serbian Radio Symphony Orchestra. He was a concertmaster of Bayreuth Festival Orchestra in 2006, German-Scandinavian Youth Philharmonic 2009 and was a member of Santiago de Chile Philharmonic Orchestra in 2007/2008. During his studies in Norway 2008-2010, Alex was regularly playing with Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.
Musical theatre performances include Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” at The Royal Alexandra Theatre, “Fiddler on the Roof” at Stage West, “Sousatzka” at Elgin Theatre Toronto, “The Man with the Golden Heart” at Toronto Fringe. In October 2010 he was invited to perform as a soloist on a gala concert hosted by cellist YoYo Ma in prestigious Koerner Hall in Toronto, Canada. Alex was one of the adjudicators at Unionville Music competition in December 2022.
Alex took violin lessons with some of the greatest violin pedagogues and soloists such as Pierre Amoyal (Lausanne), Ruben Aharonian (Borodin Quartet Moscow), Isaac Shuldman (Oslo), Michael Frischenschlager (Vienna), Joel Smirnoff (New York), James Boyd (London). Mr. Toskov graduated violin at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Serbia. In 2003/04 he was a student at the University of Music in Vienna, Austria with Professor Ernst Kovacic. In June 2010 he received a title Master of Music Performance at Agder University in Norway. Alex received his Artist Diploma in June 2013 from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, where he studied with Atis Bankas on violin and Steven Dann, on viola. Mr. Toskov speaks English, Spanish, Russian, German, Norwegian and Serbian.
Matthew Antal is a violist born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He attended Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts where he began playing viola at age 12 because he was told “you look like a violist”. He holds a bachelor’s degree in viola performance from the University of Toronto under Katharine Rapoport and a master’s degree in viola performance from the University of Victoria under Joanna Hood. Matthew is a regular performer with several music ensembles including Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra/Opera Atelier, Theatre of Early Music, Elixir Ensemble, and Odin Quartet. He also holds an advanced certificate in early music performance from the University of Toronto where he studied with Patrick Jordan and Stefano Marcocchi.
Born in Rimouski (Québec), Daphné Bourbonnais completed her master’s degree with distinction (2020) at the Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal, where she also obtained a Chamber Music Diploma (2019). She recently graduated from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory (Toronto), completing the Artist Diploma Program (2023) under the tutelage of Erika Raum. Throughout the years, she took part in different festival orchestras and has toured across Canada, Spain and South Korea. Since then, Daphné has won several positions: Section Violin with the Orchestre Symphonique de l’Estuaire (OSE) (2019), Assistant Principal Second with the Ontario Philarmonic (2022), and Section First Violin with Sinfonia Toronto (2023). Most recently, she was appointed as the OSE’s Concertmaster. Apart from her involvement in classical music, Daphné thoroughly enjoys involving herself in a variety of multi-disciplinary performances. She is a violinist with Foolish Operations, an innovative group that crafts dance experiences embracing infants, toddlers, and their families
through performances and workshops. Additionally, Daphné has recently become a member of Paint & Keys, a dynamic ensemble that seamlessly blends diverse art forms into captivating performances. Fascinated with body awareness, Daphné spends her time away from the violin teaching yoga to kids and adults all around Toronto, mentoring teachers, creating workshops and giving yoga teacher trainings.
Originally from Ottawa, cellist Samuel Bisson is quickly distinguishing himself in Canada as a versatile soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. Currently based in Toronto, he performs frequently in the GTA and has performed and toured across Canada, the US, Austria and China.
Samuel is the cellist for the dynamic Odin Quartet in Toronto. He also currently holds the position of principal cellist with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and has appeared as principal and section cellist with numerous orchestras including the Toronto Concert Orchestra, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, Brantford Symphony Orchestra and Niagara Symphony Orchestra.
Beyond the boundaries of classical performance, Samuel is an active studio session musician and performer/arranger in a variety of genres. He has worked and collaborated with artists such as Drake, Bryan Adams, AHI, Laufey, David Usher, and members of Barenaked Ladies, Platinum Blonde, Crash Test Dummies and Our Lady Peace.
Samuel is also an established musicians contractor in the GTHA. He is the regular contractor for the Brantford Symphony Orchestra, the Ontario Philharmonic, the Toronto Mozart Players and the Urban Orchestra and contracts orchestras for a variety of clients including TAIWANfest, ORGANIX Organ Festival, the City of Toronto, and various film score recording sessions.As a composer, Samuel is at home with a broad range of musical styles, from concert music to pop songwriting. He is at ease writing for solo instruments, to small chamber ensembles to full orchestral scores. His concert music has been performed by many ensembles throughout Canada. He has arranged orchestral accompaniments for several rock/pop bands and has written music for animated and live action films. He has score music for numerous feature films, as well as short films, including the CSA nominated Claws of the Red Dragon and the award winning short Nuit Blanche.