This weekend a host of performers are set to perform in Toronto, to commemorate what would have been the legendary pianist’s 80th birthday
On Sunday, a performance by pianist Lang Lang (right) will be the highlight of a weekend of events to mark the 80th birthday of the late Canadian pianist, Glenn Gould. Lang Lang will be performing on Gould’s refurbished piano at the University of Toronto, the city of Gould’s birth.
Other musicians include four world-class pianists: Uri Caine (from the US), Jean-François Zygel (from France), and Canadian pianists Chris Donnelly and (13-year-old) Anastasia Rizikov. The programme also includes the Canadian Children’s Opera Company.
The performances are part of a two-day conference, entitled ‘Dreamers Renegades Visionaries: The Glenn Gould Variations’ – which includes poetry, speakers, choreography, ‘extreme’ magic and short films – from 50 artists, each delivering a 20 minute performance slot. These will all pay tribute to the eccentric piano legend who wholeheartedly embraced the possibilities of multi-media culture – through extensive broadcasts and film work.
Gould, who died in 1982 (aged 50), shot to international fame in the 1950s with his performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. The first few bars of the work are carved on his gravestone at Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Ron Davis, co-director of the event says: ‘We set ourselves a challenge. We want it to be in the spirit of Glenn Gould’
‘Dreamers Renegades Visionaries: The Glenn Gould Variations’ will take place on 22-23 September.