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Celebration of Life: Walter Homburger

1 Comment / In Memoriam / / ,

Walter Homburger, who died on July 25, at the age of 95, was a Patron of the WMCT, and an Honorary Advisor to the WMCT Foundation. He assisted his wife Emmy, a former president of the Club, in coordinating the Centennial Celebration Concert, whose financial success resulted in the establishment of the Foundation. The WMCT and Foundation community join in sending Emmy, and her family, our deepest sincere condolences.


Mr Homburger’s first years in Canada (1940-41) were spent in internment camps in Quebec and New Brunswick, together with other European Jewish refugees who later made unprecedented contributions to Canadian life. Musicians in this group included musicologist Helmut Blume, violinist Hymn Bress, historian Helmut Kallmann, CBC producer Franz Kraemer, and pianist (often heard at the WMCT) John Newmark.

He began his professions, of brilliant orchestra manager, consultant, impresario and artist manager, by borrowing enough money to bring Lotte Lehmann for three lieder recitals in Eaton Auditorium in January 1947. He promoted a succession of extraordinary artists (including Glenn Gould, Victor Braun, and Jan Rubes), and his term as managing director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (1962-1987) set new standards. He was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1984.
In 1993 he came out of retirement to manage the developing career of WMCT Career Development Award winner James Ehnes. In 1999 to mark his 75th birthday Ehnes and Yo Yo Ma performed a recital at Roy Thomson Hall. He was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2010.

For further obituary notices see:

2019 10 20

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WMCT Foundation supports Frances Armstrong, pianist, in the Toronto Summer Music Academy

Leave a Comment / Scholarship Winners, Toronto Summer Music /

The Toronto Summer Music Academy is a summer training programs for chamber musicians and singers 18-35 years old who are on the verge of a professional performance career, with tuition paid by sponsors.

Frances Armstrong began her piano studies at age ten in Vancouver, BC, and discovered her love of working with singers when she was a teenager. In April 2017, she graduated with distinction with her Bachelor’s Degree in Solo Piano Performance from the University of Victoria, where she studied with Bruce Vogt. Throughout her university studies, she received scholarships to study a broad range of repertoire at intensive programs such as the Vancouver International Song Institute, Orford Summer Music Academy, Franz Schubert Institute, Stratford Vocal Academy, Tapestry Opera’s Songbook, and Opera NUOVA.  In August 2017, Frances made her debut as music director in Muskoka Summer Theatre Festival’s 2017 production of La Bohème. She is now in her first year of a Master’s Degree in Collaborative Piano Performance at the University of Toronto, where she studies with Helen Becqué and Steven Philcox.

Frances will perform in the Toronto Summer Music Festival at a public master class with Christoph Prégardien on July 19, 10-12 am, and in two reGeneration concerts on Saturday July 21, at 1 pm and 4 pm, all in Walter Hall.

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Marion Newman in The Ecstasy of Rita Joe

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Since her April 2007 recital in which she sang Bigiiwe (She is coming home), a WMCT commission by Barbara Croall, mezzo-soprano Marion Newman has sung standard roles such as Carmen, or Rosina in Barber of Seville to great acclaim.  Her First Nations heritage has informed her involvement in several projects highlighting indigenous stories.  Most recently she sang the title role in Victor Davies new opera, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, produced by Voicebox on March 24-25.

Critical reaction to the music was mixed but the performances were reviewed favourably:

“I simply want to call attention to great singing & acting. Marion Newman as Rita Joe was authoritative, very comfortable, very strong throughout, in a challenging role, totally believable and worthy of applause.”  (barczablog)

“Marion Newman in the title role also impressed.  Dramatically, there’s not much to work with to delineate Rita Joe’s fall from the “good Catholic girl from the reserve” to murdered thief and prostitute but Marion made the most of it.  She sang clearly (every word audible – just as well, no surtitles) and often eloquently and her stage persona was believable and often elicited sympathy.”(Opera ramblings)

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