BAROQUE AND BEYOND Holiday Treats

Mendelssohn's double concerto with the Ezra Duo, an expressive Canadian tribute to Caribbean history and a bouquet of Christmas favourites

Thursday, December 11, 2025, 7:30 pm, Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor Street West

BAROQUE AND BEYOND Holiday Treats

Mendelssohn's charming double concerto with the superb Ezra Duo, an expressive Canadian tribute to Caribbean history and a bouquet of Christmas favourites

SINFONIA TORONTO

NURHAN ARMAN Conductor

THE EZRA DUO Jacob Clewell, Violin and Sasha Bult-Ito, Piano

Program

MENDELSSOHN Double Concerto for Violin and Piano in D Minor

CORELLI Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 8 (Christmas Concerto)

VIVALDI Sinfonia L'incoronazione di Dario

LARRY STRACHAN Lament for Souls of Sauteurs Ontario premiere

HANDEL Messiah - Overture and Pifa

JENKINS Palladio Suite

PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES

The Ezra Duo - Formed while students at The Glenn Gould School in 2016, The Ezra Duo (Jacob Clewell, viola/violin and Sasha Bult-Ito, piano) has since evolved into the classical music equivalent of a powerhouse pop-punk act. Known for their warm stage demeanor and inventive, relatable programming, Ezra challenges the possibilities of classical performance without losing sight of their roots.

The duo has garnered an impressive list of accomplishments, including recital tours of their Women in Music, Art of the Duo, and Colorfully Contemporary programs in the US and Canada, an appearance in Carnegie Hall, and a performance as guests at a G7 Summit event held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Jacob and Sasha are top prizewinners of numerous international competitions both individually and together, are frequent guests with ensembles and series across North America, and are increasingly involved with premiers of new music written specifically for Ezra. The duo also hosts an online recital series called Ezra Electrified! on Twitch, where they present themed classical and crossover programming while performing on electric instruments. Their first album, titled Mystic Journey, releases August 2024 on Akashic Classics and will be distributed digitally by Universal Music Group worldwide.

As dedicated educators, they have given masterclasses at Berry College, the University of Tulsa, and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, and provided workshops as guest instructors at Harding Fine Arts Academy in Oklahoma since 2018. Jacob and Sasha are co-Artistic Directors of the Emerald Coast Chamber Music Festival in Florida and serve as Artist Faculty at the annual Chamber Music Institute for advanced conservatory students, where they often co-coach student ensembles. Ezra is also frequently involved in outreach efforts, presenting talks and performances in partnership with organizations like the Toronto Public Library, Canada's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and in schools, youth programs, and retirement communities wherever they visit.

On the road the duo enjoys indulging in such hobbies as visiting local zoos and trying every specialty coffee shop they can find. At home they can be found taking aimlessly long walks around the city, playing video and tabletop games, or doting on their adorable calico cat, Akali, who frequently stars in their social media.​

Sinfonia Toronto now in its 27th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released six CD's, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra's performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.

Maestro Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d'Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.