Wolak-Donnelly Duo in recital, March 15, 2013

Clarinetist Kornel Wolak and pianist Chris Donnelly gave a virtuosic performance at the March 15 recital, richly rewarding an audience who braved winter snows to be present! The wide-ranging repertoire included music by Bach and Brahms, Mozart and Paganini, Gershwin and Peterson. The Wolak-Donnelly Duo, based in Toronto, appeared on the Lyell Gustin Recital Series as part of an extensive regional tour with Prairie Debut. The pre-concert talk was given by Alyssa Thompson.

Five Composers of the Lyell Gustin Piano Studios: Musical Tribute to a Mentor.
February 10, 2013

To mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of Lyell Gustin, who died February 7, 1988, at the age of 92, a program at Gustin House honoured Dr. Gustin with music composed by five of his graduates. The composers represented were: Lynda Finnimore and Ewen Coxworth, who commented on their works and took part in the performance; Boyd McDonald, whose pieces were introduced and performed by Gregory Schulte; and the late Marguerita Spencer and late Robert Fleming, whose compositions were presented by members of the studios of Marilyn Whitehead and Karen Sterner respectively. Walter Thiessens’s piano studio was also represented in the performances; in addition, Mr. Thiessen read Words of Remembrance about Lyell Gustin as written by Lloyd Rodwell for the funeral service of Dr. Gustin on February 11,1988.

The program celebrated the creativity that the Lyell Gustin Piano Studios inspired, as Gustin graduates throughout their careers have explored artistic expression through voice and instrument. Presented in the Gustin Studios, and with the last grand piano on which Dr. Gustin taught, the performances gave tribute to a great mentor whose influence continues to unfold as a rich legacy spanning past and present and reaching into the future.

Ileana Montalbetti and Rachel Andrist open New Season, January 4, 2013

Soprano Ileana Montalbetti and pianist Rachel Andrist, both currently based in Toronto, returned to their home province to give a recital on January 4, 2013. Their performance of a rich repertoire of art songs and opera arias was a dramatic opening to the ninth season of the Lyell Gustin Recital Series! Audience members included friends and family from Regina, Estevan, Winnipeg, and Montreal. The pre-concert chat was given by Barbara Montalbetti, Artistic Director of Saskatoon Opera, who is Ileana’s mother and herself an accomplished singer, voice teacher and cultural leader.

With an evening of exquisite song and glorious flowers, Gustin House said farewell to the Lyell Gustin Centenary Year. Held in Dr. Gustin’s own Studio on Sunday, November 18, the event was a fitting conclusion to the numerous and varied celebrations of 2012. Tenor Michael Harris and pianist Gregory Schulte performed selections from Schubert’s song cycle Winterreise, and Gerald Finzi’s solo cantata, Dies Natalis, which has been described as “one of the masterpieces of 20th Century English music.” The musical settings of poetry celebrated Lyell Gustin’s love of literature and his custom of gathering students and colleagues to read classic works together. Floral designer Fred Chlan demonstrated the art of arranging flowers, commenting on compositional principles of balance, harmony, and form; his presentation both recalled Dr. Gustin’s love of nature and beauty, and highlighted the importance of tradition and heritage in our lives and our society.

Centenary Finale: New Orford String Quartet, October 14, 2012

The Lyell Gustin Centenary Year came to conclusion with a magnificent performance by the New Orford String Quartet at Third Avenue United Church on Sunday, October 14, 2012.  The critically acclaimed ensemble—Jonathan Crow, concertmaster, and Eric Nowlin, associate principal violist of the Toronto Symphony; and Andrew Wan, concertmaster, and Brian Manker, principal cellist of the Montreal Symphony—performed works by Haydn, Hetu, and Brahms. An enthusiastic audience gave numerous ovations to this exceptional group, who made their first appearance in Saskatoon on this occasion. The venue, historic Third Avenue Church, has long been linked with the Lyell Gustin tradition, as Dr Gustin arranged for many musical events to be held there over the decades, beginning during the 1920s.

Gustin House acknowledges the Centennial Sponsors who made this concert possible, to whom we are deeply grateful: Robert and Lura Mae Sider of Saskatoon, through the Robert D. and Lura Mae Meeds Sider Fund (Saskatoon Community Foundation), and Cecily and Robert Bradshaw of Toronto.