Based mostly in Toronto, íchos Collective is a gaggle of women-identifying music and humanities producers who purpose to curate and current a live performance collection that may convey collectively artists and works of many various genres. The collection kicked off in February 2025, and continues on March 30 at Hope United Church within the metropolis’s east finish.
Each native and worldwide artists shall be featured within the numerous music collection, with a objective of supporting girls within the arts.
We spoke to musicians Carla Perrotta-Pyrgos and Jaye Marsh of íchos Collective in regards to the group and their plans.
íchos Collective: The Interview
The origins of the íchos Collective come again to a selected occasion.
“It goes again to […] when the KW Symphony introduced they have been folding,” explains Perrotta-Pyrgos.
A dialog started among the many musicians of the KWS about what was attainable going ahead. “It’s very obvious that to have a profession as a freelancer, you need to forge your individual path,” she says.
A girl-based ensemble was an concept that Perrotta-Pyrgos, Marsh, and others had been toying with for some time. The sudden void left by the collapse of the KWS was the catalyst to place their concepts into motion.
Jaye remembers connecting in conversations with different girls within the arts, and the way isolating it may really feel at instances to shoulder the tasks of motherhood and concurrently try and preserve a artistic profession alive.
“Carla and I have been chatting simply after KW introduced its troubles,” Marsh remembers.
These smaller conversations started to turn into bigger and extra frequent, and a choice was made to create the Collective as a method of mutual assist. It may be particularly troublesome to garner the eye of producers and presenters within the classical music world. “It’s arduous to search out assist when you’re not already essential,” Marsh says.
She describes how overwhelmingly relieved she felt after their first undertaking got here collectively again in 2024. “I didn’t notice how alone I felt.”
Right this moment, after a nicely obtained first live performance, there’s extra cause for cautious optimism.
“I feel additionally, the tide appears to be considerably turning on this economic system,” Carla says. Nonetheless, persons are cautious with their cash, and spending extra strategically, as she notes. “It’s a need to supply not only a live performance, however an expertise that individuals will take pleasure in.”
With so many options and different live performance experiences vying for viewers {dollars}, a contemporary strategy is required to usher in new audiences. “It’s the brand new classical manner,” Perrotta-Pyrgos says. “You possibly can’t preserve doing the identical factor time and again anticipating a unique consequence.”
“Place” is a spoken phrase piece commissioned by íchos Collective, music by íchos Collective. Offered throughout the Freestyle Symphony workshop collection, June 2024:
In terms of the live performance collection, they’re attempting out some new concepts and mixtures. Viewers reactions shall be key to future instructions.
Jaye explains, “One of many driving issues [is] connecting individuals, connecting with our audiences.” As she factors out, orchestral musicians are historically considerably distant from the viewers. “There are such a lot of layers between us and the viewers.”
Making a extra casual and immersive ambiance has confirmed well-liked. “We’re discovering that lots of people are responding to our need to attach.” On the February 2025 live performance, for instance, viewers members got hand drums, a five-minute speak with drummer Rikki LaCoste, after which invited to take part in one of many items.
“He introduced a bit little bit of that magic,” Marsh says. Viewers members have been desirous to know: will this occur for each live performance?
“The truth that we’re girls led and group minded has been a powerful dialog starter wherever we [are],” she says.
It’s that reference to the viewers that creates a very immersive expertise.
As Perrotta-Pyrgos notes, the thought isn’t to exchange the standard live performance corridor, however to supply an alternate.
“Perhaps they don’t wish to hear a Mahler symphony,” Carla says, “they’re on the lookout for some kind of intimate expertise that they are going to have enjoyable with, and depart pleased.”
Being nearer to the viewers creates a unique expertise for musicians too.
“As a musician, I actually take pleasure in listening to how the music is affecting individuals,” says Marsh. By way of ambiance, it’s extra the cheering, talkative vibe of a pops live performance than the standard silent solemnity of the live performance corridor. “It’s a very totally different vibe,” she says. “It’s the power that fuels me as a musician. I actually loved that suggestions.”
The viewers for the primary live performance within the collection was smallish however enthusiastic. One of many items carried out was in workshop stage, and Marsh talked to the viewers about its improvement.
“Folks actually appreciated that actual, behind the scenes look,” Jaye says. “It was actually enjoyable to discover that manner of enjoying.”
It’s opposite to the standard live performance corridor decorum, which dictates that every one the works offered be totally ready and perfected. As a musician, she explains, it’s essential to have the ability to transfer away from that notion of absolute perfection. The viewers appeared to take pleasure in it.
“I feel it was a whole expertise.”
The Concert events
Concert events happen on Sundays with doorways open at 2:30 p.m. at Hope United Church (2550 Danforth Avenue), a part of the HOPE Concert events collection.
The Sunday afternoon live shows are free, however donations are welcomed. Future dates embrace:
- March 30: Ona Ensemble
- April 27: Pet Sounds Reinvented: the Seaside Boys traditional, Baroque-style
- Could 25: Greg Harrison
- June 22: íchos Ensemble
The venue is one among few that provide reside classical music in Toronto’s east finish. Hope United Church’s music-friendly and community-minded congregation supplied a spot that was appropriate with íchos’ personal objectives.
Future live shows provide a wide range of sounds. The Ona Ensemble’s tackle acoustic Brazilian music is gaining in reputation.
“On the danger of sound cliche, they’re so sizzling proper now,” says Perrotta-Pyrgos.
Members of the Collective share duties, inviting musical mates to their programming. “All of us lastly get an opportunity to be gamers in addition to presenters,” Carla says. “We’re already planning for subsequent 12 months.”
Pet Sounds is a Baroque tackle Brian Wilson and the Seaside Boys. “It’s a largely Baroque ensemble doing a Baroque-inspired recreation of this album,” explains Jaye. Greg Harrison, who performs in Could, lives not removed from Marsh within the east finish. “He’s a composer percussionist. He makes use of electronics to govern his sound.” The New Brunswick native will workshop new items and discuss his course of in addition to performing. “He’s a tremendous pedagogue, and likewise a pacesetter in improvisation and constructing creativity,” she says.
The íchos Ensemble closes out the live performance collection in June. One ingredient the ensemble has been exploring is improvisation. “It’s probably not taught anymore,” she says of classical music training. “We’re pushing our personal envelopes in enjoying.”
Marsh calls what they’ll be doing structured improvisation facilitated by expertise. “I’m placing my flute by way of results pedals and loopers and issues like that,” she says. “It’s tapping into that creativity I feel we overlook we have now as classical musicians.”
It’s definitely true that the world of classical music tends to encourage an strategy that emphasizes the composer’s authentic intentions over the person artistic voice of the performer, all whereas equipping stated performers with the technical expertise to go far past.
“We now have numerous instruments already.”
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
