Primarily based in Toronto, íchos Collective is a gaggle of women-identifying music and humanities producers who goal to curate and current a live performance sequence that can carry collectively artists and works of many various genres. The sequence 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 will likely be featured within the numerous music sequence, 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 potential going ahead. “It’s very obvious that to have a profession as a freelancer, you need to forge your personal 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 recollects connecting in conversations with different girls within the arts, and the way isolating it may really feel at instances to shoulder the obligations of motherhood and concurrently try and hold a artistic profession alive.
“Carla and I have been chatting simply after KW introduced its troubles,” Marsh recollects.
These smaller conversations started to turn out to be bigger and extra frequent, and a call was made to create the Collective as a way of mutual help. It may be particularly tough to garner the eye of producers and presenters within the classical music world. “It’s laborious to search out help for those who’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.”
In the present day, after a properly acquired first live performance, there’s extra cause for cautious optimism.
“I feel additionally, the tide appears to be considerably turning on this financial system,” Carla says. Nonetheless, individuals 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 folks will take pleasure in.”
With so many alternate options and different live performance experiences vying for viewers {dollars}, a recent strategy is required to usher in new audiences. “It’s the brand new classical manner,” Perrotta-Pyrgos says. “You’ll be able to’t hold doing the identical factor time and again anticipating a unique end result.”
“Place” is a spoken phrase piece commissioned by íchos Collective, music by íchos Collective. Introduced in the course of the Freestyle Symphony workshop sequence, June 2024:
In relation to the live performance sequence, they’re making an attempt out some new concepts and mixtures. Viewers reactions will likely be key to future instructions.
Jaye explains, “One of many driving issues [is] connecting folks, 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 environment has confirmed widespread. “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 of 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 switch the standard live performance corridor, however to supply another.
“Perhaps they don’t need to hear a Mahler symphony,” Carla says, “they’re on the lookout for some type of intimate expertise that they are going to have enjoyable with, and go away comfortable.”
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 folks,” says Marsh. By way of environment, 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 sequence was smallish however enthusiastic. One of many items carried out was in workshop stage, and Marsh talked to the viewers about its growth.
“Folks actually appreciated that actual, behind the scenes look,” Jaye says. “It was actually enjoyable to discover that manner of taking part in.”
It’s opposite to the standard live performance corridor decorum, which dictates that each 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 sequence.
The Sunday afternoon concert events are free, however donations are welcomed. Future dates embody:
- March 30: Ona Ensemble
- April 27: Pet Sounds Reinvented: the Seashore Boys basic, Baroque-style
- Could 25: Greg Harrison
- June 22: íchos Ensemble
The venue is one in every of few that supply dwell classical music in Toronto’s east finish. Hope United Church’s music-friendly and community-minded congregation supplied a spot that was suitable with íchos’ personal targets.
Future concert events supply a wide range of sounds. The Ona Ensemble’s tackle acoustic Brazilian music is gaining in recognition.
“On the threat of sound cliche, they’re so sizzling proper now,” says Perrotta-Pyrgos.
Members of the Collective share duties, inviting musical buddies 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 yr.”
Pet Sounds is a Baroque tackle Brian Wilson and the Seashore Boys. “It’s a principally 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 speak about 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 sequence in June. One aspect the ensemble has been exploring is improvisation. “It’s probably not taught anymore,” she says of classical music schooling. “We’re pushing our personal envelopes in taking part in.”
Marsh calls what they’ll be doing structured improvisation facilitated by know-how. “I’m placing my flute by means of results pedals and loopers and issues like that,” she says. “It’s tapping into that creativity I feel we overlook we’ve as classical musicians.”
It’s actually true that the world of classical music tends to encourage an strategy that emphasizes the composer’s unique intentions over the person artistic voice of the performer, all whereas equipping stated performers with the technical expertise to go far past.
“We’ve got 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.
