Artists


Home | Press | News | Photos | Discography | ALNM | Contact

KERRY STRATTON, Conductor

Christina Petrowska

What the critics say...

"Something of a surprise was also Canadian conductor Kerry Stratton, till now unknown on these shores. In Rossini's Silk Ladder Overture, and then in Beethoven's Symphony No. 2, he struck a brisk, invigorating tempo, fast but not over-hurried, with no swallowed notes despite the speed. Into Beethoven's often-heard symphony he injected refreshing energies ..."Jerusalem Post, April 2010

"Bravo to the Festival of the Arts for introducing a new dimension into our splendid new Algonquin theatre - an awesome two hours of delightful sympohnic artistry. Kerry Stratton, in his genius, has with his new Grand Salon, Canada's Palm Court Orchestra, focused on a fabulous niche: that of timeless salon concert music...a fantastic occasion. We hope the Festival will continue this matinee style and will program an early return engagement of Kerry Stratton's Palm Orchestra and its super repertoire. We wish Kerry all the best in recapturing what was an era with most memorable music.
Still humming those melodies!
"
-Huntsville Forester

"While hearing Stravinsky's "Petrushka" in the first half of this concert, one could be convinced of the good quality of the Toronto Philharmonia. The orchestra played with confidence and conductor Maestro Kerry Stratton's interpretation of this elegant piece showed strong quality."

- The Grammophone Korea, December 2006 Edition

"Kerry Stratton is an extraverted conductor and all the music followed his lead towards drama, contrast and clarity. The evening was, as Nero Wolfe would phrase his highest praise, "very satisfactory."
Stanley Fefferman, Showtimemagazine.com

"I Pagliacci"
Montreal, August 2006

"I have to tell you that it was an amazing show. Everyone that I spoke to has nothing but praises for the opera. It was an amazing show and it definitely brought our event to another level."

Josie Verillo
Executive Director
National Congress of Italian-Canadians (QR)

In the course of his international career, Kerry Stratton has conducted orchestras in Europe, North America and Asia. Having earned a degree in conducting from McGill University in Montreal, Stratton later completed graduate studies at the Vienna Conservatory under Sir Charles Mackerras, Academia Chigiana in Siena, Italy, and L’Ecole Pierre Monteux with Charles Bruck.

 Kerry Stratton was Conductor and Music Director of the Toronto Philharmonia, the orchestra-in-residence at the Toronto Centre for the Arts from 1988 to 2010.  As part of his audience development programme, Stratton developed a highly successful adult education course, called “A Little Night Music”.  Its innovative format includes lectures, discussions and live music, in an intimate and non-intimidating atmosphere.  Stratton founded ‘Grand Salon’ a palm court orchestra, devoted to music of the early 20th century, which plays original orchestrations to enthusiastic audiences throughout Canada.

Since 1992, he has been Music Director for the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, Ontario, featuring an orchestra-in-residence, accompanying acclaimed artists.

Additionally, through his company, International Touring Productions, he has created Canadian tours for renowned orchestras, such as the George Solti Orchestra, Budapest; the Vienna Concert-Verein, Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia. 

Stratton’s engagements have included Budapest Concert Orchestra, Hungarian Chamber Soloists, Prague Chamber Philharmonic, Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic, Slovak Radio Orchestra, Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra, State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic, Orchestra London (Ontario), Kitchener Waterloo Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Prague Radio Orchestra, Zagreb Philharmonic, Janacek Philharmonic.  In January 2001, he became the first Canadian to conduct the St. Petersburg Camerata in the Hermitage Theatre at the Winter Palace.  In December of 2004 he made his debut with the Beijing Symphony in a concert at the Forbidden City.  For his services to Czech and Slovak culture, Stratton is the 2000 winner of the Masaryk Award and was decorated by the Czech Government in 2007 at Prague’s Cernin Palace with the Gratis Agit Award.

Kerry Stratton is also committed to broadening the repertoire of both concert and recorded orchestral music.  Included in his discography is the world premiere recording of Franz Liszt’s De Profundis with the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra on the Hungaroton label.  His recording on Dorian Records entitled Celestial Fantasy, features this and other works of American composer Alan Hovhaness.  A long-time devotee to Eastern European composers, he recorded a collection of Slavonic Serenades, with the Moscow Symphony on Dorian Records, which the Washington Post called “a delight.”   Universal distributes his Dvorak CD recorded with the Prague Radio Orchestra.  In 2006 he recorded an all-Brahms programme with the renowned Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra .

 

Ann Summers International
43 Bright St.
Toronto M5A 3H5
tel: (416) 362-1422
fax: (416) 359-0043
e-mail: sumintl@rogers.com