Songs for a Cold Land
Oct 19, 2024

On October 19th 2024  Jana Skarecky's new song cycle for baritone and piano, Songs for a Cold Land, was premiered at Heliconian Hall, Toronto by baritone Clarence Frazer and pianist Dora Krizmanic. Texts are Jana's poems about five Lawren Harris paintings. Video here:
https://youtu.be/s68V-lOhOFc

Castles in the Mist, and Turquoise, Orange and Yellow - Luminous 2024

On October 5th 2024 Jana Skarecky premiered her two new piano pieces at Heliconian Hall, Toronto at the opening of the Luminous 2024 Photography Exhibition, in which her Hues of Iceland series of photographs is also exhibited. Videos of the two compositions are here:  Castles in the Mist: https://youtu.be/TwxGIAfv9kY and
Turquoise, Orange and Yellow: https://youtu.be/ntZQvZNA4mE
Luminous 2024  Catalogue:
https://torontoheliconianclub.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/catalogue_luminous24.pdf

New Year Carol

On April 20th 2024 Jana Skarecky’s New Year Carol was premiered by Maria Soulis, mezzo-soprano and Dora Krizmanic, piano at Heliconian Hall, Toronto. Jana also performed her piano composition Mountain Lake. 

Foundations of Modern Harmony

March 2024 - Jana Skarecky’s translation from Czech into English of Karel Janeček’s book Foundations of Modern Harmony has been published Wilfrid Laurier University Press. The book presents a system for identifying and classifying modern harmonies – ‘chords’ in the broadest sense of the term –  developed by Czech music theorist Karel Janeček (the book was published in Czech in 1965). Its ideas were brought to Canada by composer Rudolf Komorous. In 1980 Dr. Anne C. Hall, theory professor (later Dean) of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty of Music, asked Jana to translate the book. That took several years, followed by editing (Anne C. Hall is the editor), and ongoing efforts for the book to be published. Finally, here it is – it only took 44 years!

Three Lullabies

Oct 21/23 – Three Lullabies by Jana Skarecky were sung by Chelsea Melamed Cushman at Heliconian Hall, Toronto, part of the Colours of the Earth concert: 1) Sleep My Darling, Sleep, 2) Sleep, Sleep My Precious One, and 3) Child of My Heart. Three of Jana's paintings are part of the Colours of the Earth art exhibit: High Flight [shown here], Deep Peace of the Running Waves to You, and Deep Peace of the Flowing Air to You.

Love Is Come Again

Oct 13/23 – Love Is Come Again by Jana Skarecky was performed by the Gallery Choir of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto, part of the concert celebrating 75 years since the Dedication of the Church. 

Still Life, Swan Song

Oct 15/22 – Jana Skarecky will perform two of her compositions, Still LIfe and Swan Song for piano at the opening of the Luminous 2022 exhibit at Heliconian Hall, Toronto, at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The pieces are in response to A Still LIfe (i) by Linda Briskin [shown here] and Leslie Spit III by Joanne Shenfeld. Video of Still Life: Still Life.

Gravity Insists

Oct 13/22 – Gravity Insists, painting and composition for mezzo-soprano and piano by Jana Skarecky; text by Ann Elizabeth Carson was part of the Zoom launch of the book Loose Ends by Ann Elizabeth Carson. Video combining the poem, composition, painting, and photographs (Maria Soulis, mezzo-soprano; Jana Skarecky, piano):  Gravity Insists.

Ascent - Cape Sounion, Greece

Mar 18/22 – Heliconian MUSINGS Anthology Zoom Launch, including Ascent – Cape Sounion, Greece for piano by Jana Skarecky. The Musings Anthology is a collection of poetry, stories, and art by members of the Toronto Heliconian Club. 6:30 p.m. ET, free.
The video of Jana’s Ascent – Cape Sounion, Greece combines her piano piece with her photographs of the temple of Poseidon on the cliff at Cape Sounion near Athens, overlooking the Aegean Sea:
Ascent – Cape Sounion, Greece.

Shadowscape

Shadowscape for piano, composed and performed by Jana Skarecky: Shadowscape

Part of the Heliconian Composers' concert Oct 22/21 (available online until Oct 30/21):
https://torontoheliconianclub.wildapricot.org/Concert-Calendar/ . The piece was composed in response to visual art by Joanne Shenfeld.

Alone Together

Multi-disciplinary online event on Friday, April 23, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. EDT will include music and art by Jana Skarecky:
-Gravity Insists (a painting and composition for voice [Maria Soulis] and piano, responding to a poem by Ann E. Carson);
-Stars (piano, with dance by Tavia Christina);
-Branches (piano, with visual art by Joanne Shenfeld);
-Venice Night (piano, responding to art by Sara Craig);-View from Delphi, Greece (painting, with music by Maria Soulis). Pre-recorded concert available online for 8 days.

Click here for tickets $15.

Australian Images

string quartet by Jana Skarecky, written in memory of Peter Sculthorpe, is on the Association of Canadian Women Composers' 40th anniversary (2021) January playlist.

On the 15th of every month this year, ACWC will release a new playlist featuring music by Canadian women composers at https://acwc.ca/.

April 15th: From Fear to Courage

The Path before Me -
A Woman's Journey

A dramatic vocal work by Jana Skarecky inspired by the life of her grandmother was premiered online on November 11, 2020 by Clarisse Tonigussi, soprano and Narmina Afandiyeva, pianist, as part of the Noon Hour Concert series at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo. It can be viewed here.

Luminous 2020

Photographs from Jana Skarecky's Crystal Moments and Frozen Treasures series were featured in this photography exhibition at Heliconian Hall in Toronto. The opening Zoom reception on October 4, 2020 featured music, poetry, and dance created in response to the photographs -- including two new piano compositions by Jana Skarecky, Monarch Butterfly and Intimate Conversation – The Desert Snail and Cholla (click on titles to view on YouTube).

Fantasy on 'J'entends le moulin'

for string orchestra by Jana Skarecky was performed on September 20, 2020, by the Whispering River String Orchestra at an outdoor concert in Parry Sound, as part of the Riversongs Cultural Fall Fair.

Australian Images

string quartet by Jana Skarecky, written in memory of Peter Sculthorpe, was performed on March 13th, 2020, at Heliconian Hall, Toronto by Nora Pellerin & Victoria Yeh, violins; Velma Ko, viola; and Elaine McLeod, cello.

It was part of the Folkloric concert of music by Canadian women composers, one of the last live concerts before the pandemic shutdown.

Emily, The Way You Are

Excerpts from the opera by Jana Skarecky with libretto by Di Brandt were performed on November 25, 2019 in Winnipeg by Rosemarie Van Der Hooft, mezzo-soprano, and Laura Loewen, pianist.

The performance was part of Glitter & Fall: A Gala Poetry/Music Recital celebrating the poetry of Winnipeg Poet Laureate Di Brandt set to music by Canadian composers.

Summer

by Jana Skarecky, with text by P.K. Page, was sung by soprano Lauren Estey on November 21, 2019 at Walter Hall, University of Toronto, as part of "Vocalis: A Woman for All Seasons”, a concert by graduate voice students.

The concert was curated by Clarisse Tonigussi, founder of the Canadian Women Composers Project.

Art Show

Paintings and photographs by Jana Skarecky were part of the 3rd Annual Art Show at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto on November 15 and 16, 2019.

From Fear to Courage

by Jana Skarecky (based on the Czech Hussite chorale “Kdož jste boží bojovníci”) was performed by cellist Rachel Mercer as part of the AYR Trio concert Czech Tales (Smetana, Dvořák & Skarecky) on November 2, 2019, at First Unitarian Church, Hamilton.

Luminous 2019

Photographs from Jana Skarecky's Upward series were featured in this photography exhibition at Heliconian Hall in Toronto. The opening reception on October 5, 2019 featured music, poetry, and dance created in response to the photographs, including Ascent, Cape Sounion, a new piano composition by Jana Skarecky. Jana also performed three improvisations, Pompoms, Passage of Time, and Perennial Immortality.

Summer

by Jana Skarecky, with text by P.K. Page, was performed by Clarisse Tonigussi, soprano, & Narmina Efendiyeva, pianist, on May 18, 2019 at Conrad Grebel Chapel, University of Waterloo, as part of the ACWC Art Song Concert in honour of Rebekah Cummings (1980 – 2019). [Image: 'Restoration' by Rebekah Cummings.]

The concert featured music by 9 ACWC composers: Rebekah Cummings, Jana Skarecky, Carol Ann Weaver, Edith Covach, Christie Morrison (also singing), Nephenee Rose, Karen Sunabacka, Julia Jacklein & Fiona Evison.

Planet Earth

by Jana Skarecky, with text by P.K. Page, was performed by Kellie Masalas, soprano, and Brahm Goldhamer, pianist, on May 4, 2019, part of the concert A Celebration of Music from the Baroque to the Present at Array Space, Toronto.

Molly's Veil

an opera scene from the life of Charlotte Whitton, with music by Jana Skarecky and text by Sharon Bajer, was performed by Deanna Hendriks, soprano, Maria Soulis, mezzo-soprano, & Dora Krizmanic, pianist, on Friday, April 26, 2019 at Heliconian Hall, Toronto, as part of A Night at the Opera.