EVERLASTINGNESS: Micah Schroeder, Stéphane Mayer & Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh Live at the Tranzac

MICAH SCHROEDER & STÉPHANE MAYER PRESENT AN EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY, MEMORY, AND DISPLACEMENT IN RECITAL

On Saturday, June 28, 2025, Toronto will witness an evening of music that delves deep into themes of identity, memory, and displacement. Baritone Micah Schroeder and pianist Stéphane Mayer will be joined by violist Brenna Hardy-Kavanagh at the Tranzac Club for a thoughtfully curated recital, featuring a blend of classical and contemporary works by composers from Canada, Armenia, and beyond. The concert is anchored by Everlastingness—a poignant piece by Armenian-American composer Mary Kouyoumdjian, based on the text by Royce Vavrek, exploring the traumatic history of Armenian painter Arshile Gorky, who, after surviving genocide and displacement, took his own life in America.

The recital, which begins at 7:30 pm (doors at 7:00 pm), will offer audiences a journey through cultural and historical reflections, particularly focused on themes of personal and collective memory. The program includes works by Danika Loren, Jocelyn Morlock, Stéphane Mayer, Komitas Vardapet, Francis Poulenc, and Robert Schumann, blending tradition and modernity to tell stories of loss, remembrance, and reconnection.

Tickets are available at everlastingnesstoronto.evenbrite.ca

Micah Schroeder, Berlin-based Canadian baritone, shares a personal connection to the recital’s theme:

"My Armenian grandmother fled the horrors of the Armenian Genocide as a young girl and sought refuge in the United States. In the turbulent cultural landscape of the early 20th century, many traditions and languages were lost in the push for assimilation. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away before I was born, and my mother never learned the language, leaving our connection to our Armenian heritage fragile. Through my music, I hope to rekindle that bond—using it as a means to reconnect with the language, history, and culture of my ancestors."

Mary Kouyoumdjian and Royce Vavrek note in the music that:

"Using specific lyrical images and extrapolating form quotations attributed to the artist, this piece functions like a fever dream as Gorky’s memories consume him. Gorky witnessed the Armenian Genocide as a teenager and lost his mother to starvation during one of its severe winters. Migrating to the United States with his sister, he began a new life for himself as a painter, and then suffered a series of tragic events from a studio fire, a debilitating car accident, marital troubles, and ultimately a suicide."

Concert Details

Date: Saturday, June 28, 2025

Doors Open: 7:00 PM

Recital Starts: 7:30 PM

Location: Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto, ON M5S 2M7

Program Highlights

Recuerdo – Danika Loren

Lieder und Gesänge aus Wilhelm Meister – Robert Schumann

Involuntary Love Songs – Jocelyn Morlock

Everlastingness – Mary Kouyoumdjian

Armenian Folk Songs – Koitas Vardapet

Banalités – Francis Poulenc

Annabel Lee – Stéphane Mayer

The evening will offer approximately one hour of music as well as a 20-minute intermission.

Tickets:

Available at everlastingnesstoronto.eventbrite.ca

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and Pride Toronto.

#BringingTheArtsToLife

#PrideToronto