9th October, 2009
Toronto, Ontario – Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman, with German pianist Andreas Kern, will perform in Toronto on Saturday, October 17. Recovering from heart surgery in June, the 32-year-old style icon and classical music star is proving she’s as fierce as ever. On the cusp of a brand new record release, the singer is kicking off a series of North American concerts in support of AMREF – the African Medical & Research Foundation – a cause close to her heart. An Evening with Measha Brueggergosman will be at 5pm on Saturday, October 17, inside Toronto’s historic St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (at King and Simcoe), followed by a private reception for 100 guests. This will be Brueggergosman’s sole Toronto performance of 2009.
In 2007, Brueggergosman became the Goodwill Ambassador for AMREF Canada and visited AMREF’s health projects in Uganda and Kenya. Her experience with Kenyan street children and war-affected children in northern Uganda strengthened her dedication to help them break free from the cycle of poor health and poverty. Brueggergosman is now giving her time and voice for this special performance, with 100% of net proceeds helping to empower the most vulnerable and marginalised people in Africa.
Known for her sharp sense of humour, her larger-than-life personality and her off-the-cuff remarks, soprano Measha Brueggergosman is one of Canada’s most magnificent performers and sought-after personalities. A style icon, Measha has guest judged Project Runway Canada, Idol Underground, and is a media fixture in print and radio. She is critically acclaimed by Canadian and international press as much for her innate musicianship and voluptuous voice as for her sovereign stage presence. Her vocal mastery has led her to perform with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. Measha has given a Royal Command Performance for Queen Elizabeth II and has performed for the Prince of Wales, President Halonen of Finland, several Canadian leaders including Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, and for Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.
Following several recordings with CBC Records, her extraordinary versatility, intuitive musicality, and radiant star quality yielded her an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Her first recording on the label, Surprise, garnered a Juno Award for Classical Album of the Year 2007. The same year, Measha became AMREF Canada’s Goodwill Ambassador. Passionate about health and Africa, Measha has travelled twice to visit AMREF’s vital work in northern Uganda and Kenya. Her first-hand experience with African children and young women strengthened her dedication to help them break free from the cycle of poor health and poverty. Doing what she knows best, Measha is lending a hand by lending her voice.
Pianist Andreas Kern is Measha’s co-host on “Arte Lounge”, a TV show that promotes classical music in Germany. He flew in specifically for this concert. Andreas studied at the Privatinstitut für pianistische Studien in Dusseldorf and later on at the renowned Hochschule der Künste. As a soloist, he has performed in concerts around the world, including in Germany, Italy, India and Japan. He has performed with several orchestras, including the Hannover Philharmonie, Kottmann Stringorchestra and the Aachen Youth Orchestra. He has also performed contemporary music for a radio concert series for the German radio station, WDR.
Since 1999, Andreas has been the artistic director of Sommernachtstraum Arts Festival in Berlin. A versatile performer, Andreas recorded film scores composed by Christian Biegai for the upcoming DVD release Croatian Fairytales from Long Ago, directed by Helena Bulaja. In 2004, he was the collaborative pianist for the acclaimed Sasha Waltz Dance Company in the South of France. In the same year he performed Mozart at the “Wiener Festwochen“. He was been invited to serve on the jury of the prestigious Steinway Competition for 2006 in Berlin. In the same year he produced his own classic show for Arte TV, which was aired in May 2007. He also performed twice his new show of "Dolce&Ciabatta" for the German EU-Presidency.
For information or to purchase tickets,contact AMREF in Canada at 416-961-6981
