This Saturday at 2:00 p.m., a trained cellist will begin a subdued concert in the atrium of the Bata Shoe Museum. Passersby will be encouraged to come in, while museum guests will be encouraged to listen. At 2:30, the cellist will pack up and leave, and the gathered crowd will disperse.
This strange scene, organized by the Toronto Public Library (TPL) and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO), will come on day six of the TPL's
"Travelling Cellist" performances. The performances began this past Monday, and will run for a total of 22 days (March 17-April 17); each will feature a TSO cellist playing half-hour concerts in iconic locations across the city (full schedule
here).
22 Days of Cello comes as part of the TPL's 2014
Keep Toronto Reading Festival, an annual festival of performance, readings, and discussions centered on a chosen book. This year's pick,
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway tells the story of a cellist who plays Albinoni's
Adagio for 22 days to commemorate 22 civilians killed by a bomb blast. TPL's "Travelling Cellist" series plays homage to Galloway's character by mirroring his concerts in locations across Toronto.
And as always, this year's Keep Toronto Reading Festival will also feature performances, readings, and discussions at TPL branches across the city (see list of events
here).
"The Keep Toronto Reading Festival offers Toronto's many readers the chance to connect and engage," said Jane Pyper, city librarian in a press release. "Whether it's in branches, online or at our partnered events, we invite all Torontonians to come together through their love of books and to celebrate the joy of reading."
Writer: Katia Snukal
Source: Toronto Public Library