CHRISTMAS CONCERT
BIRKIN TREE
Ancient Christmas Songs and Music from Italy, Ireland and Northern Europe
Thursday, November 30 | 8:00PM
The Music Gallery
918 Bathurst St | Toronto ON
FREE EVENT | RESERVATION REQUIRED
NOTE: PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY AS SEATING IS LIMITED
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS
An evening of music and songs of the Italian and Irish tradition dedicated to Christmas: Italian bagpipes, pastorals, carols, and…dances! From jigs to reels, monferrine, and perigurdini, all to celebrate Christmas with one of Italy’s most renowned traditional folk music ensembles.
Laura Torterolo
vocals | guitar
Tom Stearn
vocals | bouzouki
nylon string guitar
Fabio Rinaudo
uilleann pipes | whistles
Michel Balatti
Irish flute | whistles
Luca Rapazzini
fiddle
Presented by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Toronto in collaboration with the Canada Ireland Foundation.
ABOUT BIRKIN TREE
During their 40-year career, Birkin Tree has performed over 2000 concerts in Italy and Europe and are the only Italian band to tour regularly in Ireland, where they have played at some of the most important festivals, including Feakle Festival, Masters of Tradition, Ennis Trad Festival, Glencolumbkille Festival, O’Carolan Festival.
Their music has been broadcast on radio stations in Germany, France, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Norway, Ireland, England, Australia, the USA, Russia and Switzerland.
Birkin Tree has performed with some of Ireland’s leading musicians such as Martin Hayes, Dennis Cahill, Liam O’Flynn, Mick O’Brien, Niamh Parsons, Grainne Hambly, Cyril O’Donoghue, Tony O’Connell and Caitlin Nic Gabhann, Murty Ryan, Derek Hickey Aoife Ni Bhriain, Tola Custy, Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh and Cìaran O’Maonaigh.
The group has performed in France and toured Germany on numerous occasions and, in summer 2011, at the ‘Masters of Tradition’ Festival in Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland, with great success.
In 2015, Michel Balatti and Fabio Rinaudo performed together with Martin Hayes, one of Ireland’s most famous fiddlers in the world, at MITO 2015 in Turin and in June 2016, the group was called upon to participate in a major production for the prestigious Ravenna Festival, where they performed in a special performance with the band Lunasa and soloists Caitlinn Nic Gabhann, Mick O’Brien and Ciara ni Bhriain. In the 2021, the band performed in Rome in the prestigious series ‘I concerti al Quirinale’ for the national public radio station Rai Radio Tre. Also in 2021, the band performed numerous concerts at major festivals in Italy and abroad, including the German tour with Caitlinn Nic Gabhann and Ciaran O’Maonaigh. In June 2022, the ensemble performed at the prestigious Ravenna Festival together with renowned Irish guests, including superstar Martin Hayes.
The band has released six albums: Continental Reel (1996), A Cheap Present (1999), 3(three) (2003), Virginia (2010), Five Seasons (2019), 4.0 (2022) and is featured on dozens of compilations. Birkin Tree has received flattering reviews and important awards from European and American press.