Leading Canadian tenor, Joey Niceforo headlines Harmonizing Hearts – Music for a Cause In Support of Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research
On Monday, November 20th, international recording artist, tenor Joey Niceforo will bring together a host of extraordinary talents for one unforgettable evening taking place at Toronto’s iconic Roy Thomson Hall.
The inaugural Harmonizing Hearts – Music for a Cause event features Niceforo’s incredible vocals alongside the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro Sabatino Vacca and the Casa Loma Symphony Orchestra led by Maestro Paolo Busato, who will be featured on piano, and Roy Thomson Hall’s Gabriel Kney Pipe Organ. The night will also feature performances from international opera singer Sara Papini, and Singing Out, Toronto’s largest 2SLGBTQQIA+ choir. The night will be hosted by Canadian journalist, media personality, philanthropist, and Order of Canada recipient, Jeanne Beker.
A dream come true for Joey, a tour-de-force in the entertainment and LGBTQ communities who brought this event together, Harmonizing Hearts will assist CANFAR in their efforts to reach the over 1.5 million underserved youth across the country.
To purchase tickets, go here.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Joey Niceforo and I consider myself a “new classical” singer. I coined the phrase during the release phase of my debut album ‘Priceless’ which I recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England. I was trained as a classical opera singer, and then had the opportunity to be one of the original Canadian Tenors; from there I went on to form a group called Destino. In both of these groups, I had the incredible opportunity, with my colleagues, to tour around the globe; from two Olympic Games to Carnegie Hall, I immensely enjoyed this time in my life. When it was time for this chapter to end, I was at a fork in the road so to speak. A very dear friend offered the chance of a lifetime to record a solo album, but she stipulated that if we were going to do it we were going to do it to the best quality possible. This led to Priceless! Priceless debuted at number #3 on the iTunes Canada charts and has hit the top 100 charts in Ireland, Australia, the USA, and South Africa since its launch.
I live in Toronto Ontario, and if I’m not singing, I love to work out and attend as many concerts, Opera, and other cultural events as I am able. I love to travel, and when I’m not traveling for concerts, I always try to find a sunny beach to relax on!
Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind “Harmonizing Hearts – Music for a Cause” and how the idea for this event came about?
The idea for the show came from one of the producers of the Album ‘Priceless.’ We were out for dinner and he asked if I had ever performed at Roy Thomson Hall, which I never have, and said he would like to produce a concert there. Not only for me but for, and with people in the community. Doing something for a good cause but bringing in friends and colleagues that I’ve worked with before.
We have the Casa loma Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Paolo Busato and The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra conducted by Maestro Sabatino Vacca with special guests singers Soprano Sara Papini and singer Jackie Richardson Singing Out: Toronto 2SLGBTQIIA+ Choir, all hosted by Canadian icon Jeanne Beker.
The event features an impressive lineup of talents, including orchestras and other vocalists. How did you go about selecting the performers for this special evening?
I’ve been lucky enough to be a regular performer for the past 2 years at the Casa Loma music series (‘Symphony in the gardens – Casa loma’ and ‘Twilight Symphony at the Castle’) under the direction of my friend Maestro Paolo Busato. I had also recently performed with another friend of mine Maestro Sabatino Vacca with the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra.
We thought it would be amazing to combine these two great community orchestras as well as add my dear friend and colleague, soprano, Sara Papini whom I have probably sung with the most with in my career. Her voice and stage presence are incredible and our friendship and respect for each other brings out a natural dynamic between the two of us on stage. She’s also a regular at the Casa loma concerts.
Jackie Richardson is an award-winning singer and actor whose career spans more than five decades. She has been called the reigning queen of Canadian jazz, blues, and gospel; not ever thinking she would say yes, we approached her management team and we were thrilled when we were informed she would love to be a part of the show!
Hosting the event is Canadian journalist and media personality Jeanne Beker, who is also an Order of Canada recipient. Can you tell us about her involvement and what she brings to the event as a host?
We needed someone at the helm that could bring all of us together and be the MC for the evening. Our first thought/hope/wish list was our friend, Toronto’s very own Canadian icon Jeanne Beker. When Kyle called her and asked she didn’t even hesitate and agreed to be our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. Needless to say, we were BEYOND thrilled! Jeanne has also been a long-time supporter of CANFAR and has been given a patrons award for this commitment; we are so lucky to have here as our hostess!
As an artist and advocate, how do you view the role of music in raising awareness about important social and health issues, such as HIV/AIDS?
We wanted to partner with an organization that could benefit from the event. Although there are many worthy and wonderful organizations the first one that came to mind was CANFAR (The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research). We have supported them and their cause for years and were honoured when Alex Filiatrault (CANFAR CEO) agreed to be a part of this concert. Not only do they do amazing work within our communities across Canada for people living with HIV/AIDS, but they have also contributed invaluable scientific work for prevention and education. We are honoured to partner with them at this event.
For those who may not be able to attend the event in person, will there be any opportunities to experience “Harmonizing Hearts” through live streaming or other means?
Unfortunately, we aren’t able to stream the event, but we’re hoping that Harmonizing Hearts can be an annual event and that we can include more people from our local community in the years to come!
Finally, what would you say to individuals who may want to get involved or support the cause but are unsure how to do so?
Buy tickets for Harmonizing Hearts.
If anyone would like to be involved but can’t attend the performance, they can contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in supporting the concert.
For my website and social links please see below: