Steven Reineke: A sit-down interview with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s newest hit

If you ever get the chance to experience an orchestral performance, your perception of what music is supposed to feel and sound like will suddenly be heightened to glorious proportions. Music — every note and bar of it — has always played a part in the life of virtuoso Steven Reineke.

On the rooftop patio at The Spoke Club on King Street West, City Life Magazine sat down with the charismatic symphonic composer, arranger and conductor to discuss what the city of Toronto sounds like, and what he hopes to bring to the mix.

Q: How does it feel to be the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s (TSO) newly appointed, first principal pops conductor?
A: I’m really excited. It kind of feels like we’ve been dating for about 14 years and just got married: I made my debut here back in 1997, Read more

Modern Love

Love. The word is only four letters but holds such power and prestige that Romeo and Juliet died for it and Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee keep getting back together because of it. L-O-V-E. Such a small yet omnipresent word; rolling off your tongue and through your teeth and up into the air like dust that never settles. It’s invisible, it’s blind, it’s palpable. It can also be illegal in some states. Consuming and confusing; revengeful and regretful. The course of true love never did run smooth. It feeds all of our physiological methods of perception: We see it when lovers stroll hand in hand under a starry sky. We taste it from a lover’s kiss and feel our breath bate as it bleeds into our soul. We reach for it in the dead of night or in Rod Stewart’s case cheekily croon: ‘I wanna give you my love touch.’ It is featured in almost every television show or film and each song we tune into. Oh, the power of love that Céline Dion sings so well. Read more