Writing about music
In my years as a freelance writer, I chiefly contributed to two newspapers: Toronto’s Globe and Mail and the Houston Chronicle. I also wrote for the New York Times, Kansas City Star, San Antonio Express-News, American Record Guide, Early Music America, Strings, The Strad, BBC Music, Opera, International Piano, Musical Opinion, Opus, Opera Canada, Words and Music and Queen's Quarterly.
I began writing about music professionally in 1988, as Editor of Publications for Toronto’s Canadian Opera Company. Since then I’ve written articles and program notes for several other musical organizations, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera, and Marquis Classics records. From 1991 to 1994 I was the editor and publisher of a small journal about Canadian contemporary music called SoundNotes. As well, in 2009 and 2010 I served as managing editor of The WholeNote magazine, a Toronto-based guide to concert-going.
In addition to my freelance writing, I completed a PhD in musicology at the University of Toronto in 2007. In 2009, a book derived from my dissertation, entitled Mendelssohn and Victorian England was published by Ashgate Press in the UK. To read excerpts, click here.
My second book, Remembering Glenn Gould: Twenty Interviews with People Who Knew Him, was published in August 2012 by Penumbra Press. Although the Penumbra edition is now out-of-print, Remembering Glenn Gould is available as a Kindle e-book, here. To read an excerpt, click here.
Below are samples of my writing for various publications and musical organizations. (All works are © Colin Eatock, and may not be used without my permission.)
Interviews and Essays About Musicians
Other Articles
Sample Music Reviews
Sample Book Reviews
Sample Program Notes
I began writing about music professionally in 1988, as Editor of Publications for Toronto’s Canadian Opera Company. Since then I’ve written articles and program notes for several other musical organizations, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera, and Marquis Classics records. From 1991 to 1994 I was the editor and publisher of a small journal about Canadian contemporary music called SoundNotes. As well, in 2009 and 2010 I served as managing editor of The WholeNote magazine, a Toronto-based guide to concert-going.
In addition to my freelance writing, I completed a PhD in musicology at the University of Toronto in 2007. In 2009, a book derived from my dissertation, entitled Mendelssohn and Victorian England was published by Ashgate Press in the UK. To read excerpts, click here.
My second book, Remembering Glenn Gould: Twenty Interviews with People Who Knew Him, was published in August 2012 by Penumbra Press. Although the Penumbra edition is now out-of-print, Remembering Glenn Gould is available as a Kindle e-book, here. To read an excerpt, click here.
Below are samples of my writing for various publications and musical organizations. (All works are © Colin Eatock, and may not be used without my permission.)
Interviews and Essays About Musicians
- Valentina Lisitsa Wolfgang's Tonic 2015
- Yannick Nézet-Séguin Queen’s Quarterly 2012
- Lafayette String Quartet The Strad 2011
- R. Murray Schafer Queen’s Quarterly 2009
- Walter Homburger on Glenn Gould Queen’s Quarterly 2009
- Lang Lang Houston Chronicle 2008
- Deborah Voigt Globe and Mail 2007
- Riccardo Muti Globe and Mail 2006
- R. Murray Schafer New York Times 2005
- Beaux Arts Trio The Strad 2005
- Peter Oundjian Opus 2004
- Anton Kuerti International Piano 2004
- Ben Heppner Opera 2004
- Renee Fleming Globe and Mail 2004
- Midori Globe and Mail 2003
- Valery Gergiev Globe and Mail 2003
- Daniel Barenboim Globe and Mail 2002
Other Articles
- Salzburg, 50 Years After The Sound of Music Houston Chronicle 2015
- Bernard Herrmann: The Right Man Listen magazine 2013
- Six Canadian Composers You Should Know Queen’s Quarterly 2011
- Musicians Debate the Merits of Tiger Mother’s Parenting Methods Houston Chronicle 2011
- The Art World That Isn’t (And the Music World That Is) New Music Box 2011
- What’s Wrong With Classical Music? 3 Quarks Daily 2010
- What Else is Wrong With Classical Music? 3 Quarks Daily 2011
- From Venezuela to the World: Exporting El Sistema Queen’s Quarterly 2010
- Mendelssohn and the Rise of Musical Antiquarianism Early Music America 2009
- Lyric Misgivings (The operas Mendelssohn didn’t write) Opera 2009
- Culture Wars at the CBC Queen’s Quarterly 2008
- Papageno Takes On Rocky Balboa (Met Opera simulcasts) Globe and Mail 2007
- The COC Builds its Dream Home Queen’s Quarterly 2006
- Fazioli Pianos Musical Opinion 2006
- Unveiling a Virtual Variations (Zenph studios’ “reperformance” of Glenn Gould’s 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations) Globe and Mail 2006
- Local Colour (The luthiers of Owen Sound, Ontario) The Strad 2005
- Classical Music Criticism at the Globe and Mail: 1936-2000 Canadian University Music Review 2004
- Tafelmusik Celebrates 25 Years Opus 2003
- A Season of Discord: Canadian Orchestras in Crisis Queen’s Quarterly 2002
- Maestro? (The orchestras of Toronto and Montreal search for new conductors) Globe and Mail 2002
Sample Music Reviews
- Schafer's Apocalypsis a Wondrous Vision Queen's Quarterly 2015
- London Symphony Orchestra American Record Guide 2006
- Going with the Flow (the music of Ann Southam) Globe and Mail 2005
- Dead Man Walking (Erato recording) Opus 2002
Sample Book Reviews
- My Life on Earth and Elsewhere (R. Murray Schafer’s autobiography) Literary Review of Canada 2013
- Reflections on Liszt Literary Review of Canada 2012
- Lois Marshall: a Biography Literary Review of Canada 2011
- In Search of Alberto Guerrero University of Toronto Quarterly 2009
Sample Program Notes
- Ying Quartet University of Toronto 2004
- Hearts of Darkness: Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung Cincinnati Opera 2001
