Also available in: Macedonian French
Zazoruva, concert, 2025
Zazoruva ("Dawning") follows a nocturnal transformation through four poems by Macedonian poet Aco Šopov: Nightfall, If There Isn't Enough Light for You, The Song and the Years and Waking.
The cycle begins as a lullaby, tracing a journey from twilight consciousness, through dreams, to daybreak. In the dream-space, the protagonist moves from desperate offerings of self to a dissolution of time and being. When dawn finally breaks, the world emerges both familiar and irrevocably changed - "Do not be amazed. It is daytime."
Drawing from Macedonia's musical heritage, the piece weaves together irregular rhythms and ornate melodic lines characteristic of traditional music with the distinctive pulse and sonic colours of the Macedonian language itself. The interaction between solo voice and chorus creates a dreamspace where individual experience meets collective memory. As the cycle progresses, these elements converge at the boundary between sleep and waking.
The world premiere of "Zazoruva" took place on February the 13rd, 2025 at Heliconian Hall, Toronto, the as part of the Confluence Concerts curated by Larry Beckwith.
Performers: Andrew Downing (double bass), Christopher Bagan (piano), Anaïs Kelsey-Verdecchia (soprano), Alison Beckwith (soprano), Anika Venkatesh (mezzo-soprano), Larry Beckwith (tenor), Dion Mazerolle (bass).
Michael Spiroff is a composer, music director, pianist, and educator. Originally from, and currently based in Toronto, Michael is a graduate of McGill University (M.Mus composition 2022) and the Mannes School of Music (B.Mus composition 2018).
As a composer, Michael has been commissioned by a variety of soloists and ensembles, and has had works performed across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Michael is an active accompanist and music director, also working professionally as a film composer, teacher, church musician, blues pianist, actor, and choir member. Michael is comfortable in a variety of musical styles and enjoys the challenge of harnessing the nuances that define musical idioms.