Q&A: The man who brought London the Aeolian Hall and El Sistema retires
Clark Bryan bought the iconic music venue in 2004
It's the end of an era at Aeolian Hall as Clark Bryan, the artist and executive director of the hall, is retiring.
Bryan bought the iconic London venue in 2004, and he's been around for a lot of shows and a lot of changes. Clark joined London Morning host Andrew Brown to talk about his legacy and what's next for him.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Andrew Brown: Congratulations on your retirement. How are you feeling about it?
Clark Bryan: Well, of course, I have some remorse over leaving the kids behind in our free after-school music program, but I'm excited about the next chapters in my life. I have a lot of creative projects that I want to do, and I will continue to support the mission of Aeolian Hall as much as I can.
AB: Take me back to 2004 when you took over. What was the hall like back then?
CB: It was mostly unused and looking very tired—needed a ton of renovations. It started looking like home because I moved in!
AB: You lived there?
CB: Oh, yeah. My husband and I lived there until 2011. We got married and finally bought a house. It was a bit like a hippie commune—you'd leave your living unit door open, and sometimes famous artists would accidentally walk in while you were coming out of the shower with no clothes on. That really did happen!
AB: A famous person? You don't have to answer that.
CB: Oh, I'll tell you—it was Carol Welsman. We're great friends now.
AB: That's great. I love that you lived there. Why did you get involved? What drew you to the place?
CB: I come from a family of educators, and I've been involved as a musician, concert pianist, and educator for a long time. I actually started teaching when I was 13. I thought I could create a community school. We had lost Western Conservatory on Windermere Road, where I'd been involved in curriculum development. I felt I could do a better job—that was the arrogant me in 2004. I had no idea what I was doing, though.
LISTEN | Clark Bryan is retiring from Aeolian Hall:
AB: Do you think you pulled it off?
CB: Well, at first, it didn't get much of my attention because it wasn't an economic generator. The economic generator was actually me—I continued teaching and performing to offset deficits for years. Getting people to come east of Adelaide, given the marginalization of the Old East Village, was tricky in those early years. But launching El Sistema, our free music education program, was a turning point. Every child deserves the best education—not just some.
AB: Many Londoners probably think of Aeolian Hall as a venue for shows. What kind of things happen there now?
CB: We run our free after-school music program and pride choirs at another facility, First-St. Andrew's Church. At Aeolian Hall, we've hosted artists in residence, a jazz festival, a national songwriting competition, and many other events. It's primarily a performance venue now, with three spaces—two on the main floor and the main hall. We've hosted everything from music to acts like The Amazing Kreskin. It's a community space, and I'm proud that groups feel comfortable using it.
AB: Artists and musicians rave about the sound there. What makes it special?
CB: That's partly a mystery! Acoustic engineering is part science, part art. The age of the wood, the plaster, and the proportions of the hall all contribute to its magic. Many Canadian artists love it. Chick Corea, for example, gave an unsolicited testimonial about the hall and encouraged his friends to perform there. It's not just the hall's structure but also the community that runs it, mostly volunteers. They're the heart of the hall.
AB: It sounds like this is the end of a chapter, but there's still a lot you want to do. What's next?
CB: Education. I've been to Finland twice this year to study their system, which focuses on student well-being and doesn't test for the first seven years. I'm writing a book about this and doing talks. I'm also interested in addressing homelessness, which I see as a values issue—we're a wealthy nation, and it shouldn't happen. Beyond that, I'll continue performing, teaching, and exploring creative projects. I've started a YouTube channel with 1,700 videos and am leaving space for the unexpected.
AB: Well, Clark, congratulations on a great run at Aeolian Hall.
CB: Thank you, Andrew. It's been a privilege to lead the organization, and I encourage everyone to continue supporting it.
