MEDIA KIT
21C MUSIC FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
21C MUSIC FESTIVAL PRESS RELEASE
21C MUSIC FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF EVENTS AND WORKS
TICKETING INFORMATION
SPONSORSHIP
THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY FACT SHEET
SOUNDSTREAMS FACT SHEET
CANADIAN ART SONG PROJECT FACT SHEET
21C MUSIC FESTIVAL
A FESTIVAL OF NEWLY-MINTED MUSIC BY THE WORLD’S FOREMOST STARS
OF INDEPENDENT MUSICAL THINKING AND INNOVATION
9 CONCERTS 5 DAYS 31 PREMIERES (12 WORLD PREMIERES) 90% CANADIAN ARTISTS
21C Music Festival 2017 marks Canada 150 with a panoply of our country’s most innovative composers and musicians
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra
Johannes Debus Bang on a Can All-Stars
Emily D’Angelo Unsuk Chin
Samy Moussa Cecilia String Quartet
Alexina Louie Soundstreams John Oswald
Angèle Dubeau La Pietà
Canadian Art Song Project Matthew Aucoin Ana Sokolović
Gabriel Prokofiev Richard Reed Parry
Steve Reich Ludovico Einaudi Andrew Staniland
Nicole Lizée Chris Paul Harman
Brian Current Elmer Iseler Singers
“GUTSY”
THE GLOBE AND MAIL
“ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ANNUAL FESTIVALS IN THE CITY.” MUSICAL TORONTO
“INNOVATIVE COMPOSERS MAKING NEW WORKS ARE THE STARS.”
NOW
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 • Please include in your listings/announcements
21C MUSIC FESTIVAL
21C Music Festival – five days of newly-minted music during which audiences have an opportunity to experience fresh new sounds and ideas from the greatest musical minds of today – returns for a fourth year to The Royal Conservatory of Music from May 24 to May 28, 2017. This year’s festival marks Canada 150 with an array of our country’s most innovative and daring composers and musicians, and it will consist of nine concerts and 31 premieres. “Our nation’s birthday gives us an opportunity to delve even deeper into the rich soil that is Canadian music. This
year’s festival shines a light on the musical and compositional talent from across the country and is, perhaps, the
most diverse 21C Music Festival to date,” said Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts at The Royal
Conservatory. “In addition, we are thrilled to welcome the Canadian Opera Company, the Canadian Art Song
Project, and Soundstreams as our artistic collaborators and to have Unsuk Chin, a composer of international
stature, in residence.”
Highlights of the sesquicentennial celebration include the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra conducted by Johannes Debus in a program that will include works by two Canadian composers, Brian Current and Samy Moussa; the Canadian Art Song Project with an all-Canadian program and musicians; Cecilia String Quartet presenting four works commissioned to celebrate compositions by Canadian women; Montreal-based violinist Angèle Dubeau and her all-female string ensemble, La Pietà; and the 30
th anniversary of Bang on a Can All-Stars
with a special “Bang on a Canada” concert, including works by Canadian composers Richard Reed Parry and René Lussier, anchored by a world premiere from John Oswald, commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall. In partnership with Soundstreams, the festival closes with The Music of Unsuk Chin, which will include a world premiere by Chris Paul Harman co-commissioned by Soundstreams and The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall. Unsuk Chin’s works will also appear on the program by the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra as well as Cinq à Sept, and she and Chris Paul Harman will lead a workshop for six emerging composers, whose works will receive world premieres during the festival. This year’s edition of the festival also has a strong focus on women, with singers Emily D’Angelo, Danika Lorèn, and Carla Huhtanen; violinist Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà; the Cecilia String Quartet; pianists Morgan-Paige Melbourne, Claudia Chan, Mélisande Sinsoulier, Liz Upchurch, and Vicky Chow; and composers Unsuk Chin, Nicole Lizée, Emilie LeBel, Katarina Curcin, Kati Agócs, Ana Sokolović, Kotoka Suzuki, Alexina Louie, Julia Wolfe, Allison Cameron, Anna Clyne, and Michelle Agnes Magalhaes.
Festival benefactor, Michael Koerner, remarked during the inaugural year: “Charles Ives, the American composer-
iconoclast wrote outrageously courageous music about 100 years ago and when asked what he was up to, he would
say ‘I want to stretch your ears.’ The 21C Music Festival is just about that: ear stretching.”
The “Canadian edition” of the 21C Music Festival kicks off on May 24 with Johannes Debus conducting the
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, soprano Emily D’Angelo, tenor Andrew Haji, and the Elmer Iseler
Singers, with Lydia Adams, conductor and Artistic Director. The program will include two pieces by the festival’s
Artistic Advisor, Brian Current: his The Seven Heavenly Halls will receive its Ontario premiere and Naaka (Northern
Lights) its world premiere. The two works are part of a massive six-movement work, entitled River of Light, which
traces creation myths from six different cultures.
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The Seven Heavenly Halls is centred on Judaic traditions and Naaka on Dene traditions from the Northwest
Territories. Also on the program are South Korean composer Unsuk Chin’s snagS&Snarls and Canadian composer
Samy Moussa’s Kammerkonzert, plus the Canadian premiere of Matthew Aucoin’s The Orphic Moment.
Nàaka is commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall and generously supported by Kris Vikmanis &
Denny Creighton. The Seven Heavenly Halls was commissioned by The Azrieli Foundation.
The following night, on May 25, the Canadian Art Song Project (CASP) brings works by three Canadian
composers: Andrew Staniland’s Peter Quince at the Clavier (Ontario premiere), Lloyd Burritt’s Moth Poem
(Ontario premiere), and Ana Sokolović’s Dawn Always Begins in the Bones, CASP’s new commission to celebrate
Canada 150. The all-Canadian cast is comprised of COC Ensemble Studio members Danika Lorèn (soprano),
Emily D’Angelo (mezzo-soprano), Aaron Sheppard (tenor), Bruno Roy (baritone), Iain MacNeil (baritone), and
Mélisande Sinsoulier (piano), as well as the Head of the Ensemble, pianist Liz Upchurch.
Hailed for their “powerful” (Chicago Sun-Times) and “dauntingly perfect” (Berliner Zeitung) performances, Toronto’s
own Cecilia String Quartet is now entering its second decade. On May 25, the Quartet gives the first performance
of all four works they commissioned to celebrate Canadian women in music: Nicole Lizée’s Isabella Blow at
Somerset House, Emilie LeBel’s Taxonomy of Paper Wing, Katarina Curcin’s String Quartet No. 3, and Kati
Agócs’s Tantric Variations.
On May 26, Quebec takes center stage. Called “exciting [and] dynamic” by the Los Angeles Times, Montreal-based
violinist and Officer of the Order of Canada, Angèle Dubeau, and her all-female string ensemble La Pietà,
comprised of some of Canada’s best musicians, perform a genre-smashing concert of works by Ludovico Einaudi,
Jonny Greenwood, Michael Nyman, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt, and Mike Oldfield, as well as Philip Glass’s music
written for the film The Hours. Two works by Canadian composers are also featured: Maxime Goulet’s Présentation
concertante and Marjan Mozetich’s Postcards from the Sky.
Also on May 26, after the mainstage concert with Angèle Dubeau, 21C After Hours presents the Soundstreams
Emerging Composers Workshop, in which six emerging composers give world premieres of pieces developed
under the guidance of composers Unsuk Chin and Chris Paul Harman. A cash bar will be open at this casual late-
night concert.
On the afternoon of May 27, the annual Cinq à Sept features a world premiere by Japanese-Canadian Kotoka
Suzuki along with the Canadian premiere of her Shimmer, Tree for piano and electronics; pianist Morgan-Paige
Melbourne performing “Warrior” and “Memories of an Ancient Garden” from Scenes From a Jade Terrace by
Toronto-based composer Alexina Louie; pianist Geoffrey Conquer, Rebanks Fellow at The Royal Conservatory,
playing Piano Etudes by Korean composer Unsuk Chin, one of contemporary music’s most sought-after creators;
the Canadian premiere of Aaron Parker’s fun minimalist work warehouse for ensemble and electronics featuring
students of The Glenn Gould School; as well as the VC2 cello duo (Amahl Arulanandam and Bryan Holt)
performing Raphael Weinroth-Browne’s Triumvirate.
The mainstage concert on May 27 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the epoch-making NYC group, Bang on a Can
All-Stars. Their specially devised Koerner Hall program “Bang on a Canada” will include selections from a multi-
media project called Field Recordings, most of which will be Canadian premieres. Works by Canadian composers
Richard Reed Parry and René Lussier will be anchored by a world premiere from John Oswald, commissioned by
The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall. The concert opens with Vicky Chow performing a solo piano piece by Eliot
Britton and also features works by BOAC co-founders Michael Gordon, David Lang, and Julia Wolfe, as well as
Steve Reich, Christian Marclay, Allison Cameron, and Anna Clyne. /3
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Pianist Claudia Chan, alumna of The Royal Conservatory and rising star in the contemporary piano world, teams up
with violinist Benjamin Bowman, member of the ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) and
Concertmaster of the American Ballet Orchestra in New York, on the afternoon of May 28. They will perform works
by John Corigliano, Isang Yun, Gabriel Prokofiev, and Michelle Agnes Magalhaes, as well as the world
premiere of a piece by Christopher Goddard, commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall.
21C Music Festival partner, Soundstreams, closes the Festival with The Music of Unsuk Chin. Chin renders in
sound the “visions of immense light” she sees in her dreams, and the program on May 28 will include her Cantatrix
Sopranica, a playful exploration of the act of singing for two sopranos, countertenor, and ensemble featuring singer
Carla Huhtanen, and “The Caterpillar,” an excerpt from her dazzling opera, Alice in Wonderland. It’s All Forgotten
Now (world premiere) and Love Locked Out, two works by Canada’s Chris Paul Harman, who shares Chin’s affinity
for transforming familiar source materials with musical language that is fresh, vivid, and thrillingly modern, are also
on the program. Both pieces are inspired by the 1930s popular songs of Al Bowlly. Guillaume Bourgogne conducts
a virtuoso ensemble. It’s All Forgotten Now by Chris Paul Harman is co-commissioned by Soundstreams and The
Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall.
Several pre- or post-concert chats will feature composers and performers in discussion offering further insight into the works being presented. Additionally, The Royal Conservatory School will offer Explore 21C with Brian Current, a special Music Appreciation Event on May 17. Current, Artistic Advisor of the Festival, will give a talk on the upcoming performances in this year’s edition of the Festival, and the evening will include a live performance and a reception. Visit www.rcmusic.ca/musicappreciation for more information.
Tune in to 21C Music Festival livestreams from anywhere in the world
and watch select concerts from past editions of the Festival!
Select 21C Music Festival concerts will be web streamed from the “Live at Koerner Hall” livestream page at
www.performance.rcmusic.ca/livestream
Media Contact: Barbora Kršek, Concert Publicity Manager and Publications Editor 416.408.2824 ext.265; [email protected]
FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
12 WORLD PREMIERES
Brian Current ♪ Christopher Goddard Chris Paul Harman Naaka (Northern Lights) New work It's All Forgotten Now
John Oswald Gabriel Prokofiev: Kotoka Suzuki New work Howl (new arrangement) New work
Plus 6 world premieres by 6 emerging composers who will be part of the Soundstreams Emerging Composers Workshop
Canadian composer ♪ The Royal Conservatory of Music faculty/student/alumnus
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13 CANADIAN PREMIERES
Matthew Aucoin Anna Clyne Michael Gordon The Orphic Moment A Wonderful Day Gene Takes a Drink with film by Bill Morrison
David Lang René Lussier Michelle Agnes Magalhaes unused swan Nocturne mobile
Christian Marclay Aaron Parker Richard Reed Parry Fade to Slide warehouse Never Ending Blur with film by Christian Marclay
Steve Reich Caroline Shaw Kotoka Suzuki Julia Wolfe The Cave of Machpelah Really Craft When You Shimmer, Tree Reeling
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3 ONTARIO PREMIERES
Lloyd Burritt Brian Current Andrew Staniland Moth Poem The Seven Heavenly Halls Peter Quince at the Clavier
3 TORONTO PREMIERES
Katarina Curcin Kati Agócs Emilie LeBel String Quartet No. 3 Tantric Variations Taxonomy of Paper Wing
OTHER WORKS
Eliot Britton: Cuneiform and Glide (1st movement) Allison Cameron: 3rds, 4ths, 5ths Unsuk Chin: Cantatrix Sopranica Unsuk Chin: “The Caterpillar” from Alice in Wonderland Unsuk Chin: Piano Etudes Unsuk Chin: snagS&Snarls John Corigliano: Sonata for Violin and Piano Ludovico Einaudi: title TBC Philip Glass: The Hours Maxime Goulet: Présentation concertante Jonny Greenwood: title TBC Chris Paul Harman: Love Locked Out Nicole Lizée: Isabella Blow at Somerset House Alexina Louie: “Warrior” and “Memories of an Ancient Garden” from Scenes From a Jade Terrace Marjan Mozetich: Postcards from the Sky Samy Moussa: Kammerkonzert Michael Nyman: title TBC Mike Oldfield: title TBC Arvo Pärt: title TBC Max Richter: title TBC Ana Sokolović: Dawn Always Begins in the Bones Raphael Weinroth-Browne: Triumvirate Isang Yun: Gasa
ARTISTS
Ensembles Bang on a Can All-Stars Canadian Art Song Project Canadian Opera Company Orchestra Cecilia String Quartet Elmer Iseler Singers La Pietà Soundstreams 21C Ensemble ♪ Soloists Lydia Adams, conductor Guillaume Bourgogne, conductor Benjamin Bowman, violin ♪ Claudia Chan, piano ♪ Vicky Chow, piano Geoffrey Conquer, piano ♪ Emily D’Angelo, mezzo-soprano Johannes Debus, conductor Angèle Dubeau, violin Andrew Haji, tenor Carla Huhtanen, soprano Danika Lorèn, soprano Iain MacNeil, baritone Morgan-Paige Melbourne, piano Bruno Roy, baritone Aaron Sheppard, tenor Mélisande Sinsoulier, piano Liz Upchurch, piano VC2 ♪ Canadian artist ♪ The Royal Conservatory of Music faculty/student/alumnus
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF EVENTS AND WORKS
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra conducted by Johannes Debus Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 8pm; Post-concert chat; Koerner Hall Brian Current: Naaka (Northern Lights) (world premiere) ♪
Matthew Aucoin: The Orphic Moment (Canadian premiere)
Brian Current: The Seven Heavenly Halls (Ontario premiere) ♪
Unsuk Chin: snagS&Snarls
Samy Moussa: Kammerkonzert
Nàaka commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall and generously supported by Kris Vikmanis & Denny
Creighton
The Seven Heavenly Halls commissioned by The Azrieli Foundation
Canadian Art Song Project Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 7:30pm; Post-concert chat; Temerty Theatre
Andrew Staniland: Peter Quince at the Clavier (Ontario premiere)
Lloyd Burritt: Moth Poem (Ontario premiere)
Ana Sokolović: Dawn Always Begins in the Bones
Cecilia String Quartet Celebrates Canadian Women Composers Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 8pm; Post-concert chat; Mazzoleni Concert Hall
Katarina Curcin: String Quartet No. 3 (Toronto premiere)
Kati Agócs: Tantric Variations (Toronto premiere)
Emilie LeBel: Taxonomy of Paper Wing (Toronto premiere)
Nicole Lizée: Isabella Blow at Somerset House
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà Friday, May 26, 2017 at 8pm; Pre-concert chat at 7:15pm; Koerner Hall
Philip Glass: The Hours
Maxime Goulet: Présentation concertante
Marjan Mozetich: Postcards from the Sky
Works by Ludovico Einaudi, Jonny Greenwood, Michael Nyman, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt, and Mike Oldfield
21C After Hours: Soundstreams Emerging Composers Workshop Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30pm; Temerty Theatre
Six emerging composers give world premieres of pieces developed under the guidance of Unsuk Chin and Chris
Paul Harman. A cash bar will be open at this casual late-night concert.
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Cinq à Sept Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 5pm; Temerty Theatre
Raphael Weinroth-Browne: Triumvirate ♪
Kotoka Suzuki: title TBD (world premiere)
Kotoka Suzuki: Shimmer, Tree (Canadian premiere)
Alexina Louie: “Warrior” and “Memories of an Ancient Garden” from Scenes From a Jade Terrace
Unsuk Chin: Piano Etudes
Aaron Parker: warehouse (Canadian premiere)
Bang on a Can All-Stars: “Bang on a Canada” Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 8pm; Post-concert chat; Koerner Hall
Eliot Britton: Cuneiform and Glide (1st movement)
Julia Wolfe: Reeling (Canadian premiere)
Michael Gordon: Gene Takes a Drink with film by Bill Morrison (Canadian premiere)
Christian Marclay: Fade to Slide with film by Christian Marclay (Canadian premiere)
David Lang: unused swan (Canadian premiere)
John Oswald: title TBD (world premiere)
Allison Cameron: 3rds, 4ths, 5ths
Richard Reed Parry: Never Ending Blur (Canadian premiere)
Caroline Shaw: Really Craft When You (Canadian premiere)
René Lussier: Nocturne (Canadian premiere)
Steve Reich: The Cave of Machpelah (Canadian premiere)
Anna Clyne: A Wonderful Day (Canadian premiere)
World premiere by John Oswald commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall
Claudia Chan with Benjamin Bowman Sunday, May 28, 2017 at 1pm; Post-concert chat; Mazzoleni Concert Hall
Michelle Agnes Magalhaes: mobile (Canadian premiere)
Gabriel Prokofiev: Howl (world premiere of a new arrangement)
Christopher Goddard: title TBD (world premiere)
Isang Yun: Gasa
John Corigliano: Sonata for Violin and Piano
World premiere by Christopher Goddard commissioned by The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall
Soundstreams Presents: The Music of Unsuk Chin Sunday, May 28, 2017 at 3pm; Post-concert chat; Koerner Hall
Unsuk Chin: Cantatrix Sopranica
Unsuk Chin: “The Caterpillar” from Alice in Wonderland
Chris Paul Harman: Love Locked Out
Chris Paul Harman: It's All Forgotten Now (world premiere)
World premiere by Chris Paul Harman co-commissioned by Soundstreams and The Royal Conservatory/Koerner Hall
Canadian composer ♪ The Royal Conservatory faculty/student/alumnus
TICKETS START AT ONLY $21! 21C 2017 KOERNER HALL CONCERT PASS: $149; 21C 2017 FULL FESTIVAL PASS: $179
CONCERT + HOTEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE 416.408.0208 www.performance.rcmusic.ca
TICKETS & FESTIVAL PASSES ON SALE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 AT 10AM TICKETS START AT ONLY $21!
21C Music Festival The Royal Conservatory of Music
Explore 21C with Brian Current Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at 6:30pm | TT; $21
Canadian Opera Company Orchestra conducted by Johannes Debus Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at 8pm | KH; $21-$115
Canadian Art Song Project Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 7:30pm | TT; $21
Cecilia String Quartet Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 8pm | MCH; $21
Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà: “A Minimalist Signature” Friday, May 26, 2017 at 8pm | KH; $21-$90
21C After Hours: Soundstreams Emerging Composers Workshop Friday, May 26, 2017 at 10:30pm | TT; $21 ($10 with the purchase of a ticket to the Friday evening concert)
Cinq à Sept Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 5pm | TT; $21 ($10 with the purchase of a ticket to the Saturday evening concert)
Bang on a Can All-Stars Saturday, May 27, 2017 at 8pm | KH; $21-$85
Claudia Chan with Benjamin Bowman Sunday, May 29, 2017 at 1pm | MCH; $21
Soundstreams Presents: The Music of Unsuk Chin Sunday, May 29, 2017 at 3pm | KH; $21-$67.50
Venue Legend: KH Koerner Hall; MCH Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz Hall; TT Temerty Theatre
All concerts take place at The Royal Conservatory
TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Tickets are available online at www.performance.rcmusic.ca, by calling 416.408.0208, or in person at the Weston Family Box Office
All advertised prices include service charge and 13% HST
A limited number of $10 BMO Rush Tickets are available starting 90 minutes before all performances presented by The Royal Conservatory
Join the Premiere email list for special offers and added concerts Connect with us at Facebook/koernerhall Follow us on Twitter @the_rcm and use hashtags #KoernerHall and #21Cmusic
The 21C Music Festival is made possible through
the generous support of Michael and Sonja Koerner
21C Music Festival Supporters
Kris Vikmanis and Denny Creighton
21C Music Festival Presenting Partners
Government Supporters
These events have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.
Media Sponsors
ABOUT THE ROYAL CONSERVATORY
The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, providing the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification, and arts-based social programs.
The mission of The Royal Conservatory – to develop human potential through leadership in music and the arts – is based on the conviction that the arts are humanity's greatest means to achieve personal growth and social cohesion. Advancing the transformative effect that music and the arts have on society lies at the heart of everything The Royal Conservatory does.
The more than five million alumni of The Royal Conservatory have enjoyed the many benefits of music study and carried these benefits into subsequent careers in a wide range of fields, including medicine, business, politics, education, science, and sports. Others, such as Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall, Teresa Stratas, Sir Roger Norrington, and Jon Vickers, have achieved international musical acclaim and defined Canada to the world.
The curriculum for the study of music developed by The Conservatory has become Canada's national standard and its broad use has served to bind together the people of the nation with the thread of shared creative experiences. Similarly, The Conservatory has developed a system of accreditation and online professional development for music teachers to strengthen the profession of music instruction and ensure a brighter future for music education.
The Royal Conservatory is also a leader in the development of arts-based programs designed to address a range of social issues, such as youth at risk, the development of children in their early years, and wellness in seniors. The Conservatory’s Learning Through the Arts
® and Living Through the Arts
® programs, as well as The Marilyn
Thomson Early Childhood Education Centre, use the latest research findings in neuroscience and the social sciences to address important health, social, and development issues.
At its national base, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning in Toronto, The Royal Conservatory offers classes and lessons for all ages and stages, and an extensive set of training programs for gifted young artists through The Glenn Gould School and The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. The Conservatory also presents and produces a wide range of concerts featuring the finest Canadian and international artists in its magnificent performance spaces, including the internationally acclaimed Koerner Hall, as well as Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz Hall, and Temerty Theatre.
Entrenched in the minds and hearts of Canadians, The Royal Conservatory has united generations of citizens since
its inception in 1886.
For further information, please contact: Jeff Embleton Manager, Publicity 416.408.2824 ext. 461 [email protected]
Soundstreams
Fact Sheet
Soundstreams Soundstreams is one of the world’s leading contemporary music companies, and the biggest global presenter of new Canadian music. Under the direction of Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney and Executive Director Ben Dietschi, the company showcases the work of Canadian and international composers, with a focus on innovative thematic and experiential programming that provides context and contributes to the rich legacy of Canadian music at home and around the world. In collaboration with the finest Canadian and international artists, Soundstreams presents an annual concert series in Toronto as well as national and international tours. Soundstreams also serves the larger community through our free Salon 21 series at The Gardiner Museum, composer training activities, SoundWave program for music lovers age 35 and under, and digital performance space, including concert recordings, SoundMakers website, and video content. History Founded in 1982 by oboist Lawrence Cherney as Chamber Concerts Canada, Soundstreams has presented a variety of series over its 33-year history, including Musical Mondays at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, and Encounters at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio. Soundstreams commissions have added more than 150 works to the musical repertoire worldwide, reflecting a diverse variety of genres and cultural traditions. World premieres have included works by composers R. Murray Schafer, John Tavener, Steve Reich, Christos Hatzis, Harry Somers, Nicole Lizée, James MacMillan, James Rolfe, Melissa Hui, and Andrew Staniland, to name a few. Projects have included festivals and conferences such as the Northern Encounters festival, University Voices, and Cool Drummings percussion festival and conference, as well as new productions such as Thomson Highway and Melissa Hui’s Cree opera Pimooteewin: The Journey (which toured Northern Ontario in 2009 and 2010), R. Murray Schafer’s Dora Award-winning site-specific opera The Children’s Crusade (produced in association with the Luminato Festival), and Brian Current’s Dora-nominated opera Airline Icarus. Soundstreams is a three-time JUNO nominee and recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Arts. www.soundstreams.ca
Canadian Art Song Project
Fact Sheet In an effort to revive the existing art song repertoire and to develop new vocal works for Canadian professional artists, tenor Lawrence Wiliford joined with pianist Steven Philcox and together founded the Canadian Art Song Project (CASP) in 2011. CASP promotes art song written by Canadian composers for Canadian musicians. More than simply encouraging artists and presenters to include some “Canadian content” once in a while, its mission is to encourage us all to embrace Canadian art song as a vital art form that speaks to performers and audiences today. Since its founding, Canadian Art Song Project has commissioned numerous works for voice and piano by composers including Brian Current, Brian Harman, Marjan Mozetich, Norbert Palej, James Rolfe, Erik Ross, Ana Sokolović, Peter Tiefenbach, and others. These commissions are made with the intent to bring the performing artists together with the composer in the hope that the works might stand the test of time and that a new generation of advocates for Canadian song might be established. In collaboration with the Canadian Music Centre, CASP has begun a series of recordings highlighting the wealth of song by Canadian composers and is working towards making available new editions of scores by Canada’s most important song composers. Canadian Art Song Projects recordings can be purchased through Centrediscs, iTunes, Amazon, and many other online music sites.
