2010/2011 Overture #4

WINNIPEG SYMPHONY

January – February 2011

ORCHESTRA

ISSUE 4

JANUARY 2 8 – FEBRUARY 4 I 2 011 JOHN CORIGLIANO | KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI | GARY KULESHA D A M E E V E LY N G L E N N I E | K R O N O S Q U A R T E T A L E X A N D E R M I C K E LT H W AT E , M u s i c D i r e c t o r | V I N C E N T H O , C o m p o s e r - I n - R e s i d e n c e

ATING CELEBR

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TY T W PETN IONAL EXCE

!

Y E A R S

WSO SPONSORS, FUNDERS

AND

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The WSO proudly acknowledges the ongoing support of the following sponsors, media and funders: EDUCATION & OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN MEMORY OF PETER D. CURRY

NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

POWER SMART HOLIDAY TOUR

CONCERTS FOR KIDS

WSO IN BRANDON

CAR RAFFLE

INDIGENOUS FESTIVAL

SOUNDCHECK PROGRAM

SHARE THE MUSIC

WSO IN BRANDON PRE-CONCERT CHAT

CANADA DAY AT THE FORKS

KENORA

PIANO RAFFLE

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

MEDIA SPONSORS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FUNDERS

The Thomas Sill Foundation and The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba have generously supported the WSO by providing their Steinway Piano.

Fred Redekop is the official Piano Tuner and Technician of the WSO. The Fairmont Winnipeg is the official hotel of the WSO. Ann’s Flowers & Gifts is the official florist of the WSO. Runchey Miyazawa Abbott Chartered Accountants are the official auditors.

Since 1948, the Women’s Committee of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has made significant contributions to the WSO’s annual operating budget through the Music Stand and fundraising events each season.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1

GOVERNMENT GREETINGS Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages Our Government understands that creativity and innovation in the arts are essential to the strength of our communities and the vitality of our culture. We are proud to support events—like the Winnipeg New Music Festival—that allow Canadians to expand their musical horizons and discover new music. This festival’s bold and original programming, with its innovative musical creations, makes an outstanding contribution to Winnipeg’s cultural landscape.

On behalf of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Government of Canada, I would like to congratulate the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and all the organizers, artists, and volunteers who have helped make the 20th edition of this festival a success.

The Honourable James Moore

Premier of Manitoba On behalf of the Province of Manitoba, I would like to welcome you to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s 2011 New Music Festival.

Now entering its 20th year, the New Music Festival is a celebration of Manitoba’s unique arts community and many of the world’s greatest composers. For eight nights, we will share in exceptional music, renowned talent and in a diverse group of new and familiar artists. Our province is pleased to host musicians, composers and spectators for this incredible musical event.

I would like to thank all the organizers for their hard work and dedication. May this year’s New Music Festival be a joy and a success!

Greg Selinger

Minister of Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism The Manitoba government is proud to support our renowned Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the 2011 edition of its New Music Festival.

This annual celebration of musical talent, creativity and innovation adds special warmth to our winter season. It shines a deserving spotlight on new music – entertaining and inspiring audiences of all ages.

Congratulations to the WSO for your ongoing work in encouraging musical excellence. Bravo!

Flor Marcelino, Minister

Mayor of Winnipeg I am pleased to extend greetings to those attending the New Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary Edition. For 20 years the NMF has shared the musical talents of contemporary composers from around the world and this year’s festival is certain to make music history that we are fortunate to celebrate here in Winnipeg.

I also wish to congratulate Composer-in-Residence Vincent Ho and the incredible guest artists from across the nation and abroad to our city.

On behalf of Winnipeggers and my Council colleagues, I extend best wishes for your most successful event yet in 2011.

Sam Katz 2 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA GREETINGS Alexander Mickelthwate, Music Director Welcome to the only North American annual New Music Festival by a major symphony orchestra.

We are unique. We are creative. And we are 20 years old!!!! Yes. This year you will be in for a treat as we celebrate 20 years of classical contemporary music in the middle of winter, in Winnipeg.

While programming this anniversary special, three things were important to us: to celebrate the past, to look ahead into the future and to make sure we get the highest calibre of performers and composers.

To start with the last goal first: I'm thrilled to welcome John Corigliano and Krzysztof Penderecki as our distinguished guest composers, representing the traditions of the new world and the old continent with the most beautiful, heart-breaking and creative music there is. And I am honoured to present Dame Evelyn Glennie and Kronos Quartet at this year’s festival - performers that are pioneers in a field that is so varied, weird, crazy, beautiful and interesting.

To celebrate the past we surveyed audience members, orchestra musicians and composers of our town and asked for the one piece of music that stuck out in their mind over the last 20 years. The composition that came up the most was John Corigliano's award-winning Symphony No. 1 (performed Saturday evening).

The other work that was mentioned several times was Gary Kulesha's Symphony No 1 for two conductors that was commissioned by the Toronto Symphony in 1997. Gary is one of Canada's leading composers and his first symphony became an instant classic (Thursday).

To look ahead into the future we commissioned several new pieces and also wanted to highlight female composers. You will hear the world premiere of Randolph Peters Io. Randolph's composition Dreaming -Tracks started the opening night of the first NMF 20 years ago and as a tribute he is opening this year’s festival.

And we have Vincent Ho, our own award-winning composer-in-residence's much anticipated percussion concerto with Dame Evelyn Glennie (both works are performed Saturday evening).

I am particularly excited about a new work by Nicole Lizée which is being premiered by Kronos Quartet on Wednesday evening. Nicole has been programmed several times in the last four years; she writes in such a refreshing way.

Thursday evening brings the Canadian premiere of Avner Dorman’s Not the Shadow. If there is an upcoming and "hot" composer on the international scene right now, it is Avner. He is being performed everywhere, from Berlin to San Francisco, Jerusalem to New York and he is a former student of John Corigliano.

And our final night brings Kelly-Marie Murphy's new work Murmuration. Many of you will remember Kelly from her famous piece From the Drum Comes a Thundering Beat that has been performed all over Canada. And now she is back! Other female composers this year are Alexina Louie with her beautiful O Magnum Mysterium (Monday) and Kati Agócs cerebral …like treasure hidden in a field (Friday).

I have to mention two more pieces (that were responsible for the word epic in our marketing materials). First the biggest and most exciting work for wind ensemble ever written, John Corigliano's Circus Maximus. Yes, it will be loud. Yes, it will be raw. Yes, it will be hardcore. And second: when I looked for a real birthday piece to commemorate 20 years of contemporary music I remembered a concert that I heard in my position as an usher with the New York Philharmonic 12 years ago: Penderecki's Seven Gates of Jerusalem. The music was written for nothing less than the 3000 anniversary of Jerusalem, and I thought to myself: that'll do just fine here in Winnipeg.

So, Friday evening we will perform this epic piece which requires 3 choruses, soloists and a second orchestra in the balcony.

See you.

Alexander J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 3

WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA GREETINGS Vincent Ho, Composer-in-Residence Greetings to you all!

This week, we celebrate a milestone event in Canadian music history – The New Music Festival’s 20th anniversary! Since its inception in 1992, the event has played an important role in bringing you the best music of our time by many of the greatest composers in the world and performed by the finest performers of our day. For two decades the Festival has brought you a “who’s who” of musical titans, from John Corigliano to Allan Bell, from Dame Evelyn Glennie to Kronos Quartet, and from Gary Kulesha to Alexina Louie. It is with great excitement and enthusiasm to have many of them return to celebrate this momentous event. As well, we are very proud to have with us for the very first time one of Poland’s most famous composers, Krzysztof Penderecki.

Throughout the next eight days you will hear music by many NMF festival stars and experience several once-in-a-lifetime events. In addition, we are thrilled to bring back works that many of you have regarded as NMF’s greatest highlights, such as John Corigliano’s Symphony No.1 and Gary Kulesha’s Symphony No.1.

So grab your tickets and find your seats, this is your chance to be a part of an event that will only happen once – WSO’s New Music Festival: 20th Anniversary Edition!

Vincent Ho, DMA

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DISTINGUISHED GUEST PROFESSOR Keith Fowke, University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba is recognized globally as a leader in international HIV prevention and research. For decades, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine has collaborated with international partners in Kenya, India, Colombia, Pakistan, China and Nigeria. We are also working with partners locally to address the growing epidemic in Canada that is disproportionally affecting highly vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal peoples.

We are bringing together local and international experts from these partner organizations to discuss HIV prevention and care at a scientific symposium Jan. 28-29, 2011. The scientific symposium culminates with a collaboration with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and presentation of John Corigliano’s Symphony No.1 (a piece written about the HIV/AIDS epidemic).

We are excited about this rare intersection of science and art. By bringing together our global collaborators, we can celebrate the significant impact that the University of Manitoba is having on the HIV pandemic globally, and learn from one another. An artistic impression of the personal and emotional impact of HIV expressed through music is a truly powerful event. John Corigliano’s Symphony No.1 combines these scientific and artistic views of HIV in a format that is reflective, hopeful and that can be appreciated by researchers, musicians and the general public.

Dr. Keith Fowke, HIV Researcher

Keith Fowke, Professor, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 5

CONDUCTORS & COMPOSERS Alexander Mickelthwate, Music Director Recognized as one of the most exciting young conductors of his generation, Alexander Mickelthwate is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, where he has significantly raised the ensemble’s profile through innovative programming and active community engagement. Praised for his “splendid, richly idiomatic readings” (LA Weekly), “fearless” approach and “first-rate technique” (Los Angeles Times), the German-born conductor has attracted attention for his charismatic presence on the podium and command of a wide range of musical styles.

In August 2007, Alexander culminated his three-year tenure as Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with which he appeared regularly at Walt Disney Concert Hall and at the Hollywood Bowl.

Previously as Assistant Conductor with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, he co-founded the new music ensemble Bent Frequency, which was hailed as "one of the brightest ensembles on the scene” (Gramophone Magazine).

Recent highlights include debuts with the Houston Symphony, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic and the Bukarest Philharmonic, a re-engagement with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa and a highly successful last-minute replacement with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. As guest conductor, Alexander has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony, NDR Hannover, as well as with symphony orchestras in several Canadian and U.S. cities.

Born in Germany into a musical family, he studied conducting in Karlsruhe, Germany and at the Peabody Conservatory with Gustav Meier, and was invited as a conducting Fellow at Tanglewood, as well as at the Eötvöes Institute in Hungary. He is married with two sons.

Richard Lee, Resident Conductor From the time his mother sat him down at a toy piano when he was three years old, Richard Lee has spent his life immersed in music. He graduated to a real piano at the age of five and took up the violin at age seven. At age seventeen, he passed – with honours – the grade X piano and violin exams at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

After a brief and ill-advised stint as a physics major, Richard came to his senses and pursued a degree in Music Performance at the University of Toronto as both a violinist and a violist while studying conducting. After teaching middle school music for five years, Richard returned to the U of T where, as the Victor Feldbrill Fellow in orchestral conducting, he obtained a Master’s degree under the tutelage of Raffi Armenian.

Richard is currently Resident Conductor of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Conductor of the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, as well as Music Director of the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra, based in Toronto. He has also conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Vancouver, Quebec and Thunder Bay. His work has been broadcast and recorded by the CBC/Radio-Canada.

Musician, news junkie and connoisseur of fine ales, whiskies and cigars, Richard maintains residences in both Winnipeg and Toronto.

Vincent Ho, Composer-in-Residence Vincent Ho is widely recognized as one of the most outstanding composers of his generation.

His works have been hailed for their profound expressiveness and textural beauty that has audiences talking about with great enthusiasm. His many awards have included Harvard University’s Fromm Music Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts’ “Robert Fleming Prize,” ASCAP’s “Morton Gould Young Composer Award,” four SOCAN Young Composers Awards, and CBC Radio’s Audience Choice Award (2009 Young Composers’ Competition).

Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1975, Vincent Ho began his musical training through the Royal Conservatory of Music. He received his Associate Diploma in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) in 1993, his Bachelor of Music from the University of Calgary in 1998, his Master of Music degree from the University of Toronto in 2000, and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California (2005). His mentors have included Allan Bell, David Eagle, Christos Hatzis, Walter Buczynski, and Stephen Hartke. In 1997, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Schola Cantorum Summer Composition Program in Paris, where he received further training in analysis, composition, counterpoint, and harmony, supervised by David Diamond, Philip Lasser, and Narcis Bonet.

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WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2010-2011 SEASON MUSIC DIRECTOR Alexander Mickelthwate RESIDENT CONDUCTOR Richard Lee COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE Vincent Ho FIRST VIOLINS Gwen Hoebig, Concertmaster The Sophie-Carmen EckhardtGramatté Memorial Chair, endowed by the Eckhardt-Gramatté Foundation Karl Stobbe, Associate Concertmaster Mary Lawton, Assistant Concertmaster

Chris Anstey Raymond Chrunyk Mona Coarda Hong Tian Jia Trevor Kirczenow Simon MacDonald Rachel Moody Julie Savard Jun Shao SECOND VIOLINS Darryl Strain, Principal Elation Pauls, Assistant Principal Karen Bauch Laura Chenail Rodica Filipoi Boyd MacKenzie Susan McCallum Claudine St. Arnauld *Barbara Gilroy *Kathryn Sigsworth **Elizabeth Dyer **Jane Radomski VIOLAS Daniel Scholz, Principal Anne Elise Lavallée, Assistant Principal

Laszlo Baroczi Richard Bauch Greg Hay Suzanne McKegney Merrily Peters Mike Scholz

CELLOS Yuri Hooker, Principal Rafael Hoekman, Assistant Principal Alex Adaman Margaret Askeland Arlene Dahl Carolyn Nagelberg Emma Quackenbush BASSES Meredith Johnson, Principal Theodore Chan, Assistant Principal Stanley Label Paul Nagelberg Bruce Okrainec Zdzislaw Prochownik

TRUMPETS Brian Sykora, Principal Paul Jeffrey Isaac Pulford The Patty Kirk Memorial Chair

TROMBONES John Helmer, Principal Steven Dyer BASS TROMBONE Julia McIntyre, Principal TUBA Chris Lee, Principal TIMPANI Jeremy Epp, Principal

FLUTES Jan Kocman, Principal Supported by Gordon & Audrey Fogg

Martha Durkin

PERCUSSION Frederick Liessens, Principal

PICCOLO Martha Durkin

HARP Richard Turner, Principal Endowed by W.H. & S.E. Loewen

OBOES Bede Hanley, Principal *Robin MacMillan **Melissa Scott

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Chris Lee

ENGLISH HORN *Robin MacMillan **Melissa Scott

PRINCIPAL LIBRARIAN Raymond Chrunyk

CLARINETS Micah Heilbrunn, Principal Richard Klassen

ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN Laura MacDougall

BASSOONS Alex Eastley, Principal James Ewen CONTRABASSOON James Ewen HORNS Patricia Evans, Principal Ken MacDonald, Associate Principal James Robertson The Hilda Schelberger Memorial Chair

Caroline Oberheu Michiko Singh

*On Leave **Temporary Position Please note: Non-titled (tutti) string players are listed alphabetically and are seated accordingly to a rotational system.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 7

PRE-CONCERT EVENTS & PERFORMANCES Saturday, January 29

Doors open at 7:00 pm

Gala Concert: Celebrating 20 Years of New Music Main Floor Art Installation The Caregivers Project - Living With HIV In Winnipeg and Regina: Social and Spiritual Supports 7:10-7:30pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) A discussion with renowned composers John Corigliano and Randolph Peters on their works being featured this evening. As well, hear WSO Composer-in-Residence Vincent Ho talk about the new percussion concerto he wrote for Dame Evelyn Glennie.

7:30-7:50pm – Pre-Concert Presentation: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Special video presentation by the International HIV Prevention Exchange: Stark Reality of HIV: Preventing the Proliferation of a Pandemic

Sunday, January 30

Songs, Fantasies, and Impromptus

Doors open at 6:30 pm

6:45-7:15pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: The Westminster United Church Join us for a discussion of this evening’s program with Vincent Ho and featured guest composers John Corigliano, Michael Matthews, Allan Bell, Alexina Louie, Patrick Carrabré and Glenn Buhr.

Monday, January 31

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Threnody 6:40-7:00pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Join us for a discussion of this evening’s program with featured composers Alexina Louie, Allan Bell, John Corigliano and Krzysztof Penderecki, hosted by Vincent Ho. 7:00-7:20pm – Pre-concert Performance: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Performers: Brandon University New Music Ensemble James Paluk, flute; Chelsey Hiebert, oboe; Suzu Enns, clarinet; Christopher Byman, clarinet; Michaila Jersak, horn; Julia Watson, violin; Brendan Jacklin, cello; Brett Goetz, piano Helena Wiebe, piano; Steven Caine, percussion Program: Gary Kulesha – Bagatelles From The Devil's Dictionary (woodwind quintet) Gary Kulesha – Sextet (strings, piano) Gary Kulesha – Mysterium Coniunctionis (clarinet, bass clarinet, piano)

Tuesday, February 1

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Circus Maximus 6:40-7:00pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Join us for a discussion of this evening’s program with this year’s guest composers John Corigliano, Gary Kulesha and Sid Robinovitch, hosted by Vincent Ho. 7:00-7:20pm – Pre-concert Performance: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Performers: Masaki's Rising Stars Jesse Plessis, piano; Geordie Waddell, piano Program: John Corigliano – Winging it II. 1/3/08 III. 6/7/08 Philip Glass – Wichita Vortex Sutra 8 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

Wednesday, February 2

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Kronos Quartet 6:40-7:00pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Join us as composers Krzysztof Penderecki and Nicole Lizée discuss their new works being featured this evening by Kronos Quartet.

7:00-7:20pm – Pre-concert Performance: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Performers: Brandon University New Music Ensemble Nic Lawrenz, Guitar; Natalie Bohrn, Double Bass; Cody Iwasiuk, Drumset; Steven Caine, Percussion; Geordie Waddell, Piano/Keyboard; Suzu Enns, Clarinet Program: Nicole Lizée – Girl, You're Living A Life of Crime Krzysztof Penderecki – 3 Miniatures (clarinet, piano)

Thursday, February 3

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Past, Present, and Future 6:40-7:00pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Come and hear composers Avner Dorman, Krzysztof Penderecki and Gary Kulesha share their thoughts on new music and their works being presented this evening.

7:00-7:20pm – Pre-concert Performance: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Performers: Pizzicelli Ensemble Edvany Silva, cello Natalie Dawe, cello

Jari Piper, cello Lisa Nazarenko, cello Graham Issac, contrabass

Program: Heitor Villa-Lobos – Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5: Aria and Danca Metallica – Fade to black Beatles – Yesterday/Hey Jude Villa-Cortes – 3 Brazilian Miniatures

Friday, February 4

Doors open at 7:00 pm

Seven Gates of Jerusalem 7:10-7:30pm – Pre-Concert Discussion: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Come hear this year’s special guest composers Krzysztof Penderecki, Kelly-Marie Murphy and Kati Agócs talk about their new works being featured this evening.

7:30-7:50pm – Pre-concert Performance: Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Performers: Dr. Cathy Wood, director; Nicola Baldwin; Christopher Byman; Eric Calrow, Suzu Enns; Amanda Forest; Justine Gould; Sarah Lalonde; Stevie MacPherson; Greg Monias; Bryton Moen; Joelle Nielsen; Preston Rocan; John Woodridge; Haruka Yanagi Program: Steve Reich – New York Counterpoint

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 9

POST-CONCERT EVENTS & PERFORMANCES Saturday, January 29 10:15pm-Midnight – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Join our NMF after-party as Winnipeg’s own Will Bonness performs an evening of great jazz tunes.

Will Bonness, piano

Monday, January 31 9:45pm-Midnight – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Will Bonness, piano

Tuesday, February 1 9:45pm-Midnight – NMF Hang Featuring U of M Lab Band, Steve Kirby (OPEN JAM SESSION) – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Bring your own instruments and join in on the fun in this evening’s open jam session with the U of M Lab Band.

Wednesday, February 2 9:45pm-Midnight – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Please join us for the after-party, sponsored by Uptown Magazine Will Bonness, piano

Thursday, February 3 9:45pm-Midnight – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Please join us after the concert on the Piano Nobile for a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Music Centre and the 20th anniversary of the Winnipeg New Music Festival. There will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, with music provided by Will Bonness (piano) and a chance to meet Luke Nickel, the winner of the CMC Emerging Composer Competition.

Friday, February 4 10:15pm-Midnight – Piano Nobile (Centennial Concert Hall) Will Bonness, piano

Will Bonness Will Bonness has been an active member of the Winnipeg, Canadian and international jazz scenes since his teen years. At age 17, he joined Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau Band for a year-long world tour after which he completed his music degree at the University of Manitoba and travelled to New York and Boston to continue his studies. He performs regularly throughout Manitoba in small ensembles and in larger groups including the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. Mr. Bonness has appeared on a number of recordings including the Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra’s Steppin’ Out (2008), Larry Roy and Steve Kirby’s Wicked Grin (2008), and Papa Mambo’s Crooked Cha (2007) and in 2009, he released his debut recording as a leader, Subtle Fire. He is on faculty at the University of Manitoba and the Canadian Mennonite University, and he teaches privately from his home.

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FESTIVAL KICK OFF Friday, January 28 I 8:00 pm Winnipeg Art Gallery

Doors open at 7:00 pm

Tangle eXperimental Improv Ensemble (XIE); Gordon Fitzell, director 1 Live soundtracks to local experimental films: 412222 (2007) by Robert Pasternak Sitka (2009) by Olga Zikrata Going going gone (2008) by Carole O'Brien Chroma-dance (2007) by James Pomeroy Malaguena (2004) by Coral Aiken The Great Divide (2008) by Bryan Besant Diana McIntosh, voice, piano, percussion 2 Allen Harrington, saxophone 3

Laura Loewen, piano 4 Victoria Sparks, percussion 5 Meredith Johnson, bass 6 Bede Hanley, oboe 7 Herbert Enns, video 8 Gordon Fitzell, electronics 9 Katharine Bruce, real-time visual art John Funk, real-time visual art Daryn Bond, media installation

PROGRAM Live Soundtracks – Part 1 1 9 Improv Duo 2 3 Area Clear Metropolis 3 4 8 9 Sampling the Communication Parameters in the Ambience of Structural Phrasing and Dynamics in Contemporary Music 2 Tangle 5 6 7 …and 8:30 in Newfoundland 2 Live Soundtracks – Part 2 1 9

XIE (CAN) Diana McIntosh/Allen Harrington (CAN) Daryn Bond (CAN) Gordon Fitzell (CAN) Diana McIntosh (CAN)

Jim Hiscott (CAN) Diana McIntosh (CAN) XIE (CAN)

GroundSwell New Music returns to celebrate our 20th anniversary of the New Music Festival with a night of music, theatre, and magical wonder. Come see and hear Winnipeg’s own eXperimental Improv Ensemble in an exciting work that combines cinema, lights, and sound. Be dazzled by the many incredible sound installations created by Daryn Bond. Hear wonderful new works by many of Winnipeg’s composers – Diana McIntosh, Gordon Fitzell and Jim Hiscott. As well, witness the creation of a new work by visual artist John Funk.

All this and much more! It all starts here with an evening to remember at the WAG. Curated by Diana McIntosh and Gordon Fitzell of GroundSwell

Festival Sponsor:

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1 1

COMPOSER ARTICLE

The Frontier

By Daryn Bond Here is an invitation to go on a journey to the frontier of new music, to venture to the edge of auditory experience and interaction, to discover an unexplored territory of sound. Together we will search for new realms of beauty, discover astonishing new potential, question and challenge time-honoured assumptions of what music is, how it is made, how it is experienced and enjoyed, and rediscover the very foundations of the art of sound. As your guide, permit me to point out a few landmarks and make observations along the way. I offer no lamentations for past glories faded, or praise for a future yet to come. As a composer, inventor and theorist, I do not say whether this is all good or bad, just that it is so.

In a similar way, our relationship to music is changing. In the past, music-making was a communal activity where people gathered together to sing and dance. It was a rare and special treat to hear or enjoy music. Today we are surrounded by sounds and noise. Listen carefully!

You hear the electric hum, the sound of traffic, sirens, airplanes and industry at all hours. Music is pumped over loud speakers in every public location, with one noise competing with another for dominance. We surround ourselves with the incessant chatter of public media and to compensate, more and more people have taken to plugging their ears with headphones, attempting to drown out the background and isolate themselves in an environment of their choosing, talking on cell phones, always connected with something or someone, fashioning a personal audio-visual environment unique to each individual, one that is deeply linked to identity and desire. Indeed, it has become a very loud, noisy world.

Before embarking on our journey, it is useful to consider where we are now, and where we have been. Our world is changing rapidly and in such unexpected ways we can often feel intimidated, alienated and exhilarated all at the same time!

Who could have predicted 100 years ago the technological advances we witness and enjoy?

To know it is now possible to almost instantly see and hear what is happening on the other side of the planet, and then to actually travel there in the matter of hours is astonishing. To think of the advances in science, medicine, arts and media is to be filled with humility. To have watched the emergence of a virtual global consciousness, from the dim collective awareness whispered in the sounds of radio, to the flickering images crystallized on television, and in the creation of the analogs of memory and thought germinating on the internet, there is no doubt we are living in an age of transformation.

When the question is raised, “What is new music?� the answer usually involves the description of a wide range of styles and innovations that we may like or dislike, choose to listen to or ignore, and ends with the conclusion that new music is any music composed by a living composer. While no one can argue with this, I now say it is time to ask a deeper question: "What is it that is new in music?"

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In the Western art music tradition, a bias has developed that has defined music as the resulting sounds created by trained performers rendering a specific composer's intentions that have been meticulously notated on paper. In this deep and rich art form, a division has formed between composer, performer and audience. Our experience of music has been rendered to one of passivity, where most people only make choices as to the what, when and where of listening.

Technology offers each individual a way to become composer of their own personal environment, yet in spite of this newfound freedom, the actual creation of music is generally reserved for a highly trained elite. In my work and the work of others, there is an attempt to remove the barriers between audience and performer, to acknowledge the latent composer in each of us.

Electronic sensors combined with the interactive potential of the computer allows us to use any arbitrary gesture, be it physical, vocal, instrumental or otherwise, to simultaneously cast the audience into the role of performer, composer and listener. Recently, I have been exploring the potential of making music using motion tracking cameras and video game controllers, and am aware of others that use devices such as EEG to measure brain waves and changes in the body, while still others are using the data obtained through global positioning systems, satellite maps of traffic, trends in the weather and the stock market. It is doubtful that everyone will wish to actively engage with these emerging audio-visual systems, and certainly there will always be a role for the enjoyment of virtuosity in performance and expression, yet the potential and freedom contained within these approaches will drastically change our relationship to the art of music-making.

Perhaps we should have started by asking, “What exactly is music?" Traditionally, it has been accepted that music consisted of pitches, rhythms and harmonies. It was made by instruments [including the voice], contained structure and form, and represented ideas and emotions.

These assumptions have already been challenged by the past generation of modern composers, most notably John Cage, who posited that a composition is simply the organization of sound in time and space, regardless of what those sounds may be. With the advent of recording

technologies, it became viable to use any sound whatsoever as part of a composition. A new art form branched off from common practice that is now called sound art. Let us not become distracted by the territorial, elitist squabbling of these two factions, but simply recognize that any sound can be considered beautiful by some and repulsive by others. A farm tractor can be heard as music if listened to it carefully and even the most effervescent strains of a symphonic orchestra can become tortuous when repeated often enough!

This definition of composition as the organization of sound, offers a new perspective on music that is not necessarily obvious. If every intentional sound is composed and may be considered music, then what can be said of our daily environment? Take, for example, the cuckoo bird sounds recently installed at traffic intersections. Some well-meaning bureaucrat has installed these chirping devices ostensibly for public safety. Is he or she now to be considered a composer of new music or a contributor to noise pollution? To go further, is music only that which is intended by human beings? What of the birds that sit in the trees next door and sing with the rising sun? Would you be prepared to say their songs are not music? Certainly, I am not prepared to answer these questions for you. I ask them only to provoke, to open our ears to what Cage and I both love, that which he described elegantly as the "activity of sound."

Music history will remember the 20th century as the time when the floodgates were opened to the entirety of available sounds with the most significant developments being the invention of recording devices and the computer. The analysis of sound has led to the creation of very powerful synthesis and signal processing techniques that extend the world of sound. We can now create new sounds that have never existed before and take old ones and transform them beyond J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1 3

COMPOSER ARTICLE

[CONT’D]

recognition. We can model and create hybrid musical instruments and synthesize human speech. What is more, these technologies are available to everyone fortunate enough to own a personal computer, or even a cell phone. All these devices are merging into one portable unit capable of capturing, processing, receiving, transmuting and transmitting a plethora of electronic information.

Exciting as all this may be, let us temper the discussion by recalling a familiar saying: "With great power comes great responsibility." Our tools are not ends in themselves. For instance, one may own ‘the finest electric saw money can buy’ and make a wonderful noise with it but still remain incapable of producing a solid table or a simple birdhouse. Indeed, the problems of material selection, structure and organization still remain. Some recent trends in music [if you will permit me an opinion] have led to what can only be described as some very self-indulgent and silly behavior by performers, where some feel it is acceptable to “do whatever you want for as long as you want” simply because they own fancy gear.

On the other hand, the highly intellectual and overly complex constructions of 'classical new music composers' have alienated and baffled audiences, resulting in empty concert halls and many composers complaining about their lack of appreciation in the modern world [gee, I wonder why]. Surely, between unstructured improvisation and severe intellectualism, there must be a balance.

Personally, I enjoy hearing well-defined pitches, clearly articulated rhythms and delight in beautiful harmonious sounds. This is where I believe the best new and original music has yet to be created. There is a fact, unknown by most musicians, that almost all of our music, as proficient and skillfully played as it is, is actually slightly out of tune! Our 12-tone equally tempered pitch system is incompatible with acoustic and mathematical facts. Furthermore, 1 4 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

our current rhythmic and harmonic languages are very limited. Scales and time signatures have served their purpose for many hundreds of years, but now simple mathematics can be applied to music that abandons equally tempered scales and allows us to realize harmonies, rhythms, structures and forms completely unimaginable to previous generations. Just as a mathematician would no longer use an abacus or a slide rule to find the solution to a complex problem, there seems to be no reason for us to cling to 12-tone scales, modern notation, instruments and performance practice.

My work in music theory has led me to the conclusion that scales are not the best way to organize musical pitch and that time signatures and notation are barriers that limit musical rhythms and forms. Rather, I propose a new theory called the Harmonic Matrix as the basis of all music, related to, but more complete than the lambdoma attributed to Pythagoras and described by the ancient Greeks. Not only is this a tool of analysis, capable of encompassing all disparate world musical systems, it can also be used for composition.

Here is conclusive proof that “pitch = time,” and that both are related to geometry and physical space. Using this insight, it is possible to create completely integrated audio-visual ndimensional omni-sensorial interactive temporal sculptures. Rather than go into tedious technical explanations, I will simply reference the ancients who talked of the “Music of the Spheres” which I have found to be completely indistinguishable from the “Music of the Cubes.” Indeed, the world may be flat after all!* Using all of the materials at hand, I sketch my first [and perhaps only] symphony, currently unrealizable only due to its enormous expense, where music is generated in real-time out of the Cont’d on page 16

CONCERT ONE Saturday, January 29 I 8:00 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 7:00 pm

Gala Concert: Celebrating 20 Years of New Music Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra; Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussion 1

PROGRAM Io (world premiere)* The Shaman: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra (world premiere)** 1 I. Ritual II. Fantasia – Nostalgia Interlude: Conjuring the Spirits III. Fire Dance

Randolph Peters (CAN) Vincent Ho (CAN)

Played without pause

- INTERMISSION Symphony No.1 I. Apologue: Of Rage and Remembrance II. Tarantella III. Chaconne: Giulio’s Song IV. Epilogue

John Corigliano (USA)

*Commissioned by the Manitoba Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts **Commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Manitoba Arts Council

For our opening night, we bring you the return of three festival stars: Randolph Peters, Dame Evelyn Glennie and John Corigliano. Hear the premiere performance of Mr. Peters’s new work Io, written especially for this evening’s program. Dame Evelyn Glennie then takes the stage to deliver an explosive world premiere performance of Vincent Ho’s new percussion concerto, The Shaman. To celebrate twenty years of success, we are proud to bring back a work widely regarded as one of NMF’s greatest highlights – John Corigliano’s Symphony No.1. Hailed as one of the most important pieces of our time, the work expresses his personal response to the AIDS epidemic during the late 1980s. This special presentation is in collaboration with the University of Manitoba’s International “HIV Prevention Exchange Symposium.”

Main Floor Art Installation The Caregivers Project - Living With HIV In Winnipeg and Regina: Social and Spiritual Supports Festival Sponsor:

To see extra musicians, please refer to page 50.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1 5

COMPOSER ARTICLE

[CONT’D]

physical gestures of a conductor or a troupe of dancers, transcribed to notation instantly, and displayed on video monitors for a sight-reading ensemble of musicians playing both traditional and new electronic instruments.

Simultaneously, video is generated that fills the hall with dancing light intrinsically linked to the sounds being heard. All the while a computer analyzes the result and through a process of interactive feedback sculpts a structured work that never repeats, is logical, unpredictable, harmonious and different each and every time it is performed. By no means must the forces of this piece be assembled on a single stage, or be physically brought together, for this art may be realized in a virtual environment, as complete, important and real as the world we call our physical reality. For, remember, a virtual

1 6 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

environment is by definition a composed environment.

Does this all sound like science fiction? Let me assure you it is not. This is the state of new music as I see it today. What the future may bring remains unknown, unforeseeable and will likely be completely different than anyone could ever imagine.

"O brave new world, That has such people in it!"

Together we are prepared to embark on our journey to a new frontier.

So then, shall we begin?

*(: flat and/or round - both, either, neither, nor :)

CONCERT TWO Sunday, January 30 I 7:30 pm Westminster United Church

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Songs, Fantasies, and Impromptus Winnipeg Chamber Music Society David Moroz, piano 1 Gwen Hoebig, violin 2 Yuri Hooker, cello 3 The University of Manitoba Women’s Chorus; Elroy Friesen, conductor 4 The University of Manitoba Singers; Elroy Friesen, conductor 5 The University of Manitoba Cantata Singers; Elroy Friesen, conductor 6 Oleg Pokhanovski, violin 7 Megumi Masaki, piano 8

Glenn Buhr, piano 9 Steven Webb, piano 10 Rachel Stephens, soprano 11 Melanie Nicol, mezzo-soprano 12 Geung Lee, tenor 13 Aran Matsuda, baritone 14 Tracy Wright, oboe 15 Bronwen Garand-Sheridan, oboe 16 Allen Harrington, bassoon 17 Melanie Skoropata, bassoon 18 Elle Salvalaggio, soprano 19

PROGRAM Gloria 5 10 19 Morning Music 1 Der Geiger 7 8 Fastforward 1 Jaakobin pojat 4

Timothy Corlis (CAN) Allan Bell (CAN) S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté (CAN) Alexina Louie (CAN) Pekka Kostiainen (FI)

2

- INTERMISSION Improv 9 Peso ancentral 6 11 12 13 14 Fantasia on an Ostinato 1 Twitch and Bow 3 In C 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 15 17 18

15 16 17 18

Glenn Buhr (CAN) Michael Matthews (CAN) John Corigliano (USA) Patrick Carrabré (CAN) Terry Riley (USA)

The Winnipeg Chamber Music Society joins us to present works by John Corigliano (Fantasia on an Ostinato), Alexina Louie (Fastforward), Allan Bell (Morning Music), and Patrick Carrabré (Twitch and Bow). Returning this year are the University of Manitoba Singers, Women’s Chorus, and Cantata Singers to perform new works by Michael Matthews and Timothy Corlis. Other guests include Glenn Buhr for an exciting set of his own renowned improvisations, and Oleg Pokhanovski (violin) and Megumi Masaki (piano) presenting S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté’s Der Geiger.

Rounding off the evening is Terry Riley’s In C. Festival Sponsor:

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1 7

COMPOSER INTERVIEW

An Interview with John Corigliano

By Vincent Ho VH: You were here at our New Music Festival back in 1993 as the distinguished guest composer. How did you make the initial connection and what were your impressions of the event?

JC: Bramwell Tovey invited me to the festival in 1993.

It was my first trip to Winnipeg and I found the experience unforgettable. The orchestra seemed to love new music and composers. I was giving notes for my first symphony and the time ran out – but everyone in the orchestra stayed to hear what I had to say for nearly twenty minutes. This is not the way things usually work. This enthusiasm also pertained to the audience, who flocked to the concerts. Little old ladies sitting next to teenagers, all cheering. I thought I had gone to heaven.

VH: In your opinion, do you believe more new music festivals need to be established or should new works be automatically included in the regular concert season of every program?

JC: Both. The festival can have a gala feeling, and do things that are particularly unusual (in instrumentation and method of presentation).

Putting new music on a standard concert program is also essential to get to people who would not go to a new music concert. A premiere sandwiched between familiar works can ease the listener into enjoying a new experience – especially with the attractive works being written by today’s young composers.

VH: Your works are continually performed all over the world and continue to generate excitement among listeners and musicians. Tell us about your outlook or approach that has made you so successful.

JC: I believe in knowing why I am writing a piece before I write it. This sounds obvious, but I don’t 1 8 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

think it is. If I know what I want to do in the piece, I can do it more clearly, and clarity is essential to me.

Any music is hard to comprehend because it exists in the dimension of time (and has no words to clarify things). It is therefore essential to know what you want to do and make sure that your work does this as clearly as possible. This does not mean that one writes simple music – much of my work is quite complex – but it does mean that the complexity is there not for its own sake, but because it is true to the nature of the piece.

VH: Describe a little about the creative process you undergo when composing a new work.

JC: As I mentioned before, first I have to figure out why I am writing the piece. What do I want to say, both emotionally and intellectually? I then plan out the piece on paper (usually 11x17) and graph the work with a general time code at the bottom (17” at 1 inch per minute makes each page capable of holding up to 17 minutes of music).

The graph is mostly concerned with intensity – but intensity is not necessarily volume. For example, the high point in the second movement of my percussion concerto is the softest iteration of a longlined melody that has been implied throughout the movement but never stated in full.

I put as many details as I can imagine in the graph: dynamics, tempi, instrumentation, motivic moments, etc. When the graph of the entire piece is finished, I begin to write.

I do not necessarily begin writing at the start of the piece. Often I begin at a place that I can see will give me material that can be used in other places. Since I can scan the entire work, which is on a couple of pages, I can also choose what part of it needs to be composed first.

From then on, it’s building the work – as an architect builds a building – from the plan that has been first created.

VH: What do you think the composer’s role and responsibilities are in this day and age?

JC: To write honestly and, if possible, to reflect something of our time in the work.

VH: Does downloadable media present special possibilities for composers?

JC: Certainly they present more possibilities to the art than they do to the industry as we’ve known it!

I’m ambivalent; the very technologies that make recordings at once so excellent and so easy to disseminate may also risk cheapening the experience of music in other, less positive ways.

There’s no going back, of course, and God knows there was a lot wrong with the recording and publishing industries before the iTunes revolution.

We’re living in interesting times (as the Chinese curse has it.)

VH: Being that we now live in a pluralistic society where anyone can have access to any information from any country, how does all of this impact or shape today’s new music?

JC: It makes today’s composers much more sophisticated than those of similar ages in previous times. I have seen scores from 18-year old composers that are much better crafted than the music my colleagues and I were writing back in the 1950s. You can learn so much from the Internet. Everything is available to you.

When I was in Beijing a few years ago, I gave a talk at their music conservatory and a young woman told me she was writing her doctoral thesis on my second symphony. I was amazed that she knew of the work, and even more amazed that she managed to get both a score and a recording of the work, since it had, at the time, neither been published nor commercially recorded. Just thinking of how composers can access the music of the world now boggles the mind.

VH: Orchestras everywhere are going through difficult times in building a pipeline of new audiences. What are some of your suggestions in overcoming this? What are some ways you think will keep audiences coming to live orchestral concerts?

JC: Today’s composers are the conduit between the orchestra as museum and the living world of today.

Pieces that reflect our time will attract people of our time. I personally have found it interesting to experiment with the large space of the concert hall.

Since superb sounding recordings can now be heard while jogging, the concert hall has lost a bit of its power as the only place where high-level musicmaking can be heard. Composers can specially design a work that exploits the sonic possibilities of a hall seating several thousand people. My Circus Maximus is an example of a piece inspired by that idea.

VH: In your opinion, what do you think are some of the factors or elements that gives a new piece of work the possibility of timelessness?

JC: A work must have an immediate appeal that draws the listener in, but it must also have layers of meanings that can be appreciated as it is heard again and again. Beethoven is the ideal composer of timeless music: His work grabs you from the first note, and has enormous visceral appeal, but the more you listen to him, the more you find out how this great man put his music together.

VH: What are your thoughts when a student comes to you expressing a desire to become a composer in this day and age?

JC: The student must be passionate about composing: passionate enough to enter a field that often has little or no financial reward, and passionate enough to go through the enormously labour-intensive act of composing (even with a computer). Composing is a lifelong struggle, and a young composer has to want to spend a life trying constantly to be better then he or she is. It’s a difficult – but rewarding – journey.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 1 9

FAVOURITE NMF MEMORY

Glenn Buhr WSO Composer-in-Residence, 1990-1996 The first new music festival took us all by surprise. We'd prepared for an average audience size of 200 – that's why we set up the bleachers; so the hall wouldn't look empty. Or rather, we expected our audience to sit on the bleachers and look at our shows with an empty hall as a backdrop.

designed to play to the bleachers, so half the audience watched our backs as they listened to our performances. Jan Kocman in ripped jeans spinning while playing Stephen Chatman's Wild Cat; then returning in the second act in a tuxedo, playing flute while soprano Jane Manning – in the role of an over-zealous hooker – tried to pick him up using a German/English patois. After the show, the audience wouldn't let us leave the stage – the applause went on and on. Bramwell, Max and I went out for 'tea' after.

Pretty much speechless.

The tipping point was our first collage concert in midweek. We'd allowed for 200 people in the bleachers - but we had to cram about 500 in there, and there was a 600-person overflow so we had to place them in the hall. Our show was

The party at the end of the week was at my house. Much revelry there. Musicians, dancers, conductor and many of our friends watched the winter sun rise.

2 0 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

CONCERT THREE Monday, January 31 I 7:30 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Threnody WSO Strings; Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussion 1

PROGRAM O Magnum Mysterium: In Memoriam Glenn Gould Sundogs Reel Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

Alexina Louie (CAN) Allan Bell (CAN) Krzysztof Penderecki (PL)

- INTERMISSION Conjurer: Concerto for Percussion and String Orchestra 1 Cadenza I, Movement I: WOOD Cadenza II, Movement II: METAL Cadenza III, Movement III: SKIN

John Corigliano (USA)

Played without pause

To continue our 20th anniversary celebration, we are proud to present another concert featuring Dame Evelyn Glennie and music by our distinguished guest composers. First, we bring you Alexina Louie’s immortal O Magnum Mysterium: In Memoriam Glenn Gould, a work that commemorates one of Canada’s greatest musicians. Then take a journey to the prairies as you hear Allan Bell’s own rendition of a folk dance tradition in his Sundogs Reel. Experience the performance of one of the most important works of the 20th-century – Krzysztof Penderecki’s Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima. Finally, hear Dame Evelyn Glennie and the WSO Strings deliver an exciting performance of John Corigliano’s percussion concerto, Conjurer.

Festival Sponsor:

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 2 1

Photographer: Keith Levit

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CONCERT FOUR Tuesday, February 1 I 7:30 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Circus Maximus The Winnipeg Symphony Winds/Brass/Percussion; Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor 1 The University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble; Fraser Linklater, director 2 The Winnipeg Wind Ensemble; Jacqueline Dawson, conductor 3 Richard Lee, conductor 4

PROGRAM Raggabaloo (world premiere)* 4 The Confusion of Tongues (world premiere)** 1 3

Sid Robinovitch (CAN) Gary Kulesha (CAN)

- INTERMISSION Symphony No.3: Circus Maximus 1 2 I. Introitus II. Screen/Siren III. Channel Surfing IV. Night Music I V. Night Music II VI. Circus Maximus VII. Prayer VIII. Coda: Veritas

John Corigliano (USA)

*Commissioned by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra **Commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts

Tonight’s concert brings you an epic event you do not want to miss! We open the evening with an exciting new work by Sid Robinovitch written especially for the WSO’s winds, brass and percussion for this Festival’s 20th anniversary celebration. Then, hear the world premiere performance of Gary Kulesha’s The Confusion of Tongues – a work that features the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble and the WSO Winds/Brass, led by two conductors. Finally, we bring you John Corigliano’s epic work Symphony No. 3: Circus Maximus – a piece that has the WSO’s winds & brass and the University of Manitoba’s Wind Ensemble encircling the audience at every conceivable corner to perform this monumental work.

Please join the U of M Lab Band featuring Steve Kirby. Bring your own instruments and join the open jam session.

Festival Sponsor:

To see extra musicians, please refer to page 50.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 2 3

COMPOSER ARTICLE

Forging New Paths… Or not

By Gary Kulesha Attempting to see patterns in history is a dangerous undertaking. Human beings live lives that are short in comparison to the machinery of history. We can make the mistake of assuming that what we see in the brief years of our lives is somehow significant in the long term. We forget that the course of the world can change incredibly quickly, but is equally likely to change incredibly slowly.

The age of Western art music is short. Humans who were anatomically identical to us have walked the earth for 200,000 years, and those whose behavioural patterns were comparable to ours have been here for 50,000 years. But art music, in any contemporary culture, is less than 9,000 years old.

In the Western world, in the traditions of Mozart and Bartók, art music is not even 1,000 years old. It is not difficult to see that humans walked the earth without art music for far longer than music has occupied this important role for us.

Has music always been part of human experience?

The evidence seems to suggest that, at the very least, it has been part of our development for a very long time. Will it always be a part of the human experience? We believe so. We hope so.

But we seem to be living in a unique time. Looking back as dispassionately as possible, it seems that the beginning of the 20th century saw the beginning of an astonishingly rapid development of musical style which was characterized by a systematic pushing of the boundaries, a calculated “breaking of the rules” on the part of composers. By the 1960s, it appeared that all the rules had been broken, and the 1970s saw many composers taking stock of what had happened. By this time, audiences had been alienated, regarding any new music with suspicion.

The modernist fundamentalists continued to 2 4 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

preach progress, but did not really offer any clear direction. Bombastic modernism, the mixture of tonality and atonality, extended techniques, the use of electronics – all these devices were not new at all, just updates of what had already happened.

The prophets of modernism convinced themselves that they were blazing new trails, but audiences just yawned and turned away.

The anti-modernists, on the other hand, began searching the catalogues for something that would allow them to compose music and still maintain a relationship with an audience. Many looked backwards, embracing older languages. Many attempted to abstract languages and use them as building blocks, in a style we called postmodernism. Many turned to pop music and asserted that classical music was dead. But all of these approaches carried the same problem as the solutions of the modernists – what was fresh about any of this? Why listen to bad Brahms copies when you could listen to Brahms? What was engaging about pastiche, even with a complex intellectual justification? Why write cheap pop imitations when even pop composers were beginning to rehash their own work? What made contemporary pop crossover any different from the crossover of jazz in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, a style which died away?

Are we living, as composer Valentin Silvestrov asserts, in the coda of the age of music? Are the sombre fundamentalist assertions of the modernists and the gleeful commercial zeal of the creators of faux-pop music symptoms of decadence? Is this a genuine turning point in the pattern of musical history, or just a blip in the curve?

Perhaps the most interesting phenomenon of the last 10 years has been the decline in importance of the mainstream of composition. There has always been a mainstream. Until the 20th century, there was only the mainstream, but the new century saw a splintering of styles, which led to alternative routes.

But the mainstream persisted. We should remember that Strauss' Four Last Songs were

written after Boulez had completed the Second Piano Sonata. Vaughan Williams' 9th Symphony was completed the same year Penderecki composed Emanations for Two String Orchestras. While the avant-garde raged around him, Henze continued to write music that stemmed directly from the traditions of the mainstream.

The mainstream represents the continuity of history, not its interruption or discontinuation.

These composers go forward one step at a time, with no interest in revolution and no interest in pandering to audiences. No one writes books about them, and they do not make good press.

Reviewers say things like “it was fine” and “it was skilled” and “it didn't really say anything new.”

John Corigliano, in an interview, made what is quite possibly the most profound observation about the act of composition ever uttered: “I don't care if it's new; I just care if it's new for me.” This is virtually the credo of the mainstream, which seeks to assimilate and develop, not eradicate or pander. Modernists write for smaller and smaller audiences, saying bluntly that most audiences are too stupid to understand their work. Oddly enough, faux-pop composers think their audiences are stupid as well, writing down to them, assuming that what has been forcibly marketed to them is actually what they want.

Audiences never used to be a problem for the mainstream composers – good composers write for themselves as listeners, meaning that a substantial measure of traditional audiences would be receptive.

But where is this music now? Yes, mainstream new works are performed from time to time, increasingly in “special” concerts by orchestras marketed directly to “new music” audiences. But compare the frequency of performances of important mainstream composers to the performances of music by the post-pop composers.

A quick glance through the websites of the major orchestras and concert presenters worldwide is very instructive.

The new modernism is also absent from these places. But modernism has always had a home in its specialized world. It is protected in academia, enshrined in the programming of dedicated ensembles. What used to be an aesthetic point of view has become a dogma. Specialized ensembles do not even look at music that does not fit their belief system. Quality and adherence to the canon have become synonymous. Indeed, true faith has become more important than quality.

We are left with programming by major ensembles and presenters that is less and less challenging and stimulating for average audiences. And as we expect less from audiences, they expect less from us. We are making them lazy and uninterested. At universities, we are now teaching courses on the Beatles, side-by-side with courses on Brahms. Only an imbecile would assert that there is as much to study in the Beatles as there is in Brahms.

We used to accept that experimental work would suggest possibilities for more mainstream work, which would, in turn, include music appropriate for pops concerts from time to time. Experimental work has all but disappeared from mainstream programming, seen by presenters as box office poison. Mainstream composition is not easily marketable in our consumerist society, especially not by marketing departments who do not understand or care about what they are marketing.

Faux-pop music is an easy sell for publishers, publicists, and marketers, because our society seems not to care anymore about the difference between what we really want and what we are told to want.

There is no shortage of burned out and indifferent 50-year-olds, self-indulgent 40-year-olds, poorly educated 30-year-olds, and pliable 20-year-olds in the world. And they are not just the audiences, they are also the marketers, publicists, and publishers who finally understand what they are selling.

Are audiences really not interested in new work that is not immediately accessible? Do we live in a J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 2 5

COMPOSER ARTICLE

[CONT’D]

unique moment in the history of music, when traditional expression has been replaced by the quick fix? Or is it yet another pattern, strengthened this time by the pressure of money and marketing?

Composers from Mozart to Prokofiev made no secret of the fact that they had two audiences, the erudite who needed to be challenged, and the populist who needed immediate sensation. Has this changed? Is it the “end of time” for music, the beginning of a new pop-driven age, or has marketing simply become the new religion, telling people what to believe and what to want? Have composers betrayed their audiences because they have grown weary and lazy and self-indulgent, preferring tapping their toes to a backbeat or hiding among like-minded colleagues to getting down to the hard work of composition? Is musical progress still possible, or even desirable? Is it possible to recapture traditional audiences without stratagem, with simple quality of work?

2 6 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

It is all too easy to bury our heads in the sand.

Some of the composers reading this will say, “I'm doing fine, I'm getting performances of my music.”

Some of the listeners will say, “I just plain don't like that new music stuff, and I'm glad I can get some pop-ish music in the stodgy symphony concert hall,” and to this, some composers will say, “See, I'm doing the right thing.” Some composers will say, “I am fighting the good fight, forging new paths.”

Many will say, “Does it matter? Shouldn't we just go on and see what happens?” Some composers will say, “I don't care about this, I just do my work.”

Many, many listeners will say, “I don't care about any of this new music stuff, I want to hear Beethoven.”

Art serves mankind. How do we serve the art?

Or does that matter?

CONCERT FIVE Wednesday, February 2 I 7:30 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Kronos Quartet Kronos Quartet David Harrington, violin John Sherba, violin Hank Dutt, viola Jeffrey Zeigler, cello

PROGRAM Aheym (Homeward) (Canadian premiere)* Clouded Yellow (Canadian premiere)* Harp and Altar (Canadian premiere)* Death to Kosmische (world premiere)***

Bryce Dessner (USA) Michael Gordon (USA) Missy Mazzoli (USA) Nicole Lizée (CAN)

- INTERMISSION Flow (Canadian premiere)** Quartetto per archi Raga Mishra Bhairavi: Alap (Canadian premiere)** …hold me, neighbor, in this storm… (Canadian premiere)

Laurie Anderson (arr. Jacob Garchik) (USA) Krzysztof Penderecki (PL) Ram Narayan (arr. Kronos, transc. Ljova) (IN) Aleksandra Vrebalov (USA)

*Written for Kronos Quartet **Arranged for Kronos Quartet *** Commissioned by Margaret Dorfman and the Ralph I. Dorman Family Fund

One of the world’s greatest new music ensembles, the Kronos Quartet returns for NMF’s 20th anniversary celebration! Tonight, they present an exciting program of works by many renowned composers, including the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by Canada’s own Nicole Lizée and the renowned multi-media interpretation of Krzysztof Penderecki’s Quartetto per archi.

Also included are six Canadian premieres: Bryce Dressner’s Aheym, Michael Gordon’s Clouded Yellow, Missy Mazzoli’s Harp and Altar, Laurie Anderson’s Flow, and Aleksandra Vrebalov’s …hold me, neighbor, in this storm…. Come and celebrate their return as they deliver an evening you will never forget.

Join UPTOWN Magazine and the WSO for a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres and canapés at the Kronos Quartet After-Party on the Piano Nobile, immediately following the Kronos Quartet performance tonight.

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After-Party Sponsor:

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 2 7

FAVOURITE NMF MEMORY

Randolph Peters WSO Composer-in-Residence, 1996-2002 1. “ Alone With My Thought” During the 2000 NMF, I had to host a monster-horrorthriller-type concert that had a number of scary pieces including one by HK Gruber called Frankenstein!! and a viola concerto by Bramwell Tovey entitled Dracula.

I had an “evil” and a “good” microphone and I was all set to introduce the music as well as interview the composers. The only problem was that I had to do it all from a coffin at the front of the stage, dressed as a vampire.

To complete the illusion, I needed to be inside the closed coffin a full 45 minutes before the

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show started. That way, when I emerged, it would be more of a surprise to anyone who got to their seats early.

In that claustrophobic, hot, dark space, I had time to reconsider whether my commitment to new music was really all that strong.

2. Earliest Best Memory The first NMF was going well, but nothing prepared us for the visceral impact of Lori Freedman playing John Corigliano’s Clarinet Concerto.

Here was powerful music, played with virtuosity and an audience who eagerly lapped it up. It was an exceptional experience, but we could also tell that something historic had just occurred.

CONCERT SIX Thursday, February 3 I 7:30 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 6:30 pm

Past, Present, and Future Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor 1 Daniel Scholz, viola 2 Richard Lee, conductor 3

PROGRAM Not the Shadow: Not After Hans Christian Anderson 1

Avner Dorman (USA)

(Canadian premiere)

Viola Concerto 1

2

Krzysztof Penderecki (PL)

- INTERMISSION L’étoile Noyée 3

Luke Nickel (CAN) Winner of this year’s CMC’s Emerging Composer’s Prize

Symphony No.1 1 3 I. & II. Slow – Fast III. Slow IV. Finale

Gary Kulesha (CAN)

For tonight, we are proud to present an international collection of new works as we continue our 20th anniversary celebration! Avner Dorman (a protégé of John Corigliano) makes his Canadian debut with his latest work, Not the Shadow: Not After Hans Christian Anderson. WSO’s Principal Violist Daniel Scholz delivers a passionate performance of Krzysztof Penderecki’s romantic-inspired Viola Concerto, a work commissioned by Venezuela to mark the bicentenary of Simon Bolivar’s birth. The Canadian Music Centre honours this year’s recipient of the “Emerging Composer Prize” with the performance of his winning work. Concluding this evening’s program, we bring back another one of NMF’s greatest highlights: Gary Kulesha’s Symphony No.1 (for two conductors) – a work that was awarded the “Best Canadian Orchestra Composition of the 1990s” prize at the New Music Festival (2001).

Please join us after the concert on the Piano Nobile for a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Music Centre and the 20th anniversary of the Winnipeg New Music Festival. There will be hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, with music provided by Will Bonness (piano) and a chance to meet Luke Nickel, the winner of the CMC Emerging Composer Competition.

Festival Sponsor:

To see extra musicians, please refer to page 50.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 2 9

FAVOURITE NMF MEMORY

Andrey Boreyko WSO Music Director, 2001-2006 It was a very, very cold day. The piece had been divided to four parts, and each of the parts had been played around the usual time of the service in church.

Morning Prayers at 7:00am, Midday Prayers at 11am, Evening Prayers at 6 pm, and Night Prayers, if I am not mistaken, at 7:30pm.

Generally, I was very touched by the reaction of the audience. It looked like they were very much involved in the meditative music, written by a person with a totally different mentality from another part of the world. The attention was amazing, silence, and tension behind my back, while I was conducting. It was almost "touchable," and at the same time very fragile. It was a very special feeling, which I never ever had before, and which I miss very much.

And last but not least: I will never forget those people, who, in the dark of the night in -35 degrees Celsius, were slowly walking through the deep snow to the church. They were going to meet Music, which was waiting for them there. They were ready to open their hearts and souls to something new and unknown to them. They left warm houses because they needed something more than food, sleep and drink. I am very thankful to these people, and I do remember HOW good the musicians of the WSO played that morning! Not just good, as they usually are, but inspired.

Thank you Giya Kancheli for this highly spiritual piece of music, which by the way, inspired Winnipeg artist Ewa Tarsia to create a picture, based on her impressions after listening to this piece.

Patrick Carrabré WSO Composer-in-Residence, 2002-2007 At the press conference for the first edition of the du Maurier New Music Festival, I remember the table tops piled high with free cigarettes (and the dancers filling their bags full). There was more publicity and excitement than I had ever seen for a new music event anywhere. And that’s the story of the NMF – excitement about the music and the event. But I really have to divide my memories into two categories. As a composer, I obviously cherish the rush from each of my premieres. Sometimes the excitement came from not knowing what would happen – like the very first year, when I had to wait until the actual performance to hear my Piano Concerto all the way through – because we didn’t have enough rehearsal time. But by the time my Symphony No.1 hit the stage (five years later), it was the thrill of hearing things come to life just the way I had imagined, thanks to Bramwell scrounging time at the end of the previous season so I could try out two different versions of the second movement.

I’ve also been awestruck by the breadth of our own cultural community, like when so many different 3 0 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

groups came together with such intensity in the final section of Creation Stories – we had Amanda Stott, the CMU Choir, Spirit Sands Singers, NAfro Dance and WSO all wailing away together.

As a listener, there have been so many “out of this world” moments: the shock that ran through the audience when the actors from Primus Theatre “popped” – more or less naked – out of barrels of water during Thira’s performance of music by George Crumb; the intensity of Randolph Peter’s Juggernaut – where the scratchy strings and wailing sirens fall away to reveal a poignant chorale theme; the choir’s eerie whistling section in Schnittke’s Faust Cantata; and every note of every concerto Gwen has played. But the day that just kept on giving was our performance of Giya Kancheli’s Prayers Cycle. We started so early in the morning, with the audience growing for each section - all the way through the day. Andrey’s poetic interpretation really drove home the idea that music can be like prayer – a time for us to set aside day-to-day hustle and bustle and think about our existence against the backdrop of the eternal. That was an incredible gift.

CONCERT SEVEN Friday, February 4 I 8:00 pm Centennial Concert Hall

Doors open at 7:00 pm

Seven Gates of Jerusalem Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Alexander Mickelthwate, conductor 1 Lara Ciekiewicz, soprano 2 Dawn Bruch, soprano 3 Donnalynn Grills, alto 4 Kurt Lehmann, tenor 5 Victor Engbrecht, bass 6

Jerry Moscovitch, narrator 7 The Canadian Mennonite University Singers; Janet Brenneman and Rudy Schellenberg, directors 8 University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble; Fraser Linklater, director 9 Richard Lee, conductor 10

PROGRAM Murmuration (world premiere)* 1 …like treasure hidden in a field 1 I. Chorale II. Peregrination III. Pearl of Great Price IV. Cathedral with No Ceiling V. Celestial Machinery

Kelly-Marie Murphy (CAN) Kati Agócs (CAN)

- INTERMISSION Symphony No.7: Seven Gates of Jerusalem 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 I. Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis in civitate II. Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem III. De profundis IV. Si oblitus fuero tui, Jerusalem V. Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum VI. Facta es super me manus Domini VII. Haec dicit Dominus

9 10

Krzysztof Penderecki (PL)

*Commissioned by CBC Radio

For our closing gala concert, Kelly-Marie Murphy returns with a newly commissioned work, Murmuration, written especially for NMF’s 20th anniversary celebration. Kati Agócs takes us on a magical journey with her piece …like treasure hidden in a field. For the last work of our Festival, we bring you another epic event: Krzysztof Penderecki’s Symphony No.7: Seven Gates of Jerusalem, scored for four soloists, narrator, choir and orchestra. This monumental work, commissioned to commemorate the third millennium of Jerusalem, expresses the profundity of the human spirit and the power of religious devotion. It all happens here as we celebrate NMF’s first 20 years!

Festival Sponsor:

To see extra musicians, please refer to page 50.

J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 3 1

COMPOSER ARTICLE

Six Questions About Women in Composition Now

By Kati Agócs In 2007, in the context of discussing how women have attained prominence in all areas of the classical music world, a New York Times article presented a list of concert-music composers who are women and noted that “given the impact of these Alist composers, the idea of discussing ‘women composers’ seems patronizing.” My generation of composers – the one born in the 1970s – has many significant female role models from the preceding two generations, such as Joan Tower, Shulamit Ran, Alexina Louie, Julia Wolfe and Jennifer Higdon.

Many of these composers have been supportive of my music at different points in time, with some I’ve shared an ongoing dialogue, and some have become my personal friends and mentors. All of them have taught me about craft and artistry directly through their music. It is difficult for me to fathom what it was like for trailblazers of previous generations, emerging without role models to lead by example and to support their own development as artists.

They had to break new ground, and to fight for things that have become second nature to all of us writing concert music today. There are still many questions that arise in a healthy discussion about women in the composition field. I will pose and answer a few of the key questions in the hopes that my answers might stimulate further discussion.

1. Is being a woman an important qualifier – as important as, say, being a Canadian composer or an Uzbecki one, or a gay or straight one?

Each individual artist defines his or her own identity, and the importance of that identity in his or her work. Many artists born in the 1970s are polyglots.

This means that we absorb a multiplicity of influences – some of which might seem incongruous – and each one of us makes our own distinct hybrid.

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Since we are accustomed to plurality, we can identify with more than one – or several – different qualifiers concurrently. Gender may or may not play a role, and that role may change as one develops as a human being. My heart and soul are that of a woman, and I cannot separate that from my work as an artist, yet on a practical level I experience my own ‘composing mind’ as gender-neutral.

Besides being female, I am a Canadian-HungarianAmerican composer. In talking about my work, I place greater importance on my cultural origins than on being female, since these origins have a direct bearing on the music I write. For instance, I have absorbed an innate musical ‘DNA’ (ie. part of what makes each of us unique as musicians) from my Hungarian ancestry. My work is influenced by time spent each year in my permanent studio in Newfoundland, Canada. In addition, I was trained during my entire post-secondary education in the U.S.A., except for one post-doctoral year in Budapest. All of these influences helped to form who I am as a composer, beyond what is innate. Being a woman, on the other hand, doesn’t affect the music that I write in quite as direct a manner. Even if I am setting a text that has a woman’s perspective as part of its emotional context, I consider this more as a human experience than an exclusively female one. It is more in the social context of presenting music that the question of gender identity arises.

2. Does the scarcity of great female composers in your grandmother’s generation and before discourage you?

During the last fifty years or sixty years, we have broken the cycle of social conditioning that gave rise to a self-perpetuating dilemma: women didn’t have the time, space, and educational opportunities that composition requires. An individual may have had potential, but she wasn’t able to develop, and consequently, if someone looked around and remarked that there were few or no significant female composers, that lack could somehow be

viewed as our gender’s own deficiency. This shift has been the result of major changes in society as a whole, and in this field in particular, of certain strong individuals leading the way by producing high-quality art and working proactively to change the field. Jennifer Higdon, interviewed for Amy Kirsten’s 2010 dissertation, mentions noticing that concert programs feature her music, plus that of ‘dead white guy’s,’ but that she is too busy actually being a composer to determine how much of a global pattern this is. It’s sometimes shocking to think about the scarcity of women writing music in earlier historical periods, and to consider how many women were actually writing of whose work we may not be aware – but many composers working today are too occupied with our work for these issues to be very present for us.

3. Why are artists in the composition field considered from the point of view of their gender more frequently than those in other fields, such as literature and painting?

The composition field tends to lag behind other fields in certain aspects. Perhaps this is because there is so much tradition attached to the media that we work in, particularly the medium of the orchestra.

The writer Alice Munro recalled in a recent interview how, when she was emerging, there was a strong nationalist notion in Canada of building a literature, and “there was no trying to keep you out because of your gender” because “in Canada we’d never had any writers to speak of, they were glad of what they could get.” The interviewer noted that Margaret Atwood had a very similar recollection. Munro described the many support structures that existed for literature when she was in her 30s. Those support structures, that receptiveness, that desire to build up an art form from the ground level have not existed to the same degree for such an extended period of time in the Canadian composition world. The ‘trickle-down effect’ of this lack on an artistic field – and its impact on both genders – cannot be overestimated. [Why shouldn’t there be a similar hunger for new concert

music as there was for literature during that time?]

Joan Tower spoke in a 1995 interview about how the network of structures in education and in funding for composition were all male. The ‘book’ was written by males. The fact is that now, more women are determining the curriculum, ie. rewriting parts of the ‘book’ and adding new chapters to it. With this added diversity come small attitude adjustments which, over time, add up to a sea change.

4. Do you relate differently to music written by women than music written by men?

When I listen to new music, I always try to keep an open ear and mind. I usually don’t think about the gender of the composer. Occasionally, when I discuss career issues with my female students, we may discuss these issues with different nuances than I would with a male student. Often I find myself encouraging women to be more assertive or outgoing. Teaching is about empowering people. Each of us needs to learn how to interact effectively in the field in our own way.

Each young composer must find their own way of addressing, from within, what needs to change in order for them to be as effective as they can be. This process isn’t simply about them being female – it is about who they are as people and as musicians.

Gender is not an issue now in my daily life as a composer and teacher. I am viewed and heard simply as a professional person. It hasn’t always been the case, however – the more ‘established’ one gets, the less it tends to be an issue.

5. Does the presentation of works exclusively by women marginalize us, or serve to speed up progress?

This is a debate that has been going on since the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the effects of the civil rights and women’s movements had raised awareness about the lack of attention and opportunities for artists who might be viewed as marginalized.

Ultimately, I like to be on a program with excellent works (whether they be by Krzysztof Penderecki or Nicole Lizée, or both). It satisfies me when my work J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11 I O V E R T U R E 3 3

COMPOSER ARTICLE

[CONT’D]

stands up and makes its own statement next to strong works. I get a distinct pleasure when those works become standard repertoire, which have withstood the test of time. Kaija Saariaho spoke in 2008 about exclusivity in programming: “I don’t like the idea of creating (artistic) ghettos. I think music should come first and after that the person who wrote it, man or woman, with any kind of skin colour, religion, or sexual identity.” My inclination would be to agree with Saariaho on this point, but since I’ve benefited from such programming in the past and am grateful for that boost, I’m not about to discredit it completely.

6. How has the field of composition changed for female composers during the last decade or two?

I’ve been writing concert music for a little over 10 years, so I cannot speak for the time before that – but when I was a student in the very late 1990s, I noticed only a handful of women as composition students, as teachers, and visibly performed. There would usually be one or, at most, two women in each incoming class at Juilliard. At present, I notice significantly more. Just eyeballing it, I would guess that about 40% of our students in the composition department at the New England Conservatory are female. It would be interesting to see data on the number of concertmusic works by women being performed in the world at large. My time as a fellow at Tanglewood in 2007 with the Bernstein fellowship was a pivotal and defining one for me as a composer (for musical reasons, not reasons related to this discussion). I recall that women comprised half my class of six composition fellows. That sent a strong positive message. I doubt that a Tanglewood class in the 1990s would have had a similar ratio. More women are reaching the top echelons of the profession, but the number is still greatly disproportionate to the general ratio of females to males in society, and needs to grow.

I believe that attitudes about women in composition have changed significantly during the last 10 years.

Saariaho spoke of fewer references to her work being ‘by a woman.’ Comments from listeners like, “This music is so strong – I wouldn’t have believed it was written by a woman,” according to her, have become less frequent. Geography and social context have some bearing. I received that very comment in 2008 3 4 O V E R T U R E I J a n u a r y – F e b r u a r y 2 0 11

when Duo Concertante toured China with the work that I wrote for them, Supernatural Love. The comment hasn’t been reprised since then (at least not in my earshot!). If it were, I wouldn’t particularly mind – I know what they mean; they are expressing it the way that they know how to, and I’m glad that the work made an impression.

I believe that women have become more supportive of one another in the last 10 years. I see female composers making a concerted effort to support each other, led by more established figures who set an example. It is easier to do this across generations than it is within the same generation of emerging artists, but it gets easier with time. Finally, there seems to be more open and fluid discussion about these issues.

For example, I can envision being on a panel and discussing the question posed earlier about exclusive programming – or other related issues – with male composition colleagues, wanting to hear their opinions and valuing the exchange because I know that all of us have the health of the field at heart, and none of us can solve these tough questions all by ourselves.

In 1970, Pauline Oliveros wrote an article in The New York Times called “And Don’t Call Them Lady Composers” in which she identified biased practices in the new music world, helped set the tone for future work in the field, and in essence made a plea for new music in general. When I consider the subtlety and level of nuance of today’s dialogue, I realize how far we have come since the 1970s with regard to gender issues. Most of us, especially those involved with writing for orchestra, are concerned about the perpetuation of classical music in general.

That core perspective (and its attendant plea in support of new music) has not changed since Oliveros’ writing. New music and living composers are still such a relatively small subset of the total picture that there is no room for us to be divided. With my generation, we are finally at a point where we don’t think of ourselves as female or male composers, but simply as composers. We can finally put issues of creativity, the development of our distinct musical voices, and the regeneration of the field at the forefront of the discourse, and keep them front and center – right where they should be.

COMPOSER BIOS Kati Agócs (CAN/USA) Kati Agócs, born in Windsor of Hungarian and American background, has been on the composition faculty of the New England Conservatory in Boston since 2008. Recent commissions include Meet the Composer/Metropolis Ensemble (New York), Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble de Flûtes Alizé (Montréal), Perpetual Summer for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada's 50th Anniversary, Elysium for the National Arts Centre's Cultural Olympiad, and Requiem Fragments for the CBC Radio Orchestra (Vancouver). Awards include a Charles Ives Fellowship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the ASCAP Leonard Bernstein Fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center, as well as multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Dr. Agócs earned her doctoral and masters degrees from the Juilliard School, where her principal teacher was Milton Babbitt.

Laurie Anderson (USA) Laurie Anderson is one of America’s most renowned and daring creative pioneers. Her work, which encompasses music, visual art, poetry, film and photography, has challenged and delighted audiences around the world for more than 30 years. Anderson is best known for her multimedia presentations and musical recordings. Her first album, O Superman, launched her recording career in 1980, rising to number two on the British pop charts, after which she recorded six more albums.

Anderson’s tours have taken her around the world and she is recognized worldwide as a groundbreaking leader in the use of

technology in the arts. Her latest work, Homeland has already received critical praise from numerous publications throughout the world.

Allan Bell (CAN) Allan Gordon Bell is a composer, professor of music at the University of Calgary, fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and associate composer and past-president of the Canadian Music Centre.

He studied with Violet Archer, Malcolm Forsyth, Bruce Mather, Oscar Morawetz and Manus Sasonkin and has created works for voice, solo instruments, chamber ensembles, orchestra, electroacoustic media and opera.

In 2002, he was a distinguished visiting composer to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra New Music Festival.

Daryn Bond (CAN) Daryn Bond is a Winnipeg performer, composer, theorist and video hack under siege at landsLide hermitage studios, bondinstitute.net.

Mastermind of the 'Disposable Music Project' & architect of THE FROZEN LIBRARY©, inventor/discoverer of the Harmonic Matrix, Cube, Hyper-cube, Iterative Power Matrix, Golden Matrix, and Prime Pyramid, he currently studies and designs new musical devices while constructing a multidisciplinary project under the working title 'PLease DO not **use Wet Paint'. Recent works have been presented at Culture Days 2010, International Computer Music Conference 60x60, send+receive v.11 and the Halifax Sound Bytes Festival.

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COMPOSER BIOS Glenn Buhr (CAN)

John Corigliano (USA)

Glenn Buhr is professor of music composition and improvisation in the contemporary music program at Wilfrid Laurier University, and served as the WSO’s composer-inresidence and curator of the New Music Festival (1990-1996). He is the current artistic director of NUMUS Concerts in Kitchener-Waterloo. Dr. Buhr has received commissions from many important performers and ensembles including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Penderecki String Quartet, the Detroit Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Esprit Orchestra. His music has been performed all over the world by such diverse ensembles as the London Sinfonia, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, pianist Louis Lortie, soprano Tracy Dahl and many others.

John Corigliano is one of America’s most widely acclaimed composers. He continues to add to one of the richest, most unusual and most widely celebrated bodies of work any composer has created over the last forty years. Among his many distinctions are: the Pulitzer Prize in Music awarded in 2001 for his Symphony No. 2; the Academy Award for his score to the 1999 film The Red Violin; four Grammy awards (including three for Best Contemporary Composition); and the Grawemeyer Award for his Symphony No. 1.

Among his notable works are eight Concerti, three Symphonies and his 1991 opera The Ghosts of Versailles (commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera). He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, serves on the composition faculty at the Juilliard School of Music and holds the position of distinguished professor of music at Lehman College, City University of New York, which has established a scholarship in his name.

Patrick Carrabré (CAN) For well over a decade, Patrick Carrabré worked closely with the WSO, including six seasons as composer-in-residence and co-curator of the New Music Festival. Also active in the media, Mr. Carrabré spent just over two-seasons as the weekend host of CBC Radio 2’s contemporary music show The Signal. His best known compositions include A Hammer For Your Thoughts… (Best Classical Composition at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards), Inuit Games, for throat singers (katajjak) and orchestra (a recommended work at the 2003 International Rostrum of Composers), From the Dark Reaches and Sonata No. 1, The Penitent (both nominated for JUNO Awards) and The Dragon’s Tail, which has been performed by orchestras in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Yekaterinburg (Ukraine) and Tirana (Albania).

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Timothy Corlis (CAN) Timothy Corlis began his career as a director at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church (Waterloo) where he worked with church and community choirs. The most noteworthy of these community projects was the recording featuring the DaCapo Chamber Choir (director Leonard Enns) in a musical setting of the poem “Notes Towards a Poem That Can Never Be Written,” a social justice commentary by Margaret Atwood. The title track earned a 2009 JUNO Award nomination (best classical composition of the year). In her correspondence with the composer, Atwood commented, “This recognition is certainly well deserved.” In addition to his work with a new group called

the Vancouver Peace Choir, Mr. Corlis continues a steady output of new works, with performances in Seattle, Calgary, Toronto, New York, Boston, Halifax, Tokyo, Wellington (New Zealand) and Yekaterinburg (Russia).

Bryce Dessner (USA) Bryce Dessner performs as a solo classical guitarist and in rock & new music settings on the electric guitar. He has been a featured artist at the New York Guitar Festival, including a commission for the 2006 Festival. In 2008, his first largescale ensemble composition, Rafael, was premiered at The Kitchen. In 2009, Mr. Dessner collaborated with brother Aaron and visual artist Matthew Ritchie to create The Long Count, an origins story told in myth, music and video, commissioned by BAM for the 2009 Next Wave Festival. Also active as a music curator, he has programmed the festival line-ups for MusicNow in Cincinnati since its inception in 2006, and recently for the 2010 Big Ears Festival in Tennessee.

Avner Dorman (IS/ USA) Avner Dorman has quickly risen to become one of Israel's most successful and renowned composers. At 25, he became the youngest composer to win Israel's prestigious Prime Minister's Award. That same year, he was awarded the Golden Feather Award from ACUM (the Israeli Society of Composers and Publishers). Since coming to the United States, Dr. Dorman received several international awards from ASCAP, ACUM, and the Asian Composers League. His unique approach to rhythm and timbre has attracted some of the world's leading conductors to bring his music to international audiences. Dr. Dorman holds a doctorate from the Juilliard School.

Gordon Fitzell (CAN) Gordon Fitzell is a Winnipeg-based composer, producer and concert presenter. His music has been performed by a host of leading artists including Norwegian group BIT20, Canada’s Trio Fibonacci and American sextet eighth backbird, whose Grammy-winning album strange imaginary animals features two of his works. In 2010, Dr. Fitzell was the guest composer of the Cluster Festival, where five of his works were presented. An assistant professor of music at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Fitzell also leads the eXperimental Improv Ensemble (XIE) and serves as an artistic director of GroundSwell, Winnipeg’s new music series.

Michael Gordon (USA) Deeply passionate about the sonic potential of the traditional orchestra, Gordon's orchestral works include Rewriting Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, a radical reworking of the original, commissioned by the 2006 Beethoven Festival in Bonn and premiered by Jonathon Nott and the Bamberger Symphony; and Sunshine of your Love, written for over 100 instruments divided into four microtonally tuned groups. His interest in exploring various sound textures has led him to create chamber works that distort traditional classical instruments with electronic effects and guitar pedals, including Potassium for the Kronos Quartet and Industry for cellist Maya Beiser.

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COMPOSER BIOS S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté (CAN)

Pekka Kostiainen (FI)

Born in Moscow as Sofia Fridman-Kochevskaya, Eckhardt-Gramatté studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where her teachers included Alfred Brun and Guillaume Rémy for violin, S. Chenée for piano, and Vincent d'Indy and Camille Chevillard for composition. Her compositions included a symphony; a concerto for orchestra; a triple concerto for trumpet, clarinet, bassoon, strings, and timpani; three piano concertos; two violin concertos; a piece for two pianos and orchestra; a bassoon concerto; various chamber works; and numerous instrumental solos for piano and violin. Her legacy is preserved through the work of the EckhardtGrammaté Foundation.

Pekka Kostiainen studied at the Sibelius Academy, gaining his composition diploma as a student of Jouko Tolonen in 1973.

Since 1971, he has been lecturer in music at the University of Jyväskylä, and in 1977, he founded the Musica Choir at the University and has been its leader ever since. His compositions include works for the stage, orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, choruses, solo voices, most of them having been commissioned by symphony orchestras, opera companies, universities, cities, choruses (including Tapiola and Musica), television networks, music societies, and festivals. He is a doctor of the Jyväskylä University.

Gary Kulesha (CAN) Jim Hiscott (CAN) After earning a master's degree in 1971 in theoretical particle physics, Jim Hiscott switched to music composition, studying with Samuel Dolin at the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as David Lidov and Richard Teitelbaum at York University. He is the recipient of the Creative Arts Award of the Canadian Federation of University Women.

His compositions have been performed across North America, in Europe and Asia by many artists including the Hilliard Ensemble, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver New Music Society ensemble, Rivka Golani, Arraymusic, and Philadelphia's Relache.

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Gary Kulesha is one of Canada's most active and visible musicians. Although principally a composer, he is also active as a pianist, conductor and teacher. Mr. Kulesha's music has been commissioned, performed, and recorded by musicians and ensembles all over the world. He served as composer-inresidence with both the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra (1988-1992) and the Canadian Opera Company (1993-1995). In 2002, Mr. Kulesha was one of three composers awarded the first National Arts Centre Orchestra Composer Award. This began an extended relationship with the NACO and its artistic director, Pinchas Zuckerman. Mr. Kulesha has written several works for them and has toured twice with Mr. Zukerman and the orchestra. Mr. Kulesha is on the full-time faculty at the University of Toronto’ Faculty of Music.

Nicole Lizée (CAN)

Michael Matthews (CAN)

Nicole Lizée received a bachelor of music degree from Brandon University where she majored in piano and composition (1995). In 2001, she received a masters of music degree in composition from McGill University in Montreal. Her masters thesis consisted of a work for large ensemble and solo turntablist featuring scratch DJ techniques fully notated and integrated into a concert music setting. She has written for other unorthodox instrument combinations that include the Atari 2600 video game console, Simon and Merlin hand-held games and karaoke tapes. In 2010, Ms. Lizée was awarded a fellowship from the prestigious Civitella Ranieri Foundation in New York City and Italy. She has twice been named a finalist for the Jules-Léger Prize, most recently in 2007 for the work This Will Not Be Televised, scored for chamber ensemble and turntables.

Michael Matthews’s music has been performed in many countries around the world. He has been the recipient of numerous commissions and awards.

In 2000, he held a Rockefeller Foundation residency at the Bellagio Center in Italy. His orchestral work Two Interludes was awarded third prize in the 1997 du Maurier Arts Ltd. New Music Festival Canadian Composers Competition. He has also received Canada Council and Manitoba Arts Council grants, the Winnipeg Rh Institute Award for interdisciplinary research, a residency at the EMS computer music studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and a prize in the Premio Musicale Cittá di Trieste, Italy for his orchestral piece The Wind Was There.

Alexina Louie (CAN) Alexina Louie has been widely commissioned by Canada’s most prestigious orchestras, ensembles and soloists. Most recently, her interest in the collaborative experience has led her to write scores for dance, film and television (which has garnered for her two Golden Sheaf Awards for best music from the Yorkton Film Festival). Recent premieres include Take the Dog Sled commissioned by Kent Nagano for two Inuit throat singers and members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra as well as Pursuit - Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra, a major new work commissioned by Peter Oundjian especially for the Tokyo String Quartet and the TSO. Among her many honours, Ms. Louie has won the Jules Leger Prize in Chamber Music, the Chalmer’s Award, two JUNO Awards and the National Arts Centre Composers Award. She is an Officer of the Order of Canada and holds an honourary doctorate from the University of Calgary.

Missy Mazzoli (USA) Missy Mazzoli's music has been performed all over the world by ensembles including the Minnesota Orchestra, Spokane Symphony, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Present Music, NOW Ensemble, Da Capo Chamber Players, Newspeak and Ensemble Klang. Her work was recently performed as part of the MATA Festival of New Music, Bang-on-a-Can New Music Marathon, 2007’s Cabrillo Festival of New Music, and Kathy Supove's Exploding Piano series. In 2006, Missy was a featured composer at Merkin Hall in New York City and at the Gaudeamus New Music Festival in Amsterdam. She is a recipient of the 2007 and 2008 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award, a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and grants from the American Music Center and the Jerome Foundation.

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COMPOSER BIOS Diana McIntosh (CAN)

Ram Narayan (IN)

Bravo TV called Diana McIntosh “a national treasure.” With a dynamic stage presence, she has an active career as a distinctive, provocative and innovative composer/pianist/performance artist having performed throughout Canada, widely in the USA, in Europe and Nairobi, Kenya. She has been commissioned by many soloists, ensembles and by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and CBC. Most recently, CBC commissioned a piano prelude and fugue for their Glenn Gould celebration concert in Toronto, and Prodigies of the Nose for percussion and piano. In October 2009, she performed in the premiere of her theatrical The Rehearsal’s the Thing for four speaking/playing musicians.

Born in Rajasthan, India, Pandit Ram Narayan descends from a family of five generations of exceptional vocalists and instrumentalists. His formal training started at age seven under many specialists such as Ustad Mehboob Khan, Pandit Udayalal, Pandit Madhav Prasad and Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan. He has singlehandedly converted the mindsets of the people of the sarangi as a second-class accompanist instrument to that of an instrument that requires sole attention of the listener, after he made a concrete decision of never accompanying an artist for concerts.

He has started the Acharya Ram Narayan Foundation to help and provide great musicians appropriate recognition.

Kelly-Marie Murphy (CAN) Kelly-Marie Murphy began her studies in composition at the University of Calgary and received a Ph.D. in composition from the University of Leeds (England). In addition to many academic scholarships awarded in Canada and England, Dr. Murphy has also won prizes for her music. Her music has been performed in the UK, Japan, across Europe and North America and has had radio broadcasts in 22 countries, and has been interpreted by renowned conductors.

She is the recipient of many commissions from the CBC and the Canada Council for the Arts and has written for some of Canada's leading performers and ensembles such as the Winnipeg, Toronto, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestras, Shauna Rolston, James Campbell, the Gryphon Trio, and the Borealis String Quartet.

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Luke Nickel (CAN) Luke Nickel attended the University of Manitoba Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, completing undergraduate degrees in both flute and composition studying with Jan Kocman, Dr. Michael Matthews, Dr. Gordon Fitzell and Orjan Sandred. He has completed many projects and commissions for Antiphony, the Glenlawn Collegiate Wind Ensemble, Harrington/Loewen duo, University of Manitoba Saxophone Quartet, University of Manitoba Contemporary Opera Lab, and others. His works have been performed all over the world and he’s won various awards including the SOCAN young composers’ competition and the CMC emerging composer prize. Mr. Nickel is currently organizing the second annual Cluster New Music and Integrated Arts Festival and applying for further schooling at a graduate level.

Krzysztof Penderecki (PL) Penderecki's works are continually performed throughout the world and he holds teaching or advisory positions at universities around Europe and the world. He is considered by many as one of the most original composers and has been honoured with memberships in the Royal Academy of Music in London (1975), the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (1975) and the Akademie der Kunste in Germany (1975). He was a pupil of Malawski at the Kraków Conservatory (1955-8) where he has also taught. He gained international fame with such works as Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima for 52 strings (1960), exploiting the fierce expressive effects of new sonorities. His operas have been admired for their dynamic expression.

Randolph Peters (CAN) Winnipeg-born Randolph Peters has been a professional freelance composer for over 33 years.

He has written operas, symphonies, choral, chamber and dance music, as well as soundtracks for film, television, theatre and radio. He has served as composer-in-residence for both the Canadian Opera Company and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Terry Riley (USA) Born in 1935 in Northern California, Terry Riley launched what is now known as the Minimalist movement with his revolutionary classic In C in 1964. Terry Riley has written for a variety of new music soloists and ensembles. In 1989, he formed the new performance ensemble KHAYAL that specializes in group vocal and instrumental improvisation.

Mr. Riley taught North Indian Raga and music

composition during his years at Mills College in Oakland, California in the 1970s. It was there that he met David Harrington, the founder and first violinist in Kronos Quartet, and began the long association that has produced many important works for the group.

Sid Robinovitch (CAN) Sid Robinovitch's music has been widely performed in Canada and abroad and frequently broadcasted on CBC radio. In addition to his concert works, Mr. Robinovitch has written music for film, radio and TV, where he is best known for his theme for CBC-TV’s satirical comedy series, "The Newsroom." Klezmer Suite, a recording devoted entirely to his music performed by the WSO under the direction of Bramwell Tovey, received a Prairie Music Award for outstanding classical recording in 2002.

Sefarad, a CD featuring his music for guitar, was released in 2008 on the Marquis label, and received both JUNO and Western Canadian Music Award nominations for classical recording of the year.

Aleksandra Vrebalov (RS) Aleksandra Vrebalov, native of Ex-Yugoslavia, left Serbia in 1995 and continued her education in the US. She holds a doctorate from University of Michigan where she studied with Evan Chambers and Michael Daugherty, and a master’s degree from San Francisco Conservatory where her teacher was Elinor Armer. She participated in master classes and workshops that include New York University Summer Composition Workshop, Music Courses in Darmstadt (Germany), Szombathely (Hungary) and Kazimierz Dolny (Poland) in collaboration with IRCAM, and Cabrillo Festival in Santa Cruz, CA. Her works have been recorded for Vienna Modern Masters and Nonesuch.

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PERFORMER /ARTIST BIOS Brandon University New Music Ensemble (BUNME) The Brandon University New Music Ensemble (BUNME), under the direction of Professor Megumi Masaki, is a collaboration of undergraduate students, comprising all programs, years, and instruments. The group explores a diverse array of contemporary repertoire from around the world, for large and small ensembles and presents an annual New Music Festival at Brandon University.

The 2010 festival, “Sights and Sounds,” featured composer-in-residence Nicole Lizée.

Past festivals have featured collaborations with composers T. Patrick Carrabré of Brandon and Jorge Córdoba Valencia of Mexico City.

Katharine Bruce, real-time visual artist Katharine Bruce's art conveys emotion by communicating the inner essence of her subjects through colour, texture, and line. Ms. Bruce is a contemporary woman painter known for breathtaking cityscapes and landscapes of New York City, where she was born and lived again as an adult, and of historic Winnipeg and the prairies, where she spent her formative years. After earning a fine arts degree at the University of Manitoba, she worked as a potter in Seattle, activities director in New Jersey then studied painting and sculpture at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts. She has taught and shown extensively in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

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Dawn Bruch, soprano Dawn Bruch completed her bachelor of music in voice at McGill University. She returned to her home base, Winnipeg, to pursue her masters of music degree at the University of Manitoba, being taught and coached by several accomplished musicians including Tracy Dahl and Mel Braun. She has appeared with the Manitoba Opera, Prairie Performances, the Little Opera Company and University of Manitoba Opera Apprenticeship. Ms. Bruch’s previous accomplishments include representing Manitoba at the National Music Festival, where she was awarded the Jan Simons Memorial Trophy for Song Interpretation (2006). She was also the winner of the Herbert and Audrey Belyea Trophy (2006), and the University of Manitoba Concerto Competition (2004).

The Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) Singers; Janet Brenneman and Rudy Schellenberg, directors The Canadian Mennonite University Chorus combines two of CMU’s premiere ensembles, the Women’s Chorus and Men’s Chorus comprised of students from a variety of academic programs and perform regularly in worship and in concert across Manitoba. Known for their innovative programming, energy, and enthusiasm, these choirs perform demanding repertoire that represents their commitment to exploring a global context in close relation to the music of their Christian heritage and faith. Recent performances with the WSO include the world premiere of T. Patrick Carrabre’s Creation Stories, Christos Hatzis’s Sepulcher of Life, Glen Buhr’s Symphony No. 3, and John Tavener’s Requiem. The CMU Chorus is grateful to the members of the Mennonite Festival Chorus who have joined us for tonight’s performance with the WSO.

Lara Ciekiewicz, soprano

Victor Engbrecht, bass

Whether being hailed as “mesmerizing” (Classical Voice of North Carolina), “thrilling” (The New Classical 96.3 FM), or “a clear standout” (San Francisco Classical Voice), soprano Lara Ciekiewicz is quickly making her mark as a compelling, intelligent and accomplished singing-actress. A recent graduate of l’Atelier lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal, she has distinguished herself at some of the continent’s most prestigious training programs including San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, the Banff Centre for the Arts Opera and Theatre program, Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center, and Opera NUOVA. Her combination of flair, humour, presence, vocal beauty and style, all backed by a solid technique, is already gaining attention.

Since his high school days, Victor Engbrecht has been involved in music making and has performed with a number of Winnipeg’s premier musical arts organizations including the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, Mennonite Festival Chorus, Winnipeg Singers, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the celebrated choral ensemble, Canzona, under the direction of his father Henry Engbrecht. He has had the privilege of studying with singers including Leopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie at Canada Opera Piccola in Victoria, Patricia Kern at the University of Toronto Opera School, and Henriette Schellenberg at the Canadian Mennonite University. He and his wife Eileen have four children and they live near Winnipeg.

Jacqueline Dawson, conductor

Herbert Enns, director

Jacqueline Dawson, a native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, received undergraduate degrees in music and music education from Memorial University of Newfoundland and holds a masters degree in conducting from the University of Manitoba.

She has attended the Conductor’s Art Symposium at the University of Wisconsin and completed the Canadian Wind Conductor’s Development Program in Winnipeg. Ms. Dawson is active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout Manitoba and was the conductor of the University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble (2007). She currently teaches band at Vincent Massey Collegiate (Winnipeg) and is past-president of the Manitoba Band Association Board of Directors.

Herbert Enns is director of the Experimental Media Research Group (EMRG) and professor of architecture at the University of Manitoba. He works as an architect and in digital media and technology across multiple disciplines. Enns debuted four short films for CLUSTER (2001); was a senior artist at the Banff New Media Institute (2009); has written for the Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT); organized a Future Media session for B.Tween at FACT in Liverpool; and organized the Canadian submission to the Lisbon Architecture Triennial. He is a contributing editor to Canadian Architect and chair of the editorial board of Mosaic.

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PERFORMER /ARTIST BIOS eXperimental Improv Ensemble (XIE); Gordon Fitzell, director The eXperimental Improv Ensemble is an interdisciplinary performance group of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Music. Directed by Gordon Fitzell, the ensemble engages in a variety of creative pursuits ranging from live soundtrack performance to the mounting of media art installations. Recent projects include collaborations with architecture, computer science, electrical engineering and sculpture, as well as with external partners such as GroundSwell, Cinémathèque, the Museum of Clear Ideas and Amnesty International. The XIE also hosts Jamming the Dragon, an open stage for improvised experimental music.

Elroy Friesen, conductor Dr. Elroy Friesen is director of choral studies at the University of Manitoba where he conducts the University Singers, Cantata Singers and Women’s Chorus, and teaches conducting, graduate conducting and music education.

He recently completed his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois, focusing his research on the choral music of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, and conducting the Canadian premiere and CBC broadcast of Vigilia. Friesen’s ensembles are frequently recorded by CBC and have received numerous awards for their performances in Canada. As well as touring internationally, they perform with many outstanding local and national arts organizations, including the WSO, Royal Canadian College of Organists, Kokopelli, WSO New Music Festival, Soundstreams Canada, Groundswell and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

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John Funk, real-time visual artist John Funk is the owner/operator of Underscorefunk Design, a Winnipeg-based artisan-style creative services company.

Underscorefunk Design specializes in unique, clientcentric design, illustration and artistic direction. Mr. Funk is a conceptual artist who draws inspiration from the unifying aspects of experiences and interactions to transpose meaning, create new expressions and form new relationships between the audience and its environment.

Dame Evelyn Glennie, percussion Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. As one of the most eclectic and innovative musicians on the scene today, she has commissioned 160 new works for solo percussion from many of the world's most eminent composers and also composes and records music for film and television. Her first high quality drama produced a score so original, she was nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award (UK’s equivalent of the Oscars). In 1993, Evelyn was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire). This was extended in 2007 to 'Dame Commander' for her services to music, and to date has received over 80 international awards.

Donnalynn Grills, mezzo-soprano Mezzo-Soprano Donnalynn Grills is well-known to Winnipeg theatre and music audiences having performed as a guest artist with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra; MusikBarock; the Winnipeg Philharmonic

Choir; Winnipeg Singers and numerous national orchestras. She has been a featured soloist with the WSO on a number of occasions performing repertoire ranging from Broadway and Gilbert & Sullivan to Bach and Handel to Steve Reich’s Tehillim. Equally at home on the opera and musical theatre stage, she has performed roles with the Manitoba Opera Association, Rainbow Stage, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Little Opera Company, GroundSwell and The Winnipeg G & S Society. Future engagements include guest soloist with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir in their upcoming concert All You Need Is…Love.

GroundSwell Since 1990, GroundSwell has been Winnipeg’s only concert series devoted solely to presenting new music. Now in its twentieth season, GroundSwell is a leading force in the Prairies for the promotion and appreciation of the music of our times. From bold interpretations of twentiethcentury classics to innovative integrations involving theatre, dance, film, visual art and the written word, GroundSwell continues to explore new vistas of contemporary performance.

Bede Hanley, oboe A native of Saskatoon, oboist Bede Hanley joined the WSO in 2009.

Previously, Mr. Hanley was principal oboe of the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand and a member of Spain’s Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia. He has performed with numerous orchestras including the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Tenerife. An active chamber musician, Mr. Hanley has been a recitalist in Canada, the US, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and featured as a soloist with the Auckland Philharmonia, Cleveland’s Bach/Handel Society, the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and the Prairie Virtuosi.

Allen Harrington, saxophone Allen Harrington is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music where he teaches bassoon, saxophone and chamber music. He is an active soloist, chamber and orchestral musician and adjudicator. He has performed saxophone concerti with more than a dozen orchestras in Canada, Europe and South America. Mr. Harrington tours extensively with his duo pianist Laura Loewen and performed this year in Canada, France and Brazil, and last season they performed in the United States and Asia. Mr. Harrington plays second bassoon for the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and is a regular extra with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.

Gwen Hoebig, violin Recognized as one of Canada's most outstanding violinists, Gwen Hoebig is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City. She joined the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster in 1987, having been awarded the position as the unanimous choice of the audition committee. A champion of new music, she has given many Canadian premieres of violin concerti by S.C. EckhardtGramatté, T.P. Carrabré, Randolph Peters, Gary Kulesha, Joan Tower, Christopher Rouse and Philip Glass, and as soloist has performed all the major violin concerti with orchestras across Canada, the United States and Europe. She was recently recognized at the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Canadian Music Centre for her exemplary commitment to the performance of the music of Canadian composers. As a chamber musician, she appears frequently in recital with her husband, pianist David Moroz, and has performed at many of the country's foremost festivals.

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PERFORMER /ARTIST BIOS Yuri Hooker, cello

Kronos Quartet

Yuri Hooker is principal cellist for both the Winnipeg Symphony (WSO) and the Manitoba Chamber (MCO) Orchestras and appears regularly with the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society and GroundSwell. His frequent concerto appearances with the WSO and the MCO have met with a great deal of critical and audience acclaim. A strong advocate of new music, Mr. Hooker is also a dedicated teacher and the founder and director of the Winnipeg Summer Cello Institute. In the summer of 2011, he will be launching the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy for young string players. He holds a bachelor of music degree from Brandon University, which he followed with graduate studies under Janos Starker and Stanley Ritchie (period performance) at Indiana University.

For more than 30 years, Kronos Quartet – David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola) and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello) – has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. In the process, Kronos has become one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, performing thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 45 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world's most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioning more than 650 works and arrangements for string quartet.

Kronos's work has also garnered numerous awards, including a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004), and "Musicians of the Year" (2003) from Musical America.

Meredith Johnson, bass WSO Principal Bassist Meredith Johnson began playing the double bass while pursuing an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Vanderbilt University, after which he received his M.M. in music performance at Boston University. He was the recipient of the Henri Cohn Memorial Award during the 2000 Tanglewood festival season and was also a member of the New World Symphony (1999-2002). Currently, in addition to the WSO, he is principal bassist of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, a regular guest instructor at Memorial University (NL), a sessional instructor at the University of Manitoba, and a member of the bass faculty of the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC.

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Kurt Lehmann, tenor A Carnegie Hall debut singing Verdi's Requiem as well as engagements in Pittsburgh, Calgary, Dallas, Vancouver and at Glimmerglass Opera in New York are evidence of Winnipegborn Kurt Lehmann's growing reputation. Highlights of his 2008-2009 season included an “Opera Stars Under the Stars” concert, a New Year’s Eve Gala and Rodolfo in La Boheme for Opera Naples, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for Manitoba Opera and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Winnipeg and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphonies. 2009-2010 highlights include Flamand in Strauss’ Capriccio for Pacific Opera Victoria, Cassio in Otello for Edmonton Opera, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Winnipeg Symphony and the Choral Symphony for L’Orchestre symphonique de Quebec.

Fraser Linklater, director

Megumi Masaki, piano

Fraser Linklater is an associate professor in the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba, where he directs the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and Chamber Winds and teaches courses in music education and conducting. A native of Winnipeg, Dr. Linklater holds a master’s degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Michigan. A co-director of the Canadian Wind Conductors Development Program, he is also secretary of the Manitoba Band Association and coordinates all three levels of honour bands for the MBA. In October 2002, he received the MBA Award of Distinction for his services to music education in Manitoba.

Award-winning pianist Megumi Masaki has established herself as an international artist renowned for her warm rapport with audiences and her superb musicianship.

Her multi-faceted career as acclaimed soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, conductor, champion of contemporary music and multidisciplinary researcher of Peak Performance has taken her across Canada, the USA, Europe and Asia.

Ms. Masaki is presently associate professor of piano at Brandon University, is on faculty at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival (Italy) and the Waterford Summer Music Festival (Utah, USA), and is the artistic director of the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition.

Laura Loewen, piano Hailed as “exceptional” (Winnipeg Free Press), “fiercely committed” (Vancouver Sun), with “fingers that have no idea of what is possible on a keyboard, so they just go ahead and play what isn’t” (Halifax Chronicle Herald), Winnipeg collaborative pianist Laura Loewen has appeared in concerts throughout Canada and the United States. She is a professor of collaborative piano/vocal coach at the University of Manitoba and is on the faculties of NUOVA Opera in Edmonton, Alberta, the Contemporary Opera Lab at University of Manitoba, and Vancouver International Song Institute. Her upcoming CD of Canadian music for saxophone and piano features duo partner Allen Harrington.

David Moroz, piano Winnipeg-born pianist David Moroz enjoys a career as one of Canada's most versatile artists. He has performed in every major Canadian city and appears regularly in recital with Canada's most distinguished musicians. Mr. Moroz was awarded a doctor of music degree from the University of Montreal and holds both bachelor and master of music degrees from the celebrated Juilliard School in New York City. He has been artistic director of the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society since 1987 and was appointed to the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Music in 1999, where he is coordinator of the piano department.

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PERFORMER /ARTIST BIOS Jerry Moscovitch, narrator

Daniel Scholz, viola

Jerry J. Moscovitch is a retired teacher, guidance counsellor and, during his teaching years, was also a choir director. His love for Opera started with the Festival Opera Group as soloist and lead baritone and he spent a memorable 35 years as part of the Manitoba Opera chorus. Mr. Moscovitch was in the Philharmonic Choir, a soloist with the Rosh Pina Synagogue Choir and has travelled to Israel to perform in the Zimria, Festival of World Choirs. He has performed in many stage productions as a stage advisor and actor in many movies that were filmed in Winnipeg and around Manitoba. Currently he performs with the Macs Chinese choir, the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Choir and with the Winnipeg Golden Chordsmen (Barbershop Harmony Society). Jerry is most pleased to have been asked to be The Narrator in the WSO’s performance of Penderecki's Seventh Symphony.

Daniel Scholz enjoys a versatile career as an orchestral performer, chamber musician, teacher and conductor.

Born in Saskatchewan, Mr. Scholz has a bachelor of music education from the University of Regina, with graduate studies at McGill University and the University of British Columbia. He was a prize-winner at the Lionel Tertis Viola competition, the most prestigious event of its kind. He is the principal violist of both the Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Chamber Orchestras, and is a member of the Winnipeg Chamber Music Society and the Rembrandt String Quartet. Highly sought after as a teacher, Mr. Scholz is an instructor at the University of Manitoba and Canadian Mennonite University, and is the conductor of the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Victoria Sparks, percussion Oleg Pokhanovski, violin Oleg Pokhanovski began his career as a violinist at the age of 6 and at 10 he was accepted into the renowned Special Music School for Gifted Children in Moscow and later studied at the Moscow State Conservatory.

He received full scholarships at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music studying with Dorothy DeLay, Pinchas Zukerman and Ani Kavafian. Mr. Pokhanovski is a top prize winner of eight prestigious international violin competitions and was First Prize Winner of the 1990 Scheveningen International Violin Competition. Mr. Pokhanovski presently is an associate professor of violin at the University of Manitoba Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music.

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Percussionist Victoria Sparks has studied music since the age of five, first learning piano from her grandmother. Her primary percussion teachers have been Rob Gardner, Jauvon Gilliam and Jon Crabiel. Victoria performs regularly with a variety of arts organizations including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She also enjoys collaborating with composers and fellow musicians for solo and chamber performances, most recently working with the GroundSwell New Music Series. She completed her masters degree in percussion performance at Butler University and is currently the coordinator of percussion studies at Brandon University.

The University of Manitoba Cantata Singers; Elroy Friesen, director and Cary Denby, pianist

The University of Manitoba Cantata Singers was formed in 2000 as an ensemble for senior voice students in the Faculty of Music. They have performed with numerous Winnipeg arts organizations such as the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, All the King’s Men and performed in a recent North American premiere of Handel's Messiah in Polish with the Sokol Polish Ensemble.

Recently the mandate of the ensemble was increased to include graduate choral conducting students who participate as both conductors and singers.

The University of Manitoba Singers; Elroy Friesen, director The last two decades have brought the University of Manitoba Singers to prominence as a performing ensemble in Canada. This chamber choir has appeared on numerous occasions with Winnipeg's leading professional organizations performing world premieres including Canzoni Romane by Sid Robinovitch, commissioned by the CBC and the MCO (1999); and Raft of the Medusa by Veda Hille commissioned by the CBC and the WSO’s New Music Festival (2008). The University Singers have placed first in the CBC Radio National Amateur Choir Competitions, Chamber Choir Category. They have toured in Canada, the USA, Europe and South America.

The University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble; Fraser Linklater, director Now in its fourth decade, The University of Manitoba Wind Ensemble continues to program and perform first-class repertoire. They have performed throughout Western Canada and the northern United States, have been an invited guest ensemble at the Cantando International Music Festival in Edmonton on three occasions, as well as having performed at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival and on CBC Radio. The Wind Ensemble has released a CD of Canadian wind band music entitled North Winds and is currently preparing a follow up CD: North Winds II.

The University of Manitoba Women’s Chorus; Elroy Friesen, director The University of Manitoba Women’s Chorus is comprised of singers from the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, the wider university campus, and the surrounding community. This choir, formed by Henry Engbrecht in 1990, has had many performances with various local arts organizations including the WSO and New Music Festival, Prairie Voices, and the Women’s Chorus Festival. They had the honour of singing at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, and they performed the Canadian premiere of From Behind the Caravan: Songs of Hâfez by Abbie Betinis, recorded and broadcast by CBC.

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PERFORMER /ARTIST BIOS Winnipeg Chamber Music Society (WCMS) Celebrating its twenty-fourth season of criticallyacclaimed performances, the WCMS continues to bring exciting concerts to the musicloving public. Drawn from the extensive repertoire of compositions for smaller ensemble, the WCMS presents concerts of the highest calibre - dynamic programmes featuring performances by some of Canada’s finest musicians. This year, the WCMS continues its acclaimed multi-season project performing all the Beethoven string quartets, and also presents great masterpieces by Mozart, Schubert, Brahms, Dvorˇák and Ravel. The WCMS has reached audiences of nearly three million listeners during its 24 seasons of concerts, through live performances and regular radio broadcasts.

The Winnipeg Wind Ensemble (WWE); (Jacqueline Dawson, conductor The WWE was formed in the fall of 1985 by band directors and other professional Winnipeg musicians.

Currently the membership consists of 31 teachers, seven students, six with music-related employment, four military musicians and five musicians who pursue non-music related day jobs. All players have extensive music training and have submitted to an entrance audition. The WWE has shared the stage with many local and visiting soloists and bands, providing unique and rewarding opportunities for all involved. The WWE has collaborated with trumpet legend Armando Ghitalla, tuba player John Griffiths, the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, The University of Manitoba’s Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, the Manitoba Honour Band and soloists from within the Winnipeg Wind Ensemble.

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Steven Webb, piano Steven Webb is a fourth year piano major at the Marcel A. Desautel Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba.

Pursuing a general study of music, Mr. Webb is interested in a variety of musical avenues, including composition and collaborative piano, and hopes to pursue a masters degree in composition. In addition to his studies, Mr. Webb is the accompanist for Prairie Voices, as well as Meadowood United Church.

EXTRA MUSICIANS January 29 Concert

February 3 Concert

Laurel Ridd, flute Laura MacDougall, flute Kristen Zander, oboe Tracy Wright, oboe Sharon Atkinson, clarinet Pat Daniels, clarinet Allen Harrington, bassoon Karine Breton, bassoon Todd Martin, horn Joel Brennan, trumpet Rob Weymouth, trumpet Bob Fraser, trombone Bobbie Fast, tuba Allison Bent, timpani Tony Cyre, percussion Ben Reimer, percussion Matt Abraham, percussion Victoria Sparks, percussion Byron Wood, percussion Donna Laube, piano

Laurel Ridd, flute Kristen Zander, oboe Sharon Atkinson, clarinet Pat Daniels, clarinet Karine Breton, bassoon Tony Cyre, percussion Matt Abraham, percussion Victoria Sparks, percussion Donna Laube, piano

February 1 Concert Sharon Atkinson, clarinet Pat Daniels, clarinet Joel Brennan, trumpet Rob Weymouth, trumpet Richard Gillis, trumpet Richard Scholz, trumpet Allen Harrington, alto saxophone Tony Cyre, percussion Donna Laube, piano

February 4 Concert Laurel Ridd, flute Laura MacDougall, flute Kristen Zander, oboe Tracy Wright, oboe Sharon Atkinson, clarinet Pat Daniels, clarinet Allen Harrington, bassoon Karine Breton, bassoon Bob Fraser, trombone Allison Bent, timpani Tony Cyre, percussion Matt Abraham, percussion Victoria Sparks, percussion Byron Wood, percussion Donna Laube, piano Laura Loewen, celesta

Ou r c ommu nity. Our future.

Together.

Proud to support the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra

Great-West Life and the key design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company. ™ is a trademark of The Great-West Life Assurance Company.

WSO BOARD & STAFF 2010 -2011 SEASON OUR DISTINGUISHED PATRONS His Honour the Honourable Philip S. Lee C.M., O.M. Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba His Worship Sam Katz, Mayor of the City of Winnipeg Mr. W.H. Loewen & Mrs. S.E. Loewen, WSO Directors Emeritus WOMEN'S COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE Lesia Peet, President Shirley Loewen, Vice President Olga Runnalls, Past President Susan Cooke and Winnifred Warkentin, Secretary Margaret Harvie, Treasurer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dorothy Dobbie, Greg Doyle President & Chair Susan Feldman Ed J. Martens, Dr. Daya Gupta 1st Vice-President Elba Haid Muriel Smith, Lesia Peet 2nd Vice-President Dr. William Pope Dr. Brendan MacDougall, Ed Richmond Past-President Lorne Sharfe Marilyn Billinkoff William Shead Brenlee Carrington-Trepel Joanne Sigurdson Michael Cox Karl Stobbe Arlene Dahl Richard Turner

TRUDY SCHROEDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALEXANDER MICKELTHWATE, MUSIC DIRECTOR

EXECUTIVE OFFICE Lori Marks, Confidential Executive Assistant

ARTISTIC Bramwell Tovey, Conductor Laureate Richard Lee, Resident Conductor Vincent Ho, Composer-in-Residence

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION John Bacon, Director of Finance & Administration Sandi Mitchell, Payroll & Accounting Administrator

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS Jean-Francois Phaneuf, Director of Artistic Operations DEVELOPMENT James Manishen, Artistic Operations Associate Joanne Gudmundson, Director of Development Anne Elise Lavallée, Artistic Operations Assistant Carol Cassels, Development Manager Laura Daniel, Production Manager Terri Nordman, Development Coordinator Chris Lee, Orchestra Personnel Manager Gail Loewen, Manager of Strategic Advancement Projects Ray Chrunyk, Principal Librarian Laura MacDougall, Assistant Librarian SALES & AUDIENCE SERVICES Lawrence Rentz, Stage Supervisor Ryan Diduck, Director of Sales & Audience Services Jacob Gurevich, Personnel Manager Emeritus Tara Forshaw, Patron Services Supervisor (Maternity Leave) Sarah Lund, Group Sales Associate EDUCATION & OUTREACH Jason Hayes, Patron Services Representative Tanya Derksen, Director of Education & Outreach Melissa Ungrin, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Amy Wolfe, Education & Outreach Coordinator Ashley Cyr, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Heather Thornton, Patron Services Representative (p/t) MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Crystal Schwartz, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Lisa Abram, Director of Marketing & Communications Matthew Brooks, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Cheryl Waldner, Communications Coordinator Clare Neil, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Shaun Thompson, Graphic Designer Rachel Himelblau, Patron Services Representative (p/t) Marianne McPeek, Patron Services Representative (p/t)

WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TICKET INFORMATION 1020-555 Main Street Winnipeg, MB R3B 1C3 Phone: 204.949.3950 Fax: 204.956.4271 www.wso.ca

WSO Box Office phone: 204.949.3999 www.wso.ca

Ticketmaster phone: 204.780.3333 www.ticketmaster.ca

Group Sales phone: 204.949.3967 groupevents@wso.mb.ca

The WSO is a chartered non-profit organization operated by a voluntary Board of Directors.

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