Hey music lovers,
Is everyone looking as forward to tonight's Musica Nova concert as I am? Things are starting to happen in the capital city!
Well, they were. April was a pretty good month for new music if you dug deep enough. May wasn't bad. June and July appear to be drier than a witch's... well, you get the idea. What a bummer!
I have added two items to the calendar. The bad news is, they're both for tomorrow, and the worse news is, they're at the exact same time!
One is the Ottawa Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, which will have some Hindemith and Wieniawski. The other show is pianist Dina Namer, playing music of 20th-C. Israeli (is that a redundancy?) composers and Bloch, in honour of the 50th anniversary of his death. I've got a bit of an inside scoop, because Dina lives next door - she sounds amazing!! :)
Here's hoping something comes together for June and July. I'll be out of town during the chamber music festival, but I know there'll be something for us there, so I'll do my best to get events on the calendar.
If things don't pick up, we may have to take matters into our own hands!! Actually, we are! Craig and I, along with flutist/composer Aura Giles, are working on a new music concert series, kicking off in the fall. You can be absolutely sure that we will advertise like crazy on this blog for those shows!!
Enjoy the rain!
-Ryan
5.29.2009
5.07.2009
May
It's a busy time of year!! I will continue to update this blog, but for the moment, I'll focus on getting events onto the calendar. Check out all the events for May, and let us know if we're missing anything.
Don't miss the Celebration of Canadian Music on the 29th!
Don't miss the Celebration of Canadian Music on the 29th!
4.03.2009
More About April
April 4 (yes, tomorrow!): Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji will be playing Schubert, Beethoven, Bloch, and a piece she commissioned from Avner Dorman. Since winning First Prize at the 1999 Paganini Competition - the first Japanese and youngest artist to do so - Shoji is regularly invited to perform on some the world's most prestigious stages. Recent highlights include performances at the Salzburg Easter Festival with the Berlin Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons, the London Symphony Orchestra's 100th Anniversary Asia tour with Sir Colin Davis, highly successful tours of Europe and South America with the WDR Symphony Orchestra under Bychkov, and of Japan with the New York Philharmonic and Lorin Maazel. Her accompanist is French pianist Julien Quentin, and they'll be playing at St. John's Church (Elgin & Somerset). Tickets, at $40 general, $30 for seniors, $20 for students and $60 for reserved seats near the stage, are available online at arsnova.ca and will be sold at the door. Information: 819-682-2693.
April 5: Concerts-in-the-Glebe, Glebe-St. James United Church (Lyon St. and First Ave.), 4 p.m. Joan Harrison, cello, and Elaine Keillor, piano present "Musical Links between France and Canada", works by Farrenc, Coulthard, and Guerrero. $7-15 or pay what you can.
April 16: Together with Swedish musicians Roland Pöntinen (piano) and Svante Henrysson (cello), Martin Fröst presents his "Beyond All Clarinet History Project" (B.A.C.H.). Martin Fröst performs regularly in leading concert halls and with major orchestras worldwide. Fröst is a charismatic and multitalented soloist and his ambition to explore new aspects of musical creativity is also a great inspiration to many composers. In 2008 he was nominated for a Swedish Grammy and for the prestigious Swedish Export Prize. The concert is at St. Matthew's Church at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: www.arsnova.ca Reserved: $60.00 General: $40.00
Seniors: $30.00 (65 & over) Students: $20.00
April 24: As part of the BC Scene goings-on, the Borealis String Quartet has programmed some music by one of my favorite Canadian composers, Imant Raminsh. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.
April 27: Also part of the BC Scene - Francois Houle! Don't miss this one. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.
May 1: BC Scene presents the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with some music by BC composer Jeffrey Ryan. 8pm at the NAC. click here for details.
April 5: Concerts-in-the-Glebe, Glebe-St. James United Church (Lyon St. and First Ave.), 4 p.m. Joan Harrison, cello, and Elaine Keillor, piano present "Musical Links between France and Canada", works by Farrenc, Coulthard, and Guerrero. $7-15 or pay what you can.
April 16: Together with Swedish musicians Roland Pöntinen (piano) and Svante Henrysson (cello), Martin Fröst presents his "Beyond All Clarinet History Project" (B.A.C.H.). Martin Fröst performs regularly in leading concert halls and with major orchestras worldwide. Fröst is a charismatic and multitalented soloist and his ambition to explore new aspects of musical creativity is also a great inspiration to many composers. In 2008 he was nominated for a Swedish Grammy and for the prestigious Swedish Export Prize. The concert is at St. Matthew's Church at 8:00 p.m.
Tickets: www.arsnova.ca Reserved: $60.00 General: $40.00
Seniors: $30.00 (65 & over) Students: $20.00
April 24: As part of the BC Scene goings-on, the Borealis String Quartet has programmed some music by one of my favorite Canadian composers, Imant Raminsh. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.
April 27: Also part of the BC Scene - Francois Houle! Don't miss this one. National Gallery of Canada, Rideau Chapel. 12:00 noon, $8. click here for details.
May 1: BC Scene presents the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra with some music by BC composer Jeffrey Ryan. 8pm at the NAC. click here for details.
3.18.2009
Late March & April Lineup
March 20: workshop of Dean Burry's opera-in-progress, "The Bremen Town Musicians". 12pm at the NAC Fourth Stage. It's a family (read: child-friendly) opera, so it may not be too envelope-pushing, but it's a great opportunity to see the process of art.
March 22: An evening of vocal music featuring Mahler's Kindertotenlieder, Debussy's Ariettes oubliées, an aria from Mozart's opera Mitridate, re di Ponto, and songs by Ives and Britten. Susan Lines (soprano), Carole Portelance (mezzo), Teresa van den Boogaard (piano), and Marlene Basarab (piano). St. Luke's Anglican Church, 760 Somerset West.
March 29: Anne-Julie Caron, marimba. Works by Piazzolla and Abe. Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, 120 Rue Principale, Gatineau.
April 3: Thirteen Strings and Anne-Julie Caron (again!!), marimba. Music of Raats, Sejourne, Vasks, and others. 8pm at St. Andrew's Church (Kent at Wellington).
April 18 & 19: Cantata Singers of Ottawa present music by Willan, Dallapicolla, Lauridsen, Whitacre, Sjolund, and Henderson. Apr. 18: Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Ave., 8pm Apr. 19: Orleans United Church, 1111 Orleans blvd., 3pm.
April 30: Alain Trudel conducts the NACO in a concert of music by British Columbian composers. Features Sharman, Morlock, and others. National Arts Centre, 8pm.
March 29: Anne-Julie Caron, marimba. Works by Piazzolla and Abe. Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, 120 Rue Principale, Gatineau.
April 3: Thirteen Strings and Anne-Julie Caron (again!!), marimba. Music of Raats, Sejourne, Vasks, and others. 8pm at St. Andrew's Church (Kent at Wellington).
April 18 & 19: Cantata Singers of Ottawa present music by Willan, Dallapicolla, Lauridsen, Whitacre, Sjolund, and Henderson. Apr. 18: Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa, 30 Cleary Ave., 8pm Apr. 19: Orleans United Church, 1111 Orleans blvd., 3pm.
April 30: Alain Trudel conducts the NACO in a concert of music by British Columbian composers. Features Sharman, Morlock, and others. National Arts Centre, 8pm.
3.01.2009
March Already?
Yes. It's March. And this blog has been silent for a while. Sorry about that.
There are a few exciting events coming up, and they've been added to the calendar.
March 6th at 3:30pm, A lecture recital with composer Aris Carastathis. Carleton University, Loeb A900. Carleton Music's Contemporary Music Ensemble, aided by some special guests, will perform his works.
On March 8th, at 7:30pm, Trillium will perform the music of Piazzolla, Martinu, and two Ottawa composers: Glen Morley and Margrit Cattell. We really shouldn't miss this one! It's at St. Luke's (760 Somerset West). Trillium is Cathy Baerg (flute), Steven Smith (cello), and Joan Milliken (piano).
On March 15th, at the Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, salle La Basoche (120 rue Principale, Gatineau (Aylmer sector)), there's a concert accordion recital by Pierre-Paul Provencher featuring works by Kusyakov and Abbott. Here's the kicker: it's at 11am! Hope to see you there.
On March 18th, at 12:15pm, there's a saxophone and piano recital at First Baptist Church Ottawa (Laurier at Elgin). No word on the repertoire, but the odds are good that it'll be modern. Billy Boulet, sax, and Tony Dunn, piano.
March 21st brings us the music of Ottawa composer Jan Jarvlepp. At 8pm, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau will play his Double Concerto for Flute and English Horn, at the Salle Odyssée de la Maison de la culture de Gatineau. The program is otherwise all-Ravel!
That should keep us all satisfied for the next few weeks!
There are a few exciting events coming up, and they've been added to the calendar.
March 6th at 3:30pm, A lecture recital with composer Aris Carastathis. Carleton University, Loeb A900. Carleton Music's Contemporary Music Ensemble, aided by some special guests, will perform his works.
On March 8th, at 7:30pm, Trillium will perform the music of Piazzolla, Martinu, and two Ottawa composers: Glen Morley and Margrit Cattell. We really shouldn't miss this one! It's at St. Luke's (760 Somerset West). Trillium is Cathy Baerg (flute), Steven Smith (cello), and Joan Milliken (piano).
On March 15th, at the Centre culturel du Vieux-Aylmer, salle La Basoche (120 rue Principale, Gatineau (Aylmer sector)), there's a concert accordion recital by Pierre-Paul Provencher featuring works by Kusyakov and Abbott. Here's the kicker: it's at 11am! Hope to see you there.
On March 18th, at 12:15pm, there's a saxophone and piano recital at First Baptist Church Ottawa (Laurier at Elgin). No word on the repertoire, but the odds are good that it'll be modern. Billy Boulet, sax, and Tony Dunn, piano.
March 21st brings us the music of Ottawa composer Jan Jarvlepp. At 8pm, l'Orchestre Symphonique de Gatineau will play his Double Concerto for Flute and English Horn, at the Salle Odyssée de la Maison de la culture de Gatineau. The program is otherwise all-Ravel!
That should keep us all satisfied for the next few weeks!
Two documents
Hey everyone.
Calendar update coming soon.
In the mean time, here are 2 articles which I have written. I hope you will enjoy!
The first is a review of Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/review-effortlessmastery.pdf
and the second is a paper on improvisation and semiotics
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/improvisation.pdf
Enjoy!
Craig
Calendar update coming soon.
In the mean time, here are 2 articles which I have written. I hope you will enjoy!
The first is a review of Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/review-effortlessmastery.pdf
and the second is a paper on improvisation and semiotics
http://www.craigpedersen.com/pdfs/improvisation.pdf
Enjoy!
Craig
1.15.2009
Answers to "Some Questions"
For my Business of Music course at the University of Ottawa, we were asked to read this article by Greg Sandow, and provide a synopsis and reflection. I've chosen to post my response here. Enjoy. ---Craig.
In his reflection, “Some Questions”, Sandow presents a series of inquiries to help explain why the classical music industry is shrinking, and potentially failing. Seeing as his reflections and questions are based mainly on his own experiences, I would like to reflect upon his questions through my own perspective.
1.) Sandow asks “Why isn’t the audience more active in the classical music world”, and more pertinently, “why don’t they get more involved with the music itself?” When I consider my personal experience of studying music, having done so enthusiastically for almost 10 years before understanding that listening to music is a dialogue, and before discovering the literature the communities that understood that music works beyond sound and relationships, that it is an organism that lives as long as we live, and that we must care for it, communicate to it, tend to it, and make the effort to understand it, and then still have questions of what it is and how it works and why it matters obscured I wonder the following: If after ten years of searching and caring, I finally barely understand this, can we blame the average listener, who started in the same place and had the same formative education as me, for be not being active and involved?
2.) Next, Sandow asks why people inside classical music institutions don’t talk about music more? He wonders why there are not more musician-conductor-staff-board-audience dialogues? I don’t really have an answer to this, but to me, a lack of communication indicates a serious problem. There is something in the ‘hierarchy’ of the classical music industry that promotes this attitude. In amateur music circles, musicians are passionate about music, playing with fervor, and care. Yet, for many in the average professional music world, however, the spark seems gone. However, it seems to me that an antiquated view professionalism is employed daily in the music world. To clarify, professionalism often means “show up on time, keep your mouth shut and play it right, the first time.” It’s the latter two points that interest me the most. What is to become of an art form when there is no room for or the dialogue. Part of passion is the drive to push oneself to the limits, exploring and trying new artistic ideas. I’m certain that art is not about doing it right.
3.) Why do we advertise classical music so badly? Sandow seems to conclude that most press releases and program notes are ego based, talking about the apparent greatness of the performer, composer, work, or all three. It is arguable that many of my colleagues were educated in institutions that valued ‘fact’ and ‘reason’ over emotional content. We were taught to develop rational skills, and to view the world – including the arts – through this lens. Music is wonderful because it allows us to explore other, experiential, human aspects of our life. There are things in the world that exists as a combination of mind and heart. But we’re never ever told this. This is the big secret. And so, what do we have but ‘facts’ and ‘history’ in our advertising.
4.) What do we ourselves get from all these concerts? I would like to argue that many performers, don’t get much out of the experience. For many, it’s a job. A job they love, but ultimately, a job. For me, it’s always been about learning the skills, playing it right and then maybe, just maybe having time to add your personal interpretation, and connect to the experience. Far too often I feel like we are craftsmen, or even technicians? Why do so many talented musicians leave the field? Is it because it’s not rewarding enough? And I’m not talking financially. The good players always have a gig. But it’s not rewarding to be a technician of music. It’s not what we signed up for, but it’s what the industry Sandow speaks of can resign us to.
5.) Why doesn’t classical music get closer to pop? There is a divide between “high” and “low” art. As Sandow pointed out, some pop is truly cheap and commercial, while some is not. To refute all popular music on the basis of the cheap and commercial is to refute all classical music because of Andre Rieu. Consider that serious pop music accepts and promotes dialogue between performer and the listener. Furthermore, I’ve never known my friends in popular music to be afraid of expression or doing making their music ‘wrong.’ Most of my colleagues who write and perform popular music use it as a medium to express something personal the them.
6.) Why don’t we play more new music? We do. It’s just a little bit more ‘underground’. Furthermore, maybe the industry has alienated people. Maybe it has been too intellectual, or too uncompromising. Maybe the balance is off. Maybe people do try to care, but when there’s nothing there but a brick wall that says ‘you don’t know shit, so don’t even bother, man”.
7.) Why aren’t we part of contemporary life? I don’t know. I feel like I can understand, but that in order to express it I would need to be in a dialogue with everyone who is reading this.
Sandow raises one final question: Why are we in crisis? Why haven’t we attracted a new audience? For the answer to these questions and more, see #1 through 7 above.
In his reflection, “Some Questions”, Sandow presents a series of inquiries to help explain why the classical music industry is shrinking, and potentially failing. Seeing as his reflections and questions are based mainly on his own experiences, I would like to reflect upon his questions through my own perspective.
1.) Sandow asks “Why isn’t the audience more active in the classical music world”, and more pertinently, “why don’t they get more involved with the music itself?” When I consider my personal experience of studying music, having done so enthusiastically for almost 10 years before understanding that listening to music is a dialogue, and before discovering the literature the communities that understood that music works beyond sound and relationships, that it is an organism that lives as long as we live, and that we must care for it, communicate to it, tend to it, and make the effort to understand it, and then still have questions of what it is and how it works and why it matters obscured I wonder the following: If after ten years of searching and caring, I finally barely understand this, can we blame the average listener, who started in the same place and had the same formative education as me, for be not being active and involved?
2.) Next, Sandow asks why people inside classical music institutions don’t talk about music more? He wonders why there are not more musician-conductor-staff-board-audience dialogues? I don’t really have an answer to this, but to me, a lack of communication indicates a serious problem. There is something in the ‘hierarchy’ of the classical music industry that promotes this attitude. In amateur music circles, musicians are passionate about music, playing with fervor, and care. Yet, for many in the average professional music world, however, the spark seems gone. However, it seems to me that an antiquated view professionalism is employed daily in the music world. To clarify, professionalism often means “show up on time, keep your mouth shut and play it right, the first time.” It’s the latter two points that interest me the most. What is to become of an art form when there is no room for or the dialogue. Part of passion is the drive to push oneself to the limits, exploring and trying new artistic ideas. I’m certain that art is not about doing it right.
3.) Why do we advertise classical music so badly? Sandow seems to conclude that most press releases and program notes are ego based, talking about the apparent greatness of the performer, composer, work, or all three. It is arguable that many of my colleagues were educated in institutions that valued ‘fact’ and ‘reason’ over emotional content. We were taught to develop rational skills, and to view the world – including the arts – through this lens. Music is wonderful because it allows us to explore other, experiential, human aspects of our life. There are things in the world that exists as a combination of mind and heart. But we’re never ever told this. This is the big secret. And so, what do we have but ‘facts’ and ‘history’ in our advertising.
4.) What do we ourselves get from all these concerts? I would like to argue that many performers, don’t get much out of the experience. For many, it’s a job. A job they love, but ultimately, a job. For me, it’s always been about learning the skills, playing it right and then maybe, just maybe having time to add your personal interpretation, and connect to the experience. Far too often I feel like we are craftsmen, or even technicians? Why do so many talented musicians leave the field? Is it because it’s not rewarding enough? And I’m not talking financially. The good players always have a gig. But it’s not rewarding to be a technician of music. It’s not what we signed up for, but it’s what the industry Sandow speaks of can resign us to.
5.) Why doesn’t classical music get closer to pop? There is a divide between “high” and “low” art. As Sandow pointed out, some pop is truly cheap and commercial, while some is not. To refute all popular music on the basis of the cheap and commercial is to refute all classical music because of Andre Rieu. Consider that serious pop music accepts and promotes dialogue between performer and the listener. Furthermore, I’ve never known my friends in popular music to be afraid of expression or doing making their music ‘wrong.’ Most of my colleagues who write and perform popular music use it as a medium to express something personal the them.
6.) Why don’t we play more new music? We do. It’s just a little bit more ‘underground’. Furthermore, maybe the industry has alienated people. Maybe it has been too intellectual, or too uncompromising. Maybe the balance is off. Maybe people do try to care, but when there’s nothing there but a brick wall that says ‘you don’t know shit, so don’t even bother, man”.
7.) Why aren’t we part of contemporary life? I don’t know. I feel like I can understand, but that in order to express it I would need to be in a dialogue with everyone who is reading this.
Sandow raises one final question: Why are we in crisis? Why haven’t we attracted a new audience? For the answer to these questions and more, see #1 through 7 above.
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