Welcome to Arraymusic's 36th season.
Our first concert features compositions of the internationally celebrated composer, conductor, pianist, pedagogue and scholar James Tenney, who died last August at the age of 71. Many of the works on this program were written for the Arraymusic Ensemble and its individual members as a result of our long and fruitful relationship with Professor Tenney. This concert is part of a festival celebrating Jim's work in collaboration with the Music Gallery. Besides the Arraymusic concert, there will be performances of Tenney's work by Nexus and Eve Egoyan, as well as lectures and open rehearsals. Above all, we have the rare opportunity to hear the groundbreaking work Bridge, scored for two pianos (tuned to two different tuning systems) eight hands.
We continue to feature individual members of the Arraymusic Ensemble i by presenting Stephen Clarke in recital. Stephen, whose international career as soloist and chamber musician includes major recordings on labels including Artifact, Hat Hut and Mode, performs Canadian works composed especially for him, along with international work too rarely heard.
The Spring will be a very busy one for the Arraymusic Ensemble. We present a program of work by the late Quebecois master Claude Vivier, including Et je reverrai cette ville étrange, a work composed especially for us, and featured on our Artifact CD Strange City/Ville Etrange. This program will go on tour in Quebec and Ontario in May, including a performance in Montreal at the invitation of SMCQ.
New ways of working are explored when we host a series of workshops and a performance with Zack Settel. Zack, whose work at IRCAM and as a programmer for Yamaha places him at the forefront of combining acoustic instruments with interactive computer technology, will work with us in exploiting technology that allows performers to shape and change the sonic landscape through movement.
Arraymusic continues its long history of mentoring young artists of the future with its Young Composers Workshop, now in its 22nd year. This season, we inaugurate our Young Performers Workshop, giving musicians at the beginning of their careers the opportunity to work directly with our richly experienced ensemble in the rehearsal and performance of established Arraymusic repertory.
Besides our regular concert series, look for lectures, demonstrations and performances at the Arraymusic Studio, including Rick Sack's lecture demonstration of percussion for composers. Watch for other announcements in our newsletter, and on our website at www.arraymusic.com.
There are several significant changes to the Arraymusic Ensemble. Both Henry Kucharzyk and Michael White are retiring from performing with the ensemble to focus on composing, but they will continue to be actively involved in the production of our CDs, released on the Artifact label. We welcome Anita McAlister as our new trumpeter and Conductor Jessica Kun to the Board of Directors of Arraymusic.
Besides our excellent ensemble, the Arraymusic Studio is a vibrant centre for the creation of contemporary music, with many ensembles and groups rehearsing and presenting concerts in the studio throughout the year. Now you can see what the Arraymusic Studio Community is up to by visiting the new website we have created for this purpose. Now in the beta testing stage, www.smashedpiano.com gives artists associated with the Arraymusic Studio the opportunity to post announcements of their activities, along with MP3s
And other relevant material. Check it out.
Our goal in this season is to present the vibrant history of Arraymusic, new and experimental work, and to continue to build the Arraymusic Studio as a centre for the creation of contemporary music. Join us for a season of exhilarating new music.
Bob Stevenson
Artistic Director
Arraymusic