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Montreal, November 7, 2016 – Last Thursday, at Quebec City’s Espace Hypérion, Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM+), conducted by Véronique Lacroix, held the final of nine concerts of the Generation2016 Tour after a journey in the country’s major cities and a 5-day residency at the Banff Centre, all of which started on October 15. This performance marked the end of this 9th Canadian tour of its kind since 2000 and the beginning of a national career for four Canadian composers. At the end of the tour, two coveted prizes were also awarded: The Generation National JURY Award – a commission from ECM+ along with a $5,000 grant, awarded by votes from 42 experts[1] from the Canadian new music world and spread out through the tour’s nine concerts – and the Generation National AUDIENCE Choice Award – a $1,500 grant, awarded by the cumulative votes of the audience throughout the tour.
National JURY Award
It was the concertante work of Alberta’s Taylor Brook, Tirant lo Blanc, that brought home the honours with the Generation National JURY Award. With flute and piccolo soloist Marie-Hélène Breault in the forefront accompanied by nine musicians from the ECM+, this piece explores a micro-tonal universe based on principles of “ just intonation ”, all sustained by a slight scordatura of the strings. The jury saluted the piece which, with its harmonic materials ranging from “ pure consonance to the most complex chords ”, unfolds seamlessly and allows the impressive and seductive micro-tonal line of the flute to take flight. With the piece also showing a brilliant orchestration, the composer shows an “ inventive imagination and a great sense of direction ”.
Alberta’s Taylor Brook […] sure knows where he is going. The title of his piece is drawn from a chivalrous Hispanic novel, but his project consists of exploring, through a flute and piccolo concerto (both played by the same instrumentalist) and an orchestra comprising detuned strings, the use of smaller intervals than the tempered ones (microtones). The flutist is solicited from the beginning to the end, and the unusual intervals give place to intriguing moods.
Christophe Huss, Le Devoir, October 28, 2016, Montreal
National AUDIENCE Choice Award
The public was seduced by Bone Games – shy Garden, by Sabrina Schroeder, a piece half-way between the acoustic and electronic worlds characterized by a scarce use of resources which emphasized the “ abyssal and mysterious character of the different sound grains, in fifty shades of gray ” (Christophe Huss, Le Devoir).
Sabrina Schroeder’s piece marked the end of concert […] This piece made the room, along with the hearts of the Toronto audience, who warmly applauded, vibrate.
Normand Babin, cettevilleetrange.org, November 2, 2016
Generation National LAUNCH Grant:
The two other composers, Symon Henry (QC) and Adam Scime (ON), each received a Generation National LAUNCH Grant of $500 to highlight their full commitment to the project as well as the remarkable quality of their respective pieces, debout, un respir grand comme and Liminal Pathways.
The Canadian tour in review
During this cross-country journey, a total of 832 spectators attended the ECM+’s Generation2016 concerts. The program, hosted with expertise and humour by composer and vocalist Gabriel Dharmoo, fired the enthusiasm of the different audiences and jury members who mentioned the high level of each of the Generation2016 pieces as well as the now-recognized essential nature of the ECM+ project in developing Canada’s young musical creativity.
If I had to choose another winner amongst this iteration of Generation2016, my vote would go to ECM+ and its Artistic director, Véronique Lacroix. […] one can only recognize that her ensemble, along with what she does with it, is, at all times, ground-breaking.
Normand Babin, cettevilleetrange.org, November 2, 2016
Hats off to the ECM+, to Véronique Lacroix and to her musicians […] for their commitment and for their choice of substrate [the composers], of an interesting variety.
Christophe Huss, Le Devoir, October 28, 2016
A few words about Taylor Brook
Originally from Alberta, Taylor Brook currently lives in New York, where he is finishing a doctorate in composition at Columbia University, with Fred Lerdahl. He also holds a master’s degree from McGill University. His pieces, presented around the world, have been described as “ stunning ” and “ captivating ” by the New York Times. Amongst the numerous ensembles which interpreted his music, let’s name the Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM+), the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (NEM), the Bozzini Quartet, the JACK Quartet, the MIVOS quartet, the Talea ensemble and the Ascolta ensemble. His current projects include the composition of a new piece for the New Thread Saxophone Quartet as well as a new strings quartet for the JACK Quartet. For more details, visit www.taylorbrookmusic.com.
A few words about Sabrina Schroeder
Originally from the West coast, Sabrina Schroeder is actively involved in collective initiatives for composers and performers who show written and improvised pieces. She has also worked as a coordinator for teen music groups and has taught sound and media art at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in upstate New York. This year, she will tackle projects with the International Contemporary Ensemble (New York/Chicago), the Americas Society (New York), the Distractfold Ensemble (UK), Steve Schick, the ICE ensemble and the JACK Quartet. She currently resides in Manchester, in the UK, where she teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music. For more details, visit www.sabrinaschroeder.com.
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Voting members of the Generation2016 National JURY Award
Quebec
Nicolas Gilbert, Composer and Professor – Conservatoire de musique de Montréal
Manon Lafrance, Director – Conservatoire de musique de Montréal
Philippe Leroux, Composer and Professor – McGill University
Jean Lesage, Composer and Professor – McGill University
Pierre Michaud, Composer, Professor and Head of the mixed composition program – University of Montreal
John Rea, Composer and Professor – McGill University
Pierre-Olivier Roy, Artistic Director – Erreur de Type 27
ECM+ musicians (3 votes)
Ontario
Robert Aitken, Artistic Director and Founder – New Music Concerts
John Armstrong, Composer and Professor – University of Ottawa
Paul Frehner, Composer and Professor – Western University
Adrian Fung, Vice-President, Innovation – Toronto Symphony Orchestra
James Harley, Composer and Professor, University of Kitchener-Waterloo
David Jaeger, Producer, retired – CBC / Radio-Canada
Gary Kulesha, Composer and Professor – University of Toronto
Kelly-Marie Murphy – Composer
Dáirine Ní Mheadhra, Artistic Director – Queen of Puddings Music Theatre
Gregory Oh, Artistic Director – Toca Loca
Norbert Palej, Composer, Professor and Head of the composition department – University of Toronto
Annalee Patipatanakoon, Violinist – Gryphon Trio
Alex Pauk, Musical Director, Head and Founder – Esprit Orchestra
Sean Rice, Clarinettist – National Arts Centre Orchestra
Stefani Truant, Associate Artistic Administrator – National Arts Centre Orchestra
Alberta
Ian Crutchley, Composer
Scott Smallwood, Composer and Professor – University of Alberta
- Andrew Stewart, Composer and Professor – University of Lethbridge
Andriy Talpash, Composer, Professor and Head of New Compositions – University of Alberta
Mark Wold, General Manager – Banff Centre
British-Columbia
Dániel Peter Biro, Composer and Professor – University of Victoria
Christopher Butterfield, Composer and Professor – University of Victoria
Dorothy Chang, Composer and Professor – University of British Columbia
Keith Hamel, Composer and Professor – University of British Columbia
Jeff Ryan, Composer
Jocelyn Morlock, Composer
David Pay, Artistic Director – Music on Main
Bob Pritchard, Composer and Professor – University of British Columbia
Joseph Salem, Assistant Professor – University of Victoria
Farshid Samandari, Artistic Director – Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra
Rodney Sharman, Composer
Owen Underhill, Composer and Professor – Simon Fraser University
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