The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) commissioned new compositions from professor of composition Prof. Dorothy Chang and sessional lecturer Dr. Jocelyn Morlock as part of its 2020: The Year of Beethoven program. At five different concerts in 2020*, the CPO will pair Beethoven’s symphonies and piano concertos with new works by Canadian composers who have been influenced by the great German composer’s legacy. Interloper, Dr. Morlock’s composition, will debut on May 29th and 30th, while Dr. Chang’s Skizzen (Sketches) will debut on June 12th and 13th. They will be streamed live on the CPO website. *Please note that these events could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistant Professor of Voice J. Patrick Raftery made an appearance on the Operabiz Podcast, where he looked back on his four-decade opera career, how the industry has changed, and his own transition from baritone to tenor. In April he released a new album, A North American Songbook.
Paolo Bortolussi
Flutist and sessional lecturer Paolo Bortolussi spearheaded A Quinary, a new recording released on Redshift Records in March. The album features five new concerti written by five different composers, including the School of Music’s Dr. Dorothy Chang, Dr. Jocelyn Morlock, Dr. Stephen Chatman, and Edward Top. Performed by five different musicians — including Paolo himself — A Quinary showcases the creative visions of some of Canada’s most celebrated and up-and-coming composers. You can learn more about the album in the latest Recordings column.
Two faculty members have been nominated for 2020 Juno Awards:
Assistant Professor of Viola Marina Thibeault is a finalist for Best Classical Album: Solo or Chamber for her album ELLES, recorded with pianist Marie-Ève Scarfone. ELLES features repertoire for viola and piano by exceptional 19th and 21st century women composers: Clara Schumann, Fanny Hensel, Nadia Boulanger, Rebecca Clarke, Lilian Fuchs, and Anna Pidgorna.
John Stetch
Pianist, composer and sessional instructor John Stetch (MMus’19) received a nomination for Best Jazz Album for Black Sea Suite, his 16th album. Recorded with his NYC-based band Vulneraville, Black Sea Suite features original compositions “ranging from toe-tapping swing to East European suites to classically influenced cinematic excursions.” This is John’s 7th Juno nomination.
Harpsichordist, conductor, and sessional lecturer Alexander Weimann and the Pacific Baroque Orchestra teamed up with the internationally renowned Elektra Women’s Choir to perform “Women of the Italian Baroque” in Vancouver. The concert showcased the work of seven little-known women composers from the Baroque period.
Professor of Piano Dr. Corey Hamm recently performed Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with conductor Claude Lapalme and the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra. He made a CBC Radio studio recording of Kapustin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 and Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-Tableaux. He was a guest artist at both the University of Louisiana in Natchitoches and the Brandon University School of Music, performing concerts and giving piano masterclasses. He performed Nicole Lizée’s Hitchcock Etudes for piano and video at the VSO New Music Festival. PEP (Piano and Erhu Project), his duo with Nicole Ge Li, performed concerts in Toronto as part of the New Music Concerts series, and in Vancouver at the Sound of Dragon Festival, the UBC Wednesday Noon Hours series, and Music Friends Series. Dr. Hamm also released two albums, which you can learn more about in our latest New Recordings column.
Dr. Julia Nolan
In March, saxophonist and sessional lecturer Dr. Julia Nolan joined the Lion’s Gate Sinfonia as soloist for their performance of Stefan Hintersteininger’s Concerto for Soprano Saxophone. She performed the second movement of the concerto with the West Coast Symphony Orchestra in January. Dr. Nolan also recorded “Luminous Blue,” a track for unaccompanied alto saxophone written by composer Jeffrey Ryan for an upcoming Canada Council project.
