Textile Fantasies
An incredible feeling - my debut album Textile Fantasies will be unveiled next month on October 14th! This album is a set of works for various forces of percussion and keyboard instruments inspired by particular textile/patterns, and includes performances by TorQ Percussion Quartet, SHHH!! Ensemble, Barbara Pritchard, Wesley Shen, Cheryl Duvall, Shawn Mativetsky, and Joseph Ferretti. The album was produced by Chris Thornborrow, recorded in Toronto by Paul Talbott (Halifax session by Jeremy Van Slyke), mastered by Graemme Brown, with original artwork by Madison Gravelle (artwork in header above) and graphic design by Jamie Drake. Many thanks to the team, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Harry Freedman Award for making this album happen! There will be an album launch at the Canadian Music Centre in Toronto on November 10th, at 5:30pm, which will feature performances by SHHH!! Ensemble and Cheryl Duvall. You can pre-order the digital album or CD on Bandcamp below or on Centrediscs website.
Playing with Restriction: Kate Ledger
After collaborating with Kate Ledger since 2020, I am thrilled we are finally going to meet **in person** as she is visiting the Rio Grande Valley in early September to perform her program of works for piano, toy piano and electronics entitled Playing with Restriction. She'll be premiering several works, including the world premiere of Michele Abondano's prepared piano work One Is Too Few, and the US premiere of my studies in restriction for piano and toy piano. Kate and I worked on the five studies over 2020-2021 and I am so grateful for her collaboration, which really deepened the set of works.
studies in restriction explores the ideas of restraint and physicality around piano and toy piano performance. Each study of the set investigates a specific physical or instrumental limitation. In study in independence, only the pianist’s fourth and fifth fingers are used throughout, and in study in stretch, the pianist performs an elaborate choreography of overlapping wide stretched intervals. study in practice demonstrates the slow practice technique of right hand only, then left hand only, together, then up to speed. The toy piano is introduced with the piano in study in suspension where the toy piano’s limitation with sustain is bolstered by playing simultanenously with the pedalled piano (meanwhile, the piano benefits from the added timbral colouring from the toy piano to each note). To close, study in 3-2-1 (for solo toy piano) deliberates on the difficulties of repeated notes on the instrument.
Here are the concert details:
Playing with Restriction: A Performance by Kate Ledger from University of York, England
Thursday, September 8th at 7:00pm
UTRGV Performing Arts Center, Edinburg
Workshops on Friday, September 9th in Brownsville at 1:00pm
The Music Science and Learning Center Building
studies in restriction explores the ideas of restraint and physicality around piano and toy piano performance. Each study of the set investigates a specific physical or instrumental limitation. In study in independence, only the pianist’s fourth and fifth fingers are used throughout, and in study in stretch, the pianist performs an elaborate choreography of overlapping wide stretched intervals. study in practice demonstrates the slow practice technique of right hand only, then left hand only, together, then up to speed. The toy piano is introduced with the piano in study in suspension where the toy piano’s limitation with sustain is bolstered by playing simultanenously with the pedalled piano (meanwhile, the piano benefits from the added timbral colouring from the toy piano to each note). To close, study in 3-2-1 (for solo toy piano) deliberates on the difficulties of repeated notes on the instrument.
Here are the concert details:
Playing with Restriction: A Performance by Kate Ledger from University of York, England
Thursday, September 8th at 7:00pm
UTRGV Performing Arts Center, Edinburg
Workshops on Friday, September 9th in Brownsville at 1:00pm
The Music Science and Learning Center Building
ECMA Classical composer of the year nomination
Very excited to announce I have been nominated for an East Coast Music Award for Classical Composer of the Year! This is for Maureen Batt and Simon Docking's beautiful recording of Aunt Helen on Leaf Music (read more about the project below!).
"Aunt Helen" released by leaf music
Back in 2012, Maureen Batt and I cooked up the idea to apply to Opera from Scratch, partly as a way to work together and partly as a way to enjoy some time on the east coast (where we are both from). For the workshop, I wrote a ten-minute opera entitled "Aunt Helen" on the life of celebrated folksong collector Helen Creighton. Researching her and writing this opera was very special, and made all the more so because some of her descendants came to the premiere. Since then, Maureen has performed it many times across Canada and has recorded it with the wonderful Simon Docking on piano. I am so, so pleased to see this special piece shared in this way. Please check it out on all your favourite streaming platforms here: https://leaf-music.lnk.to/LM2012
"December" to premiere with Essential Opera December 21st
My one-act opera "December" is set to premiere online on December 21st, 2020. December is about two women (Julia and Natasha) in the first year of their relationship who are preparing to meet Julia’s parents for the first time. They are taking a trip to Julia’s family home for the holidays and the opera follows them as they prepare and pack for the trip, and Julia’s time waiting/stressing at the airport security line. Their trip is with Top Priority Air, represented by a Top Priority Air spokesperson, a customer service representative, and a security officer.
Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua (co-ADs of Essential Opera) and I met about this project back in September 2018 and I am so pleased we are bringing it to life at the end of what has been a very strange and trying year. We fundraised for the commission part of it in 2018 and the beginning of 2019 (thank you to SOCAN Foundation and to all of our donors!), I wrote it in summer 2019 right before a trip to Canada (which ended up being the last one before the pandemic!), and then the opera went into production this fall with help from Arts Nova Scotia and the Canada Council. While originally conceived for the stage, the Essential Opera team have turned this into a creative, funny, beautiful video project which we can't wait to share with everyone. Tickets are $20 and are available via Ticket Halifax here.
Maureen Batt and Erin Bardua (co-ADs of Essential Opera) and I met about this project back in September 2018 and I am so pleased we are bringing it to life at the end of what has been a very strange and trying year. We fundraised for the commission part of it in 2018 and the beginning of 2019 (thank you to SOCAN Foundation and to all of our donors!), I wrote it in summer 2019 right before a trip to Canada (which ended up being the last one before the pandemic!), and then the opera went into production this fall with help from Arts Nova Scotia and the Canada Council. While originally conceived for the stage, the Essential Opera team have turned this into a creative, funny, beautiful video project which we can't wait to share with everyone. Tickets are $20 and are available via Ticket Halifax here.
Singing only softly nominated for dora award
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So delighted to announce that Singing Only Softly has been nominated for Outstanding New Opera at the Dora Awards! Inspired by the redacted entries in The Diary of Anne Frank, Singing Only Softly was an extremely special project to work on with Cecilia Livingston and Alaina Viau. Also, our own Sara Schabas (Anne #1) was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Individual for her role in the opera - so well deserved. Cannot wait to raise a glass on June 29th with the other nominees, including Tapestry New Opera and Soundstreams, to celebrate the DORA awards together.
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Crossing Borders - Living Room Edition
Hard to believe how much the world has changed in only a couple of weeks! Hope everyone is staying safe and well in these uncertain times.
A quick update that soprano Maureen Batt will be hosting a concert as part of her Crossing Borders series. "Crossing Borders: Living Room Edition" will take place on April 14th at 2:30CST/3:30EST/4:30pm AT. Maureen will be performing my work for soprano and electronics the bliss of fatigue along with works by Bob Bauer, Melissa Dunphy, Matthew Emery, among others!
A quick update that soprano Maureen Batt will be hosting a concert as part of her Crossing Borders series. "Crossing Borders: Living Room Edition" will take place on April 14th at 2:30CST/3:30EST/4:30pm AT. Maureen will be performing my work for soprano and electronics the bliss of fatigue along with works by Bob Bauer, Melissa Dunphy, Matthew Emery, among others!
to prepare with smol ensemble (April 4th, Orpheus brewing, atlanta)
Last year I had the distinct pleasure of performing the inaugural concert with the Atlanta-based Smol Ensemble with Amy O'Dell, Justin Greene, and Paul Stevens. This year, Smol Ensemble is back for the 5th anniversary of Atlanta's SoundNOW Festival at Orpheus Brewing, along with a set by the terrific band duo Moloq. While I won't be able to come in person this time, I wrote a piece for the quartet entitled to prepare. There will also be pieces by Christopher Adler, Justin Greene, Olivia Kieffer (also performing in the concert), Stefanie Lubkowski, Alan Shockley, and Paul Stevens.
to prepare was written for four players playing sandpaper with varying levels of grit. The purposes of sanding are to remove imperfections, to create adhesion by roughing up the material, and to create a nice, smooth surface. It is an intuitive process and a necessary step in a long list towards project completion. to prepare is inspired by this step in the process, where you have to go slightly below the surface to begin to reveal greatness. Check out details of the concert here!
Also in Atlanta this month, pianist Amy O'Dell and cellist Jean Gay have been playing Misty in a series of multiple performances of their program "Folk Songs & Dances". Misty was originally written as a song for baritone and piano (with lyrics by Traix Heiden) and was arranged for the duo.
to prepare was written for four players playing sandpaper with varying levels of grit. The purposes of sanding are to remove imperfections, to create adhesion by roughing up the material, and to create a nice, smooth surface. It is an intuitive process and a necessary step in a long list towards project completion. to prepare is inspired by this step in the process, where you have to go slightly below the surface to begin to reveal greatness. Check out details of the concert here!
Also in Atlanta this month, pianist Amy O'Dell and cellist Jean Gay have been playing Misty in a series of multiple performances of their program "Folk Songs & Dances". Misty was originally written as a song for baritone and piano (with lyrics by Traix Heiden) and was arranged for the duo.
silks premiere with Cheryl Duvall (January 16th, CMC)
There is something very special about when you get the opportunity to write music for your friends. Cheryl Duvall and I have known each since 2010 when we played Fiona Ryan's "Where do baby toy pianos come from?" on Fiona's doctorate recital, and we have collaborated many times since. Cheryl, through her work as a solo performer and as co-Artistic Director with Thin Edge New Music Collective, is a true creative force in Toronto, and a creator I'm honoured to call a friend. I wanted to write something that sounded like "her".
silks takes its name and inspiration from aerial silks, a type of acrobatic performance performed while hanging from a fabric. The discipline is elegant, expressive, and physically strenuous, requiring many hours of training to learn and master the climbs, wraps and drops. For this work, Duvall, who has an avid interest in silks, choreographed an aerial silks routine and filmed it, and for the process of composing, I mapped each movement to music. Each physical gesture – each climb, each wrap, each pose – has a corresponding musical gesture. The held poses are mapped to a series of chords, which were individually handpicked from my absolute favourite chords from Romantic/20th century piano literature (Brahms, Scriabin, Messiaen, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc). The premiere will take place on January 16, 2020 at 8pm at the Canadian Music Centre (for details and tickets, visit here).
silks takes its name and inspiration from aerial silks, a type of acrobatic performance performed while hanging from a fabric. The discipline is elegant, expressive, and physically strenuous, requiring many hours of training to learn and master the climbs, wraps and drops. For this work, Duvall, who has an avid interest in silks, choreographed an aerial silks routine and filmed it, and for the process of composing, I mapped each movement to music. Each physical gesture – each climb, each wrap, each pose – has a corresponding musical gesture. The held poses are mapped to a series of chords, which were individually handpicked from my absolute favourite chords from Romantic/20th century piano literature (Brahms, Scriabin, Messiaen, Rachmaninoff, Poulenc). The premiere will take place on January 16, 2020 at 8pm at the Canadian Music Centre (for details and tickets, visit here).
Singing only softly
Cecilia Livingston and I began working on a special project in June 2018 - a song-cycle opera on the story of Anne Frank entitled Singing Only Softly. This project has been very dear to my heart and I am nervous/excited for its world premiere in Toronto with Loose Tea Music Theatre on Nov. 2-4, 2019 (tickets here), paired with Grigory Frid's opera The Diary of Anne Frank.
For Singing Only Softly, I wrote original text for the libretto which is inspired by the emotional journey of Anne Frank. Anne Frank's diary is extremely well known, and I think there is a huge level of responsibility when considering this amazing material. Because her diary is so impactful and widely read, I feel like every single person who reads it takes a little bit of her story with them. Because it is so personal, and also probably because many people read it when they were young, they have a deep connection to Anne. I don't think there's any way Cecilia and I (or really, anyone but her) can ever really tell her story as she experienced or felt it, or tell the story in a way that takes responsibility for the millions of people who have read and felt her work. All we can do is offer our viewpoint of Anne and her journey, and hope that the audience can meet us between their own version and our version to offer some fresh and meaningful. For me personally, it has been a privilege to be immersed and inspired by her words over this past year.
For Singing Only Softly, I wrote original text for the libretto which is inspired by the emotional journey of Anne Frank. Anne Frank's diary is extremely well known, and I think there is a huge level of responsibility when considering this amazing material. Because her diary is so impactful and widely read, I feel like every single person who reads it takes a little bit of her story with them. Because it is so personal, and also probably because many people read it when they were young, they have a deep connection to Anne. I don't think there's any way Cecilia and I (or really, anyone but her) can ever really tell her story as she experienced or felt it, or tell the story in a way that takes responsibility for the millions of people who have read and felt her work. All we can do is offer our viewpoint of Anne and her journey, and hope that the audience can meet us between their own version and our version to offer some fresh and meaningful. For me personally, it has been a privilege to be immersed and inspired by her words over this past year.
New Music on the Bayou
Heading to Monroe/Ruston, Louisiana in a couple of weeks for New Music on the Bayou! They will be playing velvet, my marimba quartet (June 7, 1pm, La Tech Biomedical Building) which was recently premiered in Houston, Texas with the Sam Houston Percussion Ensemble under the direction of terrific percussionist/composer/educator John Lane. The students at Sam Houston University were kind enough to take a video of their rehearsal and it turned out amazing!
new collaboration with essential opera in the works
Essential Opera and I are working together again! I am writing a one-act opera for three sopranos and string quartet entitled December on the theme of relationships, family, travel, and in particular, holiday travel. We are fundraising for this project, with the generous help of a matching grant from the SOCAN foundation. We are about 75% there but need a few extra dollars to make it to our target. And anything above our target will go towards the production itself. Please consider donating to make this opera happen! To read more and donate, please visit essentialopera.com. We are fundraising until February 28th, so we've limited days left to reach our target!
To donate: Donations are appreciated via PayPal, e-transfer, and cheque
Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/EODonations;
E-transfer: Email us at essentialopera @ gmail dot com;
Cheque: Email us at essentialopera @ gmail dot com for a mailing address to send a cheque,
Here's some photos from our last collaboration where they premiered "Etiquette" (libretto by John Terauds), a one-act opera about Emily Post, Dorothy Parker and Nancy Astor, featuring excerpts from Emily Post's famous tome "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home". (Amazingly, that opera was 100% supported through fundraising thanks to our generous supporters). It was an absolute blast, and I can't wait to do another project with them!
To donate: Donations are appreciated via PayPal, e-transfer, and cheque
Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/EODonations;
E-transfer: Email us at essentialopera @ gmail dot com;
Cheque: Email us at essentialopera @ gmail dot com for a mailing address to send a cheque,
Here's some photos from our last collaboration where they premiered "Etiquette" (libretto by John Terauds), a one-act opera about Emily Post, Dorothy Parker and Nancy Astor, featuring excerpts from Emily Post's famous tome "Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home". (Amazingly, that opera was 100% supported through fundraising thanks to our generous supporters). It was an absolute blast, and I can't wait to do another project with them!
toile de jouy with Wesley Shen
Coming up on January 18th, pianist/harpsichordist/toy pianist Wesley Shen is premiering my new harpsichord solo toile de jouy as part of a Continuum Contemporary Music/21C collaboration 21C After Hours. The concert will take place January 18, 2019, 10:30 pm Mazzoleni Hall The Royal Conservatory, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, CA, M5S 1W2 (tickets here). Such a dream come true to have a work of mine on a Continuum concert (and the 21C festival!) - they are an ensemble I've admired and followed for over a decade. Wesley Shen and I have worked together since 2009 so I'd say we are coming up to our ten-year composer-performer relationship anniversary, and this premiere is a great way to celebrate.
Toile de Jouy (or simply “toile”) refers to a type of decorating pattern in which a complex scene is depicted and repeated on a simple, usual white background. It originated near Versailles in the mid-18th Century and was extremely popular, perhaps in part because a ban on cotton in France had just been lifted. The scenes depicted on the fabrics were often pastoral or historical, such as the flight of the first hot air balloon.
In toile de jouy, I wanted to explore the complexity and ornateness of this type of design. The textile required a vast amount of creativity and technical detail to pull off - it is perhaps one of the most virtuosic fabrics of its time. The harpsichord is the perfect Versaillesian conduit to embody this rococo textile.
toile de jouy is the seventh and final in a set of a multiple-work piece based on the history and associations of various textiles/patterns. Textile Fantasies includes chain maille, for percussion quartet; houndstooth, for solo piano; damask, for toy piano and tabla; denim, for two toy pianos and two percussion; velvet for marimba quartet; and leather for piano and percussion.
Toile de Jouy (or simply “toile”) refers to a type of decorating pattern in which a complex scene is depicted and repeated on a simple, usual white background. It originated near Versailles in the mid-18th Century and was extremely popular, perhaps in part because a ban on cotton in France had just been lifted. The scenes depicted on the fabrics were often pastoral or historical, such as the flight of the first hot air balloon.
In toile de jouy, I wanted to explore the complexity and ornateness of this type of design. The textile required a vast amount of creativity and technical detail to pull off - it is perhaps one of the most virtuosic fabrics of its time. The harpsichord is the perfect Versaillesian conduit to embody this rococo textile.
toile de jouy is the seventh and final in a set of a multiple-work piece based on the history and associations of various textiles/patterns. Textile Fantasies includes chain maille, for percussion quartet; houndstooth, for solo piano; damask, for toy piano and tabla; denim, for two toy pianos and two percussion; velvet for marimba quartet; and leather for piano and percussion.
Musique 3 Femmes announces winners of the inaugural new Mécénat Musica prize supporting emerging female opera creators
Very pleased to announce that Cecilia Livingston and I have been awarded one of the prizes for the inaugural Mécénat Musica Prix 3 Femmes Prize! With Cecilia as composer and myself as librettist, we have been working all summer on Singing Only Softly, a dramatic song cycle on the emotional journey of Anne Frank. The workshop version is happening in a couple of weeks in Montreal (September 22nd), and then it will have further performances in the spring in Kingston (March 6th) and Toronto (March 19th). While I have been writing my own libretti over the years, and have recently been doing more text for other composers, this is a huge opportunity for my written work and I couldn't be more excited about it, or to be working with such a like-minded, artistically powerful colleague. Great times ahead! Many thanks to the team at Musique 3 Femmes!
Time's Illusion: processing Times
Mega life move last month - I finally made the move to the United States to join my partner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As some of you may know, I came here on a K-1 Fiancé visa, which is a visa that allows you a one-time entry for the specific purpose of getting married. We had applied for this visa last July, and there were so many months of waiting where we heard absolutely nothing, and then in February everything starting happening all at once. To mark this crazy time period, I wrote processing times, a work for the always adventurous chamber group NakedEye Ensemble. Their project - Time's Illusion - is a set of commissions inspired by, and being played in, the National Watch and Clock Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Coming up this Saturday June 9th!
The audio playback from my piece is made up of recordings from the clocks of the National Clock and Watch Museum, including the Tower Clock (1871) and the Master Clock (1927). There is also a jaunty melody from the “Eighth Wonder of the World” L’Engle clock included in the piccolo part (thanks to Bekah Simms for helping me out with my piccolo questions). The final Westminster chimes are recorded from my family’s grandfather clock, which was built in the 80s by my grandfather Francis “Pepe” Clorey.
processing times is about how the passing of time has such an slippery, hard-to-grasp feeling – at times incredibly slow and frustrating, and other times ungraspingly fleeting. processing times is also part memento and love song about long-distance love; the title is based off the USCIS current processing times page, something I refreshed daily over months waiting for any news on my K-1 Fiancé visa.
The audio playback from my piece is made up of recordings from the clocks of the National Clock and Watch Museum, including the Tower Clock (1871) and the Master Clock (1927). There is also a jaunty melody from the “Eighth Wonder of the World” L’Engle clock included in the piccolo part (thanks to Bekah Simms for helping me out with my piccolo questions). The final Westminster chimes are recorded from my family’s grandfather clock, which was built in the 80s by my grandfather Francis “Pepe” Clorey.
processing times is about how the passing of time has such an slippery, hard-to-grasp feeling – at times incredibly slow and frustrating, and other times ungraspingly fleeting. processing times is also part memento and love song about long-distance love; the title is based off the USCIS current processing times page, something I refreshed daily over months waiting for any news on my K-1 Fiancé visa.
whirly
whirly for TorQ Percussion Quartet and orchestra is almost here! TorQ and I have worked together many times over the years, and I'm honoured to call them my friends. This coming month is going to be chock full of collaboration - with the support of the Ontario Arts Council, they commissioned me to write a work for them and orchestra for their educational programming, and they are set to premiere it with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal on January 29, 30, 31 and February 1st, and then with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra on February 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9th.
A little bit about whirly: A quartet of adventurers make an unusual discovery - that simple corrugated plastic tubes are capable of producing a complex and harmonious tapestry of tones when spun wildly. Whirly tubes - also known as corrugaphones, bloogle resonators, tromboons - are rotated quickly to showcase a number of pitches from the harmonic series. The faster the toy is swung the higher the pitch of the note it produces, cycling through a spectrum of overtones in quick succession. Interestingly, the fundamental note of the harmonic series is the most difficult to excite with these unique instruments - leaving an important role for the orchestra to fulfill. Whirly tubes, toy pianos, bells, and more - extraordinary sounds entwine in this escapade for percussion and orchestra.
A few days after that, they are giving the Canadian premiere of chain maille, a percussion quartet I wrote for the Sam Houston Percussion Ensemble in Huntsville, TX (under the direction of Jone Lane), on a terrific program of new works with Jason Doell, Cecilia Livingston, Erik Patterson, and Pouya Hamidi (February 20th, The Tranzac). Details here!
A little bit about whirly: A quartet of adventurers make an unusual discovery - that simple corrugated plastic tubes are capable of producing a complex and harmonious tapestry of tones when spun wildly. Whirly tubes - also known as corrugaphones, bloogle resonators, tromboons - are rotated quickly to showcase a number of pitches from the harmonic series. The faster the toy is swung the higher the pitch of the note it produces, cycling through a spectrum of overtones in quick succession. Interestingly, the fundamental note of the harmonic series is the most difficult to excite with these unique instruments - leaving an important role for the orchestra to fulfill. Whirly tubes, toy pianos, bells, and more - extraordinary sounds entwine in this escapade for percussion and orchestra.
A few days after that, they are giving the Canadian premiere of chain maille, a percussion quartet I wrote for the Sam Houston Percussion Ensemble in Huntsville, TX (under the direction of Jone Lane), on a terrific program of new works with Jason Doell, Cecilia Livingston, Erik Patterson, and Pouya Hamidi (February 20th, The Tranzac). Details here!
NOW Feature: Grimes gets the classical treatment
Photo by Tanja-Tiziana
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Thank you: 10 Canadian Women Composers/Creators who rocked my world in 2016
Erte
Well, 2016 happened and somehow we made it to the end.
It’s been quite a year journeying along with my good friend gender parity. Much of it very good - I am very lucky to work at an organization (The Music Gallery) that values diversity and equity and I’m really proud of the many wee steps we’ve taken over the last year. But of course, many setbacks happened this year as well - most specifically the heartbreak-inducing misogyny surrounding the US presidential election which has left a deep scar on our culture. And on a personal level, I encountered an unexpectedly high number of conversations where I felt like I had to go back to the beginning to explain my perspectives on the barriers that women composers encounter when navigating the new music community, sigh.
But ever moving forward as an optimist - I present to you, in no particular order, and heavily Toronto-centric and mostly Classical, 10 Canadian women composers/creators who rocked my world in 2016:
Rose Bolton: Started an amazing workshop called EQ: Mentorship and Community Building for Women in Electronic Music (with support from Matthew Fava, ally extraordinaire). This is so crucial that it feels like one of those things that should have always existed. It can be so difficult for women to navigate the electronic music field without facing large doses of mansplaining. Also, Rose had an epic premiere with Luminato called Song of Extinction, no big deal.
Juliet Palmer: Persevered with the unconventional a cappella opera Sweat which had its premiere run in New York, New York this fall, with plans to tour this coming summer with the always innovative Bicycle Opera Project. Also has been doing amazing interdisciplinary work with her company Urbanvessel.
Nancy Tam: An amazing interdisciplinary artist and composer who presented Playback, an immersive soundwalk through the Canadian Music Centre which featured many interviews of Canadian composers. This tremendous work of art uncovers deep and sometimes uncomfortable questions about what it means to be a composer in Canada.
Emilie Lebel: Literally the first person I went to school with who has a *full-time* professor position at a university (University of Montana - one can only hope a Canadian university will scoop her up at some point...). In addition to her teaching work, she’s making a ripple internationally with her distinctive and exquisitely crafted music.
Linda Catlin Smith: Linda Catlin Smith’s Dirt Road (15 pieces for violin and percussion) came out on vinyl and everyone is obsessed with it. Including “The Rest is Noise”’s Alex Ross, who said Dirt Road “is one of those works in whose world you want to live.”
Ana Sokolovic: While Kaija Saariaho works on the glass ceiling at the Met (tap tap tap), Ana Sokolovic has a commission with the Canadian Opera Company for their 2019-20 season for La Reine-Garçon. I don’t know if I can wait that long.
Cheryll Duvall/Ilana Waniuk: Okay, okay - not strictly composers but I would not hesitate to call these two visionaries creators. These two artistic directors - founders of the Thin Edge New Music Collective - have taken some incredible artistic risks this year and they’ve paid off big time. From Balancing on the Edge to their arduous work on their debut album to just constantly commissioning all genders, these two have contributed SO much to what is new and interesting in Toronto new music and we are lucky to have them.
Bekah Simms: Special mention to Bekah - not only is she killing it music-wise, she is also the best example I can think of of someone who puts her music out there as much, as wide, and as loudly as possible. It can be a very difficult thing to do - it takes confidence, courage, and perseverance. Also someone who, in collaboration with August Murphy-King, is doing great work with the Caution Tape Collective.
Kristel Jax: Not sure if she would identify as a composer or not, but whatever the terminology - there is no creator I know who does more for women in music than Kristel Jax aka Brigitte Bardon’t. She is a support system, she is a safe space warrior, she is listening and believing you and is available for battle.
Pauline Oliveros: I cannot believe I was lucky enough to meet her. May her music and outlook resonate in our hearts forever.
Each of you, and the many, many more out there who I haven’t listed here - I want to say thank you. You keep us inspired and energized. I can only hope this list is as therapeutic to read as it was to write.
October/November 2016
Coming up this Saturday October 22, Toronto's newest new music gem the Caution Tape Collective presents a concert of solos for saxophone and harp, with works by Bekah Simms, Patrick Arteaga, Joseph Glaser, Parisa Sabet and Jimmie LeBlanc. My harp solo detach will be premiered alongside its companion piece attach. I collaborated with Toronto's Queen of Harp Angela Schwarzkopf back in 2014 as part of the Toy Piano Composers' concert Tension/Resolution, and we are so excited to present attach/detach as part of Caution Tape's innovative series. Expect smoky textures and ornate patterns.
On the same night but different timezone, Jacques Arsenault performs I'll tell you how at the Steel Recital Hall in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Jacques is a Toronto-based tenor who is originally from PEI, and he has put together a terrific program with PEI-based mezzo Maria Campbell. It's always such a thrill to have any of my works played in my home province, which remains to me one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
On the same night but different timezone, Jacques Arsenault performs I'll tell you how at the Steel Recital Hall in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Jacques is a Toronto-based tenor who is originally from PEI, and he has put together a terrific program with PEI-based mezzo Maria Campbell. It's always such a thrill to have any of my works played in my home province, which remains to me one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
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A few short weeks later on November 13th, Lancaster PA's Naked Eye Ensemble gives the New York premiere of divertimento, my work for projected iPhones, electronics and amplified music box with Tribeca New Music. This work was written for an interactive concert in Scranton, Pennsylvania a couple of years ago (and technically directed by the inimitable Anthony T. Marasco), and I couldn't be happier or more honoured that NEE's Ju-Ping Song has taken a shine to it. Naked Eye Ensemble has commissioned some very interesting works over the years, including one of my personal toy piano favourites, Rusty Banks' Babbling Tower to Tower.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, Barbara Pritchard reprises my piano solo houndstooth on November 19th as part of her Fantasy! program at the Canadian Music Centre's new performance space. This concert is part of a weekend celebrating the music of Barbara Pentland, one of Canada's most important composers. |
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Musical Toronto feature
Delighted to have been featured recently alongside many awesome Toronto composers in Musical Toronto. Read the rest of the article here www.musicaltoronto.org/2016/08/08/five-minutes-monica-pearce/
Summer 2016
A brief note as I start to slip into vacation mode - here's some photos of some of the amazing performers I've worked with over the past six months. Many thanks to Xenia Pestova/Shawn Mativetsky, Amy O'Dell, Phyllis Chen, the Bicycle Opera Project and Barbara Pritchard for bringing my music to life, from Nova Scotia to California. Big projects coming up in the fall!
March/April- The Curiosity Festival, Ground/Terre Western Canada Tour
Couple of exciting composition updates for March and April!
Myself and the Toy Piano Composers have been hard at work behind the scenes getting ready to launch our very first festival. 3 venues, 5 events, 11 premieres, and many, many notes!
Travelogue - **including the premiere of my opera April**
Co-Presented with the Bicycle Opera Project
April 1 and 2, 2016 - 8pm, Arts and Letters Club
Four original operas that explore travel by bicycle, car and rocketship! Brand-new Operas by: Monica Pearce, August Murphy-King / Colleen Murphy-King, Elisha Denburg, and Tobin Stokes.
Playback
Curated by Nancy Tam
April 6 and 7, 2016 - Start times 8pm, 8:20pm, 8:40pm, 9pm, Canadian Music Centre (piece is 1 hr)
Immersive audio tour through invisible architectures of Canadian music, inside composers' minds, and into hidden histories within Chalmers House.
Metal
Featuring the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble
April 9, 2016 - 8pm, Heliconian Hall
All things metal, from subatomic make-up to heavy metal-inspired works. Works by Alex Eddington, Ruth Guechtal, Daniel Brophy, Bekah Simms, Chris Thornborrow and Fiona Ryan.
Be sure to visit the TPC website to find out more about our exciting programming.
Myself and the Toy Piano Composers have been hard at work behind the scenes getting ready to launch our very first festival. 3 venues, 5 events, 11 premieres, and many, many notes!
Travelogue - **including the premiere of my opera April**
Co-Presented with the Bicycle Opera Project
April 1 and 2, 2016 - 8pm, Arts and Letters Club
Four original operas that explore travel by bicycle, car and rocketship! Brand-new Operas by: Monica Pearce, August Murphy-King / Colleen Murphy-King, Elisha Denburg, and Tobin Stokes.
Playback
Curated by Nancy Tam
April 6 and 7, 2016 - Start times 8pm, 8:20pm, 8:40pm, 9pm, Canadian Music Centre (piece is 1 hr)
Immersive audio tour through invisible architectures of Canadian music, inside composers' minds, and into hidden histories within Chalmers House.
Metal
Featuring the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble
April 9, 2016 - 8pm, Heliconian Hall
All things metal, from subatomic make-up to heavy metal-inspired works. Works by Alex Eddington, Ruth Guechtal, Daniel Brophy, Bekah Simms, Chris Thornborrow and Fiona Ryan.
Be sure to visit the TPC website to find out more about our exciting programming.
Around the same time but across the country, my new work damask for toy piano and tabla will be premiered by the fantastic duo of Xenia Pestova and Shawn Mativetsky. They are touring a program of works for tabla and keyboard across Western Canada, with stops in Calgary, Vancouver, Victoria and Gabriola. This has been a project in the works for over three years, so I am thrilled to see it come to life, and to have had the opportunity to write for such world-class musicians.
A bit from about the piece: Formed by weaving, damask is a reversible figured woven fabric. Taking its name
from the city of Damascus, the ornamental patterns are often elaborate, involving foliage, fruit, and scrolls. With extraordinary colours, it has been called the world’s most intriguing and luxurious fabric. In modern usage, damask tends to be simpler, but the core element remains the same: it is woven in such a way that the pattern on one side is the inverse of the other. Using a damask pattern as inspiration, the work explores the concept from several angles, by using the pattern as a starting point for the shape of melodic material, and by considering the “personality” of damask as guiding the tone of the piece (luxurious, bold, ornate). In addition, there is a visual element - yards of damask fabric will be on the floor of the stage, setting a striking background to the concept.
A bit from about the piece: Formed by weaving, damask is a reversible figured woven fabric. Taking its name
from the city of Damascus, the ornamental patterns are often elaborate, involving foliage, fruit, and scrolls. With extraordinary colours, it has been called the world’s most intriguing and luxurious fabric. In modern usage, damask tends to be simpler, but the core element remains the same: it is woven in such a way that the pattern on one side is the inverse of the other. Using a damask pattern as inspiration, the work explores the concept from several angles, by using the pattern as a starting point for the shape of melodic material, and by considering the “personality” of damask as guiding the tone of the piece (luxurious, bold, ornate). In addition, there is a visual element - yards of damask fabric will be on the floor of the stage, setting a striking background to the concept.
Standing in the Stream
Sam Houston Percussion Ensemble, Monica Pearce, and John Lane
A couple of updates before I slip into vacation mode + extreme composition writing over the holidays. First! I was so pleased to be able to attend the premiere of my percussion quartet chain maille in Huntsville, Texas in October, where I got to work with the students at Sam Houston State University and get to know percussionist/composer John Lane. John runs a fantastic artist-focused podcast entitled Standing in the Stream and I was lucky enough to be featured as a podguest recently. Check Standing in the Stream out! And many thanks to the Canada Council for supporting my travel to Texas.
Second! I'll be heading down to Florida in January for the Florida International Toy Piano Festival. Amy O'Dell will be performing my toy piano and bicycle bells solo clangor, and I'll be sitting on a panel discussion with a bunch of awesome composers (including one of my favourite composers Anthony T. Marasco). A great professional reason to go to Florida in January. Check out the festival's mini-interview: 5 Questions to Composer Monica Pearce.
Third! Also in January I'll be heading to Ottawa for the Canadian New Music Network FORUM 2016. I'll be sharing a talk, "Single ticket sales vs. Subscriptions" with Toy Piano Composers' Director of Marketing and Development Tim Crouch. Don't be fooled by the title - it's a fascinating topic involving audience loyalty, buying trends and risk vs. reward.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Second! I'll be heading down to Florida in January for the Florida International Toy Piano Festival. Amy O'Dell will be performing my toy piano and bicycle bells solo clangor, and I'll be sitting on a panel discussion with a bunch of awesome composers (including one of my favourite composers Anthony T. Marasco). A great professional reason to go to Florida in January. Check out the festival's mini-interview: 5 Questions to Composer Monica Pearce.
Third! Also in January I'll be heading to Ottawa for the Canadian New Music Network FORUM 2016. I'll be sharing a talk, "Single ticket sales vs. Subscriptions" with Toy Piano Composers' Director of Marketing and Development Tim Crouch. Don't be fooled by the title - it's a fascinating topic involving audience loyalty, buying trends and risk vs. reward.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Opera Lyra/Chain maille
Two very exciting performances this month, and I'm pretty sure they could not be more different! The first is a three-night run of Etiquette in Ottawa with Opera Lyra (October 16-18th, Great Canadian Theatre Company). I'm so pleased to have my Emily Post-inspired one-act come to life again in the delightful voices of Maureen Batt, Erin Bardua, and Marcia Swanson (swoon!). I've loved Ottawa since I was a kid (skating on the Rideau Canal) and I'm always so pleased when my music gets to visit that fine city. More details on Etiquette/Regina.
Soon after, I'm headed south for the premiere of chain maille, a percussion quartet I wrote for the Sam Houston University Percussion Ensemble in Huntsville, Texas (performance on October 29th). This percussion quartet is led by John Lane, a percussionist/composer/educator who also runs a fascinating artist-focused podcast called Standing in the Stream.
With an exclusively metal timbral palette, this percussion quartet explores the concept of chain maille from several entry points – using the mesh pattern as fodder for musical material, examining associations of its medieval history, and most directly, using a chain maille hood as a percussion instrument. chain maille also investigates the idea of armour – the heavy armour we carry to protect against harm, both physical and emotional.
Soon after, I'm headed south for the premiere of chain maille, a percussion quartet I wrote for the Sam Houston University Percussion Ensemble in Huntsville, Texas (performance on October 29th). This percussion quartet is led by John Lane, a percussionist/composer/educator who also runs a fascinating artist-focused podcast called Standing in the Stream.
With an exclusively metal timbral palette, this percussion quartet explores the concept of chain maille from several entry points – using the mesh pattern as fodder for musical material, examining associations of its medieval history, and most directly, using a chain maille hood as a percussion instrument. chain maille also investigates the idea of armour – the heavy armour we carry to protect against harm, both physical and emotional.
Opera Presto 2015
In July, I had the privilege of being one of two composers of the inaugural year of Opera Presto (aka "opera really, really fast") presented by New Fangled Opera in New Orleans. In this completely wild creative adventure, each composer was paired with a librettist (in my case Traix Heiden) and had 16 hours to write a ten to fifteen minute opera, then an extremely talented team of singers had about a day to learn the music. Our opera was entitled Persephone - a sci-fi opera about the first mission to Pluto. Many thanks to the fantastic team who put this together - the organizers Shelley and Chris Burton, librettist Traix Heiden, and our cast Laura Booras, NASA dispatcher; Molly Dahlberg, Seina; Sarah Aragon, Dream Seina; Daniel Foltz-Morrison, Eric; Liliia Oliinyk, piano; and our director Alexander H. Trice. An experience I will never, ever, ever forget! Video to follow soon. I'll be back in the fall with updates on more fun projects - including a premiere in Texas!
Leda
Leda and the swan. Jerzy Hulewicz, 1928.
"Come not with kisses
not with caresses
of hands and lips and murmurings;
come with a hiss of wings
and sea-touch tip of a beak
and treading of wet, webbed, wave-working feet
into the marsh soft belly." - D.H. Lawrence
After a few years reveling in the world of opera, I returned to the magical world of art song this winter to write a set of songs on the myth of Leda and the Swan. Using three poems from three different poets - Rilke, H.D., and D.H. Lawrence - the songs explore transformation, seduction, and the balance between fragility and strength. I am thrilled that these songs will be premiered by Toronto's art song + chamber music masters, Talisker Players, with Andrea Ludwig as mezzo. The concert, Heroes, Gods and Mortals, will take place at Trinity St. Paul's on May 12th and 13th, at 8pm.
Coming up this week - members of the Toy Piano Composers will be featured as part of Hamilton's What Next Festival in a concert entitled Discover the Unusual. Wesley Shen will be bringing his toy piano and bicycle bells out to Hamilton for a performance of my toy piano solo clangor, alongside a fantastic program including Thornborrow's Walking, James Rolfe's raW, Denburg’s FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN FUN WITH FRIENDS MUSICAL TABLE and Kaija Saariaho’s Terrestre. April 30th, 7:30 pm, tickets and more info.
Later in the month, Aunt Helen, my solo soprano opera based on the life of folksong collector Helen Creighton, will be presented by Opera Nova Scotia on May 22nd and May 23rd in a concert of one-acts. I am absolutely honoured that Opera Nova Scotia chose to include this work on the program Aspects of Woman. My good friend and longtime collaborator Maureen Batt reprises her role as Helen Creighton in the production.
not with caresses
of hands and lips and murmurings;
come with a hiss of wings
and sea-touch tip of a beak
and treading of wet, webbed, wave-working feet
into the marsh soft belly." - D.H. Lawrence
After a few years reveling in the world of opera, I returned to the magical world of art song this winter to write a set of songs on the myth of Leda and the Swan. Using three poems from three different poets - Rilke, H.D., and D.H. Lawrence - the songs explore transformation, seduction, and the balance between fragility and strength. I am thrilled that these songs will be premiered by Toronto's art song + chamber music masters, Talisker Players, with Andrea Ludwig as mezzo. The concert, Heroes, Gods and Mortals, will take place at Trinity St. Paul's on May 12th and 13th, at 8pm.
Coming up this week - members of the Toy Piano Composers will be featured as part of Hamilton's What Next Festival in a concert entitled Discover the Unusual. Wesley Shen will be bringing his toy piano and bicycle bells out to Hamilton for a performance of my toy piano solo clangor, alongside a fantastic program including Thornborrow's Walking, James Rolfe's raW, Denburg’s FISHER PRICE LAUGH AND LEARN FUN WITH FRIENDS MUSICAL TABLE and Kaija Saariaho’s Terrestre. April 30th, 7:30 pm, tickets and more info.
Later in the month, Aunt Helen, my solo soprano opera based on the life of folksong collector Helen Creighton, will be presented by Opera Nova Scotia on May 22nd and May 23rd in a concert of one-acts. I am absolutely honoured that Opera Nova Scotia chose to include this work on the program Aspects of Woman. My good friend and longtime collaborator Maureen Batt reprises her role as Helen Creighton in the production.
March
Today is one of the first nice days in Toronto after an extremely cold February, and my ears are being serenaded with the beautiful sounds of melting. Love it!
A very full and vibrant March is in store for yours truly, with performances from some of my favourite people across three countries (!!). First up, "Queen of the Toy Piano" Margaret Leng Tan takes her program clangor on tour to Australia, playing at WOMADelaide in Adelaide on March 6th and 7th, then off to Hobart for the Tasmanian International Arts Festival on March 10th, and to Melbourne for the Brunswick Music Festival on March 11th. First time any piece of mine has been played in Australia!
Next up, on March 20th, New Music Edmonton presents their innovative new music festival "Now Hear This", this year focusing on the music of Ligeti. My bass clarinet, piano and percussion trio In the forest, glow. will be presented on the opening night concert by the Violet Collective, alongside works by Gabriel Dharmoo, Emily Doolittle, among others. The whole festival looks fantastic, adventurous programming and lots of really interesting electroacoustic music.
Then, on March 21st, soprano Maureen Batt (with pianist Cheryl Duvall) brings her program Crossing Borders to Philadelphia, including the opening scene from Etiquette. I'm delighted to hop along for what will surely be an awesome and memorable roadtrip with Maureen and Cheryl.The concert will also be presented on March 27th in Toronto at Heliconian Hall.
A very full and vibrant March is in store for yours truly, with performances from some of my favourite people across three countries (!!). First up, "Queen of the Toy Piano" Margaret Leng Tan takes her program clangor on tour to Australia, playing at WOMADelaide in Adelaide on March 6th and 7th, then off to Hobart for the Tasmanian International Arts Festival on March 10th, and to Melbourne for the Brunswick Music Festival on March 11th. First time any piece of mine has been played in Australia!
Next up, on March 20th, New Music Edmonton presents their innovative new music festival "Now Hear This", this year focusing on the music of Ligeti. My bass clarinet, piano and percussion trio In the forest, glow. will be presented on the opening night concert by the Violet Collective, alongside works by Gabriel Dharmoo, Emily Doolittle, among others. The whole festival looks fantastic, adventurous programming and lots of really interesting electroacoustic music.
Then, on March 21st, soprano Maureen Batt (with pianist Cheryl Duvall) brings her program Crossing Borders to Philadelphia, including the opening scene from Etiquette. I'm delighted to hop along for what will surely be an awesome and memorable roadtrip with Maureen and Cheryl.The concert will also be presented on March 27th in Toronto at Heliconian Hall.
Centretracks release: in the forest, glow
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Thrilled to announce the release of In the forest, glow. on Centretracks, the digital label of Centrediscs. The piece, which is for bass clarinet, piano and percussion, was recorded live by Halifax-based presenter Musikon Concerts, with performances by Jeff Reilly, D'Arcy Gray, and Simon Docking. It was originally premiered by the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble on the TPC concert Artistic Differences, inspired by Brandon James Scott's Don't Feed the Deer. You can DOWNLOAD the piece on the CMC's website, or directly in iTunes. You can also stream it on Naxos's online library! Many thanks to Allegra Young for her hard work in producing the release, and to Musikon Concerts for such a stellar performance.
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JanUARY/February
Artwork by Nick Thornborrow
Happy new year! Lots of fun projects coming up this year, including a song cycle for Talisker players, a toy piano/tabla duo, a solo piano work - can't wait to dive in!
For January and February, I have the lucky pleasure of having some repeat performances of some of my absolute favourite works from the past two years. First up is passive aggressive-defensive-contempt-stonewalling, a set of four miniatures I wrote for the TPC Ensemble in 2012. I re-arranged the set to include CelloPhone (Chelsea Shanoff, saxophone and Nadia Klein, cello) for the Toy Piano Composers' upcoming concert Grit on January 24th (more details and tickets).
Meanwhile, on that very same evening in Halifax, NS (one of my favourite places), my good friend and frequent collaborator Maureen Batt premieres her Crossing Borders series, a set of concerts featuring a blend of contemporary Canadian and American vocal music. This concert will include the first scene of my one-act opera Etiquette, in which Maureen plays the sharp-tongued Dorothy Parker. (details here).
Then, on February 3rd, Acadia University will break out their brand new toy piano with a performance of my quintet connotations as part of their 8th annual Shattering the Silence festival. I wrote connotations for the TPC/Ensemble Paramirabo concert Threshold in 2013, and I am so delighted it will be remounted by Acadia's own NBG Ensemble.
For January and February, I have the lucky pleasure of having some repeat performances of some of my absolute favourite works from the past two years. First up is passive aggressive-defensive-contempt-stonewalling, a set of four miniatures I wrote for the TPC Ensemble in 2012. I re-arranged the set to include CelloPhone (Chelsea Shanoff, saxophone and Nadia Klein, cello) for the Toy Piano Composers' upcoming concert Grit on January 24th (more details and tickets).
Meanwhile, on that very same evening in Halifax, NS (one of my favourite places), my good friend and frequent collaborator Maureen Batt premieres her Crossing Borders series, a set of concerts featuring a blend of contemporary Canadian and American vocal music. This concert will include the first scene of my one-act opera Etiquette, in which Maureen plays the sharp-tongued Dorothy Parker. (details here).
Then, on February 3rd, Acadia University will break out their brand new toy piano with a performance of my quintet connotations as part of their 8th annual Shattering the Silence festival. I wrote connotations for the TPC/Ensemble Paramirabo concert Threshold in 2013, and I am so delighted it will be remounted by Acadia's own NBG Ensemble.
Blurring the line between artist and audience
Seems to be one adventure to the next these days! Near the beginning of November, I will be the featured composer at the University of Scranton's Art and Music History lecture series event, "Interactive Music: Blurring the Line Between Artist and Audience". For this event, which focuses on the unique nature of interactive, 20th century pieces (think John Cage), I wrote a new work for multiple iPhones, amplified music box and electronics called divertimento.
I wrote divertimento as an experiment in how we experience information and beauty in the year 2014. The usual definition of divertimento is as a lighthearted chamber piece designed to amuse audiences. While this work might play a little bit with this expectation, I was primarily interested in an alternate connotation of “divert”, which is to distract, to preoccupy. With music box melodies and overlapping sine waves as a background, participants in the work use cellphones to contribute both audio and visual material in embroidering the work as it unfolds.
Then in early December, I'll be headed out to Ottawa for the premiere of my wind band piece vivid with Hawthorne Public School. This work is a part of the University of Ottawa/Ottawa-Carleton District School board "Making Music with Young Musicians" project, which allowed me to travel out several times to work with a bright bunch of grade sevens earlier this year. More details to come!
I wrote divertimento as an experiment in how we experience information and beauty in the year 2014. The usual definition of divertimento is as a lighthearted chamber piece designed to amuse audiences. While this work might play a little bit with this expectation, I was primarily interested in an alternate connotation of “divert”, which is to distract, to preoccupy. With music box melodies and overlapping sine waves as a background, participants in the work use cellphones to contribute both audio and visual material in embroidering the work as it unfolds.
Then in early December, I'll be headed out to Ottawa for the premiere of my wind band piece vivid with Hawthorne Public School. This work is a part of the University of Ottawa/Ottawa-Carleton District School board "Making Music with Young Musicians" project, which allowed me to travel out several times to work with a bright bunch of grade sevens earlier this year. More details to come!
September: It all starts
September starts with a fluttery flurry of activity in Monica world - here's what's coming up!
Friday, September 5th, TRANZAC, 7:30pm: INTERSection festival kicks off at the Tranzac with a night of performances from Toronto's new music community, including the Thin Edge New Music Collective, junctQín keyboard collective, Kyle Brenders Quartet, the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble, and more. TPC's Wesley Shen will be playing my toy piano solo smart aleck (You can watch the video of the premiere performance of smart aleck with Pascal Meyer here).
Sunday, September 7th, Saint Mary's University Art Gallery, Halifax, 7:30pm: I am extremely excited to have my trio for bass clarinet, piano and percussion in the forest, glow. presented as part of Halifax's Musikon concert Entre le chien et le loup. I'll be on the same program as JUNO award-winning composers Allan Gordon Bell and Derek Charke (whoa), and some of Halifax's finest contemporary performers: Simon Docking (piano), Barbara Pritchard (piano), Jennifer Jones (violin), Norman Adams (cello), Jeff Reilly (bass clarinet), and D'Arcy Gray (percussion). (You can watch the video of the premiere performance of in the forest, glow. with the TPC Ensemble here).
Friday, September 5th, TRANZAC, 7:30pm: INTERSection festival kicks off at the Tranzac with a night of performances from Toronto's new music community, including the Thin Edge New Music Collective, junctQín keyboard collective, Kyle Brenders Quartet, the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble, and more. TPC's Wesley Shen will be playing my toy piano solo smart aleck (You can watch the video of the premiere performance of smart aleck with Pascal Meyer here).
Sunday, September 7th, Saint Mary's University Art Gallery, Halifax, 7:30pm: I am extremely excited to have my trio for bass clarinet, piano and percussion in the forest, glow. presented as part of Halifax's Musikon concert Entre le chien et le loup. I'll be on the same program as JUNO award-winning composers Allan Gordon Bell and Derek Charke (whoa), and some of Halifax's finest contemporary performers: Simon Docking (piano), Barbara Pritchard (piano), Jennifer Jones (violin), Norman Adams (cello), Jeff Reilly (bass clarinet), and D'Arcy Gray (percussion). (You can watch the video of the premiere performance of in the forest, glow. with the TPC Ensemble here).
Monday, September 8th, Toronto Reference Library, 7:00pm: The Toy Piano Composers return to the New Music 101 series, this time with the ever-talented and creative Bicycle Opera Project. We will be talking about do-it-yourself concert presenting, opera and the everyday, and presenting some opera excerpts from their most recent (and very successful!) tour. Finishing off the program, Wesley Shen will be playing my work clangor, for toy piano and bicycle bells. (You can hear the premiere performance of clangor with Margaret Leng Ten here)
Saturday, September 20th, The Music Gallery, 8:00pm: The Toy Piano Composers season debuts with Pandora's Box, an evening of inventions, oddities, and hidden treasures with visiting composer Anthony T. Marasco. My work, cognitive dissonance, for violin, piano and Oxblood (an invention of amplified spring, designed and built by Marasco) will be remounted alongside a remarkable program of unusual and striking new works.
July/August: OK.Quoi?!
Once upon a time, back in the early 2000s, a young lady (spoiler alert: a brunette) filled with musical dreams arrived in Sackville, New Brunswick to attend Mount Allison University.
One look at the Swan Pond and she was smitten.
It's hard to believe that it has been 8 years since I left Sackville, the place where I made some of my most lasting friendships, learned and listened to so much amazing music, and (perhaps most importantly!) where I first decided to become a composer.
One look at the Swan Pond and she was smitten.
It's hard to believe that it has been 8 years since I left Sackville, the place where I made some of my most lasting friendships, learned and listened to so much amazing music, and (perhaps most importantly!) where I first decided to become a composer.
So, it is with so much pleasure and delight that I am returning there this summer to be the composer-in-residence with the O.K. Quoi?! festival. Working with soprano Helen Pridmore and pianist David Rogosin, we'll be presenting a concert of my works on Wednesday, July 30th (4:30 pm, Brunton Auditorium), including several toy piano works (including the Canadian premiere of clangor, for toy piano and bicycle bells), some vocal works and a vocal/toy piano and electronics piece. I'll also be giving an artist talk and leading a soundwalk in connection with the "Sounds of Sackville" soundscape project I'll be working on while I'm there. I am so looking forward to presenting some of my music there; I love when my music is performed on the east coast in general, but there is something extra special of returning to Sackville where the composing all began. For more information on the festival, please visit the Struts website.
Into August, the ever-talented Wesley Shen will be featured at Stratford Summer Music with a gutsy program of piano and toy piano music entitled Piano/Play. I was thrilled when Wesley informed me that he had programmed not only one but two of my solo toy piano works, and even more so when he came and played them for me in my living room. Wesley will be performing smart aleck and clangor, both for solo toy piano. Alongside August Murphy-King, Colin Labadie, Ann Southam, among others, I'm very much looking forward to this inspired program (August 20th, 2 pm, details here).
Into August, the ever-talented Wesley Shen will be featured at Stratford Summer Music with a gutsy program of piano and toy piano music entitled Piano/Play. I was thrilled when Wesley informed me that he had programmed not only one but two of my solo toy piano works, and even more so when he came and played them for me in my living room. Wesley will be performing smart aleck and clangor, both for solo toy piano. Alongside August Murphy-King, Colin Labadie, Ann Southam, among others, I'm very much looking forward to this inspired program (August 20th, 2 pm, details here).
May/June: This spring is amplified! (...sorry)
Monica Pearce at the CMC
(photo by Caroline Hughey)
Some upcoming performances and exciting projects to share! First up, next weekend, I'll be travelling out to Prince Edward Island for the performance of emily songs, a set of three art songs with text by Emily Dickinson set around a weather theme. With lyrics like, "...and I said softly to myself, it must have been the sun...", I'm hoping that the sun will listen and show its face after all this...lovely...rain. This PEI performance is part of the program Dreams and Prayers: Susan Gray and the Music of 1864, and will feature performances by soprano Helen Pridmore and pianist David Rogosin, and works by Jane Naylor, Jim O'Leary, among others. Fun fact: Both Helen and David were favourite professors of mine at Mount Allison University. (May 10th, 7:30 pm, Beaconsfield Carriage House, Charlottetown, PEI).
Meanwhile, I've been working away on a new piece for the Thin Edge New Music Collective, which will be performed as part of their Premieres III concert on June 13th at the Array Space. Written for the two Artistic Directors, Cheryl Duvall and Ilana Waniuk, cognitive dissonance uses an custom-built invented instrument of amplified springs - the "Oxblood Junior" - in addition to violin and piano. Pictured above is me working on the piece at the Canadian Music Centre, having lots of fun with the Oxblood, which was designed and built by Pennsylvania-based composer Anthony T. Marasco.
Meanwhile, I've been working away on a new piece for the Thin Edge New Music Collective, which will be performed as part of their Premieres III concert on June 13th at the Array Space. Written for the two Artistic Directors, Cheryl Duvall and Ilana Waniuk, cognitive dissonance uses an custom-built invented instrument of amplified springs - the "Oxblood Junior" - in addition to violin and piano. Pictured above is me working on the piece at the Canadian Music Centre, having lots of fun with the Oxblood, which was designed and built by Pennsylvania-based composer Anthony T. Marasco.
Maureen Batt in "Etiquette" (photo by Terry Lim)
And then!! On June 15th, Essential Opera reprises our special triple bill Etiquette/Regina/Heather: Cindy + Mindy =BFFs 4EVA at the Open Ears Festival of Music and Sound in Kitchener-Waterloo. I am beyond thrilled to see a second performance of Etiquette, just in general, but especially at a festival that is so innovative and unique.
I've got a few things cooking for July and August, including a composery trip out to Sackville, N.B. for O.K. Quoi!? - more details to come!
I've got a few things cooking for July and August, including a composery trip out to Sackville, N.B. for O.K. Quoi!? - more details to come!
Everything is Essential
Poster by Tom Belding
My, oh, my, I have lots of lovely images to share with you today! First up - Essential Opera is presenting a triple bill of three new Canadian one-act operas on April 5th (details here), with Elisha Denburg's Regina, Chris Thornborrow's Heather, and my work Etiquette. There are many reasons why this concert is super special, and I will highlight my personal top three. 1) This is my most ambitious opera project to date, 20 minutes of Emily Post, Dorothy Parker and Nancy Astor saying (singing) their opinions about the role of etiquette in society. With a wonderful libretto from John Terauds, this opera was a pleasure to work on and I can't wait to see it come to life. 2) I share this concert program with two of my best friends. Nothing wrong with that. Happy to be in such amazing company, artistically, as always. 3) Singing the part of Dorothy Parker is my soprano muse Maureen Batt - this will mark the fourth piece that I've written for her. One could definitely accuse me of favouritism! What can I say - her voice does something to my music that is beyond, I seem to be addicted to writing for her.
Poster by Nick Thornborrow
A mere week later, the Toy Piano Composers presents Tension/Resolution: New Music for harp and ensemble on April 12th (details here). Featuring the Toronto queen of harp Angela Schwarzkopf, the Toy Piano Composers Ensemble will be playing works by Chris Thornborrow, Elisha Denburg, Fiona Ryan, Nancy Tam, Daniel Brophy, Ruth Guechtal and myself. We are especially delighted to present Daniel Brophy's The Red Sky, which took first place in the 2013 Toronto Harp Society Composition Competition. For this concert, I wrote a work for solo harp entitled attach, which builds off some of my clangorous ideas from the fall (see Music: "clangor") but with some unsettling undertones.
Aunt Helen at the Heliconian Club, March 7, 2014
Good Housekeeping for Composers
Next week, I'll be heading to Calgary for the Canadian New Music Network's biannual FORUM - go business trip! While there, I'll be taking in a myriad of talks, panel discussions, demonstrations, and concerts - can't wait! I'll also be giving a short talk called "Good Housekeeping for Composers: Some Thoughts on Personal Administration", which is based on an article I wrote for the Canadian Music Centre Ontario Region's Notations last summer. You can download the article below, and also check out the full issue of Notations here.
| good_housekeeping_monica_pearce.pdf |
Top five highlights of 2013
2013 has been a pretty special year, and as it comes to a close, I thought I would take a moment to take stock of some of the great times of 2013. And why not list in a top 5 fashion, a la High Fidelity?
5. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Toy Piano Composers with "TPC Turns 5", with some of my absolute favourite people (you know who you are, you favourite people of mine)
4. Getting my first OAC grant for it plays (because it plays), which directly led to me being able to afford my best creative investment, my piano.
3. Being a part of the New Music for Young Musicians Project, where I got to work with double bassist Alex Kotyk on basement apartments. So fun! Double stop tremelos.
2. Having Dale Sorensen play my alto trombone work Microexpressions not only in Toronto, but in Prince Edward Island. I love when my music comes back home.
1. clangor being chosen as honourable mention for the Uncaged Toy Piano Festival in New York, and way more than that - actually going to the festival! Working with Margaret Leng Tan (pictured above) was such a honour, and meeting all the wonderfully creative composers and performers was truly a highlight.
Thanks to everyone who helped make 2013 a fantastically creative year!
5. Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Toy Piano Composers with "TPC Turns 5", with some of my absolute favourite people (you know who you are, you favourite people of mine)
4. Getting my first OAC grant for it plays (because it plays), which directly led to me being able to afford my best creative investment, my piano.
3. Being a part of the New Music for Young Musicians Project, where I got to work with double bassist Alex Kotyk on basement apartments. So fun! Double stop tremelos.
2. Having Dale Sorensen play my alto trombone work Microexpressions not only in Toronto, but in Prince Edward Island. I love when my music comes back home.
1. clangor being chosen as honourable mention for the Uncaged Toy Piano Festival in New York, and way more than that - actually going to the festival! Working with Margaret Leng Tan (pictured above) was such a honour, and meeting all the wonderfully creative composers and performers was truly a highlight.
Thanks to everyone who helped make 2013 a fantastically creative year!
Fall performances: TPC Turns 5
Artwork by Nick Thornborrow
Fall is here, and with it brings a new, exciting season of concerts! First up is the Toy Piano Composers' fifth year anniversary concert, TPC Turns 5, featuring the TPC Ensemble and the junctQín keyboard collective. I'm really looking forward to this show, as we'll be playing favourite works from the last five years, including my toy piano duo Chess Suite. Moving into November, junctQín will be featured on the CMC's 13th Piano Series, where they will be reprising my six-hand piano trio it plays (because it plays) and works by Aaron Gervais, Alex Eddington, and Alfred Schnittke. To round off the month, fantastic double bassist/educator Alex Kotyk will be premiering my new double bass/piano work basement apartments as part of the CMC's New Music for Young Musicians concert on November 28th.
Nothing like long, summer days...
I was starting to think it would never come, but summer is finally here! What I love about summer: long sunny days, cottage time, more time for composing, reduced work hours, and lots of biking. Speaking of biking, the folks from the Bicycle Opera Project are "gearing" up for their 2nd annual Ontario summer tour, which will include shows in Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph, Elora, Fergus, Kitchener, Waterloo, Bayfield, London and finishing up in Stratford. This year, they have a program with works by James Rolfe/Camyar Chai, Lemit Beecher/Liza Balkan, Aaron Gervais/Colleen Murphy, Stacey Brown/Sébastien Harrisson, Juliet Palmer/Anna Chatterton, and myself. I'm delighted that they will be mounting "Cake" in so many cities, brought to life by singers Larissa Koniak, Michelle Simmons, and Geoffrey Sirett, flutist Katherine Watson, and pianist Wesley Shen. Tickets and more info here.
In August, I head out to Prince Edward Island for some much anticipated family time, and the second performance of Microexpressions by Dale Sorensen on August 5th in Charlottetown. Have lovely summers everyone!
In August, I head out to Prince Edward Island for some much anticipated family time, and the second performance of Microexpressions by Dale Sorensen on August 5th in Charlottetown. Have lovely summers everyone!
June performances: Microexpressions and Aunt Helen
The new performance space at the CMC.
An exceptionally busy June is underway with the performance of two of my recently penned (or moused?) works. The first performance, on June 10th at St. Thomas's Anglican Church, was the world premiere of the work I wrote for trombonist and fellow islander Dale Sorensen for his 2nd DMA recital. I composed Microexpressions for alto trombone, an instrument little known as a solo instrument, especially in Canada. With support from the Toronto Arts Council, I wrote the piece as an exploration of the psychological concept of microexpressions, which are brief, involuntary facial expressions shown on the face of humans according to emotions experienced.
A few days later on June 13th, the Ontario premiere of Aunt Helen happened at the Canadian Music Centre as part of their 13th Street Winery Piano Series, where delicious Canadian music is paired with equally delicious wine choices. This concert, "Key Characters", also featured works of my fellow TPComposers Fiona Ryan and Elisha Denburg and TPC Ensemble member Adam Scime, and performances by soprano Maureen Batt and pianist Wesley Shen.
A few days later on June 13th, the Ontario premiere of Aunt Helen happened at the Canadian Music Centre as part of their 13th Street Winery Piano Series, where delicious Canadian music is paired with equally delicious wine choices. This concert, "Key Characters", also featured works of my fellow TPComposers Fiona Ryan and Elisha Denburg and TPC Ensemble member Adam Scime, and performances by soprano Maureen Batt and pianist Wesley Shen.
Premiere: it plays (because it plays)
With a kickstart from the CMC Emerging Composer Award (honourable mention) and support from the Ontario Arts Council, I was delighted to unveil "it plays (because it plays" for the junctQin keyboard collective on May 27th, 8 pm at Gallery 345. With a toy piano-inspired electronics component, this six-hand piano trio (or piano triet!) explores the philosophical nature of play. It was a real treat to write for this talented and creative trio again!
I'll tell you how...you know me
Choral performances in April
I'm pleased to announce that two of my choral works were performed in Toronto in April, with two terrific ensembles - Vespera Chamber Choir and the Heliconian Choir and Orchestra. Led by Sarah John, the Vespera Chamber Choir is a women's choir dedicated to performing new choral music, with a special interest in promoting local composers. I'm delighted that they performed my work based on Gwendolyn MacEwen's poem You Know Me. The concert, All-Canadian Spring Song 2013 took place on April 11 at Windemere United Church. This work was originally premiered by the Heliconian Choir and Orchestra, who performed another choral work of mine at the end of April. Also a women's choir, the HCO performed I'll tell you how arranged for flute, piano and choir. The original piece was from a set of three songs for soprano, each based on the poetry of Emily Dickinson. The concert, which also featured works by Jeffrey Smallman, Gershwin and Mozart, took place on April 28 at Grace Church-on-the-Hill.
Threshold / Le Seuil
My latest work, connotations, for flute, clarinet, toy piano, violin and cello was recently premiered by Montreal's new music gem Ensemble Paramirabo. Ensemble Paramirabo performed and toured six world premieres by the Toy Piano Composers, with stops in Banff, Regina, Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal as part of the TPC collaborative concert Threshold / Le Seuil. Many thanks to Ensemble Paramirabo for their fine work and outstanding musicianship!
Artistic Differences
Artwork by Nick Thornborrow
A premiere to start off the new year - not bad! I'm pleased to report that Artistic Differences (February 2nd, 8 pm, Heliconian Hall), was a fantastic success, with six world premieres by the Toy Piano Composers. Inspired by Brandon James Scott's "Don't Feed the Deer", my work In the forest, glow. is a trio for bass clarinet, piano and percussion - a moody yet magical mix. To see the video by Alison Gray, click here.
Toy Piano World Summit
Photo by Ada and Bernard Gunther
I am delighted to announce that Chess Suite, my work for two toy pianos, was performed in Luxembourg at the Toy Piano World Summit, an international festival dedicated to the toy piano. Chess Suite, originally premiered by the junctQin keyboard collective (Elaine Lau, Joseph Ferretti and Steph Chua), was performed by the Pestova/Meyer piano (Xenia Pestova and Pascal Meyer) on December 2, 2012. I am thrilled that Chess Suite was presented alongside works by iconic "toy piano composers" John Cage, Karlheinz Essl, and many, many more!
We Started a Band!
November 2012 -A big thank you to all who braved the ghoulish weather to come out to We Started a Band, the debut of our new TPC ensemble with guest conductor Patrick Murray. It was a fantastic and decidedly convivial start to our fifth season, with a diverse mix of new works that tackled traditional forms including fugues, passacaglias, and miniatures, including the premiere of my new piece passive aggressive – defensive – contempt – stonewalling, a four-movement work depicting the destructive emotions that can unravel the delicate framework of relationships.
Opera from Scratch 2012
August 2012 - I feel very lucky to have participated in a new workshop for composers and singers entitled "Opera from Scratch", which took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia this summer. For the workshop, I wrote a solo soprano opera, "Aunt Helen", about celebrated folklorist Helen Creighton. Throughout the week, the piece was deeply and intensely workshopped by Maureen Batt, alongside helpful mentors James Rolfe, Janice Jackson, Roberta Barker, Lucy Hayes Davis, Linda Moore, and Simon Docking. "Aunt Helen" was premiered in Halifax alongside five first-class operas from across Canada and the US, and the audience included some of Helen Creighton's relatives! Many thanks to Maureen Batt for her superb interpretation of a Canadian icon.
Toronto Emerging Composer Award Honorable mention
March 2012 - I am so thrilled to receive the Honourable Mention for the Canadian Music Centre's Toronto Emerging Composer Award! I am also delighted to share this honour with Emilie Lebel, a fantastic composer who I first met at a Young Composer's Program in Nova Scotia many moons ago. Here's a snippet from the press release:
The Canadian Music Centre – Ontario Region is thrilled to announce Emilie LeBel as the winner of this year’s Toronto Emerging Composer Award, with an honorable mention to composer Monica Pearce for her strong showing in the competition. Both individuals will be publicly recognized for their achievement on March 29 at Koerner Hall as part of the Esprit Orchestra’s season finale (for tickets please visit www.espritorchestra.com).
This year’s Award jury – comprised of New Music Concerts Artistic Director Robert
Aitken, former emerging composer award winner Rose Bolton, and pianist, conductor
and producer Gregory Oh – assessed an impressive pool of submissions. After extensive
discussions the jury arrived at a unanimous decision.
The Toronto Emerging Composer Award was revived in 2010 through a multi-year
commitment from philanthropists Michael M. Koerner and Roger D. Moore. Its purpose
is to recognize the excellent work of emerging music creators from the Greater Toronto
Area who also exhibit innovation, experimentation and a willingness to take risks in their
work. It does so through a cash prize given to support the creation of a new work specifically intended to benefit the winning composer’s artistic and career development.
The Canadian Music Centre – Ontario Region is thrilled to announce Emilie LeBel as the winner of this year’s Toronto Emerging Composer Award, with an honorable mention to composer Monica Pearce for her strong showing in the competition. Both individuals will be publicly recognized for their achievement on March 29 at Koerner Hall as part of the Esprit Orchestra’s season finale (for tickets please visit www.espritorchestra.com).
This year’s Award jury – comprised of New Music Concerts Artistic Director Robert
Aitken, former emerging composer award winner Rose Bolton, and pianist, conductor
and producer Gregory Oh – assessed an impressive pool of submissions. After extensive
discussions the jury arrived at a unanimous decision.
The Toronto Emerging Composer Award was revived in 2010 through a multi-year
commitment from philanthropists Michael M. Koerner and Roger D. Moore. Its purpose
is to recognize the excellent work of emerging music creators from the Greater Toronto
Area who also exhibit innovation, experimentation and a willingness to take risks in their
work. It does so through a cash prize given to support the creation of a new work specifically intended to benefit the winning composer’s artistic and career development.
Heliconian Club promoting female composers
February 2012 - I am pleased to have been chosen as the winner of the Heliconian Choir and Orchestra's New Music Competition for Emerging Female Composers. I wrote a piece for the Heliconian Choir and Orchestra entitled "You Know Me", based on a poem by Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwen.
The Heliconian Club, founded in 1909, is a club for women in the arts and letters. The member sections include music, art, dance, literature, humanities and and drama. For more information about the Heliconian Club, visit www.heliconianclub.org.
The Heliconian Club, founded in 1909, is a club for women in the arts and letters. The member sections include music, art, dance, literature, humanities and and drama. For more information about the Heliconian Club, visit www.heliconianclub.org.
