INSPIRING STUDENTS
Soundstreams encourages music lovers and students of all ages to learn more about contemporary music. Each season, Soundstreams shares unique musical resources with secondary, post-secondary and graduate students around the GTA and across Canada.
1. In-school Visits: composers, conductors and/or professional musicians visit participating schools to discuss their work with students.
2. Open Rehearsals: students are invited to attend a rehearsal in the studio, or Soundstreams may take a rehearsal to a school.
3. Pre-concert artist presentations: musicians and composers participate in discussions and demonstrations prior to Soundstreams concerts.
YOUNG ARTIST OVERTURE PROGRAM
Cawthra Park Chamber Choir during the Young Artist Overture, November 7, 2008. Photo by Victor Thom.
Since its inception in 1999 the Young Artist Overture has created opportunities for hundreds of student musicians and composers to work with professional musicians and perform, or see their work performed, on stage in front of a live audience prior to main stage concerts. It provides young aspiring musicians and composers with a professional performance experience and a once in a lifetime chance to be mentored by some of our greatest musicians and composers. There are two basic types of YAO's both of which culminate in performances prior to Soundstreams' concerts.
1. Master classes: students enjoy the opportunity to work one-on-one with a professional composers or musicians, to rehearse a particular work for performance.
2. Composition Projects: composers mentor music students, working with them to develop new compositions which are premiered prior to a Soundstreams concert.
For more information on Soundstreams' Education & Outreach programs and events, call Adriana Kraevska at 416-504-1282.
MOST RECENT: The World on an Opera and the Children's Crusade
On June 10, The Music Director of the Children's Crusade, David Fallis and Nicola Smith, Canadian Children's Opera Chorus, visited a grade four class in St. Michael Catholic School to share with them what it takes to put on an opera, and the Children's Crusade in particular. They talked about the Artistic and the Production teams and what their jobs are, the various choirs and musicians involved in the new opera. The class got to learn and sing short excerpts from the Children's Crusade along with Nicola, with Mr. Fallis accompanying on the piano.
When asked what they liked the most, the kids wrote:
" My favorite part of the presentation was when we were singing songs", Lela.
" I loved that we got to sing with everyone and we got to ask questions" Jazmyn.
" I learned that there are different instruments that are played in operas" Giezel.
Love Songs on Valentine's Day
On Saturday, February 14, four University student composers from Ontario and Québec, met for the first time with performers, Wallis Giunta, mezzo soprano, Suren Barry, piano to hear their new works in a workshop setting. Composers were given a task by Soundstreams Canada to write a new piece for voice and piano. In celebration of the Québec composer, Claude Vivier and the 400th anniversary of the province, the students were asked to draw inspiration from Vivier's vocal work Love Songs, as well as have some relevance to Québec.
From left: Ana Sokolovic, Lawrence Cherney, Sean Kim, Suren Barry, Wallis Giunta, Francis St -Arnaud, Emilie LeBel and Nancy Tam at RCM after a workshop on February 14, 2009
The workshop was a success and opened a full discussion between the performers and composers about writing for voice and their intentions for the new work. Subjects such as setting text to music and speech inflections, the technical possibilities of the voice and what should be avoided in order to not harm or discomfort the performer, as well as how to write for piano to facilitate the singer to find their pitch, were all important issues. Ana Sokolovic, who is the mentoring composer for this project was a wonderful moderator in the discussion, engaging everyone in asking questions and offering advice.
All participants will take part in a second workshop in Montreal on February 27, 2009 co-presented with Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ) in collaborations with Université du Québec à Montréal. This time, Ana Sokolovic will be joined by Rachid Safir, director and founder of Les Jeunes Solistes vocal ensemble to give feedback on the works and performance. This will be the final workshop before the four new works are performed at Soundstreams Canada's Young Artist Overture, in Montreal on March 1 (co-presented by SMCQ as part of their MNM Festival) and on March 3 in Toronto. Both Young Artist Overtures will be presented before concerts by Les Jeunes Solistes. Please see Our Events listings for more details.
Amir Safavi, violin; Pamela Leung, piano and Kalyna Franko, cello with Mr. Ron Royer from UTS perform on November 20, 2008 at St. Anne's Anglican Church.
Click here to listen to the trio's performance of the first movement from Paul Frehner's "Quarks Tropes" at this occasion.