Markham Contemporary Music festival
Founded by Maestro Kristian Alexander, Music Director of Kindred
Spirits Orchestra, the 2011 inaugural Markham New Music Festival will
take place from May 1 to May 7 in Markham, Ontario. Created as an
annual event, Markham New Music Festival is the first of this type in
York Region. The New Music Festival in Markham responds to a growing
need of the local audiences for sophisticated live-music
entertainment. The Festival will promote music written in the 20th and
the 21st centuries worldwide, as well as will include lectures and
seminars in both English and French, workshops, pre-concert chats,
post-concert receptions and networking events, documentary films about
the life of contemporary composers followed by relaxed and
enlightening discussions.
The 2011 inaugural Markham Music Festival includes the following events:
Sunday, May 1, 2011, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Markham Heritage Collection building (Markham Museum), Workshop for Canadian composers (open for general public) with Gary Kulesha, Toronto Symphony Orchestra adviser and Professor at University of Toronto.
Monday, May 2, 7:15 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Old Unionville Library Centre, Performance by the Kindred Spirits Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Kristian Alexander of pieces by contemporary Canadian composers (open for general public).
- Matthew Tozer, Bassoon Miniature (2011), World Premiere
- Edith Covach, Wind Play (1971)
- Gary Kulesha, Divertimento for strings (1975)
Tuesday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., International Music Academy, Lecture on the life and compositions of Steve Reich and John Cage (in English). Open for general public.
Wednesday, May 4, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., International Music Academy, Lecture on the life and compositions of Steve Reich and John Cage (in French). Open for general public.
Saturday, May 7, 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Varley Art Gallery, The Kindred Spirits Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Kristian Alexander performs the dreamy “Overture to a Fairytale” by Morawetz, dramatic “Pelléas et Mélisande” Suite by Sibelius, and the inspiring Sextet by Dohnányi. Share a glass of Champaign with the musicians after the concert in celebration of Mothers Day. Tickets are sold though Varley Art Gallery by phone at 905.477.9511 or in person (for hours of operations and directions, visit www.markham.ca/Markham/Attractions/Gallery.