Founded by Maestro Kristian Alexander in 2011, Markham Contemporary Music Festival
is an
annual event that takes place in various concert venues in Markham,
Ontario. The Festival promotes the performance of music written
worldwide in the 20th and
the 21st centuries. It also includes lectures and
seminars in both English and French, workshops, master-classes, pre-concert chats,
intermission discussions, post-concert receptions, documentary films about
the life of contemporary composers, and networking events.
The 2014 Markham Contemporary Music Festival included the following events:
Thursday, May 15, 2014
7:30 p.m.
Official opening ceremony
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave, Markham
Welcoming speech by Maestro Kristian Alexander, Music Director of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
8:00 p.m.
Alfred Schnitke: composer or inventor of music?. Documentary film about the life and work of the great Russian composer.
9:45 p.m.
Cocktail Reception with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra members, supporters, and management.
Tickets are $10 (general admission) and can be purchased by phone through the Kindred Spirits Orchestra Box Office at 905.604.8339, in person at the Kindred Spirits Orchestra administration office at
1-4981 Highway 7, Markham ON L3R 1N1 (Monday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) or at the door of Cornell Recital Hall, 1 hour prior to the
viewing.
Friday, May 16, 2014
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave, Markham
10:00 a.m.
Witold Lutoslawski: changement des normes sociales en utilisant la musique. Lecture in French with live music illustrations by members of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
Free admission.
1:00 p.m.
Witold Lutoslawski: changing social norms through music. Lecture with live music illustrations by members of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
Free admission.
2:00 p.m.
Witold Lutosławski in Conversation with Krzysztof Zanussi. Documentary about life and work of Witold Lutosławski. A coproduction of the BBC with Roem, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), La Sept, STV, Norsk Rikskringkasting (NRK), Nederlandse Omroepstichting (NOS) and Eurofilm/Antelope.
Tickets are $10 (general admission) and can be purchased by phone through the Kindred Spirits Orchestra Box Office at 905.604.8339, in person at the Kindred Spirits Orchestra administration office at
1-4981 Highway 7, Markham ON L3R 1N1 (Monday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) or at the door of Cornell Recital Hall, 1 hour prior to the
viewing.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
10:00 a.m.
Open Visit of the World Musical Instruments Collection at the International Music Academy.
Free admission.
2:00 p.m.
Unionville Millennium Bandstand
Concert of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra featuring jazz music in compositions by American composers George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein.
Free admission.
SHOSTAKOVICH'S FIFTH SYMPHONY
Markham Contemporary Müsic FestivalSaturday, May 17, 2014 at 8:00 P.M.
Flato Markham Theatre for the Performing Arts
Join the KSO in celebrating three beloved and critically acclaimed pieces. Sibelius’ Finlandia serves as the composer’s protest against increasing Russian censorship during the turn of the 20th Century. Unstoppable rhythmic power drives Phillip Glass’ most popular work, Concerto for violin and orchestra No. 1. Shostakovitch’s powerful Symphony no. 5 earned its reputation as a crowd favourite after its premiere performance, when it received a remarkable ovation of over one half-hour.Kristian Alexander | conductor
Arpad Josephson | violinAlexa Petrenko | host (National Classical 96.3 FM radio)
7:15 p.m. Pre-concert talk in the foyer of Markham Theatre
Intermission discussion with Alexa Petrenko and Arpad Josephson
Post-concert complimentary glass of Champagne
Sibelius, Finlandia, Op. 26/7 |
P. Glass, Concerto for violin and orchestra No. 1 |
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47 |
Sunday, May 18, 2014
10:00 a.m.
Open Visit of the World Musical Instruments Collection at the International Music Academy.
Free admission.
11:00 a.m.
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave, Markham
Anatoli Lyadow and the Russian folksong: preparing the next generation of world-famous composers.
Lecture with live music illustrations by members of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra. Lunch and social networking after the event.
Free admission.
2:00 p.m.
Unionville Millennium Bandstand
Concert of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra featuring jazz music by French composers Eric Satie and Darius Milhaud.
Monday, May 19, 2014 (Victoria Day)
10:00 a.m.
Open Visit of the World Musical Instruments Collection at the International Music Academy.
Free admission.
10:00 a.m.
All-day workshop on contemporary compositional techniques with Constantine Caravassilis, internationally renowned Canadian composer.
Free admission.
2:00 p.m.
Unionville Millennium Bandstand
Concert of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra featuring waltzes and marches by British and Canadian composers.
Free admission.
5:00 p.m.
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave, Markham
Cocktail reception at Cornell Recital Hall. Guest speaker: Maestro Kristian Alexander, Music Director of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
Free admission.
8:00 p.m.
Unionville Millennium Bandstand and park
Concert of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra featuring waltzes and marches by British and Canadian composers. Fireworks and food/drinks, provided by various vendors from local restaurants, coffee shops and ice-cream distributors.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
10:00 a.m.
Open Visit of the World Musical Instruments Collection at the International Music Academy.
Free admission.
7:00 p.m.
Cornell Recital Hall
3201 Bur Oak Ave, Markham
Open rehearsal of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra – public reading of compositions
by young Canadian composers currently attending compositions programs at the
University of Toronto, York University, McMaster University and University of
Western Ontario.
9:30 p.m.
Reception for the audience and musicians, composers, management, staff,
volunteers and supporters of the festival.
FRIDAY, June 20, 2014 at 8:00 p.m.
Cornell Recital Hall
An evening presenting 9 of the greatest chamber music pieces written by the French composer Guillaume Connesson performed by Associates of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra. The audience will choose the order in which the pieces will be performed. Short films with commentaries and interviews with the composer will be shown prior to the performance of each piece. Be part of this exciting interactive event.
Toccata-Nocturne | ||
Disco-Toccata | ||
Techno-Parade | ||
Les Chants d'Agartha | ||
Le Sextuor | ||
Variations Adams | ||
Le Rire de Saraï | ||
Les Chants d'Atlantide | ||
Constellations de la Couronne Boreale | ||
Alexa Ball
(flute), Rodney
Gray (flute)
Carmen Gassi (clarinet), Daniel
Paquin (clarinet),
Melissa Scott (oboe)
Crystal Ye (violin), Marie-André
Gray (violin),
Vesna Vukusic (viola)
Jun Kyu Park (cello),
Brenton Chan (cello),
Jesse Dietschi (contrabass)
Elida Cota (piano), Cole
Higgins (piano),
Antonia de Wolfe (piano), Dong
Xu (piano)
Kristian Alexander | host
Closing ceremony of the Markham Contemporary Music Festival. Remarks by the Director of Culture of the City of Markham and Maestro Kristian Alexander, Music Director of the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
Tickets are $10 (general admission) and can be purchased by phone through the Kindred Spirits Orchestra Box Office at 905.604.8339, in person at the Kindred Spirits Orchestra administration office at
1-4981 Highway 7, Markham ON L3R 1N1 (Monday through Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) or at the door of Cornell Recital Hall, 1 hour prior to the concert.
The 2011 and 2014 festivals have been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation