ULTIMATE MAVERICK | Interview with Composer John Luther Adams: Video

By Ludwig Van on February 19, 2015

FEATURE | David Lang: Whispering Secrets of the Internet Age

By Tyler Versluis on February 18, 2015

From his irreverent early work with Bang on a Can in the late 1980’s, to his more recent appointment as professor of composition at Yale University, David Lang juggles a dual role as an iconoclast and respected new music figure...

ULTIMATE MAVERICK | Interview with Composer Georg Friedrich Haas: Video

By Ludwig Van on February 7, 2015

Kicking off the first a six part video interview series for Musical Toronto called Ultimate Maverick, Canadian composer, Vincent Ho sits down for an exclusive interview with the internationally renowned Austrian composer, Georg Friedrich Haas...

COFFEE BREAK | The Making of a Film Score

By Michael Vincent on January 21, 2015

There is so much that goes into making a film score, from the collaboration between the composer and director, to the recording process. This 13 minute documentary outlines the incredible journey of scoring the three-part CBC documentary, the Great Human Odyssey. Footage includes composer-conductor Darren Fung, the Edmonton Symphony & some truly gorgeous music...

COMMENTARY | Sokolović, Monk Feldman Oddly Perfect for Canadian Opera Company Commission

By Tyler Versluis on January 19, 2015

Last week the Canadian Opera Company revealed a surprising series of commissions from Canadian composers: Barbara Monk Feldman’s Pyramus and Thisbe paired with Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento de Tancredi e Clorinda and Lamento d’Arianna in October and November 2015, Harry Somers’ monumental opera Louis Riel for the 2017-2018 season, and finally a new opera by Serbian-Canadian composer Ana Sokolović for the 2019-20 season...

FEATURE | Toronto Film Composers Create a Community to Call Their Own

By Robin Roger on December 22, 2014

My inner curmudgeon was pleasantly affirmed by Michael Vincent’s November 27th post on Composer insults. Nice to know that those demigods who have created the sounds that express our highest aspirations, tender sensitivities, and most profound perceptions are capable of being petty, envious, competitive and begrudging. Yet for me, there was a simultaneous dissonance (pun intended) because of attending a recent monthly gathering of Toronto composers called The Toronto Ravel.

LISZTS | 15 Of The Best Insults By Composers

By Ludwig Van on November 27, 2014

Be warned, fair reader: your favourite composer may be on either the giving or the receiving end of these jabs!

LINES OF ENQUIRY | The Future of Notation Software

By Curtis Perry on October 22, 2014

Daniel Spreadbury is Product Marketing Manager for Steinberg’s in-house scoring application. I had the opportunity to chat with him briefly about the ongoing development of computer music standards in the wake of the digital humanities movement, the challenge of building great software, and the future of digital music notation. Learn more about the application’s development at blog.steinberg.net, and follow Daniel @dspreadbury.

Q&A | 20 Questions for Aaron Gervais

By Michael Vincent on October 15, 2014

Announced last week, Soundstreams has unleashed their second SoundMakers Composer in Residence. This year Edmonton-born, Aaron Gervais will be joining the Toronto-based contemporary music presenters and writing a new commission for four digitally prepared vocalists. No stranger to Toronto, Aaron has worked with Tapestry New Opera, G27 Orchestra and Toca Loca. He’s also a great blogger, and will be writing about his progress with Soundstreams...

Op-ed: The Compositional Voice and the Need to Please

By Open Submission on September 4, 2014