{"id":33491,"date":"2016-01-23T13:52:21","date_gmt":"2016-01-23T18:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=33491"},"modified":"2016-01-24T12:16:01","modified_gmt":"2016-01-24T17:16:01","slug":"qa-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2016\/01\/23\/qa-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A | 41 Questions For Dean Burry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dean
Dean Burry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you’ve spent any time getting to know the people who make Toronto’s classical music and opera community tick, you may have likely bumped into one of our cities most admired composers, librettists, and educators.<\/p>\n

Dean Burry<\/a> came to Toronto by way of Gander\u00a0Newfoundland, and after early piano lessons began composing music and writing plays. He studied\u00a0saxophone at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, and learned to combine his love of theatre through composing operas and musicals. He later moved to Toronto to study at the U of T. To make ends meet, he worked at the box office at the Canadian Opera Company, and later as an\u00a0educator with the COC.\u00a0The COC commissioned his children’s opera, “The Brothers Grimm”, which was presented as a new opera for the annual school tour in 2001. It has since been seen over\u00a0160,000\u00a0<\/span>times and was made a regular part of the COC’s touring repertoire.<\/p>\n

In June, 2015 Dean Burry was appointed new Artistic Director of Canadian Children’s Opera Company. Fast forward to 2016, VIVA! Youth Singers of Toronto<\/a> will premiere his new opera \u201cThe Sword in the Schoolyard\u201d at Daniel\u2019s Spectrum followed by the Canadian Children’s Opera Company<\/a>‘s production of \u201cThe Hobbit,\u201d which first premiered in 2004.\u00a0We’re told the\u00a0VIVA and CCOC are\u00a0creating a \u201cToronto Festival of Children\u2019s Opera\u201d to tie these two pieces together.<\/p>\n

This year also includes\u00a0the premiere of Burry’s\u00a0Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang<\/i> at the Montreal Chamber music Festival, with\u00a0Ben Heppner narrating.<\/p>\n

Readers can catch Dean Burry’s DMA Composition graduation recital at U of T’s Victoria Chapel on February 9, and 8:00 p.m. More details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Q&A<\/h3>\n

What are three things about Toronto that make you want to live here?<\/h3>\n

1) Came for the music, stayed for the music.\u00a0 What a great opera community we\u2019ve got here.<\/p>\n

2) Multiculturalism is a huge thing here, and I love that.\u00a0 Given all the trouble in the world, Toronto is basically proof that not only can we all get along, but also grow a tremendous amount because of our differences.<\/p>\n

3) Great, safe place to raise kids (a big part of my life for the last 10-years).\u00a0 There are parks, skating rinks and adventures hidden all over the place.<\/p>\n

Default drink\/cocktail of choice?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a lover of Belgian Trappist beer, but make me happy with a couple of fingers of Islay scotch, neat \u2013 the peatier, the better \u2013 liquid sod in a glass.\u00a0 My wonderful wife Julia buys me a bottle each time I have a big premiere.<\/p>\n

Name your favourite concert hall\/venue in Toronto<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m a fan of Mazzoleni Hall in the RCM\u2019s Telus Centre. Love the intimacy and warmth.<\/p>\n

Name your favourite concert hall\/venue anywhere<\/h3>\n

The Joseph R. Smallwood Arts and Culture Centre in Gander NL (where I grew up) was a big part of my artistic development.\u00a0 400 seat proscenium theatre, which was actually donated to the town of Gander by the Czechoslovakian government in thanks for the way they handled a tragic plane crash there (Gander is known for that\u2026think 9\/11) My first play was performed there when I was 15.\u00a0 Big pit, great acoustic, excellent site lines, tons of wing space.\u00a0 If I could, I\u2019d pick it up and bring it here<\/p>\n

Your role models?<\/h3>\n

That\u2019s a hard one.\u00a0 So many people play a role in who a person becomes.\u00a0 My mom and dad for sure who gave me that \u201cdo what you want to do\u201d mentality.\u00a0 I also had teachers from an early age that really encouraged my creativity and so even in that small town; I never felt there was anything holding me back.\u00a0 Recently, having returned to the University of Toronto, I\u2019ve also found a real inspiration in composer Christos Hatzis and his attitude towards the role of new music in the world.\u00a0 The Greek and the Newfoundlander\u2026there\u2019s an awful lot of loud laughing in our lessons.<\/p>\n

Your favourite sound?<\/h3>\n

Children laughing\u2026especially the quirky ones.<\/p>\n

Your least favourite sound?<\/h3>\n

That grating generic alarm sound on clock radios!!!! What fiendish agent of hell came up with that?!<\/p>\n

Your favourite smells?<\/h3>\n

As some many know, I was born in Newfoundland, and it\u2019s still so much a part of who I am.\u00a0 My father grew up in the fishing community of Newtown and on a warm summer day, the smell of the peat bogs with all their berries and the salt sea is intoxicating (whoa – think I just figured out where my love of Islay scotches comes from! Thanks, MT)<\/p>\n

First thing that comes to your mind when you think about Toronto?<\/h3>\n

Craning my neck the first time I got here to gaze in wonder at the skyscrapers.\u00a0 Still gets me.<\/p>\n

The historical personalities, both good and bad that fascinate you the most?<\/h3>\n

Mary Pickford \u2013 Toronto woman who essentially made Hollywood.<\/p>\n

Arnold Schoenberg \u2013 pretty sure we wouldn\u2019t have gotten along at all and yet his music does speak to me.\u00a0 (would have a scotch with Berg, though)<\/p>\n

Is there a local music store that could sell you anything?<\/h3>\n

My beloved Recorder Centre on Dovercourt (my source for great penny whistles) closed down about a year ago.\u00a0 Planning on making a trip to the Musideum soon.\u00a0 That place looks great!<\/p>\n

Your first three record store purchases?<\/h3>\n

Dave Brubeck – Time Out<\/em>. Billy Joel \u2013 An Innocent Man<\/em>. Bizet \u2013 L\u2019arlesienne Suites<\/em> (I started playing the saxophone in grade 8 and there aren\u2019t many classical pieces with sax)<\/p>\n

If you could board a plane this afternoon, where would it be taking you?<\/h3>\n

This afternoon is pretty chilly.\u00a0 So let\u2019s say Cuba.\u00a0 I always thought that travel dollars should be spent on stimulating locations but the older I get, the more the idea of lying prostrate on warm sand appeals.<\/p>\n

The strangest place you\u2019ve ever been to?<\/h3>\n

I recently attended the traditional opera in Chengdu, China, which was wonderful and wacky. I loved it\u2026but the complimentary ear cleaning beforehand was a little surreal.<\/p>\n

The three books that you read that made an impact on you in your formative years?<\/h3>\n

The Hobbit<\/em> \u2013 JRR Tolkien.\u00a0 The Catcher in the Rye<\/em> \u2013 JD Salinger. The Lyre of Orpheus<\/em> \u2013 Robertson Davies<\/p>\n

Whose musical style do you covet?<\/h3>\n

Stravinsky and Britten<\/p>\n

Where was the last place you traveled to for work or pleasure?<\/h3>\n

I was in Cardiff, Wales in June for business (workshopping a new production of my opera Pandora\u2019s Locker<\/em>) but business IS pleasure when you get to work as a composer. I could have toured castle ruins for a month.<\/p>\n

Where did you go to school?<\/h3>\n

Gander Academy, Gander Junior High, Gander Collegiate (my dad was principal), Mount Allison University (part of my heart is still there), and the University of Toronto where I\u2019m currently working on my doctorate.<\/p>\n

What did you major in as an undergraduate?<\/h3>\n

I was a saxophone major, but I pretty quickly realized I much preferred to get other people to play instruments and sing for me. I joke that I became a composer because I hated practicing.<\/p>\n

The strangest talent that you possess?<\/h3>\n

People say I\u2019m a pretty good cake decorator.\u00a0 They say I should do it professionally, which is either encouragement of my decorating skills or condemnation of my composing.<\/p>\n

Shoe of choice?<\/h3>\n

Never been fancy when it comes to clothes.\u00a0 Sketchers \u2013 recently moved to loafers \u2013 does that mean I\u2019m getting old?<\/p>\n

The different career path that you could have gone on?<\/h3>\n

I LOVE science\u2026but nothing with too much math.\u00a0 I would be a marine biologist\u2026or maybe an archeologist.<\/p>\n

Your ancestry?<\/h3>\n

South shore English fisherman who came to Newfoundland in the late 1600\u2019s\u2026but about three years ago I found out that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather (born in 1828) was from the Mi\u2019kmaq First Nation.\u00a0 That\u2019s a ways back, I know, but it really had an impact on me, and I am so excited to explore more of that connection.<\/p>\n

Your three favourite films?<\/h3>\n

Star Wars.\u00a0 The Wizard of OZ. Psycho<\/em><\/p>\n

Television show that you could tolerate re-runs of?<\/h3>\n

Robot Wars<\/em> (guilty pleasure)<\/p>\n

Under what circumstances would you join the army?<\/h3>\n

I REALLY respect people who step up in this way, and it moves me greatly to think of all the \u201caverage\u201d people who eagerly signed up in the last 100 years.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure if I possess that sort of bravery, but if my family were threatened, I\u2019d be there in a heartbeat.<\/p>\n

Your major character flaw?<\/h3>\n

I have always struggled with \u201cliving in the present\u201d.\u00a0 I\u2019m a sentimental guy so always looking back and fighting through those early days of trying to get a career going always meant dreaming about the future.\u00a0 When the girls were born, I vowed I\u2019d never wish away another day, o that has helped a lot.<\/p>\n

The character flaw in others that you can\u2019t abide?<\/h3>\n

Insincerity.<\/p>\n

How do you know when you can trust someone?<\/h3>\n

When they tell you what you did wrong, and it makes you feel better.<\/p>\n

What was the luckiest moment in your life?<\/h3>\n

Taking a job in the box office at the Canadian Opera Company<\/p>\n

What are you proudest of?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m most proud of the fact that I\u2019m still doing it.\u00a0 Still composing after so much adversity and so many challenges and doing it surrounded by the best family a fellow could ask for.<\/p>\n

What musical instrument do you secretly long to play?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019d love to play the violin\/fiddle.\u00a0 My wife is a great player and was recently appointed principal second with the Kingston Symphony.\u00a0 My girls Blythe and Maeve have been playing since they were three. I can play a few different instruments but can\u2019t seem to get my claws around that one.<\/p>\n

What is the one animal that scares you the most?<\/h3>\n

New York composer John Corigliano\u2019s Doberman.\u00a0 I was at his apartment for a meeting years ago and when I sat down and waited for him to finish a lesson the dog got all up in my face and stared, softly but intensely growling.\u00a0 I literally sat there whimpering \u201cnice doggie\u2026nice doggie\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

If you had a motto, what would it be?<\/h3>\n

Clarity.\u00a0 Sincerity. (hey that\u2019s pretty good\u2026it kind of rhymes!)<\/p>\n

Have you ever fired a gun? If so, what were the circumstances?<\/h3>\n

My dad and Uncle Roy took me duck hunting when I was 10 (pretty common in Newfoundland). Fired a shotgun while standing in shallow water and ended up on \u201cme arse\u201d.<\/p>\n

Your favourite word?<\/h3>\n

\u201cWicked\u201d (in the awesome sense, not the super-villain sense\u2026wait, that is cool too!)<\/p>\n

Your favourite curse word?<\/h3>\n

When I first met my wife she used to say \u201cCrapperdamerung\u201d \u2013 which is just perfect.<\/p>\n

The thing that makes you the happiest?<\/h3>\n

Seeing the light in young people\u2019s eyes as they experience and grow in the world (I know that sounds cheesy but it\u2019s true)<\/p>\n

The thing that makes you the angriest?<\/h3>\n

Mocking or belittling people who are brave enough to take risks.<\/p>\n

The first three things that you do every morning?<\/h3>\n

Turn on CBC Metro Morning, feed the dogs (Felix and Annie), feed the kids \u2013 ideally the right food goes in the right place.<\/p>\n

The piece of music you want played at your funeral?<\/h3>\n

Probably something of mine that I have yet to compose.\u00a0 I can\u2019t think of a better way to actually be present after I\u2019m gone (I might even get some royalties J).<\/p>\n

#LUDWIGVAN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Toronto-based composer Dean Burry answers some of life’s most pressing questions, including his shoe of choice, and the time he fired a gun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":33497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5723,5009],"tags":[978],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/01\/Dean-front.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-8Ib","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33491"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33491"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33512,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33491\/revisions\/33512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33491"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=33491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}