{"id":46978,"date":"2017-09-01T20:41:27","date_gmt":"2017-09-02T00:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=46978"},"modified":"2017-09-03T14:50:01","modified_gmt":"2017-09-03T18:50:01","slug":"banff-scaling-new-heights-for-classical-music-a-field-report-from-banff-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2017\/09\/01\/banff-scaling-new-heights-for-classical-music-a-field-report-from-banff-centre\/","title":{"rendered":"BANFF | Scaling New Heights For Classical Music: A Field Report From Banff Centre"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_46980\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46980\" style=\"width: 940px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46980\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Claire-Chase-and-Steven-Schick-Co-Artistic-Directors-Banff-Centre-Photo-courtesy-Banff-Centre.jpg\" alt=\"Claire Chase and Steven Schick, Co-Artistic Directors Banff Centre (Photo courtesy Banff Centre)\" width=\"940\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Claire-Chase-and-Steven-Schick-Co-Artistic-Directors-Banff-Centre-Photo-courtesy-Banff-Centre.jpg 940w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Claire-Chase-and-Steven-Schick-Co-Artistic-Directors-Banff-Centre-Photo-courtesy-Banff-Centre-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Claire-Chase-and-Steven-Schick-Co-Artistic-Directors-Banff-Centre-Photo-courtesy-Banff-Centre-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46980\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Claire Chase and Steven Schick, Co-Artistic Directors Banff Centre (Photo courtesy Banff Centre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For generations of classical musicians, attending Banff Centre\u2019s music programs has been a rite of passage for the who\u2019s who in Canada, its high altitude a symbol for its position in the arts landscape.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, it had come to Banff\u2019s attention that a brand makeover was in order, coinciding with the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2014\/04\/11\/banff-arts-centre-president-jeff-melanson-to-step-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">hasty\u00a0departure of the Centre\u2019s previous CEO<\/span><\/a>. Now with Janice Price secured at the helm since March 2015, Banff Centre invited Musical Toronto to shadow their <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2016\/11\/24\/the-scoop-banff-centre-summer-classical-music-program-2017\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">reinvented Summer Classical Music programs<\/span><\/a> over two and a half weeks from late June to early July.<\/p>\n<p>In my email correspondence with their Media and Communications Officer, Banff expressed appreciation in hosting a correspondent with a \u201cwillingness to help Banff Centre reaffirm its place as Canada\u2019s home for training and creation.\u201d I accepted the invitation, while remaining open to reporting on either the success or failure of the venture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThroughout the [CEO] recruitment process, I voiced Banff\u2019s need for a new business-strat plan,\u201d Price revealed in an interview on-location. \u201cThe brand had gotten quite confused and muddy; it had survived for 30 years but we probably needed a refresh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Calling it a \u201crefresh\u201d is putting it lightly. In the hopes of better positioning themselves atop Canada\u2019s cultural pyramid, Banff Centre formed their new strategic plan on six cultural pillars to guide their creative mandate from 2016 to 2021:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>A commitment to advancing artistic learning;<\/li>\n<li>Banff Centre as a cultural destination;<\/li>\n<li>A centre of excellence for Indigenous programs;<\/li>\n<li>A destination for creativity in leadership and conferences;<\/li>\n<li>A creative home on sacred and protected land;<\/li>\n<li>An adaptive and resilient organization.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Looking over its components, we can group the plan into two streams:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Re-equipping Banff to be a mecca for creativity;<\/li>\n<li>Promoting a forum for all peoples, including Indigenous communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure id=\"attachment_46981\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46981\" style=\"width: 758px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-46981\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Janice-Price-CEO-Banff-Centre-Courtesy-Banff-Centre-.jpg\" alt=\"Janice Price, CEO Banff Centre (Courtesy Banff Centre)\" width=\"758\" height=\"1140\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Janice-Price-CEO-Banff-Centre-Courtesy-Banff-Centre-.jpg 758w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Janice-Price-CEO-Banff-Centre-Courtesy-Banff-Centre--199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Janice-Price-CEO-Banff-Centre-Courtesy-Banff-Centre--681x1024.jpg 681w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 758px) 100vw, 758px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-46981\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Janice Price, CEO Banff Centre (Courtesy Banff Centre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As part of their corporate refresh, Banff Centre dropped the \u201cThe\u201d from the head of their name. In music, key executive changes ensued: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/06\/14\/go-on-claire-chase-pursuing-new-ground-for-contemporary-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Claire Chase<\/span><\/a> and Steven Schick were ushered in to succeed Barry Shiffman as Co-Artistic Directors of Summer Classical Music, and classical-centric modules were eliminated in favour of broader programs that reflected a growing contemporary aesthetic to performance.<\/p>\n<p>The rebuild leaves musicians with high hopes for this landmark summer, regardless of their level of enthusiasm for the sweeping changes. Can we declare that Banff is dropping their longstanding association with \u201cclassical music\u201d as we know it\u2014a reputation dating from 1936?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, not at all. We would never drop the\u2026\u201d Price trails off momentarily.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re preparing musicians for the future, not preparing them to play for music of the past.\u201d Kyle Brenders, Program Manager for Performing Arts, doesn\u2019t mince words in a separate interview. \u201cThat\u2019s definitely the musicians that we are attracting: the ones that are looking for a way to move forward, to find a new solution for old-world kind of ideas of how music was made in the 20th century, and how that music is changing. The giant institutions are disappearing: there\u2019s no more record labels, and the sustainability of the orchestra is just not going to exist in the next 25 years. [\u2026] If you\u2019re not self-directing as a musician right now, you\u2019re wasting your time. If you\u2019re not driving your own career, nobody is going to do that for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easier said than done to embrace a new view of Banff\u2019s musical legacy. When news surfaced that their summer classical music programs would be eliminated, the reaction was one of collective surprise.<\/p>\n<p>Jamie Kruspe is Assistant Concertmaster of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and an alumnus of various summer programs at Banff Centre between 2009 and 2013. He harbours an attachment to his summers in their Chamber Music, Violin Masterclass, and Orchestra sessions: \u201cIt always seemed to me that the classical programs were in great shape [&#8230;] I was shocked when I found out that the programs were being cancelled [\u2026] The summer music programs (as far as I could always tell) were regarded as top-tier in Canada. It makes me sad to know that others won&#8217;t be able to share my experiences of the Banff Centre the same way I did.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Justin Min took part in the summer piano masterclasses in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015. He, like many, voiced high praise towards Banff\u2019s facilities, faculty, participant playing level, and natural surroundings. But asked to suggest one area of improvement, he mused on the lack of interaction between instrumental disciplines: \u201cAt Orford for example, because they have many other music programs going on at the same time, you can spontaneously group up with other instrumentalists and do chamber music for fun. Banff was very solo piano oriented.\u201d While the scaling-down of the piano masterclass enrolment didn\u2019t escape his notice, Min appreciated the increasing sense of community that this fostered over the years. \u201cI think the program had a downwards pattern. I still very [much] liked the smaller program however, as you could get to know everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jeanne Ami\u00e8le attended the piano masterclass program in 2016, the fateful year when participants and faculty alike learned that the 45-year-old program would be shut down. \u201cA lot of teachers, having worked there for many years, felt that the program was more alive than ever, with a growing number of high level applications from students,\u201d she recounted of the reaction on campus. The Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois pianist appreciated Banff\u2019s broad participant base, a key component of their mandate over the years: \u201cEven though I had had the chance in past years to go to other summer programs in Canada (Orford, Domaine Forget) which have an international faculty, Banff seemed to me like the place to attract the most students from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similarly to Min, Ami\u00e8le also drew inspiration from the communal experience that develops in a dedicated environment: \u201cBeing able to benefit from all these different teachers and watch those masterclasses really enriched my experience.\u201d Even if Banff\u2019s revamp comes at the expense of their stalwart programs, Ami\u00e8le appreciates the Board\u2019s openness to an artistic refresh. \u201cIt\u2019s great to have an opportunity to open to new horizons, but successful and thriving programs such as the piano masterclass should have their place in the evolution of the long term vision for Banff Centre.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s clear that some dwell on Banff\u2019s authority over classical music of days past, while others see this restructuring as the way forward in the field. What\u2019s more, the proponents of the latter group yearn for a stronger spirit of collaboration. Luckily, this is one of the tenets of the co-artistic directors\u2019 vision\u2014more on that later, once we let Janice Price finish her thought.<\/p>\n<p>The CEO recommences from where she left off, \u201cNo, [at Banff Centre] we still call it the Summer Classical Music Program.\u201d She conjures up the words of co-artistic director Steven Schick: \u201cWhen we perform Beethoven, we want it to sound like the ink is still wet on the page, and when we perform new music, we want it to sound like it came from somewhere.\u201d In other words, the new program is about restoring relevance and vitality to the classics, while lending a sense of groundedness to new music. Price continues, \u201cIt still requires the discipline, the skills and the training on what we consider to be classical music instruments.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47012\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47012\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47012\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto.jpg\" alt=\"Evolution Ensemble at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Camila Agosto)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evolution Ensemble at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Camila Agosto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Gone are the conventional streams of piano masterclass, collaborative piano, and violin, to name but a few. Under the new program, participants arrive with these disciplines under their belt, ready to apply them directly to working projects.<\/p>\n<p>In lending programs open-ended names like \u201cEnsemble Evolution\u201d or \u201cChamber Music\u201d (a familiar name, but with a different aesthetic), Claire Chase and Steven Schick have &#8220;unboxed,&#8221; Price intones, the previous model from Barry Shiffman\u2019s seven-year artistic directorship. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a significant change from\u2026 many years of consistently describing the programs the same way. So it\u2019s\u2026 healthy change, I guess, and in any creative organization you have to be open to that kind of healthy change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Having held executive positions at The Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center, as well as senior roles at Stratford Festival and Toronto\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2013\/03\/12\/luminato-bypasses-toronto-media-in-hooking-up-with-new-york-times-for-star-interviews\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Luminato Festival<\/span><\/a>, Hummingbird Centre, and The Corporation of Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall, Price arrived at Banff in March 2015 well-tooled from some of North America\u2019s most prestigious arts institutions. We wondered if she looked to paint her experience of the American dream on the Banff landscape: \u201cWell, kind of; more the dual American citizen experience!\u201d Price erupts in laughter.<\/p>\n<p>Price had already been acquainted with Banff\u2019s campus through visits on behalf of Luminato, to check on works commissioned by the Festival. She gained an idea of Banff\u2019s artistic expanse, envisioning a larger platform for her to develop more fully her network of international contacts. She saw it as a right fit, and she parted ways with Luminato on amicable terms.<\/p>\n<p>Why migrate out west, to Banff in particular? For Canada\u2019s arts executive mogul who professes herself to be \u201cvery familiar particularly with the arts side of the business,\u201d there were two other factors that drew her here: first, Banff\u2019s 45-plus-year-old legacy in Indigenous leadership training and Indigenous arts; second, to restore Banff\u2019s global reach. \u201cBanff is known better internationally than it is here at home, as too often happens in Canada. Also [from] years of experience running large facilities-based organisations and big performing arts centres, I thought I really brought that international perspective here to Banff, as well as senior executive management skills in the arts and culture field.\u201d By all indications, Price is steadily scaling the crags and crannies of Banff\u2019s top job. \u201cI know it\u2019s a year of change, which can always be challenging for audiences and artists and media alike, but I\u2019m feeling really positive about it. [\u2026] When you do what I do for a living, this is THE career-capping job, in my view.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Price\u2019s leadership brings stability to Banff, that of her predecessor\u2019s sent Banff Centre veering in the opposite direction. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2014\/04\/11\/banff-arts-centre-president-jeff-melanson-to-step-down\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Jeff Melanson\u2019s departure from Banff Centre<\/span> <\/a>in April 2014 was abrupt, leaving an ambitious $900 million capital plan in the dust. The event stirred up a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/06\/14\/go-on-claire-chase-pursuing-new-ground-for-contemporary-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">media maelstrom<\/span><\/a> into his motivations: various news outlets unearthed questionable personal and (un)professional conduct, including inappropriate relations with a Banff Centre employee. Allegations were made that Melanson retreated to Toronto to get away from his paper trail at Banff. To say nothing of the ensuing <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2014\/04\/23\/tso-to-name-ex-banff-impresario-jeff-melanson-as-new-ceo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Melanson saga in Toronto<\/span><\/a>, it is a gong show from which he has <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/01\/23\/the-scoop-jeff-melanson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">not yet been able to shake free<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Impossible, then, for us not to bring closure to the subject with Janice Price before diving into Banff\u2019s new trajectory. Was it difficult for her\u00a0to pick up the pieces to Melanson\u2019s unfinished tenure? And the 900 million dollar question: was there red tape to clear up when the plans to build a new theatre downtown were ditched?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith respect to donations, that project had no funds raised towards it at the time of his departure. It was very much a dream, an idea of a project.\u201d Price also pointed out that she had elected for a conservative approach in her first year on the job, which would help stabilise the Centre&#8217;s finances. On top of that, her arrival coincided with the start of a province-wide recession: \u201cI quickly put [plans for new buildings] to rest and said, \u2018I think our priority should be stewarding and maintaining and renovating the existing buildings we have.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere were no specific donations that he was responsible for above and beyond the normal course of fundraising responsibilities of any president,\u201d Price moves to close the subject. \u201cWe don\u2019t feel any residual questions when I go out to meet with donors or arts partners or whomever I meet with in the marketplace. The notion of \u2018Is Banff Centre stable and solid and under good management\u2019 seems to be firmly established at this point in time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In April 2016, Banff Centre further streamlined its resources through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2016\/04\/27\/the-scoop-the-banff-centre-announces-major-layoffs-in-wake-of-new-restructuring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">elimination of 33 positions from\u00a0its\u00a0workforce<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0amounting to\u00a08 percent of staff and one of\u00a0its\u00a0largest layoffs in history.<\/p>\n<p>Financial house in order, check. Dedicated CEO, check. Upon this bedrock, Price was ready to take Banff\u2019s music program in new artistic directions for 2017. Enter Claire Chase and Steven Schick:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe come from the practices that we\u2019ve developed, which I think are naturally different from our predecessors. But I think our goal is not to break the line, but to extend it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40219\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40219\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-40219\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/Banff-summer-music-2017.jpg\" alt=\"Banff Centre Summer Classical Music Co-Artistic Directors Claire Chase and Steven Schick explain why they're excited for a summer of amazing programming and what you can expect as a participant.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/Banff-summer-music-2017.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/Banff-summer-music-2017-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/Banff-summer-music-2017-768x383.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40219\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Banff Centre Summer Classical Music Co-Artistic Directors Claire Chase and Steven Schick.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Their co-artistic director partnership unites the highest achievements that today\u2019s cultural entrepreneur could aspire for: a MacArthur Fellow, an <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/06\/14\/go-on-claire-chase-pursuing-new-ground-for-contemporary-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Avery Fisher Prize winner<\/a><\/span>, a former music director of the Ojai Festival, key members of America\u2019s International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE)\u2014and an extensive list of associated musical contacts, from which nearly all of this year\u2019s Summer Classical Music faculty were drawn\u2014all within 60-plus years of professional activity between them in the contemporary medium.<\/p>\n<p>Despite their credentials, their names may not be known to Canadians in the classical music circuit. On our side of the border, contemporary music is considerably less accessed than is classical music as it is.\u00a0But this year at Banff, Chase and Schick looked to kick the tried, tested and true model into high gear under the premise of ARC (Create, Refine, and Amplify read backwards). At this level, it\u2019s no longer a question of technical proficiency: it&#8217;s about drawing out inspired\u2014\u201c<em>energised<\/em>,\u201d they interject\u2014collaborations with like-minded creative types.<\/p>\n<p>Gone is the image of a musician stuck in a relentless cycle of musical isolation, shuffling between a solitary practice room and their teacher\u2019s studio, with a singular vision to polish a limited set of pieces. In Chase\u2019s view, such a conservatory-style approach doesn\u2019t hold its place here, and the alternative they bring is, admittedly, \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2014\/01\/20\/meditation-please-be-creative-but-dont-try-to-be-original\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">a departure from the way things were done in the past [at Banff]<\/span><\/a>. [\u2026] We love pushing against parameters,\u201d Chase enthuses, \u201cthat\u2019s part of the creative process, and we\u2019re improvising with it.\u201d To which Schick points out, \u201cAn intelligent limitation is what\u2019s necessary for the energy to go someplace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A problem endemic to classical music is its boxed nature, making it out-of-reach to\u00a0those without extensive musical training. Schick notes that in ancient times, music was a universal means to attain moral behavior, not as a rubric to judge one\u2019s proficiency in a narrow subject area. \u201cAt a certain point, it was transformed into the establishment of a set of skills. But historically, that\u2019s a blip. That\u2019s a hundred years in a tradition of millennia.\u201d It\u2019s a more global view of the role that music ought to hold in society; if anything, to restore a bit of faith in humanity.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_38923\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38923\" style=\"width: 570px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-38923 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/10\/Claire-Chase_cropped-photo-Ross-Karre-570x540.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"570\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/10\/Claire-Chase_cropped-photo-Ross-Karre-570x540.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/10\/Claire-Chase_cropped-photo-Ross-Karre-570x540-300x284.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-38923\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Claire Chase, Co-Artistic Director of Summer Classical Music<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Now at Banff, Chase and Schick have wiped the slate clean, and they have graciously (and daringly) granted the participants free rein in their artistic decisions. \u201cThe way I\u2019ve always taught is always to get the most interesting people I know,\u201d Schick speaks to developing creative freedom in the next generation. \u201cI\u2019ve proudly never instructed anybody in my entire life. We sit and I say, \u2018What are you going to do?\u2019 Sometimes the fear of going into an environment in which you are asked to create the architecture of your own work means that there is a bit of a paralysis in students. But when they understand that, \u2018Oh, what I do is really up to me,\u2019 it\u2019s an extraordinary moment. Our role is to catalyse the process, rather than create it for them\u2014in fact, people will then rise to this level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to musical collaborations, everybody is an active player, from the top down: in this ball game, Schick explains that faculty have as much to gain\u2014or lose\u2014as the students. \u201cThis is really what we care about: if we have equal points of investment, responsibility, moments of risk with the participants, then we are really energising the system. [\u2026] I think what will make sense to people is that we have as much at stake as they do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think of myself as an emerging artist in my mid-60s,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI will learn as much from someone who comes as an undergraduate from Oberlin as the person will learn from me, probably more. In the same way that we don\u2019t declare that music that is 200 years old is more experienced and more worthy than the newest things, we also don\u2019t declare that a musician with that much more experience is more worthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It is this open spirit, more so than concrete instructions, that Chase believes will power the working world going forward. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that on a more practical level, that new collaborations, collectives, ensembles, programming ideas are hatched here and live far beyond. It\u2019s not just about people becoming better musicians over the next two weeks. It\u2019s so much wider than that: it\u2019s about all the things they will do when they leave here with each other. Because they need each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47011\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47011\" style=\"width: 857px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47011\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Kenneth-J.-Cox.jpg\" alt=\"Evolution Ensemble performance at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Kenneth J. Cox)\" width=\"857\" height=\"643\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Kenneth-J.-Cox.jpg 857w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Kenneth-J.-Cox-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Kenneth-J.-Cox-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 857px) 100vw, 857px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47011\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evolution Ensemble performance at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Kenneth J. Cox)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Generally, the ARC participants radiated an infectious passion for the quirks of modern music, and they did well to embody the collaborative spirit of the program. Among them numbered well-balanced numbers of clarinetists, flutists, bassoonists, composers, violinists, violists, cellists, bassists, saxophonists, percussionists, horn and trumpet players, two pianists, two accordionists, a trombonist, and a conductor, totaling 37 Evolution Ensemble participants and 36 in Chamber Music. In their hands, Banff became a hotbed for musical experimentation with infinite combinations: eclectic instruments, extended playing techniques, and the magic of sound technology\u2014ICE\u2019s live sound engineers enhanced performances with sound effects, add another contemporary touch to the Banff programs.<\/p>\n<p>Faculty and participants alike were active players in creating a sense of a welcoming community, outside as much as inside the music building. A typical day comprised a pre-breakfast group hike up Tunnel Mountain, a daily pre-lunch participant meeting, and afternoons to rehearse in groups and for coachings. Participants, mentors and guests worked together towards each week\u2019s four to five performances, and the mingling continued at mealtimes and at Maclab Bistro. At any point, no matter how crazy your ideas, it was all up for discussion\u2014and plenty of good laughs. With an attitude of &#8220;come as you are,&#8221; I didn&#8217;t sense there was any\u00a0room for judgment; big ideas and fun-loving personalities were the order of the day, every day.<\/p>\n<p>The daily group meetings covered\u00a0a mixed bag of topics\u2014discussing the previous night\u2019s mainstage performance, seminars on music business, musician health and tech demonstrations, presentations from by name brand artists like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/08\/01\/banff-qa-29-questions-for-vijay-iyer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Vijay Iyer<\/span><\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/08\/16\/banff-jack-quartet-reimagining-chamber-music-from-a-to-jay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">JACK Quartet<\/span><\/a>, the list draws on. Hosts Chase and Schick streamlined the sessions on unflaggingly high spirits and sharp musical acumen.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to actual music-making in the contemporary sphere, Chase and Schick boiled it down to the art of non-verbal communication. Workshopping with and observing participants, it was all in restoring spontaneity and fun to the process, as if ideas came to musicians in the heat of the moment. The spectacle was aural as much as it was visual: performers blended physically into their instruments and the atmosphere; at times, the chemistry was hair-raising. Performances were larger than life, sounds that defy classification were conjured up, no two pitches were imitable. Charged with urgency and intent, the music jumped out of the score. With this emphasis on effect more than individual polish, it is the performers that drive the music, as opposed to the music informing the musicians of a proficient, professional presentation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47013\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47013\" style=\"width: 1365px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-47013 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/International-Contemporary-Ensemble-ICE-at-Banff-Centre-June-2017.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1365\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/International-Contemporary-Ensemble-ICE-at-Banff-Centre-June-2017.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/International-Contemporary-Ensemble-ICE-at-Banff-Centre-June-2017-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/International-Contemporary-Ensemble-ICE-at-Banff-Centre-June-2017-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/International-Contemporary-Ensemble-ICE-at-Banff-Centre-June-2017-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47013\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) perform at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Jennifer Liu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>To tie in their own intricate bonds with the International Contemporary Ensemble, we can affirm that Claire Chase and Steven Schick have effectively put the concept of stoic, studied playing on ICE. Many memorable moments were created, in participant coachings as much as in performances. In one particular concert, ICE juxtaposed the Beethoven <em>Septet in E-flat<\/em> with George Lewis\u2019s <em>Born Obbligato<\/em> in a presentation that flipped back and forth between the works\u2019 disjunct movements, hopping freely from classical to blatantly contemporary at blazing speed\u2014perhaps a jarring proposition for the longtime Banff audience, many of whom were of retirement age.<\/p>\n<p>To subject an ICE performance to a conventional classical music review would be missing the point of their artistic philosophy completely, when heir aesthetic evades the weightiness of words that attempt to qualify what they do.<\/p>\n<p>Classicists would bemoan the lack of harmonic grounding in their performances, most poignant at cadential meeting points between the instruments. Ditto for harmonic sequences, which ICE interpreted more melodically, yielding a remarkably carefree version of Beethoven (read: Mozartian elegance).<\/p>\n<p>The programme\u2019s forward reads: \u201cSo here\u2019s our pledge: we\u2019ll perform traditional music as though it were brand new, [\u2026] as though everything were still staked on freshness and daring.\u201d In their hands, music has become a spontaneous feeling experience first and foremost; carnal and uncomfortable emotions are to be expected. If anything, ICE has shown us the art of living in the moment, unapologetically.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, elsewhere on campus, participants in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2014\/01\/16\/against-the-grain-theatre-founders-to-lead-opera-workshops-community-outreach-in-banff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Open Space: Opera in the 21st Century<\/em><\/span><\/a> program were preparing two major presentations: a semi-staged performance of piano-vocal works titled <em>Chamber Werx<\/em>, as well as the highly-anticipated modern adaptation of Claude Vivier\u2019s chamber opera, <em>Kopernikus<\/em> (reviewed by Musical Toronto <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/07\/10\/banff-scrutiny-kopernikus-heralds-opera-in-the-21st-century\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">here<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40039\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40039\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-40039\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/joel_Ivany.jpg\" alt=\"Joel Ivany directs Pauline Viardot\u2019s Cendrillon featuring Students from the Glenn Gould School\u2019s vocal program.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/joel_Ivany.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/joel_Ivany-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/joel_Ivany-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40039\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Joel Ivany, Open Space: Opera in the 21st Century Director<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In contrast to the modules led by Claire Chase and Steven Schick, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Open Space <\/em>director <\/span><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2016\/09\/17\/the-scoop-against-the-grain-launch-seventh-season-with-big-surprise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel Ivany<\/a><\/span> had elected to stay more on the path for classical music, embellishing upon a framework that was still rooted in a cohesive tradition. In <em>Chamber Werx<\/em>, performances revolved around standard art songs by such composers as Mahler, Strauss and Schubert, alternating with emotionally-charged performances that could well have been transferred to conventional concert halls. For all the psychedelic lighting, the sandwich meat and cutlery flung in the audience\u2019s direction, and the standing room layout, audience engagement was an organic buildup\u2014inner calm was imperative to access their probing mood as well as one\u2019s inner reaction to the piece. Only then could cohesion be struck between disparate surface elements. Though abstract in presentation, these comprehensive productions proved unsettling for the soul, time and time again.<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, it became obvious that music is at a disadvantage when it comes to holding audience attention, next to a presentation with visual engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Returning to the world of Chase and Schick, their carefree approach was a bit of a jolt to settle back into. A performance of a Boismortier sonata featuring Chase on flute and violinist Aisslinn Nosky left the artists exposed\u2014not for artistic vulnerability, but owing to unfamiliarity with the score. Fast notes came off as skittish, verging on frantic, with passages being glossed over. Synchronisation between the duo was also amiss. No matter to the ARC participants, who still showed their support for their mentors through hearty applause\u2014a group-endorsed A for effort.<\/p>\n<p>A one-off performance in a busy schedule for both, that\u2019s for certain. But on a broader scale for the summer, what of participants who just aren&#8217;t able to tap into their creative spirits? Will they be outcast by the program&#8217;s relentless creative flow?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo! Everybody has been so on board and so committed,\u201d Chase dismisses the notion of straggler students. \u201cThis is why the side-by-side approach is part of the design of the summer,\u201d as she highlights joint performances with students by faculty members, including by <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/08\/01\/banff-qa-29-questions-for-vijay-iyer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vijay Iyer<\/a><\/span> in <em>Rite of Spring<\/em>, followed by mentor-student collaborations in the Chamber Music program with faculty such as Nosky. \u201cThat\u2019s life-changing for these kids, and it\u2019s also tremendously generous on her part. But she wanted to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_47010\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-47010\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-47010\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-1.jpg\" alt=\"Evolution Ensemble performance at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Camila Agosto)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/09\/Camila-Agosto-1-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-47010\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evolution Ensemble performance at Banff Centre, June 2017 (Photo: Camila Agosto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Sure, there are issues endemic to music programs, even at Banff: \u201cThe only time I have felt like I\u2019ve had to get on anybody\u2019s case was about preparedness, or not showing up for other people\u2019s concerts, coachings, rehearsals.\u201d Chase is a big advocate for asking questions and being generous\u2014a willingness to engage as a collaborator and citizen. \u201cThat\u2019s the thing we insist on [\u2026] it\u2019s infectious, so much more than the toxic, competitive energy that can permeate a lot of summer programs and festivals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Along the same vein of cross-disciplinary\u00a0collaboration, Banff Centre is equally intent on advancing Indigeneity across communities. We will elaborate on what that means for Canada in the next instalment to our Banff report.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Head to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/2017\/09\/03\/banff-reconciling-arts-with-cultures-in-2017-a-field-report-from-banff-centre\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Part Two<\/span><\/a> of our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/?s=banff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">BANFF<\/span><\/a> summer, where we drop our final verdict on Banff Centre&#8217;s\u00a0new directions.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3>For more CLASSICAL MUSIC NEWS, visit\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.musicaltoronto.org\/category\/scoop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HERE<\/a><\/span>.<\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our field report of Banff Centre&#8217;s cultural renaissance on the world stage. Part one: revamping their Summer Classical Music programs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":46980,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6439,9665,10,4967,43,52,59],"tags":[9809,451,5996,6406,9759,9819,9811,9810,9820,9816,6120,9818,1736,9817,9815,5777,9812,6549,9813,9814],"yst_prominent_words":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/08\/Claire-Chase-and-Steven-Schick-Co-Artistic-Directors-Banff-Centre-Photo-courtesy-Banff-Centre.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-cdI","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46978"}],"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\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46978"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46978\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47050,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46978\/revisions\/47050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46978"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46978"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46978"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=46978"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}