Grammy Award-winner JoAnn Falletta conducts Symphony Nova Scotia

January 6, 2010

Halifax, NS - Symphony Nova Scotia welcomes guest conductor JoAnn Falletta, ’Äúone of the finest conductors of her generation’Äù (the New York Times), for a rare performance of Schubert’Äôs Death and the Maiden at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Thursday, January 14 at 7:30 pm.

Falletta is a two-time Grammy winner and has been praised worldwide as one of North America’Äôs most elegant, expressive, and engaging conductors. She is currently the music director of both the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Virginia Symphony, and has been awarded no less than 11 honorary doctorates, including one from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax.

Falletta will be leading Symphony Nova Scotia in an orchestral version of Schubert’Äôs beloved string quartet Death and the Maiden, originally based on a German song in which a maiden begs for Death to pass her by. Falletta’Äôs recording of this version, arranged by American composer Andy Stein, was recently nominated for a 2010 Grammy Award (Best Producer), and has been praised as ’Äúutterly convincing both stylistically and emotionally’Äù (BBC Magazine).

’ÄúI think this version of Death and the Maiden is one of the most powerful retellings of music that I have ever heard,’Äù says Falletta. ’ÄúAndy Stein really transformed the original string quartet into a new Schubert symphony. It is enormously powerful ’Äì even rather overwhelming ’Äì and when people hear it, they’Äôre always swept away by it. It is Schubert, after all, and Death and the Maiden is one of his great masterpieces.’Äù

Listen online: clips of this version of Death and the Maiden are available at www.joannfalletta.com/discography.html or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npn3eLB5NoQ.

In addition to performing Death and the Maiden with Symphony Nova Scotia, Falletta will also lead the orchestra in Zoltan Kodaly’Äôs cheerful Galanta Dances and Henry Vieuxtemps’Äô daring and poetic Violin Concerto no. 5 ’ÄúGretry.’Äù Her concertmaster at the Buffalo Philharmonic, Michael Ludwig, will join her as the violin soloist for the Vieuxtemps Concerto.

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription package and save up to 30%. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About JoAnn Falletta

JoAnn Falletta is a multi-Grammy Award winner, a published writer, an inspirational speaker, a relentless champion for women in the arts, and ’Äúone of the brightest stars of symphonic music in America’Äù (the Los Angeles Times). Now in her tenth season as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, she has guest conducted many of the world’Äôs top orchestras, including over 100 orchestras in North America alone.

She is the recipient of many of the most prestigious conducting awards, including the Seaver/National Endowment for the Arts Conductors Award, the Stokowski Competition, the Toscanini, Ditson and Bruno Walter Awards, and the American Symphony Orchestra League’Äôs John S. Edwards Award. An ardent supporter of music of our time, she has introduced over 400 works by American composers, including more than 80 world premieres, and her discography includes more than 50 titles.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 16,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia performs new music in partnership with the Canadian New Music Network

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia partners with the Canadian New Music Network, Upstream Music Association, and Vocalypse Productions to present ’ÄúNew Music for a New Year,’Äù an innovative concert of all-new Canadian music on Wednesday, January 7 at 7:30 pm at the Sir James Dunn Theatre, Halifax.

Conducted by Symphony Nova Scotia Music Director Bernhard Gueller, ’ÄúNew Music for the New Year’Äù features six brand-new diverse Canadian works for orchestra by composers Mark Armanini, Sandeep Baghwati, Jˆ©rˆ¥me Blais, Tim Brady, Paul Cram, and Derek Charke. The performance also serves as the opening event of the Canadian New Music Network’Äôs international Forum 2010 conference, ’ÄúPartnering Diversity.’Äù

’ÄúSymphony Nova Scotia is always ready to rise to a challenge,’Äù says Gueller. ’ÄúAnd what can be more challenging for musicians and interesting for audiences than to have a whole concert dedicated to contemporary music?

’ÄúWe are very happy to collaborate with the Canadian New Music Network. The music that was sent to me for consideration showed again what at what a high level our composers produce. The first challenge for me was to choose from amongst the submissions. I know audiences will also enjoy the challenge, for the pieces range from very free improvisation to formally structured notation, with lyricism and minimalism.’Äù

Each of the works on the program presents an imaginative new vision of creating music in the 21st century. Paul Cram's Beyond Benghazi is a rollicking collision of jazz improvisation and high-energy orchestral composition, while Derek Charke's Inuit Throat Singing Games is a colourful score crossing cultural boundaries into the North.

Mark Armanini's Heartland features the ethereal playing of Vancouver erhu player Lan Tung, Jerome Blais' Dremlen Feigl oyf di tsvaygn is sung in Yiddish by Halifax's own Janice Jackson, and Tim Brady's Three or Four Days After the Death of Kurt Cobain uses music from the Nirvana song Smells Like Teen Spirit to create a haunting orchestral miniature.

The program also features Sandeep Baghwati's Steel 3 for James Tenney, a work that makes the conductor "compose" the music in real time, working with the players to create the piece during the performance.

During the concert, the composers and soloists will be interacting with the audience and musicians, sharing inside stories about the process, results, and motivations behind their works.

Tickets for this unique performance are $20 / $15 / $10, and are available at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office at 494.3820 or 1.800.874.1669 or online at http://artscentre.dal.ca.

For more information about the Forum 2010 ’ÄúPartnering Diversity’Äù and other concerts during the conference, visit www.newmusicnetwork.ca.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

About the Canadian New Music Network

The Canadian New Music Network (CNMN) / Rˆ©seau canadien pour les musiques nouvelles (RCMN) is a network of artists, ensembles, orchestras, production companies, record labels, music educators, music media, musicologists, music lovers and fans who believe in the importance and value of creative music making in Canadian society. The CNMN was founded in November 2005, after almost 3 years of discussions with the national new music community.

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia presents re-creation of Handel’Äôs 1742 ’ÄúDublin’Äù Messiah

December 7, 2009

Halifax, NS ’Äì In honour of the 250th anniversary of Handel’Äôs death, Symphony Nova Scotia presents a very special version of his masterpiece Messiah on Friday, December 18 and Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 pm at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax.

Instead of the ’Äústandard’Äù version of Handel’Äôs Messiah that orchestras usually perform this time of year, Symphony Nova Scotia and the 80-member Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus will perform the beloved oratorio in its unaltered original version, which premiered in Dublin, Ireland in 1742 to rave reviews.

’ÄúWords are wanting to express the exquisite Delight it afforded to the admiring crouded Audience,’Äù said a Dublin newspaper the following day.

This ’ÄúDublin’Äù Messiah will be led by Toronto-based Irish conductor Kevin Mallon, who is also a Baroque music specialist. Toronto’Äôs Wholenote Magazine has praised him as ’ÄúCanada’Äôs crown prince of period performance.’Äù

’ÄúAll too often, we get a ’Äòconglomerate’Äô version of Messiah,’Äù says Mallon. ’ÄúPeople have a way of taking a piece from this version and a piece from that. It’Äôs exciting to be doing one particular version from one date and place. It’Äôs the first time that a re-creation like this has been done in Canada.’Äù

Some of the biggest differences between this version of Messiah and the versions we usually hear include:

¬… The standard chorus ’ÄúTheir sound is gone out’Äù was not part of the first performance, as it wasn’Äôt written until 1745.

¬… ’ÄúThe bass accompagnato ’ÄòThus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts,’Äô started life as a little arioso,’Äù says Mallon. ’ÄúIf I can decipher Handel’Äôs scribbling we may do a little of it!’Äù

¬… The famous air ’ÄúBut who may abide the day of His coming,’Äù usually performed by an alto, was originally written as a recitative for bass.

¬… The soprano air ’ÄúRejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion’Äù was originally in a lilting 12/8 rhythm.

¬… The aria ’ÄúHow beautiful are the feet,’Äù usually sung by a soprano, was originally written as a duet for two altos plus the chorus.

¬… Several other airs, including ’ÄúIf God be for us’Äù and ’ÄúHe shall feed His flock,’Äù were originally written for solo alto to complement Susannah Cibber, the famous contralto performing at the premiere. Cibber was noted as much for her tumultuous personal life as for her singing, and legend has it that upon hearing her exquisite performance, the chancellor of St Patrick's Cathedral loudly proclaimed "Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!"

Mallon and the orchestra will be joined by soprano Laura Albino, mezzo-soprano Marion Newman, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, and bass-baritone Sean Watson, along with the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus, led by chorus master Jeff Joudrey.

Expecting a full house at the 1742 premiere, the Dublin Journal requested that ladies who would ’Äúhonour the performance with their presence be pleased to come without hoops’Äù [hooped skirts] and that men ’Äúkindly leave their swords at home.’Äù

Happily honouring this tradition and also anticipating sell-out performances, the Symphony kindly requests that this year’Äôs audiences do the same.

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription package and save up to 30%. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About Kevin Mallon

Irish musician Kevin Mallon, now resident in Canada, is quickly developing a worldwide reputation. He learned his craft as a violinist with such orchestras as the Hallˆ© and the BBC Philharmonic, and later as concertmaster with Le Concert Spirituel and Les Arts Florissants in Paris. After moving to Canada, he accepted positions with the University of Toronto, the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, and founded the acclaimed Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble. A world-renowned baroque conductor, Mallon has appeared in concert halls around the world, including Europe, Russia, Japan, and New Zealand. He has made over 40 recordings for Naxos in baroque and classical repertoire.

About Laura Albino, soprano

Laura Albino has quickly emerged as one of Canada's finest young lyric sopranos, and has recently been named a winner of the Ottawa Choral Society's New Discoveries Auditions. Laura's operatic roles include Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program in Aldeburgh, England, Mary Warren in Ward's The Crucible with the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv, and the role of Bridey in The Midnight Court at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Laura is a member of the Canadian Opera Company’Äôs Ensemble Studio and a favorite guest artist with Kevin Mallon's Aradia baroque ensemble.

About Marion Newman, mezzo-soprano

First Nations mezzo-soprano Marion Newman "has a distinctive, dusky voice that suggests drama with every note" (Toronto Star) and has been noted as "a show stealer" (BBC Music Magazine). In her debut with Cork’Äôs Opera 2005 in the title role of Carmen, she was widely praised for her ’Äúsuperbly sinuous sexuality’Äù and as ’Äúa very exciting new talent’Äù by the Irish Examiner. Marion frequently performs with Kevin Mallon’Äôs Aradia Ensemble.

About Lawrence Wiliford, tenor

Described as having a ’Äúlovely sound,’Äù a ’Äúlithe legato,’Äù and ’Äúbeautifully directional phrasing,’Äù American-born tenor Lawrence Wiliford is quickly gaining international recognition on both the concert and operatic stage. Making his Canadian Opera Company leading role debut in Cosˆ¨ fan tutte on five hours’Äô notice, he received critical acclaim as ’Äúa talented and lyric tenor,’Äù ’Äúserving up an impressive Ferrando.’Äù On the concert stage he has been noted as ’Äúanimated, exciting, and yet at the same time technically unimpeachable.’Äù

About Sean Watson, bass-baritone

With a career that encompasses both opera and oratorio, bass-baritone Sean Watson has sung throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Recent performances included The Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Hamilton, the title role in The Mikado with Toronto Operetta Theatre, and John Estacio's The Houses Stand Not Far Apart with Chorus Niagara and the Orpheus Choir.

About Jeff Joudrey, chorus master

Symphony Nova Scotia chorus master Jeff Joudrey is highly regarded for his vision, musical leadership, and standards of excellence in choral music. Founder of the First Baptist Girls' Choir (1983) and Halifax Camerata Singers (1986), his leadership has provided challenging and rewarding choral opportunities for many Nova Scotia singers. In addition to being Director of Music at First Baptist Church, Jeff is in high demand as a guest conductor, choral clinician, teacher and adjudicator.

About the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus

The Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus was founded in 2001 under the leadership of conductor Jeff Joudrey to provide a highly trained symphonic chorus for performances with Symphony Nova Scotia. Chorus membership includes the Halifax Camerata Singers as the core choir and auditioned singers from around the province.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Delight the entire family with Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs The Nutcracker!

Presented by Symphony Nova Scotia with Halifax Dance and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia
Conducted by Bernhard Gueller and Martin MacDonald
Choreographed and directed by Leica Hardy
Puppetry direction by Jim Morrow
December 4, 5, 11 & 12 at 7:30 pm
December 5, 6, & 12 at 2:00 pm
Music by Pyotr Il’Äôytch Tchaikovsky

Halifax, NS ’Äì Colourful characters. Larger-than-life puppets. Breathtaking live music. A fairy tale ballet. Symphony Nova Scotia presents its 19th-anniversary production of The Nutcracker, a holiday treat for all ages!

Taking place from December 4-12 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, this annual production by Symphony Nova Scotia, Halifax Dance, and Mermaid Theatre is unmatched by any other in Nova Scotia. Combining the talents of over 100 musicians, dancers, and production staff, The Nutcracker entertains thousands of Nova Scotians each year.

It’Äôs the story of a young girl who falls asleep in a dormitory and wakes up in a fantasy world with her beloved Nutcracker. Together, they fight a ferocious mouse queen and enter an enchanting Land of Snow, where flowers, dolls, and toys come to life.

’ÄúIt’Äôs a magical story,’Äù says Melanie Ferro, who plays Clara again this year. ’ÄúThe huge puppets, the dancing, the live music by Tchaikovsky ’Äì it’Äôs all very exciting, and it’Äôs the perfect family event for the holidays. It’Äôs the story of fighting your fears and turning them into something positive and hopeful. It gives you the feeling that anything can happen!’Äù

Melanie performs in The Nutcracker with a cast of more than 30 dancers and puppeteers, ranging in age from seven all the way to 50. And while she and her fellow dancers and puppeteers are onstage, the musicians of Symphony Nova Scotia are beneath them in the pit performing Tchaikovsky’Äôs famous Nutcracker Suite. The Suite includes some of the most recognizable classical music ever written, including the Russian Dance, the Waltz of the Flowers and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

"Our version of The Nutcracker is a very human narrative for all ages,’Äù says Leica Hardy, The Nutcracker’Äôs choreographer and director. ’ÄúIt is a story of loneliness and friendship, fear and courage, distrust and compassion, and the transformation of a lonely child into a courageous, gracious and forgiving young woman."

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $19-37, HST included. Call 494.3820 or 1.800.874.1669, or visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca.

Symphony Nova Scotia and John McDermott honour our veterans

Halifax NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia joins Irish tenor John McDermott in concerts of remembrance on Friday, November 6 at 7:30 pm and again on Sunday, November 8 at 2:00 pm, both at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

To the generation that remembers the World Wars, John McDermott’Äôs music conjures up a vivid emotional landscape, evocative of love, loss, and history. These Remembrance Day performances, conducted by Symphony Nova Scotia Resident Conductor Martin MacDonald, will pay tribute to our veterans with classic wartime songs like Danny Boy, I’Äôll Be Seeing You, My Bonnie, The Dreamer, Scotland the Brave, The Gift of Years, By Yon Bonnie Banks, and many more.

"So much of the music I sing really speaks to the veterans' experience,’Äù says McDermott. ’ÄúI feel a great deal of respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line for the sake of their country.’Äù

McDermott has become known as much for his commitment to veterans' causes as for his successful musical career, and Symphony Nova Scotia is proud to join him in honoring our veterans with this special pair of performances.

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription package and save up to 30%. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About John McDermott

The ninth of twelve children, McDermott came from a traditional Glasgow Irish family who emigrated from Scotland to Canada in the 1960s. John's musical roots are equal parts Scottish and Irish and his songs showcase his innate understanding and facility with traditional folk melodies as well as more contemporary stylings. He has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's "Bob Hope Award," and works closely with organizations like the Medal of Honor Society, the War Amps of Canada, the Semper Fidelis Society, and the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia puts spotlight on concertmaster Robert Uchida

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia concertmaster Robert Uchida takes centre stage for Brushstrokes and Bows at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 pm.

As the ’Äúbows’Äù part of the concert, Uchida and the orchestra will perform the Nova Scotian premiere of Canadian composer Andrew P. MacDonald’Äôs Violin Concerto. This concerto won the Juno Award for Best Classical Composition in 1995, and Fanfare described it as ’Äúsparkling with life, both in its brilliant writing for the soloist and its imaginative use of orchestral colour.’Äù

’ÄúThe MacDonald Violin Concerto is one of the greatest Canadian pieces written for solo violin,’Äù says Uchida, who will be performing the concerto under the baton of Symphony Nova Scotia Music Director Bernhard Gueller. ’ÄúI am very excited to be a part of its introduction to the Nova Scotia audience. This concerto has everything ’Äì from incredible virtuosic writing to sheer depth, lyricism and beauty.’Äù

The ’Äúbrushstrokes’Äù section of the concert is made up of Respighi’Äôs Botticelli Pictures, which he wrote in honour of the three of Botticelli’Äôs most famous paintings ’Äì Spring, The Birth of Venus, and The Adoration of the Magi. This musical representation transforms colour into sound, capturing the mood, light, and passion of the art of Botticelli.

The orchestra will complete the concert with a performance of Schubert’Äôs buoyant, joyous Symphony no. 5.

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription package and save up to 30%. Under age 30? Pay only $15 with your TD Under-30 Access Pass, now available at the box office. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About Robert Uchida

Hailed by critics for his ’Äúrich tone and virtuosic technique’Äù (the Chronicle Herald), Canadian-born violinist Robert Uchida has quickly established himself as a collaborative artist and concertmaster of distinction. Regarded as a musically sensitive and cerebral performer, Uchida has performed as a soloist and concertmaster across North America and Europe. His most recent recording, Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin by Andrew Violette, has been released through Innova Records and is receiving rave reviews.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Final Fantasy performs with Symphony Nova Scotia for the Halifax Pop Explosion

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with indie/pop/classical artist Final Fantasy on Friday, October 23 at 7:30 pm at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion.

Named in tribute to the video game series, Final Fantasy is a one-man band made up of Canadian violinist/pianist/composer Owen Pallett. His trademark performances feature him using a foot pedal to loop the live violin in simultaneous layers, building a grand, intricate sound.

This classically trained violinist has written arrangements for artists like Arcade Fire, the Pet Shop Boys, and Mika, and won the inaugural Polaris Prize for his album He Poos Clouds. This concert will be his second orchestral appearance, following a performance with the Brooklyn Philharmonic earlier this year.

"The forthcoming Final Fantasy album is entirely orchestral, and this concert is a wonderful opportunity to perform these songs the way they were meant to be heard,’Äù says Owen. ’ÄúI also took some time to revisit some older songs, revise them for a symphonic performance."

Final Fantasy’Äôs performance with Symphony Nova Scotia will be conducted by Martin MacDonald, and will feature Owen’Äôs own arrangements of some of his most popular songs, including Arctic Circle, He Poos Clouds, Oh Heartland, Up Yours!, Took You Two Years to Win My Heart, Lewis Takes Action, The CN Tower, and Ultimatum. He will also perform several pieces solo, and Symphony Nova Scotia will perform orchestral works by Prokofiev and Mercure. The entire performance will be recorded for broadcast by CBC Radio Two.

This performance is almost sold out, so pick up your tickets today! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can purchase a subscription package and save up to 30%. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About Final Fantasy
Owen Pallett's live violin-looping project, Final Fantasy, has released four albums and EPs, including Has a Good Home and He Poos Clouds. The Village Voice praised He Poos Clouds as having "the best lyrics of the year," Pitchfork described it as "a joy to hear... this is, in a word, fierce ’Äì it can engage you on a level most albums can't," and many publications put it in their top-ten lists for the year. Canadian journalists voted and awarded it the inaugural Polaris Prize for best Canadian full-length album.

In addition to curating the Maximum Black Festival in early 2008, Owen has been touring constantly while writing string and orchestral arrangements for many releases, including Arcade Fire's Neon Bible (and Funeral), Grizzly Bear's Yellow House, Beirut's The Flying Club Cup, The Last Shadow Puppets' The Age of the Understatement, and the Pet Shop Boys’Äô Yes. He is currently working on his forthcoming full-length romance album entitled Heartland.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia Music Director to receive honorary doctorate

October 15, 2009 - Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia Music Director Bernhard Gueller will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from Dalhousie University on Saturday, October 17.

Dalhousie University’Äôs honorary degrees are awarded to recognize individuals who, by their example of extraordinary achievements and service to society, provide inspiration and models of leadership and integrity to Dalhousie’Äôs student body. Gueller, who recently renewed his contract with Symphony Nova Scotia for another five years, is recognized for his inspiring leadership of the Symphony and the connection he makes with audiences.

Under Gueller’Äôs direction, Symphony Nova Scotia has been praised artistically as one of the top orchestras in Canada. The orchestra regularly performs in both Halifax and communities across the province, and reaches more than 15,000 young audience members each year with its education and outreach programs. New programs created at Symphony Nova Scotia under Gueller’Äôs tenure include the Musical Munchkins program for three- to five-year-olds, the TD Under-30 Access Pass, annual collaborations with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, and partnerships with local organizations such as Phoenix Youth Programs, the Halifax Pop Explosion, and the IWK.

’ÄúI am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this degree,’Äù says Gueller. ’ÄúI see it as a wonderful recognition of the work done by all of us at Symphony Nova Scotia.’Äù

Gueller will accept the honorary degree during Dalhousie University’Äôs Fall 2009 Convocation on Saturday, October 17 at 2:30 pm at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Honorary degrees will also be awarded to Ms. Alexa McDonough and Senator James Cowan. For more details, visit http://dalnews.dal.ca/2009/10/14/fall_convo.html.

About Symphony Nova Scotia

Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia to perform Macmillan's Suite Silver Dart at Celtic Colours

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia takes to the road this week to be part of the annual Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton. The orchestra will perform the world premiere of Nova Scotia guitarist/composer Scott Macmillan’Äôs newest work, Suite Silver Dart, on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7:30 pm at Glace Bay’Äôs Savoy Theatre and on Saturday, October 17 at 2:00 pm at Mabou’Äôs Strathspey Place.

The Suite Silver Dart commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada. Spearheaded by Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association, the first flight of the Silver Dart took place on February 23, 1909 in Baddeck, Cape Breton. Commissioned by Celtic Colours, the Silver Dart Centennial Association, and the Centre Bras d'Or, Suite Silver Dart is a musical exploration of the hard work, anticipation, and celebration surrounding this historic event.

Suite Silver Dart will be conducted by Symphony Nova Scotia resident conductor (and native Cape Bretoner) Martin MacDonald, and will feature Chris Stout, violin; Catroina McKay, harp; Paula-Jane Francis, piano; and of course, composer/guitarist Scott Macmillan. The concert program will also include highlights of Alexander Graham Bell’Äôs favourite symphonic music, featuring vocalists Peter Gillis and Laurel Brown.

’ÄúI’Äôm so excited about returning home to Cape Breton for the second time in a year with Symphony Nova Scotia,’Äù says Symphony Nova Scotia resident conductor Martin MacDonald. ’ÄúIt’Äôs such an honour to be collaborating with Scott Macmillan and Celtic Colours to present the Suite Silver Dart on this very special occasion.’Äù

Tickets for both performances range from $20-35 and are available at 1.888.355.7744 or www.celtic-colours.com.

About Symphony Nova Scotia’Ä®Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia performs Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream

Halifax, NS ’Äì 200 years after composer Felix Mendelssohn’Äôs birth, Symphony Nova Scotia performs his complete A Midsummer Night’Äôs Dream on Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 pm at the Dalhousie Arts Centre’Äôs Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Symphony Nova Scotia has never before performed the full version of this masterpiece, written by Mendelssohn in two instalments in 1826 and 1842. Ultimately intended as musical accompaniment to the play of the same name by Shakespeare, it includes some of the most recognizable melodies ever written, including the famous Overture, Scherzo, and Wedding March.

The performance will include narration by local actress Margot Dionne, as well as performances by two young sopranos, Jillian Bonner and Katrina Westin (both voice students at Dalhousie University) and a women’Äôs chorus featuring members of the Halifax Camerata Singers and the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus.

’ÄúTo perform the Midsummer Night’Äôs Dream has always been a dream for me,’Äù says Symphony Nova Scotia Music Director and conductor Bernhard Gueller. ’ÄúI can hardly believe that we’Äôve managed to bring all the elements together to make this a reality. It is such a complex work with choir and two soloists and the narrator. I know the accomplished Margot Dionne will bring some of the most beautiful English ever written to life again."

’ÄúFrom an actor and narrator's point of view, this is a thrilling collaboration ’Äì the stuff that dreams are made of!’Äù adds Dionne.

This performance will also feature another British masterpiece, Benjamin Britten’Äôs A Suite on English Folk Tunes, as well as a free pre-concert chat at 6:45 pm in the Arts Centre Sculpture Court, just outside the auditorium.

Get your tickets now! Prices range from $29-49 (HST included), or you can pick up a subscription package and save up to 30%. Under age 30? Pay only $15 with your TD Under-30 Access Pass, now available at the box office. For tickets and more information, call 494.3820 or visit our website at www.symphonynovascotia.ca.

About Margot Dionne
Margot Dionne, a classically trained actor and eight-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, has performed and taught theatre across North America. Currently a faculty member at Dalhousie University’Äôs Department of Theatre, she has previously narrated A Midsummer Night’Äôs Dream with the Canadian Opera Company.

About Jillian Bonner
Saint John soprano Jillian Bonner is entering her third year of a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Dalhousie University, studying voice with Marcia Swanston. She has performed with Opera New Brunswick’Äôs Young Artist Series, with the Early Music Studio of Saint John, and in the Dalhousie Opera Workshop production of Orpheus in the Underworld this year.

About Katrina Westin
Halifax soprano Katrina Westin is commencing her third year of a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Dalhousie University and studies voice with Marcia Swanston. She has appeared in Dalhousie Opera Workshop productions as Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) and Public Opinion (Orpheus in the Underworld), and as Mabel in the local Gilbert & Sullivan Society's production of The Pirates of Penzance.

About the Women’Äôs Chorus
This performance features women from the Halifax Camerata Singers and the Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus.

The Halifax Camerata Singers is Atlantic Canada’Äôs leading chamber choir. Since its founding in 1986 by Artistic Director Jeff Joudrey, the Nova Scotia ensemble has distinguished itself in performing choral repertoire from all periods and styles.

The Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus was also established under the leadership of Jeff Joudrey, with the intent of providing a highly trained symphonic chorus for performances with Symphony Nova Scotia. Chorus membership includes auditioned singers from around the province, as well as the Halifax Camerata Singers as the core choir.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia's Annual General Meeting

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday, September 29, 5:00 pm
Dalhousie Arts Centre Sculpture Court

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia's 2008/09 Annual General Meeting will be held Tuesday, September 29 at 5:00 pm in the Dalhousie Arts Centre's Sculpture Court.

The meeting will review the orchestra's finances and activities during the past season, discuss plans for the upcoming season, and finalize the selection of the Board of Directors and Executive Officers for the 2009/10 season.

Everyone is welcome to attend, though only members of the Symphony Nova Scotia Society are entitled to vote at the meeting. Memberships are open to everyone, and can be purchased for $11.50 at the AGM or at the Symphony Nova Scotia office in Park Lane Mall, Suite 301, 5657 Spring Garden Road.

More concerts added to Symphony Nova Scotia's Symphony Week

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia musicians will be performing even more free concerts during the second annual Symphony Week, running Tuesday, September 22 to Sunday, September 27.

The full week of festivities will feature Symphony Nova Scotia musicians giving free, live performances at venues like City Hall, the Spring Garden Road Library, Scotia Square Mall, Citadel High, and the Maritime Museum. Recently added performances include an outdoor solo concert with Symphony Nova Scotia principal cellist Norman Adams in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia courtyard, as well as four Musical Munchkins sessions across HRM (see below for full schedule).

’ÄúWe’Äôre delighted to kick off our 26th season with Symphony Week,’Äù says Symphony Nova Scotia CEO Erika Beatty. ’ÄúIt’Äôs a great way to celebrate our upcoming concert season and give audiences a chance to sample some of the music they’Äôll be hearing. The way Nova Scotians support their musical community is one of the reasons why this is the best place to live in Canada ’Äì Symphony Week is also a celebration of the creative spirit of all the artists and residents of our community.’Äù

Symphony Week is generously supported by the Halifax Regional Municipality’Äôs Special Events Grant.

Symphony Week schedule of events:

Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 12:00 pm, Halifax Regional Library, Spring Garden Road
Library Players' Classical Hits: Mozart and Friends
Bring your lunch and join host Max Kasper and his fellow musicians from Symphony Nova Scotia as the orchestra kicks off its Symphony Week! Come hear music and hilarious stories about your favourite composers in a relaxed and informal setting.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 10:15 am, Woodlawn Public Library
Musical Munchkins
Introduce your 3- to 5-year-old to music and motion with musical demonstrations, games, activities, and dancing ’Äì all directed by two talented Symphony Nova Scotia musicians.
Registration is required. For more Musical Munchkins sessions, visit
www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 3:00 pm, City Hall
Symphony at City Hall
Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs full orchestra performs live at City Hall! Featuring excerpts from some of the greatest classical works ever written, including Beethoven’Äôs Eighth, Dvorak’Äôs Czech Suite, and Mendelssohn’Äôs A Midsummer Night’Äôs Dream.

Thursday, September 24, 2009, 12:00 pm, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Courtyard
Adams on Cello
Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs principal cellist Norman Adams performs an innovative outdoor concert in the Art Gallery courtyard.

Thursday, September 24, 2009, 2:00 pm, Citadel High School
School Concert
The full orchestra performs for an audience of young music lovers at Citadel High. For students only, please.

Friday, September 25, 2009, 10:30 am, J.D. Shatford Memorial Public Library, Sackville Public Library, and Sheet Harbour Public Library
Musical Munchkins
Introduce your 3- to 5-year-old to music and motion with musical demonstrations, games, activities, and dancing ’Äì all directed by two talented Symphony Nova Scotia musicians. Registration is required. For more Musical Munchkins sessions, visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca.

Friday, September 25, 2009, noon, Scotia Square Mall
Rhapsody While You Shop
Halifax’Äôs Rhapsody Quintet, featuring members of Symphony Nova Scotia, plays your light classics and jazz favourites at Scotia Square.

Friday, September 25, 2009, 1:30 pm, Park Lane Theatre 8
Atlantic Film Festival Emerging Composer Screening
Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with emerging film composers to perform and record original compositions in this innovative workshop screening. Open to registered Film Festival delegates. (For details, contact Alyson Sanders at alysons@atlanticfilm.com or 902.420.4577.)

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 10:30 am, Discovery Centre
Discover the Symphony!
A Symphony Nova Scotia wind quintet plays for all ages at Halifax’Äôs Discovery Centre ’Äì featuring an interactive, entertaining program and a musical instrument petting zoo, courtesy of Long & McQuade!

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 2:30 pm, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
26th Season Preview
Hear the full orchestra live on the waterfront at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in this preview of Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs 26th anniversary season. Featuring special guest bagpiper Alex Marriott, a student at Oxford School in Halifax.

Sunday, September 27, 2009, 11:00 am, Cunard Centre
Words and Music
A Symphony Nova Scotia small group, featuring newly published author and violist Binnie Brennan, brings the joy of music to Word on the Street, Nova Scotia’Äôs largest book festival.

Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs Musical Munchkins program returns this fall

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia is delighted once again to present Musical Munchkins! After another overwhelming success in 2008-09, the Musical Munchkins program is back this fall to introduce even more 3- to 5-year-olds to music and motion in a fun, interactive way.

Beginning September 23, Symphony Nova Scotia will offer 19 free-of-charge Musical Munchkins sessions for kids and parents at public libraries throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality. Parents and guardians can register their children by calling their preferred library (dates and times are listed below).

The goal of Musical Munchkins is to introduce 3- to 5-year-old youngsters to music and motion in a fun, comfortable environment. Each 30-minute session includes musical demonstrations, games, activities, and dancing, all directed by two talented Symphony Nova Scotia musicians.

’ÄúResponse to this program from staff and patrons around the region has been unanimously positive,’Äù says Heather MacKenzie, library branch manager at Alderney Gate. ’ÄúThis fun and lively introduction to music and movement brings preschoolers, parents (and grandparents!) together to enjoy dance, games and other activities through different styles of music. We are very grateful to Symphony Nova Scotia and the participating musicians for allowing us to bring such a high quality cultural program to families in our community.’Äù

Last year’Äôs Musical Munchkins program was extremely popular, with most sessions at full capacity. Please register early to ensure your place in the program!

Symphony Nova Scotia is also willing to hold extra Musical Munchkins sessions for groups associated with special needs children.

For more information about Musical Munchkins, contact Symphony Nova Scotia at 902.421.1300.

This program is co-presented by Symphony Nova Scotia and Halifax Public Libraries with the generous sponsorship of Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline.

Musical Munchkins is just one part of Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs comprehensive educational programs. Other offerings include Adopt-a-Musician, Open Dress Rehearsals, In-School Concerts, School Matinees, the Library Series, Pre-Concert Chats, and family concerts. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca for details.


MUSICAL MUNCHKINS SESSIONS 2009

Woodlawn Public Library
Wednesday, September 23 / 10:15 am
To register: call 435-8352

J.D. Shatford Memorial Public Library
Friday, September 25 / 10:30 am
To register: call 857-9176

Sackville Public Library
Friday, September 25 / 10:30 am
To register: call 865-3744.

Sheet Harbour Public Library
Friday, September 25 / 10:30 am
To register: call 885-2391.

Alderney Gate Public Library
Tuesday, October 13 / 10:15 am and 10:45 am
To register: call 490-5748.

Keshen Goodman Public Library
Tuesday, October 20 / 10:15 am and 11:15 am
To register: call 490-6410

Musquodoboit Harbour Public Library
Tuesday, October 20 / 11 am
To register: call 889-2227

Bedford Public Library
Wednesday, October 21 / 10:15 am and 10:45 am
To register: call 490-5757.

Tantallon Public Library
Wednesday, October 21 / 10:30 am and 11 am
To register: call 865-3744.

Captain William Spry Public Library
Saturday, October 24 / 11 am
To register: call 490-5818.

Halifax North Public Library
Tuesday, October 27 / 10:30 am
To register: call 490-5723

Cole Harbour Public Library
Wednesday, October 28 / 10:15 am and 11 am
To register: call 434-6177.

Spring Garden Road Public Library
Wednesday, October 28 / 10 am and 11 am
To register: call 490-5700.


About Symphony Nova Scotia’Ä®Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Local arts organizations partner to present Emerging Composer-Director Mentorship Program

Halifax, NS ’Äì Four emerging Atlantic Canadian film composers will soon have the opportunity to produce and record their compositions live with Symphony Nova Scotia during the 29th Atlantic Film Festival.

The Guild of Canadian Film Composers, Symphony Nova Scotia, and the Atlantic Film Festival Association are proud to present an Emerging Composer-Director Program as part of the ’ÄúMusic & Image’Äù program at this year’Äôs Atlantic Film Festival. Atlantic Canadian composers Duane Andrews, David Christensen, Cy Giacomin, and Robert Kenning have been chosen to work with regional independent filmmakers Rachel Bower, Andrea Dorfman, Aram Kouyoumjian, and Adam Perry to create original film scores which will be recorded by the Symphony in partnership with producer Hayward Parrott of St. Cecilia Studios.

Under the direction of award winning film composer and GCFC vice-chair Darren Fung, this innovative program is the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada, and gives these filmmakers and composers hands-on experience recording orchestral music for film from start to finish. Not only will participants work directly with musicians, orchestrators, and sound engineers, but they will also benefit from mentorship, feedback, and real-life considerations such as time constraints and on-the-spot revisions.

’ÄúThe cooperation of all four partners is truly a testament to the incredible artistic and production communities that exist in Atlantic Canada,’Äù says Fung. ’ÄúThis is a unique program that highlights the importance of the director-composer relationship, as well as the importance of original music in film and television.’Äù

’ÄúThis program came out of a strong desire for the Symphony and the Film Festival to collaborate with others within the regional cultural sector," adds Erika Beatty, CEO of Symphony Nova Scotia. ’ÄúIt’Äôs so exciting for the Symphony to help give voice to the thoughts and ideas of these young artists.’Äù

’ÄúThe Atlantic Film Festival is very excited to be building on the phenomenal success of the ’ÄòMusic and Image’Äô program, our regional collaboration with the East Coast Music Association, with another partnership that opens up new relationships and markets for Atlantic Canadian musicians and filmmakers,’Äù says Andrea Thomas, Director of Operations with the Atlantic Film Festival Association.

The finished productions will be screened to an audience of Atlantic Film Festival industry delegates in an ’Äúopen house’Äù format. At the screening, participants will host a panel to discuss the highlights and challenges of their experiences. For more information, contact Alyson Sanders at alysons@atlanticfilm.com or 902.420.4577.

PARTICIPATING COMPOSERS:

Robert Kenning (Wolfville, NS)
A recent graduate of the Selkirk College Music and Technology Program, Andrew is working toward a career in film and media composition. While at Selkirk College he studied composition and film scoring with Genie-nominated composer Don MacDonald. As a saxophone player, he has performed with a wide variety of groups, from symphonic wind ensembles to rock bands, with experience writing and arranging for jazz big bands and combos, rock groups, string quartets, and other chamber ensembles.

Duane Andrews (St. John’Äôs, NL)
Duane is an emerging composer based in St. John's, NL who is presently focused on orchestral music. He has received funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to develop his orchestral writing and will be working with the Newfoundland Symphony Youth Orchestra this fall to develop music under the mentorship of composer Jim Duff. Duane has composed and produced a multitude of film scores and was recently awarded Instrumental Album of the Year in 2009 at the East Coast Music Awards.

David Christensen (Halifax, NS)
David is an emerging composer based in Halifax, NS and has created compositions for film, television and theatre. He has worked with Symphony Nova Scotia as well as such artists as Jenn Grant, Joel Plaskett and Gordie Sampson. He was awarded Best Original Score at the 28th Atlantic Film Festival for his work on Good Morning Kandahar.

Cy Giacomin (Halifax, NS)
Having recently completed his bachelor of music in composition at Dalhousie University, Cy has gained the tools and training to develop his technique as a composer and orchestrator, and plans to continue improving these skills at the master’Äôs level at McGill University. Cy’Äôs experience with orchestra began as a performer (trombone and piano), and since then he has taken up orchestral composition and conducting as well.

PARTICIPATING DIRECTORS:

Adam Perry (Charlottetown, PE)
Adam was raised in Stratford, PEI and has always had a passion for storytelling. He graduated from Holland College with a diploma in Graphic Design but then felt compelled to learn more about filmmaking. Being a life-long student, he took what he knew about websites and filmmaking and began making entertainment for the internet. In 2006, he directed a well-received short comedic film called Profile PEI, which was developed into the nationally recognized web series of the same name (www.profilepei.com). Shortly after Profile PEI’Äôs first season, Adam received a healthy short-film grant which he used to make the film Jiggers.

Andrea Dorfman (Halifax, NS)
Andrea Dorfman started making Super 8 films with friends in high school before graduating from Montreal’Äôs McGill University in 1992. She graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax in 1995 and then wrote, directed, shot and edited several experimental short films through the Atlantic Filmmakers Co-op while working as a camera assistant in Halifax’Äôs commercial film industry. In 1998 she made her first dramatic short film, Swerve, as well as Nine, a half-hour documentary. Both films earned her the award for Most Promising New Director at the Atlantic Film Festival and went on to play at many international festivals. Andrea has a lengthy list of award-winning work throughout her career in directing, producing and writing.

Aram Kouyoumjian (Bayside, NS)
In the twelve years since Aram’Äôs first film, he has run the gauntlet in production experience. His years in industry sound recording have allowed him much time on the front lines of the creative process of filmmaking. This experience and a longtime love of music and storytelling has led to an interesting exploration of music videos and short films, yielding several nods from the industry, including a Juno nomination and a MuchMusic Video Award nomination (In Flight Safety’Äôs The Coast is Clear), and the CBC/NSFDC Bridge Award in 2006 for his third half-hour television project. Aram’Äôs interest in telling stories through larger-than-life fantasies has led to his being called ’ÄúHalifax’Äôs Michel Gondry’Äù by some and ’Äúsmartly over-ambitious’Äù by others.

Rachel Bower (Halifax, NS)
Rachel was one of 25 professional crew members from across Canada chosen to participate in the Women in the Director’Äôs Chair Workshop at the Banff Centre for Arts. Rachel has been a camera operator and editor for the Outdoor Life Network’Äôs action series 16mm. She has also worked as a camera assistant and Steadicam focus puller for 70 episodes of CBC’Äôs drama series Edgemont. Creating documentaries feeds Rachel’Äôs natural curiosity about the history and humanity of people, and her ten-minute Nigerian-based documentary, Akain Wari: Building the Niger Delta, has been screened at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa. Her film Time Apart: A History of Hope, funded by the National Film Board, the Linda Joy Media Arts Society, and CTV, is currently on the film festival circuit. Rachel works at CTV in Halifax, Nova Scotia as a camera operator.

About Symphony Nova Scotia’Ä®Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

About the Atlantic Film Festival Association’Ä®The Atlantic Film Festival Association (AFFA) is a non-profit organization committed to promoting and building a strong cultural industry in Canada, and presenting the best materials from this region and around the world to our community. The creative professional team making up the Association is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is the largest cultural organization in Atlantic Canada. The Association has developed a year-round calendar of events to facilitate, through professional and business development platforms, sustained economic growth for the Atlantic Canadian film, television and music industry.

About the GCFC
The Guild of Canadian Film Composers is a national association of professional composers and music producers for film, television and new media, whose purpose is to further the interests of its members in liaison with Canada’Äôs cultural industries and agencies, media producers and music publishers, educational institutions and the public.

Symphony Nova Scotia presents free concerts in Symphony Week

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia presents a series of free concerts in its second annual Symphony Week, running Tuesday, September 22 to Sunday, September 27.

The full week of festivities will feature Symphony Nova Scotia musicians giving free, live performances at venues like City Hall, the Spring Garden Road Library, Scotia Square Mall, Citadel High, and the Maritime Museum. Performances will include everything from children’Äôs music to orchestral concerts featuring the entire Symphony.

’ÄúWe’Äôre delighted to kick off our 26th season with Symphony Week,’Äù says Symphony Nova Scotia CEO Erika Beatty. ’ÄúIt’Äôs a great way to celebrate our upcoming concert season and give audiences a chance to sample some of the music they’Äôll be hearing. The way Nova Scotians support their musical community is one of the reasons why this is the best place to live in Canada ’Äì Symphony Week is also a celebration of the creative spirit of all the artists and residents of our community.’Äù

Symphony Week is generously supported by the Halifax Regional Municipality’Äôs Special Events Grant.

Symphony Week schedule of events:

Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 12:00 pm, Halifax Regional Library, Spring Garden Road
Library Players' Classical Hits: Mozart and Friends
Bring your lunch and join host Max Kasper and his fellow musicians from Symphony Nova Scotia as the orchestra kicks off its Symphony Week! Come hear music and hilarious stories about your favourite composers in a relaxed and informal setting.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009, 3:00 pm, City Hall
Symphony at City Hall
Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs full orchestra performs live at City Hall! Featuring excerpts from some of the greatest classical works ever written, including Beethoven’Äôs Eighth, Dvorak’Äôs Czech Suite, and Mendelssohn’Äôs A Midsummer Night’Äôs Dream.

Thursday, September 24, 2009, 2:00 pm, Citadel High School
School Concert
The full orchestra performs for an audience of young music lovers at Citadel High. For students only, please.

Friday, September 25, 2009, noon, Scotia Square Mall
Rhapsody While You Shop
Halifax’Äôs Rhapsody Quintet, featuring members of Symphony Nova Scotia, plays your light classics and jazz favourites at Scotia Square.

Friday, September 25, 2009, 1:30 pm, Park Lane Theatre 8
Atlantic Film Festival Emerging Composer Screening
Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with emerging film composers to perform and record original compositions in this innovative workshop screening. Open to registered Film Festival delegates. (For details, contact Alyson Sanders at alysons@atlanticfilm.com or 902.420.4577.)

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 10:30 am, Discovery Centre
Discover the Symphony!
A Symphony Nova Scotia wind quintet plays for all ages at Halifax’Äôs Discovery Centre ’Äì featuring an interactive, entertaining program and a musical instrument petting zoo!

Saturday, September 26, 2009, 2:30 pm, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
26th Season Preview
Hear the full orchestra live on the waterfront at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in this preview of Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs 26th anniversary season. Featuring special guest bagpiper Alex Marriott, a student at Oxford School in Halifax.

Sunday, September 27, 2009, 11:00 am, Cunard Centre
Words and Music
A Symphony Nova Scotia small group, featuring newly published author and violist Binnie Brennan, brings the joy of music to Word on the Street, Nova Scotia’Äôs largest book festival.


About Symphony Nova Scotia

’Ä®Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Symphony Nova Scotia to perform Macmillan's Suite Silver Dart at Celtic Colours

Symphony Nova Scotia to perform Macmillan’Äôs Suite Silver Dart at Celtic Colours

Halifax, NS ’Äì Symphony Nova Scotia takes to the road this fall to be part of the annual Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton. The orchestra will perform the world premiere of Nova Scotia guitarist/composer Scott Macmillan’Äôs newest work, Suite Silver Dart, on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7:30 pm at Glace Bay’Äôs Savoy Theatre and on Saturday, October 17 at 2:00 pm at Mabou’Äôs Strathspey Place.

The Suite Silver Dart commemorates the 100^th anniversary of the first powered flight in Canada. Spearheaded by Alexander Graham Bell and the Aerial Experiment Association, the first flight of the Silver Dart took place on February 23, 1909 in Baddeck, Cape Breton. Commissioned by Celtic Colours, the Silver Dart Centennial Association, and the Centre Bras d'Or, Suite Silver Dart is a musical exploration of the hard work, anticipation, and celebration surrounding this historic event.

Suite Silver Dart will be conducted by Symphony Nova Scotia resident conductor (and native Cape Bretoner) Martin MacDonald, and will feature Chris Stout, violin; Catroina McKay, harp; Paula-Jane Francis, piano; and of course, composer/guitarist Scott Macmillan. The concert program will also include highlights of Alexander Graham Bell’Äôs favourite symphonic music, featuring vocalists Peter Gillis and Laurel Brown.

’ÄúI’Äôm so excited about returning home to Cape Breton for the second time in a year with Symphony Nova Scotia,’Äù says Symphony Nova Scotia resident conductor Martin MacDonald. ’ÄúIt’Äôs such an honour to be collaborating with Scott Macmillan and Celtic Colours to present the Suite Silver Dart on this very special occasion.’Äù

Tickets for both performances range from $20-35 and are available at 1.888.355.7744 or www.celtic-colours.com.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.

Four cultures, four rhythms, and a full orchestra: Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with DRUM!

Four cultures, four rhythms, and a full orchestra: Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with DRUM!

Halifax, NS - You’Äôve experienced the electrifying music, rhythms, and dance of DRUM! Now experience it with a full symphony orchestra for a truly incredible extravaganza. Symphony Nova Scotia joins DRUM! at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium for two very special performances on Sunday, October 4, 2009.

’ÄúSymphony Nova Scotia has had the pleasure of truly being a part of Nova Scotia’Äôs cultural heritage,’Äù said Erika Beatty, Symphony Nova Scotia’Äôs CEO, at the official announcement June 24 in Park Lane Mall.

’ÄúWe’Äôve partnered with Ron Bourgeois and the Acadian community with concerts such as Grou Tyme; we’Äôve performed with Mi’Äôkmaq performer George Paul during the Atlantic Scene tour to Ottawa’Äôs National Arts Centre; we’Äôve joined African Nova Scotian artists onstage for our Martin Luther King Jr. tribute concerts and sold-out Motown performances with artists like Dutch Robinson; and we’Äôve also embraced the Celtic music community through concerts created by Scott Macmillan in our Maritime Pops series and tours to Cape Breton.

’ÄúWe are so delighted to come full circle by being part of Brookes and Fiona Diamond’Äôs vision of bringing cultural elements together to showcase the best of Nova Scotia’Äôs music with the extraordinary performers of DRUM!’Äù

DRUM! runs this fall from September 29 to October 4 at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Symphony Nova Scotia performs with DRUM! for its final two shows on Sunday, October 4 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm. Tickets are $49, and are very limited ’Äì call 494.3820 or visit http://artscentre.dal.ca.

About DRUM!

DRUM! is a powerfully moving musical extravaganza that for over a decade has brought audiences throughout North America and beyond to their feet. DRUM!’Äôs heart-pounding combination of music, dance, rhythm and song tells of the arrival, settlement, struggles, and ultimate coming together of four of North America’Äôs founding cultures as seen through the lens of our first Nation’Äôs experience.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’Äôs orchestra. Each year more than 50,000 audience members (including 15,000 young music lovers) join us in communities across Nova Scotia for performances of the music they love ’Äì from baroque and classical to pop and rock and folk. Under the inspirational leadership of Music Director Bernhard Gueller, Symphony Nova Scotia is recognized as one of the finest orchestras in the country. Visit www.SymphonyNovaScotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or subscribe today!

Symphony Nova Scotia is grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, Nova Scotia Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality for their continued support.