Volume 7 Issue 4 - December 2001/January 2002

ONES TO
WATCH
By Paul Steenhuisen
"Composer to Composer" will
return to its usual form in
February with a full-length
interview of Linda Catlin Smith
(whose recently released CD
Memory Forms is reviewed ,by
Brian McMilla,n in DISCOVER­
IES this issue (see page 56).
In keeping with this issue's
seasonal theme, here instead are
short statements about their ideas,
aesthetics, and current projects.by
seven people we are likely to hear
more from in the coming year:
Erik Ross, Yannick Plamondon,
Bongani Ndodana, Victoria
Maidanik, Christien Ledroit,
Brian Current, and Rose Bolton.
I .
NEW Music ·:· c MPOSER TO COMPOSER .
Opera Works' presentation at the
Opera America Conference nlxt
April.
Yannick PLAMONDON
w3.arobas.net/ -gaspar/
Upcoming: NUMUFEST
broadcast of new wor:k for
- Continuum, Dec 16, 2 New
Hours, CBC Radio 2
Music 1s FOR ME a poetic field,
where I construct sound metaphors
according to my experience of the
world (nature/Humans etc ...)
I think that one of the most
imponant challenges for composers
now is to cross the massculture
barrier - I mean to do it!
Keeping in mind that complexity/
sophistication and musical
individualism (coming from our
aristocratic historical background)
is a very good argument, there are
a lot of people out there looking
for non-wmmercial musical
Erik ROSS
experiences, to express their
Studies: U of T /Christos Hatzis, individuality as a listener.
Gary Kulesha, DMA in progress. I believe that there is an
I HA VE RECENTLY developed an unlimited amount of anistic
interest in working with the more success available. An4 I ruk to be
dramatic an forms; the collabora- su"ounded by beauty, and
tive process is one that in my excellence. According to that, our
current state /find quite appeal- future success (as contemporary
ing. But I purposefully focus on music composer/performers etc ...)
c;hamber writing every few years, is directly connected' to the
as /find it to be the most personal possibility of creating a sane
and developmental - the most community of cri,tical exchanges.
logical way to expand one's
The traditional concen hall
compositional palette. Thus, the event needs to reach another level.
alternation of these endeavors The social-political field of the
gives me immense satisfaction, as I · concen is still caught in its 17th
am appealing to both my intro- century solution, but sustained by
Vf!ned and e.xtrovened desires. 19th century anists for a 21st
I am cu"ently working on an centu')' public. Who's listening~
oboe conceno for Joseph
Salvalaggio, which will hopefully Bongani NDODANA
take me to Memphis next season, < www.ensemblenoir.org >
and my fut.ure projects include an
opera 'shon' for Tapestry New
Composer, Artistic Director of
Ensemble Noir
16 wholenote DECEMBER 1, 2001 - JANUARY 31, 2002
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN fascinated by the
idea of music being able to bring
people together, communicate
across linguistic and cultural
barriers.
I'm drawn to African music;
· it's a great and ancient resource.
I'm an African and the music and
people of that continent, the
rhythms, and the way musical
material evolves or is manipulated
. and the "hidden" messages of the
·music are in my blood. My
training is in the western tradition
but in my warped mind, African
music fits in perfectly in the great
continuum that stretches from
Machaut to Ligeti.
My piece African Kaddish
· (for large orchestra) touches on
everything from Xhosa and Venda
music ending with a grand sweep
'of lush Hollywood music. In
February, African Heritage
Month, Ensemble Noir will
perfonn concens featuring music
ihiu draws from the music of
Africa and its Diaspora as pan of
oµr Diversity Project.
Victoria MAIDANIK
Currently working on a project for
the Sylvestrov Group, a new
Tornnto chamber ensemble.
For:biographical information, see
the CMC website at
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that each of
my;pieces has its own individual
Con