Music flows through our lives, across spaces and places, channeled by creators, players and listeners.
New Works Calgary’s 35th season celebrates the organization’s role as a meeting place for new music practice and performance, as a node in a national and international network that promote a confluence of creative energies of composers, musicians and adventurous listeners.
Our 35th Anniversary concert season embodies music moving through us: three programs of more than two dozen newly created Canadian compositions being swept across the land by three Canadian ensembles – Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Quasar Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Made in Canada, a program that crisscrosses music from north to sound bringing together the Ultraviolet Ensemble from Edmonton and Ensemble Resonance from Calgary, the admixture of sound and movement with an intimate performance by Vertical City, and voyages between the inside and outside, between the concert hall and the sounding world around us in a series of Soundwalks and educational school presentations.
Music flows through our lives, across spaces and places, channeled by creators, players and listeners.
New Works Calgary’s 35th season celebrates the organization’s role as a meeting place for new music practice and performance, as a node in a national and international network that promote a confluence of creative energies of composers, musicians and adventurous listeners.
Our 35th Anniversary concert season embodies music moving through us: three programs of more than two dozen newly created Canadian compositions being swept across the land by three Canadian ensembles – Ensemble contemporain de Montréal, Quasar Saxophone Quartet, Ensemble Made in Canada, a program that crisscrosses music from north to sound bringing together the Ultraviolet Ensemble from Edmonton and Ensemble Resonance from Calgary, the admixture of sound and movement with an intimate performance by Vertical City, and voyages between the inside and outside, between the concert hall and the sounding world around us in a series of Soundwalks and educational school presentations.
New Works Calgary’s mission is to present Canadian music, and to create a cultural environment in which an appreciation of 20th and 21st century Canadian music can be developed. Our mandate also includes the presentation of landmark 20th Century compositions.
New Works Calgary came about because the artist John Snow had commissioned a trio by Allan Rae and discovered there were no performance opportunities for the piece. Surprised by this, John and his wife Kathleen sponsored a concert of new music by Calgary composers and musicians, in association with the Canadian Music Centre, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its foundation in April 1984. The success of this concert encouraged John and co-founder Quenten Doolittle to continue with a concert series that would feature new works. As a result, the “New Works of Art Calgary Society” was established in 1984 and has maintained a continuous series of three to seven programs each season ever since.
“New paintings are easily seen by everyone, even if it is only by looking in the window of an art gallery. Written works are almost as easy being available from libraries, magazines, books, and many radio programs. More difficult are works for the theatre and most difficult of all is to have the opportunity to hear new music.”
Besides being the first President of the society, John designed the programs and posters, which became collector’s items. John and Kathleen Snow again helped to fund the next program, which was held in the Pleiades Theatre, in April, 1985.
As co-founder Quenten Doolittle has said, “Our general goal has been not only to present contemporary Canadian music in all its diversity but also to explore the rich collaborative possibilities between Canadian composers and poets, writers, video and performance artists, visual artists, dancers, actors, and musicians.
Not only has New Works Calgary presented a rich diversity of music, we’ve also played host to collaborations between Canadian composers, poets, visual artists, dancers and more. Striving to be thought-provoking has always been in our makeup.
Artists interested in performing or having New Works Calgary present their work are invited to contact the New Works General Manager.
Premieres by Calgary Composers
neworks 2018-2019 Artists & Composers
Ultraviolet Ensemble
UltraViolet was created as an ensemble for performing works curated at New Music Edmonton’s yearly festival, Now Hear This. UltraViolet’s members bring an immense wealth of experience to performing new music, individually and collaboratively.
Quasar Saxophone Quartet
Fascinated by the music of our times, the Quasar saxophone quartet is dedicated to the creation and promotion of contemporary music. The group’s ventures include instrumental music, improvisation, and electronics.
Vertical City
Vertical City is an interdisciplinary performance hub consisting of an evolving group of artists exploring the relationship between traditional theatrical performance and guided audience interaction. Drawing on a spectrum of approaches, including installation,...
Ensemble Made in Canada
Ensemble Made In Canada is rapidly gaining recognition as Canada’s premier piano quartet. Awarded the 2006 CBC Galaxie Stars Award from the Banff Centre for the Arts, EMIC was featured in 2008 Chatelaine Magazine’s 80th anniversary issue as “Women to Watch” and an ensemble that is leading the next generation of classical musicians.
Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM+)
More than an ensemble, ECM+ produces multidisciplinary concerts and showcases Canadian musical creation throughout the country. Renowned for her flair and her appetite for risk-taking, artistic director Véronique Lacroix is passionate about creation…
Ensemble Resonance
Ensemble Resonance based in Alberta, Canada, is Calgary’s oldest professional chamber ensemble performing music of the 20th and 21st centuries.