Program Notes:

Nico's Choice
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 8:00 pm
This is the 15th concert presented in Koerner Hall

Nico Muhly, composer Edwin Outwater, conductor Richard Reed Parry, composer, Kitchener¬Waterloo Symphony

"I started the Intersections series in Kitchener¬Waterloo three years ago in response to the music I heard around me. In the 21st Century, music and the people who listen to it have become more eclectic than ever before. I think this is because so much music is now at our fingertips. We have become intrepid musical explorers, following myriad musical trails across the internet. We don't tend to identify ourselves with just one kind of music - we've heard too many different kinds that turn us on.

Remarkably, and despite these technological advances, one ancient medium is still held in high regard: the orchestra. These days, the bamboo and horsehair of orchestral instruments are combined with the latest electronic sounds and technology. In movies, television, and even video games, the sound of the orchestra still can be heard loud and clear. The orchestra is still one of the greatest human achievements in sound, and it continues to draw artists and audiences into its colorful sonic web after hundreds of years.

I have seen more and more musicians become fascinated by the orchestra, so much so that it seemed to warrant a regular series. Intersections is about when an orchestra meets something else. It is a chemical reaction of sound and musical culture, and it often produces fresh, challenging, and vibrant results. Intersections is also presented in a different format than most orchestral music. I want the audience to be in on the collaboration - to connect with the artists on stage without the usual formality and ritual of classical music. As musical explorers we want to know how music happens.

For our opening concert in Koerner Hall we have invited two extraordinary artists. Nico Muhly is an intersection unto himself, moving freely and effortlessly among the worlds of orchestra, opera, dance, film, popular, and experimental music. In this concert Nico talks about his relationship with the orchestra: how he uses it, and how it inspires him. Richard Reed Parry is a different kind of musician altogether, performing with Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre. He has increasingly been drawn to orchestral sounds, and tonight uses the orchestra in an entirely new way.

I'm so glad you have joined us for our first Intersection in Toronto. I hope you enjoy the experience." - Edwin Outwater, Music Director of the Kitchener¬Waterloo Symphony

For Heart and Breath and Orchestra is the third in a series of compositions which use automatic/involuntary muscles in the human body (specifically the lungs and the heart) as the performance parameters. All of the notes are read from a score, but the tempos at which they are played are all governed by either the heart rate or breathing rate of the individual players, or the conductor. During the performance, many of the performers wear stethoscopes which enable them to play in synch with their own heartbeats. At other times the performers play directly in synch with their own individual breathing, or are cued by the conductor who uses his/her own breath rate to determine the tempo.

This kind of performing can yield a subtlety, a spaciousness, and a fragile, organic style of interplay between performers which can never be repeated: each performance is it's own unique, gentle collision of notes, dynamics, timing and shifting harmonies which has new, subtle life literally breathed into it every time it is played.

The initial piece written in this manner was a duet, conceived and composed at the Banff Centre for the Arts during a 2005 residency. The second piece was a quartet, commissioned by the 2009 Music Now festival, performed by the Kronos Quartet in March 2009. Richard Reed Parry

Nico Muhly
Composer

Nico Muhly has quickly established himself as a unique voice working seamlessly
in the classical, film, and pop worlds as composer, arranger, and performer. While still a student at Columbia, Muhly began his career working for Phillip Glass creating demos and conducting film scores. He has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, the English National Opera, and, most recently, by the Metropolitan Opera and the Lincoln Center Commissioning Program. In the film world, Muhly's work can be heard in the films Margaret, The Reader, and Felicitas. Muhly's unique style has led to collaborations with Bjork, Rufus Wainwright, and Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons fame). Upcoming projects include creating arrangements for Grizzly Bear as they perform a Halloween concert with the London Symphony Orchestra and two premieres of his works by the Britten Sinfonia of London.

Richard Reed Parry
Composer
Richard Reed Parry is a multi instrumentalist musician (plays the double bass, guitar,
piano, and drums, among other instruments), composer, producer, and active member of the bands Arcade Fire and Bell Orchestre. He studied electroacoustics and contemporary dance at Concordia University in Montreal. In 2008, he composed and performed the piece "Duet for Heart and Breath" for Cincinnati' s Music Now Festival.The festival also commissioned him to create a composition for the Kronos Quartet, which was performed in the spring of 2009. He is currently doing a lot of different things, all at the same time, and lives in Montreal.

Edwin Outwater
Conductor

California native Edwin Outwater returns to the KWS for his third year as Music Director.
His first two seasons saw a revitalized orchestra, innovative new formats, and imaginative programs, including the Intersections Series.
Edwin Outwater was Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony from 2001¬2006. While there, he worked closely with Michael Tilson Thomas, accompanied the orchestra on tour, and conducted numerous concerts each season. Before joining the San Francisco Symphony, he served as Resident Conductor and Associate Guest Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic. He has also held posts as Associate Conductor of the Festival¬Institute at Round Top, Principal Conductor of the Adriatic Chamber Music Festival in Molise, Italy, and Assistant Conductor of the Tulsa Philharmonic.

A versatile and sought¬after conductor, Mr. Outwater travels frequently, leading orchestras all over the world. Last season, he conducted the Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, and the San Francisco Opera. He also made his debut with the Toronto Symphony, Victoria Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and Memphis Symphony.

Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

Nationally praised for its high standards, the Kitchener¬Waterloo Symphony has
enhanced the quality of life in the communities it serves and is one of the most valued cultural gems for our region. With 75 concerts each season, 52 professional musicians, and a nationally recognized Youth Orchestra program, Canada's largest regional Symphony plays a vital role of presenting great music to diverse audiences across the region and beyond.
As part of its commitment to education, the KWS is one of the few regional orchestras that operates a comprehensive Youth Orchestra Program. Its musicians range in age from 5 to 24 and number over 120.
The KWS is also well integrated in their community through its outreach programs. The orchestra performs free concerts in hospitals, nursing care facilities, soup kitchens, community centres, malls, and in parks. As well, the outreach support given to other organizations in the community, such as the annual concert at the Waterloo Region Food Bank, helps those people in the community living below the poverty line.

All of tonight's artists are making their Royal Conservatory debuts.