For thirty years Winnipeg’s GroundSwell has been at the forefront of presenting audiences with the best in ground breaking new music. It has commissioned and premiered dozens of works by the most progressive, vibrant, and visionary composers on the contemporary scene. Many compositions performed at GroundSwell concerts make use of audio, video, electronics and dance, to enhance the sensory experience for the audience.
This year GroundSwell will be celebrating its 30th anniversary with 6 concerts that will feature world premieres of new works, as well as performing artists from both here in Manitoba and abroad.
This 30th anniversary season has been in the planning for 4 years, but it has taken longer than 4 years to get these shows to concert stages. “Originally this slate of concerts was scheduled for the 2020-21,” states Executive Director of GroundSwell David R. Scott. Due to COVID however the concerts needed to be postponed. “So basically everything from last year is being moved into this year in terms of concerts…because it’s our 30th anniversary and have this terrifying and exciting ambition to do 30 events for our 30th anniversary we kind of added to that roster from last year so that’s how this season developed,” Scott says.
There are three components to the GroundSwell season. The first of which is the 6 live and online concerts. These 6 concerts offer a wide and varied group of performers and composers from a variety of new music centers. Local artists include Catherine Wood clarinet, Kerry DuWors violin, Leanne Zacharias cello, and Madeline Hildebrand piano amongst many others. Artists from farther afield include New York based sound visionary David Behrman, Montreal’s Bozzini Quartet, Vancouver’s Standing Wave Ensemble, and France’s Ensemble Telemaque.
There will be newly commissioned works written for GroundSwell’s 30th by composers such as Jim Hiscott, Michael Mathew, David Braid and Kristen Wachniak, amongst others.
All of the 6 concerts are based on a pay what you can, when you can philosophy. Audience members are asked to pay what they can afford. Keeping in mind that arts organizations across the board have been suffering over the last 18 months and audience generosity will be greatly appreciated.
To see more details about the 6 concerts click here:
The second component is what GoundSwell called “Linked.” For this element there will be 12 events that will be happening online or on the radio, including archival broadcasts that will be heard on Classic 107. The purpose behind the “Linked” series is that it will expose audiences to contemporary composers and performers that they may not have heard of before, via smartphone, computer, or radio. The other mission of the “Linked” series is to explore the current contemporary music landscape and explore what kinds of new sounds are out there.
The third component to GroundSwell’s 30th season is what’s called the “Learn” portion. This is the education and outreach portion of the season. GroundSwell will be teaming up with Winnipeg arts organizations such as Flipside Opera, The Winnipeg Classical guitar society, The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’ Sistema program. Education and outreach has long been a huge part of GroundSwell’s mandate.
In regards to working with Sistema Winnipeg, Scott is really excited to team up with Sistema which is a new partnership with GroundSwell. “This year we are going to have Melody MacKiver who is a composer and violist working with the Sistema teachers and the students on a project later on in the year. So it will give them the opportunity to not just play the standard repertoire, but to write their own music…to create their own projects which is really very exciting!”
6 amazing concerts, 12 exciting “Linked” projects, and 12 extraordinary learning initiatives make for 30 events that will be sure to be a feast for the senses and the mind. A perfect way to celebrate GroundSwell’s 30 years of being on the vanguard of new music.
To hear more about GroundSwell’s outstanding 30th anniversary season click here: