Episode 07: Getting the Song Out with Matthew Fava (Part Two)

Today is the second part of our interview with Matthew Fava - Director of the Ontario Region of the Canadian Music Centre, recorded back in July 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 shut down in Ontario. 

Based at the CMC in Toronto, Matthew is an outspoken supporter of female and female-identified composers and is a person that is welcoming to all creators.  His vision for the community, his thoughtfulness in his programming and his general awesomeness anytime we have worked with him, made him a perfect guest for our special two-part episode of Getting the Song Out. 

Audio Excerpts:

1.  “Lady Bird” from Bess by Pursuit Grooves
   • Download on Bandcamp 
   • Listen on Soundcloud
2. “Winner” from Whatever EP by L Con
   • Download on Bandcamp
   • Website

Artists you should check out:

• Pursuit Grooves
• Gayle Young
• L Con
• Ali The Son of Abdul
• Rose Bolton
• Dinah Thorpe
• Melody McIver

Other things we talked about:

• Black Bean Songs by Gayle Young
• EQ women in electronic music
• Mistress Class 

To learn more about the Canadian Music Centre:

• Website 
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Youtube

Episode 06: Getting the Song Out with Matthew Fava

Today we are switching things up from composers to a guest who is a huge advocate and supporter of composers.  Matthew Fava is the Director of the Ontario Region of the Canadian Music Centre, and sound clips featured on today’s podcast are taken from artists mentioned and recommended to us by Matthew during his interview. 

Based at the CMC in Toronto, Matthew is an outspoken supporter of female and female-identified composers and is a person that is welcoming to all creators.  His vision for the community, his thoughtfulness in his programming and his general awesomeness anytime we have worked with him, made him a perfect guest for our special episode of Getting the Song Out. 

Audio Excerpts:

1. “Ever New” by Beverley Glenn-Copeland
2. “Afanyala” by Maylee Todd 

Artists you should check out:

• Maylee Todd
  • Link to purchase music
• Trichy Sankaran
• Beverly Glenn-Copeland
  • Instagram
  • Spotify
  • Apple Music
• Ann Southam
• Mark Chambers
• Matthew Tran Adams

Other things we talked about:

• Book: Dylan Robinson's Hungry Listening 

To learn more about the Canadian Music Centre:

• Website 
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Youtube

Episode 05: Getting the Song Out with Vivian Fung

Today’s episode features Canadian Composer, Vivian Fung. WOV member Kathryn Tremills discovered Vivan’s music while searching the Canadian Music Centre listing of women composers and was excited to find her songs prism-like in their kaleidoscopic array of colours. Named “one of today’s most eclectic composers” by NPR, she is deeply committed to research and exploration of cultures that have taken her to Cambodia, Southwest China, and Bali. She is also a devoted advocate for the next generation. 

Audio Excerpts:

1. The second song from Six Haiku, performed by bass-baritone Giles Tomkins and pianist Kathryn Tremills.
2. “Lullaby I” from Songs of Childhood, recorded online by Emily Martin and Kathryn Tremills.

Other repertoire we talked about:

1. The Prayer by Vivian Fung performed by the Yannick Nézet-Ségui and the CBC Virtual Orchestra representing 28 orchestras from 10 Canadian provinces.
2. The Mirabai Songs by John Harbison.

Artists you should check out:

• Giles Tomkins
• Bethany Collier
• John Harbison
• Dawn Upshaw
• Julia Bullock
• Evan Ziporyn

Other things we talked about:

• Article by Vivian Fung: Embracing My Banana-ness: One Composer’s Journey Towards Finding Her Identity
• More information on Vivian’s Research Projects

To learn more about Vivian Fung:

• Visit: https://vivianfung.ca/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VivianFungComposer/?rc=p
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vivian_fung
• Listen: Vivian's Spotify

Episode 04: Getting the Song Out with Emilie LeBel

This week we are talking to Dr. Emilie Lebel! We feel so lucky that while we were searching for a composer for our first Women on the Verge commission, composer Jocelyn Morlock recommended Emilie to us. After exploring her music we were moved by her soundscape sensibility. At our initial meeting, we found that we really clicked as humans too and so Emilie agreed to write a piece for us in 2018, that became “Blue of the Distance”. Now we’ve toured it all over the world and are happy to call Emilie a close friend of ours.  

Audio Excerpts:

1. “the place of scraps - the totem pole transported to Toronto” by Emilie LeBel, performed by soprano Phoebe MacRae and pianist Rachel Iwaasa with recorded text of Jordan Abel.
2. “Blue of the Distance” for two sopranos and bowed piano, by Emilie LeBel. Performed by Women on the Verge. 

Artists you should check out:

• Laurie Anderson

Other things we talked about:

• Art Song Lab
• How to make Boulevardier
• Blue of the Distance text by Emilie LeBel

To learn more about Emilie LeBel:

• Visit: https://www.emilielebel.ca/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilieclebel/
• Listen: https://soundcloud.com/emiliececilia

Episode 03: Getting the Song Out with Katerina Gimon

Today’s episode features Canadian composer Katerina Gimon. Before we spoke for this podcast, WOV member Kathryn Tremills was introduced to Katerina when the 2019 Ontario Youth Choir performed her piece called Elements under the direction of Vicki St Pierre. The choir met Katerina by skype and she was really approachable with the young singers. WOV ended up connecting with Katerina while she was visiting Toronto for premieres last fall. We discovered she’s a hot commodity with many choral groups across the country, and she has some really lovely solo vocal repertoire as well. We just knew we had to have her on our podcast!

Audio Excerpts:

1. Elements, for SATB with divisi or SSAA with divisi, by Katerina Gimon. Performed by The Laurier Singers.
2. Dream Land, For soprano and piano, by Katerina Gimon. Performed by soprano Gabrielle Turgeon and pianist Jo Greenaway. 

Other repertoire we talked about:

1. Epitaph for Moonlight for Choral (9 with Voices), with Chamber Ensemble (2 - 9 Performers), and Percussion, by Murray Schaffer.

Artists you should check out:

• Alexandra Smither 
• Linda Fletcher
• Nancy Telfer 
• Linda Catlin Smith
• Dorothy Cheng
• Pauline Johnson
• Marie-Claire Sandon
• Gabrielle Turgeon 
• Jo Greenaway

Other things we talked about:

• CHROMA
• Cincinnati Song Initiative
• Hamilton Children’s Choir 
• Art Song Lab
• re:Naissance Opera

To learn more about Katerina Gimon:

• Visit: https://www.katerinagimon.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katgimon
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/katgimon
• Instagram: @katgimon
• Listen: https://soundcloud.com/katerinagimon

Episode 02: Getting the Song Out with Cecilia Livingston

This week we are talking to Dr. Cecilia Livingston, with whom Elizabeth became acquainted with while Cecilia was completing her Doctorate in Composition at the University of Toronto and was writing “Penelope” for her voice student, Alexandra Smither. Elizabeth became smitten with her writing and introduced her to the rest of Women on the Verge. We’re thrilled to talk with her now on this podcast series.  

Audio Excerpts:

1. “Penelope” by Cecilia Livingston. Performed by Women on the Verge members, Elizabeth McDonald and Kathryn Tremills. 
2. “Give Me Your Hand,” inspired by the sleepwalking scene of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The text is by Cecilia’s husband Duncan McFarlane, performed by mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert and pianist Kelly Horsted. 

Other repertoire we talked about:

1. “Two dreams for soprano and string quartet,” by Cecilia Livingston
2. “Incipit Vita Nova” by Gavin Bryars.

Artists you should check out:

• Alexandra Smither 
• Anne Michaels
• Duncan McFarlane

To learn more about Cecilia Livingston:

• Visit: https://cecilialivingston.com
• Listen: https://soundcloud.com/cecilia_livingston
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CeciliaComposer
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ceciliacomposer/
• All of Cecilia’s scores can be purchased through the Canadian Music Centre

Episode 01: Getting the Song Out with Leslie Uyeda

This week we are talking to Vancouver-based composer, Leslie Uyeda. Leslie has had a busy and full career as a vocal coach, repetiteur, and opera conductor for many years before immersing herself fully in composition.  WOV member Kathryn Tremills first discovered her when one of her students sang the song cycle into the shimmering: An eerie thought-provoking, evocative and moving group of songs. This was the first time WOV met Leslie and here is our conversation with her!

 Audio Excerpts:

1. White Cat Blues, I., by Leslie Uyeda. Performed by Robyn Driedger-Klassen and Terence Dawson.
2. “Solana’s Song” from When the Sun Comes Out, by Leslie Uyeda. Performed by Teiya Kasahara and Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa.

Other repertoire we talked about:

1. The sex lives of vegetables by Leslie Uyeda. 
   • Volume 1
   • Volume 2
   • Volume 3
2. Sakura Songs by Leslie Uyeda
3. Empress Jito Dances, by Leslie Uyeda; chamber work for string quartet, erhu, shō, santur and percussion (woodblock)

Artists you should check out:

• Teiya Kasahara 笠原貞野
• Barbara Hannigan
• Lorna Crozier
• Joy Kagawa

To learn more about Leslie Uyeda:

• Visit: http://www.leslieuyeda.com/
• Listen: https://soundcloud.com/leslieuyeda
• All of Leslie’s scores can be purchased through the Canadian Music Centre