Under the artistic direction of Huntington music professors Robert Lemay and Yoko Hirota, this series of concerts will explore the rich and varied musical repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The first concert, featuring the Estria Woodwind Quartet (of The Musica Nova Ensemble) from Sherbrooke, Que., took place last evening at St. Andrew's Place in Sudbury.
The second event of the season will feature the internationally renowned Canadian composer, Bruce Mather. The Bruce Mather event will take place Friday, March 5, and Saturday, March 6, at Huntington University's Social Centre.
It will be presented in two parts: Mather, the pianist, and Mather, the composer.
On Friday, March 5, at 8 p.m., Mather will give a piano recital dedicated almost exclusively to Canadian composers. The program includes the works of Clermont Pépin, Oskar Morawetz, Jean Papineau-Couture, Harry Somers, Serge Garant, Bengt Hambraeus, and André Prévost, in addition to a work by the French composer, Darius Milhaud.
On Saturday, March 6, at 1:30 p.m., Mather will present a lecture entitled Composer or Arranger.
This will be followed by a concert, at 3 p.m., entitled The Music of Bruce Mather and Friends.
This concert will present the works of Mather, John Weinzweig, François Morel and John Beckwith, with performances by faculty members of Huntington University, including Charlene Biggs, Philip Candelaria, Yoko Hirota, Charlotte Leonard, Desmond Maley, and Allan Walsh.
Mather, born in Toronto, has lived in Montreal since 1966. His music is regularly performed across Canada and is often presented in the United States and Europe. He has received many commissions from orchestras and new music societies.
For those interested in the music of the past 100 years or who wish to explore the new musical horizons of Canada and abroad, this new Huntington University series of concerts will be an important addition to Sudbury's cultural calendar.