Under the artistic direction of Dr. Greg Caisley, the Postmodern Camerata sought living, breathing Canadian composers to commission new chamber music for what promises to be a truly unique musical celebration entitled Canada as the final mainstage production of the PMCs 2016/17 concert season. Canada is an ode to the creation and performance of new Canadian music in anticipation of Canada’s 150th birthday. Composers Rita Ueda, John Cole, and Thomas Beckman were chosen, in part, because of their broad range of backgrounds and experience as a reflection of the diversity of Canadian culture.

Discards (2003), a chamber piece by Canadian composer Jeffrey Ryan, set to the words of the late poet Carol Burdick, will be performed along side the world première of Ueda's cantata entitled Debris (2017), based on the documentary by John Bolton about the 2011 Japanese tsunami debris that is still washing up on the Tofino shores; the world première of the instrumental composition Two Pieces After Joseph Cornell (2017) by Cole; and the world première of Pandora's Clock (2017) by Beckman. The PMC has invited renowned Canadian lyric poet and violinist Jan Zwicky to present a reading of her poetry, connecting to and augmenting the interplay among music, language, and Canadian heritage. The programme promises to treat the audience to a spectacular array of sounds throughout the evening, that reflect the plurality and depth of each composers piece.

These concerts are made possible with the generous support from the Vancouver Civic Theatres, and the SOCAN Foundation. Thank you!

For more information about the composers and their works, visit www.postmoderncamerata.com