Artists appearing in our 2008 Season

Robert Bigio

flute maker, scholar, author

Robert Bigio is a highly regarded maker of Boehm-System wooden flutes based in London, England. He is also renowned world wide as a leading scholar on the flute and flute manufacture, and is presently the editor of Pan, the journal of British Flute Society. He is author of Readings in the History of the Flute, a selection of monographs, essays, reviews, letters and advertisements from nineteenth–century London. Robert's long awaited book on the history of the Rudall, Rose & Carte will be published in the Spring of 2008.

Edmund Brownless

voice

Edmund was born in Norwich, England and sang as chorister in the choir of Hereford Cathedral. After emigrating to Nova Scotia he studied music at McGill University in Montréal, where he received B. Mus. and M. Mus. degrees in voice. Later, he studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland and had lessons with Cornelius L. Reid in New York. As a soloist he has performed throughout Europe and North America and sings on many recordings, notably with the Bach Ensemble (Joshua Rifkin), Sequentia Köln, Ensemble Gilles Binchois (Dominique Vellard), and the Clemencic Consort (René Clemencic). He teaches voice (Early Music) at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt am Main and is the director of Das Consort Franckfort.

Pierre Chartrand & Anne-Marie Gardette

social dance, step dance, bones, bohdran

Anne-Marie has been working as a baroque dancer for 20 years. She was a principal dancer with the Cie Ris et Danceries (Paris, France). She has lived in Québec for the past ten years, and is a central part of the music and dance scene in Montreal and across Canada.

Ernst Family Singers

vocal ensemble

The Ernst Family Singers, based in Lunenburg, currently consists of parents Gregg and Jennie Ernst and eight of their ten children.  Their repertoire consists of solos to eight part harmony, in styles ranging from early Renaissance music to modern day spirituals, folk, and light jazz.  Most of their music is sung a cappella - the genetic similarity of their voices gives a harmonious bled rare in unrelated voices. The Ernst Family is devoted to sharing their gift of music.  They have toured the Maritimes extensively as well as eastern USA, and Ontario, and have made many appearances on local and national television and radio. 

Cor Meibion De Cymru

The South Wales male choir

The largest Male Voice Choir in Wales, with over 120 voices, was formed in 1982. It draws its choristers from all over South Wales, with dedicated members from a wide region of South Wales. The Choir has sung before Heads of State from across the World, including the British Royal Family. Tours have included visits to many countries in Europe, and the North American Continent. In addition to its performance schedule, Cor Meibion De Cymru attaches great importance to encouraging the promotion of young musicians, many having gone on to establish superb reputations in the concert halls and opera houses of the world. These have included Rebecca Evans, Patricia and Doreen O'Neill, Jeremy Huw Williams and Bryn Terfel.

William Coulter

guitar

William Coulter has been performing and recording traditional music for over 20 years. His most recent recording,The Road Home, is a critically acclaimed solo project on the Gourd Music label. In 2005 he was awarded a Grammy for his contribution toThe Pink Guitar, a collection of solo guitar arrangements of the music of Henry Mancini. Musical collaborations have been a mainstay of his career and have included many tours and recordings.Song for Our Ancestors, with the great classical guitar virtuoso Benjamin Verdery, Time to Sail and One Sweet Kiss, with Kerry-born Irish singer Eilis Kennedy, Simple Gifts- Music of the Shakers, with cellist Barry Phillips,Emma's Waltz with mountain dulcimer-guru Neal Hellman, and Celtic Requiem, with Irish singer Mary McLaughlin. Since 1997, he has acted as musical director and toured nationally with A Celtic Christmas, a popular holiday show featuring the native Irish story telling of Limerick-born Tomaseen Foley. Going back to the 80's finds William playing withIsle of Skye and Orison - followed by tours with The Coulter/Phillips Ensemble, featuring Barry and Shelley Phillips and Deby Benton Grosjean. Musical travels have taken him to places far and wide including Taiwan, England, Portugal, New York, Nova Scotia, Toronto, Oregon, Hawaii and even an occasional gig in his home town of Santa Cruz, CA.

As a teacher William maintains a classical guitar studio at the University of California at Santa Cruz, holds regular 'DADGAD Days,' and is busy in the summer at camps such as the Puget Sound Guitar Workshop,The National Guitar Workshop, Chris Norman's Boxwood Flute Camp, and the Rocky Mt. Fiddle Camp. His book of transcriptionsCeltic Crossing, is published by Mel Bay and includes all of the music from his Gourd Music recording of the same name. Production credits include recordings for Windham Hill Records and Gourd Music and his recordings have appeared on compilations produced by the Narada label and Hearts of Space. William earned his BA in music from UC Santa Cruz and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory. During his classical studies he was always drawn to traditional Irish and American folk music. This led to a second Master's degree from UCSC, earned in 1994, in ethnomusicology with an emphasis on traditional Irish music, language and song.

Rod Garnett

flute

Rod is an award winning flute and world music professor at the University of Wyoming, and performs as a part of the "Komodore and Garnett" flute & guitar duo, the Irish ensemble Colcannon, and is a regular member of the Boulder Bach Festival Orchestra. He initiated the Wyoming Gamelan after studying gamelan in Bali, Indonesia, and was instrumental in launching Boxwood in 1996 and ‘97. His eclectic career spans classical, jazz, folk, and world music.

Adrianne Greenbaum

Klezmer flute

Adrianne is a nationally acclaimed klezmer and classical flutist. As a klezmer she is the founder and leader of "FleytMuzik," an ensemble with flute, violin, cimbalom and bass, and of "The Klezical Tradition" klezmer band where she performs on both flute and keyboard and leads Yiddish dance. She has been on the faculties of Living Traditions’ KlezKamp, KlezKanada, Klezmerquerque and Boxwood. For their European debut, FleytMuzik was a premier participating ensemble at the KlezMore Festival in Vienna, Austria. Greenbaum has also performed with The Lori Cahan-Simon Ensemble, Kapelye, with Adrienne Cooper in performances at the International Jewish Festival in Amsterdam and NYC‘s Jewish Museum and as accompanying artist with numerous cantors in concert as both pianist and flutist. Ms. Greenbaum presents workshops in the art of klezmer performance to classical flutists, in recent years at UConn, Wesleyan University, South Alabama State, Ohio State, Akron, and Miami Universities, University of Southern California, The Flute Society of Portland, Oregon, and at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

David Greenberg

Cape Breton fiddle, baroque violin

David Greenberg's double career as both a baroque violinist and traditional fiddler began at an early age. David studied baroque violin with Stanley Ritchie at Indiana University's Early Music Institute, and moved to Canada in 1988 to join the Toronto- based baroque orchestra Tafelmusik. With Tafelmusik for 10 years, David performed orchestral, chamber, and solo roles in North America, Europe, and the Far East, and on more than forty recordings. David also plays the vielle (medieval fiddle). He won first prize at the Erwin Bodky International Early Music Competition in 1988 with the Medieval Quintet, and he recorded vielle soundtracks for Atom Egoyan's film The Sweet Hereafter. David has gained the reputation in Cape Breton music circles as being one of the few people from outside the Nova Scotia island to have achieved a fluent command of the Cape Breton music idiom.

With his wife, Kate Dunlay, he published Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton, The DunGreen CollectionDavid Greenberg is the founder of Tempest Baroque Ensemble. Tempest’s goal is to create in Nova Scotia, authentic and exciting performances of baroque music on period instruments in a chamber and orchestral setting.

Brian Finnegan

Irish flute & whistle

Brian Finnegan, from Armagh, started playing the Tin Whistle when he was eight years old. Inspired by two great teachers, Brian and Eithne Vallely (of the Armagh Pipers Club), he took up the flute at the age of ten and won his first All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil a year later. He formed his first band, Upstairs In A Tent, in 1992, and for the next four years toured Ireland, Britain and Europe with the group. In 1993 he released his first solo album, ‘When The Party’s Over’ (Acoustic Radio). In recent years Brian has been touring the world with the innovative Anglo-Irish band, Flook, whose albums and tours have been met with great critical acclaim. Flook are a flute-and-whistle based band with the twin flutes and whistles of Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen swapping melody with harmony and bouncing off each other in improvised, percussive runs. Brian is a much sought after teacher of both whistle and flute. He has been a regular tutor at Folkworks Summer Schools in Durham, and at Burwell House in Cambridgeshire. He has also tutored on the Post-Graduate Masters Degree course in Traditional Music at the University of Limerick.

Craig Humber

organ

Based in Vienna, Austria, the Canadian organist Craig Frederick Humber was born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Mr. Humber's awards and distinctions encompass: The Celanese Canada Internationalists Fellowship, the John Goss Memorial Scholarship, five consecutive study grants from the Fulford Trust of the Anglican Foundation of Canada. He is three time recipient of the revered Canada Council for the Arts Grant. In 2002, he earned substantial assistance to investigate the Baroque organs of Gottfried Silbermann, Wagner and Hildebrandt in Saxony. In 2004, he received another grant for the Romantic organs of Wilhelm Sauer and Friedrich Ladegast and won the J.B.C. Watkins special prize in music awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts. Craig Humber won the first Godfrey Hewitt Memorial Scholarship Competition, the largest scholarship awarded by the Royal Canadian College of Organists (Ottawa branch), and is laureate of the Thyll-Dürr Swiss scholarship performance competition at the University of Vienna two consecutive years.

Mr. Humber was broadcasted live on CBC and on German Radio including Deutschland Radio from Berlin, and appeared twice in the Brandenburgische Sommerkonzerte series in Brandenburg, Germany. Being the first North American prize winner of the prestigious Gottfried Silbermann Organ Competition held bi-annually in Freiberg, Germany, Craig Humber concertizes regularly on historic organs (Baroque and Romantic) in Germany, Austria, Holland and in Canada.

Since September 2006, Craig has been a lecturer in Musical Form and Structural Analysis at the Franz Schubert Conservatory of Music in Vienna. He recently received his third grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Craig Humber returns to Canada in 2009 to perform at the 100th anniversary of the RCCO National Convention in Toronto.

Michael Jones

cello

British born cellist Michael Kevin Jones started playing the cello at the age of 13; first teachers were Pauline Ballard and Dulce Haigh Marshall. He studied at Dartington with Michael Evans before going on to the Royal College of Music where he was a pupil of Joan Dickson. During his time in London he won prizes for solo and chamber music playing, was chosen to perform for the British Royal Family and was awarded a scholarship from the German Government to study cello under the great teacher Johannes Goritski in Dusseldorf.

 While a student in Germany he became solo cellist for the German Chamber Academy, playing concerts all over the world and in major music festivals such as Salzburg, Lockenhaus and Kuhmo. At the same he continued to study music full time, participating in the solo Master class courses at the Hindemith Foundation in Switzerland, and studying chamber music with the Amadeus, Vermeer and La Salle Quartets. Tours included China, Europe, North, Central and South America, Australia and the Middle East as well as recordings with WDR, the BBC and collaborations with well-known artists and groups such as the Moscow Virtuosi, Lindsay Kemp, and Carlos Cano.

 In 2002 he recorded the complete Bach Suites for Solo Cello on a Stradivarius Violoncello dated 1667 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and more recently in July 2007 made his debut concert tour of Japan and the far east with his cello guitar duo, which is one of the only established of its kind in the world. As a result of this tour the Jones/Maruri Guitar Duo has been invited to perform at the 2008 Chinese Olympics. Michael has lived in London, Cologne, Madrid and New York and currently spends his free time in Jimena de la fronterra Cadiz where he has started a cello education centre which serves the costa del sol and Gibralter areas.

Betsy MacMillan

viola da gamba

After receiving a Master’s degree in performance on the viola da gamba from McGill University, Betsy MacMillan furthered her studies on the viola da gamba at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, Holland, with Wieland Kuijken. Betsy MacMillan is a founding member of Ensemble Arion, formed in 1981, with whom she has performed numerous concerts in Europe, Mexico, Ireland, England, Brazil, the United States, as well as throughout Canada. She has played with the La Nef, The Toronto Consort, Studio de Musique ancienne de Montréal, Les Boréades, Les Voix humaines, Ensemble Caprice and the Skye Consort. She is presently coordinator of the Early Music Ensembles at McGill University and is invited regularly to teach at many different early music and viola da gamba workshops.

Scott MacMillan

guitar, composer

Scott Macmillan is recognized as one of Canada’s leading musicians. He continues to play an integral role in widening the audience for the music of Atlantic Canada both nationally and internationally. Equally at home on the podium, in the studio or behind a guitar, Mr. Macmillan is in great demand as a music director, performer/conductor, composer, arranger and producer. An exceptional guitarist, Scott Macmillan has been nominated seven times for ECMA’s, receiving the Instrumental Artist of the year Award in 1998, Best Classical Recording for MacKinnon's Brook Suite in 2002 and Bach Meets Cape Breton with Puirt a Baroque in 1995. He is well known for his work with Symphony Nova Scotia as a performer, conductor and arranger. Scott’s Celtic Mass for the Sea which he co-wrote with librettist Jennyfer Brickenden has been performed to high acclaim throughout Canada, the US and Europe. The world premier of Within Sight of Shore will feature Scott Macmillan, Tempest Baroque Ensemble and members of Stadacona Band of Maritime Forces Atlantic

David McGuinness

harpsichord, piano, melodica

David McGuinness is one of the UK’s most versatile keyboard players, working in early music, traditional music, rock and classical. He was the youngest ever graduate of the University of York, and was awarded a PhD at the University of Glasgow for his studies in 16th century English music. He is the director of eclectic early music group Concerto Caledonia, collaborating with artists as diverse as Mark Padmore, the Tiger Lillies, Karen Matheson and Daniel Johnston. David’s regular recital partners include the violinist/fiddler David Greenberg, sopranos Lisa Milne and Katharine Fuge, and the cellist Alison McGillivray. He has recorded two albums of Acadian folk songs with Suzie LeBlanc’s ensemble in Montréal, and is a guest artist with the Chris Norman Ensemble in the USA. He has appeared as a harpsichord soloist with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. David is a contributor to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a guest lecturer at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and has given masterclasses at many universities including Case Western Reserve, McGill University in Montréal, and the University of South Alabama. In 2007 he produced John Purser’s 50-part history of Scottish music for BBC Radio Scotland.

National Youth Choir

vocal ensemble

Every two years, singers between the ages of 18 and 25 are auditioned across the country to form the National Youth Choir. Initiated in 1984, the choir has won critical acclaim across Canada since its inception. Some of the finest Canadian choral conductors have been invited to conduct the choir. The NYC has performed at all Podium conferences since 1984 and at the 1993 World Symposium on Choral Music in Vancouver. NYC concerts have been broadcast nationally on the CBC Stereo Network. The National Youth Choir has been under the direction of John Standing (1984), Jon Washburn (1986), Wayne Riddell (1988), James Fankhauser (1990), Elmer Iseler (1992), Diane Loomer (1994), Robert Cooper (1996), Iwan Edwards (1998) and Leonard Ratzlaff (2000), Lydia Adams (2002), Kathryn Laurin (2004), and the conductor for the 2006 National Youth Choir was Richard Sparks. The 2008 NYC will take place in New Brunswick from May 4-18, 2008 under the direction of Dr. Julian Wachner. Dr. Wachner is Director of Choral Activities and Opera McGill at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montreal.

Chris Norman

flute, small pipes, vocals

Born into a musical family in Halifax Nova Scotia, he began his musical studies at the age of ten. His interest in the traditional music of Maritime Canada; Scottish, Irish and French Canadian Styles, drew him from his early path studying classical flute. Chris embarked upon a quest to learn the music from the tradition bearers, travelling across North America and Europe. His subsequent work has redefined the boundaries of both traditional and classical styles, forging a synthesis that has been embraced by audiences, scholars, and critics of both schools.

His busy performing schedule includes solo engagements and concerts with a variety of ensembles, appearing frequently as soloist with orchestra and touring with his own Chris Norman Ensemble. In years past Chris has also appeared worldwide as a member of the international folk trio, Helicon, and the all-star Celtic fusion group, Skyedance, and the acclaimed early music group, The Baltimore Consort and across Europe with Concerto Caledonia.

Norman’s flute playing can be heard featured in the Oscar winning soundtrack of Titanic, the 1998 Hollywood film, Soldier, and the forthcoming film Stone of Destiny His solo CD releases have received unanimous praise from critics and audiences alike. Man With the Wooden Flute made the Billboard crossover charts for 12 weeks. The Beauty of the North and The Flower of Port Williams are collections of music from Quebec and Maritime Canada. Lullaby Journey is a collaboration with soprano Custer LaRue and harpist Kim Robertson. Highlands includes three world premieres of folk inspired work for flute and string orchestra in collaboration with The Camarata Bariloche, Argentina’s finest chamber orchestra. Most recently, the Boxwood Media Label has released The Caledonian Flute, hailed as “ . . .the restoration of the flute to its proper place in the Scottish repertoire” (John Purser - noted author and musicologist) and In the fields in frost and snow, a Canadian roots musical celebration of the winter season.

As a composer Chris is the recipient of numerous grants and commissions, and recently premiered Out of Orkney, a tone poem for flute, harp, and string orchestra. His compositions been featured on National Public Radio, the CBC in Canada and the BBC, as well as concert halls in Europe, North America Australia and New Zealand. Chris regularly teaches master classes and has conducted symposia at many schools of music around the world. He has inspired thousands of musicians both young and old as the founder and director of the Boxwood Festival and Workshop.

John Overton

harpsichord, piano, organ, composer and conductor.

During his 30 years in southern Sweden, John Overton founded and directed the 17th– early 19th-century period-instrument Aurea de Sunt Ensemble that gave its name to a yearly Spring Music and Arts Festival. He performed many concerts as piano accompanist, gave organ recitals, played keyboards in the Malmö Opera Orchestra (including works by Briten, Sondheim, John Adams, Bartók,) and played some concerts with the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. His Expandable Quintet performed in Portugal. His all-male singing group specialising in Gregorian Chant performed on television, as did his chamber choir (Cecilia Kammarkör) who also toured Europe. Well-known in southern Sweden for his organ and piano improvisations, he has also played and conducted in his native England, in Portugal, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Estonia and Canada. His compositions include songs, musicals, jazz pieces, music for choir, organ, chamber-ensembles and orchestra, many hymn-tunes (some with original texts by him,) and arrangements. He is also trained in Chinese Traditional Medicine/acupressure.

Gilles Plante

recorder, baroque & renaissance flutes, bagpipes

After having obtained a Bachelor's Degree in literature and a Master's Degree in Medieval Studies, Gilles Plante was destined for a career in literature. However, the founding of the early music group Ensemble Claude-Gervaise, which he has led from the beginning, changed all that. He became a musician, specializing in early music and period instruments. He enjoys a double career as teacher-lecturer and as a performer with the Claude-Gervaise, Bretons & Cie and Danse Cadence ensembles.

Réjouissance

baroque ensemble

Réjouissance was founded in 1995 by Halifax musicians Karen Langille and Ivor Rothwell, both long time members of Symphony Nova Scotia. The ensemble specializes in the performance of 17th and 18th century music on period instruments, in historically informed style. Additional members include: Celeste Jankowski (violin); Max Kasper (bass); Shawn Whynot (harpsichord). The name “Réjouissance,” used by 18th century composers as a title for certain especially delightful pieces, means rejoicing or merrymaking, sensibilities the ensemble strives to instill in their performances. Often, the musicians perform in 18th century costume and by candle light. Réjouissance draws most of its repertoire from the vast collections of European instrumental music; from early 17th century Italian composers such as Uccellini and Fontana, to great 18th century German masters like Bach, Handel and Telemann. Musical offerings include trio sonatas, solo sonatas, early instrumental dances and early song settings, occasionally enhanced with the addition of a crumhorn. The group has been heard on CBC Radio 2, both locally and nationally, and has appeared in historical venues throughout Nova Scotia.

Peter Togni

organ, piano, composer, broadcaster

Peter Anthony Togni, a native of Pembroke, Ontario, is a composer, broadcaster, organist and conductor who currently resides in Halifax, where he is host of CBC Radio Two’s national program “Weekender”, and director of the Togni Consort. Peter studied organ and composition at the University of British Columbia, and at the Schola Cantorum in Paris, France, where he won first prize in composition, and studied organ and improvisation with Jean Langlais. As a composer, his choral works are sung by choirs throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. He writes regularly for the musical trio “Sanctuary”, of which he is a member, and also writes orchestral music and music for smaller ensembles.

Peter’s works are regularly broadcast internationally, including on the CBC, the BBC, NPR, and performed by artists throughout Canada, the United States and Europe. His works have also been released on XXI Records, CBC Records, Hänssler Classics and Warner Classics UK.

Peter himself performs, touring internationally with “Sanctuary”, presenting solo concerts on organ and piano, playing at St. Mary’s Basilica and giving talks and master classes on organ and improvisation. In 2006, Peter was nominated for a Juno award in the category Classical Composer of the Year for his work “Illuminations”, written for the Sanctuary Trio and the Sanctuary String Orchestra. The Togni Consort is an eleven voice choir dedicated to the performance of early music. Recently formed it is directed by organist/composer/ conductor Peter Togni. The program will include Palestrina and Byrd Masses – but also Togni’s own choral arrangements based on Gregorian chant and melodies from Canada’s Inuit culture.

Toronto Consort

a nine member early music ensemble

Director David Fallis with Paul Jenkins, Alison Melville, Laura Pudwell, John Pepper, Terry McKenna; Katherine Hill, Ben Grossman and Michele DeBoer  (voice, lute, recorder, guitar, flute, early keyboards and percussion).

 The Toronto Consort is Canada’s leading chamber ensemble specializing in the music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Formed in 1972, the Consort presents an annual series of concerts in Toronto, and performs throughout Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Europe. It has performed and collaborated with many leading early music specialists, including Paul O’Dette, Julianne Baird, Colin Tilney, Paul Agnew, Ann Monoyios, Suzie LeBlanc, The King’s Noyse, La Nef and Les Sonneurs de Montréal. The Toronto Consort has appeared with the Toronto Symphony under Andrew Davis, the Montreal Symphony under Charles Dutoit, and the North German Radio Orchestra. The DaVinci Codex (Summer 2008) features Italian Music from the Time of Leonardo Da Vinci, an unsurpassed genius of the early Renaissance. This highly imaginative presentation includes vocal music alternating with instrumental dances.

 "Since the founding of the Toronto Consort in 1972, Canada can boast a world-class early music ensemble worthy of the attention of any musically literate ear... Their closely matched phrasing, intonation and tonal shading was worthy of the finest string quartet." Chronicle Herald, Halifax

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