School of Creative and Performing Arts

Congratulations to Music alum Daniel Dastoor, who has been named one of CBC Music's 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30! Dastoor, who graduated in 2018 with a major in performance and a minor in violin, is making waves in the classical music scene. Daniel will return to Calgary as part of the Rilian Trio, performing in Calgary Pro Musica's Horizons Series on Nov. 16.

Find out more about CBC's 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30: https://bit.ly/4fEfMM

Congratulations to our drama alum James Odin Wade, MFA’16, who has been honoured as the 2024 Emerging Artist Recipient (Theatre) by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards!

“I’m honoured to be among the recipients of this year’s Emerging Artist Awards, and to be recognized in this way by my home province. My time as a graduate student in the SCPA was incredibly formative. Studying with faculty, particularly under the guidance of Clem Martini, vastly evolved my craft and deepened my understanding of drama.”

Read full story: https://bit.ly/3RCTgc8

🎉 Huge congratulations to our drama professor and a distinguished playwright Clem Martini on winning the prestigious W.O. Mitchell Book Prize from the City of Calgary for his works "Cantata" and "The Extinction Therapist"! Well-deserved recognition for his outstanding contributions to literature and drama. https://youtu.be/1-zx1oPrfGE

W.O. Mitchell Book Prize | 2024 Calgary Awards | Clem Martini for Cantata & The Extinction Therapist The City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize is awarded in honour of acclaimed Calgary writer W.O. Mitchell and recognizes literary achievement by Calgary au...

🎶 Our next pianist we'd like to welcome is Matthew Barnett! 🎶
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Reconnecting with a love for music after joining Bishop Grandin Highschool Marching Band, Matthew Barnett is pursuing a degree in Piano Performance at the University of Calgary under the tutelage of Dr. Lana Henchell. Matthew hopes to become a school teacher while keeping a piano studio and music career, entailing piano collaboration and teaching. To prepare for this he is taking advantage of any and all opportunities to develop in this way. Matthew currently instructs keyboard percussion for Our Lady of the Rockies High School Marching Band under the direction of Vincent Strem. He also performs on the keyboard in the Cowtown Collection, a cow themed theatrical music ensemble who recently won a gold prize in Drum Corps International’s SoundSport Competition. Matthew seeks to gain invaluable experience and expertise from the Institute of Piano Collaboration course to take home to apply to his career goals.

Come hear our Pop-Up Choir perform music by Lady Gaga, Jason Mraz, The Greatest Showman, Regina Spektor & more!

Join us this Thursday at 7 p.m. in the lobby of the Taylor Digital Family Library🎶

From being inspired by her sister’s performances to forging her own path, our recent graduate Jolie Che’s journey blends the art of dance with the science of kinesiology. Her dual degrees fuel her passion for understanding the experiences of those living with and beyond cancer.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/3x7SMDM



Photo: timnguyen.co

Exciting news!! We can’t wait to see our students perform at this year’s &Honens Festival!!

The 2024 Honens Festival is back this September, and we invite you to celebrate with us during four days of music with piano at the centre!

This year's Festival concerts include a solo recital by 2022 Honens Prize Laureate Illia Ovcharenko; Bison Noir, a late-night cabaret with the vibrant and versatile WindSync wind quintet; and free, accessible, and family-friendly concert experiences.

For 176 Keys, Illia will be joined by pianists Jon Kimura Parker, and Alberta's own Carmen Morin and Zhenni Li-Cohen. WindSync will share music at Classical Adaptations, a family-friendly concert in an adaptive atmosphere specifically designed for young audiences, neurodivergent listeners, people with disabilities, and more. And, the ever-popular Open Air will, once again, bring everyone together in Calgary and High River to charm you with pairings of various Festival artists.

For the first time, we're excited to include the next generation of local artists in the Festival. Piano students from the University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts and the Mount Royal University Conservatory will open for 176 Keys and Open Air with party pieces of their own.

Throughout the Festival, you'll enjoy works by Beethoven, R. Schumann, and Corigliano, as well as salon pieces by Poulenc, and the Calgary premieres of works by Miguel del Aguila, Nicky Sohn, and, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Gershwin's impressive classic, Reinhard Gutschy’s arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue for piano and wind quintet.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit honens.com. See you at the Festival!

The University of Calgary welcomes graduate students from over 140 countries to pursue their next level of education.
When thinking about pursing a graduate certificate, diploma, master’s or doctoral degree, consider Canada’s entrepreneurial university, fuelled by innovation and opportunity.

Start your graduate student journey: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs

Save the date for May 13 & 14 - "Confounding Expectations 2024: The Bounds of Time" presented by the Graduate Music Society is happening at the Rozsa Centre!

Get ready to be inspired by our fantastic lineup of speakers:

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Jeremy Brown
INVITED SPEAKERS: Sir N. Antonio Peruch & Dr. Vincent Ho
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: Dr. Kristin Flores & Dr. Laurie Radford

Plus, a myriad of other brilliant presenters including Bert Johnson, Maria Mirakhmedova, James Watson, Shea Iles, Ryan Baxter, Penny Sunburn, Dr. Merlin Thompson and more!

Whether you join in person or via Zoom, this conference is FREE and open to everyone. Don't miss out on this opportunity to delve into captivating discussions on the bounds of time!

For more details, visit https://bit.ly/3QzChH4. See you there!

Congratulations to Pat Chan! Looking forward to seeing this production in the fall!

We would like to introduce to you the Director and Choreographer of《和》Harmony The Musical - the extraordinary Pat Chan!

Pat infuses our musical production with her innovative vision, artistic sensitivity and strong adaptiveness, and our project team and musical cast are very excited to work with her!

Pat Chan's Bio:
Pat Chan graduated from the School of Creative and Performing Arts, University of Calgary, AB, Canada. She currently teaches in the drama department of the same faculty. She has taught and worked in three continents: Asia, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. She also holds a masters in Actor Coaching & Training from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD), University of London, United Kingdom. Pat’s career as a Director and Choreographer has spanned over 30 years in musical theatres and plays and was the founder, artistic and managing director of her own dance company - Dance Force Production.

Her selected directing credits includes Old Mule, Bill C773, We the Same (UofC), Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave, Electra, The Green Bay Tree, Red Gloves, Enemies, Saya Anak Malaysia (Baru), A Flower’s Promise, MacBeth etc.

Selected Choreography credits includes South Pacific, Cinderella, Broken Bridges, Peter Pan, Aladdin, Sparks, Bollywood the Musical, Kampong 50s’ Magic, Alyss from
Wonderland etc.

Save the date for the live performances of《和》Harmony The Musical in Calgary, Alberta on November 2, 2024!

Featuring our alumnus Vincent Ho, and Cedric Blary, as well as Associate Professor of Voice, Laura Hynes!

On Friday, April 19, the Eckhard-Gramatté Hall will resonate with the captivating melodies of women composers, performed by the UCalgary String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the University of Calgary. Titled "A Celebration of Music by Women Composers," this concert promises a journey through the rich and often overlooked repertoire of female musical geniuses. More information and tickets: https://bit.ly/49O3SuJ

What an incredible opportunity for our students to showcase their new compositions with Land's End performing them. Amazing music.

🌱✨ Greener Spotlight Update! 🎭📊 Our meetings are in full swing, with the team working tirelessly to gather data for SCPA events, ranging from Shakespeare in Love to Mainstage, U Chorus to Charles Foreman's Late Liszt Masterpieces. 🎶📚

Pictured above are our dedicated research students who spearheaded audience data collection at the dance and music shows, utilizing QR codes at the entrance to gather travel data! Stay tuned as we delve deeper into understanding the environmental impact of these creative endeavors.

Get ready for a musical journey where the brilliant stars of SCPA’s faculty and sessional members join in a harmonious fusion of talent. Led by Jeremy Brown - Musician on saxophone, this exceptional ensemble includes Rod Squance on vibraphone, Kodi Hutchinson on bass, Tyler Hornby on drums, Neil McVey on guitar, Jon Day on piano, and André Wickenheiser on trumpet.

Hit the University Theatre tonight at 8 p.m. Free admission for UCalgary students. Don't forget to bring your Unicard!

Details: https://events.ucalgary.ca/arts/creative-performing-arts/event/463007-faculty-chamber-jazz-ensemble

The dance, music and drama student societies will be hosting a year-end pj-party themed celebration for students of the SCPA!

Show up in your comfiest pj's on Monday, April 8 from 6:30-9 p.m. in the Matthews Theatre for food, games, karaoke and more! Drop by anytime for some food to fuel your evening study session.

"Magnetic Bodies" opens tonight at Motel Theatre, Arts Commons!

Imagine a body producing a magnetic field - invisible and powerful. How can we, as magnetic beings co-exist in a polarized society? Attraction, repulsion and their sphere of influence will be explored in this dynamic series of new works by UCalgary Drama students in collaboration with Downstage Theatre.

Directed by Bianca Miranda and Clare Preuss.

Friday, April 5 - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 7 – 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Details through https://events.ucalgary.ca/arts/creative-performing-arts/event/464835-magnetic-bodies

OPENING TONIGHT! Dance@Night presents the choreographic and directorial work of senior level Dance Majors in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) at UCalgary.

This year's Dance@Night presents works by Olyvia Hoban, Kalyna Howell-Matwichuk, Sierra Oszust, Margarita (Rita) Rebetskaia, Jamie Stock and Shayla Waschuk, performed by the BFA Dance graduates of 2024.

April 5 & 6, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | University Theatre

More info: arts.ucalgary.ca/dance-at-night-2024

Photo: Dance@Night 2023 by timnguyen.co

On Saturday, April 6, join us for the world premiere performances of works written by students of the University of Calgary’s music composition program as part of the Land's End Ensemble's annual Student Composers’ Program.

Hosted by composers Allan Gordon Bell and Vincent Ho, the group of students were provided with workshops, rehearsals, and feedback during their creative processes. Land’s End presents the students’ finished works for this afternoon and highlight their yearlong growth.

The participants of this season’s Student Composers’ Program are Katie Levinson, Liezel Kruger, Peter Stambene and Jon Halverson.

Also, in collaboration with Glenbow, this concert will feature a special performance of “A Sybil Andrews Portrait” - three works composed by Juno Award-winning composers Jocelyn Morlock, Alexina Louie, and Allan Gordon Bell, inspired by Ms. Andrews’s paintings.

Also featured on the program is Vincent Ho’s “Gryphonsong” inspired by the gryphon mythology.

More information and tickets: https://bit.ly/4cMezRf

Life MUS go on! Join the Music Undergraduate Society on Friday, April 5 for their very last event of the year. Study for those spooky exams with friends and all the snacks that your heart desires, play board games, or just kick back and watch a movie!

Drop by E215 between 4-7 p.m. for a chance to spend time with your friends and peers in the music program before the semester ends!

What an incredible performance! Thank you to Honens for bringing this spectacular artist to our place!

This Thursday! See you at Rozsa Centre!

The Wind Ensemble will be performing on Thursday, April 4th at 8:00pm for their final concert of the year!

The program includes popular selections such as Johan de Meij's "Lord of the Rings Symphony" and themes from the Studio Ghibli film, "Spirited Away," as well as other pieces that the Wind Ensemble performed at the Okanagan Band Festival in early March.

This concert is part of the Claim Your Seat program. UCalgary students can access free tickets with their UCID. For more information and ticket purchases, visit https://arts.ucalgary.ca/creative-performing-arts/news-and-events/buy-tickets

Our talented dance students are pouring their hearts into rehearsals for the upcoming Dance@Night show next week! Here's a sneak peek into a rehearsal of "take a breath." with Lane Sayer and Lavender Wong, choreographed by Shayla Waschuk.

Dance@Night | April 5 & 6, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | University Theatre

Mark your calendars for a night of spectacular dance! More info & tickets: https://bit.ly/49V4SOL

Photo: Shayla Waschuk

ONE MORE CHANCE to see the triple bill tonight!

"Amapiano meets Shakespeare" - Directed by Steven Conde & Eruvwu Arido.M
"Danza De Los Viejitos" - Directed/Adapted by Iván Guevara Garcia
"Final Chorus" - Directed by Andy Roy

Join the fun at 6:30 p.m. at Reeve Theatre. Free admission!

For more information about the play, visit arts.ucalgary.ca/alchemy2024.



Design: Nicci Rvachew

Mark your calendar! This is going to be a super-fun event to celebrate the end of the school year!

The dance, music and drama student societies will be hosting a year-end pj-party themed celebration for students of the SCPA!

Show up in your comfiest pj's and join us on April 8th from 6:30-9:00pm in the Matthews Theatre for food, games, karaoke and more! There will also be opportunities to win Brew n Blendz gift cards throughout the evening so make sure you come on out!

Can’t stay for the whole thing? Feel free to drop by at any point for some food to fuel your evening study session.

Happy Piano Day!!! 🎹🎶

Pavel Kolesnikov, the remarkable 2012 Honens Prize Laureate, is back in Calgary after over eight years! Don't miss his one-night only recital next Tuesday at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall. Limited tickets available – grab yours before they're gone! https://bit.ly/3TYA4Y0

Presented in partnership with the Honens.

Tomorrow night at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall, Rozsa Centre. Don't forget to bring your Unicard!

The UCalgary Symphonic Band takes the stage tomorrow night in the Rosza Centre at 8:00pm for their final performance of the year!

They have worked hard all semester to curate a wonderful program that includes a medley of tunes from the Film "My Neighbor Totoro."

This concert is part of the Claim Your Seat program. UCalgary students can get tickets free of cost with their UCID. A livestream link is also available for purchase on the SCPA events page. http://arts.ucalgary.ca/tickets