Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Music Centre in British Columbia (CMC BC) is pleased to announce that Turning Point Ensemble was presented with an Award of Excellence this year for its extraordinary contribution to Canadian music. The award was presented by CMC BC Director Sean Bickerton to Owen Underhill, Turning Point Artistic Director on Friday, January 27 at their Frank Zappa Meets Varese & Oswald concert: ‘The Present Day Composer Refuses To Die‘ – A Musical Spectacular!
“Turning Point Ensemble is one of the most extraordinary contemporary ensembles performing today. Their standard of performance is astounding, at a truly international level!” said Sean Bickerton, BC Director of the CMC.
“For their many commissions, and the many Canadian works they have championed, for their stellar recordings and signature “Creating Composers” program, and for their extraordinary contribution to Canadian composition, the CMC is pleased to award Turning Point Ensemble this Award of Excellence for its extraordinary contribution to Canadian music,” said Bickerton.
Founded in 2002 by some of the best musicians in Vancouver, Turning Point Ensemble has toured centres across Canada, released albums on the Artifact, Centrediscs and Atma Classique labels, and received the Rio Tinto Alcan Award for Music in 2011.
Turning Point has a rich history of commissioning Canadian works, premiering pieces by such prominent Canadian composers as Dorothy Chang, Anthony Genge, Keith Hamel, François Houle, Rudolf Komorous, John Korsrud, Jacquie Leggatt, Jocelyn Morlock, John Oliver, Bradshaw Pack, Jeffrey Ryan, Rodney Sharman, Linda C. Smith, Ana Sokolovic, and Owen Underhill.
CMC BC recognizes extraordinary contributions to Canadian music across the Province of BC through its Award of Excellence Program .
About Canadian Music Centre in BC (musiccentre.ca/regions/britishcolumbia)
The Canadian Music Centre seeks to be the catalyst that connects you to the ever-evolving world of Canadian musical creation. Here in BC, the CMC presents a concert series in its new Murray Adaskin Salon in downtown Vancouver; and operates music libraries in Vancouver, and in Victoria as part of its new Community Partnership with the Victoria Conservatory of Music.
Both The Vancouver Creative Hub and Victoria Creative Hub are virtual and real-life initiatives that help the CMC BC Region expand its role as an active member of the arts community by offering a platform for collaboration, engagement and exploration of Canadian contemporary music.
Through outreach, educational programming, workshops, performances and more, the CMC BC Region is committed to making its Canadian music collections and services more accessible to everyone in the province.