It’s that busiest time of year for all of us, with a crescendo (or is that an accelerando?) of performances, social engagements, and deadlines to meet. So I thank you for taking a second to read this year-end note from your team at CMC BC.

 

When we launched our new performance sponsorship initiative at the beginning of the year, we weren’t sure if it was needed. But I’m pleased to report we have sponsored 27 performances this year in more places across the province than we have ever been present in before, including Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, White Rock, Courtenay, Powell River, Kamloops, Gabriola Island, Nelson, Revelstoke, Trail, Victoria, and Vancouver.

 

In the process, we have supported the Okanagan Symphony, Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra, Powell River’s International Choral Kathaumixw, Vancouver Art Gallery, the Casse Tête Experimental Music Festival in White Rock, Music on Main’s Tribute to Jocelyn Morlock, Allegra Chamber Orchestra’s FestivElle, Courtenay Youth Music Centre, music intima, Kamloops Chamber Orchestra Society, Saxophilia Quartet, Chutzpah Festival, and Jessica McMann’s tour of BC, all performing music written by BC composers.

 

John Oliver during Squid in Chains Artist Residency with Francois Houle and Douglas Schmidt.

 

This fall, we co-presented novum musicum with musica intima — a vocal writing workshop in our Adaskin Salon led by composer Leslie Uyeda. We will be producing music videos of some of the works created during the workshops following a performance February 12 next year.

 

We have produced dozens more score videos this year, bringing our total to 160. And released four new Duets videos, with three more to be released soon. We hosted 7 Artists in Residence, and through a new Indigenous Artist in Residence program, we are now supporting creation of a new commission by the Victoria Symphony involving a collaboration between Russell Wallace and Rodney Sharman. Did I mention the two new murals in the lobby of our centre? One of R. Murray Schafer’s graphic score for Sun, and the other a dramatic painting by Coast Salish artist Carrielynn Victor.

 

 

We are partnering with more organizations across the province to present Barbara Pentland Awards to encourage competition contestants to perform Canadian works and reward outstanding contributions to Canadian music. And finally, thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we established a new, permanent endowment fund to support an annual $2500 Dorothea and Murray Adaskin scholarship for graduate students of composition, bringing the total value of scholarships awarded each year to $5,000.

 

Our challenge is that, like many non-profits, our costs are rapidly rising and government grants are static. Which is why support from individuals like you, that care deeply about musical creativity and the potential of music to change lives and create community, is so important. It is your assistance that makes everything we do possible. You are our vibrancy!

 

If you haven’t had a chance to do so already, please donate what you can to CMC BC this year. We don’t ask more than that. Call us at 604-734-4622 to donate by phone. Mail your cheque to us at CMC BC, 837 Davie St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1B7. Or donate online (just please remember to check the box for CMC British Columbia!)

 

Help us remain a vibrant centre of Canadian music in this province and help us continue finding new ways to bring our composer’s music to life.

 

Everything described above is only made possible by your generosity, and the help of the Canada Council, Canadian Heritage, Province of BC, BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver, City of Surrey, City of White Rock, Vancouver Foundation, and the Osbertus Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation.

 

Thank you for everything you help make possible!