Download Une idée sinon vraie…

For Immediate Release
Une idée sinon vraie…
Choreographer and dancer: Marc Boivin
Original music: Ana Sokolović
performed by the Bozzini Quartet
Montreal, October 2nd, 2012 – Agora de la danse is presenting the world premiere of
Une idée sinon vraie…, a perpetual dialogue between dance and music created by
choreographer-dancer Marc Boivin in close collaboration with composer Ana Sokolović
and the Bozzini Quartet.
Set to Commedia dell’arte I and II, a composition in seven movements and three
interludes by Ana Sokolović, Une idée sinon vraie… probes the relationship between
dance and music, abstraction as a dynamic space interacting with quintessential human
beings, and the role-playing that goes on both inside and outside the black box. Une
idée sinon vraie… offers a vision, if not true then at least plausible of what we are, of
what the other is, and of the freedom—or lack thereof—in our courses of action.
In this collective work, a dancer and musicians combine onstage their dynamism, rigour
and sensitivity in a series of transformations. Une idée sinon vraie… draws its inspiration
from the fascinating work of Italian playwright Angelo Beolco and his character
Ruzzante, transposed to a world of contemporary music and dance. But whether it be
Ruzzante, Isabella, the Doctor, the Captain, Colombine, Pantalone or the Zanni
servants, each of these poetic figures from Commedia dell’arte speaks to the audience:
each one resonates inside us, revealing hidden aspects of our personalities.
“What we see emerging from the performers is something we recognize in ourselves,”
Ana Sokolović observes. “It is then that we see the real face of the clown, because it is
inside us that the play takes place. And we want to see what is behind that mask.”
A dazzling original score, commissioned by the Bozzini Quartet and the Banff
International String Quartet Competition, is at the heart of this creation, which stemmed
from the collective research of the dancer, composer and all members of the string
quartet.
Marc Boivin - Biography
A dancer, improviser, teacher and choreographer, Marc Boivin
began his dance career at Le Groupe de la Place Royale in
Ottawa under the directorship of Peter Boneham. In 1985 he
joined Ginette Laurin and her newly formed company O Vertigo
Danse. Since 1991 he has worked as an independent dancer,
performing primarily for Louise Bédard, Sylvain Émard, JeanPierre Perreault, Catherine Tardif, Tedd Robinson and, most
recently, in some of his own works, including R.A.F.T. 70 and
Impact. Affiliated with L’École de danse contemporaine de
Montréal since 1987, Boivin regularly teaches and
choreographs in schools and professional organizations across
© Michael Slobodian
Canada. A recipient of the Jacqueline-Lemieux Award,
presented by the Canada Council for the Arts in 1999, he has been the Chairman of the
Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault since 2006, Chairman of the RQD (Regroupement
québécois de la danse) since October 2010, and a board member of the Conseil des
Arts de Montréal from 2005 to 2010.
The Bozzini Quartet - Biography
Since 1999, the Bozzini Quartet has been an original voice in new, contemporary,
experimental and classical music. Their skew is radically contemporary, propelling the
hyper-creative Montreal scene and beyond. Not content to parlay received wisdom, the
quartet cultivates an ethos of risk-taking, and boldly ventures off the beaten track. With
rigorous qualitative criteria, they have nurtured a vastly diverse repertoire, unbiased by
the currents of fashion. This has led to over a 130 commissioned pieces, as well as
close to 200 other premiered works. A Bozzini Quartet concert is an art happening, with
meticulous and lavish attention to detail.
The Bozzini Quartet produces and
presents its annual concert series in
Montreal: the QB Series. The group also
tours extensively, bringing its “intense
musicality and immense sensitivity”
(Musicworks, Canada) to audiences across
Canada, the U.S., South America and
Europe. It has appeared in such festivals
as MärzMusik (Berlin), Ultima (Oslo),
Huddersfield (UK), Klangspuren (Austria),
Présences (France), and November Music
(Netherlands). To ensure a continual
© Michael Slobodian
development in its art, the quartet’s annual
musical laboratory, the Composer’s Kitchen, offers mentorship and support to new
generations of composers. The Bozzini Quartet records under its own label, the
collection qb, and can be heard regularly on European and Canadian radio.
Ana Sokolović - Biography
Ana Sokolović was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1968. After studying composition with
Dusan Radic and Zoran Eric, she completed a Master’s degree at the Université de
Montréal under the direction of José Evangelista. Her
repertoire ranges from works for soloists to large orchestra,
from concert music to incidental music. In 1995 and 1998, Ana
Sokolović was a three-time winner at the Competition for
Young Composers of SOCAN. In 1996 and 2009, she
represented Canada at UNESCO’s International Rostrum of
Composers in Paris. In 1999, Géométie sentimentale obtained
first prize in the chamber music category and the Grand Prize
at the 13th CBC Radio National Competition for Young
Composers. In 2005, Ana Sokolović was awarded the Joseph
S. Stauffer Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts in
recognition of her exceptional talent and achievement in
composition. In 2007 she won the Prix Opus, presented by the
Conseil québécois de la musique, for composer of the year. In
2008 she won SOCAN’s Jan V. Matejcek Concert Music © Donat, Série Hommage of the SMCQ
Award. In 2005 she wrote her first opera, The Midnight
Court, for Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, which was performed at the Royal Opera
House, London, England in June 2006. Ana Sokolović teaches composition at the
Université de Montréal.
© Michael Slobodian
Une idée sinon vraie… (2012 premiere)
In a dialogue between the body and music, between past and present, dancerchoreographer Marc Boivin’s unique collaboration with Serbian-born composer Ana
Sokolović and the Bozzini Quartet will premiere at Agora de la danse in the fall of 2012.
In many ways, it is a return to sources: the sources of identity, collaboration, movement,
music and the dramatization of an idea developed by a dancer and four musicians, like a
troupe performing in a public square.
“This piece attempts to present an idea, if not true then at least plausible, of what I am,
of what the other is, of what I will be or would like to be, of what the other is, and how he
is considered this way,” Marc Boivin explains. “For each human being, there is a
scenario, credits, roles and chapters. There are also characters on a stage, each
reflecting an aesthetic synthesis. Each has his credits, script and an idea of what he is...
if not true, then at least possible. All are made up of poetic fragments, characters from a
game of trial and error. All are potential authors, all still alive.”
Set to Ana Sokolović’s Commedia dell’arte I et II, a musical composition inspired by the
archetypal figures from this theatrical form, Une idée sinon vraie… probes the
relationship between dance and music, abstraction as a dynamic space interacting with
human essence, and the role-playing that goes on both inside and outside the black
box. It offers a vision, if not true then at least plausible of what we are, and of the
freedom in our individual scenarios, or lack thereof.
Project initiated by: Ana Sokolović
Original music: Commedia dell’arte I and II by Ana Sokolović – Commedia dell’arte I
co-commissioned by the Banff International String Quartet Competition and CBC;
Commedia dell’arte II commissioned by the Bozzini Quartet, with the support of the
Canada Council of the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Choreographer and Dancer: Marc Boivin
Music performed by: Bozzini Quartet (Mira Benjamin, Isabelle Bozzini, Stéphanie
Bozzini, Clemens Merkel)
Artistic Consultant and Rehearsal Director: Sophie Corriveau
Lighting: Lucie Bazzo
Costumes: Angelo Barsetti
Set design: Marc Boivin in collaboration with Lucie Bazzo, Josiane Saucier and
Saturnin Goyer
Set construction: Saturnin Goyer and Josiane Saucier
Technical Director and Stage Manager: Saturnin Goyer
Administration – production: Aude Watier / Nicolas Godmaire
Duration: 60 minutes, no intermission
Audience: For general showing
Producers: Marc Boivin and the Bozzini Quartet
For this project, Marc Boivin, the Bozzini Quartet and Ana Sokolović received the
support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the
Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Libre comme l’art program of the Conseil des
arts de Montréal, the Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Société de
musique contemporaine du Québec, CBC, Groupe Le Vivier, the SOCAN Foundation,
Matralab and La Liste. The project also benefited from residencies at the Banff Centre
(Performing Arts Production Residency), Circuit-Est centre chorégraphique, and Agora
de la danse.
Boivin, Beolco and the transformation
In
2007,
Marc
Boivin
undertook
the
improvisational project R. A. F. T. 70 for Andrew
L. Harwood’s AH HA Productions. The experience
allowed him to appreciate the creative potential of
choreography and directed improvisation. The
following year, in 2008, he began work on his first
solo, Impact, followed by The Fictions Project,
comprising Withrow Park for Duskdances and
Chroma Key for firstthingfirst productions. In the
spring of 2010, in collaboration with the Music
Department of the Université de Montréal, Marc
Boivin created X/Y for the students of LADMMI.
This work prompted him to broaden his research
on the relationship between dance and music,
which lies at the heart of his collaboration with
composer Ana Sokolović and the Bozzini Quartet.
The project evolved in the manner of
communicating vessels, through a transfer of
experiences and energy—and an openness to uncertainty and chance. In his early work,
Boivin was interested in the influence we have on each other, in fate and the paths we
choose; here he is attempting to move away from a purely personal relationship with
creation, opening up to other art forms. He is fascinated and inspired, for example, by
the way theatre and music revisit and pay tribute to the past, while maintaining a
connection with the present. A journey into the heart of Commedia dell’arte, his new
work uses role-playing and transformations to reveal, through music and dance, the
different facets of a man’s present-day vulnerability.
© Angelo Barsetti
In reading Maurice Sand’s Masques et bouffons : Comédie italienne (1860), Marc Boivin
discovered the character of Ruzzante, created by the 16th-century Italian dramatist
Angelo Beolco. An author, director, actor and improviser, Beolco offered interesting
avenues for the choreographer to explore, catalysts for creation. The parallels between
Beolco’s vision and the world of today gave the choreographer a framework for a
universal creative vision that crosses cultural boundaries and eras. The characters of
Commedia dell’arte were created to a large extent by the actors themselves, each of the
roles becoming more defined than the playwright’s. The scripts were often improvised
from a rough outline. Beyond his desire to play these characters or direct their
movements on stage, Boivin was interested in transposing Commedia dell’arte—its
excesses, its games of imagination, its depiction of the essence of individuals, all of
which serve to evoke the comedy and tragedy of our lives, our hopes and dreams. After
all, are not our lives also characterized by improvisation and inhabited by characters of
our own invention? Although the context changes, the game—the comedy and
tragedy—remains.
“The piece you are about to see will not appear to be
new… for many years, I have been me, you have been
you, those were those and the others have been the
others. And in another thousands of years, when will
have turned whatever big wheel, we will come back to
me standing here, you seated there, I speak and you
listen… And the lines that I speak to you, that were the
lines of before, will still be the lines, and you will imagine
that you have heard them before just as you now feel as
though you have already heard them before.”
— Angelo Beolco, 1535.
Commedia dell’arte:
© Michael Slobodian
Ana Sokolović — Behind the mask
Composer Ana Sokolović speaks of her fascination with the characters she personifies
in her music:
“What I’m interested in is the universality of the characters—we’re looking at different
facets of being human. The idea of the Commedia dell'arte is something that has
fascinated me since childhood, the idea of dressing up, the idea of playing different
characters and discussing the different characters always appealed to me. As a young
actress, composer and listener, the city of Venice is something that has always
captivated me. I find the costumes and masks extraordinary.
What we find in Commedia dell’arte, what this art form has passed down over the
centuries, is a notion of universality—it says that in all societies we find a Pantalone, for
example, in all societies we find each one of its characters. Yet, historically speaking,
these personae originated in different cities, each with their own accent—but it is their
caricaturized personalities which we enjoy so much, which make us realize: but yes! this
is not about a specific time and place in Italian society, not only then was there a Doctor,
a Pantalone, a Columbina, but they are here, in every society, in every era. We keep
discovering this, we will always keep discovering it.
But what’s more, what we really love is that,
through the process of breathing life into these
personalities on stage, we realize that these
characters are each a part of us.
It is a fascinating experience to recognize the
particular instincts we have in us, represented
by these characters. Here, the stage gives us
© Donat, Série Hommage de la SMCQ
something extraordinary—it helps us to understand that when we as audience are
particularly touched by something on stage, this feeling is an indication of something
latent arising in ourselves. What you see arising in the performers (the musicians, the
dancer) is something you recognize in yourself.
And it is then that we see the real face of the clown, because it is inside us that the play
takes place. And we want to see what is behind that mask.” —Ana Sokolović in
conversation, 2012
© Michael Slobodian
The Bozzini Quartet: Improvisation as a method of exploring the
dance- music relationship
“For us, this project has fulfilled many of our highest aspirations for art. The nature of the
project—in which our music influenced Marc, who in turn influenced Ana’s composition,
which in turn influenced our improvisations—has led to one of the most fruitful
collaborations with a composer we could have imagined. The role of the performer in
today’s world is much different than that in the 20th century. One of the key differences
is the notion that performers are key to the creative process—from encouraging new
works, through improvisation, to the notion of composer-performer. For us, as individuals
and as a quartet, it is very important to have the opportunity to become co-creators of a
work of art. With Ana and Marc, we were able to explore new avenues.
It’s an unusual opportunity to co-create such a large-scale work, and to really have the
time to delve into every possibility, in depth. With Une idée sinon vraie..., the link
between our improvisation and Marc’s process was entirely unique. It was fascinating to
have someone else’s take on merging two art forms—in the process we were the
observers of his process, as he was of ours. And that alone would have had a great
mutual influence, but this was just the beginning of the process, spanning eighteen
months of experimental studio work, and in-depth research into the connection between
movement and music.
This was an opportunity for us to expand our notion of improvisation, which is an
important aspect of our artistic practice. Improvisation requires a balance between two
extremes: on the one hand, the quartet trains together to think and act like one
instrument; on the other, this unity must be forgotten in order to celebrate the impulsive
individuality that is necessary to improvised communication. Improvisation is a form of
practical research into the democratic principles of a string quartet.
Add to this the fact that we are used to improvising with other musicians—to improvise
with a dancer opened doors to
new ideas for us. We improvised
with Marc, each of us as
individuals, as duos, trios, and as
the complete quartet. Each
session created a new chance for
a
new
kind
of
personal
connection, and a new kind of
aesthetic pursuit.
Another important aspect of this
project is the crossing of
boundaries between art forms.
© Michael Slobodian
We’ve been developing various
collaborations of this kind over
the last two years in particular, with theatre, film, story-telling, and dance. We find that
this kind of activity creates a new context for experimental music, in an organic way—it
is always so much more than the sum of the parts.” —Members of the Bozzini Quartet in
conversation, 2012
Commedia dell’arte and Marc Boivin : a balance of opposing forces
Marc Boivin speaks of the balance between abstraction and personification
“At first, Commedia dell’arte was not a form that I knew much about, or even had an
affinity with—before doing the research, that is. The original idea to work with this form
was Ana’s—and I had to find a way to make it my own. By its very nature, it appeared to
be far from my usual attraction to formal abstraction, but it seemed to bring a certain
balance of opposing forces. Which brought an interesting dynamic to the research and
to the potential creative process.
What I mean by this is that, by working with a form that is so precise and complex, so
developed over the years and grounded in the history of theatre itself, I found an
opportunity to move away from purely autobiographical sources (which was at the core
of my previous solo work) or the observation of contemporary life with no historical
perspective. I wanted to approach dance as it is more often done in theatre, by
referencing existing bodies of work and contextualizing them in contemporary time and
space.
Another important aspect that drew me to this project was the opportunity to play with
characters. This is something that is already part of my practice—a balance between
formal dance and characterization that often manifests itself in my improvisation
projects. Often for me, characters come and go when dancing. Here I found an aspect
specific to the Commedia dell’arte that dovetailed with the nature of my own dance.
At the same time, a key discovery for me came at the Goldoni Museum in Venice as I
was doing research for the project: a character named Ruzzante created by actor and
author Angelo Beolco, a predecessor of Goldoni. From there came the central idea of
imagining this particular man as he himself imagines all other characters, which allowed
me to travel through Isabella and
Colombine, Pantalone and the
Doctor and the Zannis and the
Captain, and even Ruzzante
himself,
through
his
own
imagination. He thus became a key
element in the project.
Throughout this creative process, I
studied and examined Commedia
dell'arte, a rich reflection of human
nature. Far from wishing to
represent the characters exactly, or
© Michael Slobodian
to recreate a Venetian stage
environment, I wanted to capture the essence of Commedia dell’arte, which remains
vibrant and current today, in the early 21st century. In Une idée sinon vraie… the dance
travels between states, emotions and atmospheres, as if the body could inhabit each of
these characters—one after the other or all at once—and reveal the quest, the game,
the battle of each one.”
Biographical Notes
Marc Boivin
A generous and prolific dancer whose career has spanned nearly 25 years, Marc Boivin
has worked and performed in Quebec, Canada and abroad. The evocative power of his
numerous stage performances has been acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. He
began his career in 1982 with Ottawa’s Groupe de la Place Royale, under the direction
of Peter Boneham, and has since lent his interpretive skills to numerous choreographers
and projects. He joined O Vertigo, under choreographer Ginette Laurin, in 1985,
appearing in the company’s earliest creations and in several tours in Canada, the United
States and Europe. He began to work as a freelance artist in 1991. Many renowned
choreographers, including Louise Bédard, Sylvain Émard, André Gingras, Jean-Pierre
Perreault, Dominique Porte, James Kudelka, Tedd Robinson, Felix Ruckert and
Catherine Tardif, have since called upon his talent and prowess as a dancer. Over the
years, Boivin has also taken part in numerous improvisation projects, which have proven
to be turning points in the artist’s trajectory. These experiences have not only inspired
his own passion for choreographic creation, but shaped his imaginative approach. In
1999, Marc Boivin received the Jacqueline Lemieux Award from the Canada Council for
the Arts.
In parallel with his work as a dancer, Boivin has pursued an active teaching career since
1987, when he joined the faculty of L’École de danse contemporaine de Montréal. His
instructional approach is infused with the same passion that he brings to dancing, and
he is regularly called upon to teach and choreograph in professional schools and
universities across Canada. This has included stints in Vancouver, at the University of
Calgary and in various EDAM workshops, where he teaches interpretation, improvisation
and technique, in addition to offering individual coaching.
While Marc Boivin has evolved over the years as a performer, giving shape and
meaning to the languages of diverse choreographers, he has also developed an avid
interest in creation. His fascination with human beings has fuelled a desire to explore a
choreographic vision and voice of his own. His first choreographies were created in the
context of his teaching activities, commissioned by prestigious schools in Winnipeg,
Toronto and Montreal. These gave rise to such works as La Fracture, created for
l’EDCMTL students in 2006 and subsequently restaged at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet
School, where he also created Aria. Between 2004 and 2008, he created solos for two
professional dancers: To Somewhere Else for Jolene Bailie (Winnipeg) and Between
Here and Now for Jennifer Dallas (Toronto). He also created the group piece Fragments
for Code Universel in Quebec City.
Marc Boivin is highly involved in the contemporary dance community, and has played an
influential role in raising the profile of dance on the larger arts stage. He has been
Chairman of the Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault since 2005, and was a member of the
Conseil des Arts de Montréal from 2006 to 2010. The Regroupement québécois de la
danse (RQD) elected Marc as Chairman at its 26th annual meeting on October 23-24,
2010. He thus succeeds Anik Bissonnette, who was RQD Chair from 2004 to 2010.
www.marcboivin.ca
The Bozzini Quartet
Isabelle Bozzini, cello • Mira Benjamin, violin • Stéphanie Bozzini, viola • Clemens
Merkel, violin
Since 1999, the Bozzini Quartet has been an original voice in new, contemporary,
experimental and classical music. Their skew is radically contemporary, propelling the
hyper-creative Montreal scene and beyond. Not content to parlay received wisdom, the
quartet cultivates an ethos of risk-taking, and boldly ventures off the beaten track. With
rigorous qualitative criteria, they have nurtured a vastly diverse repertoire, unbiased by
the currents of fashion. This has led to over 130 commissioned pieces, as well as close
to 200 other premiered works. A Bozzini Quartet concert is an art happening, with
meticulous and lavish attention to detail.
The Bozzini Quartet has won three Opus prizes from the Conseil québécois de la
musique (CQM): “International Outreach” (2007), “Contemporary Disc of the Year”
(2004), and “Discovery of the Year” (2001). It was also the recipient of the Étoile-Galaxie
Prize from Radio-Canada (2001), and the German Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung
(2007). The quartet presents its own annual season of concerts in Montréal, the Série
qb, that includes Le Salon des compositeurs and the Composer’s Kitchen, and tours in
Europe, the U.S., South America and Canada at the invitation of such festivals as
MärzMusik (Berlin, Germany), Ultima (Oslo, Norway), Huddersfield (UK), Klangspuren
(Austria), NovemberMusic S’Hertogenbosch (Netherlands) and Présences (France). It
has also performed at the following events: Deutschlandfunk Forum Neue Music,
Klangraum Düsseldorf, Schreyahner Herbst, ADE*vantgarde, ARTlantische Tage, SWR
Ars Nova (Germany); Porgy & Bess (Vienna), Open Music Graz, Bludenze Tage
(Austria); Moments Musicaux Aarau (Switzerland); Crash, Mostly Modern Series (Dublin,
Ireland); Transart (Italy); Ostrava Music Days, SOUNDart Brno (Czech Republic); Nordic
Music Days (Iceland); Rikskonserter, Ny Musik (Sweden); BBC Hear and Now (UK);
Muziekgebouw (Netherlands), Shift (Amsterdam and Toronto), Orgelpark Amsterdam;
The Kitchen, Merkin Hall (New York City); June in Buffalo, Beethoven Slee Cycle
(Buffalo, NY); Calarts (Los Angeles, CA); Montréal/Nouvelles musiques, SMCQ, Suoni
per il Popolo, Innovations en concert, l'Envers (Montréal), Domaine Forget (Saint-Irénée,
Quebec); Music on Main (Vancouver), Artspring, Open Space Arts Society (Victoria);
The Banff Centre, New Works (Calgary), Music Toronto, and the Ottawa International
Chamber Music Festival.
In 2004 the quartet formed its own recording label, Collection QB, in collaboration with
Dame/Actuelle CD. This label gives the quartet and other artists the freedom to record
composers such as Steve Reich, Jo Kondo, Howard Skempton, James Tenney, and
Malcolm Goldstein, as well as such Canadian composers as Jean Lesage, Claude
Vivier, Michael Oesterle and Michel Gonneville. The Bozzini Quartet has recorded as
well with Centrediscs (Owen Underhill, 2012), Wandelweiser (Jürg Frey, 2006), WergoDeutscher Musikrat (Thomas Stiegler, 2006) and ATMA Classique, and can be heard
regularly on both European and Canadian radio.
Lauded for its “intense musicality and immense sensitivity” (Musicworks, Canada), the
“phenomenal” Bozzini Quartet (Die Zeit, Germany) seeks to bring together artists from
different horizons, collaboration being the sinews of every artistic creation. With a view
to the future, the quartet also supports the next generation of composers with its annual
musical “laboratory,” the Composer’s Kitchen, a week-long workshop and concert event
that has brought together, since 2005, next-wave composers with mentor composers
and members of the quartet. With its participation in numerous residencies (Simon
Fraser University, Concordia University, June in Buffalo, Théâtre La Chapelle),
workshops and master classes, the quartet has earned the cooperation of numerous
musicians, for whom commissions are but the first step in the creative process.
www.quatuorbozzini.com
Ana Sokolović
Ana Sokolović was born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1968. After studying composition with
Dusan Radic and with Zoran Eric, she completed a Master’s degree at the Université de
Montréal under the direction of José Evangelista. She also attended a composition
workshop led by Tristan Murail and Denys Bouliane.
Her repertoire ranges from works for soloists to large orchestra, from concert music to
incidental music. Several of her compositions have been performed in Canada, France,
the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Belgium, Great Britain, Ukraine,
USA, India, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia, and at the Festival Présences (Paris), Nordic
Music Days (Reykjavik),Venice Biennale, Zagreb Biennale, Holland Festival
(Amsterdam), Montreal/New Music International Festival (Montreal), Cervantino Festival
(Mexico), and many others.
She has received commissions from the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the
Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, Esprit
Orchestra, Société de Musique Contemporaine du Québec, the dance companies De
Brune and Cas Public, the Molinari String Quartet, the Bozzini String Quartet, the
Orchestre baroque de Montréal, Bradyworks, Jeunesses musicales du Canada,
Soundstreams, Adaskin String Trio, Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, Fibonacci Trio,
Phoenix Trio, Arraymusic, Evergreen Gamelan, Banff Centre, and many soloists.
In 1995 and 1998, Ana Sokolović was a three-time winner at the Competition for Young
Composers of SOCAN. In 1996 and 2009, she represented Canada at UNESCO’s
International Rostrum of Composers in Paris. In 1999, Géométie sentimentale obtained
a first prize in the chamber music category and the Grand Prize at the 13th CBC Radio
National Competition for Young Composers. In 2005, Ana Sokolović was awarded the
Joseph S. Stauffer Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts in recognition of her
exceptional talent and achievement in composition. In 2007 she won the Prix Opus,
presented by the Conseil québécois de la musique, for composer of the year. In 2008
she won SOCAN’s Jan V. Matejcek Concert Music Award.
In 2005 she wrote her first opera, The Midnight Court, for Queen of Puddings Music
Theatre, which was performed at the Royal Opera House, London, England in June
2006. In 2009, Ana Sokolović received the National Arts Centre Award, which included
commissions and residencies with the NAC Orchestra for the next five years. She is
currently composing an opera for six female voices for the Queen of Puddings Music
Theatre, and a piece for violin and ensemble for Angèle Dubeau and La Pietà. Ana
Sokolović lives in Montreal and teaches composition at the Université de Montréal.
Beginning this past summer, Ana Sokolović’s music is being celebrated in over one
hundred events and concerts throughout the country, as part of the SMCQ Homage
Series 2011-2012. SMCQ’s Artistic Committee unanimously decided to devote the third
Homage Series to the composer, for the scope, diversity, and quality of her work, for her
original artistic approach, her dynamism, her recognition by the world’s most renowned
institutions, and for her sensitivity to audiences of all ages. www.anasokolovic.com
Collaborators
Sophie Corriveau – Coach and Artistic Consultant (dance)
Sophie Corriveau has been actively involved in the dance community as a performer,
teacher, rehearsal director and artistic consultant. After studying at the École supérieure
de danse du Québec, she began her career with the Theatre Ballet of Canada, and
continued with Montréal Danse from 1989-1993. At these two companies, she met many
inspirational choreographers, including Natsu Nakajima, Paul-André Fortier, Daniel
Léveillé, Françoise Sullivan and James Kudelka. In 1993, she worked with Danièle
Desnoyers, participating in several Le Carré des Lombes projects in Canada and
abroad. As an independent dancer, she has also worked with Bill Douglas, Tassy
Teekman, Harold Rhéaume, Alain Francoeur, Sylvain Émard, Jean-Pierre Perreault,
Catherine Tardif and Louise Bédard. Since the beginning of her career, Ms. Corriveau
has shown an avid interest in teaching and coaching. She currently teaches at l'École de
danse contemporaine de Montréal, and coaches for Daniel Léveillé danse and Le Carré
des Lombes.
Lucie Bazzo – Lighting Designer
Lucie Bazzo has been designing lighting for dance and theatre productions for more
than twenty years. She launched her career with director Robert Lepage, for whom she
designed the lighting for Trilogie des dragons and Plaques tectoniques, which earned
her a Critics’ Prize. Her long and outstanding career in dance has included work with
such choreographers as Jean-Pierre Perreault, Danièle Desnoyers, Ginette Laurin,
Lynda Gaudreau and Crystal Pite. In 1999, Lucie Bazzo opened the season at the
Agora de la danse in Montreal with a project of her own, Luminosités Variables. She
also worked on the lighting in Espaces Dynamiques II. In recent years she has been
reconnecting with the theatre, designing lighting for productions by Denis Marleau, Wajdi
Mouawad, Marcel Pomerlo, and the Éternels Pigistes.
Angelo Barsetti – Make-up and costume design
Originally trained as a visual artist, Angelo Barsetti quickly became a well-known makeup artist in the dance and theatre worlds. He has worked closely with inspired and
inspiring directors such as André Brassard, René-Richard Cyr, Claude Poissant, Eric
Jean, Brigitte Haentjens, Denis Marleau and Wajdi Mouawad. For nearly twenty years,
he has also been a faithful collaborator of choreographers Sylvain Emard, Danièle
Desnoyers and Louise Bédard. His make-up work has helped reveal the essence and
intensity of an impressive number of characters in Quebec drama and dance. He has
also taught the art of stage make-up to acting students at the National Theatre School of
Canada. Presently, he is devoting more and more of his energy to photography.
© Michael Slobodian