“It may be hard to imagine now, but Vincent Ho says he was initially reluctant to take the life-altering trip that would ultimately inspire his Juno-nominated composition, Arctic Symphony.
In 2008, he was asked by prominent environmental scientist David Barber of the University of Manitoba to visit the Arctic as part of a unique “artist on board” program, which the scientist hoped would provide some artistic material to coincide with a 2009 world climate-change conference in Copenhagen. At best, Ho was cynical about the idea in general. Having just started his tenure as the composer-in-residence for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the now Calgary-based musician also thought he was far too busy to go floating about the Arctic…”
