Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Stories of the Land spotlights Indigenous composers, June 8
World premieres by Andrew Balfour and T. Patrick Carrabré will be performed at UBC’s First Nations Longhouse.
Cree composer’s work honours Indigenous soldiers
Manitoba’s Andrew Balfour is a Juno-nominated Indigenous composer who was Brandon University’s artist-in-residence last week. His piece, War Oratorio Nôtinikêw, (Going to War), tells the stories of forgotten Indigenous soldiers through music.
Music as reconciliation: Winnipeg native Andrew Balfour says his compositions have helped him rediscover his Cree roots
Balfour, 56, is in St. John’s as part of a tour with the Vancouver chamber group Musica Intima.
CBC Music : Our 22 favourite Canadian classical albums of 2022
Outstanding records from Marc-André Hamelin, Julia MacLaine, collectif9, Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà — and others
OPEN LETTER FROM INDIGENOUS CLASSICAL MUSICIANS
An open letter from the second iteration of the Canadian Indigenous Classical Music Gathering
Classical Composers In Pandemic Times
Looking back on the first few months of the pandemic, Andrew Balfour recalls being in “an absolute state of shock.” The composer and artistic director of Winnipeg-based chamber choir Dead of Winter recalls, “After I’d realized the seriousness of [COVID-19] globally, I was even starting to think, ‘I had a good run. I was lucky enough to do what I wanted for this long. Maybe I’ll have to get another job.’”
Choral maestro Andrew Balfour pursues his Indigenous identity through music
"There are things you expect to hear from a classical-music composer like Andrew Balfour: that he grew up singing in a church choir. That he began playing an instrument at an early age – in his case, trumpet. That while other kids were grinding out guitar licks, miming Bruce Springsteen or David Bowie (he grew [...]
