Get high on the arts in Banff this summer
by Shari Bishop Bowes
Ballet, jazz, opera, classical ensembles, mountain films, literary readings and new media.
These may not be the first things you think about when you pack your bags for a vacation in the Canadian Rockies this summer.
That may change when you encounter the jam-packed schedule of events at this year's Banff Summer Arts Festival. Hosted annually by The Banff Centre, the summer arts festival features more than 150 single events from May 1 through the end of August.
"We have a lot to celebrate this year," says John Murrell, coordinating producer and director of the Banff Summer Arts Festival. "This festival will celebrate Alberta's centennial, and the richness of the arts in this province. It will also celebrate all the vibrant artists - both established and emerging - who come together in Banff to further their careers, and to create and showcase new work."
A big treat for opera fans this year is the remounting of the new Canadian opera Filumena, which saw its debut in 2003 as a co-production of The Banff Centre and Calgary Opera. Filumena was staged at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in April as part of Alberta Scene, a celebration of Alberta artists in commemoration of Alberta's centennial year. This critically acclaimed opera is the tragic and true story of Florence (Filumena) Lassandro, whose life in Alberta's Crowsnest Pass region in the early 1920s took an unexpected turn into romantic passion, illegal activity, and the criminal court system. She became one of the last women hanged in Canada.
Gaétan Laperrière as Emilio Picariello, Elizabeth Turnbull as Maria Picariello, and the 2003 Banff Summer Arts Festival Chorus in Filumena. This Canadian opera will be remounted at this summer's festival in Banff.
Another highlight is the annual Festival Dance production, The Banff Centre's premiere classical and contemporary ballet event. A showcase for both the best of Canada's up-and-coming young dancers, and emerging choreographers, this year's Festival Dance features a revival of the contemporary ballet, Aimez-vous Bach? by Canadian dance icon Brian Macdonald.
While there are more than a few opportunities to enjoy the music of the Banff Festival Orchestra, one night - August 12 - may be worth adding to your holiday calendar. This is the grand musical finale of the summer, with conductor/composer Peter Lieberson leading the Banff Festival Orchestra in a performance of Brahms' beloved Second Symphony, as well as a selection of his own orchestral works.
back to top
|
The Banff Summer Arts Festival features music, dance, films, opera, visual and literary arts, exhibitions, and new media events all in a spectacular mountain setting. Violinist Linling Hsu gets a little fresh air in rehearsal at the Vermillion Lakes in Banff.
You can warm up to the musical grand finale with no less than 78 different musical events taking place throughout the festival. Enjoy homegrown performers and composers in one of the seven different "A Bit of Alberta" concerts; immerse yourself in chamber music and the atmosphere of a Banff landmark in "Serenade at St. George's"; grab a bag lunch between short hikes for "Music at Noon", or dress up (only a bit, this is, after all, a casual mountain town) for one of the 15 "Music for a Summer Evening" events that features the music of classical duos, trios, quartets and ensembles. If that's not enough music for your summer, there's The Playbill Series, a half dozen performances featuring everything from world music to jazz and folk.
If jazz is your thing, join leaders in Canada's jazz scene for Jazz Club, casual intimate performance sessions; pack a bag lunch and take in Jazz at Noon; or join Dave Douglas - named Trumpeter of the Year five years running in Downbeat Magazine - for Saturday Night Jazz. Jazz events wrap up June 11, so book fast.
Lectures, new media demonstrations, special visual arts presentations, author readings, screenings of award-winning mountain films, and more round out the Banff Summer Arts Festival.
Last summer I took in a half dozen events over the course of the festival, enjoying everything from the bi-annual International String Quartet Competition, to the world premiere of the genre-defying musical event, Constantinople, to Mozart's comedic opera, The Marriage of Figaro.
To say that these arts events added something special to another summer in the mountains is a huge understatement. To understand what I mean, you really must visit The Banff Centre for yourself, and take in not only the spectacular view from the centre's perch on Tunnel Mountain, but certainly a few of this year's festival offerings.
If You Go:
Check out The Banff Centre's website at www.banffcentre.ca for information, schedules, tickets and venues for events at the Banff Summer Arts Festival.
|
)
)
