TURNING POINT ENSEMBLE

Rita Ueda, composer

Rodney Robertson (1968), Librettist

The Old Man and the Sea (2017) World Premiere, 22’

semi-staged chamber opera

Willy Miles-Grenzberg, solo baritone

Jeremy Berkman, solo trombone

flute,oboe,bassclarinet,bassoon,horn,trumpet,percussion,piano, 2violins,viola,cello,doublebass

MONDAY, 6 NOV 201712:00 PMTHE ROUNDHOUSE PERFORMANCE CENTRE

Nick Anderson, French horn | David Brown, bass | Ingrid Chiang, bassoonJuliaChien,percussion|AKCoope,bassclarinet|BrendaFedoruk,fluteMarina Hasselberg, cello | Jane Hayes, piano | Domagoj Ivanovic, violin SarahKwok,viola|DavidOwen,oboe|TomShorthouse,trumpetMary Sokol-Brown, violin

OwenUnderhill,Conductor

Santiago(OldMan)performedbyWillyMiles-Grenzberg,baritone

MarlinperformedbyJeremyBerkman,trombone

RITA UEDA(Canada)

RitaUedaisaCanadiancomposeroforchestral,operatic,andchoralmusicbasedinVancouver.Gold medalist at the 2014 Penderecki International Composers’ Competition, Rita has worked with international ensembles such as the Vienna RSO, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, LocrianChamberPlayers (NewYork),VancouverSymphonyOrchestraandtheSYCEnsembleSingers(Singapore). Final student of the Czech-Canadian composer, Rudolf Komorous, Rita studiedatSimonFraserUniversityandtheCaliforniaInstituteoftheArtswhereherteachersincludeRodneySharman,WadadaLeoSmith,EarleBrown,andLouHarrison.

COMPOSERS

RODNEY ROBERTSON(Canada, born 1968)

RodneyRobertsonisapoet,librettist,novelist,andteacher.RaisedinCapeBreton,NovaScotia,RodneylivedinJapanforseveralyearsbeforemakingVancouverhome.Hislifeandworkcontinuetobeshapedbyhistravelexperiencesandthetensionbetweenhismono-culturalruraloriginsandhis current urban,multi-cultural life in Vancouver. Influencedby theworksofMargaretAtwood, Al Purdy, TedHughes, and SeamusHeaney, Rodneyhaswrittenover four hundredpoemsandseverallibretti.Heiscurrentlyatworkonhisfirstnovel,aworkofspeculativefictionaddressingissuessuchasenvironmentaldegradationandinterculturalotherness.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA (2017) (WORLD PREMIERE) The Old Man and the Sea is an adaptation of the 1952 novel by ErnestHemingway. The aging fisherman, Santiago, isconsideredunluckybyeveryoneinhisvillagebecausehehasgone84dayswithoutcatchingafish.Santiago,nevertheless,continuestotakehisskiffintotheoceaneveryday.Onthe85thday,Santiago’sbaitistakenbyagiantmarlin.Theoldmanstruggleswiththemarlinforthreedaysbeforefinallycatchingit,buthisprizeisattackedandeatenbysharksashesailshome...

OWEN UNDERHILL, CONDUCTOROwenUnderhillisarespectedCanadiancomposer/conductor,aninspirationalmusiceducator/mentor,andaninfluentialcultural animator.Hehas composedover 70works and conducted 175premiere performances.He is a leading forceinshapingcontemporarymusiccultureontheWestCoast.UnderhillhasaspecialcommitmenttoCanadianmusicandinnovative interdisciplinary collaboration, andwas recently honoured as one of 50 special ambassadors for CanadianmusicaspartoftheCanadianMusicCentre’s50thbirthdaycelebrations.HeisalsotheArtisticDirectorandConductoroftheTurningPointEnsemble-oneofCanada’smostdistinctiveandaccomplishedlarge-sizechamberensembles.

PERFORMERS

TURNING POINT ENSEMBLEFoundedin2002byitsmusicianmembers,TurningPointEnsemble(TPE)isalargechamberensemble(16instrumentalistsand conductor) with amandate to increase the understanding and appreciation ofmusic composed during the pasthundredyears.Theensemblehasbuiltastrongreputationforoutstandingmusicianshipandlinkingseminal20thcenturyrepertoiretocontemporaryworksthroughthoughtfulprogrammingandinnovativepresentations.Uniquelyandflexiblysizedbetweenasmallchamberensembleandasymphonicorchestra,TPEpresentationsofferasymphonicpalettewithachambermusicsensibility.Inadditiontoitsconcerts,toursandrecordings,theensemblehasregularlymountedinnovativeinterdisciplinaryproductionsincludingoperas,andcollaborationswithdance,theatre,visualartandmovingimage.