Standing Wave Ensemble
Standing Wave 2007
~visit the Standing Wave Ensemble official website~
One of the most dynamic contemporary music groups in Canada, Standing Wave is a chamber ensemble dedicated to commissioning and performing works by Canadian and International composers. The group’s five members – clarinettist AK Coope, violinist Rebecca Whitling, cellist Peggy Lee, percussionist Vern Griffiths and pianist Allen Stiles – bring to the ensemble, a wealth of musical experience from genres as diverse as classical symphonic repertoire, Broadway musicals, the pop/rock scene and contemporary improvised music. As an ensemble, Standing Wave is equally comfortable playing complex chamber compositions, venturing into the world of musique actuelle and performing with electroacoustics and a wide array of multimedia.
Since its formation in 1991, Standing Wave has presented an annual season of contemporary music concerts in Vancouver and has also toured across Canada. Highlights include performances at Festival Vancouver and the Western Front’s Fuse series at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Standing Wave has commissioned and premiered a great number of compositions by Canadian and International composers, collaborated with stellar guest artists from various genres and disciplines and recorded many times for CBC’s Two New Hours, Westcoast Performance and other programs.
Interaction with the composers who write for Standing Wave has been a key part of the ensemble’s activities. The ability to work closely with a composer on a new piece has become a hallmark of the group’s commissioning work, benefiting composers and ensemble alike.
Standing Wave is an ensemble-in-residence at the University of British Columbia’s School of Music and as such, provides annual reading sessions for student composition classes. The Ensemble has performed for hundreds of students at UBC’s Summer Music Institute as well as on the annual concert series of both the Capilano College Music Department and the UBC School of Music.
Standing Wave has released two CDs, a self-titled recording released in 1991 and Redline, released in 2006.
Discography
Standing Wave (1991)
Standing Wave’s first recording, a self-titled CD, features new works written especially for the group by Canadian composers in a variety of styles, ranging from the evocative, blues-reminiscent the earth for you a standing place by Bradshaw Pack to the playful Farandole II by Jacqueline Leggatt to the thrilling ride of Stark Raving by John Korsrud. Other classic chamber works of the 20th century are represented as well, including Pierre Boulez’ Dérive 1, Elliott Carter’s Con Leggerezza Pensosa and Claude Vivier’s poignant tribute to Southeast Asia, Paramirabo.
Redline (2006)
Peggy Lee, Standing Wave’s cello player, describes Redline as a recording of “dynamic new works commissioned by Standing Wave from three luminaries of contemporary Canadian music.” Redline features three commissioned works by Canadian composers: 10M-5P-17m (2005), by Howard Bashaw; palladia (2001), by Bradshaw Pack; and Incipits (2003), by Chris Paul Harman.
The CD was produced by Dylan van der Schyff and Standing Wave and recorded at Factory Studios in June 2006.
The commissions were made possible through the support of the Canada Council (10M-5P-17m and Incipits) and the Acoustic Panel (palladia), and the recording was made possible through the assistance of the Canada Music Fund and the Music Section of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Available at better record stores, online at the CMC CD Boutique (www.musiccentre.ca) or from Regional offices of the Canadian Music Centre.