Choral Art Weekend
Cantala is off to Banff Alberta this February 14-17th, 2020 to attend a choral Art weekend at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. We will be working with Michael Zaugg (Montreal, Canada) and Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton, Canada), Lone Larsen (Sweden), Sven Helbig (Germany) in a weekend of exploration and camaraderie.
Rolston Hall, at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
The choral art weekend is an intensive workshop that will explore the creation and presentation of choral music in the 21st Century. Choirs will explore movement and improvisation as well as refine their sound as an ensemble through workshops and masterclasses.
It will also be a weekend where we will be immersed in the world of choral art and also have the opportunity to collaborate with award-winning, international composition and conductor faculty, and work with ensemble-in-residence Pro Coro Canada.
The weekend aims to create exchange between a circle of creators, leaders, and performers active in the choral music milieu. The workshop also aims to support and bring visibility to the Canadian choral community, and encourage collaboration within the Canadian network.
Michael Zaugg
Since moving to Montreal, Swiss-native Michael Zaugg has distinguished himself as an innovative and versatile conductor on the Canadian choral scene. Active as Artistic Director, Guest Conductor, pedagogue and clinician, Michael Zaugg brings a wealth of experience and creativity to his work. He is constantly exploring new ways of integrating art forms with choral music, featuring live paintings, poetry and light /multi-media to name a few. Concepts feature traditional orchestras as well as rarely heard instruments such as the alphorn, accordion or the gamelan.
A passionate pedagogue, Michael Zaugg is strongly committed to his work not only with choirs but also with other conductors. He teaches privately and has given numerous Master Classes on conducting and rehearsal technique. Michael’s students, coming from diverse choral backgrounds, appreciate a hands-on approach when working with his ensembles.
Lone Larsen
Lone Larsen, one of Sweden’s most distinguished conductors, is an innovative choral leader with a strong musical integrity. As a teacher of conducting she is a role model for young conductors and singers.
She continues to challenge existing concert forms with the aim of creating surprise and engaging the audience. Lone Larsen invites all singers to a creative, playful platform of making music. She is highly sought-after as an inspiring leader of workshops and concert projects in different countries.
Sven Helbig, Composer
Sven Helbig is a composer for orchestra and choir music. Beside this, he is active in the field of electronic music (Dark Ambient, Noise, Field Recordings), mostly combining it with classical instruments.
In 1996, Sven Helbig and hornist Markus Rindt founded the Dresden Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra is specialized in new, symphonic music in unusual productions and was the first European symphony orchestra to exclusively perform contemporary music.
Sven Helbig has worked as a producer, composer and arranger with Rammstein, Pet Shop Boys, Snoop Dogg, Polarkreis 18, the Fauré Quartett, opera singer René Pape, pianist Olga Scheps and more.
An arial view of the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
While we are busy singing away learning about new ways to present choral music and engage our audiences in our passionate art form, we will also be enjoying rehearsal time while looking out at the rocky mountains, relaxing in the Banff Hot Springs spa, and maybe even find our way into the iconic castle of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel for a chance to socialize and get to know each other better….we are really looking forward to this time together!