SOUND SYMPOSIUM XX – July 15-23, 2022

Come together to share ideas, explore sound, and exchange inspiration
St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada: For nine days and nights, Sound Symposium 2022 will bring together artists and audiences, transforming the streets of St. John’s into a living breathing tableaux of music and sound. You may stumble upon a concert in a cathedral, on a beach, in someone’s kitchen, on the water, or roving through the streets, hills, parks, and swimming pools. This year’s 20th anniversary symposium offers classical music, jazz, improv, dance, installations, evening concerts, daytime workshop, open rehearsals, late night adventures, soundwalks, and spur-of-the-moment sonic explorations. In honour of its founders and other key figures,* this year’s program features a plethora of renowned percussion artists, including NEXUS, TorQ, Beverley Johnston, and Trichy Sankaran, in addition to amazing artists working in other styles and practices. This year will see performances and workshops by Gordon Monahan, Bill Coleman, Bageshree Vaze, Eastern Owl, Arkora, Ouroboros, Sarah Albu, Leanne Zacharias, Erin Donovan, Amy Brandon, Kilautiup Songuninga,  Kate Read, los beatniko, Gayle Young and more. Add to this list world premieres, dance workshops, soundwalks, Harbour Symphonies… the music of the sea, wind, whales, and birds…and you start to get an idea of the manifold offerings in store this July.

*Sound Symposium founders: the members of FUSION – the late Don Wherry, the late Mike Zagorski, the late Paul Bendzsa, and still with us – Martin Rickert and Frank Lapointe, and also key figures John Wyre and Wayne Hynes

 

July 15-23, 2022

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

(download as a pdf) 

Artist’s bios and links

REGISTER FOR IMPROV NIGHT

 

FRIDAY JULY 15

WELCOME & ARTIST REGISTRATION – SOUND SYMPOSIUM CENTRAL, LSPU Hall, 3 Victoria St. 10:00 am

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

HARBOURSIDE PARK CONCERT  – Harbourside Park 12:30 pm

SALT BEEF JUNKIES
OUROBOROS

INSTALLATION & PERFORMANCE – Eastern Edge Gallery, 72 Harbour Drive 2:30 pm

KATELYN DOBBIN “You can’t drink the sea”

EVENING CONCERT – D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN School of Music 7:30 pm

KATE READ, viola & live looping, MICHELLE LACOUR, electronics.
World premieres of Blackwood Sketches by ANDREW STANILAND and Evennight by BENTON ROARK

TORQ PERCUSSION QUARTET. World premieres by RICHARD BURROWS, DANIEL MORPHY, JAMIE DRAKE, GRACE LIZAN, MATTHEW ROOME

NIGHT MUSIC – The Ship Pub 10:30 pm

LOGY AUKS

Note: Cellist Leanne Zacharias will offer several concerts for small audiences of no more than 5 people at a time. If you would like to be a member of a small audience, please sign at Sound Symposium headquarters.

 

SATURDAY, July 16

WORKSHOP – D.F. Cook Recital Hall 9:00AM

D.TORQ PERCUSSION QUARTET

“Finding Our Collaborative Voice,” a collaborative approach to composition.

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 11:00AM

Master of the South India Mrdangam and Kanjira.

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

SOUND INSTALLATION & ARTIST TALK

“Boundary” by AMY BRANDON.
The Works swimming pool, MUN 12:00-3:30 pm

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 4:00 pm

KILAUTIUP SONGUNINGA

Strength of the Drum: STAN NOCHASAK, SOPHIE ANGNATOK, SOLOMON SEMIGAK, ASHLEY DICKER.

EVENING CONCERT – LSPU Hall 7:30 pm

BEN DIAMOND, classical guitar & electronics; “Sound of Mind & Body” with BILL COLEMAN, dance & GORDON MONAHAN, electronics: brainwave-sensing technology producing sound, music, dance, movement.

NIGHT MUSIC – The Ship Pub 10:30 pm

ELECTRONS

 

SUNDAY JULY 17

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 10:00 am

BILL COLEMAN. Movement & Dance: reaching an awareness of the senses that induces physical control and freedom of movement & new territories of physical exploration.

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

SOUND INSTALLATION & ARTIST TALK

“Boundary” by AMY BRANDON. The Works swimming pool, MUN 12:00-3:30 pm

WORKSHOP –  MUN School of Music 4:00 pm

RUSSELL HARTENBERGER (NEXUS). West African rhythm in the music of Steve Reich

EVENING CONCERT – LSPU Hall 7:30 pm

“Finding HER Voice” with BEVERLEY JOHNSTON, solo percussion; BAGESHREE VAZE, Kathak dance; VINEET VYAS, tabla; DWIT HATHI, Carnatic guitar; BILL BRENNAN, keyboard.

NIGHT MUSIC – The Ship Pub 10:30 pm

WINDS

 

MONDAY JULY 18

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 10:00 am

GORDON MONAHAN.  Interfacing & processing of brainwave EEG signals into sound and music

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 2:00 pm

BOB BECKER (NEXUS) Xylophone History and Performance

COMPOSERS ROUNDTABLE – MUN School of Music 4:00 pm

EVENING CONCERT – LSPU Hall 7:30 pm

EASTERN OWL, Newfoundland’s Seminal All-Women, All-Nations Drum Group; “The Offering of Curtis Andrews” featuring TRICHY SANKARAN, mrdangam, kanjira; CURTIS ANDREWS, percussion; JARED BURROWS, guitar; PATRICK BOYLE, trumpet

LATE NIGHT – Eastern Edge Gallery, 72 Harbour Drive 10:30 pm

CUERPOS; NICHOLAS BENDZSA

 

TUESDAY JULY 19

WORKSHOP – LSPU Hall 10:00 am

GREG BRUCE. Fun with Tape: Analogue Will Save the World! An interactive tape loop workshop

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

WORKSHOP – LSPU Hall 2:00 pm

BAGESHREE VAZE hands-on workshop on North and South Indian dance aesthetics. Movements in the styles of Kathak and Bharatha Natyam, demonstrating the strong connection and interaction with music and percussion in South Asian culture. The workshop will also feature Vineet Vyas, tabla.

EVENING CONCERT – D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN School of Music 7:30 pm

HARBOURLIGHT QUARTET: NANCY CASE-OATES, violin; KATE READ, viola; AMY COLLYER-HOLMES cello; MADO CHRISTIE, piano; “Devil’s Blanket” by Duane Andrews, Improvisations

WORLD PREMIERE of “Red River” by RUSSELL HARTENBERGER, performed by NEXUS Percussion Quartet, TORQ Percussion Quartet, BEVERLEY JOHNSTON & BILL BRENNAN

LATE NIGHT – Eastern Edge Gallery, 72 Harbour Drive 10:30 pm

INSTALLATION & PERFORMANCE KATELYN DOBBIN “You can’t drink the sea” with DUSTIN FINER, saxophone; GABRIELA SANCHEZ, percussion; MICHELLE LACOUR accordion; Hannah Boone, trumpet; THE NOVA COLLECTIVE

WEDNESDAY JULY 20

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 10:00 am

BILL CAHN (NEXUS). “Creative Music Making: Four Simple Steps to Cultivating the Inner Musician” gives participants an opportunity to perform free-form musical improvisations with a focus on building confidence in creating music, listening & connecting with “the music”

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

TRAIL REPORTS – Poetry & Percussion In the Garden. MUN Botanical Garden 2:00 pm

ERIN DONOVAN, ROB POWER, BILL BRENNAN, GINA RYAN, percussion; ALICE BURDICK, poetry; ANDREA TUCKER, movement; REID ROBINS, guitar and voice.

EVENING CONCERT – First Light, 81 Cochrane St. 7:30 pm

GREG BRUCE, saxophone; ARKORA “Transfigured Light,” featuring newly-commissioned works, medieval and Renaissance motets, including 16th century microtonal work by Nicola Vicentino and a work by Pérotin.

LATE NIGHT JAZZ – The Salt House, 171 Water St. 10:30 pm

FLORIAN HOEFNER & FRIENDS

 

THURSDAY JULY 21

OPEN MORNING – Artists’ free time

WHALES, SEABIRDS, BEACHES, TRAIL WALKS. Information available at SOUND SYMPOSIUM CENTRAL,

LSPU Hall (check for hours open)

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

WORKSHOP – MUN School of Music 2:00 pm

GARRY KVISTAD (NEXUS) – “Sound Science”: Kvistad will provide an inside look on tuning instruments from his Woodstock Chimes business based on the ancient Just Intonation system. The session will include demonstrations of special musical equipment, and exercises on rhythmic patterns as building blocks of pure musical tones.

RAIN DATE for TRAIL REPORT – Poetry & Percussion. MUN Botanical Garden TBD

EVENING CONCERT – IMPROV NIGHT/TRAIL REPORTS. LSPU Hall 7:30 pm

ERIN DONOVAN, ALICE BURDICK, ROB POWER, ANDREA
TUCKER, GINA RYAN.

Presentation of the GERRY PORTER AWARD;

SURPRISE IMPROVISATIONS by Sound Symposium artists

SIGH UP HERE to register for Improv Night.

NIGHT MUSIC ­­– The Ship Pub 10:30 pm

UMS VS OHMS PLUS

FRIDAY JULY 22

WORKSHOP – First Light, 81 Cochrane St. 10:00 am

Experimental and Microtonal Instruments with BENTON ROARK, GAYLE YOUNG & ANDREW STANILAND, featuring the glass/microtonal marimba & the JADE

HARBOUR SYMPHONY – St John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

AFTERNOON CONCERT – The Rooms, 9 Bonaventure Ave. 2:00 pm

KILAUTIUP SONGUNINGA

“Strength of the Drum”: STAN NOCHASAK,vSOPHIE ANGNATOK, SOLOMON, SEMIGAK, ASHLEY DICKER

EVENING CONCERT – D.F. Cook Recital Hall, MUN School of Music 7:30 pm

GINA RYAN & ERIN DONOVAN, percussion solos and duos;

NEXUS Percussion Quartet; BOB BECKER, BILL CAHN, RUSSELL HARTENBERGER, GARRY KVISTAND

NIGHT MUSIC – The Ship Pub 10:30 pm

BANJOS & DIRT

SATURDAY JULY 23

OPEN MORNING ­– Artists’ free time for further exploration of Newfoundland’s connections to nature and culture

HARBOUR SYMPHONY

St. John’s Waterfront 12:30 pm

AFTERNOON CONCERT – Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist 3:00 pm

TRIO LYRICAL

(EMILY FINCH, KATHERINE MOFFATT, MICHAEL O’KEEFE trumpets); GAYLE YOUNG, deep listening; SARAH ALBU, experimental vocals; NOAM BIERSTONE, percussion; DAVID BULEY, hurdy gurdy

CLOSING PARTY – The Ship Pub 9:00 pm

Note: Keep your eyes peeled for “Hasty Vacationing” with los beatniko, time and location TBD

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calling All Improvisers!

Night Music is an improvisational music series held the third Thursday of very month at The Ship Pub. Local musicians play a set of their own music, which serves as the basis for the improvisation that follows. Musicians collaborate with organizer Craig Squires to present the evening of music, both planned and impromptu. This is not an open mic, but all players are invited to come down and join the fun.

Find information about upcoming shows on our Facebook page.

Does your band want to anchor an event? Contact us!

Sponsored by the Sound Art Initiative, Inc., and presented by the Downtown Academy of Improvisers.

The Harbour Symphony is original music written for the horns of the ships in the St. John’s harbour. This signature fanfare of the Sound Symposium transforms the ships in the harbour into an orchestra on water. Each Harbour Symphony begins with a radio countdown transmitted to the bridge of the ships by the Coast Guard where players stand at the helms of tugboats, trawlers, and ocean-going freighters. At the signal, a giant, floating horn section reverberates off the Southside Hills and through the streets of old St. John’s, echoing the soul of this 500 year old seaport.

ONSOUND

Sound Arts’ biennial four-or-five-day festival, taking place in the odd-numbered years, while the biennial Sound Symposium occupies the even-numbered years. Sound Symposium brings an eclectic mix of hundreds of sound explorers and enthusiasts from around the world, while our new ONSOUND festival celebrates a dedicated area of new and experimental music every other year with workshops, soundwalks, concerts, and more.

 

Every year we make a noise together that stretches around the world.

Drone Day

Drone Day is an annual celebration of drone, community, and experimental sounds. Dreamed up by MCLF of Weird Canada and vibrated into existence by communities and droners around the world, Drone Day is celebrated across the country. Our version of events is presented with our friends at Lawnya Vawnya.

Presented biennially in collaboration with the MUN Botanical Garden, Echo Village is a living tableau of singers and instrumentalists who transform a stroll around the gardens, forest, and Oxen Point into a sonic journey.

Echo Village II: Songs of Metamorphosis
Saturday, September 25th, 2021

Echo Village I
Sunday, September 20th, 2020

 

Sound Symposium thanks
our funders & partners

VOLUNTEER

Sound Symposium is powered by volunteers. Whether you’re looking to meet new people or spend time immersed in experimental music, your donated time is the secret sauce that makes Sound Symposium so special. We’ll thank you with some perks, too.

We need volunteers to work at the merchandise table, and to pull front-of-house shifts at concerts taking place at our various venues, including MUN, The Rooms, and Cape Spear. We need friendly faces to meet and greet attendees at workshops. If you’re good with computers, sound systems and machines of all sorts, we also need volunteers to assist the technical team.

Our team will help you find the volunteer position that’s right for your skills and your schedule.