Owen Underhill

Recent Past Projects:

Compositions:

September 6, 2009 - Anchorage, Alaska - Performance of "Sakalaka" in "Refugium" (CrossSound Festival 2009). For information, see http://www.crosssound.com

April 26, 27, 28 2008 - World of Light for tenor and orchestra was premiered by tenor Benjamin Butterfied, conductor Kazuyoshi Akiyama and the Vancouver Symphony. The work was recorded and broadcast on CBC Radio Two.

September 5, 6 2008 – Aleutian Madrigals, four songs for four voices and ensemble, was premiered in Juneau and Sitka, Alaska as part of the CrossSound Festival, Owen Underhill conductor. This piece was collaboration with Alaskan poet Jerah Chadwick.

February 13, 2009 – In Ecclesiis for a spatially distributed choir and trombone quintet was premiered at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver by the Vancouver Cantata Singers and I Tromboni. The work utilizes the same Latin text as the Giovanni Gabrieli’s early seventeenth century composition of the same name. This work was commissioned by Redshift Music Society – see http://www.redshiftmusic.org

March 19, 2009 – Cloud over Water was commissioned and premiered by percussionist Daniel Tones at Simon Fraser University. The work is a vibraphone solo. The title derives from a painting by Paterson Ewen. Daniel Tones will be performing the work again in the 09/10 season. Further information on Daniel Tones at http://www.danieltones.com

April 17, 2009 – One Page Sonata performed by pianist Jane Hayes on Turning Point Ensemble concert. The work is an homage to the Ives Three Page Sonata.

Conducting:

October 2 & 4 2009 - Ryerson United Church, Vancouver - The Turning Point Ensemble celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Music Centre in a colourful program featuring R. Murray Schafer’s magical Egyptian-inspired Arcana for solo voice and ensemble, and José Evangelista’s thrilling Alap and Gat, a work referencing the classical music of North India. TPE also unveiled two premieres by Vancouver composers, Remember to Forget by Jaap Hamburger and Variations on Exact Tension by Jacqueline Leggatt. Further infomation on Turning Point Ensemble at http://www.turningpointensemble.ca/

August 11, 2009 - conducted performances of "Labyrinth" - Music of John Burke for MusicFest Vancouver

September 5, 6 2008 – served as Music Director for Maroon Settings, a festival involving collaborations between composers and poets organized by CrossSound in Juneau and Sitka, Alaska. The project featured four premieres and a theatrical performance of a work on Vitus Bering. Performers were from Canada, Denmark, Korea, and the United States.

November 28 & 30 2008 – End of Time Turning Point Ensemble concert, conducted three large ensemble works of Alexina Louie with soloists Jeremy Berkman, trombone and David Harding, viola

April 17 2009 – Living Toys Turning Point Ensemble concert, conducted program of music by Charles Ives and Thomas Adès. Highlights included Living Toys by Adès and the premiere of a new arrangement of Charles Ives Three Places in New England by Marcus Goddard, Michael Bushnell and Owen Underhill.

Interdisciplinary Projects:

June 6 and 12, 2008 – Edward Curtis meets the Kwakwaka’wakw - In the Land of the Headhunters – conducted a recently rediscovered original score by John Braham in a live performance synchronized with a restored version of the 1914 Edward Curtis film. Performances in The Moore Theatre, Seattle and the Chan Centre in Vancouver. The project included performances by the Gwa’wina Dancers of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation, several of whom were descendants of actors in the original film. More information on the project can be found at http://www.curtisfilm.rutgers.edu

February 13 and 14, 2009 – Relâche by Erik Satie – a Turning Point Ensemble original remount with dance, film and music of the last major work by Satie. Also included was a performance of Sports et Divertissements in an arrangement for actor/narrator and ensemble. See YouTube video on this project on Turning Point Ensemble website at http://www.turningpointensemble.ca/