Announcements

  • Music presents the University Wind Ensemble: A MUSICAL MONTAGE

    Monday, November 20, 2017 | By

    The University Wind Ensemble enjoys a rich heritage of musical excellence, bringing together both university and high school students as well as members of the Niagara musical community to explore and perform major symphonic wind band works, both original and arranged.

    The University Wind Ensemble Series conducted by Zoltan Kalman

    featuring a Canada 150 Performance of Suite Canadienne composed by Michael Kositsky

    Led by conductor Zoltan Kalman, the ensemble explores major symphonic wind band works, both original and arranged. Includes a Canada 150 performance of “Suite Canadienne”: A Medley of Canadian Folksongs, composed by Michael Kositsky.

    Folksongs to be included: I’s the B’y / Un Canadien errant / Black Fly / Four Strong Winds / North West Passage / J’entends le moulin / Springhill Mine Disaster / Something to Sing About.

    Tuesday, December 5, 2017
    Time: 7:30 p.m.

    Location: Partridge Hall, First Ontario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON

    Tickets: $12*; $5* child (14 and under); $5* eyeGo program. Free admission to current Brock students with valid student ID card. *No CCIF applied; other applicable fees and taxes are extra. † Applicable fees and taxes are extra.

    Available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722 or Long Distance Toll Free: 1.855.515.0722; online: firstontariopac.ca

    This is a special Canada 150 event.

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    Categories: Announcements, Current Students, Events, Future Students, News, The University Wind Ensemble

  • Music presents the Brock University Choirs: WINTERSONG

    Monday, November 20, 2017 | By

    The Viva Voce Choral Series features Brock’s student choral ensembles (men’s, women’s and mixed choruses).

    Under the direction of newly-appointed conductor Rachel Rensink-Hoff, these excellent choirs perform multiple concerts throughout the academic year. They have also engaged in community outreach, collaborated with choirs in Canada and the U.S., and produced CD recordings of works by Niagara composers.

    Viva Voce! Choral Series: Brock University Choirs

    conducted by Rachel Rensink-Hoff, featuring a Canada 150 Performance composed by Stephanie Martin

    Saturday, December 2, 2017
    Time: 7:30 p.m.

    Location: Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

    Tickets: $15* adults; $10* seniors & students; $5* eyeGo program. *No CCIF applied; other applicable fees and taxes are extra.

    Available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722 or Long Distance Toll Free: 1.855.515.0722; online: firstontariopac.ca

    This is a special Canada 150 event.

     

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    Categories: Announcements, Events, News, Viva Voce Choral Series

  • Music presents the Brock University String Orchestra: OPENINGS

    Monday, November 20, 2017 | By

    For the first time in the Department of Music’s history, we are proud to present our newest ensemble. Under the direction of George Cleland, the String Orchestra combines university students and community members in the performance of standard masterworks and lesser-known gems of the string repertoire.

    Brock University String Orchestra

    George Cleland – Conductor

    Wednesday November 29, 2017
    Time: 7:30 p.m.

    The Brock String Orchestra’s first concert of its inaugural season will feature repertoire from English Masters and other seasonal favourites:

    St Paul’s Suite by Gustav Holst
    Chaconne in G Minor by Henry Purcell
    An English Suite by C. Hubert H. Parry
    Concerto Opus 6 number 8, Fatto per la Notte di Natale, (the Christmas Concerto)by Arcangelo Corelli
    Theme Song for String Orchestra by Mark Zuckerman

    Location: Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines

    Tickets: $12*; $5* child (14 and under); $5* eyeGo program. Free admission to current Brock students with valid student ID card. *No CCIF applied; other applicable fees and taxes are extra. † Applicable fees and taxes are extra.

    Available from the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Box Office: 905.688.0722 or Long Distance Toll Free: 1.855.515.0722; online: firstontariopac.ca

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    Categories: Announcements, Events, News, The University String Orchestra

  • Brock University welcomes Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff!

    Tuesday, July 04, 2017 | By

    Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff

    Brock University welcomes Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff to the Department of Music at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts.

    Dr. Rachel Rensink-Hoff is the newly appointed Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music Education at Brock University. She has also been named Artistic Director of the Niagara-based Avanti Chamber Singers.

    Former conductor of the McMaster University Choir and founder of the McMaster Women’s Choir, Dr. Rensink-Hoff completed her Doctorate and Master of Music degree at Western University, pursuing additional studies at the Eastman School of Music Conducting Institute, the Voice Care Network of St. John’s University, Minnesota, and the University of Toronto. She has engaged in master-classes under conductors Helmuth Rilling, Joseph Flummerfelt, Anton Armstrong, Dale Warland and the late Sir David Willcocks.

    Vice-President of Programming for Choral Canada, Rachel Rensink-Hoff is the 2014 winner of the prestigious Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting awarded by the Ontario Arts Council. In 2015, her McMaster Women’s Choir was awarded first prize in the National Choral Competition for Amateur Choirs of the CBC and Choral Canada. That same year she was nominated for the Excellence in Teaching Award at McMaster University.

    She publishes regularly in the Choral Journal of the American Choral Directors’ Association as well as in Choral Canada’s Anacrusis and The Canadian Music Educator. Rachel works frequently as guest conductor, adjudicator, conference presenter and workshop clinician. Current engagements include a session on Canadian and American women choral composers at the 2017 national conference of the American Choral Directors’ Association in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a presentation on Canadian choral music at the 2017 World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona, Spain. She also looks forward to serving as guest conductor of this year’s 2017 Nova Scotia Provincial Youth Choir.

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    Categories: Announcements, Faculty & Instructors, News, Viva Voce Choral Series

  • Brock Music instructor nominated for St. Catharines Arts Award

    Tuesday, April 18, 2017 | By

    Gordon Cleland

    The Department of Music is proud to announce that Gordon Cleland has been nominated for the Emerging Artist award at this year’s St. Catharines Arts Awards! Gordon teaches cello here at the MIWSFPA, and plays principle cello with the Niagara Symphony, as well as working with the Niagara Youth Orchestra.

    More information can be found at this news entry on the main MIWSFPA website. Congratulations, Gordon! Good luck!

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    Categories: Announcements, Faculty & Instructors, News

  • Brock Department of Music to add string orchestra

    Monday, March 20, 2017 | By

    (Source: The Brock News, Monday, March 20, 2017 | by )

    A new string orchestra coming this fall will help attract new students and community musicians to Brock University’s Department of Music.

    For the first time in its 47-year history, the Department of Music will offer String Orchestra as part of its ensemble bank starting in September. The addition will make the Department’s programs more appealing to potential students, as it brings a much stronger string presence to its activities.

    “We have been trying to attract quality string students to the Department, and our lack of in-house orchestra has definitely been a detriment,” says Department of Music Chair Karin Di Bella.

    The string group will be added to the existing ensemble roster of the Brock University Choirs, and the Brock University Wind Ensemble.

    The String Orchestra has been developed to serve two key needs: filling a need in the Department’s curriculum; and providing a place for community string players to share their talents.

    “We have appreciated a partnership with the Niagara Symphony Youth Orchestra and the community-based Mercredi Musique in the past, but incoming students really want their ensemble experience to be housed at the University,” says Di Bella.

    Based on the successful model of the Wind Ensemble, the String Orchestra will work as a partnership between the Department and the community, welcoming community members to the group to fill out the numbers needed for the ensemble to be viable.

    Mercredi Musique is a key partner in the development of this new ensemble. Following the loss of their long-time music director Paul Van Dongen, the group ceased activity at the end of the 2015-16 season.

    “We are enthusiastic in our support of this endeavour. It’s an ideal direction for both the community and the University,” says Chris Thorne, former concertmaster of Mercredi Musique.

    Community string players are welcome to audition for the new Brock University String Orchestra. Auditions will be held this summer, with information posted on the Department website in the coming months. Auditions for an ensemble conductor will also be held. Any string specialists interested in applying for the conductor position should check Brock’s Human Resources listings, and let the Department know of their interest.

    The String Orchestra will rehearse during the academic year from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays in Cairns Recital Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

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    Categories: Announcements, News

  • Student Funding Opportunity: The Geritol Follies Bursary Fund

    Monday, January 09, 2017 | By

    hamiltoncommunityfoundationFuture students: Looking for scholarships and funding opportunities? The Geritol Follies Bursary Fund provides an opportunity for students of voice, drama, dance or a musical instrument to apply for a performing arts bursary to develop their talent and pursue their career goals.

    Who can apply?

    If you have graduated from a publicly-funded high school in Hamilton or Burlington, Ontario and have been accepted or are already enrolled in a performing arts program in a college, university, or institute in Canada or the United States, you can apply. You will need to show why you need financial assistance.

    How can the bursary help?

    The bursary can be used to assist with tuition and related expenses, and you can apply to the Geritol Follies Bursary Fund to support your studies at a college, university or institute. Talented and promising students with demonstrated financial need have been awarded annual amounts averaging $1,000 – $2,000 per academic year.

    How to apply:

    You can download the application form from the website of the Hamilton Community Foundation, where you can learn more about this bursary fund.

    Deadline for applications:

    February 15, 2017

    For more information contact:

    Hamilton Community Foundation,
    120 King St. W. Suite 700,
    Hamilton ON L8P 4V2

    Phone: 905-523-5600 / Email: information@hamiltoncommunityfoundation.ca

    And for more information on student awards, scholarships, bursaries and other funding and financial aid options available to future students at Brock, visit brocku.ca/safa.

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    Categories: Announcements, News

  • Plan your future now! Ontario Universities’ Fair is September 23-25, 2016

    Sunday, September 18, 2016 | By

    Plan your future now! If you’re thinking about attending Brock University and any of the four programs of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, don’t miss the Ontario Universities’ Fair!

    The OUF is September 23-25, 2016, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and admission is free.

    You can talk personally with students, professors and senior university reps, get answers about programs, admission requirements, student life and much more. Don’t miss out on the largest educational fair in Canada!

    Check out the Facebook event page or go to the Ontario Universities’ Fair website.

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    Categories: Announcements, Future Students, News

  • Music and Dramatic Arts collaborate with the Niagara Symphony Orchestra

    Thursday, September 18, 2014 | By

    nso2

    The Niagara Symphony Orchestra on the stage of the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre of the Centre for the Arts at Brock University. Pictured below are Elizabeth Pereira, Virginia Reh and Evan Mulrooney.

    Many Canadian orchestras have brought Classical Kids’ Beethoven Lives Upstairs program to their stages over the years, but the Niagara Symphony has brought a fresh new approach to this classic event. Brock Dramatic Arts student Elizabeth Pereira and alumnus Evan Mulrooney will play the roles of Christoph and the Uncle respectively, in performance with the Niagara Symphony (led by music director Bradley Thachuk) in April 2015.  They earned the roles through competitive auditions at the school, and will be directed by Brock Professor of Drama Virginia Reh.

    It’s part of a many-faceted partnership between the NSA and the university.  The Niagara Symphony is Orchestra in Residence at Brock University, NSO concert notes are prepared by Brock Music Department faculty member Dr. Brian E. Power, the NSO participates in the Community Arts Partnership with the Brock Department of Music, Brock Music Ed Plus ensembles are featured in as part of Spotlight On!, Music Ed Plus students mentor and volunteer at Summer Music Camp, Brock faculty members coach, and adjudicate practice auditions, for students in The Academy @ SMC, NSO musicians Laura Thomas, Brent Adams, Gordon Cleland, Steve Fralick, Zoltan Kalman, Vera Alexeeva and Patricia Dydnansky are on faculty with the Brock Department of Music, and the NSO offers special PSSTnso (post secondary student ticket) pricing for university students.

    from the article posted September 17 in the Orchestra News, Weekly Newsletter
    at http://orchestrascanada.org/2014/09/17/new-partnership-for-the-niagara-symphony/

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    Categories: Announcements, In the Media, News

  • Local choral groups release debut CD of Christmas music

    Thursday, November 08, 2012 | By

    (Source: The Brock News, Thursday, November 08, 2012 | by )

    The Avanti Chamber Singers and Brock University Festival Chorus have released a new CD, entitled Voices of Niagara 3: Glorious Light, which features Christmas choral music written by local Niagara composers.

    This is first CD released featuring the 30-voice Avanti Singers and 60-voice Brock Chorus. Conductor and Brock associate professor of music Harris Loewen leads both ensembles, as well as other regional instrumentalists on the recording.

    The main work on the CD is the six-movement piece Gloria, composed by Peter Landey, associate professor of music at Brock, and sung in Latin by the combined groups. All of the works on this recording are unpublished and presented here for the first time.

    The music on Voices of Niagara 3: Glorious Light was recorded in multiple sessions at St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake in May 2011 and May 2012, and at St. Thomas Anglican Church in St. Catharines in November 2011.

    The CD will be launched Saturday, Nov. 17 at the Avanti Chamber Singers concert happening at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 31 Queenston St., St. Catharines.

    Information about tickets and start times for this event.

    The CD will also be on sale at the Brock University Choirs’ performance of Cantemus that takes place Saturday, Nov. 24 at Knox Presbyterian Church, 53 Church St., St. Catharines.

    The CD is available for online purchase from Brock’s Department of Music and the Avanti Chamber Singers.

    This is the third CD in the Voices of Niagara series. The previous two CDs by the Niagara Vocal Ensemble, also conducted by Loewen, are also still available.

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    Categories: Announcements, Events, Faculty & Instructors, In the Media, News, Viva Voce Choral Series

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