- Aeolian Winds 

- Antler River Project - Electro Acoustic Improvisatory Ensemble

- Triptych

Aeolian Winds

Fiona Wilkinson – flute, Ian Franklin – oboe, Peter Shackleton – clarinet,
Derek Conrod – horn, Dave Haward – bassoon

The term “Aeolian” means “borne on the winds”.  The Aeolian Winds, founded in 1989, is a highly acclaimed Canadian wind quintet that has dazzled audiences from coast to coast through extensive tours of the Atlantic provinces, British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon and almost everywhere in between.  Their performances receive exceptional critical acclaim and leave audiences enthralled.  The Aeolian Winds were selected to showcase Canadian repertoire at the “True North Festival” in Taipei, Taiwan, an exhibition of Canadian music and art held in 1998. Drawing on the players’ experience as soloists and with orchestra, the Aeolian Winds have established a reputation for bringing refined and dynamic interpretations to the traditional wind repertoire.  This ensemble has also added innovative collaborations to its program catalogue, reflected in their extensive discography. Commissions to expand the traditional repertoire have enabled partnerships with  Elmer Iseler , Harry Freedman,  the Penderecki String Quartet, Bass Baritone Brian Macintosh,  Poet Meryn Cadell, pianists Angela Cheng, Michael Injae Kim and Ronald Turini along with many other distinguished artists and conductors.  Regularly featured on CBC stereo, the Aeolian Winds are committed to ongoing commissions of new works by Canadian Composers.

Antler River Project - Electro Acoustic Improvisatory Ensemble

Antler River Project (named after the aboriginal name for the Thames river in London, Ontario) is a group of seasoned musicians with diverse backgrounds in jazz, classical and Latin-American music who combine these styles in their own original ways.  Members are: Fiona Wilkinson – flute, Stephen Holowitz – piano, Oliver Whitehead – guitar, Rob Larose – percussion, Alfredo Caxaj – percussion, Mitch Tyler – bass.  All of Antler River Project’s music is original, composed by Oliver Whitehead and Stephen Holowitz and realized through the expertise and improvisatory skills of it’s band members.

Collaboration began in 1997 through a compact disc recording of “A Mass for All Creatures” by Oliver Whitehead which was subsequently recorded by CBC’s David Burnham and Keith Horner.  Since then Antler River has collaborated with the Amabile Choirs, the Guelph Chamber Choir and the Don Wright Faculty of Music choirs in performances of original works featuring instrumental sets mixed with choral music.  ARP has toured Ireland with the Guelph Chamber Choir culminating in a performance at the International College Music Society Symposium in Limerick Ireland. ARP recently finished a recording collaboration with London Pro Musica, honouring Canada’s songwriters Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Leonard Cohen.

Antler River Project can best be described as fusion of influences. Renaissance dances become a springboard for percussive Frank Zappa-like developments; Ravel is interspersed with jazz solos; original compositions evolve through ARP’s own band member’s blend of technical virtuosity and world beat.  ARP is at the forefront of a new mix of world music traditions which result in a fresh and highly charged integration of musical styles.

Triptych

Fiona Wilkinson – flute, James McKay – bassoon, Stephan Sylvestre - piano

Triptych vaulted into the Canadian concert world bringing with it a bold and lyrical breath of life. Founded in 1989, this trio of accomplished musicians has dazzled audiences with performances that can be described as both subtle and exhilarating. The group has performed throughout Canada with a vision to share with audiences a deeper exploration of some of the most outstanding wind repertoire. Their concerts have been broadcast on CBC, CJRT and CFPL and their recording TRIPTYCH is a regular addition to CBC radio programming. 

The repertoire for the recording Triptych demonstrates the wide ranging abilities of the group in styles from the Baroque to modern Canadian commissions.