Scene at Banff
Soprano Tracy Dahl and pianist Andrea Grant in rehearsal for the Centre’s 75th Anniversary Gala Concert. The concert featured internationally-acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker and opera stars Richard Margison and Dahl. During the concert, each spoke movingly about the critical role that The Banff Centre played in launching their careers. The evening concluded with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday,” led by Dahl and Parker, joined by participants in the 2008 Opera as Theatre program and over 900 audience members in the sold-out Eric Harvie Theatre. Photo: Laura Vanags.
Bernard Labadie, founder and director of Les Violons du Roy and La Chapelle de Québec, accepts the 2008 National Arts Award from Sarah Iley, vice-president of programming at the Centre. The award consists of a $5,000 cash prize and a two-week residency at the Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony. It recognizes significant contributions to the development of the arts in Canada, and to mentoring Canada’s next generation of artists.
Trumpeters from the 33rd International Trumpet Guild (ITG) conference gather on the patio of the Music & Sound Building in June. The ITG featured over 50 events including performances, master classes, seminars, and competitions; and featured over 60 individual performers and 11 ensembles representing 33 countries. Photo: Don Lee.
Fiction writer, poet, and arts journalist Steven Ross Smith was appointed director of Literary Arts this spring. Smith is the founding executive director of the Sage Hill Writing experience, and has published eight books of poetry, two books of short fiction, and one book of nonfiction. He created the press co-operative Underwhich Editions with bpNichol, and won the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award in 2005. Photo: Laura Vanags.
Claude Marin, director of Cultural Affairs for the town of Chamonix, France, and Canmore, Alberta, mayor Ron Casey participate in a panel discussion at the Understanding and Managing Amenity-led Migration in Mountain Regions conference in May. Organized by Mountain Culture in partnership with the Spokane-based International Amenity Migration Centre, the conference focused on the economic, social, and environmental challenges posed by large influxes of new and part-time residents into mountain communities. Photo: Laura Vanags.
Acclaimed theatre and opera director Kelly Robinson took the reins as the Centre’s new director of Theatre Arts this spring. Former associate artistic director of the Edmonton Opera and Comus Music Theatre in Toronto, Robinson has been the director of creative development at Mirvish Productions for the past 14 years. As program director of the Centre’s Opera as Theatre program (a role he will continue), Robinson directed most of the recent Banff Summer Arts Festival opera productions, including Filumena and Frobisher. Photo: Michael Cooper © Cooper Shoots.
In July, the Banff Centre Press released Inspiring Creativity, marking the 75th anniversary of the Centre. The book features images and commentaries capturing signature moments and creative productions from the Centre’s history, five new essays by distinguished alumni, and reflections on the impact of the Centre on Canadian arts and culture. Inspiring Creativity is edited by Bernadette McDonald, former vice-president of Mountain Culture, and can be purchased at the Centre’s ticket office in the Old Crag Cabin on Bear Street in downtown Banff. Photo: Don Lee.
Samuel Zygmuntovich, one of the world’s most respected violin makers, works on a violin in his New York studio. As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations, Zygmuntovich has been commissioned to create a new violin for The Banff Centre’s instrument bank. Watch for the full story in the Winter issue of Inspired. Photo: Tristan Cook.
